Wandering Eyes

When I read Bill Finley’s article about the Thoroughbred Idea Foundation in Wednesday’s TDN, my first thought was how to improve the lives of horses on the backstretch and the experience of visitors to the backstretch. On any given morning, you are going to see the kind of quality handling that most thoughtful horsemen put into their daily work with Thoroughbreds. But along with the skilled riders and horsemen, you’ll see people perhaps new to the job or not well trained. Mandatory training in horsemanship can instantly improve the care we give the horses and make everyone on the backstretch safer. There is no need to reinvent the wheel. I recently read that Laurel Park has started Groom Elite training for backstretch workers. All racetracks can adopt training programs for backstretch personnel and use it in a way that doesn’t disrupt the workday or the hiring cycle. This is a great first step and it is available immediately. There is a wealth of new information available regarding horse handling techniques, and clinics popping up all the time with people willing to teach the skill. A higher, more standardized skill level at the track would make racing safer and make it more appealing to fans. Don’t owners deserve the very best-trained people handling their multi-million dollar investments? Have your own idea for the TIF? Email it to suefinley@thetdn.com for publication. View the full article

Already established as one of nation's top sprinters, Mind Your Biscuits will see how far his wicked turn of foot can take him when he faces a field that includes grade 1 winners Diversify and Tapwrit in the $1.2 million Whitney Stakes (G1). View the full article

Don Alberto Stable and WinStar Farm's Battle of Midway, who was retired to stud then returned to training in May after it was discovered he was subfertile, took a serious step toward his racing return Aug. 1 with a bullet workout at Del Mar. View the full article

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Ken Ramsey has always had a world of confidence in his 4-year-old colt Backyard Heaven (Tizway). Despite a series of setbacks that sidetracked his progression, the Chad Brown trainee’s latent talent has fueled a continual hope that bigger and better things are to come. Ramsey believed that Backyard Heaven was primed to take the next step under the lights at Churchill Downs in the June 16 GI Stephen Foster H. after dominating his stakes debut in the May 4 GII Alysheba S., but it was not meant to be as the dark bay came up empty in the stretch and finished sixth. With ample time to recover and steady training in the bank, Backyard Heaven’s next opportunity on a grand stage comes Saturday in the GI Whitney S. at Saratoga. A win in the storied race would seem all the more fitting given the colt’s name–which is Ramsey’s nickname for his view of the Oklahoma training track from the backyard of his Saratoga Springs home. “I’m hoping that the [Stephen Foster] was a fluke because of the heat and humidity–it was 91 degrees that night,” said Ramsey, who added that the race otherwise unfolded exactly as planned. “I was sitting there saying, ‘How sweet it is, all I have to do is walk out there and lead him in, because he’s going to fire like he always fires and win by four or five.’ Instead, when he caught the whip and cracked him, he had absolutely nothing. He was as flat as a flitter.” Ramsey said Backyard Heaven scoped clean and emerged from the race with no obvious physical ailments, leading him to believe that the muggy weather that night was the culprit. The case for drawing a line through the race was bolstered by a series of other poor performances by high-profile horses on the same card–namely champion World Approval (Northern Afleet), the highly regarded sophomore Ax Man (Misremembered) and Irish War Cry (Curlin), who failed to finish the Foster after suffering from his well-documented battle with a heat-related condition known as “the thumps.” Ramsey has been observing Backyard Heaven’s training at the Spa in recent weeks alongside Brown and said his faith in the horse has not wavered (click here to read more about Backyard Heaven in Steve Sherack’s “Second Chances” feature from November 2017). While his workmate from early July, Good Magic (Curlin), was at Monmouth Park preparing for a victory in the GI Betfair.com Haskell Invitational last Sunday morning, Backyard Heaven completed his final prep work for the Whitney with a four-furlong breeze in :48.92 (45/129) at Saratoga. Although the Ramseys’ spot on the Oklahoma remains their “backyard heaven,” Ramsey explained that his stable will have fewer starters at the 2018 Spa meet than in years past. “I’ve got two wins so far, but I didn’t bring as many horses as I normally do,” Ramsey said. “I have a grandson up at Woodbine [Nolan Ramsey] who is an assistant to Mike Maker, and I ended up sending 26-27 horses up there. I have about the same amount here. I’m not going to have as many entries at Saratoga as I had last year, because I’m trying to help my grandson out. But he’s done well…I think he’ll end up being a good trainer if he gets a little more polish.” Even if Ramsey is looking at the bigger picture and sacrificing wins in the short term at Saratoga, a win in the Whitney would justify the emphasis on quality over quantity. His last victory in the storied race came in 2004 with Roses in May. “If I can win that one Saturday, I would forget about all the rest of it,” Ramsey said. “If the horse cooperates on Saturday, I think we have a big shot. As I said at the draw the other night, I’d be able to kiss Mary Lou [Whitney] twice. It’s been a long time between kisses–it was 2004 when I got my last one.” View the full article

Legendary jockey Julie Krone, the first woman inducted into the National Museum of Racing’s Hall of Fame, will sign autographs at the Museum Sunday, Aug. 19 from 12:30 p.m. to 1:15 p.m. Autographs are $15 each with proceeds benefitting the Museum. Krone will be signing limited-edition prints of her victory aboard Colonial Affair IN the 1993 GI Belmont S. The prints will be sourced from original artwork by renowned artist Celeste Susany and is included with the autograph price. Prior to the signing, Krone will participate in the Museum’s Women in Racing Symposium from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. The panel discussion will feature some of the most accomplished women in Thoroughbred racing, such as Janet Elliot, Linda Rice, Charlotte Weber and Gabby Gaudet. View the full article

Thoroughbred Charities of America will be the title sponsor of the Thoroughbred Makeover and National Symposium, which will be held at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington Oct. 4-7. “We are very pleased to be the top supporter of the Thoroughbred Makeover for the sixth consecutive year,” said TCA Executive Director Erin Crady. “Thoroughbred Charities of America believes strongly in not only supporting approved aftercare organizations but also in supporting organizations working to create a market for Thoroughbreds. Over the last six years, the Makeover has not only successfully increased the demand for retired racers but has also given them skills in a new discipline thereby increasing their value.” TCA’s support for the Makeover is part of its annual grant-making activity. The organization announced earlier this month that grants totaling $689,414 were awarded to 69 approved organizations that provide Thoroughbred aftercare, equine-assisted therapy, equine research, and health and human services for backstretch and farm workers. View the full article

The sight of a 4-month-old foal in the parade ring at Goodwood is a slightly incongruous one and none of the breeding prospects appealed to buyers around the ring after racing, but five of the horses in training were in demand, with Hong Kong and Singapore among their future destinations. Of the 13 lots offered, which included a lifetime breeding right to Whitsbury Manor Stud stallion Showcasing (GB), six were marked as sold to bring turnover for the inaugural Goffs Goodwood Sale to £1,425,000. Top of the tree was the first lot through the ring, Mildmay Racing’s 4-year-old Perfect Angel (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) (lot 1), runner-up in the G2 Mill Reef S. at two and in the 2017 G3 Hackwood S. (Video), was sold to SackvilleDonald for £400,000. The sister to G2 Duchess of Cambridge S. runner-up Angel’s Hideaway (Ire) will leave Andrew Balding’s stable to join Richard Hughes. “She’s been bought for a client of Richard’s and she will stay in training with the hope of getting some more black-type,” said Ed Sackville. Just under the top price at £390,000 was Curiosity (Ire) (High Chaparral {Ire}) (lot 8) who will leave Hugo Palmer’s Newmarket stable for Singapore. Mark McStay of Avenue Bloodstock placed the winning bid on the 99-rated 3-year-old and said, “He’s been wonderfully trained by my good friend Hugo Palmer and his owners have had great fun with him. He’s going to Singapore to be trained by the great Lee Freedman for a new client and I hope his new owners have plenty of fun with him.” Last week’s Naas listed winner Sometimesadiamond (Ire) (Vocalised) (lot 13) has been bought to carry on racing for Phoenix Thoroughbreds for £220,000. Bred and trained by Jim Bolger, the 3-year-old was signed for by Dermot Farrington. “We’ll assess her once she comes over from Ireland and make a decision on a trainer after that,” he said. “We were actually looking for something for the Southern Hemisphere but nothing has been decided yet.” War Command juvenile Flying Dragon (Ire) (lot 7), who was runner-up on debut on his sole start at Chantilly, was the only horse in training to parade in the ring and was sold by Con Marnane for £175,000 to Ross Doyle. The colt will head first to Richard Hannon before shipping out to Hong Kong. “That was a good, strong maiden run and he came very highly recommended,” said the agent. The half-share in the Ebor entrant Cosmelli (Ity) (Mr Vegas {Ire}) (lot 2), who is also eligible for the G1 Melbourne Cup, was sold for £50,000 to Sydney-based Import Racing while China Horse Club snapped up the breeding right to Showcasing (lot 5) for £190,000. The sale’s headline lot, the G3 Anglesey S. winner Marie’s Diamond (Ire) (Footstepsinthesand {GB}) (lot 4), who lines up for today’s G2 Qatar Richmond S., was unsold at £675,000. The post-racing sale returned an average of £237,000 and median of £205,000. “We are delighted with the results achieved at the inaugural Goodwood Sale at the Qatar Goodwood Festival which saw us achieve a sale average of £237,500,” said Goffs UK Managing Director Tony Williams. “The results in the ring this evening clearly demonstrate there is an appetite for these specialist, boutique sales and our top price of £400,000 certainly reinforces that. We would like to thank Goodwood for partnering in this sale, as well as our vendors and buyers, and we look forward to seeing it develop in the years to come.” View the full article

The previously reported sale of a 70% equity stake in Ellis Park from Ron Geary to Saratoga Casino and Hospitality Group (SCHG) was completed on Monday, according to a press release. SCHG had owned the remaining 30% of the Western Kentucky oval since 2012. No changes in management are planned at this time. “We’re very excited to own such an historic property,” said Daniel Gerrity, President of Saratoga Casino & Hospitality Group. “We look forward to learning even more about the Henderson and Evansville communities, and we’re eager to work towards our goal of delivering an experience that goes above and beyond guest expectations.” Jeff Hall, Ellis Park General Manager, added, “Our team at Ellis Park looks forward to working with Saratoga Casino & Hospitality Group. We’re excited to improve on the great strides we’ve made as a racing and entertainment destination.” 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. Thursday’s Insights features a half-sister to MG1SW Poet’s Word (Ire) (Poet’s Voice {GB}). 4.45 Goodwood, Mdn, £25,000, 2yo, f, 7fT FURIOUS (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) is a half-sister to the G3 Chartwell S. winner and G1 Matron S. runner-up Lily’s Angel (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) who debuts for Kin Hung Kei and Qatar Racing and David Simcock. The 340,000gns TATOCT graduate encounters Brightwalton Bloodstock’s fellow newcomer Incharge (GB) (Kingman {GB}), a 200,000gns TATOCT half-sister to Poet’s Word (Ire) (Poet’s Voice {GB}) from the Charlie Hills stable. View the full article

‘TDN Rising Star’ Once On Whiskey (Bodemeister) and Draft Pick (Candy Ride {Arg}), one-two across the line in the GIII Los Alamitos Derby July 14, square off again in Saturday’s GIII West Virginia Derby at Mountaineer. Once On Whiskey, trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, rallied down the lane to narrowly reel in Draft Pick, who led by 1 1/2 lengths at the stretch call, while making his stakes debut and first attempt around two turns that day. Draft Pick followed a maiden win at sixth asking May 12 with a sharp score in Santa Anita’s GIII Affirmed S. June 10. The Iowa Derby top three-High North (Midnight Lute), Mr Freeze (To Honor and Serve) and Lionite (Quality Road)-also return in this spot. View the full article

Undefeated Triple Crown winner and ‘TDN Rising Star‘ Justify (Scat Daddy) took the first step in his life after racing on Wednesday, traveling from trainer Bob Baffert’s Southern California base to WinStar Farm in Versailles, Kentucky, where he will stay at least until stud plans are confirmed. The chestnut, campaigned by China Horse Club, Head of Plains Partners, Starlight Racing and WinStar, arrived at WinStar’s stallion complex shortly before 1:30 p.m. after flying into Lexington airport and got right down to the business of settling in to his new abode. WinStar’s David Hanley described what Justify’s transition from racetrack superstar to stud will look like. “We’re going to give him a week to settle in and then we’re going to open to the public and allow people to come see him,” he said. “We’re really delighted to have him back here.” “Our plan is to get him in a round pen and handwalk him. He’s pretty fit so we wouldn’t want to turn him out and let him go tearing around. We’ll acclimatize him to the round pen, let him down, handwalk him and eventually move him to a paddock.” Hanley said colts generally acclimatize quickly to life after the track. “He’s been walking for a while with Bob, it’s not like he’s been galloping,” Hanley noted. “We’re going to have to cut his feed back to try to let him chill down a little bit. He’s a very smart horse, I think he’ll adjust very quickly. We’ll get him in a round pen and he’s going to be fresh, but once he gets used to that routine I think he’ll settle right down.” Having been part of the buying team that purchased Justify for $500,000 at Keeneland September two years ago before he came to WinStar to be broken in and prepared for his racing career, Hanley said he feels “blessed and lucky” to have been so intimately involved in Justify’s career. “He’s just the most incredible horse and it’s unlikely we’ll ever see one like him again in our lifetime,” he said. “To be close to him through all of this and see what he’s gone through in 112 days from Feb. 18 until the Belmont–it’s just been an amazing ride. At every question he’s just stepped up above and beyond what we could have expected.” Reflecting on the Triple Crown sweep, Hanley said, “What he did in the [GI Kentucky] Derby, going :45 and change, no horse has gone that fast and still won. In the [GI] Preakness, we’ve seen how good a horse Good Magic (Curlin) is, and they went head-to-head for seven furlongs and he still won. Mike Smith, being such a top-class jockey, was saving him a little bit after he had done that and his two works before the [GI] Belmont were just incredible. Everything he’s done has just been jaw-dropping. Coming up to the Belmont, you could tell this horse was just like a beast. You just knew what he was going to do. Just to be close to him and be part of it, we’ve been incredibly blessed and lucky.” View the full article

SARATOGA SPRINGS, New York–Hold on. Owner-breeder-horseplayer Ron Paolucci is reconsidering whether to leave the racing business. Two weeks after announcing that he was very unhappy and planning to disband his stable, Paolucci, 48, said Tuesday night at the post-position draw for the GI Whitney S. that so many people have urged him not to leave, that he isn’t so sure now about his move to quit the sport. He owns more than 150 horses, handled by trainers across the country, and his Loooch Racing was the second-leading owner in the U.S. last year with 159 victories. Loooch is running Dalmore (Colonel John), a 30-1 long shot, in the $1.2-million Whitney Saturday afternoon at Saratoga Race Course. “I’m going to make a decision after the Breeders’ Cup,” Paolucci said. “If I win a race like this, how do you get out? Win a Breeders’ Cup, how do you get out?” Saying “I’m never going to say never,” Paolucci said he was serious when he dropped the news that he would get out of racing. “What I didn’t anticipate was how many people across the game reached out to me and said, ‘we need you to stay in,'” he said. “You don’t see it when you’re doing it until you say, ‘Hey, I might get out.’ Then people that you didn’t even know were watching you are like, ‘We need you in the game.'” One of the early callers with that message, Paolucci said, was Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert. During a post-draw interview with NYRA host Andy Serling, Backyard Heaven (Tizway)’s owner Ken Ramsey said he spoke with Paolucci at the event. “I saw Ron coming in and I had read in the paper where he was thinking about getting out of the business,” Ramsey said. “I used the old Shoeless Joe expression. I said, ‘Tell me Looch, it’s not true. Tell me it’s not true.’ I told him he needed to stay in. We need guys like him.” In a July 19 TDN story, written by Bill Finley, Paolucci said he had been wavering on whether or not he should remain in the horse business for quite some time, and that a July 9 race at Thistledown was the breaking point. He ran an entry with Game Over (Mineshaft) as the much stronger half. At odds of 1-5, Game Over won by 1 3/4 lengths. But the stewards disqualified him, ruling that his entrymate Chromium (Vronsky) was ridden in a way to interfere with Game Over’s competition. Chromium’s rider Luis Rivera received a 30-day suspension. “They questioned Luis dozens of times, kept asking him what did they tell you to do, how did they tell you to ride the race?” Paolucci said. “Game Over was 1-5. He didn’t need any help. It was the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard. I think they gave Rivera 30 days because he didn’t tell them what they wanted to hear. They wanted him to say that I cheated and set this up. I won’t let anyone defame my name like that.” At the Whitney draw, Paolucci said he stewed about the Thistledown incident for about 10 days before calling Marty McGee of Daily Racing Form to tell him he was leaving racing. “Honestly, it wasn’t even the DQ,” he said. “It was the combination of like 20 different things and the inference of what my riders’ actions were. Getting put up and taken down is part of the game. I don’t never argue that. I’ve been on the good side of some DQs. I got put up in a $2-million race [with Ria Antonia in the 2013 GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies]. DQs are part of the game. That doesn’t bother me.” Paolucci nodded in the direction of trainer Anthony Quartarolo, who was sitting at the table. “You’ve got to think about guys like him, my trainer, who only trains for me and all the people he employs and all these people could possibly be out of jobs,” Poalucci said. “So, you’ve got to really reconsider it after everything.” View the full article

A total of 4,538 yearlings (2,372 colts and 2,166 fillies) have been cataloged for Keeneland’s 75th-annual September Yearling Sale, which will be held over 13 sessions from Sept. 10 – Sept. 23. Last year’s auction, which took place in 12 sessions, featured a catalogue of 4,139. As previously announced, this year’s September format will include a longer four-day Book 1 compared to just one day in 2017. A lone dark day will take place after Book 1 on Friday, Sept. 14. The sale’s online catalog will be available at September.keeneland.com starting Tuesday, Aug. 7. Print copies will be mailed Thursday, Aug. 16. “The unparalleled strengths of the September Sale are the quantity of outstanding yearlings at all price levels and the deepest buying bench globally in the industry,” Keeneland Vice President of Racing and Sales Bob Elliston said. “This year was an historic one for the September Sale with [$500,000 2016] graduate Justify (Scat Daddy) becoming racing’s newest Triple Crown winner. This is another milestone in a sale with a record of consistently producing world-class athletes.” View the full article

‘TDN Rising Star’ Gidu (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), a respectable sixth in Royal Ascot’s six-furlong G1 Commonwealth Cup June 22, stretches out to 1 1/16 miles in Friday’s GII National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame S. at Saratoga. The gray, a very close second in Gulfstream’s GIII Dania Beach S. Feb. 3, previously put together back-to-back victories in Tampa’s Columbia S. Mar. 10 and Belmont’s Paradise Creek S. May 26. “I thought he ran well [at Royal Ascot],” trainer Todd Pletcher said. “He’s won at a mile and it’s kind of that time of year where there’s not a ton of options for 3-year-olds on the turf going six to seven furlongs, so we’re going to try to stretch him out to a mile and a sixteenth and see how he handles that.” Raging Bull (Fr) (Dark Angel {Ire}), a smart come-from-behind winner in his first two trips to the post, including an optional claimer at Belmont June 8, closed into a very slow pace to complete the exacta as the heavy 2-5 chalk in the Manila S. downstate July 4. “Raging Bull is doing really well, I’m excited to get him in there,” trainer Chad Brown said. “He’s a lightly raced horse but he has a ton of talent.” Ride a Comet (Candy Ride {Arg}), a half-brother to GI Belmont S. hero Tapwrit (Tapit), won his last two attempts at trainer Mark Casse’s Woodbine base, headed by the Charlie Barley S. June 30. View the full article

How many times have you heard racing industry pooh-bahs calling for digital innovation and fresh technologies to spark the sport? Unfortunately, it’s not like talented programmers and developers are knocking on the sport’s front door to introduce themselves or offer their ideas to the industry for the good of the game. Yet that’s exactly what happened earlier this summer when one savvy software engineer quietly rolled out an open-source horse racing data app he invented that was free for the public to use and designed in a way that made it easy for other developers to tinker with and improve. But instead of this app serving as a calling card that might lead to greater engagement with industry officials, the creator of the Handycapper program found himself on the receiving end of a cease-and-desist directive from Equibase Company LLC, the owner and controller of Thoroughbred racing’s statistical database since 1991. Considering Robin Howlett spent two years of his spare time working for no pay on a passion-driven project whose lifespan in the public domain lasted two months, you’d think he’d be a more than a tad ticked off at the way Handycapper was received by the sport’s powers that be. Surprisingly, he’s not. If anything, the shutdown has emboldened Howlett to forge ahead with enthusiasm. “My reception wasn’t arms open, an embrace,” Howlett acknowledged with an upbeat chuckle in a recent phone interview from his home in Colorado. “But I am open and willing to converse with anybody if it involves helping others to enjoy the sport to a greater degree.” Howlett, 36, is the director of engineering at SnapLogic, a digital enterprise firm that specializes in providing data integration systems to companies and industries worldwide. His story starts in 2009, when as a budding software engineer–and a huge racing fan–he moved to the United States from his native Ireland. What struck him about the U.S. version of the sport was how data-centric the game was compared Europe, plus the “sheer scope and breadth” of horses, races and tracks in America. In 2010, Howlett landed a gig as a software engineer for a Breeders’ Cup app on Facebook. This led to an invitation to be a member of the Breeders’ Cup Digital Fan Advisory Council. He then moved on to other non-racing jobs, like coordinating software architecture for SportsLabs (a firm that enhances digital business for college and pro sports organizations) prior to joining SnapLogic and advancing through its managerial hierarchy. On nights and weekends, Howlett continued to explore ideas to harness the power of racing’s vast results database. At one point, he contacted Equibase about using their data to run some tests. “But I was quoted a very large number to get access to a dataset that I would consider sufficient to get a good sense of things,” he said. Fast-forward to 2016, when Howlett, still tinkering, discovered a piece of software that allows a user to extract specific data points from a standard PDF digital document. Intrigued, he tried it on one of the thousands of Equibase results charts that are freely available online. Immediately, he said, “I saw enough to show that there was a promising path” to a new way to utilize chart data. “And then it really became an intellectual challenge: ‘Could I do this?'” After another year of pecking away in his free time, Howlett had a program that was robust enough to share with “a few creative types.” But he still felt that his “chart-parsing library” was too complicated for an ordinary handicapper to use. “What I then wanted to try was a very basic product experience that would target the everyday, average racing fan–creatively inclined, but not necessarily a major horseplayer,” Howlett said. By 2018, that concept had evolved into Handycapper. On May 23 Howlett made it publicly available online, explaining that “what I wanted to do was to make it as quick and as easy for anybody to take a chart and let them put it into an application to do very simple things in a more flexible way than had been offered before.” Handycapper users could seek and sift myriad combinations of statistical chart information based on parameters of their choosing. They could then save that data into a spreadsheet, or access the database directly to run specialized queries, Howlett explained. Feedback on social media was limited but overwhelmingly positive. The site Raceday 360 used Handycapper to augment stakes race profiles, and Howlett said he was encouraged to learn almost every day about other creative ways that people were interacting with Handycapper. “It was well-received. Word of mouth and online sharing–it was nice to see,” Howlett said. “I didn’t really track any sort of usage figures, but it would be quite safe to assume it was small numbers.” At about the six-week mark of his open-source experiment, Howlett heard from an entity that wasn’t too pleased with Handycapper’s existence. “Early July, I received word from Equibase’s legal team that they had concerns about the software, vis-à-vis their terms of service,” Howlett said. This did not surprise him, he added. As a software engineer experienced in dealing with digital data rights, he was well aware that the data he acquired via the free charts was still the property of Equibase, regardless of how he got it or presented it to others. “Historically, Equibase and [its parent] The Jockey Club have been aggressive in any sort of control over the information that they have produced,” Howlett said. “I knew [a request to shut down] was possible. I guess I just wanted to see how people would react, and what would Equibase’s issue be, and would anyone like to learn from my experience.” A phone call was arranged between Howlett and Jason Wilson, the president and chief operating officer of Equibase. Both Howlett and Wilson later told TDN the conversation was cordial. “Straightaway I acknowledged that Equibase had produced the data, and that I in no way wanted to drag this out unnecessarily,” Howlett said. “So I accepted that if Equibase were uncomfortable with [Handycapper] being out there, that I would no longer publish it.” Howlett continued: “We spent the rest of the conversation just exchanging information and thoughts about general sports and new media and development opportunities. The two politely agreed to keep in touch, but the phone call “didn’t extend to any invitation for collaboration or feedback.” Wilson, in a phone interview earlier this week, came across as an executive who is well aware of racing’s need to spark innovation. But he acknowledged it can be a challenge for Equibase to protect its proprietary data while letting some of it reach end users for free or at a reasonable price. He also emphasized that Equibase is more flexible in cooperating with data-seeking entrepreneurs than the company gets credit for, and that comparing racing to other sports in terms of free and easy access to data is “apples to oranges” because of how differently racing is structured. “We’re not a major league with a centralized office. We don’t have the ability to share revenues and expenses. So as a stand-alone data company, we have to figure out that balancing act: How much do we give away for free as an enticement and an engagement, and how much do we have to charge as a way to make money so we can continue to do what we do?” Wilson continued: “We’re working on engaging the developer community in ways that still fit within our existing framework of how we operate. But It kind of goes back to the chicken-and-egg thing. What’s going to happen first? I think in order for [data sharing policies] to change, I think the entire model of the sport has to change. And I don’t necessarily see that happening any time soon.” Howlett, though, believes he can be part of the process of changing–or even breaking–that model. “I work in the software industry, explicitly in the area called integration, which is joining various data systems together. And we have seen an explosion of interest and commerce once [industries] connect the data of various systems,” Howlett said. “It doesn’t begin and end with the chart data. My view is more open data is always better. I would imagine that the way the industry is trending, they should certainly consider new approaches to doing things rather than the status quo. My attempt was simply to provide a window view into what could somebody do if they had greater accessibility to the data.” Even Wilson admitted Handycapper had some appeal. “It was definitely an interesting product. I will give it that,” he said. But beyond the question of data rights and ownership, the bigger question facing Equibase–and, by extension, the entire industry–is this: Given Wilson’s stated desire for Equibase to engage more with the developer community and his appreciation of Howlett’s work, why did their conversation focus primarily along the lines of “cease and desist” instead of a “come work with us” pitch? When asked this, Wilson responded with a long pause before saying he would prefer not to answer that question for the record. Despite what appears to be a missed opportunity for the sport to team with a world-class programmer, Howlett believes he will eventually partner with industry entities on some future project. After he posted July 23 that Handycapper would no longer be publicly available, he said he was contacted by the recently formed Thoroughbred Idea Foundation to pick his brain on what might be possible. And a recent Twitter posting by Howlett hinted at a new racing-related brainstorm he’s enthused about that will “probably ruffle some feathers” within the industry. “That was mostly mischievous,” Howlett said coyly when nudged for specifics. “But yes, I am working on another side project, again mostly for fun. I’ll reserve giving you all the details, but because you called me, I’ll say this: A common complaint is that the takeout is too high. And a common retort to that is that the average player doesn’t care. I’m interested in something that would make it so that when you’re wagering, you become very aware of the takeout.” —@thorntontd View the full article

Sir Michael Stoute shows no sign of stifling his ambitions in his veteran stage as a trainer and Thursday’s G1 Qatar Nassau S. sees his stable pitch another live contender into the big league as Veracious (GB) (Frankel {GB}) tackles Goodwood’s G1 Qatar Nassau S. Labeled a ‘TDN Rising Star‘ when beating the subsequent Listed UAE 1000 Guineas winner Winter Lightning (Ire) (Shamardal) by four lengths in a seven-furlong Newmarket maiden in October, Cheveley Park Stud’s homebred missed the G1 1000 Guineas due to a setback and so was making her seasonal debut in Royal Ascot’s G1 Coronation S. June 22. That was a very un-Stoute like move, but she rewarded his boldness by finishing third under positive tactics behind Alpha Centauri (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) and Threading (Ire) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}). One more win here would bring Stoute alongside the late Sir Henry Cecil as leading trainer with eight wins and connections are hopeful. “I think her run at Ascot was above what we expected, to be honest. We were delighted with the performance and were obviously beaten by a special filly,” the Stud’s racing manager Chris Richardson said. “Sir Michael did not want to tuck her in behind horses at Ascot and then find she was fighting for her head in the early half of the race, which is why we let her stride on. It wasn’t the intention to set it up for anybody else, it was more the fact she had not raced for so long. The 10 furlongs will certainly give us other options if it all works out. As far as we can see on pedigree, she definitely deserves the opportunity over 10 furlongs.” Fourth in the Coronation and 1 3/4 lengths behind Veracious was the G1 1000 Guineas heroine Billesdon Brook (GB) (Champs Elysees {GB}), who has vital course form having won a seven-furlong nursery at this meeting 12 months ago and the G3 Prestige S. over the same trip later in the month. “There are not many runners in the race and I think she will prefer going a mile and a quarter rather than a mile,” trainer Richard Hannon said. “She has had a nice break and we are very hopeful. I thought immediately after Ascot she wanted a mile and a quarter. She never looked like she was going to win at Ascot and I was a bit disappointed she didn’t go whoosh like she can do.” Of the older fillies, both the 2017 G1 Prix de l’Opera and this year’s G1 Lockinge S. heroine Rhododendron (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and July 1 G1 Pretty Polly S. winner Urban Fox (GB) (Foxwedge {Aus}) offer stern opposition. The latter beat the G1 Epsom Oaks winner and subsequent G1 Irish Oaks runner-up Forever Together (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) by 3 1/4 lengths in that 10-furlong Curragh feature and trainer William Haggas is hoping it will not prove a one-off. “It is a tough race, but it is nice to be involved and she has got a definite chance of adding to her win last time,” he said. It was a good effort in Ireland, but now she has got to confirm that performance. We hoped the step up in trip would bring out improvement and it turned out that it did.” ‘TDN Rising Star‘ Wild Illusion (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) drops back from a mile and a half after finishing runner-up in the Epsom Oaks and G2 Ribblesdale S. at Royal Ascot June 21 and trainer Charlie Appleby thinks that move is key. “I think that coming back two furlongs in trip is going to be ideal for her,” he commented. “She has progressed well from her races in June and has pleased me in her work.” There is no stand-out in the card’s G2 Qatar Richmond S., where Royal Ascot’s G2 Norfolk S. could hold the answer especially after the fourth-placed Rumble Inthejungle (Ire) (Bungle Inthejungle {GB}) captured Wednesday’s G3 Molecomb S. here. Ballydoyle’s Land Force (Ire) (No Nay Never) was third and AlMohamediya Racing’s Konchek (GB) (Lethal Force {Ire}) was fifth in that June 21 five-furlong test and they have both upheld that form subsequently. Land Force took the July 5 Listed Tipperary S., while Konchek was runner-up in the G2 July S. at Newmarket July 12. The latter’s trainer Clive Cox said, “It was a great run in the July Stakes. He has come out of the race well. I hope the track will suit him fine here and I think he is progressive. I think we realised six furlongs was his trip last time. He showed plenty of pace in his early races and we ran in the Norfolk, but he definitely appreciated the step up to six in the July Stakes.” Luca Cumani is on the brink of another big-race winner at a major UK festival and God Given (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) could be the one to provide it in the newly-upgraded G2 Qatar Lillie Langtry S. St Albans Bloodstock’s June 9 G3 Pinnacle S. winner has yet to go as far as this 14-furlong trip, but she was coming back at Horseplay (GB) (Cape Cross {Ire}) all the way to the line in the July 7 G2 Lancashire Oaks also at Haydock last time. The re-opposing Precious Ramotswe (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) was 1 3/4 lengths behind in third and Cumani is optimistic. “I think she’s still improving, she’s a really progressive filly who has run in some good races this year,” he said. “I think the mile and six should be fine for her, so we are hoping for a good race. She won over an extended mile and a half in France last season on soft ground, so being another year older this year, you’d think she’d get it and the slightly softer ground than she’s had this year also isn’t an issue.” A fly in the ointment could be the deeply impressive July 4 Kempton novice stakes scorer Pilaster (GB). Another daughter of Nathaniel (Ire), Cheveley Park Stud’s homebred is a half-sister to Windshear (GB) (Hurricane Run {Ire}) who was fourth in the G1 St Leger and she gets 11 pounds from the older fillies due to weight-for-age. View the full article

When Sombeyay (Into Mischief) got to the wire first in the July 21 GIII Sanford S., it provided a timely update for the colt’s half-sister who will sell during Tuesday’s second session of the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Selected Yearlings Sale. By Street Boss, the filly (hip 129) is part of the Bluegrass Thoroughbred Services consignment of her co-breeder John Stuart. Stuart purchased Sombeyay’s dam Teroda (Limehouse) for $40,000 at the 2013 Keeneland January sale. Twice stakes placed in California, the 5-year-old mare had everything Stuart was looking for. “I like young, fast mares and she was affordable,” Stuart recalled. “So I bought her.” Stuart and David Mueller bred Teroda to Hat Trick (Jpn) in 2013, but decided to keep the mare in training to get that elusive stakes victory. The plan almost backfired on the partners. “She hadn’t won a stakes and I thought I could win a stakes with her,” Stuart said. “The stakes didn’t come up, so I ran her twice, at Keeneland and at Churchill.” Five days after Teroda was bred, she finished fourth while in for a $62,500 tag in an optional claimer at Keeneland. She was claimed from the race only to have the claim nullified. “When you make an entry in an allowance or stakes race, you don’t have to say anything [about the mare having been bred],” Stuart explained. “She was in for the tag in an optional allowance and so she was claimed, but she’d been bred so the stewards rescinded it. Thank God I got her back. I thought I’d made a mistake-I thought I could get away with it. I was making money, I didn’t pay a lot of money for the mare, but I really wanted her. So I got her back. Thankfully. And now she has the fastest 2-year-old colt in the East with her second foal.” Stuart sold Sombeyay for $125,000 as a weanling at the 2016 Keeneland November sale. Frank Brothers of Starlight Racing purchased him for $230,000 at the following year’s Keeneland September sale. A debut winner at Gulfstream in April, the colt was a troubled second in the June 8 Tremont S. before his victory in the Sanford S. (video). “He was a really nice horse,” Stuart said of his early impressions of Sombeyay. “I wanted to get my money back for what I paid for the mare and the stud fee and everything else. So he paid for all that. He got pinhooked off me and they made plenty of money, so everybody has won with the horse.” Teroda’s second dam is Goldenley (Arg) (Farley {Arg}), who won the 1983 G1 Argentine Oaks. Stuart thinks that influence will give Sombeyay every opportunity to train on. “I think Sombeyay is going to run much farther because what attracted me to the mare’s pedigree was that, while she was really fast, her second dam won the G1 Argentine Oaks. You’ve got to be a stout, good racemare to do that. That’s a 1 1/2-mile race and it’s their most important race down there for fillies. I love the Argentinian race mares and this mare went back to a really good one.” Stuart decided to breed Teroda back to Street Boss in 2016. The Darley stallion is sire of GI Kentucky Oaks winner Cathryn Sophia. “I thought Street Boss was really good value for the money and he’s proven,” Stuart said. Of the resulting yearling, he added, “She is a lot like her mother. She’s a very strong-bodied filly and she looks like she’ll be a fast 2-year-old to me. She has a lot more body than her half-brother.” Stuart was originally planning on keeping the filly, but Sombeyay’s early success caused him to call an audible. “I wasn’t going to sell this filly,” he said. “I liked her enough that I was going to keep her. When Sombeyay ran, it changed everything. She became too valuable for me to race–I’m a working guy. I hadn’t nominated her anywhere and then when Sombeyay happened, [Fasig-Tipton] accepted the entry.” Teroda produced a filly by Kitten’s Joy this spring and that weanling is expected to go through the sales ring this fall. The mare herself, currently not in foal, could follow next year. “I did a foal share with the Ramseys with Kitten’s Joy,” Stuart said. “We have a really nice filly who will go in the November sale because that is what the contract says we’ve got to do. I bred Teroda back to Constitution, but she didn’t catch on a cover, so she is open. I will probably breed her early to a really good stallion and probably sell her the following November. That would be my guess.” Stuart currently has 12 broodmares and Teroda is not his only graded stakes success with the formula of young, fast and affordable mares. He purchased I Bet Toni Knows (Sunriver), in foal to Scat Daddy, for $37,000 at the 2014 Keeneland November sale. That Scat Daddy filly sold to bloodstock agent Shawn Dugan for $110,000 at the 2016 Keeneland September sale. Now named Toinette, she won this year’s GIII Edgewood S. “I Bet Toni Knows was really fast, but because she did it in a New York-bred stakes, everybody ignored it,” Stuart said. “So I was able to buy her inexpensively. And what she was carrying brought $110,000, that was Toinette. So my young, fast mares are doing great.” The Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale gets underway Monday evening at the Humphrey S. Finney Pavilion, with bidding scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. View the full article

On July 30, the sales transaction of Ellis Park to Saratoga Casino & Hospitality Group was complete and the group became the official new owners of the property. View the full article

Third in the mud in last year’s G1 Qatar Sussex S., Qatar Racing’s Lightning Spear (GB) (Pivotal {GB}) showed that patience is a virtue as he finally gained an elusive Group 1 success in Wednesday’s centrepiece of the Goodwood festival his owners proudly sponsor. Runner-up in the G1 Lockinge S. at Newbury May 19 and third in the G1 Queen Anne S. at Royal Ascot June 19, the 9-1 shot was firmly in command of the Classic generation here as he remarkably became the second consecutive 7-year-old to win this after Here Comes When (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}) in 2017. Lack of pace was an issue and meant that the 7-4 favourite Without Parole (GB) (Frankel {GB}) had to make it from the outset, but Oisin Murphy was always happy in behind the leading trio and all he needed was a gap as Expert Eye (GB) (Acclamation {GB}) asserted himself with a furlong remaining. As soon as he had enough daylight, Lightning Spear seized the initiative and the lead 75 yards out and surged on to a 1 1/2-length success from the Juddmonte homebred, with the Queen Anne runner-up Lord Glitters (Fr) (Whipper) snatching third late, a half length away. “He’s a dream horse to ride and a lovely character,” trainer David Simcock’s wife Jennie commented. “He’s deserved it.” LIGHTNING SPEAR (GB), 134, h, 7, by Pivotal (GB) 1st Dam: Atlantic Destiny (Ire) (MSW-US & SW-Eng, $220,899), by Royal Academy 2nd Dam: Respectfully, by The Minstrel 3rd Dam: Treat Me Nobly, by Vaguely Noble (Ire) (260,000gns Ylg ’12 TAOCT). O-Qatar Racing Ltd; B-Newsells Park Stud (GB); T-David Simcock; J-Oisin Murphy. £593,392. Lifetime Record: Hwt. Older Horse-Eng at 7-9.5f & GSP-Ire, 24-7-3-5, £1,358,433. *1/2 to Ocean War (GB) (Dalakhani {Ire}), SW-Eng; Seaway (GB) (Dr Fong), SP-Eng; and First Destinity (Fr) (Lawman {Fr}), SP-Fr. View the full article

Fourth in the G2 Norfolk S. at Royal Ascot June 21, Rebel Racing’s Rumble Inthejungle (Ire) (Bungle Inthejungle {GB}) came out well on top in Wednesday’s G3 Markel Insurance Molecomb S. to emulate his sire’s success in this race in 2012. Always travelling comfortably just off the pace, the 5-1 shot was sent to the front by Tom Queally at halfway and readily asserted to score by 2 1/2 lengths from Life of Riley (GB) (Showcasing {GB}), with the 6-4 favourite Soldier’s Call (GB) (Showcasing {GB}) a neck away in third. “He’s a good horse and I thought going to Ascot if we’d have had another run beforehand he’d have gone very close there,” trainer Richard Spencer said. “He’s taken a massive step forward today.” RUMBLE INTHEJUNGLE (IRE), 127, c, 2, Bungle Inthejungle (GB)–Guana (Ire), by Dark Angel (Ire). (€52,000 RNA Wlg ’16 GOFNOV; £70,000 Ylg ’17 GOUKPR). O-Rebel Racing Premier; B-Patrick Gleeson (IRE); T-Richard Spencer; J-Tom Queally. £42,533. Lifetime Record: 3-2-0-0, £53,004. View the full article

Mark Johnston has supplemented Tuesday’s impressive G2 Qatar Vintage S. winner Dark Vision (Ire) (Dream Ahead) for the G1 Goffs Vincent O’Brien National S. at The Curragh next month. The juvenile has been a surprise package this year, unbeaten now in three starts since being purchased by his trainer for 15,000 gns at Tattersalls Book 2 last autumn and a top level assignment would appear the logical next move for the imposing colt. “There was a second entry stage so we had a great debate whether to enter this morning as it was £8,000 to supplement this morning or it was £35,000 to supplement at the five-day stage. I was overruled by Charlie and Deirdre so he is in the National Stakes,” Johnston said on Wednesday. Dark Vision is owned by the Kingsley Park 10 who now have a valuable commodity on their hands and one that is likely to be the subject of offers of purchase. “The phone hasn’t stopped ringing,” Johnston admitted. “Something may happen on that score, we will have to wait and see, but, in the meantime, I’ve just got to carry on as business as usual, hence I made the National Stakes entry for him.” View the full article

The Gerald Ryan trained Menari (Aus) (Snitzel {Aus}), who was being trained for a shot at The Everest, has injured a tendon and will miss the race. His injury means a slot has become available in the A$13-million contest at Randwick in October less than a fortnight after Max Whitby and associates had secured the colt for their slot in the race. Announcing the news on Wednesday Racing NSW said, “Trainer Gerald Ryan has reported to Racing NSW Stewards this morning that Menari has sustained an injury to its near fore tendon and will not race during the Sydney spring carnival which includes The Everest to be conducted at Randwick on Saturday, 13 October 2018. Mr Ryan advised that given the nature of the injury, connections will now give consideration to retiring the horse.” Menari has not raced this year but he won the G2 Run To The Rose last year before finishing third in the G1 Golden Rose at Rosehill last September. His own sire Snitzel (Aus) has just been crowned champion sire for the second time and a stallion career may well beckon for the Corumbene Stud bred and part owned 4-year-old. View the full article

Jim Bolger has campaigned some top-class homegrown talent over the years. Dawn Approach (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}) and Pleascach (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) are two recent multiple Group 1 winners that he bred, trained and owned in their early days, while he also trained each of their sires before they were ultimately purchased by Darley to stand at stud. Bolger has now taken this process another step forward in regards to two of his recent stakes winners Cimeara (Ire) and Sometimesadiamond (Ire), as he not only bred, owns and trains them but he also stands their sire Vocalised (Vindication) at his Redmondstown Stud in Wexford. The two 3-year-old fillies also demonstrated the versatility of the stallion as Sometimesadiamond made her stakes breakthrough when winning the Listed Yeomanstown Stud Irish EBF S. at Naas over six furlongs while Cimeara backed up her G3 ISF Stanerra S. win at Leopardstown to win the Listed Kingdom of Bahrain Vinnie Roe S. over a mile and six furlongs at the same track. “We’re very happy with the way Vocalised is going,” Bolger said. “I never had any great doubts about him to be honest. Once he got the first few winners from very ordinary mares I felt we were in with a good chance.” Both recent stakes winners share something in common as they are both out of Galileo (Ire) mares, a broodmare sire that features quite heavily among Bolger’s herd. “I was fortunate enough to use Galileo before he became Galileo and I sent a lot of mares to him when he was good value so we have quite a few mares here now by the sire. I think I only ever sold one of them and I have kept the rest of them so long now that I might as well see it out as they have been very good to me,” he added. Vocalised is now a 12-year-old and he was unusual for a Bolger horse in that he was purchased expensively as a yearling in America, costing $560,000 from his co-breeder Hill ‘N’ Dale Farm at Keeneland in 2007. He developed into a smart runner for Bolger and co-owner John Corcoran, breaking his maiden on his second attempt as a juvenile before completing a stakes hat trick on his first three starts at three, including the G3 Greenham S. at Newbury and the G3 Tetrarch S. at The Curragh. Vocalised’s form tailed off after that, thus rendering him unpopular for the commercial operations to stand so Bolger took the bull by the horns and decided to support the horse with his own mares, something that he has done a few times in the past with stallions like Lil’s Boy (Danzig) and Project Manager (GB) (Ahonoora {GB}), though neither had the level of success of Vocalised. While the early minor winners by Vocalised were enough to satisfy Bolger that he had a genuine stallion prospect on his hands, a win in the G3 Killavullan S. with Steip Amach (Ire) (Vocalised) in 2014 served as confirmation of the same to the wider racing community. That filly added a G3 Amethyst S. win to her CV in 2016 before being sold to Haras d’Etreham. However, 2017 was undoubtedly the breakout year for Vocalised. Vociferous Marina (Ire) won the Listed Coolmore EBF Salsabil S. a Navan at the beginning of the year and the Bolger- owned, Brendan Duke-trained Warm The Voice (Ire) worked his way up the handicap ranks, winning three times before running a close third to Saxon Warrior (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) in the G2 Juddmonte Beresford S. At this stage Bolger had already unleashed Verbal Dexterity (Ire), who earned a ‘TDN Rising Star’ when making a stunning winning debut at The Curragh in June by nine lengths. A second to Beckford (GB) (Bated Breath {GB}) over an inadequate six furlongs was followed by a four length reversal of that form when he won the G1 Goffs Vincent O’Brien National S. at The Curragh, a first top-level win for the stallion. Despite a slightly disappointing effort in the G1 Racing Post Trophy, Verbal Dexterity still went into winter quarters as a major Classic contender for this year but a minor injury in the spring has left Bolger frustrated that his stable star has yet to appear on course in 2018. “Unfortunately our big horse got sidelined for the first half of the year but we are hopeful of having him back for the [G1] Irish Champion S. at Leopardstown in September. I’m not sure if we will have an opportunity to get a prep race in before then but I don’t think that is vital anyway,” he said. As a Group 1-winning juvenile, Verbal Dexterity has achieved as much or more than some of his peers that retire to stud, so another conundrum may arise for Bolger especially if he can get the horse back to performing at his best. “I don’t think I could manage the two of them here so Verbal Dexterity might have to go somewhere else but I would like to keep a big interest in him wherever he goes because he is such a good horse. If he comes back to his best and gets through the [G1] Champion S. in good shape I would like to keep him in training as a 4-year-old so there is no great rush to decide his stallion future.” Despite last year’s high-profile success for Vocalised, Bolger has no intention of trying to capitalize commercially on that by actively seeking outside patronage for the stallion, though he is happy to accept a small number of outside mares. “There were some enquiries from other breeders and he does cover a few outside mares but I don’t want to go into that business. I’m happy enough to cover our own mares with him and if he continues to produce racehorses for me I’ll be happy.” Unfortunately, there will be a shortage of Vocalised juveniles on the track next year as he missed most of the 2016 covering season due to a back problem, but luckily for the Bolger team he made a full recovery and resumed covering duties for the past two seasons. Ken Bolger, nephew of Jim, oversees the running of Redmondstown Stud and he reports the stallion fresh and well after a successful breeding season. “He covered 60 mares this year, including a number of mares for other breeders,” he said. “The Galileo cross seems to be working very well so we continued with that theme, I only wish we had a few more mares by him as you can see that with one filly [Sometimesadiamond] winning over six and the other [Cimeara] over a mile and six anything is possible with a Galileo influence. It’s a pity Jim won’t have many Vocalised juveniles to run next year but there will be plenty of 3-year-olds to keep up the good work.” Having started at the bottom with Vocalised and developed him into a Group 1 stallion with their own team of mares, Ken Bolger is now hoping to replicate that model with Parish Hall (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}), the 2011 G1 Dewhurst S. winner who has also retired to Redmondstown and whose first foals arrived this year. “We’re delighted with Parish Hall’s first foals, he seems to stamp them well, just like Vocalised. He [Vocalised] started out in similar fashion, covering mares that weren’t superstars and he has proved himself the hard way so we will try and give Parish Hall the chance to do the same.” Similar to Galileo where ‘anything is possible’, the same applies to the Master of Coolcullen and Jim Bolger has already reaped many rewards by backing his own judgement, whether in the business of training, owning, breeding or standing stallions and Vocalised is yet another prime example of how backing that judgment is once again paying dividends. View the full article

Multiple grade 1 winner and racing Hall of Famer Lava Man was undergoing treatment at a clinic due to a bout with colic, trainer Doug O'Neill posted on his social media channels July 31. View the full article

Freedman books Duric for Infantry, Circuit Land at big-race comebacks View the full article