Wandering Eyes

MGISW Bolt d’Oro (Medaglia d’Oro), who is in the midst of a 60-day freshening period at owner Mick Ruis’s Farm in Lexington, will be transferred to the care of Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen when he returns to the racetrack, Shelbe Ruis of Ruis Racing confirmed via Twitter Thursday. As first reported by the Blood-Horse, Mick Ruis, who trained the horse through the first eight starts of his career–including victories in the GI Del Mar Futurity, GI FrontRunner S. and GII San Felipe S.–elected to transfer the horse to Asmussen. A good second behind eventual Triple Crown winner Justify (Scat Daddy) in the GI Santa Anita Derby Apr. 7, the bay subsequently went off form, finishing 12th in the May 5 GI Kentucky Derby and 11th facing older rivals in the June 9 GI Met Mile H. Upon his retirement, Bolt d’Oro is slated to stand at B. Wayne Hughes’s Spendthrift Farm. Shelbe Ruis added that 2016 GI Del Mar Debutante S. heroine Union Strike (Union Rags) would also join the Asmussen barn. The 4-year-old, most recently third in the GIII Chicago H. June 23, worked at Keeneland July 5. View the full article

NEWMARKET, UK—”An industry that has a seismic crack in it,” was how Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association (TBA) board member Philip Newton described British breeding during an address to members at the 101st annual general meeting of the TBA on Thursday. Newton’s assertion was part of his overview of a recent Economic Impact Study undertaken by the TBA, the full results of which are yet to be published. In short, the review points to a “dire” situation for the smaller breeder in Britain, where breeders collectively can expect to receive 2% return on capital investment. A similar study undertaken in 2014 highlighted the fact that 45% of British breeders operate at a loss. Just four years later that figure has risen to 66%. A total of 353 breeders, or 8%, have left the industry in the last five years. “Many small to medium-sized breeders are facing extinction if the return on their investment does not improve,” Newton warned. “Breeders selling in Book 1 of the October Sale can expect to make on average a profit of £118,000, while those selling a Book 3 yearling are looking at an average loss of £23,500. The average loss to a breeder producing a National Hunt filly is £12,000.” With a third of the British-bred foals being produced by breeders owning one or two mares, the TBA is naturally keen that the decline in the number of smaller British-based breeders—which currently stands at 3,318—is halted. “We need 20,000 individual runners to sustain the British racing programme and roughly 50% of those currently are British-breds,” added Newton, who also pointed to the demand for horses bred in Britain and by its close neighbours, illustrated by the fact that members of more than 30 different nations were listed among the buyers at last week’s July Sale at Tattersalls. The implementation of bonus schemes is nothing new in the racing industry in Britain and beyond, but in order to try to help British breeders, the TBA has prepared a paper outlining a British-bred Premium Scheme, to some extent a beefed-up version of the Plus 10 Bonus Scheme, which it is hoped will be in place from 2019. Detailing this proposal, which will need to be ratified by the wider racing industry, Newton’s fellow board member Bryan Mayoh said, “The aim is to provide significant incentive, either for British-bred horses or for those sired by stallions standing in Britain, to encourage increased demand at the sales and increased participation by owner-breeders.” With a nomination to be paid by the breeder, it is, to a degree, another form of self-help scheme, but one which it is hoped will be significantly boosted by Levy funding, with the aim being to have a pool of £7.75 million specifically targeted at British-bred or -sired horses. The small print has yet to be finalised, but it is proposed that horses carrying a GB suffix and by a British stallion would receive 100% of a bonus payment, while those bred in Britain by an outside stallion, or those by a British stallion but foaled elsewhere, would receive 50%. There would also be breeders’ prizes of up to 20% of each bonus and no limit on the number of bonuses won. Mayoh, the co-breeder of 2017 Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Sizing John (GB) (Midnight Legend {GB}), was the architect of the Mare Owners’ Prize Scheme (MOPS), which was introduced two years ago by the TBA’s National Hunt committee in order to help boost the popularity of jump-bred fillies at the sales. MOPS, which offers bonus payments of £5,000 for bumper winners and £10,000 for hurdles or steeplechase winners, is widely considered to have been a success, with the previously overlooked National Hunt filly foal or store now being given greater consideration at the sales by pinhookers and owners alike. For the last two years in Britain, there has been no escaping the topic of Brexit, and the Thoroughbred industry is not exempt to the concerns regarding the implications of the country’s departure from the European Union. In his chairman’s speech, Julian Richmond-Watson updated members on the TBA’s attempts to encourage the upholding of the Tripartite Agreement. He said, “It was clear to us at an early stage that Brexit and the freedom of horse movement between Great Britain, France and Ireland was extremely important to TBA members and so we became involved from the start and have led negotiations with those two countries, Brussels and our own DEFRA. With the support of Weatherbys and the BHA we have made good progress in ensuring that everyone has a good understanding of the issues involved. This is not going to be easy and the politicians and Brussels can still cause us problems.” The result of the election for two seats on the TBA board was announced at the AGM, with Bryan Mayoh being re-elected and Anita Wigan joining the board for the first time, replacing the retiring vice-chairman Paul Greeves. View the full article

Having already made solid impressions separately and together, Bano Solo and stablemate Whiskey Echo will come together as their connections look to get a serious read on where they stand in the $150,000 Sanford Stakes (G3) at Saratoga Race Course. View the full article

Mick and Wendy Ruis' multiple grade 1 winner Bolt d'Oro is scheduled to move to the barn of trainer Steve Asmussen after he finishes a freshening at Ruis' farm in Lexington, according to Spendthrift Farm general manager Ned Toffey. View the full article

Magic Millions 2YO Classic winner Sunlight (Aus) (Zoustar {Aus}) tuned up for a return to the races next Saturday with a smooth trial win at Morphettville on Thursday. The rising 3-year-old filly won her trial by 4 1/2 lengths geared down under Jamie Kah, and she will have one more assignment before her official third birthday on Aug. 1 when she lines up in the UBET Lightning S. at Morphettville next Saturday. Darren Weir’s exciting sprinter Nature Strip (Aus) (Nicconi {Aus}) is expected to be among Sunlight’s opposition, but trainer Tony McEvoy said he could only focus on his filly in the leadup, and he was upbeat after the trial. “She certainly hasn’t forgotten to jump out of the gates,” McEvoy told Racing.com. “She had very good timing, flew out, travelled beautifully under Jamie, and quickened up when she wanted her to. It was pretty rough conditions out there, the ground was testing and rough, but Jamie said she kept her action well. She got a bit casual with 100m to go, she gave her a little slap on the shoulder and she said she really picked up under her. She went to the line with more in hand, and we’ll call on that more in hand in 10 days’ time.” Sunlight, who also won the G2 Silver Slipper and G3 Magic Night S. this season, was last seen finishing third in the G1 Golden Slipper on Mar. 24, her first loss in seven outings. View the full article

John Mok Chun-wa died as a result of injuries suffered doing a job he loved and left behind not only a young family but also a horse racing community grieving the loss of a well-liked and exceptionally talented horseman. Trackwork riders are often the unsung heroes of the racing world, waking before dawn each day to face the risks associated with working with racehorses, but without the fame and adulation trainers and jockeys receive on race day. Yet trainer Caspar Fownes said his stable’... View the full article

Kelly Brinkerhoff and Bob Grayson Jr.'s Restrainedvengence didn't show much in the first two stakes starts of his career, but something clicked July 18 at Del Mar in the $100,000 Oceanside Stakes. View the full article

The stunning rise of Frankie Lor (September 3) Frankie Lor Fu-chuen collected a winner with his first runner and he never stopped – finishing the season with an astonishing 65 winners to set a record for a first-year trainer. Lor had a terrific grounding after working for John Size and John Moore and he has put it into practice, finishing a clear second in the trainers’ championship. He started with a host of “hand-me-downs” and got most of them firing and now he has a... View the full article

BRILL (f, 2, Medaglia d’Oro–Hung the Moon, by Malibu Moon), who topped last year’s Fasig-Tipton July sale at a cool $1-million–$690,000 more than the next-priciest lot–entered this opening day baby race with significant steam and she ran to it despite a less-than-perfect journey. Showing an upbeat series of drills at Santa Anita, the bay opened at 3-5 and never drifted up. Awkwardly away, she settled into a mid-pack behind an opening quarter of :22.07. Getting going with a nice move as they spun for home, Brill continued on into the lane and out-kicked game longshot Del Mar May (Jimmy Creed) to score by a promising two-length margin, stopping the clock in :57.86. Brill is the first foal out of Hung the Moon (Malibu Moon), who just missed with a troubled trip on debut at Oaklawn in January of her sophomore season before reeling off two subsequent scores on the stretch-out. She’d add a two-turn stakes victory at Prairie Meadows the following season, and the Pin Oaks Stable homebred was eventually scooped up for $280,000 at the 2015 Keeneland November sale with Brill in utero. Hung the Moon’s Curlin filly of last season was a $420,000 Fasig-Tipton November weanling purchase by John Dowd, an advisor to Brill’s owner Larry Best. She produced a Laoban filly Mar. 8. Brill is bred on a version of the Medaglia d’Oro–A.P. Indy cross responsible for the likes of Grade I winners Plum Pretty, Bolt d’Oro and Dickinson. Best and trainer Jerry Hollendorfer also boast one ofthe most promising juvenile colts in the country in $1.2-million FTFMAR grad Instagrand (Into Mischief), named a ‘TDN Rising Star‘ himself for a 10-length drubbing at Los Alamitos June 29. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0. O-OXO Equine LLC. B-Southern Equine Stables (Ky). T-Jerry Hollendorfer. View the full article

Taking the homegrown Approach with jockey Lee Hyo Sik View the full article

Korea Racing Authority Trophy tracknotes Thursday July 19 View the full article

Walker aims for back-to-back KRA Trophy wins View the full article

A wide-open field of 10 juvenile fillies will take center stage in Friday’s co-featured GIII Schuylerville S. on Saratoga’s opening day card. Nonna Madeline (Candy Ride {Arg}) earned her ‘TDN Rising Star’ badge after scoring impressively first out at Monmouth Park June 23. Trainer Todd Pletcher has won this race six times, and saddled 2016 heroine Sweet Loretta (Tapit), who also graduated on the Jersey Shore on debut. Catherinethegreat (Uncaptured), the 5-2 morning-line favorite, boasts the field’s highest Beyer Speed Figure after earning an 80 rating in her 10 1/4-length graduation at second asking in the Gulfstream slop June 23. “She’s training well and we’re happy with her,” trainer Mark Casse said. “I would have liked a post a little further out, but we’ll take it. A lot of times our horses tend to improve from the first start.” Casse’s son and former assistant Norm will saddle Fightress (Tapizar), a sharp debut winner after a slow start in a muddy off-the-turfer at Churchill June 22. “It’s a little surreal,” Norm Casse said. “Everyone gets caught up that I’m running against my dad in a stakes, but I don’t see it that way. I have a 2-year-old running in a stakes at Saratoga against Todd Pletcher and Steve Asmussen, and my dad is in there. So I’m here with people I looked up to my whole life, so I’m very proud of that.” Only two-the maiden Lady Apple (Curlin) and Eyeinthesky (Sky Mesa)–enter with stakes experience after finishing a close second and third, respectively, in the Astoria S. at Belmont Park June 7. View the full article

A Hong Kong Jockey Club track rider has died a day after falling off a horse at Sha Tin Racecourse. Mok Chun-wa, a 39-year-old former apprentice jockey, suffered head injuries during the accident on Tuesday morning. He was taken to nearby Prince of Wales Hospital, where he died on Wednesday afternoon with his family by his bedside. In a statement, the Jockey Club expressed its “deepest sympathies” to Mok’s family and said it was offering them its support in “the... View the full article

The four major United States professional sports leagues and the National College Athletic Association have collectively fired a return legal salvo in an attempt to dismiss a claim by the New Jersey Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association (NJTHA) that Monmouth Park and the state were allegedly deprived of nearly $150 million in revenue while the legality of sports betting was fought all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. The case dates to October 2014, when Monmouth’s operator, Darby Development LLC, first believed it had the authority to take sports bets on National Football League games. The leagues joined forces and filed a lawsuit in an attempt to halt the bet-taking, but had to post a $3.4 million bond, which the court deemed to be Monmouth’s projected revenue losses for a month while the temporary restraining order (TRO) was in effect. But the case ended up taking 42 months—as opposed to just the one month that the bond covered—to resolve. And when the Supreme Court finally issued its landmark decision to strike down the federal law barring wagering on team sports on May 14, 2018, Monmouth soon after sought damages in U.S. District Court based on all the bet-taking revenue it allegedly lost, extrapolating the initial $3.4 million bond to extend over the entire time frame from when the TRO went into effect until Monmouth was legally allowed to begin accepting wagers. The leagues’ July 16 memorandum of law in opposition to the NJTHA’s motion for judgment states, in part, “NJTHA is not entitled to recover anything from the TRO bond, and its motion should be denied for several reasons,” outlined as follows: “First, as a matter of law, NJTHA may not recover damages allegedly sustained after the expiration of the TRO on November 21, 2014. “Second, NJTHA’s effort to recover more than the amount of the bond for damages allegedly sustained after the expiration of the TRO by asserting that the Leagues acted in bad faith in pursuing their rights under PASPA is frivolous and should be rejected. “Third, NJTHA is not entitled to recover anything under the bond because, as a matter of law, it was not “wrongfully enjoined” by the TRO. “And fourth, NJTHA has not proven the existence or amount of any alleged damages during the four weeks that it was restrained by the TRO.” The NJTHA now has until Aug. 13 to file its reply in federal court. View the full article

‘TDN Rising Star’ Lady Aurelia (Scat Daddy-D’ Wildcat Speed, by Forest Wildcat), the fleet filly who won Group 1 races in both England and France, has been retired. The news was first reported by TVG. According to trainer Wesley Ward, the filly is sound and doing well, but owners Stonestreet Stables and Peter Leidel thought that since her recent form had been a bit below norm it was a good time to call it a career. Lady Aurelia last raced in the G1 King’s Stand S. at Royal Ascot June 19. As the 2-1 favorite, she finished seventh. She was also beaten in her prior start, the Giant’s Causeway S. at Keeneland. She was the 3-5 favorite in that race and finished second. “This morning she was bucking and kicking and playing in her stall,” Ward said. “It was probably selfish of me to do so, but I pitched them to let me keep going with her because I thought she still has that fire in her. She’s feeling good and is perfectly sound and the Breeders’ Cup is at Churchill this year. She’s trained her whole life right down the street at Keeneland. Ward continued, “Maybe cooler heads prevailed. Looking at the bigger picture she hasn’t been the same lately. Mentally, physically she seems to be fine, but when she had laid it down on the racetrack in her last couple of runs she hasn’t been as good as she was last year. In the last race at Ascot, she just didn’t fire on the day, for whatever reason.” To Ward, Lady Aurelia is the type of horse every trainer dreams of having. “If you’re lucky, you get blessed with something like her maybe once in your career, so I was very lucky and fortunate to be able to train her,” he said. “She’s been very special to me and my family and she gave us life-long memories from what she accomplished at two and three going over to Royal Ascot. She had a fantastic run. She’s certainly the most accomplished horse I’ve ever trained and the best 2-year-old I ever trained.. To come back and be vindicated at three (with a win in the King’s Stand) was very special. I’ve had some great horses and she’s certainly at the top of that list.” Lady Aurelia is the only American-based horse to win a Cartier Award, Europe’s version of the Eclipse Awards. She was named champion 2-year-old filly in 2016 thanks to wins in the G2 Queen Mary S. at Royal Ascot and the G1 Prix Morny in France. Her 2017 King’s Stand win made her a two-time winner at Royal Ascot. The $350,000 KEESEP yearling, bred in Kentucky by Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings, won five of 10 career starts, good for $834,945 in earnings. She ran more times in Europe (6) than she did in the U.S. (4). The owners have yet to decide who she will be bred to. View the full article

Multiple graded stakes winner Proctor's Ledge aims to earn her first career top-level win when she faces the usual Chad Brown-trained arsenal and three other rivals in the $500,000 Diana Stakes (G1T) July 21 at Saratoga Race Course. View the full article

Having already announced an historic extension of their winter meeting into May for the first time, officials at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Arkansas, said Wednesday that the GII Rebel S. will see its purse boosted by $100,000 to join the GI Arkansas Derby as seven-figure events to be staged in 2019. New to the stakes schedule are the $250,000 Oaklawn Invitational S., a nine-furlong test on Kentucky Derby day May 4, and the $200,000 Oaklawn Mile, the centerpiece of the track’s May 3 program. “The Rebel S. has become a significant prep in its own right and warrants a one-million dollar purse with runners like Smarty Jones, Lookin at Lucky, Curlin, Oxbow, Will Take Charge, American Pharoah and Creator,” Oaklawn President Louis Cella said. “We’re extremely proud to offer the richest and most proven path to the Triple Crown.” Oaklawn is the only track in the country to offer a pair of seven-figure lead-up races into the Triple Crown. Some of the track’s other black-type races have seen their purses increased. The GIII Fantasy S., the local prep for the GI Kentucky Oaks contested on the opening day of the Racing Festival of the South, will be worth $500,000 in 2019, up $100,000 on 2018, while the GIII Bayakoa S., a steppingstone to the GI Apple Blossom H., sees its prize money hiked to $200,000 from its previous level of $150,000. The Bayakoa is part of a triple-stakes card on President’s Day, Monday, Feb. 18, sharing the bill with the $500,000 GIII Southwest S. and the $500,000 GIII Razorback H. “We couldn’t be more excited about our new stakes and racing schedule,” Cella said. “We are now able to present some of our best racing during the best time of the year weather-wise in Arkansas. While the Racing Festival of the South will remain the focal point of the season, we look forward to growing the new stakes races and providing our fans with world-class racing into May.” Oaklawn will stage 30 stakes events worth $8.85 million during the 2019 season, which runs Jan. 25 through May 4. View the full article

Churchill Downs Incorporated has received approval from the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission to increase from 600 to 900 historical racing machines for the opening of its new Derby City Gaming facility. The nearly complete 85,000-square-foot $65 million facility is scheduled to open in September. “We’re overwhelmed by the support we’ve received since announcing Derby City Gaming—it’s clear that Kentuckians are passionate about how the new HRM facility will strengthen the Commonwealth’s horseracing industry,” said Kevin Flanery, President of Churchill Downs Racetrack. “Derby City Gaming will support Kentucky’s equine industry through larger purses and greater incentives for breeders and owners. That’s important because a stronger horse racing industry means a stronger Kentucky.” View the full article

Many racetracks across the U.S. are expected to celebrate the 5th annual “PDJF Day Across America” Sat., July 28. In past years, Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund Day activities have included jockey autograph sessions, jockeys taking turns in dunk tanks, wrestling in sumo suits, racing each other on foot, and riding inflatable horses. PDJF invites all media, tracks, jockeys, and fans to use Twitter hashtag #PDJFDay throughout the day and to follow @PDJFund on Twitter and Facebook (www.facebook.com/jockeysfund) to keep up with all the festivities across the country. View the full article

Southern Equine Stable and Calumet Farm's unique white-headed Thoroughbred Southern Phantom will make his debut in a maiden special weight July 21 at Saratoga Race Course. View the full article

Southern Equine Stable and Calumet Farm's unique white-headed Thoroughbred Southern Phantom will make his debut in a maiden special weight race July 21 at Saratoga Race Course. View the full article

Jockey James Doyle quashed any stamina doubts about July 21 Darley Irish Oaks (G1) contender Sea of Class and could hardly contain his excitement about getting back on board the "feisty" daughter of Sea The Stars. View the full article

It’s been 11 years since the first yearlings from Tapit, Candy Ride (Arg), Medaglia d’Oro and Speightstown hit the market. That epic sire class now has 68 Grade I winners between them, according to the TDN Sire Lists, and no fewer than 88 active sire sons. We haven’t seen a comparable group since–and really, not many before. But the incoming freshman, those with their first yearlings in 2018, hold as much latent promise as any of the past three decades, and it wouldn’t be a shock if we look at them the same way 11 years from now. American Pharoah is the runaway market leader, and for obvious reasons. His first-crop weanlings–the first available by a Triple Crown winner in 36 years–averaged $467,307 from 13 sold in 2017. That’s a massive figure about 3 1/2 times the average number of the crop’s leading sire for the past five years. He is joined by Honor Code, Tonalist, Liam’s Map, Carpe Diem, Constitution, Palace Malice, and Bayern, each one a multiple Grade I winner. A month ago, we launched a videos series that put a spotlight on these stars, and spoke with connections about what to expect now that their first foals are yearlings. In this last installment of the series, we’ll focus on some of those freshman sires who stood for $15,000 or less. These are sires that, though without the big price tag, aren’t exactly short on credentials. They include Gainesway’s GI Breeders’ Cup Mile hero Karakontie (Jpn), WinStar’s Grade I winner Daredevil and the impeccably bred Commissioner, and the Grade I winners Mr Speaker and Lea, who stand at Lane’s End and Claiborne, respectively. Lea (First Samurai) was maybe the surprise sire of the lot last year, when 17 of 21 weanlings on offer sold for an average of $88,294. A $230,000 session topper at Keeneland November was notable, and that off a $12,500 fee (he’s now down to $7,500). Lea’s race record reflected his transatlantic pedigree. Out of a Galileo (Ire) mare, he was first or second in 13 of 19 starts and earned $2.3 million; he beat Will Take Charge in the GI Donn H., ran third in the G1 Dubai World Cup, and was a close-up second in the GI Woodbine Mile on turf. “He’s very versatile, and I think that’s what led his weanlings to sell so well,” said Claiborne’s Walker Hancock. “I think a lot of buyers saw that potential in his offspring, that he could be dirt or turf, and that’s very attractive.” Karakontie (Jpn) (Bernstein) is another with an international pedigree, hailing from the family of the current phenom Alpha Centauri (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}). The Japanese-bred Flaxman colorbearer is a great-grandson of Miesque, so his second dam is a half to Kingmambo. A Group 1 winner at two, Karakontie emulated Kingmambo’s victory in the G1 Poule d’Essai des Poulains as a sophomore. Then, like Miesque, he shipped to Southern California to win the BC Mile while still a 3-year-old. His 2017 weanlings average $68,866 off at $15,000 fee. “I think his stock have progressed very well,” said Gainesway’s Michael Hernon. “They have plenty of size. He dominates his mares, and I think [his yearlings] strongly resemble him. He got very strong initial support from [Gainesway owner] Antony Beck, who really gave this horse a huge chance, breeding 40 of his own mares in year one. Maria Niarchos has also supported the horse well through the first three years.” WinStar has four freshman sires in 2018. Carpe Diem and Constitution headline, but both Daredevil and Commissioner have offered breeders bang for the buck. Daredevil (More Than Ready), at $12,500 initially, very much fit the mold of that explosive Todd Pletcher-trained 2-year-old who looks like any kind. In fact, he’s not completely dissimilar from his sire, another Pletcher pupil. Daredevil romped in his six-furlong debut at Belmont in 1:09.87, then beat Upstart by 2 1/2 lengths in the GI Champagne S. with a huge 107 Beyer. “More Than Ready has established himself as one of the best 2-year-old sires, year in and year out, not only here in America, but worldwide,” said WinStar’s Sean Tugel. “His 107 Beyer in the Champagne was the fastest 2-year-old mile in over 20 years. So he set himself apart from many other sons of More Than Ready with his early speed and Grade I ability.” {"id":3,"instanceName":"Articles No Playlist","videos":[{"videoType":"HTML5","title":"Depth of Class--Rest of the '18 Freshman Sires","description":"","info":"","thumbImg":"","mp4":"https://player.vimeo.com/external/280548193.hd.mp4?s=a72ef2d115961fac939c4fb9823979b60e5df0bd&profile_id=174","enable_mp4_download":"no","prerollAD":"yes","prerollGotoLink":"prerollGotoLink","preroll_mp4_title":"preroll_mp4_title","preroll_mp4":"https://player.vimeo.com/external/280548157.hd.mp4?s=2bc67913446081a62a332454f5f3599d47698bb2&profile_id=174","prerollSkipTimer":"5","midrollAD":"no","midrollAD_displayTime":"midrollAD_displayTime","midrollGotoLink":"midrollGotoLink","midroll_mp4":"midroll_mp4","midrollSkipTimer":"midrollSkipTimer","postrollAD":"no","postrollGotoLink":"postrollGotoLink","postroll_mp4":"postroll_mp4","postrollSkipTimer":"postrollSkipTimer","popupAdShow":"no","popupImg":"popupImg","popupAdStartTime":"popupAdStartTime","popupAdEndTime":"popupAdEndTime","popupAdGoToLink":"popupAdGoToLink"}],"instanceTheme":"light","playerLayout":"fitToContainer","videoPlayerWidth":720,"videoPlayerHeight":405,"videoRatio":1.7777777777778,"videoRatioStretch":true,"videoPlayerShadow":"effect1","colorAccent":"#000000","posterImg":"","posterImgOnVideoFinish":"","logoShow":"No","logoPath":"","logoPosition":"bottom-right","logoClickable":"No","logoGoToLink":"","allowSkipAd":true,"advertisementTitle":"Ad","skipAdvertisementText":"Skip Ad","skipAdText":"You can skip this ad in","playBtnTooltipTxt":"Play","pauseBtnTooltipTxt":"Pause","rewindBtnTooltipTxt":"Rewind","downloadVideoBtnTooltipTxt":"Download video","qualityBtnOpenedTooltipTxt":"Close settings","qualityBtnClosedTooltipTxt":"Settings","muteBtnTooltipTxt":"Mute","unmuteBtnTooltipTxt":"Unmute","fullscreenBtnTooltipTxt":"Fullscreen","exitFullscreenBtnTooltipTxt":"Exit fullscreen","infoBtnTooltipTxt":"Show info","embedBtnTooltipTxt":"Embed","shareBtnTooltipTxt":"Share","volumeTooltipTxt":"Volume","playlistBtnClosedTooltipTxt":"Show playlist","playlistBtnOpenedTooltipTxt":"Hide playlist","facebookBtnTooltipTxt":"Share on Facebook","twitterBtnTooltipTxt":"Share on Twitter","googlePlusBtnTooltipTxt":"Share on Google+","lastBtnTooltipTxt":"Go to last video","firstBtnTooltipTxt":"Go to first video","nextBtnTooltipTxt":"Play next video","previousBtnTooltipTxt":"Play previous video","shuffleBtnOnTooltipTxt":"Shuffle on","shuffleBtnOffTooltipTxt":"Shuffle off","nowPlayingTooltipTxt":"NOW PLAYING","embedWindowTitle1":"SHARE THIS PLAYER:","embedWindowTitle2":"EMBED THIS VIDEO IN YOUR SITE:","embedWindowTitle3":"SHARE LINK TO THIS PLAYER:","lightBox":false,"lightBoxAutoplay":false,"lightBoxThumbnail":"","lightBoxThumbnailWidth":400,"lightBoxThumbnailHeight":220,"lightBoxCloseOnOutsideClick":true,"onFinish":"Play next video","autoplay":false,"loadRandomVideoOnStart":"No","shuffle":"No","playlist":"Off","playlistBehaviourOnPageload":"opened (default)","playlistScrollType":"light","preloadSelfHosted":"none","hideVideoSource":true,"showAllControls":true,"rightClickMenu":true,"autohideControls":2,"hideControlsOnMouseOut":"No","nowPlayingText":"Yes","infoShow":"No","shareShow":"No","facebookShow":"No","twitterShow":"No","mailShow":"No","facebookShareName":"","facebookShareLink":"","facebookShareDescription":"","facebookSharePicture":"","twitterText":"","twitterLink":"","twitterHashtags":"","twitterVia":"","googlePlus":"","embedShow":"No","embedCodeSrc":"","embedCodeW":720,"embedCodeH":405,"embedShareLink":"","youtubeControls":"custom controls","youtubeSkin":"dark","youtubeColor":"red","youtubeQuality":"default","youtubeShowRelatedVideos":"Yes","vimeoColor":"00adef","showGlobalPrerollAds":false,"globalPrerollAds":"url1;url2;url3;url4;url5","globalPrerollAdsSkipTimer":5,"globalPrerollAdsGotoLink":"","videoType":"HTML5 (self-hosted)","submit":"Save Changes","rootFolder":"http:\/\/wp.tdn.pmadv.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/Elite-video-player\/"} Daredevil had three sell at Fasig-Tipton July for an average of $63,000. It’s easy to remember Commissioner (A.P. Indy) as the Classic-performing 3-year-old he was. The striking colt was just touched off a head by Tonalist in the GI Belmont S., and returned at four to win a trio of graded stakes, the GII Hawthorne Gold Cup H. among them. But the half to the good sprinter Laugh Track (Distorted Humor) was early enough to break his maiden at Saratoga as a 2-year-old, albeit in a rare nine-furlong main-track event for juveniles. He went for $7,500 in his first year. Commissioner had a big group of 10 at July. Seven sold for an average of $60,714, led by a pair of colts who made $100,000 each. “Being by A.P. Indy, sometimes you can get labeled as a little bit later-developing horse,” said Tugel. “But the fact that there [was] such a large cross-section of his crop in the first sale shows that there’s quite a bit of precocity to him. Not only to himself, but to his first crop of yearlings.” Lane’s End’s Mr Speaker (Pulpit) was bred to be a sire. He’s out of a Grade II-performing Unbridled daughter of Personal Ensign and thus shares a cross with Tapit. As a runner, he was a versatile sort for Shug McGaughey. He aired by four lengths in the GIII Coolmore Lexington S. on the Poly at three, then upset a deep field in the GI Belmont Derby over turf a few starts later. Backers of Mr Speaker, who stands for $10,000, had to be encouraged by the $180,000 yearling colt that sold at Fasig July. (Another by the sire was bought back for $95,000.) “He’s got a great syndicate behind him and the support has been excellent,” said Lane’s End’s Bill Farish. “I think certainly being bred the way he is, you’d think that dirt is a real possibility, and the fact that he was a really good turf horse himself, I think he’ll be versatile. I think what we’re seeing in his yearlings is not making us thinking any differently.” To view the entire videos series on this year’s freshman class, click here. View the full article

Oaklawn Park, which this year announced a significant change to its race dates, turned it up another notch July 18 with news it will raise the purse of the Rebel Stakes (G2) from $900,000 to $1 million for 2019. View the full article