Wandering Eyes

A major selling point for breeding in New York will be on display at Aqueduct Racetrack Dec. 14. Basically, there will be a million reasons.View the full article

Mareworthy Charities has launched Mareworthy Academy, an eight-week program beginning in January and specifically designed to teach aspiring horse owners how to care for horses. “There's a widespread misconception that horse ownership is only for experienced equestrians or those planning to ride competitively,” says Mareworthy Charities Executive Director Kyle Rothfus. “This limiting belief prevents many compassionate individuals from considering adoption, particularly of retired broodmares who have so much love to give. Through Mareworthy Academy, we're challenging these assumptions and opening doors for people who may have never thought horse ownership was possible for them.” The program, which is free, focuses on how retired Thoroughbred broodmares can be the right choice as first horses for new owners. The program offers eight weeks of self-guided e-learning with live sessions; four weeks of hands-on volunteer experience; instruction in horse care, health management, and ownership preparation; real-world application of skills at equine non-profits; and a curriculum ranging from basic care to emergency preparedness. “These magnificent mares have spent their lives nurturing the next generation of racehorses. They deserve retirement with dignity, and many make perfect companions for first-time horse owners who want to provide a loving forever home,” said Rothfus. “By removing both educational and psychological barriers to horse ownership, we're not just teaching skills–we're expanding the pool of qualified adopters who can provide loving homes to retired broodmares. Our goal is to show that with proper education and support, providing a forever home to a retired broodmare is an achievable and rewarding experience for many people who may have never considered it possible.” For more information, visit mareworthy.com/academy. The post Mareworthy Academy Offers Free Horse Ownership Program appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

I read with interest the article of The Thoroughbred Report titled “Dogs Gone: New Zealand bans greyhound racing from 2026,” dated Dec. 12. The article starts with the sentence, “There are only five nations globally where greyhound racing still operates being New Zealand, USA, Ireland, Australia, and Britain, but this is set to change with an announcement by New Zealand MP Winston Peters that greyhound racing will be banned in NZ from 2026.” I was not aware that racing greyhounds is still legal in the United States. According to Wikipedia, “as of 2024, only two tracks currently conduct actual live racing onsite, both in West Virginia.” I would imagine this is a reference to Wheeling Island and the other Mardi Gras Casino resort. (Grey2K confirms that West Virginia is the only state where dog racing is legal.) I have made this point in the past, but the Thoroughbred industry is in grave danger. I know one business analyst that specializes in corporate consulting and he can imagine the Thoroughbred industry being gone in 20 years. To be frank, based on numerous comments on social media dedicated to those who are in the Thoroughbred industry or are fans, whenever this possibility of demise is brought up, someone angrily bashes the observation. I repeat a history lesson: New York once effectively banned horse racing in an act called the “Hart-Agnew Law.” According to Wikipedia, “Numerous Saratoga businesses went bankrupt, hotels suffered a sharp decline in guests, and real estate values collapsed.” What I am saying is doom and gloom is a real possibility. This is a time to engage with those that have expertise in public relations and image management. Unfortunately, there are plenty in the industry that want rah-rah-rah articles that are “upbeat and positive” about horse racing. It is a silly angle: critics of horse racing are not going to be assuaged by relentless rah-rah-rah published by the Thoroughbred industry publications. Rather, this is a time to look outside of the industry for attitudes that may affect the industry. At some time, almost all major businesses have some sort of image problem. Some are minor, some are serious, and some are existential. This is an existential problem. And it isn't just facing bans like greyhound racing bans. It's potential fans gravitating to other forms of gambling or entertainment that they do not perceive as harmful to animals. It's the possibility of states pulling the rug out of subsidies. According to NewJersey.com, in an article published September 17, 2024, “NJ will give $20M in taxpayer money each year to subsidize horse racing purses.” The article continues, “Critics such as Peter Chen, a policy analyst with the progressive think tank New Jersey Policy Perspective, took a different stance. He said the subsidies were ill-fitted at a time when New Jersey residents have been struggling with inflation and the cost of living.” Now when one throws in perceptions of animal cruelty into the mix, subsidies could easily go. Heck, there is even a website dedicated to ending horse racing subsidies. They write: “Three billion dollars in casino revenue has already been used to prop up the horse racing industry, and these increased subsidies are now expected to cost taxpayers at least $1 billion every four years. Residents of New York should be the recipients of these casino profits, not the 11 Thoroughbred and harness tracks. Millions of private businesses in the state have operated entirely without casino subsidies. Why does horse racing receive this corporate welfare?” Of course, apart from an outright subsidy, there is the issue of getting a state casino license in the first place because one has horse racing, wherein the applicant might not have been successful had they not been a race track. There are benefits to the Thoroughbred industry, including promotion of green spaces for farms, which economists call an “externalized benefit.” An “externalized benefit” is a benefit created and externalized to others, which is not reflected in profits or otherwise enjoyed by the party that created the benefit. For instance, race tracks help build the surrounding area's tourism, such as at Saratoga. That is the argument for subsidies. But this is not a piece about the wisdom or lack thereof of government subsidies or licensing favoritism for casinos. Rather, it is about the stark reality that this favoritism for race tracks can be greatly abated by the public thinking that the horse racing industry is cruel to the horses. But love blinds, and I have seen countless comments on social media on how horse racing is too hard on its dopers or others that give the business a black eye. It is time to bring in outside consultants that are not so mired in love for the horse racing industry that they do not have a clear head about what needs to be done to preserve the industry. Again, failures do not necessarily mean outright bans: it could be diminished subsidies, withdrawn (or not issued) “racino” licenses so that race tracks can have accompanying casinos, or the simple act of a potential horse race bettor not betting on horses. Perceptions of animal cruelty have real world effects, and New Zealand's new ban on greyhound racing is the latest example. –Rinaldo Del Gallo, III The author is a horse racing fan. The post Letter to the Editor: The Thoroughbred Industry is in Grave Danger appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Eddie Truman, a trainer as renowned for his patience with the Thoroughbred as for a perennially genial disposition, has passed at the age of 77. “A great horseman and an even greater individual,” said veteran trainer Gary Stute. “I never heard him say a bad word about anybody–anybody–and on the racetrack, that's few and far,” Stute added. “Once you met him, you stayed friends with him. The ultimate honest good person.” Over a career spanning nearly 50 years, Truman trained 763 winners and collected $15.7 million in earnings. He had his big days as a trainer. Go West Marie (Western Fame) won four stakes races and was just a length away from winning the 2015 GIII Las Cienegas Stakes. Irish Import Casino King (Ire) (Fairy King) showed up time after time in some ferocious bouts on the turf, including a clear second behind triple Grade I winner Bienamado (Bien Bien) one June at Hollywood Park, a second-place finish in a Grade II at Woodbine and a stakes victory at Remington Park. But it was the skill and patience that Truman deployed with the horses in his care–especially the wayward types–that stood him apart. As he told the TDN earlier this year upon his retirement, “to see a horse get good and see them just develop, get confidence, that was really fantastic to me–more so than even having a real nice horse that just goes out there and wins every time,” said Truman, at the time. “Maybe they weren't great horses, but they would go out there and perform for you,” he said. Truman was born in Kansas, on a small holding where his family rebroke horses ruined under other hands, in the process cementing the foundations of his horsemanship. “We didn't buck-break them out or anything like that. This is where dad had the edge–our horses never bucked. No. As soon as we got them out of the pen, we'd take them out in a plowed field,” Truman told the TDN in February. “It was deep stuff, so they couldn't do too much. But it really taught us, all of us, to be kind, gentle hands, and to let horses relax–correct them, but then give them a chance. It was good.” Good for horse. Good for rider. “We learned some really valuable horsemanship that way,” said Truman. Truman started as a jockey before his voice broke. He rode his first winner, a match race, aged 12. At 16, he followed into the professional ranks his brother, Jerry, already an established jockey. Truman was contracted to the owner of the Chicago Blackhawks. He was the leading rider at Sportsman Park. But weight gains soon put paid to any long career in the saddle. A brief period training was followed by stints doing all sorts–international backpacker, paddock judge, exercise rider. In the early 1970s, Truman was assistant to Hall of Famer Bobby Frankel. In 1974, he took out his license again. “When I started, we got lucky. We claimed a horse that won like six out of nine races. Claimed another one that won four out of five. We would run them where they belonged. Run them up north,” said Truman, in February. “That was one of my favorite games: Claim a horse here [Santa Anita, Hollywood Park] while they were in jail, run them up north, win, come back here, run them for what I claimed them for–I'd already won a race with them–and go on. You build up their confidence. Confidence–it's a big thing. People don't understand that.” Truman was wirily trim as a bantamweight boxer, thanks in part to a lifetime in the saddle, horse and bike. Even into his sixties, Truman could be seen of a morning bobbing on horseback around Del Mar and Santa Anita (sometimes in shorts, to the consternation of anyone with skin on their knees). “The most generous, giving guy you could ever come across who would help anybody. But the things he loved the most were his horses and his bicycle,” said XBTV presenter Zoe Cadman. “I don't think I ever rode as fast to Del Mar [from Sierra Madre] as the year I rode with Eddie. He rode me out the saddle. He was a true machine. I ran into him two weeks ago at the end of his 70-mile bike ride and he wouldn't even blow out a candle.” Truman's passing was reportedly sudden. “He did 60 miles on Sunday. He couldn't have been fitter or stronger,” said Craig Barnfather, a former exercise rider who frequently cycled with Truman. Barnfather credits the former trainer with helping to turn his life around decades ago. “I introduced him to these guys on Sunday. I said, 'Eddie, what did you tell me 32 years ago? Bike or coffin?' He said, 'Yes. This guy was on the fast lane to death.' Everybody else saw me as a dumb drunk. But he never ever made me feel like that,” Barnfather recalled. “All I can say about Eddie is he was everything I wanted to be,” said former trainer Matt Chew. “Upbeat. Positive. Always there to lend a helping hand to anybody that needed it. Just an all-round good guy.” Throughout, Truman balanced his professional and personal lives, never letting the two intermingle. No social gatherings at the barn. No long evening fireside chats on the telephone, all shop talk with the owners. No busman's holidays, families in tow. “I wanted to spend time with my family. So, that's the road I chose,” Truman said, in February. “And I never really regretted my choice that way.” The post California Mainstay Eddie Truman Passes Aged 77 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

9th-Tampa Bay Downs, $32,000, Msw, 12-11, 3yo/up, f/m, 7f, 1:24.69, gd, 4 1/4 lengths. INTO AMORE (f, 3, Into Mischief–Embellish the Lace {GISW, $441,540}, by Super Saver) made the trip up off a solid worktab at Palm Beach Downs and was made the 7-5 choice to get her career off to a winning start. Ridden along to take up a chasing role in second down the backstretch beneath Pablo Morales, the homebred was more or less on even terms approaching the stretch and asserted through the final furlong to take it in decisive fashion. Embellish the Lace was one of three to succeed at Grade I level from the first crop of GI Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver, taking out the 2015 Alabama Stakes for Alex and JoAnn Lieblong and trainer Tony Dutrow. Super Saver's other top-level scorers from that first crop included Claiborne stallion Runhappy and Competitive Edge. After failing to meet her reserve at $1.9 million at the 2015 Fasig-Tipton November Sale, Embellish the Lace returned to that venue 12 months later and was hammered down to China Horse Club for $2.4 million. The mare is the dam of three winners from as many to race, and her yearling filly by Quality Road was purchased by the Lieblongs for $500,000 at this year's Keeneland September Sale. After failing to produce a foal this season, she was mated to the CHC part-owned Life Is Good. Sales history: $295,000 RNA Ylg '22 FTKOCT. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $18,880. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV. O/B-CHC Inc (KY); T-Todd A Pletcher. Our homebred Into Amore , daughter of GISW Embellish the Lace, proved patience pays off with a strong debut win today at Tampa! Thank you to the Pletcher team, rider Pablo Morales and the team at WinStar for your hard work and diligence. pic.twitter.com/jRQ0YJ5Q81 — China Horse Club (@Chinahorseclub) December 11, 2024 The post Into Mischief Filly Off The Mark At First Asking at Tampa appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

At a meeting of the Arizona Racing Commission Dec. 11, Turf Paradise was granted a second 45-day conditional permit as they continue to perform repairs to the facility.View the full article

Canadian classic-winning jockey Justin Stein announced his retirement from the saddle Dec. 11 after 19 years of race riding.View the full article

2024 marked another successful year for the TDN Writers' Room, which is presented by Keeneland and hosted by the team of Bill Finley, Zoe Cadman and Randy Moss. This week we look back on a few of our favorite guests throughout the year. First, we checked in with Richard Migliore ahead of a historic Belmont Stakes weekend. 'Richie' reminisced on Belmonts past and shared what he was looking forward to most for the first-ever 'Belatoga.' “I can already feel the energy that's been in town,” Migliore said as he called in from the famous Saratoga picnic tables a few days before the big event. “Saratoga always holds that kind of energy and you feel the charm of it, the mystique of Saratoga, but it's amped up even more here. I don't want to say it's going to be a madhouse, but it's going to be on the edge of chaos.” Then ahead of the Saratoga Race Meet, we talked with Flavien Prat, who decided to move his tack to New York in 2022 and wow, does the decision seem to have paid off this year. Prat would go on to established a new record for stakes wins by a jockey at Saratoga. “I'm riding for great connections,” Prat said when asked about his decision to relocate. “I'm very fortunate. My agent is doing a great job so everything is going well right now. It felt like it was the right move at the right time. I was in California for six or seven years and it felt like it was time to do something and explore the East Coast. I had the opportunity to ride for some trainers there so I felt like it was the right time to do it.” Mike Repole's passion for horse racing was as evident as ever when he joined the show the week just after Fierceness's (City of Light) Travers victory. The outspoken owner and breeder discussed his leading 3-year-old colt as well as the changes he's looking to bring about with the National Thoroughbred Association. “I think we're making a lot more progress than people think,” Repole said when asked about his fledgling organization. “There has been more talk over the past 10 months than there has ever been. Many people agree with what I'm saying. The only negative feedback I get is they don't like the style. You know what? Other styles haven't worked for 40 years.” Aidan O'Brien, who had one of the talking horses of the year in City of Troy (Justify), checked in to the Writers' Room ahead of this year's Breeders' Cup. O'Brien not only talked about his star 3-year-old, but he also looked back on Breeders' Cup pasts and shared how much he enjoys the championship meet. “It's unique isn't it?” noted O'Brien. “I think you have to experience it to believe it with the atmosphere and the hype. It's just very special. All the best horses are there and it's the ultimate test.” The TDN Writers' Room is also presented by WinStar Farm, the Pennsyvania Horse Breeders' Association, West Point Thoroughbreds,and XBTV.com. Watch out for a special holiday episode next week on the TDN Writers' Room. To listen to the show as an audio podcast, click here. The post Best Of The 2024 Writers’ Room appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Kiwi representative Sam Thornley now leads the Australasian Young Drivers Championship after a brilliant effort at Bathurst in New South Wales last night. The Canterbury-based reinsman had a second and a win to go to 43 points after four heats of the championships, eight points clear of his closest challenger Victoria’s Ewa Justice. Heading into the second night of the championships he was fifth. In the first heat last night he was second with Special Spin, behind Justice and Romero, while in the second he got the perfect trip and then took advantage of the passing lane to win with Works For Me. After winning at Menangle on the opening night of the series, fellow Kiwi Crystal Hackett could not get a second victory on her 21st birthday, with her best result being a fourth in the second heat. She is now fifth overall. Standings (after 4 heats) : Sam Thornley (New Zealand) 43 Ewa Justice (Victoria) 35 Jacob Duggan (Tasmania) 28 Will Rixon (New South Wales) 28 Crystal Hackett (New Zealand) 26 Corey Johnson (South Australia) 23 Taleah McMullen (Queensland) 21 Josh Gallgher (New South Wales) 19 Kyle Symington (Western Australia) 17 Kerryn Tomlinson (New Zealand ) 15 The series heads to Penrith today (Thursday) and then Newcastle (Friday) before finishing on Inter Dominion Finals night at Menangle on Saturday. We will have regular updates on hrnz.co.nz and across our social media channels. View the full article

By Jonny Turner Patience paid off when Seacracka ran to an easy fresh-up victory at Oamaru yesterday. The four-year-old made her first outing since October last year a winning one when speeding home in slick closing sectionals to win for trainer Jonny Cox and driver Carter Dalgety. Seacracka competed in good company for the late Katie Cox before she was sent for an extended spell and then joined Jonny Cox’s barn. Judging by her trials leading into her victory, and her Oamaru performance, she’s returned bigger and better for it. “The owners told me Katie had always had a good opinion of her and I had spoken to Katie myself and she had said the same thing,” Jonny Cox said. “Katie had done a great job with her, then she had a decent break, being quite a big girl time was going to be her friend.” “She had been in work for quite a while building into today and she seems to have come up nice.” While clearly talented, Seacracka shows plenty of quirks at home. “She is a funny horse, she tends to walk the fence a lot at home whether she is by herself or with a mate,” Cox said. “We don’t tend to work her as hard as we normally would.” “Without having a race, I thought she might be better to sit in behind them.” “But they went slow and Carter is a smart driver and he got around them.” Seacracka followed in the footsteps of Hooroo, who has also won for Jonny Cox after previously being trained by Katie Cox. Canterbury based owners Bo Houston and Ryan Cockburn race Hooroo and are also in the ownership of Seacracka. With her Oamaru win and a conditioning run under her belt, Seacracka will now be aimed at Group 1 Ascot Park Invercargill Cup Day, where she has the Sires Stakes Southern Solstice in her sights. Cox’s stable star Pinseeker is also on track for his shot at next week’s Group 1 Ascot Park Invercargill Cup. The pacer went to the line hard held, without racing room, in last week’s recent Group 1 The Christian Cullen at Addington. “It would have been nice to have a crack at them, but it is good to know he can be there with those better horses in a race like that,” Cox said. “He has come through the race well and he will be off to Invercargill next week.” Seacracka was among three winning drives for Carter Dalgety at Oamaru. The reinsman also scored with Ebury Street and Jay R Tolkien. The treble gave Dalgety a boost in the New Zealand junior drivers’ premiership. Heading into today’s racing at Winton, where he has five drives, Dalgety is on 55 wins for 2024. Sam Thornley leads the race on 60 wins with Wilson House in second on 56 wins. View the full article

By Jonny Turner The Canterbury raid is on ahead of Group 1 Ascot Park Hotel Invercargill Cup Day. As they have done ahead of several of Southland’s best meetings in the past, Stonewall Stud’s Canterbury team are in the south to compete in the final southern lead up meeting before Invercargill’s big day on December 20. Trainer Amanda Telfer is in Southland with three talented fillies who will be boost their Invercargill Cup Day hopes with victories at Winton on Thursday. As a race winner, Spicey Crunch looks handily placed in Race 8, the Bayleys Real Estate Mobile Pace, against a field largely made up of maiden two-year-olds. The only factor against the pacer looks to be her barrier 8 draw. “She has been trialling up well, in her first trial she led and won quite nicely,” Telfer said. “In her last trial she went back and ran on nice, she was beaten by Lakelsa who is a nice enough mare.” “Being a two-year-old filly, her wee freshen up seems to have done her the world of good and she seems to be back to where we think she should be.” Melody Banner is arguably the best placed horse racing at Winton on Thursday in Race 4, the SBSR Sires’ Stakes 3YO Fillies Southern Solstice Mobile Pace. The filly drops back from taking on top line fillies to race largely lower rated opponents. The three-year-old has been making plenty of mistakes in her recent outings, so it will be up to one of Southland’s best in Nathan Williamson to help her do things right. “I said to Nathan he will have to bring his hands,” Telfer quipped. “We have given her a little freshen up and we will see how she goes.” “When she does things right she is there with the better ones.” “She has two $30,000 races down here week to week, and the trip away might be good for her too.” “So it is a good opportunity to race in two suitable races for good stakes.” Molly Bellwin takes on her stablemate Melody Banner after being freshened recently. Though she’s drawn barrier 7 in a seven horse field, that doesn’t faze Telfer too much. “The draw won’t really matter because she has got speed, but you can’t use her early.” “If she is able to tuck in and run home, she should run a nice race.” View the full article

By Brigette Solomon Driver Jay Abernethy has already scored a winning double at Manawatu this week and hopes his luck will continue tonight with a handy book of five drives that include both Tuesday’s winners. Abernethy’s first win on Tuesday was with the Arna Donnelly trained Rough And Ready who took out the Hawera Harness Racing Is Good To Go Are You? Mobile Pace. Abernethy quickly found the front to dictate the pace throughout. The Somebeachsomewhere gelding was full of running and looked in no danger of being beat in the home straight when he let down to win comfortably by a length over Warloch who tried hard in defeat. It was Rough And Ready’s 16th win and brought his total earnings to just over $179,000. “He was good on Tuesday, once he found the front he travelled really well and won it pretty nicely in the end,” said Abernethy. In the Café Jacko Palmerstonian Mobile Pace over 2000 metres, Rough and Ready is one of four Donnelly trained runners competing in the race, along with Beta Prepare (3), Bad Medicine (4), and Cracker Rock (8). “It’s a similar field tonight except he hasn’t drawn as well, but he should be able to hold his own and hopefully get another good result.” The Fred Mitchell trained Manchester In Time was Abernethy’s second winner on Tuesday with the gelding having no trouble overcoming his 45 metre handicap to take out the Grass Track Racing @ Hawera Is The Only Way Handicap Trot. “He’s been a great horse for Fred (Mitchell) and even though he sometimes feels flat at stages in the race, he just keeps going, he’s such a tough little horse,” said Abernethy, “Fred’s done a great job with him and he’s just got better and better with time.” The four-year-old Peak gelding stepped well and tacked on to the tail of the field within the first 600 metres. Down the back straight on the first occasion Abernethy moved three wide to circumnavigate the field, taking the lead with 1000 metres left to run, and once in front he allowed the gelding to up the tempo over the final lap. Challenged by Royal Action with 500 metres to run, Manchester In Time appeared to be tiring at the top of the straight, but he rallied to pick up again, fighting on to win by 2.5 lengths over Royal Action. It was the gelding’s eighth career win and sixth this season, with five of those at Manawatu over the 2500 metre trip. He races again tonight in race two, The Tank Guy Handicap Trot, starting once again off a 45 metre handicap. “He’s off the back mark again tonight but it’s a small field and similar to what he raced on Tuesday, so I think he’ll go another good race tonight.” Alongside his winners on Tuesday, Abernethy also drove Bet On Polly and Fredastaire to second placings in their respective races, and he is engaged to drive both again at tonight’s meeting. Bet On Polly (7) starts in race three, the Buy Wholesale Vehicles Mobile Pace, while Fredastaire (8) starts in race six, the Orakinetics Mobile Pace. “It’s a shame Bet On Polly hasn’t drawn so well as she went a good race on Tuesday despite still racing a bit greenly and I think she’ll be one that will do a good job for Murray (Gibbs) once she gets the hang of racing,” says Abernethy, “Fredastaire really stuck on well on Tuesday and was only beaten a nose and I think he’ll go a good race again despite the second row draw.” Race one gets underway tonight at 5.04pm. View the full article

In the last two years in particular, the $468,241 Listed Zen-Nippon Nisai Yushun–the second of four legs on the Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby–has been won by horses that went on to become significant players on the world stage. The 2022 renewal was taken by Derma Sotogake (Jpn) (Mind Your Biscuits), subsequent winner of the G2 UAE Derby, a participant in the 2023 GI Kentucky Derby and cracking second in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic at season's end. Last year's running was won by Forever Young (Jpn) (Real Steel {Jpn}), victorious in the 3-year-old features in Saudi Arabia and Dubai, third in the Derby before closing the year with a good third in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic. For the first time since the Speightstown filly Rieno Tesoro accomplished the feat back in 2016, a filly took down the colors of her male counterparts, as Myriad Love (Jpn)–a daughter of the expatriated 2013 GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile upsetter New Year's Day–proved narrowly best to remain perfect in three trips to the races. Away alertly from gate 10, Myriad Love dueled outside of a rival passing under the line for the first time, but was content to allow Carrot Farm's Holy Grail (Jpn) (Nadal), the field's other filly, to take up the running into the first turn. Chasing from second down the back of the track, Myriad Love was sent into the lead midway on the second turn and about 400 meters from home and held sway late to deny Happy Man (Jpn) (Danon Legend) and Ryusei Sakai, who was aboard Forever Young last year. Soldier Field (Jpn) (Le Vent Se Leve {Jpn}), whose sire won this in 2017, won a photo for third over odds-on Natural Rise (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}), last-out winner of the first leg in the series, the Cattleya Stakes (allowance) at Tokyo Nov. 23. A maiden winner at first asking over seven furlongs at Chukyo Sept. 16, Myriad Love was exiting a facile success in the Listed Edelweiss Sho at Mombetsu Oct. 31. One of two stakes winners for New Year's Day, Myriad Love is out of a half-sister to One Millionth (Jpn) (Gold Allure {Jpn}), a two-time listed winner on the tracks of the National Association of Racing. Third dam Difficult produced G1 February Stakes hero Testa Matta (Tapit), now a productive sire in Korea. With the victory, Myriad Love picks up 20 points and assumes the top spot on the Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby. If she were to win the series, which continues with the Hyacinth Stakes in February and the Fukuryu Stakes (allowance) in March, ownership may opt to instead use the automatic invitation to run in the GI Longines Kentucky Oaks. Wednesday's Results: ZEN-NIPPON NISAI YUSHUN (Jpn-G1)-Listed, ¥71,400,000 ($468,241), Kawasaki, 12-11, 2yo, 1600m, 1:42.40, gd. 1–MYRIAD LOVE (JPN), 121, f, 2, by New Year's Day 1st Dam: Ladybird (Jpn), by Smart Falcon (Jpn) 2nd Dam: She's Impossible, by Yankee Victor 3rd Dam: Difficult, by Concern (¥27,000,000 Ylg '23 JRHAJUL). O-Asuka Shiraishi; B-Northern Farm; T-Koichi Shintani; J-Atsuya Nishimura; ¥42,000,000. Lifetime Record: 3-3-0-0, $452,576. *1/2 to Steelblue (Jpn) (Rulership {Jpn}), GSP-Jpn, $230,889. 2–Happy Man (Jpn), 123, c, 2, Danon Legend –Belle Mure (Jpn), by King Kamehameha (Jpn). O-Shigehisa Tanabe; B-Kuwata Bokujo; T-Ryo Terashima; J-Ryusei Sakai; ¥14,700,000. 3–Soldier Field (Jpn), 123, c, 2, Le Vent Se Leve (Jpn)–I'll Go Back (Jpn), by Ammirare (Jpn). (¥8,250,000 Ylg '23 JBBAUG). O-Honjo Inc; B-Good Luck Farm; T-Hiroto Kawashima; J-Fuma Ono; ¥8,400,000. Margins: 3/4, 1HF, NO. Odds: 4.60, 7.30, 11.90. Click for the goracing.jp chart. The post Filly Myriad Love Beats The Boys In Japanese Kentucky Derby Points Race appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. 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. Thursday's Observations features the highest priced filly at the Arqana August Yearling Sale in 2023. 12.35 Chantilly, Debutantes, €30,000, 2yo, f, 8f (AWT) TIGRESS OF GAUL (FR) (Siyouni {Fr}) is a significant presence in this newcomers' event, having cost €700,000 when the joint-second highest-priced filly at last year's Arqana Deauville August Yearling Sale. Owned by Jose Aguirre-Moreno and her breeder Ecurie des Monceaux, the Tim Donworth trainee is out of a half to Invincible Spirit's crack miler and sire Charm Spirit (Ire). The post Debut For Siyouni’s Deauville August Sensation appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

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And breathe. If you listen carefully enough, you can almost hear the collective exhale from all of those invested in the bloodstock industry and its transfer market, as we near the conclusion of another dizzying year on the merry-go-round that is the European sales calendar. The relentless nature of it can have a bewildering effect at the best of times, but this year the sums changing hands were often so astronomical that you could be forgiven for mistaking what were you watching for a mirage. Only during the Sceptre Sessions at the Tattersalls December Mares Sale, when auctioneer Alistair Pim referred to his relationship with Amo Racing founder Kia Joorabchian as “a bromance”, were we sure that we'd been right all along. That exchange occurred during the sale of this year's Irish Oaks winner You Got To Me (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) for 4,800,000gns, on what was the highest-grossing day in European auction history with turnover of 55,168,500gns. Remarkably, it came just four days after another extraordinary session at Park Paddocks during the December Foal Sale, when the total spend of 30,906,000gns was a record for a single day at a European foal sale. So many people put in so many hours of hard work, to make days like that happen, that it becomes an impossible task to do all of their stories justice. Of course, it's the job of those on the press bench to try, but the thing about merry-go-rounds is that you often don't have chance to stop and reflect on all of the events that played out until you eventually step off it. Now, back on terra firma, there was one result from that record-breaking day at the December Foal Sale that we felt it important to go back and acknowledge. To recap, it was another session dominated by the Amo team who topped the buyers' list, just as they already had done at Book 1 of the October Yearling Sale and as they would later do at the December Mares Sale. When it came to the weanlings, Joorabchian spent a total of 4,675,000gns on a group of four, headed by Whitsbury Manor Stud's Frankel (GB) filly out of Suelita (GB) (Dutch Art {GB}), making her a full-sister to the Classic winner Chaldean (GB), who equalled the long-held record-high price set by Padua's Pride (Ire) (Caerleon), way back in 1997, at 2,500,000gns. Naturally, it was a transaction which attracted plenty of media attention, but it also had the unintended consequence of rather marginalising the sale of another Frankel filly who had gone the way of Amo just two lots earlier, that consigned by Hazelwood Bloodstock on behalf of breeders Fiona and Mick Denniff. At 850,000gns, the sale was the most lucrative result the Denniffs have been involved in at public auction in over two decades of breeding racehorses, but Fiona is philosophical when reflecting on the circumstances that rather robbed them of their moment in the sun, with any lingering regrets felt more for the filly's sake than her own. Another Frankel foal to light up the sales ring at the #TattsDecember Foal Sale as @amoracingltd pays 850,000gns for the filly out of the Listed winner Auria, sold by @AdrianOBrien2's Hazelwood Bloodstock. pic.twitter.com/OpK3ME1GvF — Tattersalls (@Tattersalls1766) November 29, 2024 “We did always love that filly,” Fiona says of the first foal out of their homebred Listed winner Auria (GB) (Muhaarar {GB}). “She was a complete mini-me of her mother but with the most delightful temperament. Everything we asked of her, she delivered and delivered. We went in hoping that she would be appreciated the way we appreciated her. “I must admit that we went to look at some of the other Frankels, and we thought that we looked very favourable against them, but to make the kind of money she made was stunning. I think I'm still a bit shell-shocked.” She continues, “It was just a shame for her that she was two lots before the Suelita filly because she got kind of lost. I understand why–the Suelita was the big one–but it seemed a shame for the filly because she was so nice and she deserved her moment in the spotlight which she probably didn't get.” The Denniffs themselves are no strangers to the spotlight, having bred a whole host of talented winners at their Nottinghamshire stud, many from the immediate family of the Frankel filly. Auria herself is a half-sister to the multiple Group 2 winner Beat The Bank (GB) (Paco Boy {Ire}), as well as the G3 Chipchase Stakes heroine and G1 Sprint Cup third Chil Chil (GB) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}). Their dam, the Listed-placed Diktat (GB) mare Tiana (GB), is one of 12 winners out of Fiona and Mick's beloved Hill Welcome (GB) (Most Welcome {GB}), the mare who has done so much for them since they bought her for just 3,000gns at Doncaster back in 2001. Now 26, Hill Welcome is reportedly still going strong in retirement, “rugged up and pampered”. “She has been incredible,” Fiona adds of Hill Welcome's legacy. “For someone to be able to go and buy a mare for that kind of money, and to produce the family that she has produced, it's extraordinary. We feel so lucky and so blessed–words fail me really.” The Frankel filly is not the only member of the Hill Welcome dynasty to have provided the Denniffs with a significant result in the sales ring this year. At the Goffs Premier Yearling Sale they sold a Havana Grey (GB) colt out of Guarded Secret (GB) (Bated Breath {GB})–one of Hill Welcome's few offspring not to win a race–for £140,000, after which an emotional Fiona needed her husband to do most of the talking as she blinked back the tears during the post-sale media debrief. “That was because we'd lost the mare [Guarded Secret],” Fiona is able to muster now. “We bred her and bought her back, and I just thought it was sad because she was a young mare. That was why I was so emotional that day, quite unlike me really. If you'd spoken to us after the Frankel foal, I wasn't anything like as emotional.” Despite the sad loss of Guarded Secret, the Denniffs still have eight mares descended from Hill Welcome on the farm, many of whom they sold as foals or yearlings, before buying them back in their later years. The latest example of that practice is the three-year-old Cuban Melody (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}), who is out of the five-time winner Jacquotte Delahaye (GB) (Kyllachy {GB}). She in turn is out of Hill Welcome's Group 3-placed daughter Mary Read (GB) (Bahamian Bounty {GB}), whose other progeny include the soon-to-be-pensioned Dubai Bounty (GB) (Dubai Destination), the dam of the high-class sprinter Kachy (GB) (Kyllachy {GB}) among others. Having been sold to Highclere for 155,000gns at Book 2 of the October Yearling Sale, Cuban Melody won once in eight starts for Andrew Balding, before being reacquired by the Denniffs for 34,000gns at the December Mares Sale. The decision to do so wasn't taken lightly, having committed to reducing their number of mares earlier this year, but the Denniffs devotion to this family is such that they simply couldn't turn the opportunity down when it came to the crunch. “There aren't many of them that have escaped me!” Fiona jokes of their monopoly on the family. “I went to see Cuban Melody twice and I thought 'no, I mustn't buy another one back because I need to stick with my reduction in numbers'. But I just couldn't walk away from her. She's beautiful and we loved her before we sold her.” She adds, “We did cut back a lot this year. I have to keep one eye on the economics and I think everyone in the industry, as a whole, will be reducing a little bit. But then I'm retiring Dubai Bounty. She's not getting any younger, so she'll have her final foal in the new year and then Cuban Melody can step into her shoes as it were.” Succession plans might already be in place when it comes to the broodmare band at home in Nottinghamshire, but who each of them will be visiting next year in terms of stallions is still very much up in the air, according to Fiona. The only mating arrangement said to be set in stone is that for Auria, who will understandably return to Frankel in 2025, having been covered by his 2,000 Guineas-winning son Chaldean this season. It's the logical choice given what played out with the Frankel filly at the December Foal Sale, although anyone with even a basic understanding of the Denniffs' usual way of doing things would argue that the decision to send Auria to the Juddmonte behemoth was out of character in the first place. Indeed, embark on a quick scan of the stallions whose names appear in parenthesis throughout this article, and you'll soon discover that the Denniffs have an affinity for those with more of a sprinting background–albeit few would argue that Frankel probably would have won a July Cup had he been given the opportunity to try. “It was a complete departure,” Fiona says of the decision to send Auria to Banstead Manor. “But she was a very good racemare and I wanted to get her to the best stallion that I could possibly get her to. That is Frankel really, isn't it? “I think people forget that Frankel had a lot of speed. He was the most fabulous racehorse and when we were able to send her there it was a no-brainer.” She continues, “I've not really changed what I do. Yes, the thing with Auria would suggest I'm going down a different route, but that's possibly just a natural progression with us trying to improve our own pedigrees and to find what will suit them. “But I've always liked sprinters and, when we started, you couldn't have gone and bought a deep, middle-distance pedigree for three grand. It would have been impossible and I think that would still be the case. I couldn't go clutching my three grand and buy a good enough pedigree that would produce me a middle-distance family. “That is why I started with sprinters. We wanted to hit the ground running and I think with a sprinter you can do that. You need to invest a little bit more into middle-distance horses because they just take a bit longer–that's just a fact.” The post One Out, One In for the Denniffs and their Beloved Family at Tattersalls December appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Since finishing second in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic, 'TDN Rising Star' Fierceness (City of Light) has undergone what owner Mike Repole described as minor elective surgery on a hind ankle. The news was broken Tuesday by trainer Todd Pletcher at the University of Arizona Race Track Industry Program's Global Symposium on Racing, at which Pletcher was a featured speaker. “We had two vets look at him and one guy said you'll just turn him out for 60 days and there'll be no issue,” Repole said. “The other guy said maybe we should get it fixed now. I didn't even know if it was the right front or left front and then I find out it is in a hind leg. That's how minor it was. We didn't have to do the surgery. It was elective. People have him retiring and that he's going to break down. Welcome to horse racing. “The surgery was on a Wednesday,” Repole said. “(Senior Advisor, Repole Stables) Ed Rosen asked me on Friday how the surgery went for Fierceness? My reply was I didn't even check in with Todd. Let me check in on him. That's how serious it was. He was under for a full 15 minutes. It was done by Dr. (Larry) Bramlage and Dr. (Wesley) Sutter. I let Todd make the decision on whether he should have the surgery.” Repole said that in no way will the surgery impact what should be a challenging schedule in 2025 for his homebred. “He's coming back 1000%,” he said. “He's 100% fine. I have to win three races next year, the Met Mile, the Whitney and the Breeders' Cup Classic. He'll have races in between, but those are the three races I have to win.” The post Fierceness Undergoes Minor Surgery; Should Still Be on Track for a Spring Campaign appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

A 1/60th share in City Light (Fr) will be offered as lot 13 of Arqana Online's December Sale, the sales company announced on Wednesday. The leading sire of 3-year-olds in France by number of winners, the son of Siyouni (Fr) stands at Haras d'Etreham. The share gives the right to two coverings per year. City Light's third crop will race next year, and he has sired 60 winners to date. Mimos (Fr) took the G3 Prix Miesque, while listed winner La Guapisima (Fr) was second in the G3 Preis der Winterkonigin. The sale will take place from 3-5 p.m. French time on Tuesday, Dec. 17. For the full catalogue, please visit Arqana's website. The post City Light Share Late Addition To Arqana Online December Sale appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Every week, the TDN posts a roundup of the relevant Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) related rulings from around the country. NEW HISA/HIWU STEWARDS RULINGS The following rulings were reported on HISA's “rulings” portal and through the HIWU “pending” and “resolved” cases portals. Resolved ADMC Violations Date: 12/10/2024 Licensee: Roderick Rodriguez, trainer Penalty: Disqualification of Covered Horse's Race results, including forfeiture of all purses and other compensation, prizes, trophies, points, and rankings and repayment or surrender (as applicable); a fine of $500; imposition of 1.5 Penalty Points. Final decision by HIWU. Explainer: Medication violation for the presence of Phenylbutazone—a controlled substance (Class C)—in a sample taken from Bernardo's Legacy, who won at Gulfstream Park on 10/26/24. Date: 12/09/2024 Licensee: Moshe Mark, trainer Penalty: A written Reprimand (per 9/26/23 HISA Guidance). Final decision by HIWU. Explainer: Vets' list medication violation for the presence of Omeprazole (GastroGard)—a controlled substance (Class C)—in a sample taken from Chocolate Shake on 10/17/24. Date: 12/09/2024 Licensee: Juan Aguirre, trainer Penalty: Disqualification of Covered Horse's Race results, including forfeiture of all purses and other compensation, prizes, trophies, points, and rankings and repayment or surrender (as applicable); A written Reprimand (per 9/26/23 HISA Guidance). Final decision by HIWU. Explainer: For the presence of Omeprazole (GastroGard)—a controlled substance (Class C)—in a sample taken from Future Flay, who finished sixth at Mahoning Valley on 10/19/24. Date: 12/05/2024 Licensee: Francisco Rodriguez, trainer Penalty: Disqualification of Covered Horse's Race results, including forfeiture of all purses and other compensation, prizes, trophies, points, and rankings and repayment or surrender (as applicable); a fine of $500; imposition of 1.5 Penalty Points. Admission. Explainer: Medication violation for the presence of Methocarbamol—a controlled substance (Class C)—in a sample taken from Wrong Direction, who was third at Pleasanton on 10/19/24. Pending ADMC Violations 12/11/2024, Bonnie Lucas, trainer: Pending medication violation for the presence of Methamphetamine—a banned substance—in a sample taken from Thencomemorning, who won at Delaware Park on 5/23/24. 12/10/2024, Stuart Williams, trainer: Pending medication violation for the presence of Gabapentin—a controlled substance (Class B)—in a sample taken from Pandora's Gift, who finished third in the G2 Franklin S. at Keeneland on 10/13/24. 12/09/2024, Steve Knapp, trainer: Pending vets' list medication violation for the presence of Acepromazine—a controlled substance (Class B)—in a sample taken from Duty First on 11/7/24. 12/06/2024, Emma Gaffney, trainer: Pending vets' list medication violation for the presence of Triamcinolone—a controlled substance (Class C)—in a sample taken from Fight Til Dawn on 11/6/24. 12/05/2024, Happy Alter, trainer: Pending vets' list medication violation for the presence of Acepromazine—a controlled substance (Class B)—in a sample taken from Love Paradox on 10/11/24. Violations of Crop Rule The HISA rulings website is currently experiencing technical difficulties, a possible fix for which could come around the middle of December, according to a HISA spokesperson. The post Weekly Stewards and Commissions Rulings, Dec. 5-11 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Dual Grade 1-winning hurdler Marie's Rock (Ire) (Milan {GB}) (lot 704) topped the third and final session of the Goffs December NH Sale on Wednesday. The daughter of Grade 3-winning jumper By The Hour (Ire) (Flemensfirth) brought €155,000 on the bid of Coolmara Stables. She was consigned by Clonbonny Stud. Closutton Stables' Pink In The Park (Ire) (Walk In The Park {Ire}) (lot 713) was next at €120,000, with Powerstown signing the ticket. The listed chase winner is Grade 1-placed over hurdles. During the day's session, 139 lots sold from 211 offered (66%) for a gross of €2,536,200. The average was €18,247 and the median was €11,000. Overall, 672 horses visited the ring with 439 (65%) marked as sold for an aggregate of €7,525,900. “The highest priced NH mare and foal at public auction for the third successive year is a fitting tribute to the progress that the Goffs December NH Sale has made over the last decade,” said Goffs Group chief executive Henry Beeby in his end-of-sale statement. “From small beginnings our NH Team have worked tirelessly with NH breeders to provide a market that is now the first choice for so many in the category. We are proud that Goffs is now seen as the market leader by so many in the NH world whether it is for the mares and foals this week or in the store sector with the Arkle Sale. “Despite the week starting with a major storm that caused a huge amount of turmoil and presented major travel issues for horses and people, buyers have flocked to Kildare Paddocks in their droves with significant numbers from the UK whilst, of course the record-breaking foal is destined for France. We are grateful for every entry, every bid and all the support we receive as we continue to recognise that we are nothing without our clients and their indulgence. “All that said, we acknowledge the challenging nature of the NH market away from the headlines. Whilst our clearance rate has improved it is not where we would all like to see it and the sales ring can be a lonely place if you don't have exactly what the market wants. As ever, our commitment to Irish breeders remains steadfast. We will work for you and do everything in our power to create the most vibrant market for every horse you entrust to us. That is the point of Goffs and why we exist. From foal to mare, Flat and National Hunt, €1,000 lots to seven-figure sales toppers, the team at Goffs is passionate about what we do and how we do it. We are here to serve at all levels of the market and will continue to provide a viable, transparent and appropriate sale for every category, deriving pleasure and satisfaction for each and every sale regardless of price or category as long as our clients are happy or, at a minimum, satisfied. “To provide that service, we will continue to engage with HRI, ITM, ITBA and every breeder or potential vendor. We will continue to invest in Kildare Paddocks and in Irish Racing as we believe passionately in Irish horses, Irish racing and the Irish thoroughbred industry. “In closing I repeat our thanks to every vendor and each purchaser for the trust both entities place in Goffs with every transaction. Nothing is taken for granted and we remain as ambitious as ever for every visitor to our sales. I also want to acknowledge the hard work of all the staff who work literally night and day to show and present the horses at each sale. They are so often the unsung heroes of the act but their dedication and obvious love for each horse in their care is always a joy to see whilst the camaraderie and support offered across each sale is inspiring. “For now, we wish all Goffs clients a very Happy Christmas and prosperous New Year and look forward to welcoming each and every one back to Kildare Paddocks in 2025.” The post Marie’s Rock Stars, As December NH Sale Ends At Goffs appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby took a sideways turn as a filly won the second leg of the series Dec. 11 at Kawasaki Racecourse, vaulting into the top spot on the leaderboard.View the full article

The Auctav Winter Breeding Sale concluded on Wednesday, and a 1/50th share in Persian King (Ire) brought €140,000 on a private bid to top proceedings. Sold as lot 8, the share was acquired by Broadhurst Agency. Persian King stands at Haras d'Etreham and has 16 winners worldwide in his first crop. Three other lots made €25,000 or more, with a 1/48th share in Nirvana Du Berlais (Fr) (lot 4) making €50,000 from B & R Consulting. The stallion resides at Haras de la Hetraie, while his eldest foals are 3-year-olds this year. Another share (1/50), this time in Haras de Montaigu's Beaumec De Houelle (Fr) (lot 11), was purchased for €31,000 by PB Bloodstock Services, while Jessica Rainer bought a 1/60th share in Haras du Petit Tellier's group sire The Grey Gatsby (Ire) (lot 13) for €27,000. Of the 20 lots offered, nine sold for a gross of €283,000. The average was €31,444 and the median was €17,000. The post Share In Persian King Sells For €140,000 On Auctav Platform appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Southern California, not known for tradition, has a rich and wonderful history in the world of horse racing. Santa Anita was built in 1934 and they got it right. The track embraces the San Gabriel mountains, which loom in the forefront on an incredibly large piece of land by Southern California standards. Bob Baffert has called Santa Anita the most beautiful in the country. From almost any angle, fans get a good view of the horses. Santa Anita is the Wrigley Field of horse racing. Fans can get just feet away from horses, jockeys, and trainers. Just how close? Fans yell out encouragement to their jockey as the horses pass out of the walking ring to go onto the track. If a horse rears in the walking ring, people have to scamper away. That's how close! I have been to other historic tracks like Churchill Downs and Saratoga and you can't quite get that same intimacy. And what about the horses? And the great races that have taken place at Santa Anita? What a history! The statue of the great Seabiscuit stands as the first testament to that history. I have seen the brilliant Spectacular Bid, perhaps the greatest horse to ever look through a bridle according to his trainer, Bud Delp, win the Santa Anita Handicap under the legendary Bill Shoemaker. More history. Another Triple Crown winner, Affirmed, won the Santa Anita Handicap a different year. I remember trainer Laz Barrera remarking: “they can't beat Affirmed.” No they couldn't. In the heady days of Santa Anita's past, where weekend crowds often topped 50,000 people, you would see everyone you wanted to know or maybe some you didn't want to know. They came from everywhere. They were everywhere. People on the walkway with the newspaper or the Racing Form. People studying the horses as they came onto the track. My dad would bribe the ushers with a win ticket so we could go upstairs on the biggest days. I saw the owners and trainers there. I stood in the walkway and there was Farrah Fawcett in her prime Charlie's Angels days standing next to George Hamilton, maybe four feet away from me. No big deal. One day, an inebriated Mickey Rooney came up to me, pulled some money out and asked me if I would go and place a bet for him. I was all of 14! Other people. My dad's friend, unshaven, who drove a beat up car, always in tattered clothes, throwing away $2000 worth of tickets onto the floor at a time when houses only cost $25,000. Ten feet away was John Forsythe sitting in his box, not a hair out of place, just like on the television show: Dynasty. Trainer Charlie Whittingham walking by, always without an expression on his face, whether he had won the feature race or not. Usually he had won. Santa Anita was pure spectacle: of humans shining at one another. It was Kentucky Derby day every day. It was a little city where you would see your racetrack friends and cheer or commiserate together depending how your horse did. And then come back for more. The greatest asset of Santa Anita is that it is always waiting to be discovered, again and again. While horse racing today has much more competition from other sports and other avenues of betting, it is still as it was, a spectacle of horses and people. While crowds are down from its halcyon past, I still see groups of the young new faces strolling in awestruck at what they have discovered. I still notice children mesmerized by seeing a horse just four feet away for the first time and think back to my first experience. The big days like opening day or the Santa Anita Derby are still magic. At the 2023 Breeder's Cup held at Santa Anita, I ran into a co-worker and her husband by chance who heard about the event and just came out rather innocently to see what it was all about. The husband exclaimed to me, beside himself with emotion, “Wow, this is like a giant party.” –Armen Antonian The post Letter to the Editor: Santa Anita at 75 Years–A Personal Retropective appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Scuderia la Tesa and Vaibhav Shah's Giavellotto (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) is targeting the G1 Dubai Sheema Classic on Dubai World Cup night, Apr. 5. Said trainer Marco Botti of his new G1 Longines Hong Kong Vase hero, “I think we'll skip Saudi for sure and head to Dubai. After the other day we'll think about the Sheema Classic, that will be his next target all being well. “He is definitely a horse who enjoys travelling. He enjoys being away from the yard and it gives us chance to target those kind of races that have huge prize-money. “The Sheema Classic will be tough–at that time of year the Japanese horses tend to target it, but he likes going left-handed.” Third in the 2022 G1 St Leger, the chestnut won the G2 Yorkshire Cup in May of 2023 and doubled up in the 2024 edition before adding the G2 Princess Of Wales's Stakes in July. He last ran third to Kyprios (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in the G1 Irish St Leger in September. Added the trainer of Giavellotto's long-term future, “He's still an entire. He was a tricky horse when he was younger but he's got better with age. We were hoping that when his racing days are over he could get a little job as a stallion, it would probably be a National Hunt one but he's a good-looking horse, so hopefully we can find him a nice place.” The post Dubai Sheema Classic Next Target For Giavellotto appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Trainer Kelsey Danner will be aiming to build on an already career-best year during Turfway Park's Synthetic Championships Dec. 14 where her stable will be represented in two of the evening's featured stakes.View the full article