Wandering Eyes

Bigger things ahead for Freedman's Boss View the full article

Meagher not rushing to raise Target View the full article

Qatar Racing’s American-bred Legends of War (Scat Daddy), raised and sold in Kentucky, is slated to compete in Royal Ascot’s G2 Coventry S. on opening day of the famous meeting June 19 on the heels of an impressive debut maiden win traveling six furlongs at Yarmouth May 23. Bred by Deron Pearson’s DP Racing and raised at Taylor Made Farm, the colt sold for $200,000 to Hunter Valley Farm at the Fasig-Tipton Turf Showcase yearling sale last September before ultimately re-selling for 900,000gns at the Tattersalls Craven Breeze-Up Sale. With Legends of War seemingly poised to make a mark across the Atlantic, Mark Taylor of Taylor Made sat down with the TDN to discuss the colt’s story. An edited transcript follows. TDN: What were your impressions of Legends of War as a youngster on the farm? Did he show anything that suggested he could one day become a successful racehorse? MT: Legends of War is a horse that’s very interesting–especially in context of the American horses going to Europe conversation. First of all, I want to give [the staff on the farm] credit. We’re raising a lot of good horses here right now and it has nothing to do with–we’ve just got an awesome team and I give them so much credit for the way they take care of these horses. Legends of War was always a horse that honestly we picked on for being too small. If you go back and look at the notes, he was very well made, a very good mover, very correct, a touch short-legged. But if you look at him, he is by Scat Daddy out of a Rahy mare, out of Danehill Dancer mare, and he looked like he was supposed to look. He wasn’t supposed to be a big horse. You look at a horse like Legends of War, you could tell he would have a turn of foot. He was more of a compact, big hipped, nimble kind of horse that had a huge, huge walk on him. TDN: You brought Legends of War to the Fasig-Tipton Turf Showcase Sale and he ultimately hammered for $200,000 to Hunter Valley Farm. What were your expectations when you brought him to auction? TDN: We figured a European was probably going to buy this horse, so [we decided to] put him over there. He sold for $200,000, which at the time, was good. But we raised him for Deron Pearson, who’s a very good client of ours and maybe we underestimated that colt to Deron. I’m sure in hindsight, maybe he would have kept him. The plan as always was to sell the horse. Deron keeps a few, but he’ll put most of his through the ring. He’s a great breeder. Most people know him as just a racing guy, but he’s producing. TDN: Hunter Valley ultimately resold Legends of War for 900,000gns at the Tattersalls Breeze-Up Sale as a 2-year-old and he took a major step towards justifying the price with an impressive debut win at Yarmouth last month. What were your thoughts on the performance? MT: I was super impressed by Legends of War–that’s kind of what I envisioned him doing. I said, “This horse is going to be early, and he’s going to be turf.” So it didn’t really surprise me, but you never know if a horse is going to have that class. And the way he won was super impressive, and it bodes well for what’s on the horizon. TDN: You also consigned two-time group stakes winner and recent G1 Investec Derby runner-up Roaring Lion (Kitten’s Joy) as a Keeneland September yearling in 2016. Do you notice any subtleties to the differences between turf racing in North America and Europe? Specifically, are there certain types of horses who are better equipped to handle racing over there? MT: Roaring Lion was always getting a tick higher grades [than Legends of War] conformationally, and I think that’s because as Americans, we’ve got a little bit more of a size bias than Europeans do. When we had Unbridled’s Songs, and a lot of them, they tried taking a few of them over to Europe. Unbridled’s Song was a sneaky good turf sire in America, but he was too big in my opinion to handle the courses over there with the undulation. They weren’t nimble enough. They’re galloping horses. They can’t get stopped, they can’t get in trouble and the turn of foot is not their thing. TDN: Scat Daddy is obviously at the top of everyone’s mind these days after Justify’s Triple Crown win and a number of other top-level performances. Although he passed away at a young age, do you see him making a mark on the breed for years to come? MT: We all need a son of Scat Daddy to emerge on both sides [of the Atlantic]–it’s happening over here with Justify obviously, but the more these sons of Scat Daddy that we can get into the breeding shed over the next few years, the better for everybody. It’s amazing because if you look around, as of last year, there really are not a lot of sources of [the Scat Daddy bloodline]…Hopefully the more of those we can get in these last couple crops, the better. TDN: Do you have any other runners slated to compete at Royal Ascot? MT: There is a really nice filly by First Samurai called Chelsea Cloisters–we had her in [Fasig-Tipton] July last year, and Gatewood Bell has had a lot of luck buying from us. He bought Con Te Partiro (Scat Daddy) a couple years ago and she won a listed race at Royal Ascot, and then he bought this filly. He looked at her several times at the barn, but I don’t think he even vetted her…He made a really nice buy there–she has shown that she’s got some class and she’s going to be tough over there. We really have a lot of good horses running in Europe, and the timing couldn’t be better because the markets are getting very international. Luckily, we’ve got breeders that are producing those kind of horses that can go over there and compete with the world’s best. View the full article

Lisa and Kenny Troutt, owners of WinStar Farm, and co-owners of Triple Crown winner Justify (Scat Daddy), will be honored at the New York Race Track Chaplaincy Annual Brunch, which will be held at Saratoga National Golf Club in Saratoga Springs, Aug. 15. The event will feature several sponsorship levels (click here for information) as well as a journal which will be distributed to the guests in attendance. In addition to their well-known contributions to the horse racing industry, Lisa and Kenny Troutt are noted philanthropists with active roles with the Race Track Chaplaincy of America, in addition to numerous other charities. View the full article

In registering a 1 3/4-length victory June 9 in the Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets (G1) to complete a sweep of the classics, Justify joined the short list of racing's most elite champions in becoming the sport's 13th Triple Crown winner. View the full article

Last weekend was all about International racing, with quality action from the U.S. and France. This slight lull in top tier racing allows UK trainers, owners, and jockeys to make the final preparations before for the Royal meeting. The undoubted highlight and talking point over the weekend was Justify winning the Triple Crown by powering home to land the Belmont Stakes under Mike Smith. A length and three-quarter victory over Gronkowski meant that Justify became just the 13th horse to complete this historic feat and incredibly he is the first horse to win the triple crown having not run as a two-year-old. In fact, Justify’s win in the Kentucky Derby was a mere 77 days after his debut. This amazing feat has led to Justify being sold to Coolmore for a record-breaking $75 million dollars, which makes his owners investment of $500,000 a relative bargain, especially considering that he accumulated winnings of $2.94 million while winning the triple crown. The record-breaking colt had jockey Mike Smith waxing lyrical after the race: “He’s brilliant. He was so still in the gate I thought he might not break but he left so fast it was like he was going to go 440 yards! “Bob has made a lot of my goals come true but today he made my dreams come true.” The Breeders’ Cup Classic looks the long-term target now for Justify where a potential rematch with Kentucky Derby flop Mendelssohn looks a distinct possibility. There was a good card at Auteuil on Saturday where Paul Townend recorded a 117/1 double on the Irish trained pair of Bapaume and Baie Des Iles. Following a disappointing season, Bapaume proved his second place in the Grande Course De Haies D´auteuil was no flash in the pan when triumphing in the La Barka. The Rich Ricci owned gelding was a Grade One-winning four year old at the Punchestown festival and if he brings form like this into next season he will be well worth following. It was a red-letter day for trainer Ross O’Sullivan and his recently retired wife Katie Walsh as their Baie De Iles landed the Grade 2 Des Drags Chase under the aforementioned Paul Townend. The mare had been the subject of a mini gamble in this year’s Grand National and ran well until weakening into 12th late on. This win marked the mare’s first return to her home country having been bought to race in Ireland late in 2014 by owner Zorka Wentworth. On the back of this success, it’s highly likely that more French forays lie ahead for the daughter of Barastraight. Unfortunately the most popular topic of discussion in England last week has been the weighing room “bust-up” between Jim Crowley and Raul Da Silva. It is alleged that Jim Crowley was the victim of an unprovoked attack by Raul Da Silva “with what felt like a piece of lead.” The former champion jockey stated in the aftermath that: “There was a minor disagreement over a race-riding incident with a number of jockeys not happy with Raul’s riding. “After this I was the victim of an unprovoked attack from behind.” The Brazilian rider was handed a 21-day ban by the stewards afterwards but has insisted his innocence following the incident saying “I didn’t have anything in my hand when I hit him.” This isn’t the first and won’t be the last incident between jockeys, with the most famous being between Kieran Fallon and Stuart Webster at Beverly in 1994. After a mid-race incident, an incensed Fallon pulled Webster off his horse after they crossed the line. These actions resulted in Fallon receiving a six-month ban for violent and improper conduct. So in relevant terms, if it transpires that De Silva is guilty of the accusations his punishment has been somewhat lenient. The post Weekend Review – Triple Crown Winners & Much More appeared first on RaceBets Blog EN. View the full article

Indiana Horsemen’s Benevolent & Protective Association has pledged $5,000 to the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance in support of accredited Thoroughbred aftercare. “It is absolutely imperative to the Indiana HBPA that our equine athletes have the opportunity to have a quality life after being retired from racing,” Indiana HBPA president Joe Davis said. “The TAA plays a vital role in ensuring aftercare entities adhere to the highest standards of maintaining these majestic animals’ health and well-being that they are deserving of.” View the full article

Jon Miller, the president of programming for NBC Sports Group, will deliver the keynote address at the fifth Thoroughbred Owner Conference, to be held from Oct. 30 through Nov. 1, in Louisville, Ky. The conference leads into the Breeders’ Cup World Championships, which are scheduled for Nov. 2-3 at Churchill Downs. “Jon Miller and his team at NBC Sports Group have been tremendous ambassadors for horse racing through their increased national coverage of our sport,” said James L. Gagliano, president and COO of The Jockey Club. “We are thrilled that he is able to speak at the Thoroughbred Owner Conference and share his insights on the most effective strategies for broadcasting horse racing and growing the sport.” View the full article

The governor plans to be at Monmouth June 14 to celebrate the addition by placing the first bet. View the full article

Undefeated Triple Crown winner Justify is scheduled to parade between races during the June 16 night card at Churchill Downs that will feature five graded stakes, including the $500,000 Stephen Foster Handicap (G1). View the full article

A California-based start-up company is off and running with a new twist on the growing racehorse partnership trend. Shares of in-training Thoroughbreds will be offered to the public in “micro” increments for as little as $100, and the entrepreneurs of MyRacehorse envision that eventually, participants in their online investment network will be able to trade horse shares just like buying and selling securities in a stock market. Co-founders Michael Behrens and David Kandasamy have already done a year’s worth of pre-launch diligence to make sure the offerings on MyRacehorse are in compliance with securities laws, laying the groundwork for a future expansion into trading when horse inventory and investor interest grow to the point where the marketplace becomes robust enough to facilitate share-swapping. What’s different from other partnership ventures is that MyRacehorse acquires minority stakes in individual Thoroughbreds (say between 5% and 30%), then forms an individual “company” around that purchase and offers micro-shares of that investment to the general public. The amount that the micro-shares sell for is based on the valuation of the horse plus several prepaid fees, and that sum is then divided into proportional allotments that entitle a prospective buyer to anywhere from .1% to 1% of a stake in the horse, including future purse earnings or even a pro-rated portion of a sale price if the horse gets claimed or sold. “What you actually are buying is a stock into a company that owns a single asset, which is a minority stake in a racehorse,” Behrens told TDN. Behrens acknowledges that the allure of MyRacehorse for many micro-owners won’t be the iffy prospect of turning a profit on the deal. Rather, he explained, the company is looking to tap into the burgeoning “experiential investment” trend, which in marketing-speak translates to the growing tendency for 20-to-40-year-olds to spend disposable income on meaningful experiences rather than consumer goods and merchandise. To that end, MyRacehorse aims to sweeten the deal for newcomers to the sport or casual racetrack attendees: Micro-owners will receive customized updates about their horses and invitations to owners-only events, backstretch tours to meet their horse, and race-day parties at the track. “We want to build a global household name brand that makes horse ownership something that is not just for people who go to the races, but those who seek experiential entertainment,” Behrens said. “If we take a step back and look at the macro way things are going, the younger demographic is definitely shifting their money to experiential investments. They enjoy new things and just being part of different, new experiences, and we think MyRacehorse aligns perfectly with that.” Considering that the racing industry has displayed an intense yearning to cozy up to the coveted millennial demographic, MyRacehorse could, in theory, end up doing a lot of the sport’s heavy lifting, marketing-wise, if the fun-driven involvement aspect of the platform takes off. How existing owners can participate Behrens (a marketing executive who has developed direct-to-consumer strategies for both start-ups and Fortune 500 companies) and Kandasamy (a technology specialist who has worked as a product development executive at Netscape, AOL, and Yahoo) have indicated that they want their fledgling firm to wade into the marketplace gradually in an effort to have a smooth launch. Right now, MyRacehorse has six California-based horse micro-partnerships on offer and investing for the time being is limited to California residents only. Behrens said he expects the company will roll out horse offerings in other states by the end of this year. “Once we go national, obviously we’ll have to scale up our inventory accordingly, because we’ll want to make sure we have horses that are targeting local markets,” Behrens said. The company is actively seeking existing Thoroughbred owners who want to participate by selling minority stakes in their horses, and the best way for those owners to get involved is by sending an email indicating interest. If an owner wants to sell to MyRacehorse, it discloses what percentage of the horse it wants to offer and what the valuation will be. MyRacehorse does its own financial diligence to ensure that the valuation is realistic, and requires a health check by a veterinarian to rule out illness or injury prior to listing the horse on its platform. Once the horse passes the vet check, the two parties enter a contract for the horse to be listed on the platform. This agreement stipulates a time window, perhaps 10 to 14 days, for MyRacehorse to sell all of its micro-shares to the public. “As soon as we close the offer [by selling the microshare allotment], the majority partners get the check,” Behrens explained. “They have liquidity, and can reinvest that money as they see fit.” If the micro-shares don’t sell out in the time specified, the deal is off for all parties. What can micro-buyers expect? Any California resident over 18 can currently buy up to $2,500 in MyRacehorse micro-shares. The business is regulated by the state’s Department of Business Oversight. The listed share price for each horse comes with two surcharges: A 15% fee that goes to the managing partners (this is how MyRacehorse makes money as a business), and a pre-paid training fee that gets escrowed to cover the minority partnership’s share of the bills. Dividends such as purse winnings above and beyond expenses, should there be any, will be paid to shareholders through the app. While micro-owners will be involved at the meet-and-greet participation level, they should not expect to have a say in decisions that affect when, where, and how often the horse races. “We’ll be holding minority stakes in these horses, so obviously we’re bestowing the responsibility to care for the horse with the [majority] ownership groups that we’re part of,” Behrens said. Potential stumbling blocks? As partnerships at all levels of racing evolve, one difficulty has been percolating beneath the surface: As more and more people get in on fractional ownerships, their demands are exponentially increasing. In that vein, Behrens was asked how MyRacehorse aspires to overcome being overrun with requests from micro-owners–from backstretch access to seating to face-time with the horse–once the platform is fully operational nationwide. Could his firm end up facing the equivalent of penny stockholders making outrageous demands at shareholder meetings? “That’s a good question, and that’s been the one thing that savvy people in the industry have highlighted to us that would be our biggest challenge,” Behrens said. “Technology can really help to overcome those challenges. We’re not naive enough to think that we won’t encounter some, but our goal is to build a digital platform that solves a lot of these challenges.” The scalable delivery of content and updates is one way Behrens said that difficulty could be eased. He also said the firm plans to take a page from the playbook of racing clubs in the United Kingdom, which he visited in preparation for MyRacehorse’s launch. A lottery for prime perks on raceday is one concept he floated as MyRacehorse attempts to evolve into a wide-ranging trading marketplace. “That’s the whole goal of doing this with the backbone of being a regulated security,” Behrens said. “Our vision is to have real-time liquidity for the members. Let’s say you are a micro-owner of a horse who just won impressively–all of a sudden you can see bid and ask offers for that asset on an exchange. We’re already working on that, but it’s going to take some work around the structure and the broker/dealer type of regulations and an improved tech stack. But absolutely, that’s where we’d like to be eventually.” View the full article

Learning how the medication works could lead to alternative treatments exercise-induced pulmonary hemmorhage. View the full article

The Matthieu Palussiere trainee Love to Excel (Ire) (Es Que Love {Ire}) became the first winner for his Rathasker Stud first-season sire (by Clodovil {Ire}) when saluting in a 1100-metre claimer at Dieppe on Tuesday (video). Bred by Con Marnane and the first foal out of Sakal (GB), the €3,000 GOFNOV weanling RNA carried the yellow and black silks of Theresa Marnane formerly born by GSW & MG1SP Different League (Fr) (Dabirsim {Fr}) after failing to attract a buyer when reoffered at the Tattersalls Ireland Ascot 2-Year-Old Breeze Up Sale when bidding stalled at 14,000gns. Forwardly placed, although a bit green in the early stages, the chestnut drew off in the final 300 metres to win by four lengths over Mont Marsie (Fr) (Kendargent {Fr}). Love to Excel ran sixth in a 1200-metre maiden at La Teste de Buch when unveiled on May 8 and was runner-up later that month in a claimer at Lyon Parrily, before a third at that level at Salon Provence on June 4. His second dam is a Galileo (Ire) half-sister to SWs Bermuda Rye (Ire) (Cape Cross {Ire}) and Bermuda Grass (Ire) (Danehill), as well as the SP Roystonea (GB) (Polish Precedent), who has already produced G2 Royal Lodge S. hero and G1 Racing Post Trophy third Foundation (Ire) to the cover of Zoffany (Ire). View the full article

Hovering just outside the top ten trainers in France is Matthieu Palussiere, a name which gained wider recognition through last year’s Royal Ascot victory of Con and Theresa Marnane’s Different League (Fr) (Dabirsim {Fr}). The statuesque filly was unbeaten in her two starts prior to the G3 Albany S. and went on to secure two Group 1 placings in the Prix Morny and Cheveley Park S. prior to her sale for 1.5 million gns by Amy Marnane to White Birch Farm and MV Magnier. If one spoke to Palussiere without knowing his name it would be easy to assume that he’s a neighbour of the Marnanes in Tipperary, for the Frenchman has spent almost as much time away from his native country as he has at home and has a strong Irish accent that would have most people fooled. He was born, however, in Le Mans, famed for a different type of horsepower, and he was, by his own admission, “a latecomer to racing”. He’s making up for that tardy start now. Having returned to France in 2013 after a long spell in Ireland, Palussiere is now sending out runners and winners from his Maisons-Laffitte base with eye-catching frequency, thanks largely to his fruitful association with the irrepressible figure known on the breeze-up circuit as ‘King Con’. While the €8,000 foal purchase Different League did not pass through a breeze-up sale—she failed to reach her reserve when bought in as a yearling at Doncaster for £14,000—a number of the Palussiere stable’s winners this season have been unsold 2-year-olds from the Bansha House Stables draft who have very quickly taught any potential buyer who shirked them at the sales the folly of that decision. In turn they have elevated Theresa Marnane, in whose yellow and black colours they run, to the position of fifth leading owner in France behind only such heavyweight names as the Niarchos family’s Flaxman Stables, Godolphin, Gerard Augustin-Normand and the Wertheimer brothers. Not even the Aga Khan and Al Shaqab Racing can match strides with Madame Marnane. The Marnane-Palussierre combination has thus far provided a first winner for Lane’s End Farm’s Noble Mission (GB) in the dual winner On A Session, who, portentously, has won the same two races annexed by Different League before her Albany assault. It’s safe to assume that the colt won’t be the same generous 20-1 starting price when he lines up for the Chesham S. next week. On A Session won’t be alone on the lorry bound for Ascot. The dual winner Junius Brutus (Fr) (Cockney Rebel {GB}) will get the ball rolling in the G2 Coventry S. on Tuesday though he, like G3 Albany S. entrant No More Regrets (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}), could yet be running for different connections as both will be offered in Monday night’s Goffs London Sale. The latter, who was unsold at 38,000gns at the Craven Sale, has won in France and was runner-up in the listed Premio Vittorio Crespi in Milan on Sunday. On Wednesday it will be the turn of Forever In Dreams (Ire) (Dream Ahead), another dual winner, to make use of her racecourse experience in the G2 Queen Mary S., while Saturday will see a three-pronged attack, with On A Session’s Chesham challenge being followed by Rolling King (More Than Ready) and Pardon My French (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) going head to head in the Windsor Castle S. As is evident from this enviable team of young talent, after 18 years in Ireland, Palussiere’s then relatively low-key training career charted a markedly different course when he “happened to meet Con”. “I started out in racing in Marseille with Christian Scandella but when I decided I wanted to see a bit of the world Ireland was the first choice,” says Palussiere. It transpired to be a good choice as it was at the Aga Khan’s Gilltown Stud that he met his wife Liz, who has played an important role not just in his home life but also in the pre-training business they ran before the five years with a training licence, first based on the Curragh and later in Tipperary. He continues, “Initially I was only planning to be [in Ireland] for six months but I ended up staying 18 years. I got a job with the Aga Khan breaking yearlings. I was there during what were to me the best years—Sinndar, Daylami, all those champions.” A four-year stint with the Aga Khan led Palussiere to a job running Mick Halford’s second yard on the Curragh and continuing in his breaking role before going out on his own and notching his first winner as a trainer in 2008 when Deputy Consort saluted at Limerick in Liz’s colours. Greater success would come that same year via the Grade 3-winning hurdler Tramp Stamp (Ire) but Palussiere decided to call time on his lengthy sojourn overseas as the realities of the economic downturn started to be felt by many in Irish racing. “I had a mix of jumps and flat horses and we had some success but then the economic crisis came along and I decided it was time to return to France,” he says. “I knew Con through the ponies—both our children were involved in showing and I’d see him every other week. When he learned that I was moving back to France he suggested we work together and that’s where it all started. Without himself and Theresa I wouldn’t be where I am, there’s no doubt. I’m very pleased to be working with them. I have to tip my hat to Con. He loves the game and he’s not afraid to gamble. He buys very well and this year’s [2-year-olds] are better than last year’s but the sales were bad. That suits me because they are coming this way, and that explains the success we have here.” Palussiere admits that he took time to adjust to being back at home. “Obviously I am French but I was so young when I left France that I haven’t been taught in the French ways,” he says. He’s clearly been well taught in the ways of Irish horsemanship and is backed up in Maisons-Laffitte by a team of riders from his former adopted home who together have already put 31 French winners on the board this season. “We have a load of top-class people down there and they are doing a great job,” says Marnane, who makes regular trips from Tipperary to Paris to see the horses. “It was a horrendously bad year this year at the sales. I don’t know what went wrong. We’re selling more winners than anyone else and we’ve even had a Classic winner this year [Teppal].” That bad year in the ring is already translating into a good year on the racecourse, however, and the Marnane and Palussiere families will be returning to Berkshire with their enhanced team in the hope of adding at least one more Royal Ascot victory to the roll of honour. Reflecting on his first taste of success at the meeting, Palussiere says, “It was amazing, it’s something I’ll never forget. I don’t tend to be nervous—you go there and you’re hoping that you’ll run well but you never dream that will happen. But there we were there with all Con’s friends from Tipperary and we all started dancing. That never happens on a racecourse in France, and not really in England, except perhaps at Cheltenham. Let’s hope we’ll all be dancing again this year.” View the full article

The Ocala Breeders’ Sales Company’s June Sale of 2-Year-Olds and Horses of Racing Age, which provides the final act in the 2018 juvenile sales season, begins its three-day run in Central Florida Wednesday with bidding slated to start on the first of 936 catalogued head at 10 a.m. The June sale concludes the troika of OBS 2-year-old auctions for the year and follows on the heels of a successful April sale that saw increased participation in the middle market. OBS Director of Sales Tod Wojciechowski hopes the strength of the April sale continues into June. “Our April sale was fantastic,” Wojciechowski said. “We were really pleased with how the April sale went. You would think, if people didn’t get their orders filled in April, certainly it would make sense that they would be here in June.” The June sale had been originally scheduled to begin Tuesday, but officials moved the start back a day to give horsemen more travel time after a big weekend of racing at Belmont Park. As buyers started to hit the barns Monday morning, Wojciechowski said the excitement of racing’s newest Triple Crown winner could be another boon for the June sale. “I think the results of the Belmont and the Triple Crown-a rising tide raises all ships–I think that bodes well for the industry,” he said. “We’re starting to see people showing up at the barns that you may not have seen at the breeze show. And nowadays, with the advent of video and the popularity of that, it’s not an issue if they’re not at the breeze show.” Six horses shared the fastest furlong work time of :9 4/5 during last week’s four-session breeze show (114, 211, 332, 403, 613, 652), while a filly by Cairo Prince (hip 61) turned in the fastest quarter-mile time of :20 2/5. A colt by Uncle Mo (hip 41) had the fastest three-furlong work time of :32 2/5. “We were very happy with the breeze show,” Wojciechowski said. “We did get lucky and dodge some weather. We had a couple of days when we had an interruption with the rain, but given the surface that we have, we were able to resume right away under the same track conditions as we started the day. So all in all, it went very well.” Held over two sessions last year, 434 horses sold for a total of $14,999,900. The average was $34,562 and the median was $18,500. A colt by Midnight Lute brought the sale’s top price when selling for $320,000 to trainer Linda Rice. He was one of three to bring $300,000 or over. OBS opened the juvenile sale season with its March sale and will conclude it with the June sale. Throughout the spring, there has been a familiar refrain of a still-polarized marketplace, with high demand for the top horses that sometimes seems to evaporate further down the ladder. “We didn’t see any big surprises in the marketplace in 2018,” Wojciechowski said. “A lot of the trends that we’ve seen over the last few years, we continued to see. That being said, I expect the horses that they deem to be the best in the June sale will sell very well and hopefully we’ll be able to continue to get the other ones done, as well.” The June sale had a pair of stakes winners over the weekend when Lovely Bernadette (Wilburn), a 2016 graduate, won the GIII Mint Julep H., and 2017 graduate King Humor (Distorted Humor) won the Ocala Flame S. at Gulfstream Park. There and Back (First Dude), who was bought back for $400,000 at last year’s June sale, graduated in his debut for trainer Bob Baffert at Santa Anita Saturday. Other recent graduates include last year’s GI Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint winner Stormy Liberal (Stormy Atlantic) and GI Clark H. winner Seeking the Soul (Perfect Soul {Ire}). The June sale continues through Friday with sessions beginning daily at 10 a.m. View the full article

Undefeated Triple Crown winner Justify is scheduled to parade between races during the June 16 night card at Churchill Downs that will feature five graded stakes, including the $500,000 Stephen Foster Handicap (G1). View the full article

The Conghua Training Centre began operations on Tuesday, June 12, with the first horses to be stabled at the facility, a 14-horse group shipped from Sha Tin, arriving at 10:38 a.m. The opening of the centre marks the start of the Hong Kong Jockey Club’s dual-site operations in Hong Kong and the Chinese Mainland. All of the horses in the first shipment are retired Thoroughbreds owned by the Club’s Racing Development Board (RDB) and will educate the new staff. The second shipment of horses, 21 also owned by the RDB, will take place on Thursday, June 14. Active racehorses will arrive at the CTC in July, with an official opening ceremony on Aug. 28. “This is a historic moment for the Hong Kong Jockey Club,” said Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, the Hong Kong Jockey Club’s Chief Executive Officer. “The commencement of the dual-site operations represents a significant achievement made possible by the establishment of the Equine Disease Free Zone. Hong Kong horses will enjoy the same health status whether they are stabled and trained in Sha Tin or at CTC. They can travel between both locations and race in Hong Kong, including against overseas horses in international races. The permanent stabling of the first batch of horses today came after the successful inspection of CTC’s quarantine facilities and operations by Guangzhou Customs and the Conghua Agricultural Bureau. I would like to thank the various government departments in Hong Kong and the Mainland for their support. He added, “The CTC is a world-class facility that will allow for the continued growth of Hong Kong racing. The centre will offer new options to our owners and trainers and will enable us to expand Hong Kong’s horse population as we look to future development. The opening of the Conghua Training Centre will also make it possible for us to commence the important work of further refurbishment of the Sha Tin stabling.” “The Club has worked closely with the relevant agencies in Hong Kong and the Chinese Mainland to ensure that the proper systems are in place to ensure the safe and efficient movement of horses along the quarantine corridor between Sha Tin and Conghua, and that the CTC site is entirely biosecure,” said the HKJC’s Executive Director, Racing, Andrew Harding. “Today’s convoy is the culmination of years of work and is an important step as we integrate CTC into Hong Kong’s training system. The RDB horses that have arrived in Conghua today will play an important role in ensuring that our state-of-the-art facilities are ready for the arrival of our in-training horses next month. In the future, these horses will assist in the training of new staff at CTC.” View the full article

The governor plans to be at Monmouth Thursday to celebrate the addition by placing the first bet. View the full article

Phoenix Thoroughbreds’s Walk In The Sun (Street Sense) will make his first start for new trainer Martyn Meade in the G3 Jersey S. at Royal Ascot. Walk In The Sun, a €1.4-million 2-year-old who has won his only two starts to date, was previously under the care of Jeremy Noseda, but he moved to Meade last month when Phoenix removed all its horses from Noseda’s care. “Walk In The Sun goes for the Jersey S. rather than the St James’s Palace,” Meade said. “He’s only won two novice races so it might be asking a bit much to go straight for a Group 1, so we’ll run him in the Jersey. Looking at his breeding, fast ground should suit and obviously it will be his first run on turf, which will be a bit of an unknown quantity, but I think conditions should suit him.” Walk In The Sun has already been in headlines this week after it was alleged he tested positive for cocaine following his Lingfield novice race win on Feb. 27, and the British Horseracing Authority’s Robin Mounsey said, “It is BHA policy not to comment on investigations or speculation surrounding potential investigations.” View the full article

The Tote and britbet have agreed on a standstill period in discussions on whether British racing will be best served by those two parties forming a pool betting alliance. The standstill, which expires Oct. 31, will allow for good faith discussions, analysis of business plans and due diligence. Jockey Club Racecourses and Arena Racing Company, which operate 31 tracks between them, are partners in britbet, and Simon Bazalgette, Group Chief Executive of The Jockey Club, said, “The Standstill period allows the necessary time for all parties to undertake due diligence, have first sight of business plans for an invigorated Tote and consider how we could forge an alliance to keep the pools together for the long-term interests of the sport. This approach is only now possible since Alizeti signed its deal with Betfred.” “In my experience our sport is better off when its stakeholders work together towards a shared goal. The Jockey Club always looks to collaborate with others and I am pleased that through this process we have agreed with Martin Cruddace and his team at ARC that we should explore future opportunities to work together, in addition to other racecourses and the sport’s participants.” View the full article

The British Horseracing Authority has made some adjustments to its new-look 3-year-old novice race programme that was rolled out at the start of the year. In early 2018, around 80% of Britain’s 3-year-old maiden races were converted to novice events to provide greater scope for horses to develop by increasing the opportunities in weight-for-age races for those that win races in the early stages of their careers. Now, horses that have run three times and have won will be ineligible for novice races for 3-year-olds and 3-year-olds and up. The balance of maiden versus novice races has been slightly increased again, and now sits at 75% novice races, 25% maiden races, and minor adjustments have been made to the penalty scale. “Extending the novice programme to 3-year-olds is delivering a number of benefits that are supporting the development of inexperienced but potentially talented horses,” said Richard Wayman, chief operating officer of the BHA. “With a fundamental change to the race programme such as this, however, it is always possible that adjustments may be required to help the changes bed in. This is why we closely monitor the data from these initiatives for some time after they are introduced in order that we can make measured, evidence-based changes where appropriate. We will continue to monitor the data and gather views from our participants before completing a full review at the end of the season.” View the full article

The Class Three Cricket Club Valley Stakes (1,650m) is one of the most open races of the season, but a good barrier can help Silverfield atone after a couple of near misses at Happy Valley recently. It is the sort of race where you could make a case for each of the 12 runners – so much so that the outsider of the field in the early market was New Zealand Group One winner Dukedom. Five of the contestants came through a similar event over the same course and distance four weeks ago when... View the full article

The Class Three Cricket Club Valley Stakes (1,650m) is one of the most open races of the season, but a good barrier can help Silverfield atone after a couple of near misses at Happy Valley recently. It is the sort of race where you could make a case for each of the 12 runners – so much so that the outsider of the field in the early market was New Zealand Group One winner Dukedom. Five of the contestants came through a similar event over the same course and distance four weeks ago when... View the full article

The Conghua Training Centre is now housing horses after the first equine settlers arrived at the new jewel in the Hong Kong Jockey Club’s crown. The first shipment of 14 horses left Sha Tin at 6.30am on Tuesday, crossing the border and arriving at their new home at 10.38am. They are a group of retired thoroughbreds who belong to Jockey Club’s Racing Development Board and help in the education of new staff. They will be joined by another batch of 21, who will make the move on... View the full article

The Conghua Training Centre is now housing horses after the first equine settlers arrived at the new jewel in the Hong Kong Jockey Club’s crown. The first shipment of 14 horses left Sha Tin at 6.30am on Tuesday, crossing the border and arriving at their new home at 10.38am. They are a group of retired thoroughbreds who belong to Jockey Club’s Racing Development Board and help in the education of new staff. They will be joined by another batch of 21, who will make the move on... View the full article