Wandering Eyes

Mark Currie, father of trainer Ben Currie, has been banned from training for two years after being found guilty of 16 charges related to raceday treatments, according to Racing.com. The charges related to activities of the elder Currie at the Toowoomba stables of his son on Mar. 24 and Apr. 7. Three others persons connected to Ben Currie have been banned in recent weeks. “While it is more than six weeks since the ongoing investigation began into suspicious activity at the Currie Racing stables in Toowoomba, it is expected to be sometime before it is concluded,” Queensland Racing Integrity Commissioner Ross Barnett said. View the full article

Churchill Downs will increase its overnight purses by 10% effective Thursday, May 31, the track announced Tuesday. Citing record wagering on races during the week of the GI Kentucky Derby and GI Longines Kentucky Oaks and an overall strong start to the spring meet, Churchill is slated to increase purses over the final 19 days of the 38-day spring meet, which concludes June 30. Total overnight purses offered for the meet are projected to be $13.1 million, up from the original forecast of $12.4 million. The daily average purse distribution, not including stakes money or Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund (KTDF), will be $344,337 per day. That number grows to $601,456 when stakes and KTDF money is included. “Despite historic rainfall on Kentucky Derby Day, fans wagered at record levels on races presented throughout Derby Week at Churchill Downs, and it’s exciting that owners, trainers, jockeys and breeders who compete in our races will benefit from those increased business levels,” said Kevin Flanery, President of Churchill Downs Racetrack. View the full article

The National Steeplechase Association (NSA) is soliciting proposals to provide high-definition video services for all of its race meets, with an initial one-year contract period extending from this coming fall through next spring, it was announced Tuesday. The video services primarily will serve the stewards at approximately 30 race meets and will provide photo-finish capabilities at those meets. Initial expressions of intent to bid, accompanied by signed confidentiality agreements, are due by June 1, and the detailed proposals must be submitted by July 2. “We are a highly visual sport, and high-quality, high-definition video is crucial to steeplechasing in so many ways,” NSA President Guy J. Torsilieri said. “At New York Racing Association (NYRA) facilities and our own meets that have adopted high-definition video, we have seen vividly the importance of these superior-quality images.” Torsilieri said the NSA has received expressions of interest from both U.S. companies and overseas operations. The high-quality video would not only serve the NSA’s regulatory functions, but also provide an enhanced method of evaluating safety considerations for both horses and jockeys and a means to attract new participants through a more visually appealing presentation. For further information on the NSA’s request for proposals, contact Manager of Racing Operations Courtney C. Reid at courtneyreid@nationalsteeplechase.com. View the full article

Evangeline Downs will be hosting Louisiana Legends Night May 26 featuring the best Louisiana-bred horses currently in training competing against each other. View the full article

Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races has added 11 new days to its 2018 live racing calendar following approval by the West Virginia Racing Commission at its May 22 meeting. View the full article

Roger Goodell, commissioner of the National Football League (NFL) called upon Congress to enact regulatory standards for states that pursue legalized sports betting in a statement issued Monday. The statement is the latest cautionary reaction from one of the major sports leagues in the wake of the Supreme Court’s ruling which struck down a federal law banning wagers on team sports last Monday. The decision has wide-reaching implications for the racing industry, as numerous tracks–led by Monmouth Park in New Jersey, which could be first to market in early June–are eyeing the addition of sports books. “Our fans, our players and our coaches deserve to know that we are doing everything possible to ensure no improper influences affect how the game is played on the field,” Goodell stated. “This…ruling by the Supreme Court has no effect on that unwavering commitment.” According to the statement, the NFL is seeking legislation that preserves the integrity of the game in a new landscape where legalized sports wagering is widespread. Goodell continued, “We are asking Congress to enact uniform standards for states that choose to legalize sports betting that include, at a minimum, four core principles: (1) There must be substantial consumer protections; (2) Sports leagues can protect our content and intellectual property from those who attempt to steal or misuse it; (3) Fans will have access to official, reliable league data; and (4) Law enforcement will have the resources, monitoring and enforcement tools necessary to protect our fans and penalize bad actors here at home and abroad.” While Goodell’s statement did not explicitly mention a request for compensation, the NBA and the MLB have previously called for legislation that would allow them to receive 1% of the gross handle on all of a league’s games as an “integrity fee” to help ensure games are conducted honestly. That suggestion was met with a strong push back from Dennis Drazin, CEO of Darby Development, which operates Monmouth Park on behalf of the New Jersey Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association. Drazin suggested the idea of an integrity fee is hypocritical, because it is often errors by league officials that impact the results of games and by association, would affect the outcome of sports bets. Moreover, opponents of integrity fees have asserted that legalized sports betting is inherently more regulated and therefore creates a safer environment for the leagues when compared to the illegal sports betting market. The arrival of sports wagering in New Jersey is currently under a delay as the state senate finalizes legislation. View the full article

World Horse Racing, a media company dedicated to telling the story of international Thoroughbred horse racing, was launched on Tuesday following a partnership between the Breeders’ Cup World Thoroughbred Championships, Ascot Racecourse, Goodwood Racecourse and the Victoria Racing Club. The company will provide a unique digital fan experience across all major social networks and will be free to access via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube. WHR aims to earn the respect of hardcore fans and attract new ones to the world of horse racing, with its focus on racing’s athletes and engaging personalities–human and equine–along with the festivals that stage these spectacles. WHR will also provide a platform of user-generated content that will allow the sport’s stars to connect with its fans. Ascot’s Chief Commerical Officer Juliet Slot said, “We already know horse racing is one of the most popular sports in the world, but we felt there was real potential to tell our brilliant stories to a much wider audience. World Horse Racing gives us the perfect platform to reach a new generation of fans and give a more compelling and engaging story arc compared to standard news coverage.” Added Breeders’ Cup CMO Bryan Pettigrew, “Breeders’ Cup continues to forge relationships and collaborate with international racing leaders to move the Thoroughbred industry forward. We anticipate a great partnership with Ascot, Flemington and Goodwood in promoting our sport on a global platform.” “In recent years, the sport has become increasingly global, and so it seems the perfect time for a collection of the world’s most important festivals to launch a new platform that will enrich the existing fans’ experience through some real behind the scenes and previously unseen content, as well as introducing racing to a new audience by focusing on the horses, the people and the sport,” said Goodwood’s MD Adam Waterworth. Neil Wilson, CEO of The Victoria Racing Club, said, “This is an opportunity to broaden our reach and engage with racing fans globally by highlighting our spectacular race days including the four days of the world-renowned Melbourne Cup Carnival, our events, our equine and human athletes and the people behind it all, to new and existing audiences. World Horse Racing is a must-follow destination for fans seeking original and exclusive stories on and off the track.” To view a video or find out more about World Horse Racing, go to www.worldhorseracing.com. View the full article

Record wagering at Churchill Downs during the week of the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) and the Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1) have enabled the track to announce a 10% increase in daily purses for overnight races. View the full article

At a time when Japanese pedigrees are very much in the spotlight worldwide, the Japan Racing Horse Association has released the catalogue for its Select Sale of foals and yearlings on July 9 and 10 in Hokkaido. Saxon Warrior (Jpn) gave flagship Japanese sire Deep Impact (Jpn) a first British Classic winner when taking the G1 2000 Guineas on May 5, and he will keep his sire in the spotlight with a bid for the G1 Investec Derby on June 2. On the same day that Saxon Warrior won the Guineas, Select Sale graduate Yoshida (Jpn) (Heart’s Cry {Jpn}) won the GI Turf Classic at Churchill Downs. Japanese-breds have also continued to excel in Australia: Select Sale graduate Tosen Stardom (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) won a pair of Group 1s last spring, while Brave Smash (Jpn) (Tosen Phantom {Jpn}) won the G1 Futurity S. in February. The yearling session, which takes place on July 9, includes 243 yearlings including a first-crop American Pharoah colt out of the GI Santa Anita Oaks winner Crisp (El Corredor). The Deep Impact progeny include colts out of American champions Azeri (Jade Hunter) and Ginger Punch (Awesome Again), a filly out of American champion 2-year-old filly Awesome Feather (Awesome of Course) and a half-brother to GI Kentucky Derby and G1 Dubai World Cup winner Animal Kingdom (Leroidesanimaux {Brz}). The G1 Fillies Mile winner Listen (Ire) (Sadler’s Wells) has twice provided the top lot at this sale, and her Deep Impact yearling colt is catalogued. The 239-strong foal session includes Deep Impact colts out of Grade/Group 1 winners like Ria Antonia (Rockport Harbor) and Lightening Pearl (Ire) (Marju {Ire}) and a filly out of GI Spinaway S. winner So Many Ways (Sightseeing). King Kamehameha (Jpn) has a filly out of dual Grade I winner Weemissfrankie (Sunriver), while European Champion Sprinter Fleeting Spirit (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) has a colt from the first crop of Horse of the Year Maurice (Jpn) (Screen Hero {Jpn}). Click here for the full catalogue. View the full article

Epsom, UK—Perfect clarity is what we all seek when it comes to predicting how events will unfold on the Epsom Downs the weekend after next. How much a relatively restrained canter around racing’s equivalent of a helter-skelter ride will have told the trainers of the two Classic hopefuls which appeared for Tuesday morning’s Breakfast With The Stars remains to be seen, but we are at least several steps closer to gleaning who will or won’t be running. Clive Cox already has Perfect Clarity (GB), in his yard if not in his mind, though it has to be said that the trainer was as bullish as he has ever sounded in that appealingly understated way of his when it came to discussing the merits of the filly who could give her sire Nathaniel (Ire) a second Investec Oaks winner from just his second crop. “She’s only run twice so I’m really grateful to Epsom for putting today on. After winning the Oaks Trial down at Lingfield we’ve been really happy with her and today is another opportunity to give her more exposure,” said Cox after watching Adam Kirby put Bridget Drew and David Keast’s filly through a ten-furlong workout around Tattenham Corner and all the way down the straight behind stablemate Luire (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}). “She’s a filly in which I have enormous confidence that she’s going to acquit herself well. She’s definitely the best middle-distance filly that I’ve had anything to do with. I’m very relaxed,” he added. “The Oaks picture has changed dramatically over the last two weeks. There are a lot of nice fillies out there—the Newbury winner [Sea Of Class]—and the whole picture is coming together very excitingly. With the timescale of my filly’s win at Lingfield and having a little airing here today, as long as we keep her fresh and well in the meantime I’m looking forward to it very much.” William Haggas, who won the Oaks in 2011 with Dancing Rain (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}), could potentially saddle two fillies for this year’s race. He had previously aired his doubts over the stamina reserves of Musidora S. winner Give And Take (GB) but she will now head for Epsom instead of her alternative option of the G1 Prix Saint-Alary. The daughter of Cityscape (GB) may well have stablemate Sea Of Class (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) for company after her breakthrough victory at Newbury on Saturday. “Give And Take will definitely run in the Oaks,” stated the trainer. “Nicholas [Jones] is an English owner-breeder and when you sit down and breed these horses and you dream, with all due respect you don’t dream of winning the Prix Saint-Alary, you dream of winning the Investec Oaks. For an English owner-breeder in particular, and I can’t stress this enough, this is the pinnacle.” Haggas continued, “James [Doyle] at the moment will ride her, but that depends what happens with Sea Of Class. Sea Of Class ran very well last week and didn’t surprise us very much but I feel at the moment that it’s all coming a bit quickly. “I emailed [owner] Mrs Tsui after Newbury and got a response this morning but I think we just need to speak in person and decide what to do. She’s quite keen to go and naturally says there’s only one Investec Oaks and you can go anywhere else whenever you want. Mrs Tsui will ultimately make the decision. I’ve got her in the Ribblesdale and we’ll put her in the Irish Oaks tomorrow. The French Oaks to me, although it’s a big supplementary, looks the right fit. It just gives her a month on from Newbury and then there’s time then to go on to the Irish Oaks. We’ll see. It’s very possible that they will both line up [at Epsom].” Neither of the Haggas fillies was in attendance for Breakfast With The Stars but Chester Vase winner and Derby hopeful Young Rascal (Fr) (Intello {Ger}) was, along with his owner Bernard Kantor, managing director of Investec, which this year celebrates ten years of sponsorship of the Derby meeting, an association which is set to continue to 2026. James Doyle was in the saddle, just as he has been for Young Rascal’s two victories this season, and the colt with a notably high knee action appeared to bowl along quite happily alongside Original Choice (Ire) (Dragon Pulse {Ire}), a winner recently at Wetherby. “This is going to get to [Bernard] big time if we can get the horse in top shape for the day,” Haggas said. “Obviously we’ve always tried to get a horse for the Derby for him. If he’s buying a yearling through Anthony Stroud he’s always looking to try to buy something to run well or win the Derby. It’s his company’s race and this is his passion. Bernard’s been a very good friend of mine for a long time, I’ve trained for him for 22 years and to have a runner for him on Derby day for him would be very special for me.” He continued, “Throughout the winter I thought the Derby would be too early for [Young Rascal] in his career but he ran a really good time at Newbury and he justified going to Chester. That form is probably not good enough at the moment but I think the horse is getting better. James was really quite impressed with him today.” Recent Derby winners Golden Horn (GB) (Cape Cross {Ire}) and Pour Moi (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}) both appeared at Breakfast With The Stars before going on to Epsom glory, though lurking in County Tipperary is the QIPCO 2000 Guineas winner Saxon Warrior (JPN) (Deep Impact {JPN}), a worthy short-priced favourite to go a step closer to claiming the Triple Crown. Joining the breakfast bash by telephone, his trainer Aidan O’Brien issued a positive bulletin but wouldn’t yet be drawn on his exact line-up for the Derby, which could include as many as six runners from Ballydoyle, the same number fielded last year when 40/1 shot Wings Of Eagles (Fr) (Pour Moi {Ire}) swooped to victory. “We are happy with Saxon Warrior and it’s so far, so good with all the possibles. Obviously if they’re in good shape and they’re well, the lads like to give them their chance, like they did last year,” said O’Brien. Masar (GB) (New Approach {Ire}) was third to Saxon Warrior at Newmarket and will attempt to reverse the Guineas form as the sole representative for Godolphin from Charlie Appleby’s stable. “Going up in trip was always going to be his forte as a 3-year-old and he’s got the pedigree to go a mile and a half, for sure,” said Appleby, who will also run Wild Illusion (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) in the Oaks. “He’s settled very well this season and he’s a much more professional horse so I think he’s got every chance of staying the Derby trip. I’ve always been a strong believer that the Guineas is the best trial for the Derby and from what I’ve seen it does look the best trial at the moment. With Masar, I’m confident that if he gets behind horses he’ll switch off and relax. He and Wild Illusion have both taken their trials very well and our immediate plan after those races was to go for the Derby and the Oaks.” John Gosden had only one fewer than O’Brien to saddle for last year’s Derby and, another to join the press conference by telephone, he confirmed that Qatar Racing’s Dante S. winner Roaring Lion (Kitten’s Joy) will take his chance. “He’s in splendid form and the owner is very keen that he goes for the Derby, so that is where he is going and I think that’s the right call,” he said. The trainer, who won last year’s Oaks with Enable (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}), has the favourite for this year’s race in Lah Ti Dar (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), a last-minute scratching for her scheduled appearance at Breakfast With The Stars owing to the warm weather in the south of England. “She’s fine, she’s just going out for a canter and she worked nicely on Friday,” her trainer assured the audience. “It was just the six hours on the road and a bit of heat coming home, I didn’t feel it was something she needed ten days before the race. She’s pleased us in everything she has done and we just felt she was better at home today than on the road.” Gosden went on to explain how Lah Ti Dar’s full-sister So Mi Dar (GB) missed her intended start in the Oaks two years ago after being startled by a lawnmower starting up while on her way home from exercise, causing her to fall and injure herself. He’s clearly taking no chances when it comes to having Lord and Lady Lloyd Webber’s homebred on song to avenge her sibling. View the full article

Steve Harman will stand down from his role as British Horseracing Authority Chairman in order to take up a new industry-wide role to engage with government to tackle the potential impact of last week’s FOBT announcement. The government’s decision to cut the maximum FOBT wager to £2 from £100 could mean a loss of £40 to £60 million per year for racing due to the threat of closure of betting shops. Harman’s BHA role will wrap up in November and he will work exclusively in his new role through 2019. He said, “This is the single biggest issue facing our industry and I welcome the opportunity to galvanise support to get the best possible deal for horseracing. This could mean a further reform of the levy to capture overseas betting and other changes we could seek to ensure that the funding of racing is secured for the future.” View the full article

It has been two-and-a-half years since Doyeni won his last race, but the Tony Cruz-trained seven-year-old can break that drought in the Le French May Trophy (1,800m) at Happy Valley on Wednesday night. The gelding has only won one of his 22 career starts in Hong Kong – over this trip on November 21, 2015 – but has placed at his past two, most recently finishing third in the Group Three Queen Mother Memorial Cup (2,400m). While Exultant cleared out from his rivals, Doyeni was only a... View the full article

He might not be Werther, but John Moore hopes Circuit Glory can land his first Hong Kong victory in the Class Two Le French May Trophy (1,800m) at Happy Valley on Wednesday night. Both Werther and Tavidream, as Circuit Glory was called when racing in New Zealand, won the Championship Stakes, sparking comparisons between the two. “When the horse first came to my stable earlier this year, one of the owners said to me that he was better than Werther at the same stage in New Zealand,”... View the full article

Declaration of War is classified as a North American sire for the purposes of leading sires tables and he ranks ninth among North American second-crop sires by cumulative progeny earnings View the full article

TIMONIUM, MD – The Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale opened Monday in Timonium with figures largely in line with last year’s opening session of a record-setting renewal of the auction. A colt by More Than Ready (hip 204) brought the day’s top price of $750,000 when selling to trainer Simon Callaghan, bidding on behalf of an undisclosed client. Overall, Fasig-Tipton sold 172 juveniles Monday for a total of $12,066,000, compared to 162 grossing $11,537,500 in 2017. The average dipped slightly to $70,151, down 1.5% from last year’s figure of $71,219. The median fell 10% to $36,000 from $40,000 at last year’s opening session. From 300 head catalogued, 223 horses were offered and 51 failed to sell for a buy-back rate of 22.9%. It was 25% a year ago. “I think we have seen a fairly similar marketplace throughout the 2-year-old sales season,” said Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning, Jr. “There is still some polarization in the market, but there was certainly more diversity and depth, as you would expect with the larger catalogue and a wide variety of horses that were on offer today. There was plenty of interest and a huge crowd here today. It was a solid, solid day and that’s what you hope for in this marketplace.” Nick De Meric, whose De Meric Sales sold 13 horses Monday for an average of $87,731, was happy with the competition across the board. “I think it feels like a pretty good market,” de Meric said. “I think there seem to be shoppers at every level. And if you appraise your horse realistically, you can get them sold here.” The Midlantic sale concludes Tuesday with a session beginning at 2 p.m. More Than Ready Colt to Callaghan Fireworks broke out Tuesday in Timonium when bloodstock agent Ben McElroy, bidding alongside trainer Simon Callaghan, went to $750,000 to acquire a colt by More Than Ready (hip 204). The juvenile, who worked a co-fastest furlong in :10 1/5 last Wednesday, was consigned by Hartley/de Renzo Thoroughbreds, which purchased him for $500,000 at last year’s Keeneland September Yearling Sale. “I thought his breeze was pretty exceptional,” Callaghan, who purchased the colt on behalf of an undisclosed client, said. “He’s a really good-looking horse with a great attitude. He did everything right.” Hip 204 is out of Canadian champion Embur’s Song (Unbridled’s Song) and was purchased in utero for $900,000 by Bridlewood Farm. “More Than Ready is obviously a very proven stallion,” Callaghan said. “I thought this horse had a lot more substance than a lot of the More Than Readys. Some of them could run on turf, but I felt this was going to be a top-class performer on dirt.” Dean DeRenzo acknowledged the colt’s potential on dirt led to his appearance in Timonium. “We feel like the Unbridled’s Song gives him a lot of dirt,” he explained last Wednesday. “And More Than Readys have run on dirt, like Verrazano, so we brought him here with the dirt in mind.” Callaghan said he had seen the dark bay colt at the September sale, but felt the mark-up to purchase him as a 2-year-old was worth it. “He was obviously a very good yearling,” the California-based trainer said. “I remembered him and I liked him then. So to pay a little bit more than that after you’ve seen him breeze so well and vet and jump through all the hoops, I thought it made sense.” De Renzo was also satisfied with Monday’s result. “We are happy with that for a couple of reasons,” De Renzo said after watching the colt sell. “One is that now we get to watch him run right here in the United States. And that’s really important for us to build our client base–which happens when you sell good horses and they go to good trainers, like Simon Callaghan in California. Of course you always want more money for a More Than Ready, but [the $250,000 profit] works. You can’t do that in too many places. So, it works for us.” De Renzo paused before adding with a chuckle, “But I think they got a bargain, to be honest.” Speedy Mucho Macho Man Colt to Petersen The last time hip 278, a colt from the first crop of GI Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Mucho Macho Man, went through the sales ring, he RNA’d for $55,000 at the OBS March sale. The chestnut attracted significantly more attention after zipping a quarter-mile in a bullet :21 1/5 last week in Timonium and sold Monday for $625,000 to California owner Michael Lund Petersen. The youngster was consigned by Kip Elser’s Kirkwood Stables, which also consigned him at OBS two months ago. “He matured a little bit,” Elser said of the different sales results. “I thought he looked great here and other people agreed.” The colt worked a furlong in :10 flat over the synthetic Safetrack at OBS before moving to the dirt for his Timonium breeze. “I don’t think the surface makes a difference to him,” Elser said. “That’s the key. He was good on the Poly and he was spectacular on the dirt.” The colt, bred by Teneri Farm and Bernardo Alvarez Calderon, originally sold for $14,000 at the 2017 Keeneland January sale. He was purchased by S.R. Schwartz for $95,000 at the Keeneland September sale. Out of Itsagiantcauseway (Giant’s Causeway), the juvenile is from the family of Canadian champion Peaks and Valleys. Petersen, a founding shareholder in Pandora Jewelry, campaigned Grade I winner Mor Spirit (Eskendereya). Zacney Stays Busy in Timonium Chuck Zacney, who has enjoyed Classic success buying out of the Midlantic sales ring, stayed busy during Monday’s first session of the Fasig-Tipton sale, purchasing five juveniles for a total of $925,000. His highest-priced acquisition was hip 246, a filly by Bernardini out of Great Look (Giant’s Causeway)–a full-sister to multiple graded stakes winner Winning Cause–for $325,000. The filly was consigned by Paul Sharp. “I have to give [trainer] John Servis all the credit there,” Zacney said of hip 246. “He loved her from the beginning and I just did the bidding, to be honest with you. She was a well-balanced filly with a great work [:10 2/5] and from a good family. We were prepared to go to $500,000 for her.” Late in Monday’s session of the two-day sale, Zacney went to $220,000 to acquire a filly by Medaglia d’Oro (hip 285). The gray juvenile, consigned by Cary Frommer, is the second foal out of Grade I winner Joyful Victory (Tapit). She RNA’d for $335,000 earlier this year at the Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream sale. “I actually followed her at the Fasig-Tipton sale, but she didn’t sell,” Zacney said. “I saw her here and I thought she was going to go for over $300,000, so I was happy to get her.” Zacney, who purchased subsequent GI Kentucky Oaks winner Cathryn Sophia (Street Boss) out of the 2014 Midlantic Fall Yearling Sale and champion Afleet Alex (Northern Afleet) at the 2-year-old sale in 2004, acquired four fillies and one colt Monday, but he is not specifically targeting the fairer sex. “We are just looking for good horses,” he said. “We did get a couple nice fillies, but we also picked up a nice colt in hip 123. And we have our eyes on a couple nice colts tomorrow.” Overall, Zacney has been finding value at the two-day auction. “So far, so good,” he said. “I think we are buying really good horses for very reasonable numbers. So we are really happy.” Maclean’s Music to Young’s Ears A colt by Maclean’s Music became the second to reach the $300,000 mark Monday in Timonium when bloodstock agent Steve Young acquired him for that price on behalf of an undisclosed client. Hip 146, who shared the furlong bullet time of :10 1/5 during last Tuesday’s breeze show, was consigned by Scanlon Training & Sales, which purchased him for $70,000 at last year’s Fasig-Tipton July sale. “He was an awful nice horse that breezed good on the day and he’s from a fast family,” Young said after signing the ticket on the bay colt. “It was over the middle of the plate–I think he is pretty much a standout horse.” Hip 146 is out of Cheyenne Autumn (Indian Charlie) and his third dam is GI Test S. winner Missed the Storm (Storm Cat). Young, whose successful Midlantic graduates include graded stakes winner Malagacy (Shackleford), was quick to praise the Maryland auction. “I think this is one of the best sales in America, if not farther than that,” he said. “I think if you look back, 18-24 months from now, there are a lot of nice horses here. [The sale] is on dirt and it’s a place where, it’s like being in the middle of a boxing ring here, if you’re no good, they are going to find out.” He added with a laugh, “I’m sure if I never bought a horse here who could run, I wouldn’t like it. But we’ve done good here.” Uncle Mo Filly to Augustin Stables A filly by Uncle Mo (hip 106) will be joining George Strawbridge’s Augustin Stables after selling for $300,000 during Monday’s opening session of the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic sale. The dark bay filly was consigned by De Meric Sales, which acquired her privately after she RNA’d for $100,000 at last year’s Keeneland September sale. “We loved her athletic body type,” Nick De Meric said of the filly who worked a furlong last week in :10 2/5. “She was so streamlined, she was like a Cadillac if you watched her from the side. She was a very balanced filly. She looked precocious, being by Uncle Mo obviously, and she just looked like a perfect fit for a 2-year-old sale. We gave her the time to bring her up here and showcase her on a dirt track. I think it worked out fine.” Out of stakes winner Bisbee’s Prospect, the filly is a half to stakes-placed Kids Kooler (First Samurai) and from the family of stakes winners Taste the Passion, Stopshoppingdebbie, Shampoo and Smarty Deb. She was co-bred by Marette Farrell, Canice Farrell, Zoe Cadman, Tescha Von Bluecher and Shawhan Place and was purchased in utero by Marette Farrell for $60,000 from the Northwest Farms dispersal at the 2015 Keeneland November sale. Friesan Fire Colt Pops at Midlantic Again Two years ago, a colt by local stallion Friesan Fire set the Fasig Midlantic sale alight when selling for $825,000. That youngster is now Grade I winner Army Mule. While not quite as big a result, the stallion, who stands at Country Life Farm for $4,000, had another standout in Timonium Monday when hip 92 sold for $210,000 to bloodstock agent Gary Young, bidding on behalf of Michael Dubb. The result was a pinhooking score for Grassroots Training and Sales, which purchased the bay for $20,000 at last year’s Fasig-Tipton Midlantic October Yearling Sale. “He was a big, nice horse who showed up when we brought him here to breeze,” said Grassroots’ David McKathan. “He is a classy, long-striding horse who could go fast and that’s what people are looking for.” Out of Avani Force (Forestry) and from the family of graded stakes winner Jade Flush and Grade I winner Startac, the juvenile worked a furlong last week in :10 2/5. After Army Mule’s star turn in the Midlantic sales ring in 2016, it wasn’t until April 2017 that he became a ‘TDN Rising Star’ with an 8 1/2-length debut win at Belmont and he was absent the rest of the year. He has since added this year’s GI Carter H. to his resume. The lag time between sale and stakes success may have helped McKathan get a bargain last fall. “[Hip 92] was a big, good-looking horse then, but they were a little mad at Friesan Fire because the horse that they bought off Scanlon [Army Mule] had only run once,” McKathan said. “But he’s done really well, so now Friesan Fire is forgiven.” Pre-sale activity on the colt had McKathan confident in a good result Monday. “You get a feel for it in the barn, the clientele who are vetting the horse, and you get a feel that they’ll bring good money,” he said. “We had a lot of good players on the horse, so we knew he would do fairly well.” Alpha Continues Quick Start The first-crop juveniles of Grade I winner Alpha, who stands at Sequel Thoroughbreds in New York for $5,000, continued to be popular in the sales ring Monday in Timonium, with bloodstock agent Marette Farrell going to $150,000 to acquire a filly by the stallion on behalf of Ryan Exline and Justin Border’s Exline-Border Racing. The bay filly (hip 25) was consigned by Kenneth Lejeune, who purchased her for $35,000 at last year’s Fasig-Tipton October sale. She worked a furlong last week in :10 4/5 despite her rider losing his irons during the drill. “We thought she was phenomenal and unfortunately she was a little compromised in her work,” Farrell said. “But we really liked how she didn’t turn a hair with that. She stayed focused. She knew what her job was and she galloped out really, really well.” Farrell said the filly, a New York-bred, will join the Southern California barn of trainer Peter Eurton. “It’s a huge plus for us that she’s a New York-bred,” Farrell said. “Ryan Exline and Justin Border and their team already own Giant Expectations (Frost Giant), who is a graded stakes winner and a New York-bred and Ryan loves the angle of the New York-breds. But I think Peter might be tearing his hair out because he doesn’t know how he’s going to handle all this. We keep telling him he needs another division in New York.” Going into Monday’s opening session of the Midlantic sale, Alpha had had five juveniles sell this year for an average of $148,000. “A few of them have caught my eye at the sales and he’s very well-bred himself,” Farrell said of Alpha, a son of Bernardini. “I saw Alpha, he’s not very big. She’s not big either, but she has a bigger walk and I like that about her. And I loved her demeanor. It was the same every day.” In addition to last year’s GII San Antonio S. and GII Pat O’Brien S. winner Giant Expectations, Exline-Border Racing was co-owner of 2016 champion juvenile filly Champagne Room (Broken Vow). View the full article

A colt by freshman sire Mucho Macho Man brought a $625,000 bid from Michael Lund Peterson late in Monday’s initial session of the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic sale in Timonium. Led through the ring as Hip 278, the colt out of Itsagiantscauseway (Giant’s Causeway) was consigned by Kirkwood Stables, Agent II. Bred by Teneri Farm and Bernardo Alvarez Calderon, the chestnut is from the family of Canadian Horse of the Year Peaks and Valleys. View the full article

Preditor anything but half-Done job for Baertschiger View the full article

Duric laps up sense of occasion with three solid Super Saturday rides View the full article

Kranji Mile tracknotes Tuesday May 22 View the full article

Hip 204, a colt by More Than Ready realized a final bid of $750,000 at Monday’s opening session of the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2yo in Training sale in Timonium, Maryland. Trainer Simon Callaghan bought the juvenile on behalf of an undisclosed client. Consigned by Hartley/de Renzo Thoroughbreds, the dark bay is out of Canadian champion handicap mare Embur’s Song (Unbridled’s Song). From the family of Preakness winner Exaggerator (Curlin), the Bridlewood Farm-bred colt covered an eighth in :10.1 during last week’s breeze show. He was a $500,000 purchase at the Keeneland September sale last fall. View the full article

Industry veteran Grant Williamson will be joining the Fasig-Tipton staff effective June 11, the company announced Monday. He will join the auction team as a sales announcer, and will also serve as an Account Executive, participating in sales recruitment. Williamson is currently the Director of Stallion Nominations and Sales at Three Chimneys Farm. Prior to Three Chimneys, he worked for Adena Springs and Vinery, Ltd., in a variety of capacities, including stallion director. “Grant brings twenty-five years of experience in the Thoroughbred industry to Fasig-Tipton,” said Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning. “We are excited to add his talents to our team.” Williamson commented: “I am most appreciative to Three Chimneys for the chance to be involved with the farm at such an exciting time. This new chapter represents a once in a lifetime opportunity that I could not pass up.” View the full article

To nobody's surprise, undefeated dual-classic winner Justify remained a unanimous first-place choice in the latest NTRA Top 3-Year-Old Poll released May 21. View the full article

Friday’s Yulong Thoroughbred Sale, the first Thoroughbred sale ever held on the Chinese mainland, was topped by Embiran (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) (lot 52) at 1.35 million RMB (US$211,171/ £157,485 /€179,415/¥23,445,670/A$279,100). The Yulong Jockey Club’s Horse of the Year in 2017 after winning six of his 12 starts, the 5-year-old won the all-weather, 1000-metre Irish Adult Sprinters S. on Saturday (Video). A homebred for His Highness the Aga Khan, Embiran ran third in the 2016 Listed Tetrarch S. before changing hands for €35,000 as a horse in training during the Goffs November Sale later that year. Out of the G3 Athasi S. heroine Emiyna (Maria’s Mon), Embiran counts English highweight Estimate (Ire) (Monsun {Ger}) under his third dam, the MSW & MGSP Ebaziya (Ire) (Darshaan {GB}). Overall, 41 horses of 71 catalogued sold for 13 million RMB (US$2,033,548/£1,517,013/€1,728,540/¥225,837,509/A$2,688,211) and a clearance rate of 60.6%. Inglis Director Peter Heagney was on hand to auction the first three through the ring, with Ms. Deng, a licensed auctioneer in mainland China, taking over until the end of the sale. The duo were assisted by Inglis Chinese representative Jin “Tony” Tian. For a replay of the first portion of the auction, click here. View the full article

With most of the posturing now complete and less than two weeks to go to the Investec Oaks and Derby, all that remains is the decision-making. While hope is still high that the Triple Crown dream will be upheld at Epsom, several horses have impressed within the last fortnight, with the very taking performance of Bernard Kantor’s Young Rascal (Fr) (Intello {Ger}) in the G3 Chester Vase lingering longest in the mind. It was impossible not to feel that the colt could pose a really credible threat to Saxon Warrior (Jpn) (Deep Impact {JPN}) as one watched him extricate himself from the melee at Chester which, admittedly, is a far cry from the Epsom Downs but every bit as quirky for such an unseasoned horse. He will have learned plenty from his second victory of the season and would be a worthy winner, not just for his owner whose firm has put so much into supporting the Derby meeting over the last decade, but also for the often unheralded Elisabeth Fabre, who bred Young Rascal and also plays such a key role in her husband’s training operation. Andre Fabre has already claimed his own slice of Derby history via the 2011 winner Pour Moi (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}), who went on to sire last year’s victor Wings Of Eagles (Fr). Victory for Young Rascal would also be beneficial to two studs—Haras du Quesnay and Cheveley Park Stud—which have shared hosting duties for Intello since his retirement in 2014. The G1 Prix du Jockey Club winner is currently back in Newmarket and the day after Young Rascal lines up at Epsom, another of his sons, the Fabrice Chappet-trained Intellogent (Fr), looks likely to bid to emulate his father at Chantilly. Class In Abundance While William Haggas really had no decision to make for Young Rascal, the Oaks will be presenting the trainer with a bit more of a conundrum. The G3 Tattersalls Musidora S. winner Give And Take (GB) was another from the first crop of her young sire Cityscape (GB) to claim a Classic trial after Dan’s Dream (GB). Being out of a full-sister to Irish Derby winner Fame And Glory (GB) and to the dam of 1000 Guineas winner and Oaks runner-up Legatissimo (Ire), her pedigree suggests a mile and a half should be well within her range but her trainer is not convinced, citing the speed she shows in her homework as reason for doubt. On Saturday, Give And Take’s stablemate Sea Of Class (Ire) built on her encouraging Craven week debut to win the Haras de Bouquetot Fillies’ Trial at Newbury in an eyecatching last-to-first swoop. Crystal Hope (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}), who had beaten Give And Take on their previous outing at Sandown, finished third in the listed contest behind Sea Of Class, laying down a telling form marker, albeit on much faster ground this time around. Maureen Haggas pointed to inexperience as a major drawback in considering Sea Of Class for the Oaks but the filly certainly looked to have more than enough ability to be deemed worthy of following to Epsom her sire, who won the Derby in 2009 and has already been responsible for an Oaks and a Derby winner in Taghrooda (Ire) and Harzand (Ire). Though Sea Of Class races in the same silks carried by Sea The Stars and his dam Urban Sea, she was not bred by the Tsui family. Instead she is the product of one of the dominant dynasties of the Italian turf. Bred by the Botti family’s Razza Del Velino, she is out of the Hernando (Ire) mare Holy Moon (Ire) who has already produced two winners of the Oaks d’Italia, Cherry Collect (Ire) (Oratorio {Ire}) and Final Score (Ire) (Dylan Thomas {Ire}). While the former also won the equivalent of the Italian 1,000 Guineas, Final Score went on the win the G1 Premio Longines Lydia Tesio, as did another half-sister, Charity Line (Ire) (Manduro {Ger}). Maiden No More There was a yawning green divide between Sun Maiden (GB) and her ten opponents in the Smith & Williamson Fillies’ Novice S. last Thursday as the Juddmonte filly romped home at Salisbury in glorious isolation. As a Frankel (GB) half-sister to six-time Group 1 winner Midday (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) she’s certainly bred to be very good and she could make only the third start of her life in the Oaks. Her sire and the most illustrious of her half-siblings overlapped in their time with Sir Henry Cecil, the pair winning the G1 Sussex S. and G1 Nassau S. within days of each other at a particularly Glorious Goodwood for Warren Place back in 2011. Sun Maiden was among the Juddmonte allocation to Sir Michael Stoute whose Freemason Lodge was once home to the young Cecil in the days when his stepfather Captain Cecil Boyd-Rochfort was the stable’s resident trainer and he later started his own training career from there. Sun Maiden was not the only extremely smartly bred Frankel filly in action last week. After making a winning debut on Apr. 19, Zarkamiya, his daughter out of Zarkava, was in action at Chantilly on Friday but could manage only a fourth-place finish behind Lady Athena (Fr). John Hutchins’s homebred winner will have provided some consolation and a little reflected glory for the team at the Aga Khan Studs as she was conceived there during the two-year stint of her sire Redoute’s Choice (Aus) and she has entries for the G1 Prix Saint-Alary and G1 Prix de Diane. A listed winner in Italy, Lady Athena’s dam Monblue (GB) (Monsun {Ger}) was bought at Arqana for €400,000 by Damon Gabeddy the year before she was covered by Redoute’s Choice. The Nays Have It With four stakes winners last weekend, two apiece in America and Ireland, including the Triple Crown winner-in-waiting Justify, there seems little left to say that hasn’t already been said about the late, great Scat Daddy. So let’s talk instead about his son No Nay Never. Wesley Ward’s former star recorded his first stakes winner on Sunday when Servalan (Ire) won the listed Fillies’ Sprint S., leading home a one-two for Jessica Harrington with Chicas Amigas (Ire) (Dragon Pulse {Ire}) finishing just over a length behind her stablemate. Bungle Inthejungle (Ire) is streaking ahead on seven winners but No Nay Never now heads the freshman sires’ table by earnings and is the first among his peers to notch a black-type winner. Equally impressive at the weekend was his son The Irish Rover (Ire), who has Royal Ascot written all over him following an emphatic win in a Newbury conditions race won in recent seasons by subsequent classy performers Birchwood (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) and Mehmas (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}). Roaring Lyons The parting of ways between Qatar Racing and Ger Lyons was one of the biggest surprises of the week. Sheikh Fahad’s team has had a number of trainers during the course of its existence but none is more readily associated with the operation than Lyons, who provided Pearl Bloodstock, as it once was, with its first winner, Wade Giles (Ire) (Azamour {Ire}), and later first Group 1 winner, Lightening Pearl (Ire) (Marju {Ire}). Lyons has also trained the latter’s first two foals by Frankel (GB), Lightening Fast (GB) and Lightening Quick (GB), to win two races apiece. Lightening Quick, who was the trainer’s last winner for Qatar Racing when landing the G3 Athasi S. on her seasonal debut on May 7, has now switched to Johnny Murtagh’s stable and could well take on her erstwhile stablemate Who’s Steph (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) in the G1 Tattersalls Irish 1,000 Guineas this Sunday. For Lyons, however, despite the loss of ten horses, it could well be a case of ‘as one door closes, another opens’ when it comes to major owners. Who’s Steph, who has annexed a pair of Group 3 Classic trials on her only two starts this year, was bought privately between those two races by George Strawbridge, who has elected to leave the filly at Lyons’s Glenburnie Stables. The trainer had a career-best 82 winners last year and is currently in roaring form with eight winners in the last fortnight at a strike-rate of 21%, including three stakes victories. Not bad shape to be in ahead of Ireland’s first Classic weekend of the season. View the full article

Two weeks ago, the Thoroughbred Idea Foundation (TIF) announced its formation with the goal of creating an open-to-all forum for the analysis and exchange of ideas to improve the racing industry (find it on Twitter here and here). Its board of directors are Craig Bernick, Lesley Howard, Corey Johnsen, Paul Matties, Justin Nicholson, Gary Stevens and Jack Wolf. The TDN spoke via phone earlier this week with Bernick, the president of Glen Hill Farm, to get a better understanding of the organization’s structure and goals. An edited transcript follows. TDN: Please give us the “elevator pitch” to sum up what TIF is all about. CB: I think we’re sort of a TED Talks meets FiveThirtyEight for the horse business, if you’re familiar with those websites. We look for ideas that come from participants in the horse business for ways that they think can help the business. We will study those ideas, and put some statistical analysis behind them, find opinions from people who may be at opposite sides of the issue, and then look to see if there’s any compromise or consensus, and we will try to explain to the industry as a whole why we think those ideas can help the business. TDN: How did concept come about and when/how did you decide to take it to a more formal level? CB: There are a ton of organizations in the horse business that have been around a long time that have done a lot of work. But I don’t think there’s an organization that represents the best of what gamblers, fans and owners want. We see those three constituencies as having a choice as to whether or not they want to participate in racing. In our industry, the two customers are the horse owner and the gambler. Everybody who takes care of a horse–whether they’re a breeder or a trainer, or if they drive a van or shoe a horse or work for a vet–they depend on an owner paying bills and buying horses. And everybody who works for a racetrack or and ADW or any industry organization essentially depends on people gambling. But we don’t really see the gamblers as a group as currently having enough representation in the industry. As an owner who handicaps and bets, I personally do both, and I think our board has a good understanding of the ownership side, the gambling side and the fan development side. So through a bunch of discussions, we decided to put the group together to see if we could help. TDN: The TIF’s inclusivity to gamblers is a refreshing stance. Can you expand upon why you feel they should have more say? CB: Although casino-supplemented purses are a nice thing, essentially the only guaranteed source of revenue for our business is gambling on horse racing. Gamblers really spearhead the whole sport. I think most times in the sport, people either think of it like having an “owner” or “gambler” hat on. But on most issues [where people think the industry needs improvement], those parties come to the same conclusions. But the two groups, they probably don’t interface enough right now, and they’re the two customers who really drive the sport. TDN: It’s also different that the TIF specifically states it will seek input from people with opposing viewpoints. CB: I think that’s important. People get together with others that they have strategic alliances with or people who they have common viewpoints with, and they just kind of reiterate their talking points as to why their side is right. That’s a problem not just in the horse business, but in society in general. TDN: Although you’ll be seeking online and social media input from people who want to give ideas, there will be an actual TIF headquarters in Lexington. Can you describe how the launch will roll out? CB: We’re not quite fully launching until the end of the summer. Our hope is to have a website through which anybody can present us with ideas that are open for public comment and debate. The ideas that look promising and generate the most interest, we’ll take a deeper look at and try to figure out if there’s a way we can sort of incubate the ideas for the industry. And if we find out there is some statistical validity behind those ideas, we’ll make the case to try to implement them in the industry. We’re actively looking for the best person to run this. We have some people in mind. I’ve started conversations. It will roll out gradually but we will be up and running toward the back end of Del Mar and Saratoga. We hope to present ideas that should help the industry as soon as we can. Right now we’re just looking for common themes, trying to gather our facts through surveys and polls and open-ended questions. And once the executive director comes on, they’ll be able to spearhead everything with our team and hopefully focus on different ways to try and help. TDN: What do you say to the argument that the racing industry is already brimming with ideas, but that the real problem is implementing them? CB: I agree. There’s no shortage of ideas. I get phone calls from people I respect almost on a daily basis with ideas that are very good. And if we could run with them and actually implement them, they would help the business. We specifically put a board together by calling upon people who have been able to put ideas into action in ways to help the horse business. Jack Wolf was the person who pulled everybody together to found the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance. Justin Nicholson started the Equestricon fan convention with his own money. And Corey Johnsen with Kentucky Downs, that’s the one racetrack I can think of that has taken casino funding but also improved the racing product to where it’s great for gamblers and great for horsemen. It’s really a group that is able to understand the landscape of all the different silos that make up the horse business and work with people to try and implement the best ideas. It’s a board of people who are successful in the business and they participate at multiple levels. So the TIF board is not a group that is going to come up with some new idea, but I do think it’s a group that through our understanding of the business will have a good chance to actually get some stuff accomplished. It’s a group of self-starters that, despite the current environment, have been able to help the horse business. I think everybody who has ideas, they say, “If I were in charge, here’s what I would do…” But the system we have in the United States is we have tracks, we have regulatory associations and we have horsemen’s groups. And you need to work through those three entities to make anything happen. So we’re looking forward to that process of working with those existing groups. TDN: The TIF will be a not-for-profit business that funds horse charities and purses. Can you give us a ballpark scale of how much money you estimate this will cost and where will it come from? CB: We’re going to be a trade organization that supports the horse business. Our plan is to try and raise enough money for three years. And after three years we’ll see if we’ve made enough impact and improvement for us to keep going. The board is very busy. We’re all involved heavily in the racing business and in other endeavors. And I don’t think anybody needs another board to sit on and more work to do if there’s not significant impact and improvements being made. We specifically don’t want to get money from traditional sources, because we want to remain independent and we’re in a hurry. There are great people who sit around a lot of the industry’s boardroom tables. And if we can improve some of the information that they get to analyze, there’s a lot of smart people in the business who can take us to the right place. But a lot of those boards have huge numbers, they meet infrequently, and not enough gets done. I don’t think we want to do a lot of the work that other people are already doing, and quite frankly, we’re not looking for any sort of credit or to have our name on any of these ideas. We hope we can kind of focus the conversation, and we hope that our ideas get taken up by other industry groups and people try to improve things, because it’s needed. TDN: One of the core problems that the TIF has tasked itself with tackling is the availability of free, meaningful content and data for fans and handicappers and its role in growing the sport. Please provide specifics. CB: The pay model of expensive race replays, past performances, and all the costs involved with actually going to a racetrack, when you look at it from a consumer perspective, our business is way, way out of whack compared to other sports or entertainment businesses. It’s so much more expensive than other sports or consumer options that I think we’re kidding ourselves by 2018 standards. With legal sports gambling [now a reality], it now becomes imperative that our business modernizes content, improves wagering menus, and alters its pricing model. By way of comparison with legal sports gambling, as far as the transparency that those sports have regarding how they disseminate relevant information to people who want to bet on them, I think we’re way behind. People [want to] invest with confidence, whether it’s in the stock market or in gambling on sports. And people can invest with confidence when they’re given more, better information. Those are things that we’ll be analyzing. TDN: Even though the TIF is in its formative stages, are there some ideas that have already blown you away? What are they? CB: Probably the simplest thing that the business should be able to accomplish is the coordination of post times. That’s not an idea that we came up with, that’s an idea that has been out there forever. You’d think it would be good for everybody in the business. I think that’s a natural that we’d love to work on. From a marketing and customer education side, there’s a ton of interest in showing the day-to-day operations of horse racing to fans and new people. What’s a fly mask? How does a horse get trained to walk into the starting gate? Why do horses wear shoes? What does a vet do on a day-to-day basis? Those things might be elementary for those of us close to the business, but for people newly interested there’s a whole world on the backstretch and on farms that they have yet to experience. And getting people close to horses is a way to advocate for the sport and to establish strong public perceptions about horse racing. View the full article