Wandering Eyes

Sentient Jet has announced that it will sponsor Phoenix Throroughbred Ltd.’s Gronkowski (Lonhro {Aus}) for his U.S. debut in the GI Belmont S. “We are thrilled to introduce Gronkowski to Sentient Jet’s elite family of hand-picked horses as we gear up for this year’s historic Belmont Stakes,” said Andrew Collins, President and CEO of Sentient Jet, a leading private aviation company and frequent horse racing supporter. “As a proud Boston-based company, it is a natural fit for us to support a horse named after a New England Patriot and Sentient Jet Cardholder, Rob Gronkowski. The sponsorship speaks to Sentient’s strong Boston roots as well as our passion for horse racing.” Gronkowski, a partner in the four-time winner and Chad Brown trainee, added, “It’s hard not to feel personally invested in a horse named after you, and I couldn’t be more excited to cheer Gronkowski on at the Belmont Stakes. Sentient Jet will provide the quickest and most convenient way for me to travel to and from New York on race day, which means I’ll get to host my youth clinic in the morning and be at the track in plenty of time for the excitement.” Aamer Abdulaziz of Phoenix Thoroughbreds said, “We are delighted to align with Sentient Jet, a notable name and friend to the thoroughbred community, and to be kept in the same company as the impressive horses the team has chosen to support over the years,” said Aamer Abdulaziz of Phoenix Thoroughbreds. “We are excited that Chad Brown is pleased with Gronkowski’s preparation and expect him to have a strong race on Saturday.” View the full article

The connections of Triple Crown hopeful Justify (Scat Daddy)-owners WinStar Farm, China Horse Club, Starlight Racing, SF Bloodstock, Head of Plains LLC, trainer Bob Baffert and jockey Mike Smith–have committed to donating a percentage of their GI Belmont S. earnings to support the New Vocations Racehorse Adoption Program. “The China Horse Club, and all of our partners, take great pride in the care and welfare of our horses. New Vocations exemplifies all we believe in and support, in the aftercare of not just ours, but all horses,” said China Horse Club’s racing and bloodstock manager Michael Wallace. “As a group, we are proud to support New Vocations and its belief. We see a Triple Crown bid as an ideal platform to acknowledge the importance of aftercare.” Anna Ford, Program Director for New Vocations, added, “We are thrilled to see the success this ownership group has had together as they are all longtime supporters of our efforts. Every member of this group truly cares about their horse’s well-being beyond the track; we are extremely grateful for their generosity as we rely heavily on donations to continue to serve hundreds of racehorses retiring each year.” For more information, visit www.newvocations.org. View the full article

G1 2000 Guineas hero and G1 Investec Derby fourth Saxon Warrior (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) will contest the G1 Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby at The Curragh on June 30, Racing Post reported Tuesday evening. Trained by Aidan O’Brien, the 2017 G1 Racing Post Trophy victor will potentially face his Derby conqueror Masar (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}) in the 1 1/2-mile Classic. O’Brien, who is gunning for his 13th Irish Derby scorer, told Racing Post, “We’ve talked things over and it’s been agreed Saxon Warrior will be aimed at the Irish Derby. He seems to have come out of Epsom well, and The Curragh is the plan.” Other Ballydoyle runners have also had their next starts mapped out, with G1 Tattersalls Gold Cup hero Lancaster Bomber (War Front) bound for the G1 Prince of Wales’s S. at Royal Ascot on June 20; and G1 Irish 1000 Guineas ninth Clemmie (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) heading to the June 22 G1 Coronation S. Runner-up in the G1 Irish 2000 Guineas, US Navy Flag (War Front) is pointing toward the G1 St James’s Palace S. on June 19 and G1 Investec Oaks heroine Forever Together (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) will tackle the Irish equivalent on July 21. GI Kentucky Derby participant Mendelssohn (Scat Daddy), a winner of the GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf and G2 UAE Derby, is still looking toward the GI Breeders’ Cup Classic at Churchill Downs as his long-term goal. “Clemmie needed the run in the Irish Guineas and came out of the race well,” said O’Brien. “She’ll go for the Coronation, while Happily (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who ran third in both the Newmarket Guineas and Irish Oaks, will step up in trip in the [June 17] G1 Prix de Diane on Sunday week. The Breeders’ Cup Classic is the plan [for Mendelssohn] and he’ll probably have a couple of races in the US before then.” View the full article

Hazapour (Ire) (Shamardal), who finished fifth in Saturday’s G1 Investec Derby for the Aga Khan and trainer Dermot Weld, will now drop back in trip. “Hazapour is tired after his run in the Derby,” Weld said. “He ran a very good race and I was happy with him. It will be back to a mile and a quarter wherever we decide to go next with him.” Hazapour is out of a half-sister to the same connections’ 2016 Derby winner Harzand (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}). “He ran a super race and came there to win two down,” Weld said. “He got an excellent ride from Frankie [Dettori], everything went right but he just didn’t stay. We’ll see how he comes out of the race later in the week and we’ll look at possibilities for him. It’s a long year.” In other Classic news, trainer Mick Halford has said Yuesheng Zhang’s Platinum Warrior (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) will point to the G1 Irish Derby on June 30 after winning the G3 Gallinule S. at The Curragh on May 27, which gives him a guaranteed run in the Irish Derby. “Platinum Warrior is in great form and has taken his run really well,” Halford said. “He gets the supplementary entry now for the Irish Derby, so we’ll let him take his chance. We think he’ll like a step up to a mile and a half, and will love the good ground. He has a good profile going forward.” View the full article

For all the indelible images the Bob Baffert barn has produced, the sight of Jimmy Barnes astride a diligent pony keeping tabs on the shedrow's litany of runners has become as much a signature part of the operation as his boss's ivory-colored hair. View the full article

Enable (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}), last year’s Cartier Horse of the Year, is recovering well from a knee injury that knocked her out of the first half of 2018. “Enable is fine, but it won’t be until July until we have any idea of how we are going or where we are going,” said Teddy Grimthorpe, racing manager to owner/breeder Khalid Abdullah. “She has been in very good form and is just in light exercise at the moment. We will see how she goes, but there is not too much to report at the moment.” Enable was last seen beating elders when winning the G1 Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe on Oct. 1, and Grimthorpe said it is still “realistic” that she will be fit for an Arc defense. “You always have to be optimistic and it is still realistic that she will be back in time for the Arc,” he said. View the full article

The three-day Magic Millions National Yearling Sale kicked off on the Gold Coast on Tuesday, with figures taking a dip from the same day 12 months ago. A total of 103 youngsters changed hands for A$4,249,500, at a clearance rate of 62.4%; it was 66.8% last year. The average dipped 30.1% to A$41,257, while the median was down 20% to A$30,000. “The clearance rate is far from satisfactory and we’re disappointed in that,” Magic Millions Managing Director Barry Bowditch said. “During the day there were some extremely impressive results and it was great to have Nick Columb and his team from the Hong Kong Jockey Club back on the Gold Coast.” Bowditch said the robust yearling trade already experienced Down Under throughout the year could have contributed to fewer sales being completed on Tuesday. “We’ve had a record yearling sale series around Australia with an extra $60-million spent this year, which could have attributed to the results of today,” he said. “Given that, there’s plenty of opportunities to buy well-bred and conformed horses over the coming two days.” The highlight on day one was provided by lot 1817, a son of champion sire Exceed and Excel (Aus) who was offered by Gerry Harvey’s Baramul Stud and purchased by John Crowley of Cheveaux Bloodstock for A$250,000. The bay is out of the General Nediym (Aus) mare Empress Wu (Aus), who is a half-sister to the G1 Australian Oaks winner Royal Descent (Aus) (Redoute’s Choice {Aus}). Empress Wu has already produced the G3 Widden S.-second Mystic Empire (Aus) (All Too Hard {Aus}). Crowley said it may not be long before the colt is back in this ring, with a date in the Magic Millions 2YO sale in October in mind. “He’s a very nice colt,” Crowley said. “He’s beautifully balanced, a precocious type with good legs, good body and a good temperament. We will break him in and then decide what to do. We could possibly bring him back here for the 2-year-old sale.” Arrowfield’s successful, longstanding relationship with the Yoshida family has been very much on display this year, with the G1 Golden Slipper winner Estijaab (Aus) (Snitzel {Aus}) the highlight, and on Tuesday Arrowfield sold a colt by Shadai stallion Lord Kanaloa (Jpn) (lot 1716) for A$230,000 on the Gold Coast. That bay, a son of African Piano (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), an unraced full-sister to Group 2-winning miler World Ace (Jpn), was bought by Dermot Farrington. A trio of colts brought A$150,000 on Tuesday, including a pair bought by the Hong Kong Jockey Club: lot 1874, a son of Hinchinbrook from Bhima Thoroughbreds, and lot 1704, a Mossman (Aus) colt from Tartan Fields. Trainer Gary Moore picked up a son of Not A Single Doubt (Aus) (lot 1736) from Raheen Stud for A$150,000. Three fillies made A$100,000 to be the highest-priced of their sex for their session: daughters of Fastnet Rock (Aus) (lot 1811), Ocean Park (NZ) (lot 1755) and Written Tycoon (Aus) (lot 1726). View the full article

Jack McShane, who along with his wife Kelly, has campaigned three stakes-placed runners in his three years in the racing business, admitted he was having dreams of that first stakes winner after the impressive debut performance of ‘TDN Rising Star’ Mr Paytience (Paynter) Sunday at Santa Anita. “Absolutely, we are hoping he can take us to that next level,” McShane said Monday. “Those were the dreams I had last night.” McShane was a longtime racing fan well before he even considered becoming a racehorse owner. “I started going to the races back when I was in high school in Santa Monica,” he recalled. “We would go to Hollywood Park right after lunch in high school and then I just kept going. I met my wife in high school and her family used to go to the racetrack, too. So when we were dating, we went to the racetrack. After we got married, we went to Del Mar and we took our vacations there every year. It was always a drive to be around the horses–normally it was just betting them. I never thought of actually purchasing horses.” A career in the restaurant industry blossomed into a food-safety audit company, the sale of which paved the path for the couple’s involvement in racing. “I worked my way up the ladder and was an executive for restaurant chains throughout the United States,” McShane said. “Then I came up with this business idea of Everclean. They have grades in the windows of restaurants all over the country and that started in 1998 in Los Angeles. I started a company that would guarantee that the restaurants would keep the A [rating] and that triggered a business that, in 1999, we did 100 audits, and when we sold it in 2012, we were up to 200,000.” McShane Racing was formed in the wake of the sale of Everclean Services and three years later, the operation had its first taste of black-type when Paynes Prairie (Tale of Ekati) was second in the 2015 Tremont S. Another one of its first acquisitions was a daughter of Colonel John (hip 1021) purchased for $145,000 at that year’s OBS June sale. The filly, Everqueen, was third in the 2016 Beverly J. Lewis S. at Los Alamitos, while Go On Mary (Broken Vow), a $40,000 OBS April graduate (hip 555) in 2016, was third in last year’s Sweet Life S. at Santa Anita. As the couple’s experience in the game increased, McShane found himself applying some of the same lessons he’d learned in the restaurant industry to the racing business. “Some of the same principles [from the business] applied to our racing operation,” he said. “I hired a lot of really smart people to have around me. The same thing goes for this industry. You’ve got to have people that are smart. When you are talking about the O’Neill brothers, Doug and Dennis, and you’re talking about the people they hire and surround themselves with, it’s pretty exciting stuff.” It was bloodstock agent Dennis O’Neill who steered McShane towards the purchase of Mr Paytience (hip 402) at this year’s OBS March sale. “Dennis O’Neill and [trainer Doug O’Neill’s operations manager] Steve Rothblum looked at the horse and they really liked that he was a Cal-bred,” McShane said of the colt, who was purchased for $90,000. “They sort of guided me in that direction.” Expectations were high for the colt as he went to the post for the first time Sunday, but it’s safe to say he exceeded expectations with his supremely easy 7 3/4-length victory in the 4 1/2-furlong race. “Doug’s assistant trainer, Stephanie Murray, loves the horse,” McShane said. “I had gone out the last three weeks to watch Mr Paytience breeze and he just looked so comfortable. They put blinkers on him a couple of weeks ago and it made all the difference in the world for him.” Of the juvenile’s romping victory, McShane admitted, “I was shocked. It was so easy and he had such a beautiful stride. We really believed when we purchased him at the OBS sale that he was a good-looking, two-turn horse. So for him to win so easily this early, that is the best part about it.” McShane Racing currently has a stable of six horses, four of whom are juveniles. “We are really comfortable with the six and I definitely want to keep it under 10,” he said of the stable size. “The one thing that I’ve learned over the last three years, is that you need a horse or two to carry the barn. You can’t go in and try to get one or two horses. It doesn’t work. You need more than two and we are trying to keep it less than 10.” Among the current roster is an unraced 2-year-old McShane is already excited about, a colt by Morning Line out of Sierra Vista (GB) (hip 24) who was purchased for $130,000 at OBS in March. “His name is Stubbins,” McShane said. “We have high expectations for him. He’s been working great at San Luis Rey and the barn loves him.” While most of McShane Racing’s prospects are purchased as 2-year-olds, the operation did make one yearling purchase last year. “I bought one yearling and I bought her because she was out of the same dam [Text Queen] as my first successful horse, Everqueen,” McShane said. “I bought her at the Saratoga Yearling Sale [hip 83] and paid $150,000 for her. It was sort of an emotional purchase. We’ll see how that works out.” He added with a laugh, “I am absolutely, from this point forward, only buying 2-year-olds.” With his grown children living states apart, racing has become a family-bonding activity for the McShanes. “We are enjoying the excitement of the races, the excitement of continuing to come down to Del Mar and have our family vacationing there,” he said. “My daughter lives in New York and my son lives in Los Angeles, they are older now, so it’s kind of keeping the family together, going to the races.” As for where Mr Paytience will make his next start, McShane said, “I am going to see Doug [Tuesday] at San Luis Rey and we’ll talk about where he’ll go next, but he came out of the race really, really great. My wife and I went to see him after the race and he still had a lot of energy.” View the full article

Darren Weir trainee Brave Smash (Jpn) (Tosen Phantom {Jpn}) will represent the Chris Waller Racing slot in the A$13-million The Everest at Royal Randwick on Oct. 13, reported Racenet.com. The G1 Furturity S. hero and Australian Bloodstock colourbearer ran third in last year’s inaugural 1200-metre event to Redzel (Aus) (Snitzel {Aus}) and is the fourth horse spoken for following his Everest conqueror, Trapeze Artist (Aus) (Snitzel {Aus}) and In Her Time (Aus) (Time Thief {Aus}). “The Everest has captured the attention of the entire world,” Waller told Racenet.com. “We are in a very fortunate position to hold a slot and be in a position to showcase the stable’s best sprinter when the time is right, however when the opportunity to have a horse of the calibre of Brave Smash represent the slot for my shareholders, it was a straight forward decision. We have a horse who has been proven in the best company of sprinters since arriving in Australia a little over 12 months ago and I have a huge amount of respect for Australian Bloodstock who are industry leaders in targeting and importing tried international horses.” Added Australian Bloodstock’s Jamie Lovett, “We feel that Brave Smash deserves another shot at The Everest. This year he is a Group 1 winner, with form around the best sprinters in the world. Darren Weir was very keen to secure a slot early this year and target the race. To be given the opportunity to represent Hall of Fame trainer Chris Waller and his partners in their slot is a huge thrill. We are very thankful and excited to now have that chance again.” View the full article

The Godolphin Flying Start class of 2018-2020, which will commence on Aug. 13 at Kildangan Stud in Ireland, was revealed on Tuesday. The scholarship recipients, five men and seven women, for the two-year Thoroughbred Industry Management and Leadership Programme hail from Ireland, Australia, the United States, France and the United Kingdom. The trainees’ time will be split between County Kildare, Ireland, Newmarket, UK, Kentucky, USA, Sydney, Australia and Dubai. The course is accredited by the University College Dublin Michael Smurfit Business School. The 2018-2020 intake are: Nicholas Archdale (UK), Lucy Blake (Ireland), Corbin Blumberg (USA), John Bourke (Ireland), Samantha Cripps (USA), Luke Evans (UK), Liza Hendriks (USA), Amélie Lemercier (France), Annise Montplaisir (USA), Niall O’Connor (UK), Isabella Paul (UK), and Anna Power (Australia). To learn more about the Godolphin Flying Start Programme, go to www.godolphinflyingstart.com. View the full article

Never Back Down (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}), who won the Listed Shalaa Carnarvon S. at Newbury in May and is eyeing the G1 Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot, is the latest horse to be added to the Goffs London Sale in association with QIPCO on Monday, June 18. He is joined by the SP Main Street (GB) (Street Cry {Ire}), who holds an entry in the G2 King Edward VII S., while juvenile Luchador (GB) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}) is also slated to sell. The last-named won in taking fashion at Thirsk in May. Other notable entries announced earlier are: Landikusic (Ire), a full-sister to Zoffany (Ire) (Dansili {GB}) in foal to Frankel (GB); Group 1 winner Miss Beatrix (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}); and listed winner Vintage Brut (GB) (Dick Turpin {Ire}), who leads the horses-in-training portion. “As we race towards the fifth renewal of the Goffs London Sale in association with QIPCO, the boutique catalogue is coming together nicely with an interesting mix of both the horses-in-training and breeding stock categories with 13 confirmed entries and two weeks to go,” said Goffs Group Chief Executive Henry Beeby. “Entries will be taken throughout this week and next and are by no means restricted to horses entered at Royal Ascot as a number of racing and breeding prospects have proved previously. We are excited about the new site which although is still within grounds of Kensington Palace, will allow us to create something from scratch and guests can expect an extra special experience to unofficially raise the curtain on the most global race meeting in the world.” He said, “We are committed to attracting new investment into the sport and the ability to purchase a horse on the eve of Royal Ascot and see it run in your colours during the most prestigious week in international flat racing has really caught the imagination of buyers from around the world and we are particularly excited about this year’s renewal.” To view the catalogue, go to www.goffs.com. View the full article

Four GI Kentucky Derby wins, six GI Preakness S. wins and four GI Belmont S. wins. Legendary Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas has “done it his way” and long since cemented his legacy as an all-time great not only through a slew of victories at the highest level, but also through a number of his former assistants who have gone on to achieve success of their own. Lukas often observes that both accomplishments are gratifying, but is quick to acknowledge that the hunt for the Triple Crown keeps him motivated year in and year out. Now at the age of 82, Lukas most recently came close to pulling off a monumental upset when Calumet Farm’s Bravazo (Awesome Again) finished a closing half-length behind undefeated ‘TDN Rising Star’ Justify (Scat Daddy) in the GI Preakness S. May 19. On Saturday, Lukas will bring the colt to Belmont Park in an attempt to win his fifth Belmont and spoil Justify’s bid at becoming the 13th Triple Crown winner The iconic trainer won the Belmont in three consecutive years from 1994-1996, finding the winner’s circle with Tabasco Cat, Thunder Gulch and Editor’s Note before adding a fourth in 2000 with Commendable. In 2013, Lukas brought Oxbow (Awesome Again) to Belmont to follow up a win in the Preakness with a runner-up finish. Lukas sat down with the TDN recently to reflect on his career and outlook for the Belmont–including a sneak peek at what he has in the pipeline for 2019. View the full article

There was a time when trainers on The Curragh used to walk and trot runners from their stables to the nearby track for racing. “We had a handicapper called Macgillycuddy (Ire), a good five-furlong sprinter, but he had his own idea of things so we used to jump him over three hurdles on the way and arrive just in time for the race,” recounts Patrick Prendergast as we drive towards the Old Vic gallop to watch some of his charges exercise. “One day, my father really fancied him. I fell off him going over one of the hurdles and he ran around half The Curragh. I was too afraid to tell my father as I knew he had him backed. Despite doing all that, he still won and Robbie Fitzpatrick said he never moved better.” That could never happen now but some things endure, like the appearance of the Prendergast name on a racecard. Patrick is known as Pa by his siblings. He was Little Pa as a youth, to differentiate him from his father, who in turn was Young Paddy, Long Paddy or just Junior, in deference to his own father, Paddy ‘Darkie’ Prendergast. Darkie was a standard setter. A winner of 17 Irish Classics and four in Britain, he was the first Irish-based trainer to be British champion. He completed three in a row from 1963-65, to go with his six Irish titles. He would always be a tough act to follow for his sons but “ironman” Kevin is a multiple Classic winner who continues to be one of Ireland’s leading trainers as he approaches his 86th birthday in July. Junior, as he is still known despite being 83 in March, is part of a select group of trainers that enjoyed success at Group 1 level on the flat and Grade 1 over jumps, despite always being cognisant of the business side of the operation and selling on many of his more promising individuals. “My father bought and sold a lot of horses. I remember it used to annoy my mother an awful lot. She’d say ‘Would you ever hold on to a few?’ Blue Wind (Ire) was one of the best ever 2-year-olds here and she went to Dermot Weld and did the Oaks double [in 1981].” The 43-year-old’s memories of his grandfather are not vivid and it was only after Darkie’s death in 1980 that he grew to compute the scale of his greatness. “He actually died when my father was at Royal Ascot,” he recalls. “My father had a horse there, Cooliney Prince (Ire), that won the Windsor Castle, but he didn’t get to see it as he came home. We were all waiting for Daddy to come home because he’d won at Royal Ascot. We were expecting ice-cream and lemonade. I remember him coming in and seeing his face. As a child, you’re not used to seeing your father cry. It sticks in your head. I remember the coverage then after, and it was a huge funeral.” Prendergast the younger is establishing a niche for himself in the industry once more after nearly going to the wall. Like his father, he trains and lives out of Melitta Lodge. One of the oldest yards on The Curragh, it was where Pat Doucie prepped three G1 Irish Derby winners in 1873, 1881 and 1882. Hubert Hartigan was champion trainer from the facility on three occasions. Junior bought it and put his own stamp on it and now it is his son that runs the show. That he is living there with his wife Gráinne and three children is born of necessity, as he had to sell their home in Kildare town to pay off the debts that almost buried him–just another victim of speculator owners leaving a slew of unpaid bills in their wake. Now, he is adding boxes to increase his string from 25 to 40. That is as far as he’d like to go but don’t mistake this for an unwillingness to graft or a lack of hunger. He would not have survived the economic blitz if he wasn’t driven. Prendergast is full of admiration for the large operations, their systems and ability to delegate, but it is not for him. He prefers to be hands-on, to know all his charges intimately. Having served his training apprenticeship with his father, Dermot Weld, Jim Bolger and Jean-Claude Rouget, Prendergast also had a spell in California before working as an assistant to Ed Dunlop and Sir Michael Stoute, where he was highly valued. “Patrick only spent two seasons with me so he did not qualify for a rating,” jokes Stoute before turning serious. “I can say, however, that I was extremely sorry to lose him but totally understood why he decided to go back to Ireland. Patrick is a very good horseman, was very adept at handling the staff and was a very natural communicator with the owners. I am delighted the 2018 season has started so well for him.” He came home to pre-train for Taiki Racing at Strawhall Stables, succeeding another uncle, John Muldoon. When his patron became ill he turned to training in 2002 and, with his father assisting him, landed running. In 2005, he saddled nine winners, with Waterways (Ire) (Alhaarth {Ire}) bagging the Listed Marble Hill S. Four years later, Prendergast was on his knees, with no winners and just €19,315 in prize-money accumulated. He refused to buckle however, and gradually built the operation back to a consistent level of performance once more. “I’d a great year in 2005, with Waterways, who was owned by a really good guy in Pearse Gately, and everything in the yard won. My clients were speculators, and I got left in an awful mess. I had a nice house in town that came from my savings from England and I had to sell it, give it to the banks and move into the yard. I converted a few stables with a few quid I managed to keep.” “You would have been angry enough at the time,” he says. “I had certain clients that genuinely couldn’t pay me but I have no doubt a huge percentage of my old clients used the crash as an excuse to make no effort.” Tis Mighty (Ire) (Fruits Of Love) won the Irish Cambridgeshire in 2008 and Prendergast was hanging on. He concentrated on trading and proved extremely adept at it, clearing what he owed and getting back on a solid footing. The support of an American breeder, Rick Barnes of Grangecon Stud, helped him get going once more. “Along came Coral Wave (Ire), Sugar Boy (Ire), Seolan (Ire)–I had some nice horses,” he said. “I am so appreciative of Rick’s incredibly loyal support. Rick’s system was that if he couldn’t sell them at the sales, he sold them off the track and we sold all of them. Racing is very competitive in Ireland but the flip side of that is that it is acknowledged as such and you can be placed in a maiden and increase the value of your horse, especially for the American market. ” The current campaign began in spectacular fashion for Prendergast, in keeping with the arc of recent years and coming off his best season ever, with 16 winners and €313,388. Doubles at Dundalk and Leopardstown in six April days saw his strike rate hovering around the 40% mark at one point. That has dropped inevitably but with nine winners on the board and a number of unraced 2- and 3-year-olds still to emerge, there is plenty to look forward to. At present, he has three Group 3 wins on his CV thanks to Coral Wave, Sugar Boy and Queen Blossom (Ire) (Jeremy)–the latter a recent Grade III winner in Santa Anita–but Group 1 races and Classics are the target. Ken Condon claiming the G1 Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas with Romanised (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}) proved that it is possible for a handler operating at his scale. “My father always said to me ‘Good horses will win in spite of you’. If we have pedigrees coming from good studs, it’ll come,” he says. “I love going to the sales and buying a few, but I am training for a lot of owner-breeders on a small scale, sending me one or two. I have Ballylinch, Grangecon and Airlie, so they’re great studs and [now] if I can get more of that.” “People say ‘What do you look for in a horse?’ and when all is said and done, pedigree is a great thing,” he recalls. “If they’ve great pedigrees and they go to the track, they’re just doing what they’re born to do if they win. If horses come from nothing, they’re a fluke. It does happen but you are looking for lightning to strike if a horse has no pedigree. So if I’m picking something up at the sales, I’ll forgive them a few things in favour of pedigree because I won’t have the budget otherwise.” He continues, “I’d find training a yard full of 45-to-65-rated handicappers very frustrating. It’d drive you mad because when they do get through the ballots, it’s the day things are wrong half the time.” He says, “I’d rather have a boutique hotel than a chain of hotels. And it’s not laziness, or a lack of ambition. I was an assistant trainer and there were 55 horses on a lot. I can see the merit in it but it was not something I wanted for myself. Ideally, I’d love to have 40 stakes horses here.” “And this is also our home. I place a high value on my family life. I have a lovely staff and I’m comfortable with them being around my family. That’s very important to me.” Of those that have been to the track, he is hopeful that Skitter Skatter (Scat Daddy) and Mm Sixsevei (Ire) (Dragon Pulse {Ire}) might become stakes horses. Standing as we are now, at the Fox Covert gallop to oversee another bit of work, with the sun beaming down, this is a man happy with his lot. “I could be commuting to Dublin like a lot of my pals, who are getting into their car at half six in the morning,” he says. Sure, he wants to join his grandfather, father and uncle on the Group 1 roll of honour and believes he will, but if it happens, it will be his way. View the full article

The class of 2018-2020 is comprised of five men and seven women from Ireland, Australia, the United States, France, and the United Kingdom. View the full article

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Today’s Observations features a promising runner making his 3-year-old debut. 7.00 Kempton, Cond, £10,000, 3yo/up, 7f (AWT) RED MIST (GB) (Frankel {GB}) kicks off what could be a profitable 2018 campaign for Sheikh Ahmed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, having shown smart form at two when second to the subsequent Classic-placed Hey Gaman (GB) (New Approach {Ire}) in the Listed Washington Singer S. and fourth in the G2 Champagne S. Simon Crisford puts the relative of Islington (Ire) (Sadler’s Wells) in against some intriguing newcomers including Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s Owen Burrows-trained Althaaqib (War Front), a $1.9-million KEESEP graduate out of a stakes-winning half-sister to MGSW Lead Story (Editor’s Note). View the full article

Oak Bluffs, an 8-year-old New Jersey-bred gelding, became the Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred Championships Series overall leader with a sharp victory in the $200,000 Pennsylvania Governor's Cup June 2. View the full article

Top Score can continue his terrific form at Happy Valley and ring up another win for Zac Purton in the Class Four Sports Cup Diamond Jubilee Challenge Cup (1,200m) on Wednesday night. The Francis Lui Kin-wai-trained five-year-old was inconsistent during his first six runs of the season – all at Sha Tin – but a switch to the city track has seen him turn the corner. In April, he stormed over the top of Leisured Feet and Bingo to notch his maiden Hong Kong victory and last start he... View the full article

Happy Valley’s staying races are notoriously tricky and tactical affairs but Karis Teetan is ready for anything on the David Ferraris-trained Sangria as the consistent type returns to the city circuit. With an awkward starting point in the back straight and three turns, 2,200m contests at the Valley can often be run at a muddling pace and the stop-start tempo can entice jockeys into making daring mid-race moves. Throw in a few horses stretched beyond their normal distance limits and it... View the full article

John Moore has been “given the green light” from owner Johnson Chen to send comeback horse Werther to Japan for the Group One Takarazuka Kinen but will wait for one final track gallop to confirm the tough assignment. Werther returned from a long lay-off with a sound, but somewhat unconvincing, midfield finish in Sunday’s Group Three Lion Rock Trophy and post-race the trainer was non-committal about the horse’s next start. At trackwork at Sha Tin on Tuesday, Moore was... View the full article

David Longinotti, a member of the Oaklawn management team since 2006, has been named the Director of Oaklawn Anywhere, the track’s in-state advanced deposit wagering service. Longinotti previously served as Oaklawn’s Director of Racing. “Oaklawn Anywhere is a significant part of our racing business and we’re thrilled to have someone with David’s racing expertise running the program,” General Manager Wayne Smith said. “His background in marketing and racing makes him the perfect fit for this position. It’s a big positive for our business and for the continued growth of Oaklawn Anywhere.” View the full article

John Hayes was unanimously elected the Independent Chairman of the Board of Ontario Racing, a non-profit horse racing industry association recognized by the provincial government as the authority for horseracing in Ontario. Hayes has over 25 years of experience as a Standardbred race horse owner. He previously served as Gaming Director with Ontario Lottery and Gaming, with operational responsibilities at Georgian Downs, Ajax Downs, Grand River Raceway, Woodbine and other racetracks across the province. He most recently served as an At-Large Director of Ontario Racing. “I am honoured to be appointed to the Independent Chair of Ontario Racing,” said Hayes. “I have a passion for horse racing and am confident in the direction and approach of Ontario Racing. I look forward to working with the industry’s diverse group of stakeholders to create a sustainable future for the sport in Ontario.” In addition to Hayes, there are 10 seats, five from industry associations and five from racetracks, on Ontario Racing’s Board of Directors. Bill O’Donnell (President, COSA, on behalf of Standardbred Horsepeople), Sue Leslie (President, HBPA, on behalf of Thoroughbred Horsepeople), Bob Broadstock (President, Quarter Horse Racing Owners of Ontario, on behalf of Quarter Horse Horsepeople), Walter Parkinson (President, SBOA, on behalf of Standardbred Breeders) and Bernard McCormack (President, Cara Bloodstock, on behalf of Thoroughbred Breeders) will represent the Associations on the board. Jim Lawson (CEO, Woodbine Entertainment, on behalf, of Premier Thoroughbred Racetracks), Jim Thibert (CEO, Fort Erie Live Racing Consortium, on behalf of Signature Thoroughbred Racetracks), Jessica Buckley (President, Woodbine Mohawk Park, on behalf of Premier Standardbred Racetracks), Hugh Mitchell (President, Western Fair District, on behalf of Signature Standardbred Racetracks) and Ian Fleming (General Manager, Clinton Raceway, on behalf of Grassroots Standardbred Racetracks) will represent the racetracks. View the full article

Sentient Jet will continue to raise awareness for Homes for Our Troops–a nonprofit organization that builds specially adapted custom homes for severely injured post-9/11 veterans–with the extension of its partnership with Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC and sponsorship of contender Tenfold (Curlin) in Saturday’s GI Belmont S. The Directional Aviation company sponsored Winchell Thoroughbreds’ Combatant (Scat Daddy) in the GI Kentucky Derby and added Tenfold for the GI Preakness S. After garnering attention in local and national media, the campaign has already generated $40,000 in direct donations. “No matter how Tenfold finishes June 9, he will be winning for veterans everywhere through the awareness and funds he is raising for this noble cause,” said Andrew Collins, president and CEO of Sentient Jet. “We are proud to do our part to honor the achievements of both the organization at large and the heroic men and women that it serves.” As part of the partnership, Sentient Jet will once again host U.S. veterans for a day at the races, offering them a personal introduction to the Belmont field and seating in the luxurious G.H. Mumm Champagne Room. Among the list attending will be Veteran Marine Staff Sergeant Charlie Linville. An inspiring and avid mountain climber, Staff Sergeant Linville is the first amputee veteran to reach the top of Mount Everest. “We are thrilled to have the continued support of Sentient Jet and Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC at the 2018 Belmont S.,” said Tom Landwermeyer, President and CEO of Homes For Our Troops. “Beyond the important awareness we are raising for the work that we do, we are also offering a deserving group of veterans a very special day of once-in-a-lifetime fun at the races. We are looking forward to another spectacular day at the races.” View the full article

Saimee wishing for a bit of Magic in Stewards' Cup View the full article

Boss looking to Meet same Heights View the full article

William Pike to ride at Stewards’ Cup meeting View the full article