Wandering Eyes

The Racing Appeals and Disciplinary Board will hear the charges against Robert Smerdon, with the former trainer having failed in his bid to challenge the hearing’s jurisdiction. Smerdon, who faces 115 charges related to bicarb doping as part of the Aquanita Racing scandal, turned in his training license in March and announced he would not attend the Aquanita hearing, but Racing Victoria judge John Bowman deemed that because Smerdon was licensed at the time of the consequences, he would be tried as an industry participant. View the full article

Hip 95, a filly by red hot sire Quality Road, sparked a lively round of bidding at OBS April, selling for $800,000 to owner Frank Fletcher, who was seated alongside bloodstock agent Donato Lanni. Breezing in :22 flat for consignor Eddie Woods, the bay RNA’d for $190,000 at Keeneland September. Bred by John Gunther, Eurowest Bloodstock & Celebre Investments, Hip 95 is out of Betty Brite (Medaglia d’Oro). She hails from the family of Horse of the Year and top sire Tiznow and MGSW Betty’s Bambino. View the full article

Jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. and trainer Chad Brown wrapped up the Aqueduct season with respective three-win days April 22 to secure top honors for the spring meet at the Big A. Seth Klarman's Klaravich Stable emerged as leading owner for the 13-day meet. View the full article

"Return" is the theme of JACK Thistledown's 2018 race meet that opens Monday, April 30, as Thoroughbreds and horsemen come back for live racing and a celebrated racing series makes a stop in Cleveland. View the full article

Last year’s G2 Royal Lodge S. winner Roaring Lion (Kitten’s Joy), third as the favourite in last week’s G3 Craven S., looks likely to bypass the May 5 G1 2000 Guineas, with trainer John Gosden telling At The Races, “The way he trains, it looks like the Dante/Prix du Jockey Club will be a smart move for him.” The G2 Dante S. will be staged at York on May 17, and the G1 Prix du Jockey Club is at Chantilly on June 3. Owned by Qatar Racing, Roaring Lion was also beaten a neck by Saxon Warrior (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) in last year’s G1 Racing Post Trophy. View the full article

The American Horse Council (AHC)’s Economic Impact Study published earlier this month found that New York State’s equine industry has grown by $1.1 billion and added nearly 10,000 new jobs since the New York Horse Racing and Agriculture Industry Alliance conducted a parallel study in 2012, it was announced Tuesday. With over 154,000 horses stabled in New York–39,000 of which are Thoroughbreds–the state’s equine industry is the second largest agribusiness in the state, generating $5.3 billion in economic impact, a 26% increase over the last five years and a 121% growth rate since a study was conducted in 2005. The study found that Thoroughbreds account for the largest segment of the state’s horse population. “We are a labor-intensive industry,” said Joe Appelbaum, president of the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association, which represents more than 4,000 Thoroughbred owners and trainers. “That is particularly true of the racing industry, which boasts 80 jobs for every 100 racehorses. Horses are an invaluable asset for New York, and a thriving equine industry is vital to the state’s economy.” The racing sector of the equine industry accounted for a total economic impact of $3.08 billion on the New York economy while supporting 19,704 jobs. The numbers take into account direct expenditures, such as breeding, maintenance, training, transportation and veterinary work, as well as indirect/induced economic expenditures, such as wagering infrastructure, broadcasting, concessions and track maintenance. The study found that New York’s racetracks offered purses of $289 million and generated $3.4 billion in handle annually. “Once a confidence level was reached by Thoroughbred breeders and owners regarding our purses and incentive awards, our state-bred program positioned itself ahead of the rest of the national landscape,” said Jeffrey Cannizzo, Executive Director of the New York Thoroughbred Breeders. “New York-breds are in demand in the marketplace, farms have reopened across the state and people are investing again in New York. This renaissance is creating hundreds of jobs and injecting needed revenue into communities across our state of New York.” The AHC study also examined the size of the state’s foal crop, finding that the 1,705 Thoroughbred foals on the ground in 2017 represented a 4.7% increase from 2016 and a 40% increase since 2011. “The AHC Economic Impact Study clearly demonstrates that the investment made in Thoroughbred racing and breeding through our share of VLT revenue has borne fruit,” said Appelbaum. “We thank Governor Andrew Cuomo, Senator John Bonacic, Assemblyman Gary Pretlow and all of our representatives for their support, which has helped to make our industry strong.” The complete break-out report from the AHC Equine Industry Economic Impact Study can be found here. View the full article

Fresh off Monday’s news that Trapeze Artist (Aus) (Snitzel {Aus}) will remain in training as a 4-year-old, the triple-Group 1 winner has been snapped up by Aquis Farm for its Everest slot this October. Second choice in the wagering behind last year’s inaugural winner Redzel (Aus) (Snitzel {Aus}) in the A$13-million 1200-metre race, the Gerald Ryan trainee just landed the G1 All Aged S. on Saturday. “I’m delighted to get a slot in The Everest with Aquis,” owner/breed Bert Vieira told The Sydney Morning Herald. “I want to race him and show him off to the world and to get a spot in The Everest is the first part of that dream. Knowing Shane McGrath, the Aquis CEO, from his Coolmore days made the negotiations very easy and smooth and to be sharing this experience with Aquis will only make it better.” View the full article

5th-LCP, €25,000, Mdn, 4-24, unraced 3yo, f, 10 1/2fT, 2:18.53, gd. ENCHANTING SKIES (IRE), f, 3, by Sea The Stars (Ire) 1st Dam: Estefania (Ger) (SP-Ger), by Acatenango (Ger) 2nd Dam: Eirehill (Ire), by Danehill 3rd Dam: Elegie (Ger), by Teotepec (GB) Enchanting Skies (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), who was the BBAGS €500,000 sale topper in 2016, was well away to stalk the pace in second after the initial strides of this unveiling. Nudged along to loom large in early straight, the 22-1 chance cruised to the fore approaching the final furlong and kept on strongly under minimal coaxing thereafter to easily best My Sister Nat (Fr) (Acclamation {GB}), herself a half-sister to recent GI Jenny Wiley S. heroine Sistercharlie (Ire) (Myboycharlie {Ire}), by 3/4 of a length. She is the latest foal and eighth scorer produced by Listed Kolner Fruhjahrs Stuten-Preis placegetter Estefania (Ger) (Acatenango {Ger}), and is a half-sister to G1 Preis von Europa hero Empoli (Ger) (Halling), G3 Herzog von Ratibor-Rennen third Ebeltoft (Ire) (Lawman {Fr}) and the dual stakes-placed Eigelstein (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}). Her second dam Eirehill (Ire) (Danehill) is a winning half-sister to MG1SW multiple German and Italian highweight Elle Danzig (Ger) (Roi Danzig), herself the dam of seven stakes performers headed by MGSW G1 Preis der Diana runner-up Elle Shadow (Ire) (Shamardal). Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, €12,500. 1ST-TIME STARTER. O-Mayfair Speculators SARL; B-Gestut Ebbesloh (IRE); T-Andre Fabre. Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton. View the full article

It is a richly symbolic journey that has come to be known, over the last 10 or so years, as The Walk. View the full article

John Moore has endured a disappointing season but is looking to Sunday’s spring features – and beyond – for a revival and on Tuesday floated the idea of an end of season trip to Japan for 2015-16 Horse of the Year Werther. Moore has won the Audemars Piguet QE II Cup fives times and the Champions Mile on six occasions, both records, but is down on his usual numbers as he tackles the two races in his third to last season as a trainer in Hong Kong. Beauty Generation has been a... View the full article

Money Boy managed to pull a good effort out at Sha Tin last time out but he has preferred Happy Valley all season and should take some beating there on Wednesday night in the Korea Racing Authority Trophy (1,000m). The John Size-trained gelding has been super consistent, if a rare winner, and gets a race set-up that will really suit his run-on style. Four starts ago, Money Boy (Brett Prebble) swamped his rivals late to win a Class Three over the distance at Happy Valley and there are... View the full article

Tommy Berry will make a race day decision on his health ahead of Happy Valley on Wednesday night after a heavy fall in a barrier trial on Tuesday, but the chance to reunite with top chance Sichuan Boss will provide some extra motivation. Berry hit the ground hard in a barrier trial incident at Sha Tin when Agree collapsed and died beneath him in the closing stages of a 1,200m trial on the all-weather track. The Australian walked away from the scary fall seemingly unscathed but was taken to... View the full article

The small fields for the three Group Ones on Sunday are symptomatic of a changing landscape, both in the spread of quality animals but also the attitudes of owners and trainers. The Jockey Club has been hard hit by illnesses and injuries and weather for its numbers. The popular wisdom is Aidan O’Brien’s three invitees for the day were not actually planning to come and were window dressing, although we have sources who assert that couldn’t be more wrong and a brutal winter in... View the full article

Zac Purton is at a loss to explain Time Warp’s listless last-start performance but trainer Tony Cruz is adamant his horse will bounce back to his relentless, front-running best in Sunday’s Audemars Piguet Queen Elizabeth II Cup. Time Warp will be chasing not only Horse of the Year honours but history as the first horse to win all three 2,000 metre Group Ones on the Hong Kong racing calendar in a single season. International Day success and a track record-breaking Gold Cup... View the full article

Nepean takes one step closer to Derby View the full article

First Choice scores hard-fought win in Class 3 View the full article

Takaoka gets Golazo's quirks out of equation at fifth win View the full article

Big smokie El Chapo gives Shafrizal perfect wedding present View the full article

Track conditions and course scratchings April 24 View the full article

Horses' body weights April 24 View the full article

More than just giggles if Whakaaria Mai scores View the full article

Early scratchings April 24 View the full article

The catalogue for the Magic Millions Gold Coast National Broodmare Sale, scheduled for May 29-June 1, was released Tuesday morning. A total of 17 Group 1 winners or producers are slated to sell, including G1 Australasian Oaks winner Abbey Marie (Aus) (Redoute’s Choice {Aus}) and Miss Cover Girl (Aus) (Monashee Mountain), successful in the G1 Tattersalls Tiara. The latter is in foal to Capitalist (Aus) (Written Tycoon {Aus}). In 2015, the dam of G1 Golden Slipper winner Estijaab (Aus) (Snitzel {Aus}) brought A$1.5 million. All of the leading stallions will be represented by in foal mares, among them champion sire Snitzel (Aus), I Am Invincible (Aus), Written Tycoon (Aus), More Than Ready and Pierro (Aus). In 2017, 716 lots sold for an 84% clearance rate and a gross of A$105,982,000. The top price was for lot 1240, Gregers (Aus) (Commands {Aus}), who went for A$1,750,000 to Riyue Trading from the draft of Burke Bloodstock carrying a foal by Written Tycoon (Aus). The average was A$148,020 and the median was A$80,000. “We are overwhelmed with the support that the vendors of Australasia have given the sale again this year,” Magic Millions Managing Director Barry Bowditch told ANZ Bloodstock News. “There will be so many opportunities for buyers across all levels of the market. This sale has produced so many elite results for both vendors and buyers–the dams of current day stars Winx (Aus) (Street Cry {Ire}), Trapeze Artist (Aus) (Snitzel {Aus}), Estijaab (Aus) (Snitzel {Aus}), Levendi (Aus) (Pierro {Aus}), Shoals (Aus) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) and Hiyaam (NZ) (High Chaparral {Ire}) were all purchased here providing buyers with immediate returns on investment. The Gold Coast will again be the place to be in late May and June and we look forward to welcoming buyers from across Australia and the globe for a truly outstanding offering of bloodstock.” View the full article

Jessica Berry will join Team Valor International upon graduation in July from the Godolphin Flying Start program. The 24-year-old served an internship with the Central Kentucky racing stable after graduating with a B.A. in international relations from the University of San Diego. She also worked a stint in Australia with Arrowfield Stud. As part of her Flying Start experience, she worked for Ralph Nicks at Gulfstream Park, in marketing at Godolphin’s Dubai headquarters and at Crown Lodge stable in Australia. “I was very impressed with Jessi’s handling of the Stanley Bergstein Writing Award ceremony at the Fasig-Tipton sales pavilion in Lexington,” said Team Valor CEO Barry Irwin. “She arranged the entire event, including filling the seats with industry members as well as students from colleges, racing clubs and universities in the Bluegrass. I told her when she graduated from Flying Start that she always had a job at Team Valor. We are very excited that she has decided to join our team.” View the full article

Voters appear to be coming around to UAE Derby winner Mendelssohn, the only 3-year-old to move up in the latest NTRA Top 3-Year-Old Poll just 12 days out from the May 5 Kentucky Derby. View the full article