Wandering Eyes

The Irish Stallion Trail is firmly established now in the early New Year calendar and, blessed with freakishly kind weather for January, it was a pleasure to once again take to the roads and remind myself of the quality of stallion standing in Ireland and the magnificent hotels they live in. They say there is more than one way to skin a cat, though I hope I will never find out; similarly there are many different routes one can take on the trail with 28 different farms, dispersed the length and breadth of the country, opening their doors for members of the public and bloodstock professionals alike to take a peek behind the scenes. My route began in Co. Cork and in Castlehyde Stud, one of the Coolmore farms situated just a mile or so outside Fermoy, which apparently is Ireland’s cleanest town. That ethos is also evident in Castlehyde, where Joe Hernon and his colleagues were showing stallions in a pristine, newly refurbished courtyard where some shiny new additions to the roster were being unveiled. Castlehyde Stud is home to both flat and national hunt stallions and as I entered the courtyard, the old stalwarts Yeats (Ire) and Westerner (GB) were being paraded for some national hunt breeders and the thought struck me that, with the recent addition of Order Of St George (Ire) to the roster, in this small space are housed the winners of six G1 Ascot Gold Cups, which is quite a statistic. Order Of St George really is a magnificent-looking beast and he could well be the one to fill the void left by the untimely death of another Coolmore Ascot Gold Cup winner, Fame And Glory (GB), whose early crops of jumps runners have made such a strong impact in a short space of time. I was eager to see Coolmore’s latest Irish based son of Scat Daddy to retire to stud and when Sioux Nation strides out of his box, it is hard not to be impressed. The G2 Norfolk S. winner sealed a highly successful juvenile season when winning the G1 Keeneland Phoenix S. and he added the G3 Lacken S. at Naas to his CV as a 3-year while also finishing third in the G1 Derrinstown Stud Flying Five S. at The Curragh. With his colleague in Fethard No Nay Never standing this year for €100,000, the €12,500 covering fee set for this powerfully built bay would seem to make sense for breeders. Another rookie on the Castlehyde roster is Gustav Klimt (Ire). The son of Galileo (Ire) looked to have the world at his feet when overcoming trouble in running to the win the G2 Superlative S. at Newmarket as a 2-year-old and despite resuming his 3-year-old campaign in style, he didn’t quite make the anticipated progress when upped to the highest level, though a runner-up position in the G1 St James’s Palace S. and four other Group 1 placings is hardly shabby. “This fella is on the cusp of great things,” remarked Joe Hernon as Starspangledbanner (Aus) strutted his stuff along the rubber-tiled runway. The 12-year-old has fought a well-documented battle with fertility issues since his first crop exploded onto the scene seven years ago. He was almost lost to the stallion ranks at one stage, but he seems to be in a great place at the moment, with the Coolmore team having figured out the optimum way to manage him. “He had a very successful covering season last year and we will aim for 120 covers again this year, limiting him to two a day,” explained Hernon. His progeny have really captured the imagination of buyers in the sales ring, as is recounted in a recent TDN article, and while breeders are encouraged to have a ‘Plan B’ in mind when sending him a mare, the chance of getting a Starspangledbanner foal from a €17,500 cover seems a chance many are keen to take. Holy Roman Emperor (Ire) is one of those solid, does-what-it-says-on-the-tin type stallions, and for a stallion who sired three new Group 1 winners in 2018, he certainly falls into the category of ‘proven and good value’ at a fee of €15,000. He also wins the award for the most muscle bound horse in the Castlehyde stallion yard. If quizzed on which of last year’s first-season stallions might sire a Group 1 winner from his first crop, not many bloodstock experts would have plumped for Ruler Of The World (Ire), but the G1 Epsom Derby winner confounded the experts when his daughter Iridessa (Ire) won the G1 Fillies’ Mile at Newmarket in October. That feat was also achieved by a small first crop, as his initial covering season was curtailed by a setback and this half-brother to Duke Of Marmalade (Ire) deserves a lot of respect at a fee of €8,000. My next port of call took me to the other side of Fermoy to the Cashman family’s Rathbarry Stud where the family matriarch Catherine and her daughter Niamh Woods were holding the fort. Rathbarry has been synonymous with standing quality stallions for several decades and while Acclamation (GB) rightly holds pride of place at the moment, the farm has some interesting youngsters waiting in the wings. The most recent recruit is James Garfield (GB) and this son of Exceed And Excel (Aus) brings sound credentials with him. A group-winning 2-year-old, James Garfield claimed the scalp of Breeders’ Cup winner Expert Eye (GB) (Acclamation {GB}) in the G3 Greenham S. last year and was just chinned by Polydream (Ire) (Oasis Dream {GB}) in the G1 Prix Maurice de Gheest. He is by a proven sire of sires and has been fairly introduced at a fee of €7,000. I must say I was quite taken physically with Rathbarry’s Kodi Bear (Ire) when he came out. He is a really imposing individual with huge presence and a great swagger. He seems to have bestowed those traits to a lot of his foals, as his first crop, offered late last year, made up to €66,000. At 20 years of age, Acclamation is in the veteran stage, but he is standing at a career high of €40,000 off the back of another productive year on the track for his offspring. His global influence runs deep, between a number of stallion sons carving out their own careers and multi-million guineas daughters setting records in the sales ring, and the Cashman’s are keen to prolong his influence for as long as possible. “We will restrict him to around 100 mares and he won’t be over-faced. He is really enjoying life and has been a fantastic horse for us,” said Niamh Woods. While I’ve tried to mix things up on the trail each year and go to different farms, some things should remain sacred and should not be tampered with. So with lunchtime approaching, I aimed for Ballylinch Stud in Kilkenny where I was confident refreshments would be as impressive as the stallions on display. There were many folk present of a similar mindset when I arrived, and it was great to see Pat Smullen and his wife Frances there also as they caught up with Smullen’s old ally Fascinating Rock (Ire). The first foals of the dual Group 1 winner went down well last year, selling for up to €185,000 and he is a horse that certainly fills the eye. Lope De Vega (Ire) is well on his way to elite status and he is also developing that air of confidence that suggests he knows exactly how good he is. Among his throng of admirers was Arild Faeste, whose late wife Cherry Faeste bred one of Lope De Vega’s highest performing juvenile colts of 2018 Phoenix of Spain (Ire). There is little doubt, however, who Lope De Vega’s most exciting offspring is currently though, and having witnessed in person his daughter Newspaperofrecord (Ire)’s demolition job in the GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, she ranks high on my ‘most excited to see in 2019’ list of horses. 2019 is also a crunch year for Ballylinch’s Make Believe (Fr) whose first runners will appear later this year while New Bay (GB)‘s powerful ownership structure, which includes Ballylinch, Juddmonte and China Horse Club, should ensure he won’t be found wanting for some choice mares again this year. With time to squeeze in one more visit, I pointed towards Naas and the O’Callaghan’s Morristown Lattin Stud where unusually three of the four stallions are grey. The ‘boss’ Dark Angel (Ire) is more white now than grey, but he looks in great shape as he prepares to embark on his 12th year at stud. According to Robert O’Callaghan, son of the stud’s owner Gay, they plan to cover between 180 and 200 mares with Dark Angel and at this stage he is probably due to sire another sprint sensation to follow in the footsteps of the likes of Harry Angel (Ire), Battaash (Ire), Mecca’s Angel (Ire) and Lethal Force (Ire), etc. His son Gutaifan (Ire) lives next door to him at Morristown Lattin and the spotlight will be on him this year as the wraps are taken off his first crop of 2-year-olds. They certainly were popular at the sales, but this is a ruthless and unforgiving business and the pressure will be on him to deliver just as his father did. Camacho (GB) is the elder statesman of the quartet and the 17-year-old’s 2019 fee hike up to €12,000 is reflective of his elevation to ‘Classic’ sire thanks to Teppal (Fr)’s win in the G1 Emirates Poule d’Essai des Pouliches last year. That win was no flash in the pan for Camacho, as he also sired a vast number of 2-year-old winners headed by the G2 Queen Mary S. and G2 Darley Prix Robert Papin winner Signora Cabello (Ire). While the third grey’s name El Kabeir translates into English as ‘The Boss’, the son of Scat Daddy has a long way to go to wrestle that moniker from his stallion mate Dark Angel, but he has a lot of attributes that give him every chance to be a success at stud. His own sire is the obvious starting point, but he also boasts an impressive physique with plenty of substance and a good walk and he was no slouch on the track either winning three American graded stakes races over eight and a half furlongs within the space of a little over three months. His first foals have just started to arrive and he won’t lack for support. With darkness approaching I grabbed a coffee to go in the O’Callaghan’s office and helped myself to what appeared to be the last complementary Dark Angel baseball cap…sorry!, before heading for home as the odometer closed in on 500kms travelled during the day. View the full article

The TDN caught up with Hill ‘n’ Dale’s John Sikura to talk about one of the new additions to the farm’s stallion roster for 2019: undefeated GI Carter H. winner Army Mule (Friesan Fire). TDN: Army Mule obviously had a short, but really brilliant career with three dominant wins from three starts. Can you just tell us more about that? JS: I think the horse accomplished phenomenal things in a short period of time. He went from an easy maiden winner to an easy allowance winner and the first time he ever competed in a stake, he ran in New York, toughest racing in America. He won by nearly seven lengths just off a track record that had been there, I think 20 years that Artax set, you know, 7/8ths and 1:20 and change, just phenomenal. He did it handy. The top of the stretch he was six in front, and just geared down. Todd Pletcher said he’s just a horse of phenomenal talent. I don’t think it was any surprise that he could be a very good horse. He made $825,000 as a 2-year-old. Donato [Lanni], who I respect as a great, great horseman, works for us just by coincidence. A great horseman irrespective of where he’d be, was the underbidder. Bob Baffert loved the horse. He was an end of May foal, so as a 2-year-old, a day or two after his 2-year-old birthday, and people were wowed by how well he trained, how professional, how fast and great movement of the horse. So he’s always been a very high profile horse and showed phenomenal talent and ability. {"id":3,"instanceName":"Articles No Playlist","videos":[{"videoType":"HTML5","title":"Army Mule at Hill n Dale","description":"","info":"","thumbImg":"","mp4":"https://player.vimeo.com/external/310978860.sd.mp4?s=bd58819d20b064756f90a51ed664f6d5b3578901&profile_id=165","enable_mp4_download":"no","prerollAD":"yes","prerollGotoLink":"prerollGotoLink","preroll_mp4_title":"preroll_mp4_title","preroll_mp4":"https://player.vimeo.com/external/304696854.sd.mp4?s=51ece19c70d60a977aeacf7e63b0cbc5065c07b8&profile_id=165","prerollSkipTimer":"5","midrollAD":"no","midrollAD_displayTime":"midrollAD_displayTime","midrollGotoLink":"midrollGotoLink","midroll_mp4":"midroll_mp4","midrollSkipTimer":"midrollSkipTimer","postrollAD":"no","postrollGotoLink":"postrollGotoLink","postroll_mp4":"postroll_mp4","postrollSkipTimer":"postrollSkipTimer","popupAdShow":"no","popupImg":"popupImg","popupAdStartTime":"popupAdStartTime","popupAdEndTime":"popupAdEndTime","popupAdGoToLink":"popupAdGoToLink"}],"instanceTheme":"light","playerLayout":"fitToContainer","videoPlayerWidth":720,"videoPlayerHeight":405,"videoRatio":1.7777777777778,"videoRatioStretch":true,"videoPlayerShadow":"effect1","colorAccent":"#000000","posterImg":"","posterImgOnVideoFinish":"","logoShow":"No","logoPath":"","logoPosition":"bottom-right","logoClickable":"No","logoGoToLink":"","allowSkipAd":true,"advertisementTitle":"Ad","skipAdvertisementText":"Skip Ad","skipAdText":"You can skip this ad in","playBtnTooltipTxt":"Play","pauseBtnTooltipTxt":"Pause","rewindBtnTooltipTxt":"Rewind","downloadVideoBtnTooltipTxt":"Download video","qualityBtnOpenedTooltipTxt":"Close settings","qualityBtnClosedTooltipTxt":"Settings","muteBtnTooltipTxt":"Mute","unmuteBtnTooltipTxt":"Unmute","fullscreenBtnTooltipTxt":"Fullscreen","exitFullscreenBtnTooltipTxt":"Exit fullscreen","infoBtnTooltipTxt":"Show info","embedBtnTooltipTxt":"Embed","shareBtnTooltipTxt":"Share","volumeTooltipTxt":"Volume","playlistBtnClosedTooltipTxt":"Show playlist","playlistBtnOpenedTooltipTxt":"Hide playlist","facebookBtnTooltipTxt":"Share on Facebook","twitterBtnTooltipTxt":"Share on Twitter","googlePlusBtnTooltipTxt":"Share on Google+","lastBtnTooltipTxt":"Go to last video","firstBtnTooltipTxt":"Go to first video","nextBtnTooltipTxt":"Play next video","previousBtnTooltipTxt":"Play previous video","shuffleBtnOnTooltipTxt":"Shuffle on","shuffleBtnOffTooltipTxt":"Shuffle off","nowPlayingTooltipTxt":"NOW PLAYING","embedWindowTitle1":"SHARE THIS PLAYER:","embedWindowTitle2":"EMBED THIS VIDEO IN YOUR SITE:","embedWindowTitle3":"SHARE LINK TO THIS PLAYER:","lightBox":false,"lightBoxAutoplay":false,"lightBoxThumbnail":"","lightBoxThumbnailWidth":400,"lightBoxThumbnailHeight":220,"lightBoxCloseOnOutsideClick":true,"onFinish":"Play next video","autoplay":false,"loadRandomVideoOnStart":"No","shuffle":"No","playlist":"Off","playlistBehaviourOnPageload":"opened (default)","playlistScrollType":"light","preloadSelfHosted":"none","hideVideoSource":true,"showAllControls":true,"rightClickMenu":true,"autohideControls":2,"hideControlsOnMouseOut":"No","nowPlayingText":"Yes","infoShow":"No","shareShow":"No","facebookShow":"No","twitterShow":"No","mailShow":"No","facebookShareName":"","facebookShareLink":"","facebookShareDescription":"","facebookSharePicture":"","twitterText":"","twitterLink":"","twitterHashtags":"","twitterVia":"","googlePlus":"","embedShow":"No","embedCodeSrc":"","embedCodeW":720,"embedCodeH":405,"embedShareLink":"","youtubeControls":"custom controls","youtubeSkin":"dark","youtubeColor":"red","youtubeQuality":"default","youtubeShowRelatedVideos":"Yes","vimeoColor":"00adef","showGlobalPrerollAds":false,"globalPrerollAds":"url1;url2;url3;url4;url5","globalPrerollAdsSkipTimer":5,"globalPrerollAdsGotoLink":"","videoType":"HTML5 (self-hosted)","submit":"Save Changes","rootFolder":"http:\/\/wp.tdn.pmadv.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/Elite-video-player\/"} TDN: When did he come on your radar as a stallion prospect for Hill ‘n’ Dale? JS: Well, when we he broke his maiden, he was a ‘TDN Rising Star.’ You know, we watch the chart and you always…I wouldn’t say have skepticism, but you want to see a horse do more. Then he went on the shelf and then he came back and was as or more impressive the second time. I talked to Vinnie Viola and I talked to Todd Pletcher, and Vinnie was so excited about his horse, as he should be, and Todd Pletcher, as many good horses as he’s had, I thought he might categorize him as a nice horse, a fast horse, but we’ll see what happens. But he was effusive in his praise and said, “This is fast as a horse can be. He has unlimited ability, he’ll go as far as you want,” and just so enthused about the future of the horse. It’s unfortunate he chipped a knee. He battled. He trained when he wasn’t 100% off that injury, a testament to his courage and raw ability. I really believe that brilliant racehorses make brilliant sires, and anyone that could talk about soundness or lack of career, all it takes is one misstep, a horse gets injured, they’re usually retired. That horse probably should have been retired, but he had so much courage that he fought on and he won a Grade I in very impressive fashion. So for me soundness is not an issue whatsoever with the horse. He’s got great names in his pedigree. The only sire in his pedigree is Iron Native. He was a horse that bred 30 and 40 mares a year in the old days, got 72 stakes winners. He sired Ruthie’s Native, who is a champion, so I mean it’s a real pedigree. Crafty Prospector is a fantastic horse that’s replete in a lot of really good pedigrees. Storm Bird is an international horse. Friesan Fire is by A.P. Indy. His dam, Bollinger, was a champion sprinter in Australia. So I think with that aptitude, these horses should go as far as a horse can go, and he showed fantastic speed and great tractability. I see him a horse without limitation, and we’ve had very good luck finding these brilliant horses and standing them at stud. Maclean’s Music, Candy Ride, they had abbreviated careers. They’ve had durable, fantastic offspring and we’re excited about Army Mule. Not only are we breeding a lot of our own mares at Hill ‘n’ Dale, St. Elias is breeding their own mares and Vinnie has been nice enough to let me go and buy mares in November and January privately that we think complement the horse. So far, we bought eight or nine good stakes-winning mares for the horse. We’ll breed 20 mares ourselves. [Vinnie]’ll do nearly the same and we have good outside support, so we expect a book of 100 strong. Any commercial breeder that would wonder why should I breed to Army Mule, I mean, the way he’s accepted, the way he sold as a 2-year-old, if they look like him, I think there’ll be a real buzz about the horse. TDN: Why should commercial breeders consider Army Mule? JS: I think Army Mule has all the requirements a breeder looks for. He had precocity, he had speed, was s great race horse and was well received at public auction, making $825,000 as a 2-year-old. Everybody’s looking for a multiple of return on their stud fee. A $10,000 horse, if he reproduces himself, I think it’s very likely and I’m sure it’s a near certainty that he’ll have hundred thousand dollar plus yearlings in their first crop, which is not only a great commercial return, I think he’s got a great chance to be a really important sire. TDN: And being an $825,000 two-year-old, like you said, he’s obviously a good looking horse, but can you tell us about his confirmation? JS: He is a really beautifully balanced horse, a great mover. Everything’s in the right places. He’s correct, he has bone. He’s got a pretty head and eye, just a lovely horse to look at. I think that horses that emerge from 2-year-old sales, it’s very hard on those horses. They have to get ready early, they have to go fast, so he shows not only the precocity, but anyone that might question his durability, look what it took for a horse that was born end of May to sell in a May 2-year-old sale. So I think that he overcame all the hurdles. He won in the highest of company. He was never even let run. He won his first three starts by nearly 25 lengths, including a Grade I in New York, so a horse of immense ability. All the right names are in his pedigree and we’re very excited. As I said, for me, he resembles and has a lot of overlapping qualities that Maclean’s Music, Candy Ride and other horses of that same ilk have had that, come to Hill ‘n’ Dale and have been such successful sires and really have exceeded people’s expectations. Horses that are brilliant, even horses that have abbreviated career, those are breed shaping horses. Look at a horse like Danzig. Not every horse has to start 14 or 18 times. It’s always nice if you have a top-class horse, particularly for the owner to keep a good horse in training. It’s so hard to find, but the fact that he showed his ability, he won at the highest level of class, I think that really says a lot about the horse. In fact, I would say that if horses had two starts, could run in a Grade I and overwhelm the field, that lack of seasoning, that lack of preparation, to do that, the potential beyond what he already showed is immense. View the full article

Turfway Park canceled its live racing card Jan. 12 because of a continuing winter storm. The facility remains open for simulcasting and closes at 10 p.m. ET. View the full article

In this continuing series, Alan Carasso takes a look ahead at US-bred and/or conceived runners entered for the upcoming weekend at the tracks on the Japan Racing Association circuit, with a focus on pedigree and/or performance in the sales ring. Here are the horses of interest for special holiday cards Monday at Kyoto and Nakayama Racecourses: Monday, January 14, 2019 3rd-KYO, ¥13,720,000 ($126k), Allowance, 4yo/up, 1800m ZERUCH c, 3, (Awesome Again–Heavenly Romance {Jpn}, by Sunday Silence) is one of eight winners from nine to race for his dam, who defeated the likes of Zenno Rob Roy (Jpn), Dance in the Mood (Jpn), Hat Trick (Jpn) and Tap Dance City in the 2005 Tenno Sho. She has gone on to be a tremendous producer for North Hills, having bred GSW and American Classic-placed Lani (Tapit), Japanese MGSW & MG1SP Awardee (Jungle Pocket {Jpn}) and MSW Amour Briller (Smart Strike). Zeruch most recently broke his maiden at Chukyo Dec. 16 (see below, gate 10). B-North Hills Co. Limited (KY) 4th-NKY, ¥11,400,000 ($105k), Newcomers, 3yo, 1200m BEST MAGIC (c, 3, Speightstown–Glinda the Good, by Hard Spun) cost $200K as a Keeneland September yearling and blossomed into a $700K OBS April juvenile after drilling an eighth of a mile in :10 flat. That breeze came just 10 days after his champion half-brother Good Magic (Curlin) added to his resume with a game victory in the GII Toyota Blue Grass S. The dual stakes-winning and Grade II-placed Glinda the Good is a half-sister to GSW & GISP Take the Ribbon (Chester House) and the female family also includes Grade I winners Magical Maiden (Lord Avie) and her daughter Miss Houdini (Belong to Me). B-Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings LLC (KY) WATCH: The well-related Zeruch breaks his maiden at Chukyo View the full article

Five races on the Chantilly card had to be postponed Saturday afternoon when a group of around 1,000 ‘gilets jaunes’ or yellow-vest demonstrators swarmed the track at Chantilly. The yellow-vest movement began as a populist movement for economic reform in France, and began regular civil disobedience in mid-November in protest of President Emmanuel Macron’s proposed gas-tax hikes. The group began Saturday’s demonstration in the town of Chantilly, walking through the town gates and past the city hall before heading onto the racecourse. Shopkeepers lowered the gates on their windows as they passed. The news outlet Oise Hebdo captured the procession on video here. The Jour de Galop reported that they left after blocking the course for around three hours and after several rounds of tear gas were fired at them, and without serious incident. Four races were held before darkness made further racing impossible, and five will be rescheduled for Sunday. The protests, now in their ninth weekend, were part of a larger demonstration held in several cities in France on Saturday, where it was estimated that 32,000 protestors turned out, and were met by 80,000 police officers nationwide. In Paris, they were dispersed by tear gas and water cannons. View the full article

14:05 Kelso Mount Mews hasn’t been seen since a mid-field finish in the Coral Cup at Cheltenham in March 2018 but looks to have everything in his favour for a big run today as he won on debut, has previously won on seasonal return and also won on debut over fences. He makes his first […] The post Picks From The Paddock Best Bet – Sunday 13th January appeared first on RaceBets Blog EN. View the full article

Blinkers can be used to sharpen a horse up by narrowing its focus, but it can also have the opposite affect in some cases. The addition of the gear worked a trick for Frankie Lor Fu-chuen’s Right Choice in the eighth race and on the other hand, removing the shades has brought the best out of the David Hall-prepared Speedy Dragon. Looking at his form – his best finish in his first six starts was seventh before rattling off two straight wins – you could be excused for thinking... View the full article

Trainer Tony Millard believes the prospect of racing overseas with his born-again galloper Elusive State rests with the Jockey Club and whether they are willing to produce another race to allow him to improve his rating. The five-year-old made it four wins on the trot for his new trainer at Sha Tin on Saturday, overcoming a difficult trip to win easily in the Class Two Leighton Handicap (1,650m) on the all-weather track. The win also made it six wins in his last seven starts, with Millard... View the full article

Sha Tin is accustomed to seeing John Size-trained youngsters in full flight and Saturday was no exception, however the master trainer walked away with a mixed bag of results. Size came armed with a trio of three-year-olds, with the highlight coming when Tornado Twist flashed his ability to win the last race on the card, the Class Three Ventris Handicap (1,200m). Chairman Lo finished second in the Class Four Po Leung Kuk 140th Anniversary Cup (1,400m) and Dor Dor showed he is still finding his... View the full article

14:40 Kempton – Lanzarote Stakes One of the biggest handicaps to start a new year as a large field are set to embark on another renewal of The Lanzarote Stakes. Past winners include the likes of Tiutchev and Nycteos and in recent years Yala Enki, Tea For Two and 2017’s victor Modus who have all […] The post Picks From The Paddock Best Bet – Saturday 12th January appeared first on RaceBets Blog EN. View the full article

The Jockey Club Safety Net Foundation has introduced a new website, www.tjcfoundation.org. The updated site is compatible for mobile devices, tablets, and desktops and connects to the charity’s social media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. The foundation is a charitable trust that provides, on a confidential basis, financial relief to needy members of the Thoroughbred industry and their families. “Over the years, The Jockey Club Safety Net Foundation has improved the lives of countless members of the Thoroughbred industry who have dedicated their lives to our sport,” said Shannon Kelly, development manager. “Our new website provides an accessible resource for individuals to learn about our charity, how they can support our efforts, and how they can contact us if they need assistance.” View the full article

The Illinois Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association has pledged $1 per-start at Arlington International Racecourse and Hawthorne Race Course in 2019 to the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance. In addition to its support of the TAA, the Illinois THA created and supports Galloping Out, a TAA-accredited organization in North Riverside, Il. that focuses on retraining, rehabbing, and adoption of Thoroughbred racehorses from the Chicago-area racetracks. “The importance of Thoroughbred aftercare cannot be overstated,” said David McCaffrey, executive director of the ITHA. “This partnership is a win-win-win, benefiting the ITHA, the TAA, and most importantly, the horses who will be retiring and are in need of a second career.” View the full article

Victor Espinoza's next workout on a Thoroughbred is on hold pending further medical evaluation, his agent, Brian Beach, said Jan. 11 at Santa Anita Park. View the full article

Gulfstream Park and Santa Anita Park are where you'll find the graded stakes action Jan. 12, as both Stronach Group facilities card a pair of grade 3 events. View the full article

Jockeys Trevor McCarthy, Horacio Karamanos, and Jomar Torres were taken to the hospital for evaluation following a three-horse spill during the sixth race Jan. 11 at Laurel Park. View the full article

When Winners Foundation president Gino Roncelli walks the backstretch at Santa Anita Park, he can't help but bump into people who were helped by the organization's longtime director, Bob Fletcher. View the full article

Three of trainer Carla Gaines' horses were scratched from the Jan. 11 card at Santa Anita Park just after the second race went official. View the full article

The University of Minnesota Crookston Equine Science program will have openings to foal out mares for spring semester 2019. This will give owners/breeders another option to foal mares out in Minnesota, making the foals eligible for Minnesota Breeders’ Fund Awards. More than 10 Equine Science students will participate in pre-and-post foaling procedures as part of the school’s Equine Reproduction Techniques course. “This hands-on experience not only gets our students more involved in the field, but also gets them interested in the Minnesota horseracing industry,” commented Nicky Overgaard, University of Minnesota Crookston Equine Science Instructor. Minnesota Racing Commission Deputy Director Joe Scurto added, “To have the University of Minnesota Crookston support the breeding program in Minnesota adds great value to our racing community. The Equine Science Program is becoming more involved with the Breeders Fund, which will only make the program stronger.” View the full article

<8th-GP, $50,000, Msw, 3yo, f, 1mT, post time: 3:15 p.m. ET CAN’T BUY ME LOVE (War Front) makes her first start for Heider Family Stables and trainer Graham Motion. Dam Together (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) was a highweight at three in her native Ireland, where she was also a GSW and MG1SP (along with a pair of Group 1 level placings in England). She broke through at the highest level for the Coolmore contingent in the 2011 GI Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup S. at Keeneland–just a week after finishing second to her elders in the GI First Lady S. there. Already the dam of MGSP Earring (Dansili {GB}), Together’s now 2-year-old full-sister to Can’t Buy Me Love cost $600,000 at the 2018 Keeneland September Sale. Together is a half-sister to G1SW Jan Vermeer (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}). One of two for Chad Brown, Beautiful Lover (Arch) is half to Zivo (True Direction), who her conditioner send out to a win in the 2014 GII Suburban H. and second in that year’s GI Jockey Club Gold Cup S. Beautiful Lover covered an eighth in :10 2/5 at OBS April before garnering a $475,000 winning bid. She’ll be joined by stablemate Connectivity (Midshipman), a $45,000 FTKJUL yearling turned $150,000 FTFMAR 2-year-old after a :10 2/5 move herself. TJCIS PPs 10th-GP, $50,000, Msw, 3yo, f, 1mT, post time: 4:15 p.m. ET Gary and Mary West homebred BRAINSTORM (Tapit) looks to become the second winner from as many to start out of 2012 GI La Brea S. heroine Book Review (Giant’s Causeway). Book Review is a half-sister to GISW juvenile Irish Smoke (Smoke Glacken). Ry’s the Guy (Distorted Humor), a $90,000 graduate of the Fasig-Tipton Turf Showcase, is out of British G1SW Sleepytime (Ire) (Royal Academy). Prior foals out of the mare, herself a full to G1SW Ali-royal (Ire), include Group 3 winners Gentleman’s Deal (Ire) and Hathal Speightstown). Chad Brown pupil No Rules (Union Rags) was a $330,000 KEESEP yearling. TJCIS PPs 4th-SA, $55,000, Msw, 3yo, f, 6 1/2fT, post time: 5:02 p.m. ET C R K Stable’s HOLLYWOOD GIRL (Giant’s Causeway) was an $875,000 Keeneland September yearling buy in 2017. She’s out of MGISW dirt router Hollywood Story (Wild Rush), who is already the dam of a trio of black-type performers. TJCIS PPs View the full article

D J Stable and Cash is King's Jaywalk, the frontrunner to earn an Eclipse Award as champion 2-year-old filly of 2018, returned to the work tab Jan. 11 to begin preparations for her sophomore campaign. View the full article

Santa Anita’s 2019 Spring Stakes Schedule, which runs from Saturday, Apr. 13 through Sunday, June 23, will offer fans and horsemen a total of 35 added money events, headlined by three Grade I, half-million dollar stakes, all May 27—the Gold Cup at Santa Anita, the Gamely and the Shoemaker Mile. In all, Santa Anita will distribute $5.1 million in added purse money over the course of its 42-day Spring run. Including the aforementioned Grade I stakes, Santa Anita will run a total of 21 graded events during the Spring Meet, which will include a comprehensive offering of added money races for horses in all categories. Click here for a complete listing of Santa Anita’s 2019 Spring Stakes Schedule. View the full article

Grade 1 winner Channel Maker has joined the field for the $7 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1T) Jan. 26 at Gulfstream Park. View the full article

Harvey Clarke, a longtime player in the Thoroughbred business and breeder of Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1) and Preakness Stakes (G1) winner I'll Have Another, passed away Jan. 11 at his home in Franklin Lakes, N.J. View the full article

Horse of the Year finalist Accelerate (Lookin At Lucky), last seen capturing the GI Breeders’ Cup Classic at Churchill Downs Nov. 3, had his penultimate workout at Santa Anita Friday morning for the $9-million GI Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park Jan. 26, going seven furlongs in a bullet 1:27.20 (1/4) with assistant trainer Juan Leyva astride. “I got him in 1:27 and [galloping] out a mile in 1:40 4/5, so it was a good long-distance work,” trainer John Sadler said. “On this track, it’s not super-fast. He’ll come back next week with more of a blowout type work, like five-eighths or something like that. But I’m glad we got this one in today because of the weather. It’s going to rain tomorrow and we’ve got a lot of rain next week.” City of Light (Quality Road), winner of the GI Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile Nov. 3, worked five furlongs in 1:00.80 (8/95) at Santa Anita Friday. He is also aiming for a start in the Pegasus. View the full article

Fasig-Tipton has catalogued 429 entries to date for its Kentucky Winter Mixed Sale, to be held Monday and Tuesday, Feb. 4 and 5, in Lexington, Kentucky. Sessions will begin daily at 10 a.m. The sale will also feature a supplemental catalogue that will be available online and on the sales grounds. Fasig-Tipton will continue to accept supplemental entries. Hips 1-274 will be offered in the Monday session. Hips 275-429, followed by the supplemental catalogue, will be offered in the Tuesday session. “This year’s catalogue features graded stakes performing racing and broodmare prospects, proven producers in foal to exciting sires, and a large group of short yearlings with good sire power,” said Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning. “Those looking to fill their orders before the start of breeding season will find a number of interesting opportunities once again at Kentucky Winter Mixed.” The Kentucky Winter Mixed Sale catalogue may now be viewed online. Print catalogues will be available beginning Jan. 18. The catalogue will also be available via the equineline sales catalogue app. View the full article