Wandering Eyes

Local players spoke out on the Maryland Stadium Authority study that suggests a rebuild of Pimlico Race Course would cost $424 million. View the full article

The Maryland Jockey Club will offer 65 stakes, 13 graded, worth $9.2 million in purses through the first two-thirds of the 2019 calendar, it was announced Dec. 13. View the full article

When Brazilian billionaire Gilberto Sayao Da Silva purchased Nat Rea’s Regis Farm (formerly part of Rick Trontz’s Hopewell Farm) on Pisgah Pike in Woodford County in 2015, his wife christened the 300-plus acre property Bonne Chance Farm. The name, which means “good luck” in French, has been prophetic. That same year, Gilberto Sayao also bought Canadian champion Sealy Hill (Point Given) for $750,000 from the Regis dispersal. The Medaglia d’Oro filly she was carrying, the first Bonne Chance-bred yearling sold at auction, made $1.25 million at Keeneland September in 2017, positioning the farm as a boutique commercial breeder for the moment. However, plans to race a stable of homebreds in the future are already underway. “We are looking to strike the right balance,” said Brazilian Alberto Figueiredo, the general manager of Bonne Chance. “This year, we retained an Empire Maker colt who didn’t make what we thought he should, and from last year we have three fillies, now age two, including the Scat Daddy filly Iva, who is trained by Wesley Ward.” The first Bonne Chance homebred to race, Iva is a winner of two of three starts and was second in the House Party S. at Gulfstream last Saturday under the yellow and blue silks designed by Gilberto Sayao’s wife. It’s no coincidence that Gilberto Sayao bought Rea’s Regis Farm. In the two years that the Canadian Rea had been heavily invested in the Thoroughbred industry, he’d developed a relationship with Brazilian Goncalo Borges Torrealba, who with his family had established controlling interest in Three Chimneys in 2013. When Three Chimneys handled the Regis dispersal, Borges Torrealba, also the owner of Stud TNT in Brazil, advised Gilberto Sayao that Rea’s Kentucky farm was for sale. The sale was completed smoothly with most of the Regis staff, including farm manager John Durr, staying on to work for the new owner. Along with the Borges Torrealbas and the Chileans Oussama Aboughazale and the mother-son duo of Liliana Solari Falabella and Carlos Heller Solari, Gilberto Sayao is the latest South American to establish a significant foothold in the Bluegrass and make an impression. Three Chimneys was co-owner of Horse of the Year Gun Runner and stands the son of Candy Ride (Arg). Aboughazale shuttles two-time Horse of the Year California Chrome to his Haras Sumaya in Chile and bought what was formerly R. D. Hubbard’s Crystal Springs Farm in Bourbon County a few years ago and renamed it Haras Sumaya US. And the Solaris, who raced Eclipse Award winner Unique Bella, purchased Vinery in 2013 and renamed it Don Alberto Farm after their Haras Don Alberto in Chile. Like Stud TNT, Haras Sumaya, and Haras Don Alberto, Gilberto Sayao also races in South America, as Stud Rio Dois Irmaos (aka Stud RDI). It’s a successful racing and breeding operation in Brazil and Argentina with tentacles in France, though it’s a relatively young venture that was established in 2008 with partner Paulo Fernando Carvalho De Oliveira–also a partner in Gilberto Sayao’s business, Vinci Partners. Stud RDI has been managed from the start by Alberto Figueiredo, who’s been in and out of Lexington the last few years overseeing Bonne Chance’s development, and before that, worked as a yearling buyer at Keeneland for Stud RDI. I met him at three sales this year. He’s usually accompanied by P.C. Peixoto de Castro, owner of the storied Brazilian stud farm Fazenda Mondesir, and on his most recent trip last month, Figueiredo said it was likely that he’d eventually relocate to Kentucky as the farm takes on greater significance for Gilberto Sayao. Why Kentucky? “I think that’s because of the challenge to compete against the best in the world,” Figueiredo said. “You also have access to the best. It’s to be in the right place, you know, here, where the Thoroughbred happens.” Figueiredo said that Gilberto Sayao’s Stud RDI partner Paulo Fernando is not involved in the ownership of Bonne Chance, but that the partners continue to breed and race together in South America and elsewhere. At the moment, they are represented by the promising homebred filly Hacksaw Ridge (Brz) (Dubai Dust), an Argentine Group 1 winner from two starts. The recent GIII Berkeley H. winner at Golden Gate, Editore (Brz) (Redattore {Brz}), a Group 1 winner in Brazil, was bred by Stud Rio Dois Irmaos and races for Bonne Chance and Stud RDI under trainer Paulo Lobo’s direction. Lobo also trained Pretty Girl (Arg) (Harlan’s Holiday) for Bonne Chance and Stud RDI. A Group 1 winner in Argentina, she’d come to Lobo by way of France, where she’d won a Listed race for the partners. Lobo trained Pretty Girl to second-place finishes in both the GII Santa Ana S. at Santa Anita and the GII Yellow Ribbon H. at Del Mar in 2017. She was bred to Union Rags this spring. The Richard Mandella-trained homebred Baruta (Brz) (Crimson Tide {Ire}) was Stud Rio Dois Irmaos’s first graded stakes winner in the US when she won the GIII Senator Ken Maddy S. at Santa Anita in 2015. She’s now at Bonne Chance, and her first foal, a colt by Speightstown, was sold for $175,000 at Keeneland September this year. She has a Ghostzapper weanling and was bred to Quality Road for 2019. Strong Sales The farm is patronizing some high-class commercial sires, but it’s also successfully dealt with some less expensive horses–in one case, a sire well off the beaten path–which means that it knows how to select breeding stock, raise a good horse, and is lucky. The head scratcher was a 2-year-old filly by Exhi (Maria’s Mon) that Bonne Chance sold through Hidden Brook–Hidden Brook’s Sergio de Sousa is Figueiredo’s cousin–at the OBS Spring sale in April for $195,000. The filly had worked well and was a half-sister to GI Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint winner Wavell Avenue (Harlington), but her sire is obscure and stood for only $3,000 in Alberta this year. Bonne Chance knew well enough to maximize her sales potential as a 2-year-old in training instead of as a yearling. At Keeneland September this year, Bonne Chance had another profitable year with its second crop of 12 yearlings, six of them catalogued in Book 1. The farm sold two Uncle Mos for $625,000 and $410,000, a Medaglia d’Oro sister to the $1.25 million sale filly from last year for $425,000, a Giant’s Causeway for $450,000, and a Street Sense for $225,000, in addition to the $175,000 Speightstown from the Brazilian mare noted earlier. Those are formulaic commercial horses, but Bonne Chance also sold a Stormy Atlantic–an aged stallion who stood for an advertised price of $25,000 in 2016 when the mare was bred but could have been had for less–for $190,000. And then last month at Keeneland, the farm also sold two weanlings, a Quality Road for $180,000 and a Frosted for $170,000. It was a strikingly strong and uniform second sales season for a nursery that had produced only seven foals in 2016, 12 in 2017, and 15 this year. Bonne Chance is expecting a crop of 19 next year, and they’ll include foals by such sires as Quality Road, Speightstown, Union Rags, Distorted Humor, More Than Ready, Pioneerof the Nile, and Arrogate, as well as by such as English Channel, Twirling Candy, Connect, Creative Cause, and Tapizar, among others. “Every mare has a sire [that suits her best],” Figueiredo said. “We look at each mare individually and choose the best stallion for her on pedigree and physical match. Yes, we are looking at the commercial side, but we are also looking to breed stakes winners and we are looking for horses for the stable, too. We have foals this year by horses like Macho Uno and Mizzen Mast, for example. Perhaps a horse like Mizzen Mast doesn’t get a lot of attention, but he has shown he can get a very good horse.” The broodmare band numbers about 25-odd mares heading into 2019 and is comprised of well-bred Kentucky stock that Figueiredo had purchased as yearlings for Stud RDI to race in its early years, proven group or graded fillies that raced in South America, new purchases for the farm since 2015, and some European imports from France, including three mares by Galileo. Clearly, this isn’t Figueiredo’s first rodeo. Before his involvement with Gilberto Sayao, he was the racing manager for the legendary Brazilian owner-breeder Linneo Eduardo de Paula Machado’s Haras Sao Jose e Expedictus, which was founded in 1906 in Rio Claro in the state of Sao Paulo and is deeply engraved in Brazilian racing lore. It made an impression in the U.S. in the 1990s as Rio Claro Thoroughbreds, racing such as Group 1 winners Siphon (Brz) (Itajara {Brz}) and Virginie (Brz) (Legal Case {Ire}) and Group 2 winner Romarin (Brz) (Itajara {Brz}) with Richard Mandella. Figueiredo’s frequent travel companion in Kentucky, P.C. Peixoto de Castro, is the owner of another famed Brazilian stud farm, Fazenda Mondesir, which was established in 1934 by his great-grandfather Antonio Joaquim Peixoto de Castro, Jr. in Sao Paulo but is now located in Bage, in the state of Rio Grande do Sul. Fazenda Mondesir is perhaps best known here as the breeder of Group 1 winner Einstein (Brz) (Spend a Buck), who is from a mare by the Lyphard horse Ghadeer (Fr) out of a mare by Waldmeister (GB) (Wild Risk {Fr}). Both stallions stood at Fazenda Mondesir and Ghadeer was one of the most influential sires ever in Brazil, where he was a perennial leading sire and broodmare sire. The Ghadeer/Waldmeister combination, incidentally, was the catalyst that turned around the poor stud career of Spend a Buck. Fazenda Mondesir’s international influence with Ghadeer/Waldmeister was on display just last weekend in Japan with the Deep Impact 2-year-old filly Danon Fantasy (Jpn), who won the Group 1 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies. Danon Fantasy’s Group l-winning dam Life For Sale (Arg) (Not For Sale {Arg}) was bred by P.C. Peixoto de Castro, and her the third dam, My Little Life (Brz), is a Fazenda Mondesir-bred daughter of Ghadeer. Danon Fantasy’s fifth dam is by Waldmeister and this is an old and deep Fazenda Mondesir foundation family. P.C. Peixoto de Castro is a longtime friend of Gilberto Sayao, boards Stud RDI’s broodmares at Fazenda Mondesir, and acts as his advisor. He got to know Alberto Figueiredo during the latter’s time with Sao Jose e Expedictus, and together they are a formidable resource for the Bonne Chance owner, who is well on the way to making a name for his farm in the U.S. Sid Fernando is president and CEO of Werk Thoroughbred Consultants, Inc., originator of the Werk Nick Rating and eNicks. View the full article

After six years of closure, Colonial Downs will race 15 dates in 2019, spanning Aug. 8-Sep. 7. The Virginia Racing Commission granted the dates approval Thursday. In addition, Colonial received permission to open its 600-unit historic horse racing operation at the track, with the machines and simulcasting anticipated to go live in mid-April. Purse levels and a stakes schedule are pending, but Colonial has already targeted Aug. 31 as the return date for its showcase race, the Virginia Derby, which was previously a Grade II stakes. Colonial’s 1,000-stall stable area opens July 25. “This is an exciting step for everyone impassioned by the rebirth of live racing in Virginia and for our team delivering on our promise to revitalize horse racing in the commonwealth,” said Colonial Downs Group senior vice-president and general manager John Marshall. “We are already making significant progress preparing Colonial Downs to evolve into one of the country’s premier race meets.” “It has been a long four years waiting for this day,” added Debbie Easter, president of the Virginia Equine Alliance. “Our owners, breeders, trainers, veterinarians and everyone else associated with horse racing in Virginia have much anticipated the return of live racing at Colonial Downs and the resurgence in our industry that we know will come with it.” Colonial’s calling card has always been its nine-furlong, 180-foot-wide jewel of a turf course, which in previous years handled close to 90% of the races carded at the track. In an October interview, Marshall told TDN that “for 2020, we’re looking at 30 live race dates. We have not projected beyond that…We certainly need our horsemen and the racing commission to be on board, and we’re looking to cooperate with as many racetracks as possible.” This will be Colonial’s first season under new management. View the full article

When Len Green went to his first horse race in the 1980s and watched his friend’s horse win, the CPA thought he had just discovered the “easiest business in the world” and decided to jump into the horse business himself. He quickly discovered that succeeding in the world of horse racing was anything but easy. However, once Green began to apply the business savvy and entrepreneurial spirit that had served him so well in his professional life to his latest endeavor, he turned his D. J. Stable into his latest success story, which now includes a Breeders’ Cup victory thanks to Jaywalk (Cross Traffic). “It’s been a very exciting ride,” Green said while seated in his conference room, which is covered in racing memorabilia. “The horse business has a great learning curve. Many businessmen believe because they’re successful somewhere else, they can just walk into the horse business and do it. The problem is, the horse business is not regulated, so, in many ways, you have to learns all the things you do and don’t do.” The Babson College professor continued, “Having the advantage of being a taxman, at least I knew the government was going to pay for 50% of any losses that I took care of, but that is no fun unless you win. So, we started winning in an interesting way. We got into claiming and ended up winning four different titles for owners at different tracks for most wins, but we were losing money every single year.” Green decided to claim fast fillies with the goal of breeding them to sires who were distance runners. He accumulated 72 mares and sent their pedigrees to Ken McLean, manager of the mighty Storm Cat. Green’s wife, Lois, thought he was crazy, but sure enough McLean called and invited Green to meet him in Kentucky. “I was in heaven,” Green recalled. “Suddenly, I thought I really had made the transition from being a businessman to being successful in the horse business because Ken McLean was interested in breeding some of my mares to Storm Cat, who at the time was the number one horse.” McLean chose just two mares, but both matings produced top horses with Princess Alydar foaling MGISW November Snow and Kermis producing Senate Appointee, winner of 14 stakes. “After those two, he suddenly stood up and walked out the door,” Green said of his meeting with McLean. “I said, ‘Where are you going? I’ve got more mares.’ He said, ‘Where are they?’ I said, ‘New Jersey.’ He said, ‘No, where specifically?’ I said, ‘They are in different fields.’ He said, ‘Open the gates,’ which was a nice way of saying to me that they were worthless and to get rid of them. That was my first big shock in the business, but you learn over a period of time that this is a business, so you have to cut down the odds of failing to increase your odds of winning.” Over the years, with the help of his son Jon, Green has done just that. He has built a broodmare band whose foals are worthy of Books 1 and 2 in the yearling sales and put together a team of trainers, short listers and partners that have increased his stable’s success. The Greens have also been smart about letting go of horses when necessary and putting them in spots that give them their best chance of winning, even if that spot is in a claiming race or at a second-tier track. “I think we are successful because, for one, we certainly know the tax world better than anybody else,” said the Founder and Chairman of The Green Group, an accounting and equine advisory firm that has over 400 clients in the racing industry. “Two, we associate ourselves with very good trainers who we can trust and who know the game. We have consignors that we know well. We also have partners who have the same philosophy we do. Aron Yagoda has been a great help because he knows an awful lot of people in the business. Chuck Zacney has been a great partner to have because we see eye-to-eye on what to do and where to go, etc.” Green has bred or owned the likes of Songandaprayer, Do It With Style, Rhum and Hoppertunity over the years, but he teamed with Zacney for a career high just last month when winning the GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies with Jaywalk (video). The John Servis trainee also upended Belmont’s GI Frizette S. Oct. 7 with a front-running 5 3/4-length score at odds of 10-1 (video). “Every once in a while, you get something like Jaywalk and that changes everything,” Green said. “It’s easy in hindsight to say the game plan was followed. She kept on improving and improving and we wouldn’t have gone to a Grade I [in the Frizette] unless we felt we had an opportunity to win. We took a shot at the Breeders’ Cup and we were the fourth favorite. The horse had a mind of her own and broke with [Joel Rosario] and never looked back. How far can she go? We will find out, because now we have a ticket to go to what is the [female] equivalent of the [GI] Kentucky Derby, the [GI Kentucky] Oaks.” This was the first Breeders’ Cup victory for D. J. Stable and Green hopes it is just the first of many. “I saw first of many because I spoke to Peter Brant, who has won four Breeders’ Cup races,” Green said. “I asked him, ‘Which was the most exciting one?’ And he said, ‘The next one.’ I think that is great. It was very, very exciting to go down there and it was more even more exciting to go with my family, both my immediate family and my extended family [from racing], like Aron Yagoda. It was a very big thrill. ” With two Grade I wins, including the Breeders’ Cup, under her belt, Jaywalk also looks primed to become the operation’s first Eclipse winner at next month’s awards ceremony. “She has proven herself to be the best in the business,” Green said. “The other horse that won the turf race [GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf heroine Newspaperofrecord (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire})] is also a very good horse. Chad Brown is a much better known person. He is also a client. So, you never know how they are going to vote. But, it certainly would be nice and I think Jon Green has got an acceptance speech ready to go.” D. J. Stable and their partners have many other talented horses in the barn such as MSW & MGSP Diamond King (Quality Road), a full-brother to MGISW Bellafina; and comebacking Tap Rap Strike (Tapit), an $875,000 OBSMAR buy owned with Zacney’s Cash is King. However, it is another filly that holds some pretty high esteem in the Green household, two-time stakes winner and MGSP Sower (Flatter), who was named by Green’s wife. A decisive winner of Belmont’s Jersey Girl S. June 10 (video), the Linda Rice pupil completed the trifecta in both the July 8 GIII Victory Ride S. and Sept. 22 GIII Charles Town Oaks. The chestnut went wire-to-wire for an impressive 5 1/4-length success in Belmont’s Pumpkin Pie S. Oct. 28 (video) and was third last time in Aqueduct’s Garland of Roses S. Dec. 8. “It’s exciting because Lois named her, same as Jon named Jaywalk, so there is a connection with those horses,” Green said. “The horse keeps getting better and better. Linda is very, very good in the sense that her training methods are different than John [Servis]’s or other trainers we’ve had. You never see any bullet works for Linda. She has her way of doing it every couple weeks, so it’s steady. She keeps gas in the tank.” With a stable full of talented runners, a possible Eclipse Award and a Breeders’ Cup winner with a bright sophomore campaign ahead of her, Green has plenty to look forward to, but he is taking it all in stride and trying to enjoy each moment. “I am taking it step by step and enjoying everything,” the New Jersey resident said. “Each of these things is a thrill as long as you enjoy the moment and I’m enjoying the moment. I think you enjoy things that you’re doing because you never know what tomorrow is going to bring. So, that is what I do. I get up at 4:00 in the morning and say, ‘Hey, Lord. Thank You.’ Then I work out and I can come [to my office] or fly up to Babson. I say to myself, ‘That’s wonderful, too,’ because I am influencing future generations.” The author and regular Boston marathon participant continued, “Somebody asked me a long time ago, ‘What keeps you young?’ I said, ‘A good 2-year-old and teaching,’ because both of them can give you challenges. The horse business is a great game. I think the people in the game, if you get to know them, are very exciting. Even though we are competing against each other sometimes, you get to know the real person and it is a very, very exciting business.” View the full article

The Maryland Stadium Authority's vision for a completely rebuilt Pimlico Race Course facility would emphasize providing the Preakness Stakes (G1) a world-class stage and giving Baltimore a flexible facility. View the full article

If the GI Preakness S. is to remain in Baltimore at a revitalized Pimlico Race Course, the recommended concept plan released Thursday by the Maryland Stadium Authority (MSA) calls for the complete razing and rebuilding of the 110-acre racetrack property at an estimated three-year construction cost of $424 million. The ambitious, sweeping plan envisions a new 15/16-mile dirt track (shortened from the existing mile oval), plus a seven-furlong turf track, grandstand, and four-story clubhouse that would all be rotated 35 degrees clockwise from the current setup so as to better dovetail with the existing neighborhood. The expansive Dec. 13 proposal also provides for new shared land classifications in the neighborhood, including equestrian usage, green space, commercial and residential mixed-use, and a health care campus. The community’s roadways and other civic infrastructure would also undergo substantial upgrading, and the new Pimlico infield could include public athletic fields or park-like areas. A focal point within the proposed racetrack footprint would be the construction of The Palio, a 300 by 500 foot public multi-use plaza designed to serve both as the once-annual saddling area for the Preakness while also hosting outdoor public concerts, performing arts, and markets during the remainder of the year. The design inspiration comes from Il Palio, the historic public square in Siena, Italy, that hosts non-traditional horse racing festivals twice each year. In fact, much of what the MSA is proposing for Pimlico is built around the idea of providing basic on-track infrastructure for multi-purpose, year-round use that could be augmented for major events by incorporating “overlay” infrastructure such as infield tents and temporary buildings that would provide premium seating for an estimated 60% of Preakness attendees. But the obvious–and thus far unanswered–question is how will this massive Pimlico project be funded and who, exactly, will pay for it? The MSA proposal stops short of stating any specific funding ideas, and it comes with the caveat that, “This analysis is preliminary in nature and does not constitute a comprehensive master plan of Pimlico Race Course … this is a hypothetical, conceptual analysis of potential uses that could occur, not a feasibility study of what will occur.” The Stronach Group (TSG) owns the Maryland Jockey Club (MJC) and its two active racetracks, Pimlico and Laurel Park. TSG has been on the record for several years as acknowledging the sub-optimal conditions at outmoded Pimlico, which raced only 12 dates during May in 2018 for an abbreviated meet surrounding the Preakness. At the same time, TSG has invested millions of dollars in upgrades at Laurel over the past several years. As recently as this past May, MJC officials were on record as saying that the company does not foresee putting any of its own funds into an overhaul of Pimlico, and it has been speculated that the Preakness–and possibly all MJC race dates–could be moved to the increasingly refurbished Laurel as early as 2020. Neither Tim Ritvo, the chief operating officer of TSG, nor Sal Sinatra, the MJC’s president, returned Thursday voicemail messages requesting comment prior to deadline for this story. Belinda Stronach, the chairman and president of TSG, addressed the issues of funding and the potential future home of the Preakness only obliquely in a press release issued by the company. “The final conclusions of the MSA report are in line with our assessment that in order to bring the facility up to par, it will require several hundreds of millions of dollars,” Stronach said, in part. “TSG is investing heavily in racing and we are committed to the long-term sustainability of the Thoroughbred racing industry and to the communities in which we operate in Maryland. The MSA study began three years ago and from the outset we have expressed the need to address Pimlico, and by extension the Preakness Stakes, within the context of the broader racing ecosystem.” So would a publicly funded Pimlico be feasible? The MSA report also left those specifics unaddressed, but did advise that, “A logical next step in the planning process is for key stakeholders including MJC/TSG, the City and the State to agree to execute a formal agreement to enter into future negotiations.” For comparison, consider the price tags of several other high-profile sports complexes that the state has built over the past several decades: In 1992, the MSA opened baseball’s Oriole Park at Camden Yards after constructing it for $110 million (not including land costs). In 1998, MSA opened the adjacent multi-use home of football’s Baltimore Ravens (now called M&T Bank Stadium) at a construction cost of $220 million. So even after adjusting for inflation, the MSA’s projected $424 million Pimlico rebuild would still dwarf the combined costs of the baseball and football parks. Tim Keefe, the president of the Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association (MTHA), told TDN that while keeping the Preakness at Pimlico resonates from a historic standpoint, stakeholders have to maintain a long-term vision centered around what is best for the industry in its entirety. “I think we’ve all known for years the state of Pimlico and the hopes that something would happen,” Keefe said. “Whether or not what’s in the study happens, whether it’s rebuilding a new Pimlico, the horsemen all know the commitment that TSG has in building a mega-track or a super-track here at Laurel, which is kind of what their vision is. “I think that whatever happens, the ultimate goal needs to be not just two or three weeks of racing at one racetrack, but the year-round vision for racing in Maryland as a whole,” Keefe continued. “And whether that’s having one track, or having the track at Laurel and also this new facility for [multi-use events] at Pimlico, that’s not for me to say. “That’s my personal opinion as a horseman here in Maryland. That’s not coming from the MTHA,” Keefe underscored. “I live here in Maryland, and I breed and race horses here in Maryland. My hope is that whatever decisions made, it’s for the Maryland racing industry as a whole, for year-round racing.” Asked if he thought that the important concept of solidifying year-round racing was more difficult for civic leaders to grasp than the threat of having the one-day Preakness move out of Baltimore, Keefe replied: “Oh yeah, sure. The city leaders of Baltimore certainly don’t want to have the second jewel of the Triple Crown lost on their watch. So they’re probably going to do everything they can–and they should–to keep it in their hometown. “But I think ultimately you have to look at what’s best for everybody,” Keefe summed up. “You have to look at the whole picture–not just what it does for Baltimore or for one specific area.” View the full article

Grade 1 winners Almanaar, Divisidero, Glorious Empire, Hi Happy, and Quarteto de Cordas are prominent among a stacked field of 14 that includes nine other graded stakes winners in the $200,000 Fort Lauderdale (G2) Dec. 15 at Gulfstream Park. View the full article

Grade 1 winners Almanaar, Divisidero, Glorious Empire, Hi Happy, and Quarteto de Cordas are prominent among a stacked field of 16 that includes nine other graded-stakes winners in the $200,000 Fort Lauderdale (G2) Dec. 15 at Gulfstream Park. View the full article

Tip Two Win (GB) (Dark Angel {Ire}), who ran second in the G1 QIPCO 2000 Guineas in the wake of Saxon Warrior (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) in May, will contest the 1 1/4-mile $500,000 Qatar Derby over the Doha turf course during the Qatar International Derby Festival on Dec. 22. Trained by Robert Teal for breeder Mrs. Anne Cowley, the grey colt won the Listed Flying Scotsman S. last September and ran second in the G3 Tattersalls S. later that month before a pair of victories in Qatar, including the Feb. 24 Listed Al Biddah Mile (Qat-G2) to open his sophomore account prior to his miss in the Guineas. A solid fourth in Royal Ascot’s G1 St James’s Palace S. in June, Tip Two Win was unplaced versus elders in the July 31 G2 Qatar Lennox S. “Tip Two Win had a racecourse gallop at Kempton Park on Tuesday morning and put a big smile on my face,” Teal said. “He went so well that I’m starting to get nervous already ahead of the Qatar Derby. David [Probert] rode him and he went one circuit, which is a mile and a quarter, in the company of High Acclaim, who is a very good work horse. They went a nice strong pace all the way. David was delighted with him and thought that he had really strengthened up since he last ran back in July.” Added Teal, “Al Rayyan is a nice level track and he will be able to bounce off the fast surface there so if he’s going to get a mile and a quarter anywhere it will be in Doha. It’s great prize money and they looked after us so well last year that we have to give it another go. His plane leaves in the early hours of Saturday morning and he’s a good traveller–nothing fazes him.” View the full article

Keeneland has added 11 supplemental entries to the catalog for its January Horses of All Ages Sale, to be held Jan. 7-10, 2019. With the additions, a total of 1,565 horses, headlined by champion Abel Tasman (Quality Road), have been cataloged to the auction, which offers broodmares and broodmare prospects, yearlings, horses of racing age and stallions. The Jan. 7 opening session includes seven supplements, five consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent, and two consigned by Hunter Valley Farm, agent. Of the four supplements cataloged to the Jan. 8 session, two are from the consignment of Lane’s End, agent, with one apiece from consignor James M. Herbener Jr., agent for Fox Hill Farms, and consignor Mill Ridge Sales, agent for Juddmonte Farms. On the first day, supplemental entries are the broodmare Brunilda (Arg) (Mutakddim), a Grade III winner in foal to Mshawish; racing or broodmare prospects Miz Creed (Jimmy Creed) and Egoli (Quality Road), both winners at two in 2018, and White Mischief (Into Mischief); two yearlings–a colt by Declaration of War out of a half-sister to impressive juvenile Coliseum (Tapit) and a filly by California Chrome out of stakes winner Dame Ellen (Elusive Quality); and the Grade III-placed racing prospect Marzo (Medaglia d’Oro). Supplemented to the sale’s second day are racing or broodmare prospects Best Performance (Broken Vow), a multiple graded stakes-placed runner who was second in the GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, and Navajo (Union Rags), a winner at two; broodmare prospect Butterscotch (Tapit), a full sister to Grade I-placed Normandy Invasion; and racing prospect Allium (Malibu Moon). Keeneland continues to accept supplementary entries. The January Sale’s four sessions begins at 10 a.m. ET each day, and the sale will be streamed live on Keeneland.com. View the full article

Old Friends Farm, the popular retirement home for Thoroughbreds in Georgetown, Ky., has agreed to open a new affiliate on the West Coast, which will break ground in 2019. Doug Freeland of Flagstone Group and Elizabeth Neil are developing a 95-acre parcel of land just outside of Temecula, Ca., to be used for both the retraining and retirement of Thoroughbred horses. Old Friends Farm West, a 501(c)(3) non-profit, will begin development in March 2019, and the property will include a Visitor’s Center & Gift Shop, a Winery & Café, a Memorabilia Museum, one indoor and two outdoor retraining rings, multiple barns, a teaching Vet Center, and an Event Center for fundraising and charity events. “The plan is to have a premiere facility for the retraining and retirement of Thoroughbred horses, as well as a facility that allows the public to come and visit these former stars of the track, especially those who have raced here in California,” said Neil, who will serve as Director & President of Old Friends Farm West. “Southern California has been good to me, and it’s time to return the favor,” added Freeland, who will serve as Chairman of the Property. “After arriving in San Diego as a young Navy pilot, and later becoming a real-estate developer, I’ve long been a fan of the Del Mar Turf Club. This is a non-profit venture that will be a win-win for our four-legged friends and a feel-good project for all of us. We are excited that our Kentucky friends are supporting us and encouraging this endeavor.” If you would like more information on Old Friends Farm West, or would like to become involved and/or make a tax-free contribution, contact Elizabeth Neil at 805-722-7345 or by email at elizabethoffw@gmail.com. View the full article

Despite drifting from odds-on favouritism to odds-against, Divine Image (Scat Daddy) nonetheless quelled any concerns with an impressive performance tackling one mile in her Chelmsford City unveiling. The chestnut recovered from a slightly awkward break to track the pace in third along the fence from flagfall. Angled into a clear path when shaken up off the home turn, the 6-5 pick received one flick of James Doyle’s enhancer once hitting the front approaching the final eighth and powered clear under mild coaxing in the closing stages to easily account for Stratification (Australia {GB}) by six lengths. “She was a little slowly away from the gates, but we got a nice little pitch in behind the front two,” explained Doyle. “She was a little on and off the bridle and, like Charlie [Appleby] thought beforehand, might be better over a bit further. She did it well once she clicked into gear and got a bit of room in the straight. She’s a nice one to look forward to.” Divine Image is the first reported foal and scorer out of three-time stakes-placed Sure Route (GB) (Ishiguru), herself the leading representative produced by an unraced half-sister to a quartet of black-type performers featuring GIII Iroquois S. victor Motor City (Street Sense). Sure Route, who has also produced a yearling colt by Union Rags and a filly foal by Air Force Blue, was bred back to Air Force Blue this year. Sales history: $195,000 RNA Ylg ’17 KEESEP; $125,000 Ylg ’17 FTKOCT; €360,000 2yo ’18 ARQMAY. 2nd-Chelmsford City, £8,000, Cond, 12-13, 2yo, f, 8f (AWT), 1:41.49, st. DIVINE IMAGE, f, 2, by Scat Daddy 1st Dam: Sure Route (GB) (MSP-US, $201,163), by Ishiguru 2nd Dam: Shore Light, by Gulch 3rd Dam: Shawgatny, by Danzig Connection 1ST-TIME STARTER. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, £5,175. O-Godolphin; B-Peter Magnier (KY); T-Charlie Appleby. Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton. View the full article

CF Roberts Mares’ Handicap Chase Neil King’s Silent Steps sneaks into this off a nice racing weight and was an impressive winner ten days ago. That was the seven-year-olds first win under rules having spent time in the care of Nicky Henderson and Paul Nicholls without success. This confidence boosting run may turn this former […] The post Friday Preview – Will Bolger To Be Crowned “King Of The Banks” Again? appeared first on RaceBets Blog EN. View the full article

Cloth of Stars (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) is the second-highest rated horse to retire to stud in France in the past 40 years. He had just two brilliant fillies-Enable (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) and Sea Of Class (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire})-in front of him in two G1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphes. He is from the prolific Niarchos family that includes G1 Prix de Diane winner Northern Trick, and more recently Group 1 winners Main Sequence (Aldebaran), Light Shift (Kingmambo) and Ulysses (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). That looks like a lot of value for €7,500. “Everybody will remember him for being the first colt home in the last two Arcs,” said Julian Ince of Haras du Logis, which will stand Cloth of Stars at stud in 2019. “But I think the one thing that people will appreciate is that he was an exceptional 2-year-old: he won the G3 Prix des Chenes and was second in the G1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud. He was a fabulous 2-year-old that went on to be a champion older horse.” For all the talk of his runner-up effort in last year’s Arc and his third this year, a length behind those two special fillies Enable and Sea Of Class, Cloth of Stars did in fact collect a Group 1 win of his own last spring when besting Zarak (Fr) (Dubawi {Ire}) in the G1 Prix Ganay. He was a six-time group winner from a mile to 10 furlongs, and had Group 1 form from two to five. His Arc second was rated high enough to win nine of the previous 10 runnings of the great race. “That’s what we look for in France [in a stallion],” Ince said. “We like good 2-year-olds that train on and last a long time. And I think that’s what people have appreciated, that in fact he was a top-class 2-year-old that trained on to the age of six. As his trainer Mr. Fabre said to me, ‘he was a wonderful horse.’ He was a very determined racehorse but with a very, very kind nature.” {"id":3,"instanceName":"Articles No Playlist","videos":[{"videoType":"HTML5","title":"Cloth of Stars at Haras du Logis","description":"","info":"","thumbImg":"http://www.thoroughbreddailynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/ClothOfStarsTN.jpg","mp4":"https://player.vimeo.com/external/305792328.sd.mp4?s=ac0ce05e9955493e27316dabe2fb7bd1b993e0bf&profile_id=165","enable_mp4_download":"no","prerollAD":"yes","prerollGotoLink":"prerollGotoLink","preroll_mp4_title":"preroll_mp4_title","preroll_mp4":"https://player.vimeo.com/external/304696837.sd.mp4?s=ca9456b0fe7b3bccd8bbfa2ed7750225cd70ddcf&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\/"} Ince said that Cloth of Stars, who was a 400,000gns yearling purchase by Godolphin, will be limited to 120 mares from the start of the season, but more spots may be made available if he takes to his new job well. He said that within 24 hours of the announcement of the horse’s retirement to Logis, breeding rights were sold out. “I think with young horses, it’s always a prudent thing to do to not to overload the horse in the very beginning,” Ince said. “If he can handle that, that’s great, and we’ll open up the book afterwards. But I think it’s very important to give the horse a chance, into his new career, by not overloading him from day one. “He’s very much in demand. Breeding rights were sold very, very quickly because people realize to get a horse like this with that high a rating, a top-class 2-year-old; he’s a horse that everybody wants and we’re absolutely delighted by the response of breeders.” Cloth of Stars has been at Logis for about a month, and Ince said the response from breeders who have seen him in the flesh has been positive. “He’s not an over big horse,” he said. “But he’s a very well- balanced horse. And the one thing we’ve noticed about him is he’s an exceptional mover, and that’s what breeders have really appreciated. He’s got a great colour, great skin, is a great-moving horse; if the foals look like him, I think everybody will be very happy.” Cloth of Stars apparently gained some accolades from his master trainer Andre Fabre, too. “A couple days after the horse arrived at the stud, Mr. Fabre phoned us and he was describing the horse and just said to me that he was a horse with wonderful conformation, he thought he had a lot of character and was a very determined racehorse but that he is an exceptionally kind horse as well, and that’s exactly what we’ve seen at the farm; he’s got such a good temperament. He’s a very kind horse and you know you can do anything with him. We’re very, very delighted to have the horse with us.” View the full article

TDN: Favourite racing moment of the year? SK: There were several, including Native River (Ire) (Indian River {Fr}) winning the Cheltenham Gold Cup. However my favourite moment is somewhat biased, but my cousin Patrick Prendergast training the Moyglare Stud S. winner Skitter Scatter (Scat Daddy) for the Rogers Family. TDN: A horse that really stood out for you in 2018? SK: Enable (GB). TDN: An outstanding achievement by a breeder, owner or trainer? SK: Along with Skitter Scatter winning the Moyglare, then Enable returning to close to her best for Juddmonte and John Gosden despite an interrupted campaign. TDN: Big hope for 2019? SK: Skitter Scatter to win the 1000 Guineas and Madhmoon (Ire) (Dawn Approach {Ire}) to win the 2000 Guineas. TDN: Your new year’s resolution? SK: Plan or organise myself better and the usual fitness aspirations that I set every year and never get close to achieving. View the full article

With Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races unveiling a 2019 stakes schedule with a reduced purse for the Charles Town Classic (G2), the West Virginia Racing Commission unanimously approved that schedule Dec. 13. View the full article

Friday Lough Derg Jewel Track: Doncaster – 2:20 Jockey: Will Kennedy He had an irregular heartbeat after Carlisle the last day. I’m still not sure what he did, whether he just got panicked or something else. It was nice to find something given how he faded out of it and he seems back in good order at […] The post Donald McCain Blog – Friday Runners appeared first on RaceBets Blog EN. View the full article

Addressing your thoughts, questions and statements about Hong Kong racing. Have something to say? Send a tweet to @SCMPRacingPost Beauty Generation or Able Friend, who was better? – @nicklasyip It has been a topic of much discussion after Beauty Generation’s demolition job in the Longines Hong Kong Mile. Able Friend was dominant winning the 2014 Mile, one of four Group One victories on his way to being named the 2014-15 Horse of the Year, while that was the fourth Group One win for... View the full article

In the madness following Glorious Forever’s barnstorming win in Sunday’s Longines Hong Kong Cup, an unknown opportunist seized the chance to get a photo with the Group One-winning star. While the staff of Frankie Lor Fu-chuen’s stable posed with the four-year-old, a mystery man also strode out onto the track and planted himself front and centre of the photo. Once Jockey Club officials realised something was amiss, they were quick to usher the imposter from the track and normal... View the full article

The Hong Kong Derby picture will become clearer this Sunday with trainer Richard Gibson rolling out his key hope in the lucrative race. Highly rated English import Gold Chest will make his Hong Kong debut in the Class Two Lukfook Jewellery Cup (1,400m) among a host of other Derby hopefuls. The lightly raced three-year-old won both of his starts in England, including a win in Listed company at Newmarket before making his way to Gibson’s stable in September. Having trialled twice at Sha... View the full article

The Maryland Stadium Authority's completed study about the future of Pimlico Race Course, expected to be released Dec. 13, will lay out a plan that includes the demolishing and rebuilding of the Baltimore racetrack at a price tag of $424 million. View the full article

The Maryland Stadium Authority's completed study about the future of Pimlico Race Course, expected to be released Dec. 13, will "call for" the demolishing and rebuilding of the Baltimore racetrack at a price tag of $424 million. View the full article

One year after trainer Chad Brown trainee Lewis Bay scored a dominating, gate-to-wire run in the $100,000 Rampart Stakes (G3) at Gulfstream Park, the trainer returns to the Florida track Dec. 15 with another promising filly. View the full article

The Jockeys’ Guild held its 2018 Annual Meeting, sponsored by TVG Betfair USA, in Las Vegas Dec. 10 and 11. Those in attendance participated in presentations and discussions on how to enhance the sport of horseracing, improve the conditions under which Guild members ride, and what can be done to assure that the younger riders carry on the traditions of the Guild. Since 2007, the Guild has provided its members $13.5 million dollars in benefits, including health and welfare reimbursements. The riders in attendance elected John Velazquez and Mike Smith as Jockeys’ Guild Co-Chairs, Ricky Ramirez, Julien Leparoux and Javier Castellano as Vice Chairs, Joel Campbell as Treasurer, and Rodney Prescott as Secretary. Joe Bravo and Alex Birzer were re-elected and Joe Talamo was newly elected as members of the Board of Directors. Ramon Dominguez was appointed as an ex-officio member of the Board. View the full article