Wandering Eyes

Gulfstream Park has changed run-up distances for 1 1/16-mile and 1 1/8-mile races contested over the main track, the South Florida track announced Feb. 27.View the full article

By Adam Hamilton Expect to see a better and sharper Merlin when he chases a Miracle Mile berth at Menangle on Saturday night. Co-trainer Scott Phelan said the star pacer’s second at Menangle last Saturday night has “brought him on plenty” ahead of Saturday night’s $100,000 Group 2 Cordina Group Sprint (10.30pm). Merlin, who races as Its Merlin in Australia, will need a top three finish to be certain of a spot in the $1 million Miracle Mile a week later. He’s got the draw to do it from gate one and regular driver Zachary Butcher returns to the sulky. “He definitely needed the run last week and Gavin (Fitzpatrick) drove him well considering where he was at,” Phelan said. “He’d only had one quiet trial going into it, so he’s benefited a lot from the run. “I was happy with how he went and he’s come through it really well.” Its Merlin is in the stronger of the two qualifiers with arch Kiwi rival Dont Stop Dreaming (gate two), dual NZ Cup winner Swayzee (five), classy mare Eye Keep Smiling (four), Captain Ravishing (eight) and Tact McLeod (12) among his major rivals. “It’s a strong race, but the draw is a huge help. We’re not used to getting the pegs at Menangle,” Phelan laughed. Merlin is currently the second favourite at $3.80, with Swayee the top pick at $2.25. “We have to take advantage of the draw. He’s got the gate speed to use it. “I’ll leave the driving up to Zac, but sometimes you’ve just got to back your horse. “It’s a mile and he’s got a great draw, we won’t be handing the lead away. If he does, something will really have to earn it.” That could be Swayzee, who is sure to be driven aggressively by Cam Hart. Phelan admits stablemate Sooner The Bettor faces a challenge from a wide draw (gate eight) in the other qualifier. “He’s fine. The vet said he pulled-up sore after that first run he had at Menangle, but he was fine the next day,” he said. “The draw is the issue. He had great draws when he ran so well in those Menangle races, including the Miracle Mile, this time last year. “There’s a lot of speed and nice horses inside him this week.” It’s a similar story with Phelan and Barry Purdon’s Chariots Of Fire runner Better Knuckle Up, who has drawn nine, but will move down to seven. “He’ll also improve from his first run over here,” Phelan said. “It’s just hard to see where he’ll end up from the draw. “If they go hard, he’s certainly a good enough horse to be right in the finish, but he’s going to need the run to suit.” Purdon is chasing a fifth Chariots Of Fire win. His four wins is already a training record. View the full article

When Rashmi (Oscar Performance), the latest ingenue to punctuate a dynasty of George Strawbridge-bred starlets, made short thrift of the latest running of the GIII Megahertz Stakes at Santa Anita, her win affirmed the charmed run enjoyed by her trainer, Jonathan Thomas, shows no outward signs of lost momentum. Will Then (War of Will) cruising away with the GIII Jimmy Durante Stakes. Truly Quality (Quality Road) showing rare quality in the GII Hollywood Turf Club Stakes. Mrs. Astor (Lookin At Lucky) doing double Grade III duty in the Red Carpet and Robert J. Frankel Stakes. Rashmi's back for more in the upcoming GII Buena Vista Stakes. Whatever happens this weekend, it's been a profitable 12 months for the stable, one memorable afternoon after another under a roaring California sunshine. Just don't fool yourself into thinking this has translated into some kind of gilded age for the barn. “Right now, we're got 19 horses,” says Thomas, at the end of training one recent morning. He had 34 horses at his height last year. Fifty-two is the most he's ever trained. “This is the smallest I've been by far.” A couple of new owners have gravitated his way the past year. They brought with them an additional five horses. Not many, considering the outsized impact Thomas's small stable has had in California, since he made a serious winter base here towards the end of 2023. And he's lost to answer why. “It's a good question. If it's all on us, I'd like to know so I could do a better job of attracting more horses,” Thomas says. Rashmi | Benoit “I think at the end of the day, you have to take responsibility for the spot you're in,” he adds. “I don't know if we don't advertise enough. Or if it's just a byproduct of where the business is at the moment. I know we've had some really good clients that I adore, that we've done well with, but have joined some super-group partnerships. I know with those, we're not on the receiving end.” This leaves the Thomas stable at an inflection point–both geographically and figuratively. His Santa Anita barn (number 59) sits at a crossroads. Training track immediately left. Main track straight on. Barn area off to the right. Robert Frost would have a field day. But for Thomas to break into the next sphere as a trainer, he needs more horses. That's the curve he needs to climb. That a small stable nearly ten years into the job, but which has so consistently punched above its weight, is struggling to attract new well-heeled benefactors poses a conundrum worth dissecting. Luckily, Thomas is in contemplative mood. He bats back a question about the evolving nature of ownership with an anecdote involving a trainer with a sobriquet that left no room for uncertainty. The Chief. “He had two horses go to the gate to breeze,” Thomas recalls, of Allen Jerkens. “He had jockeys on. I can't remember who, but he had two good jockeys on. You could tell it was a pretty important workout. One of the horses was just lathered, didn't want to go into the gate. Fractious.” Jerkens steered his golf cart to the gate and called the whole thing off, told the jockeys to take the horses home. “He called a complete audible just because he didn't like what he was seeing. He didn't want to add fuel to the fire. There was a chance where maybe you could have blown the horse's brains,” says Thomas. “I thought that was really cool. If you're an assistant or something, you feel the pressure. 'I've got to do this.' But he didn't give two shits. He did what was the right thing to do,” says Thomas. “He probably brought that filly back and schooled her a hundred times until she was good.” The lesson here is one of experience–that the confidence to venture off the beaten path comes with a familiarity of the terrain that only time and practice can bring. “Really, it's not who's winning most, it's who's making the least amounts of mistakes that is the most successful at the end of the day. But you've got to get things wrong to learn how to get things right. You've got to take chances. You've got to try things to learn,” says Thomas. The backbone of experience is opportunity, however. And one way to foster the sort of environment where opportunities are extended is to approach the trainer-owner relationship collaboratively. “I tell anyone new, whenever I have the luxury of talking to someone new in the business, 'you have to be okay at embracing when things don't work out,'” Thomas says. “You have to have the sort of backing where people are allowing you–or maybe not 'allowing,' but be able to understand–that mistakes are palatable, and you can problem solve with the client,” he says. “'Hey, we're going to be 30-1. It looks silly to run on paper. But I feel the horse is doing well. Would you like to take a shot?' If they're in and you give them equity in the decision-making, if it's a screw-up, it's fine because you're in it together,” he says. “But if it works, then it's great.” But how do you give the young trainer given so few of these opportunities in the first place the chance to make mistakes? The freedom to shape their skills at the gristmill of trial and error? The conversation turns to the evergreen topic of the nation's numerically dominant super trainers. More specifically, if training has become an out-and-out numbers game, what hope is there for the smaller outfits? “They're very good at what they do,” Thomas says, stressing how he harbors no animosity towards the big barns that are simply capitalizing on a welcoming marketplace. “But I've seen the consolidation of things happen faster in the last two years in real time than ever before.” This consolidation has been across the board. In breeding. In pre-training. “I know some very good smaller boutique places like in Ocala that break horses–they're dying on the vine because those partnerships are now going to one place,” says Thomas. And with that consolidation has emerged an increasingly select commercial market that “runs racing,” he says. “A lot of the expensive horses are, understandably, being bought to end up being stallions or broodmares. If they're stallions, they're only going to a handful of people. And they're only going to a handful of people because for whatever reason, those horses are deemed worth more because of who had them,” says Thomas. Thomas with Catholic Boy | Sarah Andrew “I've sat in on enough stallion deals and been a part of those things where it's like, there's this formula for a stallion. Unfortunately, it's just how it is,” says Thomas, who brings up Catholic Boy, his dual GI winner. “It was hard getting a stallion deal done with him.” Which leads to a curious creation of Thomas's–the idea of a bonus structure that benefits smaller barns. “What if you had a horse with a guy that had under 30 horses or 40 horses, and they were running for $30,000 or $40,000 more [than the bigger-number trainers] in a race?” Thomas suggests, describing such a system as incentive driven. “You can't keep taking. People are tired of being taken, and owners are the ones that get taken the most. They're paying multiple entities, multiple places. I pay my staff. We work hard to make sure we take care of everything. But the owner's ultimately paying. That's why you've got to give,” he says. “You have to find a way to incentivize someone to move horses.” Such a seemingly leftfield proposition–the oft-proposed remedy to the super trainer bugbear are stall limits–belies someone steeped in the sport's traditions, and the notion of standing-on-the-shoulders-of giants. Indeed, when Thomas first came marching back to his office at training's end, he brought with him tales from a morning spent sifting through the mental libraries at the disposal of Santa Anita mainstay, Neil Drysdale. “I haven't talked to him as much about actual horse training as much about business. The state of the business, forecasting where we're going to be in a couple of years,” says Thomas. “I've loved our time here in California, and I'm rooting for this place to keep going,” he says. “I think it's really just a matter of money at the end of the day, isn't it? Wherever the money goes, people follow.” The operations of another track mainstay have also caught the trainer's eye. “I really watch [Bob] Baffert's horses. He's able to extricate the innate talent of a lot of these horses with speed. It's kind of like you need to do it because you're preparing a horse for war. If you're training a soldier, you're not going to be soft on them. You got to train them for the battle. He does it as well or better than anyone that's ever done it,” says Thomas. “The brilliance for a lot of these guys, it's not so much what they're doing when they're breezing, it's when they're not breezing,” says Thomas. And Baffert, he adds, “gallops his horses very gently in between.” Then there's the knowledge and guidance imparted through the stable's current primary benefactor, Strawbridge, who has patronized the stable for about five years. “I'm getting through his breeding program the last two years by far the best horses that I've had. They are very, very well-bred. They're leaning on generations of hard work and planning. I always look at it like we're the beneficiary of being associated with someone like him who's got a lifetime of work behind him. Also, he's a very good horseman,” says Thomas. “He's very easy to make decisions with because he's seen this happen time and time and time again. There are a lot of times I don't have answers, but I'll ask a lot of questions, and through that, we'll get somewhere. Thomas with Frankie Dettori after a recent win | Benoit “I'll ask him, 'Hey, I'm not seeing what I think I need to see from this horse. You've had the family, what do you think?'” Thomas recounts. “'Oh, well, I think we stopped on the mother and gave her time. Why don't we turn this one out for six months and come back?'” Which brings the conversation full circle to the stable's trajectory, and another curious position that Thomas finds himself in–that of an unpaid ambassador for California racing. One common reason trainers give for avoiding the West Coast is the heightened veterinary scrutiny. While the advent of federal rules has somewhat leveled the playing field nationally, house rules mean California still wields arguably the strictest set of pre-race veterinary hurdles. “Honestly, I have found everyone that is instituting those rules to be very forthcoming, transparent, helpful, in navigating rules. After a couple months, I felt like it was kind of second nature. All these rules are implemented for the safety and betterment of horse racing, so we're fully behind all of them,” says Thomas. “In a way it's made life easier,” he adds. “If we've had a horse where you're kind of straddling the fence between do we turn them out, or do we get a little more aggressive with medication, it's an easy answer. You give a horse a time off.” Thomas doesn't know how many 2-year-olds are headed his way this year. He hopes for a handful or so from Strawbridge. His ideal stable number would be somewhere between 50 and 60. With so few horses currently at Thomas's disposal compared to so many of his stakes race competitors, does this impact the way he approaches the morning training? “It doesn't,” he says, adamantly. “I train what I have in front of me. You're going to do the best you can with what you have. What else are you going to do? I can't back off the gas and go, 'Well, I better preserve these because I don't have horses coming in.' It's the wrong thing to do for the horses and the clients,” says Thomas. “I've got a really good group of employees right now. They're a great crew. But I don't know what the complexion is going to look like in two, three months,” Thomas says. “Honestly, if in three months I'm down to four horses, but we did the best we could with what we have, I can walk out the door knowing I did the best job I could.” Such bleak words from a trainer who has made such a sparkling impression in one of racing's toughest circuits is a curiosity. No, not just a curiosity. A pretty damning indictment of an industry with its priorities all back to front. The post The Curious Case of Jonathan Thomas appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Waverley trainer Bill Thurlow will continue his southern raid this weekend when Steal My Thunder is joined by reinforcements Royal Sovereigns and Field Of Gold at Wingatui’s inaugural Property Brokers Otago Classics Day. Steal My Thunder headed south earlier this month and was victorious in her southern debut in the ODT Southern Mile Qualifier – Summer Cup (1600m) at Ascot Park a fortnight ago. While victorious in the race, she failed to collect enough points to make the final field for the $200,000 ODT Southern Mile Final (1600m) on Saturday, but Thurlow has found her a nice consolation in the Gr.3 White Robe Lodge Weight For Age (1600m). “She is not going to make that (ODT) field. She was probably always never going to make it, there are a lot of qualifying races, and a lot of points accumulated early on,” Thurlow said. “It is designed for those southern horses, and I am happy with that. “The White Robe is a very good substitute. If she can run top four I would be rapt. I am not sure she can, but she is in good form, and she apparently has done very well.” Steal My Thunder has been staying with Gore trainer Ellis Winsloe and will be reunited with her two stablemates at Wingatui on Saturday after their long-haul trek from the north. “Two of them (Royal Sovereigns and Field Of Gold) left home on Tuesday and they have had two nights in Christchurch before going down (on Friday),” Thurlow said. “Steal My Thunder stayed with Ellis Winsloe and she will come back from Invercargill to Wingatui for the race and then come home.” While it is a big trip from Waverley, Thurlow expects them to handle it in their stride. “The older horse (Field Of Gold) has been there and done that. He went down for the (New Zealand Cup) carnival when he was a three-year-old when Tony Pike trained him,” he said. “The young horse (Royal Sovereigns), it (travel) might just tickle her up a little bit being her first time, but other than that she will be pretty right.” Field Of Gold has seen a fair bit of the country in the last few weeks, having finished seventh in the Gr.1 Herbie Dyke Stakes (2000m) at Te Rapa earlier this month before his southern journey. “I am really happy with him,” Thurlow said. “I thought his run in the Herbie Dyke was good. He didn’t sprint home, but he just kept grinding away and he was still doing good work late. I am expecting him to run very well.” Thurlow is also pleased with Royal Sovereigns, who was fourth in the Gr.3 Desert Gold Stakes (1600m) at Trentham last month. “I am really happy with her. She had a week off after Wellington, where she went super,” Thurlow said. “I am hoping we have got her forward enough for the mile, I think we have, but that is my only little question mark. Having said that, with the trip away, and she is only a lightly-framed filly, I think we will be fine. “If she runs up to how she has been racing up here, she will be right there.” Thurlow is excited to be a part of the inaugural Property Brokers Otago Classics Day, and said it is great for southern racing. “It is very good prizemoney and I feel the horses we are sending down there deserve a chance at it,” he said. “It is massive, and it is great for South Island racing.” Meanwhile, Thurlow said the $1 million Gr.1 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand Oaks (2400m) dream with Twisted Love is over. The promising filly, who won on debut at Waverley last month before being sold for to Australian syndicator OTI Racing, had hit a snag in her preparation and Thurlow felt the best course of action was to give her a break before she continues her racing career in Melbourne. “It was really unfortunate. She just got to the stage where I think she maybe wasn’t going to quite cop the rest of the campaign and she had a bit of blood elevation, and a couple of things weren’t right,” Thurlow said. “We have decided to up stumps on this campaign, and she is flying out to Melbourne on Saturday.” View the full article

Myakkabelle has been a model of consistency in the lead up to the Gr.1 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand Oaks (2400m) and she will take the final step towards the $1 million feature in Sunday’s Gr.2 Jennian Homes Lowland Stakes (2100m). A filly by War Decree, Myakkabelle was amongst the action in each of the Gr.2 Eight Carat Classic (1600m), Gr.2 Sir Patrick Hogan Stakes (2000m) and Gr.2 David and Karyn Ellis Fillies’ Classic (2000m), the latter her first time facing off against Oaks favourite Leica Lucy. While Leica Lucy will be the odds-on pick and filly to beat at Trentham this weekend, Myakkabelle has continued to please her trainers Ben and Ryan Foote, both on and off on race track. “She was very good in the Fillies Classic, she probably just came to the end of it 100m out but she still fought on strong,” Ben Foote said. “We’re trying to bring her up to peak at the Oaks, but her work on Tuesday was as good as I’ve seen it, so I think everything is coming to hand nicely with her.” Joining Myakkabelle on the journey from their Cambridge base will be Rayet and Nancy She Wrote, two mares with a definite liking for the champagne turf. Rayet came desperately close to winning two starts back at the course, while on the same day, Nancy She Wrote saluted over subsequent winner Lanikai. The pair will start in the MG Tiling and Clarky’s Painting 1200 and Laser Electrical 1600 respectively. “Rayet went a great race there two starts back and then came home strong last start, but she’d actually smacked her head in the gates,” Ben Foote said. “A couple of horses were declared non-starters, but because she ended up in the trail, she didn’t. “It was still pretty much a non-race for her I think, and we’ll be expecting her to turn that around on Sunday. “She (Nancy She Wrote) is a horse with a lot of ability that needs a lot of things to go her way. “Trentham is such a big, roomy track and things seem to go her way a bit more, she always races well there so we decided to head back down.” Meanwhile, the stable will be represented in the lucrative COMAG Wairere Falls Classic (1500m) at Matamata the day prior with The Odyssey. The son of Zacinto has already tasted success in an innovation race, winning last year’s $350,000 Remutaka Classic (2100m), and has gone on to win in open company this term as well as placing in the Gr.3 Waikato Cup (2400m). “He’s been a slow-maturing horse, but he’s strengthened up a lot, his work has been very good,” Ben Foote said. “He’ll need a touch of luck from the barriers, but he’ll go a good race and then we’ll be on to better things hopefully.” Earlier in the week, Kakadu got the stable off to winning start at Taupo, producing a dominant victory in the Central Livestock (1200m). A two-time winner on the Cambridge Synthetic, Foote was rapt to see his charge bring that ability to the turf after testing out various distances. “He’s been a hard horse to work out, some people get off and tell me that he’s a stayer, while others say he’s a sprinter,” he said. “He’s a very big horse that is still maturing. “We decided to freshen him up and go back to sprinting him, so hopefully we’ve got him worked out now as well. “He’s always shown us plenty and to win on quite a firm surface yesterday was good to see, sometimes when they go well on the poly you would think they need the easing out of the track.” View the full article

1st-Aqueduct, $77,600, Msw, 2-27, 3yo, f, 1m, 1:39.84, ft, 15 3/4 lengths. VANILLA SUNDAE (f, 3, Gun Runner–Vanilla Bean Back, by Empire Maker) finished sixth as the third wagering choice in her career debut sprinting six panels at the Spa last August before catching another off track in her next start–a mile test at the Big A Nov. 21–and faded late to finish a well-beaten fourth. Finally catching a fast track this time, the even-money second choice sprinted to the front, carving out a modest :24.18 quarter mile. Still on top through a :48.02 half, she started to draw away from the compact field turning for home and rolled home all alone, winning by 15 3/4 lengths over Stone Cold Kelly (Laoban). Stablemate Ice Cream Boat (Outwork) rounded out the trifecta. Sales History: $150,000 Ylg '23 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: 3-1-0-0, $52,400. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV. O-Repole Stable; B-Karen Ewing (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher. The post Gun Runner’s Vanilla Sundae Romps at Big A appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Explore a multitude of captivating racing promotions offered by horse racing bookmakers on Friday, February 28. Immerse yourself in the thrill with generous bonus back offers, elevating your betting experience. Delve into these promotions from top-tier online bookmakers to maximise your betting opportunities. The top Australian racing promotions for February 28, 2025, include: Today’s best horse racing promotions Blonde Boosts! Elevate your prices! BlondeBet T&C’s Apply. Login to BlondeBet to Claim Promo DOUBLE WINNINGS ALL RACES AT MOONEE VALLEY | UP TO $50 BONUS CASH Get DOUBLE WINNINGS paid in BONUS CASH. Applies to Win, Place & Top 2/3/4 markets (excludes SRM). First eligible bet per race. Must apply Promotion in bet slip. Cash bet only. Max Bonus $50. Picklebet T&Cs apply. Login to Picklebet to Claim Promo COPYCASH. GET COPIED. GET PAID – Get paid $0.10 every time someone uses Copy Bet to copy your bets Earn $0.10 per unique Copy Bet. Max $1000 per week. Copy Cash is real money into your account. Dabble T&Cs apply. Login to Dabble to Claim Promo Moonee Valley – Friday Bonus Back 2nd All Races Any Race. Any Runner. Any Odds. Get a Bonus Back if your runner comes second. Fixed odds only. Eligible customers only. T&Cs apply. T&C’s apply. Login to UniBet to Claim Promo Owners Bonus – Win a bet on your horse & receive an extra 15% of winnings in cash Account holder must be registered as an official owner of the nominated horse. Fixed odds only. PlayUp T&Cs Apply. Login to PlayUp to Claim Promo Odds Drift Protector If the price at the jump is bigger than the price that you took, we will pay you out at the bigger odds Eligible customers. T&C’s apply. Login to Bet365 to Claim Promo Moonee Valley & Canterbury | Friday Best Tote Exotics Available on Exactas, Quinellas, Trifectas & First Fours. Eligible customers only. T&Cs apply. customer T&C’s apply. Login to UniBet to Claim Promo BoomBet Daily Race Returns Use your daily Race Returns to back a runner in ANY RACE you want* and if your horse doesn’t win but finishes in the specified positions, you get your stake back as a bonus bet. 18+ Gamble responsibly. Can be used across any race and code unless specified in customer’s BoomBox. Fix odds, win bets only. Max bonus $50. Login to BoomBet to Claim Promo How does horsebetting.com.au source its racing bonus offers? HorseBetting.com.au meticulously assesses leading Australian horse racing bookmakers, revealing thoroughbred bonus promotions for February 28, 2025. These ongoing offers underscore the dedication of top horse racing bookmakers. In the realm of horse racing betting, when one bookmaker isn’t featuring a promotion, another is stepping up. Count on HorseBetting.com.au as your go-to source for daily rewarding horse racing bookmaker bonuses. Enhance your value with competitive odds and promotions tailored for existing customers. Easily access these offers by logging in to each online bookmaker’s platform. For valuable insights into races and horses to optimise your bonus bets, trust HorseBetting’s daily free racing tips. Horse racing promotions View the full article

A year after Honor Marie ran in the Kentucky Derby (G1), Kerry and Alan Ribble are back on the road to Churchill Downs as Drexel Hill targets the May 2 Kentucky Oaks (G1).View the full article

Super Saturday in Dubai has been upstaged a little bit by the success of the Saudi Cup program, but the March 1 renewal still has plenty of firepower for horses looking for a spot on Dubai World Cup night.View the full article

8th-Gulfstream, $78,540, Alw (NW1$X)/Opt. Clm ($75,000), 2-27, 3yo, 1 1/8m, 1:50.16, ft, 2 1/2 lengths. GRANDE (c, 3, Curlin–Journey Home {GSW, $225,997}, by War Front) put in a promising debut performance going an eighth of a mile shorter to take a win first-time out at odds of 9-1 Jan. 11. Now favored at even-money facing winners for the first time, the Triple Crown-nominated colt sat poised in second just off pacesetter Jimmy's Dailys (Vekoma) who spurted to the front from the rail. Tracking that runner past the half in :47.61, Grande began to assert himself off the far turn and quickly put 2 1/2 lengths on the early leader, holding that advantage while ridden out to the line. It was the second win on the afternoon at Gulfstream for Todd Pletcher and Repole Stables who also scored with Edgy (Arrogate) in race four. Journey Home, who sold for $650,000 in foal to Curlin at KEENOV in 2021, has already produced Ticker Tape Home (Medaglia d'Oro), GSW, $273,916 and now has two winners from three to race. This is the family of GI Arkansas Derby winner and Japanese sire Nadal (Blame). Journey Home visited both Into Mischief and Tapit for this season. Sales History: $300,000 Ylg '23 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, $88,200. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV. O-Repole Stable; B-KatieRich Farms (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher. #5 GRANDE ($4.20) and John Velazquez (@ljlmvel) impress in Race 8 at @GulfstreamPark nabbing another victory for the team of @PletcherRacing and @RepoleStable. Our on-site coverage from Gulfstream continues on @FanDuelTV, presented by @ClaiborneFarm. pic.twitter.com/nvKgwLWzSF — FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) February 27, 2025 The post Grande Stays Perfect With Allowance Win At Gulfstream appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Back in the late 2000s, the racing world was captivated by the formidable Zenyatta, who put together an astounding 19-race winning streak with her trademark rallies from far back. Then there was Rachel Alexandra, whose jaw-dropping performance in the 2009 Kentucky Oaks and historic Preakness Stakes victory were part of an undefeated campaign that saw her capture Champion 3-Year-Old Filly and Horse of the Year honors. Both Zenyatta and Rachel Alexandra commanded respect, were immensely popular, and deserved all of their accolades. But during that same era, Blind Luck crafted a terrific career in her own right. From her winning debut in the early summer of 2009 at Calder to her career finale at Santa Anita in early October 2011, Blind Luck proved herself to be an owner's dream. Over the course of her 22-race career, Blind Luck accomplished the following: She won 12 races at 8 different tracks across North America. She won 10 graded stakes (6 of them being a Grade I), and was third or better in 9 others. She captured multiple graded stakes wins in each of her three seasons of action. She won several major races, including the Hollywood Starlet, Kentucky Oaks, Alabama Stakes and Vanity Handicap (now the Beholder Mile). She proved she could win on dirt and synthetic tracks, and was successful both sprinting and routing. She was named Champion 3-Year-Old Filly for the 2010 season. To win or place in 19 graded stakes is the sign of a truly special racehorse. That is even more true considering Blind Luck visited so many tracks in the country. She also defeated Havre de Grace, the 2011 Champion Older Mare and Horse of the Year. During an era where racing understandably watched the flashy and amazing performances of both Zenyatta and Rachel Alexandra, Blind Luck quietly went out and did her job when she left the starting gate. She never attained the popularity her contemporaries enjoyed, but Blind Luck put together a memorable and underrated career. She traveled many miles across North America to compete during her three seasons at the races. Her next stop should be Saratoga, as Blind Luck's work on the track is Hall of Fame worthy. The post Letter to the Editor: Blind Luck Should Be in the Hall of Fame appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

A monument by sculptor Jocelyn Russell commemorating the story of the late Cody Dorman and 2023 Horse of the Year Cody's Wish will be installed at the Kentucky Horse Park, with dedication scheduled for this October. Titled “The Bond: Two Hearts—One Spirit,” the monument's creation will be documented at CodysWishMonument.com. “The relationship we share with the horse is special,” said Lee Carter, Director of the Kentucky Horse Park. “It can raise our spirits and improve our well-being. There is no better example of this than the bond between Cody Dorman and Cody's Wish. Creating the monument, “The Bond: Two Hearts—One Spirit,” will celebrate this special relationship. We are honored to place this monument at the Kentucky Horse Park as a reminder that our lives can be lifted up by a horse that leans down.” Financial support is being accepted, with donor plaques at the site available with pledges of $5,000 or more. All donations are tax-deductible through the 501(c)(3) corporation Angels Without Wings, Inc. “Our hope for this monument will stand not only as an inspiration but an example that you can conquer the mountains that lie in your path especially when you have love in your heart for everyone around you,” said the Dorman family. “This above all, is the message that Cody and Cody's Wish gave us, they made each other better. And as we all watched, we became better ourselves. God bless and thank you once more for your support now and throughout this journey.” The post Cody’s Wish Monument Slated for Horse Park appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

GI Arkansas Derby winner and GII Risen Star Stakes winner Angel of Empire (Classic Empire) has had his first mare checked in foal, Taylor Made Stallions officials announced Thursday afternoon. In addition to his graded scores, the Albaugh Family Stables runner also was third in the 2023 GI Kentucky Derby behind Mage and Two Phil's, where he earned a 104 Beyer Speed Figure. Angel of Empire is standing his first season at Taylor Made for $7,500 S&N. The post First In-Foal Mare for Angel of Empire appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Bloodstock agent Clay Scherer was scouting horses for Jon Hansen's partnership Net Birdie and noticed a bay New York-bred colt by the promising young New York stallion Honest Mischief at the 2024 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale.View the full article

Canterbury Park racing officials have released a condition book for the first 10 days of the 2025 season that runs 51 days, May 24-Sept. 20, and its Thoroughbred stakes schedule.View the full article

Trainer Rick Dutrow Jr. has cross-entered the promising colt McAfee, a half brother to 2024 Horse of the Year Thorpedo Anna, in both the March 1 Gotham Stakes (G3) at Aqueduct Racetrack and the City of Brotherly Love Stakes March 4 at Parx Racing. View the full article

Canterbury Park racing officials have released a condition book for the first 10 days of the 2025 season that runs 51 days, May 24 through Sept. 20, and its Thoroughbred stakes schedule.View the full article

This year’s Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2) March 1 at Gulfstream Park drew a solid field headlined by recent Holy Bull Stakes (G3) winner Burnham Square and Sovereignty.View the full article

There are nine horse racing meetings set for Australia on Friday, February 28. Our racing analysts here at horsebetting.com.au have found you the best bets and the quaddie numbers for Canterbury and Moonee Valley. Friday’s Free Horse Racing Tips – February 28, 2025 Canterbury Racing Tips Moonee Valley Racing Tips As always, there are plenty of promotions available for Australian racing fans. Check out all the top online bookmakers to see what daily promotions they have. If you are looking for a new bookmaker for the horse racing taking place on February 28, 2025 check out our guide to the best online racing betting sites. Neds Code GETON 1 Take It To The Neds Level Neds Only orange bookie! Check Out Neds Review 18+ Gamble Responsibly. What are you really gambling with? Set a deposit limit today. “GETON is not a bonus code. Neds does not offer bonus codes in Australia and this referral code does not grant access to offers. Full terms. BlondeBet Signup Code GETON 2 Punters Prefer Blondes BlondeBet Blonde Boosts – Elevate your prices! Join BlondeBet Review 18+ Gamble Responsibly. WHAT ARE YOU REALLY GAMBLING WITH? full terms. 3 Next Gen Racing Betting Picklebet Top 4 Betting. Extra Place. Every Race. Join Picklebet Review 18+ Gamble Responsibly. What are you really gambling with? Full terms. Recommended! 4 It Pays To Play PlayUp Aussie-owned horse racing specialists! Check Out PlayUp Review 18+ Gamble Responsibly. Imagine what you could be buying instead. Full terms. Dabble Signup Code AUSRACING 5 Say Hey to the social bet! Dabble You Better Believe It Join Dabble Review 18+ Gamble Responsibly. THINK. IS THIS A BET YOU REALLY WANT TO PLACE? Full terms. Bet365 Signup Code GETON 6 Never Ordinary Bet365 World Favourite! Visit Bet365 Review 18+ Gamble Responsibly. GETON is not a bonus code. bet365 does not offer bonus codes in Australia and this referral code does not grant access to offers. What’s gambling really costing you? Full terms. Horse racing tips View the full article

New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame trainer Mike Moroney died in Melbourne Feb. 27 at the age of 66.View the full article

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-bred horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Friday's Observations features a daughter of dual Group 1 winner Watch Me (Fr) (Olympic Glory {Ire}). 3.10 Chantilly, Mdn, €27,000, 3yo, f, 6 1/2f (AWT) WHY NOT AGAIN (FR) (Siyouni {Fr}) is the meeting's most significant debutante as the first foal out of the G1 Coronation Stakes and G1 Prix Rothschild heroine Watch Me (Fr) (Olympic Glory {Ire}). Entrusted to Fabrice Chappet by her owner-breeders Haras de Saint Julien and Regula Vannod, she faces nine rivals on this Polytrack bow. The post Daughter Of Watch Me Debuts At Chantilly appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The first mare bred to Grade I winner and stakes-record setter 'TDN Rising Star' Prince of Monaco (Speightstown) has been checked in foal, Claiborne Farm announced Feb. 27. The mare Itgetsgreaterlater (Justify) hails from the family of GISW Cupid (Tapit). Prince of Monaco, winner of the 2023 GI Runhappy Del Mar Futurity and narrow runner-up in the 2024 GI H. Allen Jerkens Memorial S., stands at Claiborne Farm for $30,000 LFSN. The post First Mare Checked In Foal to Prince of Monaco appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Fifty years ago this spring John Magnier moved into Coolmore Stud ahead of the the now infamous and audacious annual raids on the Kentucky yearling market. At the Keeneland July Select Sale of 1975, Magnier, along with the esteemed trainer Vincent O'Brien and key ally Robert Sangster, started their recruitment drive of what O'Brien described as “baby stallions”. In his biography, O'Brien stated, “We would try and turn the tide: we would organise a syndicate to buy yearlings which I would train, and from which we could make our own stallions.” Neither O'Brien nor his soon-to-be son-in-law Magnier was new to the stud business. The Magnier family was already renowned in National Hunt breeding through its ownership of Grange Stud and the successful stallion Cottage. By 1973, Magnier had set up Castlehyde Stud and stood three stallions across the two farms. O'Brien, in turn, had founded Ballydoyle Stud in 1952 and later Longfield and Lyonstown were added to the portfolio along with a share in Coolmore with Tim Vigors, whose family had owned the property since 1945. As Vigors departed Ireland, Magnier, by then engaged to O'Brien's daughter, Sue, was installed as the manager at Coolmore which was then merged with Castlehyde. So began a formidable operation which would change the face of the stallion business. For all the notable training achievements of O'Brien, and later his unrelated namesake and successor at Ballydoyle, Aidan O'Brien, perhaps none is more important in the career of either man than their respective records in the Derby. Vincent won the great race six times between 1962 and 1982, while last year Aidan extended his record to ten. My father has always believed in tradition and in particular in the Epsom Derby – MV Magnier Vincent O'Brien's particular focus on the offspring of Northern Dancer among the stallions he most admired on his North American jaunts is understandable. After all, the great sire had already delivered, in his second crop, Nijinsky, who remains the last horse to win the British Triple Crown, in 1970. Thereafter, The Minstrel, bought on that first foray of the Coolmore syndicate back in 1975, triumphed at Epsom, followed by Nijinsky's son Golden Fleece. Northern Dancer has not just a lingering influence on the success of Coolmore; his bloodlines now dominate the breed. For Coolmore in particular this has been largely through his son Sadler's Wells, bred by Robert Sangster's Swettenham Stud and trained by Vincent O'Brien to win the Irish 2,000 Guineas, Eclipse and Irish Champion Stakes of 1984 before taking up residence at Coolmore a decade after Magnier had arrived there. Their names will be forever entwined in bloodstock lore. Fourteen sires' championships of Britain and Ireland would follow and by the time Sadler's Wells died in April 2011 at the age of 30, his son Galileo (Ire) had already been champion sire twice. He would go on to add another 10 championships to his record. Six-time Group/Grade 1 winner Auguste Rodin at Coolmore | Racingfotos Half a century later, the Derby still looms large in the Coolmore stallion yard. Australia (GB), himself a son of Galileo and the brilliant Ouija Board (GB), is stabled alongside Camelot (GB), who was the European champion sire of 2024 and is by Sadler's Wells's son Montjeu (Ire), who made a significant mark on the Derby roll of honour despite dying relatively young. It seems almost churlish to stride on past two such good horses, but on a soggy morning in February with the covering season now in swing, the current head of Coolmore in Ireland, MV Magnier, is on a mission to show the three newest recruits to the stallion yard. It is almost certainly unprecedented to have two consecutive winners of the Derby retiring to the same stud in the same year, but here they are: Auguste Rodin (Ire) and City Of Troy, whose achievements run way beyond just that one Classic but who, in delivering at Epsom, continued an essential Magnier tenet. “My father has always believed in tradition and in particular in the Epsom Derby,” says Magnier as he watches City Of Troy stride out across the stallion yard. The son of Justify now lives in the stable – more akin to a bespoke stallion cottage – once occupied by Danehill, whose own legacy at Coolmore and beyond should not be overlooked. Quizzed as to whether his team now finds it a harder 'sell' to stand Derby winners, he replies simply, “It has always been the race to win. Without Classic-type stallions, how can you breed the next Classic winner?” It's a fair point. Happily, others agree. “The response from breeders to both City of Troy and Auguste Rodin has been extremely positive so through the support of our clients along with plenty from our own broodmare band, they'll both be given the best possible chance to succeed,” he adds. “The Epsom Derby provides the ultimate test for the Thoroughbred, requiring a blend of speed, stamina, balance, conformation and temperament, so to have two winners of it retiring in the same year is pretty extraordinary. The fact that they are both Group 1-winning two-year-olds by top stallions out of great racemares from exceptional families makes it all the better.” We can add the name Henry Longfellow (Ire), the third retiree, to the latter comment. The homebred winner of the G1 National Stakes is by Dubawi (Ire) but, as ever, Galileo isn't too far from the reckoning. In fact, he appears as the broodmare sire of all three new stallions at Coolmore, their respective dams Rhododendron (Ire), Together Forever (Ire) and Minding (Ire) united further still in that they were all winners of the Fillies' Mile among their Group 1 triumphs. John and MV Magnier at Tattersalls | Racingfotos Of course, with an enviable supply of high-class racemares by Galileo, comes the decision of where to send them once they retire to stud. Together Forever has resided at Coolmore's American base throughout the early years of her stud career, visiting War Front at Claiborne and the Ashford Stud stallions Uncle Mo and Triple Crown winner Justify. Her second tryst with the latter resulted in City Of Troy. “Aidan [O'Brien] certainly hasn't hidden his admiration for Justify as a sire and I suppose his success shouldn't have come as a huge surprise as he was a phenomenal racehorse by a very good sire in Scat Daddy, who looked set to become one of the dominant stallions in North America before his untimely passing,” says Magnier. Coolmore has long had an association with the Yoshida family's Shadai stallion operation in Japan, and their patronage of the late Deep Impact (Jpn) has resulted in the Classic winners Snowfall (Jpn), Saxon Warrior (Jpn), Fancy Blue (Ire) and now Auguste Rodin. He continues, “Obviously we haven't seen too many Deep Impacts in Europe but Study Of Man has made a very promising start and Kizuna was crowned champion sire in Japan last year. Sunday Silence and Deep Impact have been very much like Sadler's Wells and Galileo here in Europe so maybe Auguste Rodin will be the Frankel.” The global market for high-class middle-distance horses is stronger than it has ever been – MV Magnier Coolmore's commercial arm is more than just about selling stallion nominations. Each year a number of horses that don't quite reach the top level will be sold on. Prague (Ire), who won last year's G2 Joel Stakes for Dylan Cunha, is one such example, and others go farther afield. “The global market for high-class middle-distance horses is stronger than it has ever been,” Magnier avers. “Demand for the Classic-type horse from Ballydoyle is very strong as that's where the big prize-money is, be it in Australia, the USA, Hong Kong or the Middle East. “Under Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, Hong Kong has seen a shift in their racing programme which sees it focus less on short distances. Massive Sovereign, a son of No Nay Never, was an impressive winner of last year's Hong Kong Derby on only his second start after being sold from Ballydoyle. Ron Winchell has put on the Nashville Derby, worth $2.5 million, in Kentucky Downs. It is remarkable what he and Mark Falcone have done there.” He adds, “David Redvers alluded to it in an interview last year, that from an owners' and trainers' point of view the commercial stallion is actually the one that gets middle-distance horses who command a serious resale price. Likewise at Tattersalls Book 1, the big demand is for the horse with Classic potential. Even guys like Paul McCartan, who used to specialise in two-year-old and sprinter-type sires, is now pinhooking foals by the likes of Camelot.” There's a cutting framed on the wall at Coolmore's stud office which features an article on Vincent O'Brien with the headline 'Quiet man who let his horses do the talking'. John Magnier is not one for regular public pronouncements either, and the apple hasn't fallen far from the tree when it comes to the youngest of his three sons. The expansion of the Coolmore operation has coincided with the growth of the family. MV, 39, has two sisters, Kate Wachman (wife of former trainer David) and Sam Pearson, as well as two brothers, Tom, who runs Coolmore's Australian operation, and JP, a former amateur jockey who works in finance in London. So was MV ever tempted, like JP, by life in a different field? “We were always brought up with it and…was it always something I was going to do? To be honest, I wasn't much good at school or anything like that,” he says, smiling but doubtless wishing to be back out in the yard looking at stallions rather than being subjected to a gentle grilling. How about those winners he rode, including three in one week at the Galway Festival of 2004? “Yeah, but Aidan O'Brien trained them,” he says, laughing now. “If I didn't win on them, they were going to be asking a lot of questions. It's actually when Dad realised how good Aidan O'Brien was.” He continues, “Mum and Dad always led us down the right path and I suppose I was always interested in it from a young age, and so were all of us really. And we've been lucky over the last 10 or 20 years with the horses and the results, and hopefully it'll continue.” That continued success owes plenty to the loyalty of many long-term members of the Coolmore team, a theme which was highlighted recently in a fascinating behind-the-scenes piece by Martin Stevens which featured many of the folk who have worked with the horses from their early years before welcoming the best of them back to the stallion yard. To the outside world, there is a raft of familiar faces in the throng at the sales and races; trusted allies of the Magnier family, just as Sangster was at the outset along with the likes of Tom Cooper and Billy McDonald. “It's rare, isn't it?” Magnier suggests at the mention of the longevity of the Coolmore team, which is regularly bolstered with members of the next generation. “We've a load of young people around here and a lot of older people that are very good friends of ours, too. We all enjoy working together. And it's not a day's work when you come in here really. Everybody working here gets along and there's no hierarchy. It's a true working place and the whole team is close, be it here, America, or Australia. I think that's very important in an organisation. “And in America and Australia, all of those guys started here. We all know them really well and we're all friends.” City Of Troy, co-top-rated horse in the world in 2024 | Emma Berry The foundations remain strong then, and a solid base is undoubtedly important in a business where the slings and arrows are as prevalent as trophies and accolades. While it takes an above-average colt to earn a place at stud in the first place, time and again we have seen sires emerge and thrive from unheralded sources. Pedigree and performance are two good things to have on your side, however, and plainly Coolmore's Irish team will be hoping that these two Derby winners from lines that have worked well elsewhere can lay down roots in Tipperary. Magnier certainly believes so. “Two minutes after Auguste Rodin won the Derby, Dad rang up and said, 'This is the most important thing that has happened to Coolmore since Galileo won it.' He's such a well-bred horse, by Deep Impact, out of a champion, he won the Derby so impressively, was a Group 1-winning two-year-old, and he kept going. He had the odd little blip, but plenty of them do,” he says. “The big thing I remember is that Derrick Smith saw Galileo win the Epsom Derby and he said, 'I want to get in this game.' And that's how he got in it, and that's why he got in it. It was the Epsom Derby that brought Derrick Smith in. There wasn't anything else. “Going back to when Michael Tabor came in – his first horse was a Kentucky Derby winner [Thunder Gulch] and then he just got the bug. And, ever since, that's all he wants to do is win the Kentucky Derby again. It's all about those Classic races. It's the aim of the game really.” Indeed, from the Kentucky Derby winner Northern Dancer so much has sprung, and Magnier is quick to acknowledge the transatlantic heritage of Coolmore. “It's all because of the American horse really,” he says. “What my grandfather did with Northern Dancer – through Nijinsky, Sadler's Wells, so on – that's how we got Galileo. And Danzig with Danehill; Storm Cat then Hennessy to Scat Daddy, now to Justify. That's what this place has been built on and what Ballydoyle has been built on. Be it American Pharoah or Justify or the next good horse over there, we will give them the chance to work on both sides of the pond and try and create the next Northern Dancer.” He points to the success of Wathnan Racing's Norfolk Stakes winner Shareholder, by Taylor Made Farm's swiftly rising stallion Not This Time, as an example of the potential for dual-surface thinking. Not This Time is himself by Giant's Causeway, the son of Storm Cat who did so much for Ballydoyle on the turf and for Coolmore at stud. And he went agonisingly close to becoming the perfect crossover racehorse when losing out on the Breeders' Cup Classic by a neck to Tiznow. The latest to attempt what for the European arm of Coolmore has become something of a holy grail was of course City Of Troy, whose own attempt on the Classic fell short when he failed to act on the dirt of Del Mar last November. “One thing we would never do is die wondering,” says Magnier of this particular quest. “It has nearly worked three times, with Giant's Causeway, Declaration Of War, and Henrythenavigator, even though that was on Tapeta. Andre Fabre did it [with Arcangues]. So we'll definitely keep trying.” In Coolmore's private Legacy Gallery – a boutique museum that provides a history lesson more riveting than any that could be taught in the classroom – stands the taxidermied Sadler's Wells, so skilfully preserved that it is hard not to imagine that his head might yet turn or tail flick. Soon he will be joined there by his most celebrated son, Galileo. The human legacy means that Magnier has been bestowed with the names Michael Vincent in honour of his grandfather and passed a baton, which must weigh heavy in his hand at times, to continue the work of his two forebears, both towering figures in the sport. Of O'Brien, who is widely considered to be the greatest trainer of all time, he says, “Well, I just feel sorry for him that I got named after him. He was an incredible man, what he did, with the National Hunt, and when he started flying those horses from Ballydoyle in a matchbox. The foresight that he had was incredible.” He adds with a grin, “And I think, everything good that came of us came from our mother, I'd say. It wasn't Dad at all.” Magnier continues, “With Pops, Dad would be telling stories about their days in Keeneland and [Vincent] would just look at horses by certain stallions and he wouldn't look at anything else. He wouldn't go to other farms, he'd just look straight down the barrel with blinkers on. He would stare at the yearlings for 20 minutes, he wouldn't look left or right. He stuck to his plan and the plan worked.” It is hard to imagine that even a trio with the horsemanship of O'Brien, business nous of Magnier, and enthusiasm and largesse of Sangster could have imagined that their plan would work so spectacularly. Fifty years after it was deployed, it has played a significant role in propelling Ireland to the forefront of the global Thoroughbred business, with Coolmore its strongest brand, recognisable and revered by racing fans the world over. The post MV Magnier: ‘Without Classic Stallions, How Can You Breed the Next Classic Winner?’ appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Kevin Plank has listed the 400-acre Sagamore Farm in Reisterstown, Maryland for $22 million, according to a report in The Baltimore Sun. “It's time for the next steward to carry the torch and continue its legacy for generations to come,” said Plank, who purchased the historic property for $4.99 million in 2007 with plans to operate a Thoroughbred breeding and racing operation. The Under Armour founder discontinued breeding and training on the property in 2020 and announced plans to use the land to grow corn and rye for his Sagamore Spirit whiskey brand and to house retired racehorses. The farm was begun in 1925 by Isaac Emerson and passed down to Alfred G. Vanderbilt, Jr. in 1933. Over the century it has been home to champions such as Native Dancer, Bed O'Roses, and Discovery. The Sagamore property includes three fully renovated barns, paddocks, and a Tapeta track. The residences on the property include a 16,000-square-foot home with seven oversized en-suite bedrooms. The post Plank Lists Sagamore Farm for $22 Million appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

A bill introduced in the Kentucky General Assembly Feb. 19 would divert 0.1% of all money wagered on live racing and historical horse race (HHR) betting to a to-be-created local government fund. The communities that would benefit from the fund would be the cities and towns that have racetracks and HHR betting facilities. According to HB 782, “local governments may use appropriations from this fund to address the social costs of problem gambling, including but not limited to: (a) Law enforcement retention; (b) Homelessness; (c) Affordable housing; and (d) The policing, regulation, and administration of the facilities live and HHR racing facilities are located.” Kentucky currently directs all proceeds from bets on horse races back into the industry or into the state's general fund. The sponsors of the bill are Reps. Al Gentry, George Brown Jr., Nima Kulkarni, Adam Moore and Rachel Roarx, all Democrats. The bill has been referred to the Committee on Committees. The post Bill Would Divert One-Tenth of One Percent of Kentucky Horse Bets to Address Social Costs of Gambling appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article