Wandering Eyes

Prominent owner and breeder Everett Dobson has been appointed a Keeneland Trustee and will succeed Lane’s End Farm owner Will Farish, who has served as a trustee since 2006. Farish will remain on the Keeneland Board of Directors. Dobson was named to Keeneland’s Board in September 2018. A native of Cheyenne, OK, Dobson races horses under his Cheyenne Stable banner and is also the owner of Candy Meadows Farm near Lexington, where his broodmare band numbers around 30. He serves on The Jockey Club’s Board of Stewards and is a Breeders’ Cup Director. He is Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees for the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association and Vice Chairman of the Executive Committee and Chairman of the American Graded Stakes Committee. Dobson is the CEO of Dobson Technologies and subsidiaries, operating a 3000-mile fiber-optic network and a managed IT business serving customers in his home state and North Texas. He is also a minority owner of the National Basketball Association’s Oklahoma City Thunder franchise. Dobson joins Claiborne Farm Chairman Seth Hancock and William M. Lear, Jr., chair emeritus of Stoll Keenon Ogden, as a Keeneland Trustee. “Everett Dobson has demonstrated his commitment to the Thoroughbred industry through his service to industry organizations such as The Jockey Club, Breeders’ Cup, TOBA and the American Graded Stakes Committee,” Hancock said. “His values are consistent with those of Keeneland: betterment of the horse industry.” A native of Houston, TX, Farish has been a member of the Keeneland Board of Directors since 1985. At Lane’s End, he has stood the likes of A.P. Indy, Gulch, Kingmambo, Mineshaft and Smart Strike while breeding better than 300 stakes winners. “Will Farish has been a tremendous champion of Keeneland during his nearly 35 years of service on the Board and as a Trustee,” Lear said. “His invaluable support has taken many forms–from the board room, to major consignor and buyer, to leading owner, and to sponsor of the Grade I Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup. His expertise and stature are unrivaled in the industry.” Chairman of the Board of Churchill Downs from 1992-2001, Farish has also been a Steward and Vice Chairman of The Jockey Club and a Director and Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Breeders’ Cup. He also served the United States as Ambassador to the Court of St James from 2001 to 2004. View the full article

Here’s a full rundown of horse racing television and radio for TwinSpires.com Louisiana Derby (G2) and Sunland Derby (G3) weekend. View the full article

After an off-the-board finish in the Fasig-Tipton Holy Bull Stakes (G2), Federal Case is scheduled to return to one-turn races March 23 in the $100,000 Hutcheson Stakes (G3) at Gulfstream Park. View the full article

7th-OP, $91K, Opt. Clm. ($50K), 3yo, f, 6f, 5:14 p.m. A pair of ‘TDN Rising Stars’ will face off Friday in Hot Springs as they both make their highly anticipated sophomore debuts. The morning-line nod was given to Phoenix Thoroughbred’s LYRICAL LADY (More Than Ready), who summoned $625,000 at OBS March after breezing in a sharp :20 3/5. Taking the field from gate-to-wire for a dazzling debut victory at Saratoga July 20, the Steve Asmussen pupil tired to fifth as the favorite next out in the Spa’s GII Adirondack S. Aug. 11 and has been on the shelf since. OXO Equine’s $1 million FTKJUL topper Brill (Medaglia d’Oro) also comes off a lengthy layoff, having made her last start Sept. 29. Overcoming a bad start and wide trip in her Del Mar unveiling July 18, the Jerry Hollendorfer trainee rallied to a good-looking victory, but could only manage fourth behind the talented Bellafina (Quality Road) as the favorite in the GI Del Mar Debutante S. Sept. 1. The bay was third to the Sunland Oaks-bound Bellafina when last seen in the GI Chandelier S. going two turns at Santa Anita in September and should appreciate the cutback in trip for this return. TJCIS PPs View the full article

Tattersalls and Newmarket Racecourses have inked an expanded partnership deal for the next three years, it was announced on Thursday. Tattersalls will continue to support the G1 Tattersalls Falmouth S. during the Moet & Chandon July Festival, and they will also sponsor the G2 Tattersalls July S. and the G2 Princess Of Wales’s Tattersalls S. The auction house will also continue to sponsor the G3 Tattersalls S. (registered as the Somerville Tattersalls S.) and the £150,000 Tattersalls October Auction S. on the Rowley Mile during the Gold Season. In addition, both the Craven and Guineas breeze-ups will be conducted over the Rowley Mile course in April and May, respectively. “We are delighted that Tattersalls have elected not only to maintain their existing sponsorships at Newmarket Racecourses but to expand their portfolio and we look forward to watching some of the world’s best horses compete for the five prestigious Tattersalls-sponsored prizes during the next three years,” said Amy Starkey, Regional Director of Jockey Club Racecourses, East Region. Added Tattersalls Chairman Edmond Mahony, “The Group 1 Tattersalls Falmouth S. is the flagship Tattersalls race sponsorship in Britain and we are delighted to extend our support of Newmarket Racecourses’ Moët & Chandon July Festival by adding two such prestigious Group 2 races to our extensive sponsorship portfolio…Our sponsorship of the G2 Tattersalls July S. and the G2 Princess Of Wales’s Tattersalls S. reinforces our commitment not only to Newmarket Racecourses, but also to supporting British racing in as many ways as we can.” View the full article

This week is a recap of the 1992 victory by Line in the Sand in the Louisiana Derby (G3) at Fair Grounds Race Course. The recap in the March 28, 1992 magazine, written by Bill Mooney, carried the headline: "Crossing A Line Before The Finish." View the full article

Addressing your thoughts, questions and statements about Hong Kong racing. Have something to say? Send a tweet to @SCMPRacingPost.Citron Spirit takes the Class One Happy Valley Vase (1,800m), his sixth win in Hong Kong since being purchased from France, he’s now won over £1m in prize money, rarely out the first three in 33 runs – @SackvilleDonaldThe Ricky Yiu Poon-fai trained gelding is one of the most genuine horses in Hong Kong – and he’s always underrated by the market – so Wednesday night’s… View the full article

The Jockey Club takes a historic step into mainland China on Saturday with the first official meeting at Conghua Racecourse and Danny Shum Chap-shing says he “can’t wait” as he eyes a unique double.After Shum’s Most Beautiful became the first horse trained at Conghua to win in Hong Kong, the trainer is well placed to land the first winner at the HK$3.7 billion facility with Happy Tour in the day’s opening event.“I think he’s a good chance, hopefully he runs a good race,” Shum said. “He has… View the full article

Prolific jockey Silvestre de Sousa admits it will be difficult leaving Hong Kong on Sunday but is buoyed by the birth of his son, who he will see for the first time when he returns home to Britain.The Brazilian will finish his five-month contract in Hong Kong after Sunday’s Sha Tin meeting and it will go down as one of the successful short-term stints a jockey has had in the ultra-competitive jurisdiction.De Sousa has racked up 42 winners at a strike rate of 15 per cent, placing him just behind… View the full article

Nova Vocal all set for forward showing third-up View the full article

Constant Justice nowhere near a return since New Year View the full article

Dave Johnson, the longtime race announcer whose iconic “And down the stretch they come!” signature call has put a stamp of big-race authenticity on nationally-broadcast Triple Crown and other major Thoroughbred races for over 50 years, filed a federal lawsuit Wednesday seeking unspecified damages against the creators of the 2014 film “St. Vincent” for unauthorized use of his trademarked famous phrase. According to the 56-page lawsuit filed in United States District Court (Southern District of New York), the actor Bill Murray, “playing the role of an alcoholic degenerate gambler,” mimicked what is widely considered the sport’s best-known stretch call “in a manner essentially identical to Dave Johnson’s use of the mark in order to…profit from these associations.” “St. Vincent” grossed $54.8 million worldwide, according to BoxOfficeMojo.com. Johnson (who is an occasional contributor to TDN) trademarked his signature call in 2012. His suit claims that the filmmakers neither sought his permission to use the line, nor did they respond to a written demand letter to stop using it once Johnson discovered his phrase was in the film. “The bottom line is Dave Johnson worked his whole life to make a brand,” Johnson’s attorney, Andrew Mollica, told TDN via phone. “And that phrase is his–he owns it, it encapsulates all his being, and it’s trademarked. “Dave Johnson, as long as I’ve been his attorney, every time we see a violation, we chase it. We protect this mark,” Mollica continued. “We have sent cease-and-desist letters to racetracks, to announcers personally, to video game makers. No one else uses this mark.” But Mollica underscored that Johnson’s vigilant safeguarding of his trademarked phrase is more of a point of pride to protect something he created rather than a way to make money by seeking damages. “One hundred percent of the [damages Johnson has previously been awarded], after legal fees, he’s given to charities,” Mollica said. “This is not a money grab. That’s very important to put in the story because Dave would like people to know: He gives it all away to charities.” Murray’s utterance, which involves a wheelchair race at the 1:12.29 mark of the movie, “reflects the dark side of horse racing” because of the unsavory nature of the character, the suit contends. In that context, it also “damages, blurs, tarnishes, and dilutes the mark and the rights and reputation of the mark’s creator and owner, Dave Johnson.” The lawsuit further asserts that Johnson “is one of many famous sports broadcasters to trademark a signature phrase,” noting that college basketball announcer Dick Vitale has a trademark for his “Awesome, baby!” exclamation; boxing announcer Michael Buffer has one for his famous “Let’s get ready to rumble!” line, and the late Chicago Cubs radio voice Harry Caray had four trademarks for his signature “Holy Cow!” exclamation. The civil complaint contends that the influence of “And down the stretch they come!” is well recognized and “synonymous with some of the most historic race calls of the 1980’s and 1990’s and is the signature call of every Triple Crown race Dave Johnson ever announced.” Defendants in the lawsuit include 10 corporate entities, including The Chernin Group, LLC, and The Weinstein Company, LLC, plus 10 John/Jane Doe individuals whose names were not known at the time of the Mar. 20 filing. The actor who uttered the line, Murray, is not named as a defendant. The defendants could not be reached for comment prior to deadline for this story. View the full article

A meeting among industry stakeholders in the Mid-Atlantic region is scheduled for Thursday and a proposal for a partial ban of the controversial drug Bisphosphonate tops the agenda. Bisphosphonate has come under increased scrutiny since the rash of breakdowns began at Santa Anita and some are speculating that its use might have been contributing to the problem. The drug is used to treat degenerative bone diseases, like osteoporosis, in humans. With horses, they’re used to treat a similar array of problems, like navicular disease. However, the drug has only been approved for horses that are four or older, the theory being that it is dangerous to use it on a horse until their bones are fully developed. In younger horses, the drug could cause their bones to become more brittle. “There’s no checks and balances on this,” Mary Scollay, equine medical director of the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission told Thoroughbred Racing Commentary in a 2017 story on the drug. “If the risk is as real as we perceive it to be, we can be facing a real problem in terms of racing injuries and racing fractures if we don’t, as a community, come together to decide how to responsibly manage this.” To date, the use of the drug has not been banned throughout any part of the Thoroughbred industry. The meeting is an annual get-together of people who race and breed in the Mid-Atlantic region and is supervised by Alan Foreman, the chairman of the Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association who also works closely with several local horsemen’s groups in the Northeast. “We’re going to be adopting a strategic plan to reduce equine fatalities that we actually began initiating two years ago,” Foreman said. “Many of the reforms have already been implemented. We are going to move to ask for a ban of this drug [Bisphosphonate] at the meeting and I’d be shocked if it didn’t pass. This is a bad drug and everybody has been talking about it for a long time. We’re going to take action. We’re going to ban it in the Mid-Atlantic and we’re going to go to the RCI to ask that it be banned nationally, and we are going to ask all industry stakeholders to join us in our efforts.” Foreman said his group does believe the drug should be legal with 4-year-olds and older, since that adheres to FDA requirements. Whether or not Bisphosphonate played any role in the breakdowns in California remains anyone’s guess. But many in the industry are convinced that the drug is being misused at the sales, that breeders or consignors are giving it to their horses so that their bones look stronger than they may have otherwise when x-rays are taken to show potential buyers. If that is the case, Bisphosphonate has potential to be a ticking timebomb that could cause the same yearling to have bone problems during its career and potentially lead to a breakdown. “The goal here, and it needs to happen very quickly, is for this drug to be banned,” said Terry Finley, who heads the West Point Thoroughbreds syndicate. “Every sales company needs to take steps to make sure that no horse that goes through the ring is given this drug and that has to happen immediately. The consignors who are not using this drug should be outraged and vocally and persistently advocate that it be banned immediately.” Finley is among those that believe Bisphosphonate is also given to some horses after the sales and once their racing careers begin. As dangerous as it may be, the drug could have a performance-enhancing effect. “I hate to say it, but that’s a very reasonable assumption,” Finley said when asked if he thought the drug might be given by some trainers to horses in training that are younger than four. “I base that on what I have seen and the high-level vets that I have been talking to across the country. It pains me to say that, but I do believe this has been a factor. This is why it needs to be banned, especially at the upcoming yearling sales.” Ten of the 22 horses who have broken down at Santa Anita were 3-year-olds. The numbers involving the breakdowns of horses that are four versus horses that are younger are skewed at this time of year because there have yet to be any races run at Santa Anita for 2-year-olds and it’s likely that very few, if any, are working over the track yet. View the full article

Buenos Aires, Argentina-Arqana’s inaugural Gran Venta Selecta sale of 91 handpicked Argentinean yearlings takes place on Thursday evening at San Isidro Racecourse, and while all parties involved admit that this pilot project is rather experimental, the signs couldn’t have been more positive 24 hours out. Arqana’s Eric Hoyeau and Freddy Powell were among a small international contingent laying their eyes on the yearlings for the first time on Wednesday at Haras Abolengo and Haras Vacacion, the two studs that have teamed up to supply the yearlings for the sale. Powell, who has been instrumental in paving the way for this sale along with Arqana’s South American representative and local bloodstock agent Matias Villamil, said, “they were really what we were expecting; top-class. When we were looking at the horses, I said to Eric, ‘there are some physicals that I’d love to have in [Arqana’s] August [yearling sale].” As for his expectations ahead of Thursday evening, Powell admitted it is uncharted territory-for any international sale company. “It’s a whole new world,” he said. “What is for sure, and what happens anywhere at any in the sale, is that when you have quality stock, things are going pretty well. The horses bring the business, not the other way around. And what we saw today was quality stock.” After doing plenty of legwork in Argentina over the years, and with the urging of Villamil, the team at Arqana began to put the final pieces of the puzzle together to stage a sale in the country last year. Hoyeau said that he and Powell had visited Argentina at the same stage last year to inspect that season’s yearling crop, so they had a good idea of what to expect on Wednesday. “It truly is a select sale,” said Hoyeau. “They’re very nice horses–they’re all correct, the standard is quite high and the majority of them are very mature.” And with good reason. Abolengo and Vacacion principals Julio Menditeguy and Pablo Zavaleta supplied their best yearlings for the sale with hopes of, in the coming years, building an event that is an international attraction. And, indeed, it is already partway there. Those inspecting the yearlings on Wednesday included Emmanuel and Laura de Seroux, respectively an international bloodstock agent and a retired Grade I-winning trainer; and agents Dennis Loh, Eoin Sullivan and Justin Vermaak, based respectively in Hong Kong, Malaysia and South Africa. The yearlings they feasted their eyes on included hip 2, a colt from the final crop of leading local sire Roman Ruler who is a full-brother to Imagen de Roma (Arg), winner of last year’s G1 Gran Premio Jockey Club, the middle leg of the Argentine Triple Crown, and hip 3, an Equal Stripes colt that is a full-brother to two Group 1 winners: Positive Mind (Arg), winner of the Gran Premio Estrellas Juvenile Fillies, and Paulinho (Arg), Argentina’s champion 2-year-old and winner of the Gran Premio Estrellas Juvenile. The Estrellas is the Argentine Breeders’ Cup. Hip 6 is out of Que Piensa Cat (Arg) (Easing Along), a Group 1 winner at two who was exported to the U.S. for her broodmare career before later returning to Argentina, and has supplied the listed turf sprint winner Always Thinking (Street Sense). This filly is by Roman Ruler. Equal Stripes, who stands at Abolengo, is also represented by hips 8 and 9. Hip 8 is a full-sister to Schoolmistress (Arg), winner at two of the G1 Gran Premio Jorge de Atucha (like the G1 Fillies’ Mile or GI Frizette S.) and at three of the G1 Estrellas Distaff. Hip 9 is a full-brother to South African Group 1 winner Bambina Stripes (Arg), while seven Group 1 winners appear under the second and third dams, as well as three stakes winners in the U.S. Hip 11 is a filly from the first crop of the beautifully bred Group 3 winner John F Kennedy (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), a son of champion 2-year-old filly Rumplestiltskin (Ire) (Danehill) and a grandson of the great Miesque. The filly’s dam Gamuza Fina (Arg) (Equal Stripes {Arg}) was champion 2-year-old filly and the winner of the Estrellas Juvenile Fillies and Jorge de Atucha. Her first foal is a three-time winner. Hip 14 is a filly by Serena’s Song’s son Grand Reward and is a full-sister to Group 1 winner City Wonder (Arg) and Group 2 winner City Glam (Arg). The full catalogue can be accessed here and includes walking videos for each lot. The sale will be streamed live on argsales.com. View the full article

Dam of Rebel Stakes (G2) winner is in training to begin her third career as a hunter. View the full article

The vast crowd swarming to congratulate Kevin Prendergast after his G1 Irish 2000 Guineas win with Awtaad (Ire) (Cape Cross {Ire}) was testament to the veteran trainer’s popularity. Though popularity is not always a measure of merit, in this case there’s no room for doubt. This wasn’t Prendergast’s ‘first rodeo’, as they say. In 1976, he trained Northern Treasure (Ire) (Northfields) to win the Curragh Classic in the colours of his great friend, the late Davy Brennan. Other victories on the trainer’s roll of honour include the G1 Irish 1000 Guineas, G1 2000 Guineas, G3 Coventry S., G1 Matron S., G1 Phoenix S. (three times), G1 National S., G1 Moyglare Stud S. (three times), G1 Tattersalls Gold Cup, G2 Pretty Polly S. (twice), G1 Irish Champion Bumper, G1 Irish St. Leger (four times) and G2 Hardwicke S., to list just the highlights. Several of the above accolades were earned at The Curragh, Prendergast’s base and favourite racecourse. When asked what race he would most like to add to his tally, the 86-year-old replies, “the Derby,” and he doesn’t mean Epsom. “We’ve been second or third in a few times but never won it. We wouldn’t have had many runners in it,” he says of the Irish Classic. “Maybe eight or 10 runners.” Prendergast had his first runner in the Irish Derby in 1964, just his second year of training, but it was in 1973 that he got his first real thrill, as Ragapan (Ire), a son of his father’s Irish Derby hero, Ragusa, finished second. Of his experience at Epsom, meanwhile, he says, “I’ve only had three or four runners in the Epsom Derby and the closest I got was fifth, twice, and Nebbiolo (GB) was sixth in it. He didn’t stay. “It’s very hard to get a horse for Epsom, when you’re going to the sales and buying a horse for €25,000 or €30,000. I had a horse who might have won the Epsom Derby in Northern Treasure and after he won the Irish 2000 Guineas, I said to the owner that we should enter him in the Derby, but he said ‘No, it’s too much money to enter, we’ll run him in the Irish Derby’. He finished third, but Epsom would have really suited him.” With Prendergast’s obvious love for The Curragh, and his pride in Irish racing, it may be surprising to learn that he was, in fact, born in Caulfield, Australia. Educated in Ireland, he returned to Australia to work as assistant trainer to Frank Dalton and has great respect for what he learnt there. He says, “Most of the Australian trainers are very good horsemen, most of them have done apprenticeships and many of the them don’t need blacksmiths-they can shoe their own horses.” Prendergast’s connection to Australian racing doesn’t end there, as both he and his father employed a number of Australian jockeys. “Des Lake, Ron Hutchinson, Garnie Bougoure, Bill Williamson rode for my father,” says Prendergast. “The last fella I had was Rod Griffiths-a very good rider.” The greatest success Griffiths and Prendergast enjoyed together was in the 1991 Phoenix S. with Bradawn Breever (Ire) (Salmon Leap) who made all and narrowly prevailed in a blanket finish. Returning to his list of racing favourites, Prendergast says, “The horse that meant the most to me was Ardross (Ire) (Run The Gantlet). Financially he was very good to us at a time when we needed the money for death duties. He won the Jockey Club Cup, was second in the Gold Cup and was sold later that year.” Ardross isn’t a choice lacking in sentimentality, though, as Prendergast took over his training upon the death of his father, the legendary ‘Darkie’ Prendergast, who also bred the champion stayer at his Meadow Court Stud. Selling winners is a crucial source of funds to many training operations and it is something Prendergast always keeps in mind, even as early as at the yearling sales. “I was never in the habit of buying precocious horses,” he says. “Mostly, we’d look for a horse that if he wasn’t up to standard as a 2-year-old, he’d win a 3-year-old maiden over a mile and a half, and you’d get him sold to go jumping. That’s the way we’ve worked over the years.” As well as being a top-class trainer, Prendergast is renowned as a shrewd judge of a horse, his stable stars having often been bought at affordable prices. In the past, he worked in tandem with the late Frank Barry of Manister House Stud, a bloodstock agent as well as a close friend. On their approach, Prendergast says, “We were always a sucker for a good-looking horse, with a good step and usually, if they didn’t have a great pedigree, we might have a chance of buying them. You like to buy horses by stallions who are getting winners, and who have good stallion pedigrees. A lot of horses retire to stud and they don’t have stallion pedigrees.” Among Barry and Prendergast’s bargain buys are G1 Vincent O’Brien National S. winner Kingsfort (War Chant), who was bought for €36,000 at the Goffs Sportsman’s Sale, G1 Moyglare Stud S. winner Termagant (Ire) (Powerscourt {GB}), bought at the same sale for €34,000, and the Godolphin-bred Coventry S. winner Verglas (Ire) (Highest Honor {Fr}), who cost £26,000IRP at the Goffs Orby Sale. Prendergast is now usually seen with former trainer and good friend Jeremy Harley at the sales, as well as at the races, with Harley always present at the yard on work mornings. The trainer now finds it even tougher to secure the yearlings that catch his eye in the sales ring, as he explains, “Now, if you see a nice horse, three or four of the breeze-up boys get together and outbid you. It makes it harder for the ordinary trainer to compete. The sort of horse you used to be able to buy for €25,000 to €30,000 is now making €80,000 to €100,000.” This also makes it more difficult on the track. “We notice here in Ireland, that in some of the auction races, you see horses that cost €100,000 running in auction races, which they shouldn’t be allowed to do. The scale is too high for auction races to give the ordinary fella a chance. You could be up against a Galileo (Ire) that was bought back for €70,000 or €80,000, which can happen.” Prendergast’s eye for a good-looking horse is apparent at the races, with his runners easily spotted in the parade ring, always guaranteed to be donning a snow-white sheepskin nose band, a meticulously plaited mane, their quarter marks gleaming in the sunshine. “You’ve got to have good staff,” he says. “If you haven’t, you can’t turn horses out well. I’ve been very lucky over the years to have had very good staff and most of them are with me a long time. I think it’s a general approach, also including the feed and the wellbeing of the horse. The main thing in this country is that you have to keep horses warm.” One of the horses receiving the best care possible at Friarstown Stables is Classic hope Madhmoon (Ire) (Dawn Approach {Ire}), who with two rugs and a red lamp, has no danger of catching a chill in the Irish winter. On his current stable star, Prendergast says, “He’s doing very well and hopefully we’ll be able to get him out at Leopardstown on Apr. 6 in the Guineas Trial, if the ground is not too bad. Then, we’ll see if we’ll run him in the Irish or English Guineas.” Madhmoon was last seen running out an impressive winner of the G2 KPMG Champions Juveniles S. at Leopardstown during Irish Champions Weekend, an initiative Prendergast very much admires. He says, “Irish Champions Weekend is a great promotion for Irish racing. We’re very lucky to have a great track like Leopardstown to stage it on, and it’s very well run. Awtaad won the Boomerang Mile there, Madhmoon won the Group 2 last year and La Collina (Ire) won the Matron, so it’s been a lucky meeting for us.” He does, however, have one complaint about the Dublin track. “I like Leopardstown, but the only regret I have is that the trainers didn’t get together and save the six -furlong sprint track. It was the best six-furlong track in the world and we lost it through incompetence.” Madhmoon has become “very strong and muscular”, according to his trainer, and is a laidback individual, a characteristic his family shares. “I’ve trained most of the family, including the grandam to win a Group 3, on the last day Sheikh Hamdan was at The Curragh. They’re all pretty sensible and very genuine. It’s a good, solid family,” says Prendergast. Madhmoon is not the only Friarstown resident whose family Prendergast knows well. He says, “I have a very nice filly belonging to Luke Barry–a half-sister to La Collina. She’s a lovely filly by Zoffany (Ire), though much bigger than her sister. We like her.” He also highlights an unraced Camelot (GB) 3-year-old filly as one to note. Out of Rebelline (Ire) (Robellino), whom he trained to win the G1 Tattersalls Gold Cup, she has been named Nan Yehi (Ire), and holds entries in the Irish Guineas and Irish Oaks. Madhmoon shares his grandam with Friarstown’s Irish 2000 Guineas victor of 2016, Awtaad, whose first crop conceived at Derrinstown Stud are now yearlings. “I think Awtaad has a very good chance of being a successful sire as he has a very good temperament and is a good-looking horse,” muses the trainer. “In my opinion, his best run was his last run, in the Queen Elizabeth II S., and we would have loved to have kept him in training for another year, but Sheikh Hamdan wanted a stallion in Derrinstown. His foals sold very well; they averaged over 62,000gns, which is a very good price for a horse standing at €15,000. Most breeders got a good return. I actually sold a filly myself, out of a mare called Brown Butterfly, and I was happy with the result.” He adds, “I’ve trained for Sheikh Hamdan for over 30 years and he’s been a great supporter. Without him, we probably wouldn’t be around. I had a very good friend, Tom Jones, who recommended me to Sheikh Hamdan and it went from there. Tom was his trainer in England at the time.” The loyalty of Kevin Prendergast’s staff, as well as his owners, is an excellent reflection on not just his success, but also his likeable nature. Stephen Craine has been with Prendergast for over 30 years; beginning with riding work while still first jockey to Tommy Stack, he later become Friarstown’s first jockey and together, he and Kevin enjoyed much success. After retiring from the saddle, Craine remained as part of the team as assistant trainer, which includes breaking all of the stable’s yearlings. On his highlights of working with Prendergast, Craine says, “Winning two Legers for him was fantastic, but there have been plenty of thrills even since I stopped riding. Miss Beatrix (Ire) gave me a great high as she was tough to break, but went on to win the Moyglare and the Goffs Million. Awtaad was obviously brilliant to be involved in and we’ve also been placed in a good few Guineas.” He adds, “I even got a great kick out of working with Kevin before I became first jockey. I was at my own place breaking a half-bred horse and Kevin dropped by, asking me to come round to sit up on an unraced grey colt by Highest Honor. I rode him and was impressed.” The horse was, of course, Verglas. It’s not always about the big days, though, as Craine knows. “I’d retired as a jockey but was still riding work when we had Wrong Key (Ire). I weighed about 9st 4lbs at the time, so when I rode her work, and she had the other horses under pressure behind her, I knew she was good. She only cost 4,000gns so we entered her in a median auction race at 8st 4lbs and Gordon ‘Flash’ Power claimed weight off her. Myself and Kevin had a right few pounds on her and she won by half the track, that was a great day, I really enjoyed that.” Craine, more than anyone, should know what makes Kevin Prendergast a top-class trainer. He says, “Kevin is a brilliant judge of a horse–he just knows how who every horse is and leaves no stone unturned. He might not have seen a horse for just one day and he’d be able to tell if it had lost weight.” The mutual fondness is clear, both in observing Prendergast and Craine together, and when hearing them speak of each other. Craine says, “We have a great laugh together–we’re just great pals. He’s a genius, he’s unreal.” There is no doubt that at least some of Kevin Prendergast’s training ability, and natural aptitude with horses comes from his father and when asked what the greatest lesson he learnt from him, his final word on the matter is simply “discipline”. View the full article

Standing in the Oaklawn Park crowd March 16, Willis Horton watched his homebred Long Range Toddy locked in a duel to the wire. View the full article

A total of 111 horses–including 38 individual Group 1/Grade I winners from 13 racing jurisdictions across six continents–have been entered at the first closing stage for FWD Champions Day, featuring the G1 FWD QE II Cup (2000m), the G1 FWD Champions Mile and the G1 Chairman’s Sprint Prize (1200m) to be contested Sunday, Apr. 28. The three races offer total prize money of HK$58 million (US$7.39 million). Reigning Japanese Horse of the Year and G1 Japan Cup victrix Almond Eye (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) is one of 30 entries from the island nation and could make the QE II her second run of the season, depending on her first-up performance in the G1 Dubai Turf at Meydan Mar. 30. Deirdre (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), who was a gallant second to Glorious Forever (GB) (Archipenko) in last year’s G1 Longines Hong Kong Cup over the QE II course and distance, could make the return trip to Sha Tin, while Lys Gracieux (Jpn) (Heart’s Cry {Ire}), narrowly second to Exultant (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) in the G1 Longines Hong Kong Vase in December, could drop back to the 2000m for a potentially mouth-watering rematch. With at least a temporary easing of travel restrictions to Hong Kong by the Australian government, some 15 nominations were received from the country. Leading 3-year-old colt The Autumn Sun (Aus) (Redoute’s Choice {Aus}), favoured for Saturday’s G1 Rosehill Guineas (2000m), was handed entries for both the QE II and the Champions Mile, while champion Irish trainer Aidan O’Brien has engaged Magic Wand (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), runner-up in the GI Pegasus World Cup Turf in Florida Jan. 26. The home team is represented by defending champion and ‘TDN Rising Star‘ Pakistan Star (Ger) (Shamardal), 2016 Hong Kong Cup hero Time Warp (GB) (Archipenko) and Furore (NZ) (Pierro {Aus}) and Waikuku (Ire) (Harbour Watch {Ire}), the 1-2 finishers from the BMW Hong Kong Derby Mar. 17. Furore was also entered for the Champions Mile by trainer Frankie Lor, while his stablemate Dark Dream (Aus) (All American {Aus}) was also given entries for both the QE II and the Champions Mile. The latter race drew a total of 40 entries, including the current world’s joint top-rated horse and reigning Hong Kong Horse of the Year Beauty Generation (NZ) (Road to Rock {Aus}), who will look for back-to-back victories in the race. The local contingent for the Mile could also include Conte (Aus) (Starcraft {NZ}), runner-up to Beauty Generation in the G1 Stewards Cup in January; the 4-year-old Mission Tycoon (Aus) (Written Tycoon {Aus}), upset winner of the Hong Kong Classic Cup this past February; and the progressive Rise High (Fr) (Myboycharlie {Ire}). Opposition from overseas could include G1 Yasuda Kinen winner Mozu Ascot (Frankel {GB}); treble Australian Group 1-winning filly Shoals (Aus) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}); and France’s intriguing Marianafoot (Fr) (Footstepsinthesand {GB}), victorious in the Irish Thoroughbred Marketing Cup in Qatar when last seen Feb. 22. Hong Kong horses are extremely difficult to beat on home turf in the Chairman’s Sprint Prize, which has attracted its 2017 & 2018 runner-up Mr Stunning (Aus) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}) in addition to G1 winner Beat The Clock (Aus) (Hinchinbrook {Aus}) and Wishful Thinker (Aus) (I Am Invincible {Aus}), who will get tested for class in the G1 Al Quoz Sprint on Saturday week. The US-based Imperial Hint (Imperialism), a dual Grade I-winning sprinter on dirt and headed for the G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen, is also among the nominees, as are the Al Quoz-bound Viddora (Aus) (I Am Invincible {Aus}), the Richard Fahey-trained G1 British Champions Sprint winner Sands of Mali (Fr) (Panis), Ballydoyle’s Lost Treasure (Ire) (War Front) and a rare South American entry in the form of Holy Legal (Brz) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}), the champion sprinter of 2018 in Uruguay. “FWD Champions Day is one of the world’s elite race days and the high quality of nominations this year is indicative of that,” said Andrew Harding, Executive Director, Racing, for the Hong Kong Jockey Club. “Last year was the first time that we positioned all three of our spring majors on the same day and the result was a tremendous celebration of world class sport. The broad worldwide spread of entries is an exciting feature of this year’s nominations, with an impressive Japanese contingent and a very welcome and strong group of entries from Australia.” View the full article

This boy-meets-filly love affair began, from afar, a year ago- she at Tampa Bay Downs, me at The Meadowlands. It culminated recently, face to face, at Fair Grounds in New Orleans as part of a frivolous, same-day down-and-back trip from New Jersey. The relationship began, as many do, for a shallow reason–not the adolescent or young adult kind of shallow: “I call the one with the blue eyes.” Rather, a brand of shallow that wiser, more mature people fall victim to: she broke her maiden at 61-1, and I had her. That Saturday in March 2018 found me at The Meadowlands, tending to a portfolio of modest investments. Having done the requisite homework the night before and ready to lose intelligently, I arrived with a bounce in my step. I had spotted something at Tampa that I thought could win and almost certainly would outrun her odds. She was Divine Queen (Divine Park), a maiden 3-year-old filly who, as it turned out, was aptly named. My reasoning went like this: in her debut, a $25,000 maiden claimer, she broke poorly but did enough running to finish a decent fourth. So she could run and, unlike some, handled the deep Tampa surface. The owner/trainer–the capable Buff Bradley, who had trained Brass Hat, The Player and Groupie Doll, among others–thought enough of her to protect her by running her back in a maiden special weight race. That, plus the natural debut-to-second-start progression might be enough to get her to the winners’ circle, or at least create some robust prices in the exotics. She broke alertly, went to the front, hung on and paid $125. Seeing that she was a runner, knowing that a savvy trainer thought highly of her without having some delusional, starry-eyed owner fueling those thoughts, and yes, cashing a nice ticket, I followed her. A next-out sixth in a tough Keeneland allowance didn’t dissuade me–again, she kicked in too late to threaten the winner, but again, she showed she was a runner. She then went wire-to-wire in a Churchill allowance and paid $14. Three races later, as the longest shot on the board in the $100,000 Dogwood S., she devoured the slop at Churchill and closed on the rail to win by a head and pay $103. Two months later, she won a salty optional claimer in the slop at Fair Grounds and paid $17. I had her each time she won and, other than her debut, each time she lost; at those prices the wins more than covered the losses. But beyond her pari-mutuel productivity, my appreciation for her grew with each race. She always showed up and tried. She was game, and the antithesis of a prima donna, comfortable and willing on or near the lead, coming from behind, between horses or in tight quarters on the rail. Nobody seemed to be on to this filly–more Divine Queen for me. I checked in by email after each breeze, and before and after each race. So with vacation days in the bank and with all-important spousal permission, I planned a week-long trip to Louisiana, with the New Orleans half devoted to mornings at Fair Grounds, hanging out with The Queen, cooling her out and delivering some well-earned carrots and love-slaps on her neck. Buff was apparently impressed enough by my hot-walking credentials–in the mid-70s, at Belmont, I learned quickly to make a left turn at the end of shed row–and impressed enough with his filly’s intelligence and manners to promise me some time on the end of the shank. The airlines don’t offer walk-up fares based on who’s in the entry box, so I booked, though with the trip not predicated on her racing. Just getting an audience with Her Majesty would be enough. Then, days after I booked, she was entered to run, a week before my scheduled arrival. I didn’t exactly whine to my wife, but I did point out that I was thisclose to getting to watch my favorite horse in the whole wide world race in person. “Well, you know ….” I started to tell Maureen. “Just go. It’s fine,” she said. So a week before the trip, I took a trip. I dragged myself out of bed before dawn’s first light and went, with only carrots, mints, apples and that day’s Daily Racing Form as baggage. It was Mardi Gras, and the track joined in the celebration. Lead ponies wore beads, and people wore jesters’ hats with pom poms, colorful shoes with upturned toes, and masks. The most surreal sight of all was the trainer Tom Amoss in full Fat Tuesday Krewe regalia, giving pre-race instructions to his jockey and saddling his filly. In a competitive field of seven allowance fillies, Divine Queen opened at 11-1…can’t they tell by now she can run? She dropped to 5-1, and drifted up to 7 or 8-1. She broke well and raced forwardly, seemed to lose focus leaving the backstretch and dropped back. And then, entering the stretch, she kicked in with a gear I hadn’t really seen before, and she… finished second. She was beaten a length by the 6-5, loose-on-the-lead filly, running her eyeballs out and gaining with every stride. At 6 1/2 furlongs, she probably would have won, but the race was carded for six. She cooled out like a champ–dragging me up and down the shed row–and attacked her feed tub and the carrots. Just as she trains and races forwardly, she cools out and eats forwardly–a pleasure to be around. And just as parents love their kids regardless of school grades or wins and losses on the ballfield, we love our horses, especially those who try. A lifetime mark of 12-4-1-0 and a robust ROI is nice, but getting to watch–and hang with–a truly game horse is something special. Dave Brooks is a New Jersey-based freelance writer and nearly lifelong fan of Thoroughbred racing. In the mid-70’s, he was a hot walker at Belmont Park. View the full article

West Point had a highly memorable week filled with two runners in Triple Crown preps at Oaklawn Park March 16 and a spending spree earlier in the week at the OBS 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale that included taking home the $2 million sale topper. View the full article

Pioneerof the Nile Filly Makes Turf Debut at Gulfstream 5th-GP, $50K, Msw, 3yo/up, f, 7 1/2fT, post time: 3:15 p.m. ET WinStar Stablemates Racing LLC and trainer Rodolphe Brissett unveil PASSIONOF THE NILE, a sophomore daughter of the late Pioneerof the Nile. A $300,000 KEESEP yearling, Passionof the Nile is out of MSW and GSP dirt sprinter Distorted Passion, making her a half to MGSW and GISP turf router Mrs McDougal (Medaglia d’Oro), who sold for a salt-topping $1.6 million at last year’s Keeneland January sale. Passionof the Niles stakes-winning second dam is a full-sister to GSW and GISP sprinter Warbling (Unbridled’s Song). TJCIS PPs View the full article

Legendary trainer John Oxx’s historic Currabeg Stables played host to the launch of the 2019 Irish Flat season on Wednesday afternoon. Naas kicks the season off in style at 1:30 p.m. on Mar. 24, with the €100,000 Tote Irish Lincolnshire boasting the largest purse of the eight-race card. Also contested Sunday are the €77,500 G3 Lodge Park Stud Irish EBF Park Express S., the €50,000 Naas Racecourse Business Club Madrid H. and the €45,000 Listed Devoy S. The Curragh’s two-year redevelopment project will be unveiled on May 6, while the official opening will be the three-day Curragh Spring Festival from May 24-26 featuring the G1 Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas, G1 Tattersalls Irish 1000 Guineas and the G1 Tattersalls Gold Cup. Irish highweight 2-year-old filly Skitter Scatter (Scat Daddy), who won the G1 Moyglare Stud S., G2 Debutante S. and G3 Silver Flash S. during her juvenile campaign, is a new addition to Oxx’s string for owners Anthony and Mrs. Sonia Rogers. She is a leading fancy for the 1000 Guineas. Oxx and Skitter Scatter’s former trainer Patrick Prendergast joined forces in early January. “We have so much to look forward to in the season ahead and it is fitting that we launch today only a stone’s throw from The Curragh Racecourse where the finishing touches are being made ahead of their first fixture on Bank Holiday Monday, May 6,” said Horse Racing Ireland CEO Brian Kavanagh. “That day will whet the appetite for the newly-formed three-day Curragh Spring Festival featuring the first Irish Classics of the season later that month. I am delighted that we have been able to increase prizemoney once again for this coming Flat season which looks like being as competitive as ever. I would like to wish all owners, trainers and riders all the very best for the season ahead.” View the full article

In a remarkable piece of timing, Dylan Mo Hin-tung and Dennis Yip Chor-hong celebrated significant career milestones together after combining to salute with The Show at Happy Valley on Wednesday night.From a real perspective, Mo’s accomplishment will have the biggest immediate impact as it was his 70th Hong Kong winner, which signifies the end of his apprenticeship.The 25-year-old loses his five-pound claim (it now goes to three) and gets all the benefits and responsibilities of being a senior… View the full article

Standing in the Oaklawn Park crowd March 16, Willis Horton watched his homebred Long Range Toddy locked in a duel to the wire. View the full article

Japanese superstar Almond Eye and boom Australian colt The Autumn Sun headline the international entries for next month’s FWD Champions Day at Sha Tin.They are the biggest names, alongside Hong Kong hero Beauty Generation, among the 111 horses nominated for the three Group Ones on April 28.The Sakai Kuneida-trained Almond Eye is her country’s reigning Horse of the Year after completing the Japanese fillies’ triple crown before taking out the Japan Cup.She has won six of her seven starts … View the full article