Wandering Eyes

Maiden Watch: Thunderously makes noise in his two-turn debut at Gulfstream Park. Powered by Family and Touch of Fire also impress around two turns at Fair Grounds Racecourse and Slots. View the full article

Last November, Democratic Kentucky state representative Matt Lehman told the TDN he was considering legislative intervention in an effort to curb computer assisted wagering (CAW) play in the state to a more equitable standard for all players. The debate around CAW players typically surrounds the edge they wield over regular gamblers thanks to their use of sophisticated technologies that allow them to precisely read the markets and to place massive wagers across many pools in the final seconds of betting–which can lead to extreme late odds changes–as well as the attractive rates and rebates offered to them which are unavailable to the average punter. Earlier this month, Lehman came good on that idea by introducing into the state legislature HB 39, an apparently first-of-its-kind bill that seeks to put CAW players on as even a playing field as possible with average retail players in Kentucky's Pari-mutuel wagering pools. The bill redefines “Pari-mutuel wagering” the following way, the key aspects of it focused on uniform access to these pools, and the prohibition of preferential “pricing” and “rebates” not uniformly available to all patrons: “Amounts wagered shall be placed in one (1) or more designated pari-mutuel pools from which winning wagers are paid out in proportion to the individual winning wagers, after deductions and adjustments to the pool are made, as required by statute or authorized by the corporation. Access to pari-mutuel pools shall be made available to all patrons on equitable terms, and no patron or class of patrons shall be afforded preferential pricing, rebates, access, information, technology, latency, or other advantages not uniformly available to all patrons placing wagers of the same type into the same pari-mutuel pool.” While last November, Lehman shared how he was involved in “bipartisan discussions” with other lawmakers around any such legislation, it's currently unclear what kind of broad political support this current bill has. Though early days, it doesn't appear to have any co-sponsors yet. The TDN messaged Lehman Tuesday afternoon for clarification. The story will be updated as necessary. Bipartisan Support would be crucial for this bill because as a Democrat, Lehman is in the distinct minority in the 100-seat Kentucky House of Representatives, which the Republicans control by an 80-20 margin. Republicans control the 38-seat state senate by a 32-6 margin. While many gambling experts have in recent years repeatedly warned that CAW play has too often gotten out of control–leading to pools that are way out of a healthy balance–the tracks have largely led the way in addressing the problem, some more proactive than others. At last month's Global Symposium on Racing in Tucson, the New York Racing Association (NYRA) president and CEO David O'Rourke announced the organization was taking steps–arguably the most aggressive yet by any track operator in the country–to limit CAW play one minute to post in nearly all pools. This will mean that all CAW players will soon be limited to a maximum six-bets per second when they bet into the NYRA product within one minute to post in these pools, putting them on the same footing as retail players. The steps that NYRA has already taken to manage these high-volume players-limiting their access to the win pool and the Late Pick 5 and Pick 6 pools-will remain unchanged. The post Lehman CAW Bill Introduced, Tough Road In Republican-led State Legislature appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Making his first start since July, Just a Touch seeks his first graded win in the $175,000 Louisiana Stakes (G3) at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots Jan. 17.View the full article

The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority and Rudy Rodriguez have reached an agreement to lift the New York-based trainer's provisional suspension Jan. 14. View the full article

Trainer John Sadler has been elected president of the board of directors of California Thoroughbred Trainers, succeeding Eoin Harty, who has served in that capacity since 2019 and remains a director.View the full article

Trainer John W. Sadler has been elected President of the Board of Directors of California Thoroughbred Trainers, Inc. [CTT], succeeding Eoin G. Harty, who has served in that capacity since 2019, and remains a Director, the organization said via a Tuesday press release. Sadler previously served as a Director or President of CTT on several occasions, most recently from 2010 to 2013. He was instrumental in developing the Edwin J. Gregson Foundation in 1998, which benefits and enhances the quality of life for backstretch workers and their families. The post Sadler Succeeds Harty As President Of California Thoroughbred Trainers appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

D. J. Stables homebred Nitrogen, a finalist for Eclipse champion 3-year-old filly, arrived at Oaklawn Park Jan. 11 ahead of her 4-year-old campaign.View the full article

The Dec. 20 Gun Runner Stakes at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots proved closely matched. A month later on Jan. 17, the next leg of the stakes series for current 3-year-olds there, $250,000 Lecomte Stakes (G3), appears equally competitive.View the full article

As California horse racing enters one of its most consequential years yet, the California Horse Racing Board's (CHRB) first meeting of the year this Wednesday includes a proposal for 19 weeks of fair racing in the North of California this year. The National Horseman's Benevolent and Protective Association (HPBA) has also weighed in, offering its support for a live racing circuit in NorCal at the behest of a group of Northen California owners and trainers, according to a letter the organization sent to the CHRB Jan. 7. “We recognize under current state law that a California HBPA will not serve as the formal entity negotiating purses or other statutory duties, however we can be a strong and formal advocate for owners in Northern California. The national HBPA and our surrounding affiliates offer a suite of a services to our members that can assist the track operator in performing necessary regulatory, HISA and other backside related functions that are key to operating a successful race meet,” the letter states. “HPBA is at its core horsemen helping horsemen,” Eric Hamelback told the TDN Tuesday about the thrust of the organization's overtures. Proponents of a renewed racing program in the North argue it's needed to better support a NorCal breeding industry, as well as to provide better opportunities to keep and lure back horses to the state. A recent TDN analysis of the fate of former NorCal horsemen and women since the closure of Pleasanton for Thoroughbred stabling in March found that a significant number of barns had either left the state or called it quits altogether. The overall impression among barns that maintained a footprint in the state was one of an average 50% decline in both earnings and starts. On the flip side, proponents of the current consolidated program argue this existing system is needed to shore up the fragile California racing industry as a whole. Any overlapping calendar in the North, they say, would siphon off and dilute valuable resources (both equine and financial) needed to maintain recent upticks in things like purses and field size in the South. The proposal to be discussed Wednesday outlines 19 race weeks this summer between three different fair tracks: Tehama District Fair–Apr. 29, 2026, through June 9, 2026 (6 racing weeks); Alameda County Fair – June 10, 2026, through July 21, 2026 (6 racing weeks); Humboldt County Fair – July 22, 2026, through Sept. 8, 2026 (7 racing weeks) The proposal is described as a joint mission between the Bernal Park Racing Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, and the John C. Harris County Fair Racing Legacy. Harris was a mainstay of California's breeding industry who passed away last year. The meeting agenda packet includes either a signed live race agreement or a memorandum of understanding between the three fair associations and Bernal Park Racing Management Company (BPRMC), headed by long-time owner-breeder George Schmitt. Several important legal question marks appear to hang over the proposal, according to a CHRB analysis. This includes whether the CHRB is legally permitted to issue racing dates to BPRMC, as it is a newly established entity. According to Schmitt, Bernal Park would provide services and the financial backing for these meets, while the individual fair associations are the entities requesting the race dates, similar in effect to how the Sonoma County Fair operated and carried out its race meet. Among the conditions written into its proposal, BPRMC states that live racing will be for a minimum two days per week, three if field sizes allow. The base purse structure would be $130,000 a day. Post times would be set within a 15-minute window of any race in Southern California to avoid overlap. Racing at Ferndale | Vassar Photography While Humboldt and Alameda County Fairs routinely operated race-meets up until 2025, Tehama County hasn't hosted an official race-meet since 1980. As such, the facility will need upgrades to bring it up to par with state and federal safety requirements. According to the proposal, BPRMC has already invested $104,217 in track improvements that include 1,600 tons of new sandy loam to the half-mile track. The road to this moment has been in the works for months. It's unclear how the CHRB will side. It was in June of last year the board last voted down two separate proposals to allocate 2025 race dates to entities at Ferndale and Fresno. The Thoroughbred Owners of California (TOC), Del Mar and Santa Anita have been among those this past year to similarly oppose a competing circuit in the north. In internal email communications between CHRB staff and board members–obtained by the TDN–officials have raised other questions about the proposal, including whether the necessary financial commitments are in place to avoid a repeat of the Golden State Racing venture, which failed to meet its revenue expectations. Held at Pleasanton, Golden State Racing concluded its meet at the end of 2024 with a roughly $800,000 purse account overpayment. The final Thoroughbreds were removed from the premises the following March. Another key question officials have raised concerns the available horse inventory. Is it adequate enough to sustain two competing circuits in California? Pleasanton during the Golden State Race meet stabled around 800 horses at its height. According to the TOCs own numbers, there were around 269 more horses stabled in Southern California this October compared to a year prior-this, after a major one time infusion of horses from the North. A sizeable number of formerly California-based horses are currently competing at Turf Paradise. Tom Ludt, the track's general manager, said there are about 345 ex-Californian horses stabled there. According to the BPRMC proposal, it will collaborate with Turf Paradise to “enhance participation through shipping incentives, rewards/bonus programs.” The current Turf Paradise meet is scheduled to run through May 2. The Bernal Park proposal states it has commitments from trainers formerly based in the north representing over 500 horses, and is expected to garner additional support from trainers in Southern California and from Oregon. This year's 51-day live race meet at Emerald Downs is scheduled to run between May 2 and Sept. 7. Last year, the Washington track enjoyed significant participation from horses formerly stabled in Northern California. Eric Hamelback | Jennie Rees The HPBA's letter to the CHRB supporting the proposal mentions the possibility of an affiliate organization being established in Northen California, at the behest of Northern California owners and trainers. There are two current horsemen's groups in California, the TOC and the California Thoroughbred Trainers (CTT). The TOC wields by far the greatest clout of the two, having final approval over individual race-meet agreements with the tracks among its other responsibilities. According to Hamelback, he was originally asked by stakeholders in Washington and Oregon to discuss the idea of a Pacific Coast circuit–to shore up the racing and horse inventory on those states–before he was subsequently approached by individuals in Northern California about their situation. Hamelback highlighted two key procedural hurdles before any HBPA affiliate could be established in Northern California. One would be approval by his board. The other would be legally determining whether in California there could be another horsemen's group that possesses the same authority as the current designated horsemen's groups. “We are willing to expand and establish the NorCal HBPA, and while they may not be the legal horsemen's representative group in the state, they may be the legal horsemen's representative group at the track,” said Hamelback, pointing to Florida as a bit of a blueprint for how that might work. The post CHRB Meeting Wednesday To Raise 19-Week NorCal Fair Date Proposal, National HPBA Offering Support appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Maiden Watch: Week of Jan. 5-11View the full article

Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) winner Bentornato is nearing a return to the work tab Jan. 17 with a target on a trip to the Middle East for the $2 million Dubai Golden Shaheen (G1) on Dubai World Cup night March 28.View the full article

The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) and trainer Rudy Rodriguez have reached an agreement that will end Rodriguez's provisional suspension and allow him to return to training, HISA and Rodriguez announced jointly in a statement released Tuesday. His suspension will officially end on Wednesday. Rodriguez has not started a horse since Dec. 13. Rodriguez's problems began in November when HISA alleged that the NYRA-based trainer had violated rules related to “cruelty, mistreatment, neglect or abuse” of Thoroughbreds. At that time, HISA served Rodriguez with a “notice of violation and show cause.” HISA had cited examples of 16 horses trained by Rodriguez that had been put on the Veterinarian's List since Nov. 22, 2024. It also alleged that none of the horses had undergone a lameness evaluation or diagnostic work performed since being placed on the Veterinarians' List. Rodriguez was given a Dec. 12 hearing before hearing officer Armand Leone and testified that all of his horses had been well cared for. But Leone concluded in his report that Rodriguez “failed to follow the standard of care required for a Trainer and endangered the welfare of his horses.” Leone added that HISA demonstrated “good cause” for an immediate suspension of Rodriguez's license before the full case had been adjudicated. After Leone's ruling, the provisional suspension went into effect Dec. 16. A provisional suspension means that persons operating in racing states under HISA's jurisdiction cannot participate in racing while their case is still in the process of being fully adjudicated. In the joint statement, HISA recognized that Rodriguez had made assurances that he would be more careful going forward when it came to caring for his horses and seeing to it that proper tests and veterinary work took place in the cases of lameness or other injuries. “The agreement reflects Mr. Rodriguez's commitment to ensuring that all his Covered Horses are cared for, trained and compete in a manner that reflects the highest standards of equine welfare and integrity,” the statement read. “As a result of this process and working collaboratively with HISA, Mr. Rodriguez has reviewed his existing practices and has agreed to implement remedial measures designed to ensure horses in his care receive timely and adequate veterinary intervention and care. The lifting of Mr. Rodriguez's provisional suspension is conditioned upon his $10,000 donation to a thoroughbred aftercare organization and continued compliance with the conditions set forth in the Agreed Order.” An official ruling regarding Rodriguez's status was posted on the HISA portal site Tuesday, and it gave more details. Rodriguez's registration with HISA was actually suspended for an additional six months, but that six-month suspension has been stayed and is contingent upon the trainer not committing another violation of HISA's Racetrack Safety Rules or violating the terms of the agreed order within a one-year period. The $10,000 donation must be made to the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance or “a similar nonprofit organization dedicated to Thoroughbred aftercare.” In addition, when Rodriguez has a horse placed on the Veterinarian's List for “unsoundness, injured or Epistaxis” he must agree to have an attending veterinarian conduct a complete evaluation of the horse within 48 hours of the time the horse is placed on the vet's list. Rodriguez also had to agree that Dr. Donald Baker will have “complete, unrestricted, and unfettered access to Rodriguez's barn and training facilities at any time, with reasonable notice…” The TDN placed a call Tuesday to Rodriguez's attorney Clark Brewster, but, at the time of deadline for this story, had not heard back from him. The post HISA And Rudy Rodriguez Reach Agreement; Provisional Suspension Lifted appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Edited Press Release The late Edward L. Bowen, who distinguished himself as a journalist, author, historian and leader in the industry, will be honored with the Eclipse Award of Merit in recognition of a lifetime of outstanding achievement, the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) said in a press release on Tuesday. Bowen's contributions will be celebrated at the 55th Annual Resolute Racing Eclipse Awards at the Breakers Palm Beach in Florida Jan. 22. Devoting more than 60 years to chronicling the many facets, personalities and rich history of Thoroughbred racing and breeding, Bowen, who passed away in January 2025 at 82, was editor-in-chief of The BloodHorse, authored more than 20 books, and later was president of the Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation, and served for 35 years on the nominating committee for the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame. He also was intricately involved in the Eclipse Awards from its inception in 1971, writing the opening remarks to each ceremony and writing scripts for all finalists videos. “Ed's accomplishments in our sport are readily known,” said The Jockey Club President and COO James L. Gagliano. “Simply put, as a Thoroughbred breeding and racing journalist, Ed was peerless. And while he was perhaps the sport's greatest historian, his contributions to the health and welfare of the breed through his many years at Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation were a capstone of a great and dynamic career.” Bowen was born in Welch, West Virginia, in 1942, and grew up in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. In 1963, he got a job at BloodHorse and by 1987 became editor-in-chief. He worked at the publication until 1993. In 1994, Bowen made a career shift, when he was named president of the Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation. During his 24 years at Grayson, Bowen helped propel the organization to remarkable success, which included raising $22 million for research projects for the equine species. In addition to Grayson, Bowen's impact on the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame was also significant. He was a museum trustee and served as chair of the Hall of Fame Nominating Committee. He also chaired the Joe Hirsch Media Roll of Honor Selection Committee, and also served previously on the Pillars of the Turf. Bowen was selected for induction into the Hall of Fame as both a member of the Media Roll of Honor and a Pillar of the Turf in 2025. He also received many awards for his writing, including an Eclipse Award for magazine writing in 1992. The post Bowen To Be Honored With Posthumous Eclipse Award Of Merit appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Former champion hurdler Constitution Hill could be seen in action in a new £40,000 1 1/2-mile novice Flat contest at Southwell on February 20, according to trainer Nicky Henderson. A faller for the third time in four trips to the post since his race in the Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle in November, the son of Blue Bresil will hopefully receive a confidence boost in this new endeavour ahead of a try at the Champion Hurdle later this year. Part of the Friday Night Live series, the new race meets the criteria required for Henderson's star pupil. It will be the joint most valuable novice ever run on the all-weather and will be sponsored by SBK bookmakers. Sam Cone, head of communications and public affairs at Arena Racing Company (ARC), owners of Southwell, said, “We are delighted to assist in the delivery of this opportunity and are grateful to SBK, without whom it would not be possible. “The race should certainly add an extra dimension to the Friday Night Live fixture at Southwell on February 20, to those coming along to experience the evening in person as well as those watching at home on ITV Racing and Sky Sports Racing.” Adam Baylis, marketing director of SBK said, “Supporting British racing is massively important to us at SBK, so when Nicky Henderson spoke about the need for a Flat race with these conditions for Constitution Hill, we took the idea to ARC. We're delighted to have been able to help make it happen and it's a great boost to the Friday Night Live series.” The post Constitution Hill Eyes Southwell For Flat Bow Ahead Of Champion Hurdle appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

First foals by Epsom Derby winners Auguste Rodin and City Of Troy arrived in Europe on Monday, Coolmore announced. Group 1-winning juvenile Auguste Rodin's first foal was a bay filly out of the Millenium Stud-owned Only In Dreams (Le Havre). She arrived at Haras de Pierrepont and was described as “a quality filly”. The son of Deep Impact stands for €27,500. Also a Group 1 winner at two, City Of Troy welcomed a colt later that same day. Out of listed-winning two-year-old Ritournelle (Camelot), the bay colt was born at Coolmore. City Of Troy commands €60,000 this year. Said Coolmore's Eddie Fitzpatrick, “He's a very good first foal. A quality colt with scope and strength; a great start for both the mare and the stallion.” The post Auguste Rodin And City Of Troy Sire First Reported Foals appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

If seeing top-class racehorses in the flesh is the kind of thing you're into, then the inaugural NH Stallion Open Weekend – organised by the Thoroughbred Breeders' Association (TBA), in association with the British EBF – had just about everything that you could ask for, with the exception of the muscle-bound sprinters that have proliferated at Flat studs in recent years. A total of 20 stallions, mostly of the more stamina-laden variety, paraded for onlookers across the two days, with seven different farms opening their doors. It was a star-studded line-up which included four of the last nine winners of the St Leger in Capri, Kew Gardens, Logician and Eldar Eldarov; Cracksman, the dual winner of the Champion Stakes who also happens to be Frankel's highest-rated son; and Golden Horn, the Derby and Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe hero who enjoyed one of the most successful three-year-old campaigns in recent memory. “We're very lucky to have him,” Overbury Stud's Simon Sweeting said simply of Golden Horn, the horse who swept through 2015 much like the gale-force winds that battered the Gloucestershire farm on Sunday morning. “He's very popular and a fabulous flagbearer for the stud now.” The mention of Golden Horn's popularity refers chiefly to the fact that Sweeting will again have to turn some breeders away when it comes to fine-tuning the stallion's book of mares in 2026. On Sunday, however, it was a case of the more the merrier as over 100 people flocked through the doors in the space of a couple of hours that morning, primarily to clap eyes on the champion racehorse who enjoyed a banner year as a sire in 2025, when the Champion Hurdle heroine Golden Ace and Gold Cup winner Trawlerman featured among his standout performers. “There must have been 40-odd people for our first show of the morning and we're expecting 200-plus today,” Sweeting added. “If they all come, that would be wonderful.” The previous afternoon, David Futter could be found proudly showing off his new recruit to Yorton Farm in Cracksman who, like Golden Horn, spent his formative years as a stallion at Darley's Dalham Hall Stud, following a distinguished racing career of his own for John Gosden and owner-breeder Anthony Oppenheimer. “I'm quite overwhelmed actually by how many people have come along,” said Futter. “Make no mistake, I think he [Cracksman] was probably the main attraction, but it's funny what can happen as people see the other stallions. They were saying, 'Wow, Ito, I'd never really thought about him.' Then they see Gentlewave and they're going, 'Crikey, he's looking well for 23.'” Cracksman, whose first crop featured the unbeaten Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner Ace Impact, is standing in a dual-purpose role at Yorton, with Futter confirming that he's likely to receive his fair share of Flat mares in 2026. He continued, “After siring Ace Impact, I think Cracksman covered around 170 very good mares, Flat mares, and they've only just turned two now. And then he covered another good book of around 140 mares, similar types as well. They're only yearlings now, so he could do anything over the next three or four years. “He'll then do the same as Golden Horn and his runners will start to appear over jumps. Already, he's sired a Grade 2 winner over hurdles, so he's well ahead of the curve. He's three years behind Golden Horn and the new boy starting off on the same route. If he has the same luck as him, it would be great.” 'He's got more ammunition than almost any other British sire' Another former Gosden trainee with the National Hunt world at his feet is Logician, who was arguably as impressive a winner of the St Leger as we've seen in recent years when extending his unbeaten record to five races with his victory at Doncaster in 2019. King Georges and Arcs were supposed to be on the agenda when the son of Frankel returned to the track the following year but, unfortunately, ill health as a four-year-old prevented him from fulfilling his enormous potential. For Peter Hockenhull of Shade Oak Stud, the racing world's loss was his gain, with the man behind the Shropshire farm conceding that Logician almost certainly wouldn't have retired there if he'd been managed to win one of the major prizes that had seemed destined to fall his way in 2020. “It's not often that you would go on another year with a horse that has had peritonitis and pleurisy, but they thought that much of him that they wanted to give him the opportunity,” said Hockenhull. “It was that extra year that made him affordable. Don't get me wrong, he still cost us more than any other stallion we've ever purchased, and I wouldn't have been able to do that without the shareholders – I'm eternally grateful to them.” Logician's combined number of mares in his first three seasons at Shade Oak exceeded 400, according to Hockenhull, who is optimistic that everything is in place for the former Juddmonte runner to make a success of his second career. “He's certainly got more ammunition than almost any other British sire,” Hockenhull added. “That's what it's all about, having the opportunity. It's not always fair. It's not only related to the sire's ability, but also the opposition in terms of what is new and standing in the area at that time. He was very fortunate to come at a time when he was virtually unopposed. “Having the shareholders meant that he's had more support as well. That's been of benefit to him and his career, and we're really looking forward to the runners coming through. The shareholders and myself have all tried to get some early runners. I've currently got a three-year-old over in France and we're going to see what we can do there. It's vital that a stallion gets recognised by winners on the track and, if we can get that started in some way, it will bode well for him.” 'We have to try because what's the answer if we don't?' With bright young stallions such as Golden Horn, Cracksman and Logician coming along, it would be easy to fall into the trap of thinking that all is rosy in the world of British National Hunt breeding, but we all know that the underlying numbers tell a different story. According to the Return of Mares, published by Weatherbys in October last year, Golden Horn (182), Frontiersman (93) – who is also based at Overbury – and Logician (89) were the only three out of the 20 stallions on display to cover more than 80 mares in 2025. It also revealed a 5% decrease in the British foal crop, across both the Flat and National Hunt spheres, not to mention a 25% fall in new registered broodmares, suggesting this downward trend is set to continue. Stuart Ross of Willow Wood Farm is just one example of a stallion master faced with trying to overcome what he describes as “an uphill struggle”. Based in Cheshire, Ross is currently standing the multiple Group 1 winners Capri and Mogul on behalf of Coolmore, with the former about to embark on his third season at Willow Wood and Mogul his second. “I think he covered 25 mares last year,” Ross said of the Grand Prix de Paris and Hong Kong Vase scorer Mogul. “Obviously, you'd like more, but it was a tough year and the number of mares covered was down for both Flat and National Hunt. It's an uphill struggle to try and promote National Hunt breeding, but we have to try because what's the answer if we don't? I'm all for absolutely anything that promotes breeding National Hunt horses in the UK.” It's for this reason that the NH Stallion Open Weekend was introduced and why new initiatives such as this one are considered so important, attempting to raise awareness with regards the work that is done on these farms every day of the year. “We need all of the help and all of the interest that we can get at the moment,” added Sweeting. “Hopefully, something will get sparked from this. It's just lovely to see so many people here. Most of the time we're plodding along on our own, ignoring the outside world. It's easy to forget that there are people who are enthusiastic and interested in what we're doing. “I think the most important thing is that we've encouraged non-breeders to come and have a look. We're not expecting to sell nominations and we're not expecting to do any trade. We just want people to come and have a look, see what's going on, and keep up the enthusiasm.” 'It might be here in the calendar to stay now' That enthusiasm is something that Futter could never be accused of lacking when it comes to trying to promote National Hunt breeding. Indeed, Futter was positively bouncing as he showed off Yorton's four-strong roster of stallions on Saturday, with visitors also having the opportunity to view some of the youngstock on the farm, before sitting down in front of the front of the fire with a beer or a glass of wine to watch the racing from Kempton. “It's a great initiative from the TBA National Hunt committee to organise this,” said Futter. “Anything that we can do as an industry to promote ourselves is fantastic, throwing open our doors and getting people involved. We've had plenty of breeders here, but it's not just been breeders. We've had owners coming here and racing fans, too. “I think the great thing about this weekend is that it's more of a social. Of course, it's great if you can book the odd mare in, but it's not about that. We've never been pushy about our stallions. People will either come and use your stallions or they won't. All we can do as stallion masters is show them off and people will make their own minds up then. “But it's great to give everyone a day out. As we look around this room now, there's lots of drinking and socialising going on, which is great to see. You're meeting like-minded people, you're getting to see the fantastic stallions we have in this country and you get to find out a bit more about what's happening – exciting things go on at all of these stud farms. I think it's been brilliant, so hopefully this will grow legs and keep going.” Only time will tell whether the NH Stallion Open Weekend will indeed keep going. This inaugural edition was staged as a trial, with the TBA National Hunt committee now set to go away and mull over the feedback that they've received. A decision on the future of the event will then be made at a later date. A nervous wait lies in store, then, for those missed out on attending in 2026, but there are certainly reasons to be optimistic, with every chance that the NH Stallion Open Weekend will soon become a mainstay of the calendar, as we've seen with the Irish Stallion Trail and La Route des Etalons in France. “Personally, I was surprised by the number of sign-ups we had, and I think the studs were as well,” said the TBA's bloodstock executive Rob Davey. “Attendances seem to have held up, despite the weather. Even this morning [Sunday] I've been getting registrations. They've been totting up and it's been a good mix of breeders, owners and racegoers, all taking an interest. “It was obviously a trial, so we'll take it back and the National Hunt committee will decide whether it's going to be continued. If I'm honest, the way it's been received, I think it might be here in the calendar to stay now.” The post NH Stallion Open Weekend Passes ‘Trial’ with Flying Colours appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Day 1 of the 2026 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale got off to a strong start, with top lots by I Am Invincible, Snitzel, Frankel, Zoustar and Extreme Choice all drawing keen interest. It didn't take long for the session to produce a seven-figure result, with Lot 59, a striking Frankel colt, selling to Coolmore for a$2 million, as buyers including Ciaron Maher Bloodstock, Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott, Glentree Thoroughbreds, and Mark Player quickly made their presence felt. At A Glance Three horses fetched seven-figure sums on Day 1, compared to four in last year's opening session, with Segenhoe Stud on top of the vendors' standings by gross after selling nine horses for a total of A$5,540,000. The average of A$284,724 was up slightly from last year's Day 1 record of A$278,549. The median, at A$200,000, remained the same as Day 1 in 2025. The gross of A$41,285,000 from 145 lots was down slightly on A$45,125,000, however last year 162 lots sold. The clearance rate at the end of the day was 78.38% – an improvement of last year's end of day clearance rate of 74.65% – and likely to grow as passed in lots are sold. The A$2 million top lot (59), a Frankel colt out of Lonhro mare Antibes, was purchased by Tom Magnier and offered by Segenhoe Stud. Ciaron Maher Bloodstock and David Redvers Bloodstock joined forces to become leading buyer on Day 1, spending A$2.9 million on five yearlings. I Am Invincible led all sires by gross with eight yearlings selling for A$5.05 million at an average of A$631,250. Lot 59 – Frankel (GB) x Antibes (Lonhro), colt – A$2,000,000 Coolmore, led by Tom Magnier, secured lot 59 for A$2 million, the first seven-figure lot of the 2026 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, after spirited bidding. The striking bay colt, bred and offered by Segenhoe Stud, is out of stakes-placed mare Antibes (Lonhro) and hails from a family littered with black-type performers. Antibes is a half-sister to stakes winner As Time Goes By (Deep Impact {Jpn}), while her dam, multiple Group winner A Time For Julia (Redoute's Choice), has produced a line of high-class performers. The pedigree also features champion South African sprinter Laisserfaire (Danehill) and stallions Time Thief, Foreplay, and Sejardan. The colt is also from the same family as Ninja (2022, Farnan-Impulsive), who is currently odds-on favourite for the Magic Millions Guineas this Saturday. “He was one of the standouts. We've had a lot of luck with Segenhoe,” Tom Magnier said. “We've had more Frankels in the northern hemisphere than in Australia, so we know them well. All the team really liked him. He's a lovely, fluid-moving horse and ticks all the boxes. “We bought him in a syndicate with Chris Waller, so he'll go straight into his stable. Chris really liked him all week – when everybody agrees on a horse, it gives you confidence to go a little further. Fair play to Peter O'Brien and John Camilleri; they breed very good horses, and we're delighted to be part of it.” Magnier was excited for what was to come the rest of the week on the Gold Coast for Coolmore. “Home Affairs has had two this morning and three of the top six in the betting for the Golden Slipper. After a tough year losing Wootton Bassett, this is probably the best bunch of horses we've brought to the Gold Coast.” When explaining his successful approach of utilising the world's best international stallions with his quality broodmare band, Camilleri explained the long-term thought process. “It's a big commitment, to go all the way to the Northern Hemisphere. It's an expensive exercise, it's risky. I've sent a lot of mares over, but you normally only get one or two shots at the world's best stallion, and I thought I'd roll the dice. It's paid off here. “I'm only interested in having a small broodmare band and breeding elite horses. I don't want hundreds and thousands of animals. So, if I think there's something available, like a Deep Impact or a Frankel, and I've got the right mare for them, I simply don't hesitate.” “Cost becomes secondary, then.” Talking about Antibes, an unraced daughter of Lonhro, and why she was the right mare to take the punt with, Camilleri was clear in his assessment. “She had a great pedigree. She was a beautiful type. She had a lot of ability. She had an injury, so we didn't race her, but Anthony Freedman rated her and said she could run. “Her first foal has run second in the Moloney at Flemington. So I think the mare's going to do it. She's by Lonhro, she ticks a lot of boxes, so I thought she deserved a trip on a plane to Frankel.” Antibes unfortunately missed to Home Affairs last season but visited Harry Angel (Ire) this Spring. Lot 201 – Extreme Choice x Dame Giselle (I Am Invincible), colt – A$1,200,000 Rarity and pedigree combined to push the Extreme Choice colt out of former star I Am Invincible filly Dame Giselle to A$1.2 million, making him the second seven-figure lot of the opening day at the 2026 Magic Millions Gold Coast Sale. Waller Racing, in partnership with Mulcaster Bloodstock, secured the stunning bay after a competitive bidding duel, recognizing both the colt's exceptional athleticism and the scarcity of his sire's stock. “We're pretty happy with that colt, he looked sharp and he's got a beautiful family,” Guy Mulcaster said. “We looked at him two days ago with Chris and he said they all run out of that family and that was good enough for me. I thought we'd be hard enough to beat and we didn't let on too much what we were up to, so we probably got him at the right odds. He looks a beautiful horse and let's hope he's back here next year.” The colt's appeal was enhanced by Extreme Choice's limited availability due to fertility issues. “He doesn't get many in-foal, does he?” Mulcaster said. “The less there are, the harder they are to buy, so we're pretty happy to have got him and we got one with one of the best pedigrees, so fingers crossed.” The colt is the third foal of Dame Giselle, a four-time Group winner who earned over A$1.3 million, including a Group I placing in the Coolmore Classic. Closely related to Group I winner Ulanova, she has a Snitzel colt at foot and was covered by Zoustar last spring. Her first two foals, fillies by Exceed and Excel and Snitzel, sold for A$1 million and A$725,000 respectively, though neither has yet raced or trialled. Lot 75 – I Am Invincible x Avantage (Fastnet Rock), filly – A$1,050,000 Demand for the progeny of Champion New Zealand racemare Avantage (Fastnet Rock) remained strong at Magic Millions, with her third foal, a filly by champion sire I Am Invincible, selling for A$1.05 million to Glentree Thoroughbreds in partnership with Badgers Bloodstock. Consigned by Coolmore Stud, the filly continued an extraordinary run of success for the family in the sale ring. A nine-time Group 1 winner for Te Akau Racing, Avantage was a champion on the track and later commanded NZ$4.1 million when purchased by Tom Magnier via Gavelhouse Online. Her offspring have since proven highly desirable, with her first foal, a filly by Wootton Bassett bringing A$2.1 million at the 2024 Magic Millions, followed by a second filly by I Am Invincible selling for A$1.6 million in 2025. “She had everything we look for in a filly,” Luke Simpson, Stud Manager for Glentree Thoroughbreds, said. “She's a really good physical, a beautiful mover, and she's out of a multiple stakes winner and a phenomenal racehorse. She ticks a lot of boxes for our program going forward. “We're looking to get a racing career out of her and hopefully she can step up to some of mum's form and then join our broodmare band going forward. There were a couple of other fillies we had our eye on, but this was our main target, so we're delighted to secure her.” Avantage slipped to Zoustar last season, meaning there will be no yearling offered in 2027, but she visited Coolmore's City of Troy this spring. Lot 35 – I Am Invincible x Alassio (Foxwedge), colt – A$950,000 Ciaron Maher Bloodstock, in partnership with David Redvers Bloodstock, secured lot 35 for A$950,000, identifying the colt as a standout value buy early in the sale. The gorgeous bay, by champion sire I Am Invincible, is the second living foal of Group 2 and Group 3-winning mare Alassio (Foxwedge), bred and offered by Silverdale Farm. Alassio was a multiple stakes winner and comes from a strong female line. She is a half-sister to the dam of stakes placegetters Dealmaker (Dundeel) and It's a Knockout (Dundeel), while her dam Cinque (Red Ransom) was also a stakes winner. “Just nice and early in the sale, I thought he was probably a bit of value because he's early in the catalogue, compared to what the same horse tends to make halfway through Day 2,” Redvers said. “We all loved him, and he's a horse Sheikh Fahad particularly liked. We all know about the stallion, and the mare's a Group 2 winner, so he fits what we're looking for. We've got another very nice I Am Invincible with Ciaron called Invicto. Very happy to have him.” Redvers also highlighted the colt's key attributes. “He's incredibly athletic. He's got a huge amount of presence and a very good mind. Totally unflappable out there, with a real standout action and athletic build. There was a very good underbidder as well…let's hope we all weren't wrong.” Alassio missed last season but was again served by Yarraman's champion sire I Am Invincible. Lot 137 – I Am Invincible x Calaverite (Lonhro), colt – A$875,000 A tense finish greeted the sale of lot 137, with a late opposition bid arriving just as the hammer fell, before Mark Player emerged successful at A$875,000. Offered by Emirates Park, the colt is a son of champion sire I Am Invincible and a half-brother to Group 1 Caulfield Guineas winner Golden Mile (Astern), from one of the deepest female families in the catalogue. “We've certainly missed out on horses before bidding after the hammer; it fell our way today and it's just relief, I suppose,” Player said. “Rob Roulston and I work very hard to identify the horses we like, and two days ago we independently wrote down our favourite horse in the catalogue – and it was the same horse. “We pushed as far as we could to get him, we managed to, and we're just delighted.” Calaverite has proven herself a high-class producer, with seven foals to date, six of which have raced for four winners. The pedigree page is further strengthened by the presence of Champion New Zealand Two-Year-Old La Dorada (Super Seth) and ATC Derby winner Major Beel (Savabeel). “He's by a great sire, a half to a Group 1 winner, and out of a mare who has produced and done it,” Player said. “She was a fast mare, and he's got great presence. He looks like one of those rare 'Vinnies' that might run at two rather than being a 3-year-old. When you have that sort of hope, you tend to push that little bit harder.” A trainer is yet to be decided, with Player noting the decision will be made alongside his partners. “He's the sort of horse I don't think any trainer on our roster would want not to have in their stable. He'll be very popular.” Player will be hoping to replicate the success he enjoyed with dual Group 1 winner and champion sire Ole Kirk. Calaverite was sold at the 2025 Inglis Chairman's Sale for A$900,000 to Yulong's Growing Empire Syndicate. She has a colt at foot by Zoustar and was served by Alabama Express last spring. The post ‘When Everyone Agrees, It Gives You Confidence’: Coolmore Land A$2m Frankel Colt At Magics appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

And so we reach the apex of the fee pyramid we've scaled in stages all the way up from the basement. In reality, this final ascent is too extensive to be coherent: we're clearly not comparing like with like, between stallions available at $60,000 and la crème de la crème at $250,000. But since we can hardly reveal to an unsuspecting world that Into Mischief is a pretty good stallion, let's establish our parameters straightaway. Our purpose today is to seek the residual value that lurks even at this rarefied level, perhaps even to find a horse with the scope someday to be promoted into the real elite. In effect, that will confine our quest to those standing between $60,000 and $125,000. We will, however, briefly take in the view from the top. For the seven that have detached themselves from that penultimate tier nowadays include NYQUIST, who justified last year's giddy leap from $85,000 to $175,000 by including four elite scorers among his dozen graded stakes winners in 2025. His incoming juveniles were sired at just $55,000, and retailed at $346,209 (median $300,000), so there's a lesson for us all-in terms of judging a stallion prematurely-in the backwards step he took with a single graded stakes winner as a second-crop sire. The reality is that his 36 stakes winners have come at a ratio matched or bettered by his much cheaper neighbors Hard Spun, Street Sense and Midshipman. But his good ones have been very good, and 11 Grade I winners from his first six crops put Nyquist on track to keep consolidating as his mare upgrade cycles through. Heading the other way, in terms of career trajectory, is former champion TAPIT who barely made the top 30 of the 2025 general sires' list. But that is all about his diminishing footprint, his book having been carefully managed for several years already, and $185,000 must be as close to “value” as you can find at this level. No need to reprise his eye-watering aggregates, but it's worth reiterating that he retrieved his broodmare sire crown in 2025, when his daughters produced 13 graded stakes winners. His latest yearlings kept him in the top six at the sales, and the bottom line is that this is a breed-shaping influence now with an extremely finite span of activity. If you can get to him, it is a privilege beyond price. Of the top quintet, the one anomaly of 2025 was the way JUSTIFY was mysteriously undervalued by the domestic market, which evidently treated his sensational impact in Europe as somehow cause for hesitation. As a result, he retreats to $200,000 from $250,000. A year after City Of Troy emerged from his second crop to win the Derby at Epsom, two sons from his third respectively won the 2,000 Guineas and St Leger. The fact that he has already won all three British colts' Classics, across the distance spectrum, shows just what European breeders have been missing by neglecting the kind of dirt sires who set off fast but then keep going. Justify has barely got started, yet already has nine elite scorers. With 244 mares paying top dollar last year, he is going to be a breed-shaper. If you want to be narrow-minded, that's your prerogative, but gosh they'd pay anything to be using him in Europe. Of those above him, nothing to say. If you could afford $250,000 for INTO MISCHIEF or the young pretenders vying for the succession, NOT THIS TIME and GUN RUNNER, or $225,000 for the enduing gold standard represented by CURLIN, then you'd just pay it-and choose between them according to the make and shape of your mare, and what else she might need to complement her strengths. Flightline -05-11-2023-SA6_2713-PRINT-Sarah-Andrew.jpg" alt="" width="628" height="456" /> Flightline | Sarah Andrew That quartet lived up to their fees as four of the only five sires to achieve a median of $500,000 or more with their latest yearlings. The interloper was FLIGHTLINE, whose debut crop put him second in the averages with 57 sold of 65 at $737,274 and a median of $600,000, behind only Gun Runner on both indices. At this point I will reliably point out that anyone who thought he was worth $200,000 to conceive those horses should be glad to pay $125,000 now, though nobody can yet say whether even so freakish a runner (albeit notoriously over the span of just six starts) will be an equal success in his new career. The only guarantee is that the restrained management of his books will continue to serve his clients well, which can itself only help to maintain full subscription. GOOD MAGIC holds his fee at $125,000, leaving his backers to hold their nerve after a single stakes winner in 2025. That hardly tells the whole story, as he had three seconds in elite company. Cynics might treat the rise of Baeza to point out that the wondermare Puca (Big Brown) also had a considerable role in Good Magic boasting Classic winners from both his first two crops. But his retort is obvious, as he has also given us three other Grade I winners-bringing him up to four sons at stud in Kentucky already-while his incoming yearlings will be the first following the major fee hike earned by Mage. Remember he only narrowly missed the freshman title, before Mage had ever run, which earned him an initial advance from $30,000 to $50,000. That was duly the conception fee of the 102 yearlings offered last year, of which 80 retailed at $295,643 (median $200,000). CONSTITUTION seems to have found his level for now, standing at $110,000 for a fourth year after again making the top six in the general sires' table. Arguably he needed Mindframe, his third Grade I winner and his first real headliner since Tiz the Law broke out of his debut crop-unless you happen to be in Chile, where his early shuttling proved most fertile-but this is a horse that was down to $15,000 in his 2019 bubble, so he has only really been hitting his stride the last couple of years. His latest yearlings, indeed, were his first as a six-figure cover and averaged $297,056 ($215,000 median) for 71 sold of 79 offered. Overall he's up to 52 black-type winners at 6.3 percent of named foals, 25 at graded level, and duly sets Flightline a solid standard to meet as heir to their ageing sire. PRACTICAL JOKE finished just a few cents behind Constitution and looks tempting at $75,000. In 2025 his fee was doubled, for the second year running, to $100,000-which turned out to be precisely the median meanwhile achieved by his latest yearlings. Those, however, were sired at just $25,000, and posted an average of $147,872. Moreover there were no fewer than 263 mares that deemed him deserving of a six-figure fee last year, so there's a ton of action coming down the line. His best days lie ahead, which is saying plenty for the sire of five Grade I winners already. OSCAR PERFORMANCE climbs for the fourth year running, this time to $60,000 from $45,000, in what has proved a superb return to the stallion game for his farm. He had a very small crop of juveniles, sired at just $12,500 in his bubble, but he has been fully subscribed since and the pipeline is overflowing. In the meantime his maturing stock kept him in the game with nine stakes scorers, five at graded level including GI Saratoga Derby winner World Beater, from 144 starters. His first revived book, still only conceived at $20,000, averaged $104,704 ($70,000 median) for 51 sold of 65 offered. The momentum is inexorably upwards from here, and it is high time the big European programs cottoned on. The Spendthrift system has worked out metronomically in the past four freshman championships, and the last three cycles have each catapulted a young stallion to a fee that implies he may yet break into the elite. Each was given-and seized-major opportunities, and will benefit from sustained quantity while cycling through upgraded quality. It tells you much about this weird business that the senior of this trio, OMAHA BEACH, achieved a higher average ($201,689) with his first crop of yearlings in 2022, when absolutely unproven, than he did with his fourth, when his established prowess saw 63 of 81 sold at $128,701 ($90,000 median). His fee, however, has more than doubled for 2025-from $35,000 to $75,000-after Grade I wins for members of both his first two crops, in Kopion and Nevada Beach. That takes him to 25 stakes winners overall, from 295 starters, and the 16 he assembled in 2025 were exceeded only by the biggest of big guns. In terms of ratio, mind you, the next guy did even better: with a second crop in play, VEKOMA had 15 black-type winners from 188 starters to smash his way as high as 13th in the general sires' list. Never mind all the volume that sustains these young horses, this one is proving uncannily consistent. Measured by the simplest of all measures, winners to starters, he was batting off the charts: 117 into the winner's circle in 2025, representing 62 percent against around 54 percent for Gun Runner and Not This Time. Vekoma duly hit plenty of home runs for those who used him on the bubble at $15,000 in 2023: of 106 resulting yearlings, 90 changed hands in 2025 at $163,715 (median $132,500). But a giddy hike from $35,000 to $100,000, while eventually likely to have an impact on the racetrack, leaves little margin for error in the meantime to a stallion now charging a lot more than many sires with numerous Grade I winners to their credit. One of his big rivals, McKINZIE, famously has three of those already from just four graded stakes winners overall, and only nine black-type scorers of any description. This horse has a very useful propensity to hit the bull's-eye with his sharpest arrows, and of course his elevation from $35,000 to $75,000 last year should result in an eventual upgrade on the track. But he has been a buzz horse from the outset and looked after his own bubble clients nicely with 69 of 83 yearlings processed at $172,442 (median $100,000) in 2025. Returning to the Spendthrift conveyor belt, YAUPON was preceded by rave reviews for his physique and covered more mares in his debut season than any other stallion bar Gun Runner. He duly dominated the freshman table, albeit in what proved a historically underachieving intake with a single graded stakes success between them. But at least Yaupon can boast of eight black-type scorers, from 82 starters, which beats his late sire Uncle Mo's seven (from 75) when himself champion freshman back in 2015. In this day and age he must be congratulated for a second crop of yearlings that very nearly matched the returns of his first, who of course were not “burdened” by the proof that he could replicate his own speed: 99 sold of 112 at $163,3030, for a $130,000 median. Having dealt with the rookies separately, the newest name in this tier is CODY'S WISH. He is such a monster that we may have to get involved ahead of his first starters, but let's see what the going rate is then: he has been dropped from $75,000 to $60,000 despite a strong debut with his weanlings (average $277,224/median $235,000). Life Is Good | Sarah Andrew VALUE PODIUM Bronze: QUALITY ROAD Elusive Quality-Kobla (Strawberry Road {Aus}) $100,000 Lane's End His fees between 2019 and 2024, either $150,000 or $200,000, left this horse nowhere to hide-which was unfortunate, as his fertility appears to have diminished notably in the meantime. Given the management his books evidently now require, his new fee looks a very sensible compromise relative to an impressive body of work: 95 stakes winners at a formidable 8.3 percent of named foals, including 17 at the highest level (the latest two in 2025, Clicquot and Hope Road). And of course he remains a shimmering commercial stallion: the 33 yearlings he sold last year (of 39 offered) did something pretty extraordinary, achieving a considerably higher median at $450,000 than their $409,090 average. Stallions generally cover a multitude of sins with a few outliers, but Quality Road is just a superbly reliable operator at the sales. If no longer quite so reliable in the covering shed, he deserves all the patience he may require. Silver: LIFE IS GOOD Into Mischief-Beach Walk (Distorted Humor) $60,000 WinStar I know, I know: a sheer guess. And I'm always chiding people for wasting mares on guesses. But the other recurring theme of this series has been the inconsistency, at ringside, of those who claim only to support new sires in the hope of catching the next big thing while still affordable, only to slink away from the same stallions just as they approach the hour of truth. Unproven as his seed remains, Life Is Good has now taken his third consecutive fee cut since offering the same goods at $100,000 in his debut season. That investment paid off at the yearling sales, where 81 yearlings (96 offered) averaged $310,740, with a median $275,000. And with a battalion of runners out of mares deemed worthy of a six-figure cover, this tremendously dashing animal can hardly fail to make a big impact on the freshman table. Well, he can. Of course he can. But if you truly believed in him at $100,000, you need to follow through now. It was only natural, and very sporting, to try to stretch out his speed. But just remind yourself of the way he pulverised top-class horses when sticking to his strengths: from the day he announced himself by thrashing Medina Spirit by eight lengths, to his destruction of a peak-form Knicks Go in the GI Pegasus. Breeders will never tire of this cross and Into Mischief has surely never sent a faster son to stud. Gold: TWIRLING CANDY Candy Ride (Arg)-House of Danzing (Chester House) $75,000 Lane's End There's a limit to how far you could hike his fee, when he pays such a penalty at the sales for his proficiency on turf: $186,070 (median $135,000) was a perfectly respectable yield for his latest yearlings, next to their $60,000 conception fee, but made it hard to reward him adequately for a year in which he banked more prizemoney than any American stallion bar Into Mischief, Not This Time and Gun Runner. Another three Grade I winners take him up to a dozen overall, among 62 stakes winners at 5.7 percent of named foals. His ratios are in line with those of his venerable sire CANDY RIDE (Arg), himself available in the evening of his career at just $60,000-tempting enough, for the sire additionally of Gun Runner and Vekoma…. And while his turf earnings were second only to Not This Time, Twirling Candy is similarly versatile in terms of metier, with graded stakes winners in 2025 from 5.5 to 11 furlongs. That evokes his own record, as a Grade I winner both in a dirt sprint and round a second turn on turf. Remember he only reached $40,000 in 2020, having bumped along at fees between $10,000 and $15,000 for his first five years at stud. He has had to earn his stripes, and still can't get the credit he is due, but no racetrack program either side of the water should be neglecting the opportunity his slow-burning trajectory has produced. The post Kentucky Value Sires for 2026: Part 6 – The Big Guns appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Jay Rooney REGAL GEM - R8 (11) Can return to winning form with a drop back to his perfect trip Owen Goulding HONG LOK GOLF - R7 (6) Still improving and classy sort will have no problem stepping up to 1,800m Trackwork Spy HONG LOK GOLF - R7 (6) Won nicely last start and can handle the rise to 1,800m here Phillip Woo ENCOUNTERED - R7 (7) Loves this Valley trip and looks a major threat at the weights Shannon (Vincent Wong) THE BOOM BOX - R5 (1) Had excuses last start and should bounce back...View the full article

Dollars & Sense with Frank Angst: Last fall Matt Lehman bet a horse at Keeneland that left the gate at 21-1 and won, but then paid 8-1. Now the Kentucky state representative has filed a bill that aims to ensure a level playing field. View the full article

Francis Lui Kin-wai is leaving nothing to chance when he unleashes his classy trio of Chancheng Glory, Speed Dragon and Winning Wing on Wednesday’s Group Three January Cup (1,800m) at Happy Valley. Lui won the race back in 2020 with Doctor Geoff and his three-pronged assault on the Group Three prize gives him the best possible chance of doubling his tally. Chief among his chances is Chancheng Glory, who has drawn the ideal gate in stall one and has been plying his trade in much tougher races of...View the full article

After returning to Hong Kong from a horrific trip back to Australia to fight the Longwood bushfire at his family’s property, the sight of Ka Ying Rising (NZ) (Shamexpress) would have been a welcome one for David Hayes on Monday morning. Hayes says Ka Ying Rising has the capabilities to be a champion miler given how well he breathes but will avoid that temptation and keep him to the sprint trips. The world’s best sprinter galloped at Sha Tin on Monday morning as he prepares to have his first start for 2026 in the Group 1 Centenary Sprint Cup at Sha Tin on January 25, where victory would see him equal Silent Witness’ 17-race winning streak. “He blew the smoke away today, it was very nice,” Hayes said. “He had a little easy gallop… he’s trialling on Thursday. It’s hard to say he’s improving but he hasn’t gone backwards, I can assure you.” Following his assignment in the Centenary Sprint Cup in less than a fortnight, Ka Ying Rising will then head to the G1 Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup over 1400m, a trip Hayes expects the five-year-old to be impressive over. Overall, Ka Ying Rising is likely to follow an identical program to what he went through in 2025 and is already at $1.85 with Sportsbet to defend his title in The Everest in October. View the full article

A forecast for rain ahead of Saturday’s Trentham meeting has forced a rethink of plans for Tajana (NZ) (Darci Brahma) as she resumes her classic quest this weekend. Trainers Shaune Ritchie and Colm Murray had originally intended Saturday’s Gr.3 New Zealand Bloodstock Desert Gold Stakes (1600m) to be Tajana’s first step on the path to next month’s Gr.1 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand Oaks (2400m). However, the threat of rain in the lower North Island through the latter half of the week means that The Oaks Stud homebred will also be nominated for a lesser race at Pukekohe on Sunday. “It’s a pity to have to change plans, but fortunately there’s an option at Pukekohe and even though the stake is only $25,000 versus $200,000, it’s a three-year-old mile at set weights and penalties, so it still works well as a starting point,” Ritchie said. “A heavy track undid her in the 1000 Guineas (Gr.1, 1600m) and we don’t want to put her through that again, plus we wouldn’t want to overtax her in what will be her first start since then. “She hasn’t had a lead-up trial but we were very happy with how she went in a gallop between races at Tauranga last week and she’s in good order to kick off her campaign.” George Rooke, who partnered Tajana when she won the Gr.3 Sunline Vase (1400m) and finished third in the Gr.2 Soliloquy Stakes (1400m) in the spring, had already been booked for the Desert Gold, and Ritchie hopes he’s also available should she divert to Pukekohe. Plans for the Darci Brahma filly beyond this weekend extend to the Gr.2 David & Karyn Ellis Classic (2000m) at Te Rapa on February 7, followed a fortnight later by her major target, the New Zealand Oaks, which will this year be run at Ellerslie in an earlier time slot on the Avondale Guineas and Cup programme. “That’s the race we’re setting her for and even though she’s also nominated for the Derby two weeks later, if she runs up to our expectations I’d prefer to save her for a Sydney autumn campaign,” Ritchie said. “That will depend on discussions with (The Oaks general manager) Rick Williams, but when you look at the record of our fillies in those good races over there, I’d be keen to save her rather than back up in the Derby.” The Ritchie/Murray stable is also looking forward to the Karaka Millions meeting on Saturday week and Tuxedo’s (NZ) (Tivaci) assignment in the Gr.3 Elsdon Park Aotearoa Classic (1600m). “He ran very well for second behind First Five at Te Rapa but then didn’t really let down when he finished fifth in the Rich Hill Mile (Gr.2, 1600m),” Ritchie said. “We’ve decided to try him in blinkers when he goes to Ellerslie for the gallops session on Thursday and Opie Bosson is booked to ride him there and in the Aotearoa Classic.” View the full article

LEXINGTON, KY – The 2026 Keeneland January Horses of All Ages Sale opened with the first of two sessions Monday and optimism remained high across the board as a pair of top-class mares crossed the seven-figure mark for the first time in two years. “Today was a great day,” said Keeneland Vice President of Sales Tony Lacy. “Obviously, it's a long day, but I think the structure of what we did in creating two big sessions sort of lent itself into building a momentum that carried through right to the end of the day.” Indeed, the last horse through the ring was a weanling filly by Gun Runner (hip 542) who brought $575,000. Leading all short yearlings on Monday was a colt by Gun Runner (Hip 114), who realized $800,000 from Marc Gunderson's MWG LLC. “It's a reflection of a really positive, strong day,” Lacy continued. “Across the board, mares, short yearlings. I think the mares were incredibly healthy from, not just the top, but all the way through to a strong middle market. I think that was incredibly encouraging. There was a very large crowd, probably the largest crowd we've seen at a January Sale for quite awhile, even though we had a couple of inclement days. People got to see the horses and they responded.” For the session, 319 horses sold for $31,706,400. Compressed from three sessions to two this year, the sale saw a 9.9% increase in average to $99,393 while the median dropped 35.38% from the same opening session last year to $42,000. The opening session last year saw 200 horses bring $18,087,000 with an average of $90,435 and a median of $65,000. With 106 horses reported unsold, the buy-back rate was 24.94%, down from 32.20% last year. “We've got to take a lot of encouragement out of what we've seen in the numbers,” added Keeneland Senior Director of Sales Operations Cormac Breathnach. “It's a new year, and the January Sale offers a lot of possibility that way. We were pleased with the catalogue when it came together and pleased that there were opportunities for people to buy foundation mares. Apart from having so many people on the grounds, there's also international presence and a lot of online presence as well. It's really a sale that offers a lot to the market and to see it come to life like it did today, it's very encouraging for 2026.” Tiffany Case (Uncle Mo), the dam of Eclipse 3-year-old filly finalist Nitrogen (Medgalia d'Oro) topped the sale at $3,200,000 while GISW Simply in Front (Summer Front) was not far behind at $2,000,000. “It's great to see someone like Greg Tramontin, who has bought the old Siena Farm, building up a broodmare band,” Lacy said. “He was really excited to get Simply in Front. Obviously an exciting mare to add to any roster. But for him, looking to curate a quality group of mares, it was great to see. We saw that all the way through from the established breeders like Mandy Pope. So it's a great cross-section of breeders and end-users as well as pinhookers. It's a very broad market. We see so much positivity in the marketplace that carried over from November. A lot of positives to take from it.” The Keeneland January Sale concludes Tuesday with bidding beginning at 10 a.m. Mandy Pope Adds Tiffany Case for $3.2m Mandy Pope's Whisper Hill Farm added another illustrious broodmare to their collection when Pope went to $3,200,000 to acquire Tiffany Case (Uncle Mo) (hip 465), who sold in foal to Not This Time. Stakes placed in her racing career, the mare got on base with her first foal, producing SW/MGSP Love to Shop (Violence). Len and Jon Green's D.J. Stable, who bought Tiffany Case for $320,000 at Keeneland November in 2019 with Love to Shop in utero, has also bred Canadian champion 2-year-old filly and Eclipse finalist 3-year-old filly Nitrogen (Medaglia d'Oro) from her. Consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency as agent for D.J. Stable, Tiffany Case makes it two in a row as her daughter, Love to Shop, co-topped last year's Keeneland January Sale at $700,000. Mandy Pope purchased Monday's topper at the Keeneland January Sale | Keeneland “This is what makes the January Sale so great,” Jon Green said of the result. “When you have an upper-echelon horse, it can get really electric.” Tiffany Case's price tag marked the highest-priced horse sold at the Keeneland January Sale since champion 3-year-old filly Abel Tasman (Quality Road) brought $5,000,000 back in 2019. “[Tiffany Case is] really a neat mare, she has an 'A' foal,” added Taylor Made's Frank Taylor. “Every time she has a foal, it's an 'A' individual, so that was good money for her. Not This Time had 17 yearlings bring over a million (dollars) this year and none of them were bred as good as this foal's going to be bred. Hopefully, they have luck with it.” After quickly jumping past the million-dollar mark, the bidding began to slow as Pope traded bids into the $2-3 million range. “Wow, you always love that, when a battle happens,” Taylor continued. “I thought the other mare [Simply in Front] could potentially top the sale. I was hoping [Tiffany Case] would, but the right people lined up on her and she presented herself very well here at the sale. I think with Not This Time, he's so hot right now and Nitrogen being champion 3-year-old [finalist], everything was lined up.” D.J. Stable will retain Tiffany Case's 2-year-old Gun Runner filly, now named Sniper. Taylor noted that the filly, born in July, was a “beauty” and would race in North America for the Greens. Simply in Front Leads Greenwell Trifeca Greg Tramontin wound up the winner on a quick but exciting bidding battle for GISW Simply In Front (Summer Front) (hip 413), paying $2-million for the 5-year-old mare from the consignment of Richard G. Hogan, acting as agent for Colebrook Farms. Signing the ticket as Greenwell Thoroughbreds, Tramontin continues to add mares for his recently-purchased Siena Farm–now renamed Greenwell Farms. Simply in Front marked Tramontin's third purchase on the day; he also picked up a close relation to the mare in Closing Statement (Blame) (hip 91). “I came up here with my friend from Baton Rouge, and I came to help him,” Tramontin said. “I said, 'I'm not buying anything'. I've bought three! All of them will be good for the farm. That's what we're trying to do, raise some quality top-end horses.” “We had her priced between two and three [million], and so did the consigner,” continued Tramontin. “So when it stopped, I was close to the end myself.” Tramontin confirmed that the GI First Lady Stakes winner is set for a visit with Taylor Made's sire on fire Not This Time. Purchased as a yearling at Keeneland September for $115,000 by Colebrook Farms, Simply In Front is a half-sister to MGSW Honor D Lady (Honor Code), a mare who brought $1-million herself in 2024 at the Fasig-Tipton November Sale from agent Steve Young. Other siblings include her half-brother, stakes winner Churchtown (Air Force Blue), and half-sister, GI Johnnie Walker Natalma Stakes winner And One More Time (Omaha Beach). “It all happened fast for sure,” Hogan, who operates as Colebrook's racing manager, said of the bidding battle which hit the seven-figure mark in seconds. “We were hoping [the price would be] around there. I told the new owner, 'I hope she's as lucky for you as she was for us'.” Gunderson Adds $800,000 Gun Runner Colt A short yearling colt (hip 114) by leading sire Gun Runner kicked off the action early in the opening session, hammering down to $800,000 to Marc Gunderson, signing as MWG LLC. Consigned by Hill 'n' Dale at Xalapa consignment, the colt is out of Canadian GSW Deceptive Vision, a mare who also placed in the GI E. P. Taylor Stakes in her own racing career before producing MGSP Ancient Peace. The result continued a run of success for the family at Keeneland January as Deceptive Vision initially went Hill 'n' Dale's way for $900,000 at the 2021 edition. Ancient Peace then returned to the Keeneland January ring in 2023, topping the sale when selling to Boardshorts Stables [Flying Dutchman] for $650,000. “He's an athlete,” Gunderson said of his newest acquisition. “You can't go wrong buying a Gun Runner with a good family.” Simply in Front | Keeneland Deceptive Vision is from a very talented Sam-Son Farm family including her dam, Sovereign Award-winning 3-year-old filly Eye of the Sphynx, and her full-brother, Canadian champion 3-year-old colt Eye of the Leopard (A.P. Indy). The family also includes a Canadian Horse of the Year in Quiet Resolve (Affirmed). “I've been pretty active in the last few sales and [the price] was taken up right about where I thought it would be,” Gunderson continued. “It's a different market. I was maybe 12% higher than I thought I should have been. The market's carried [its momentum] forward from the last year, especially the second half of last year. I don't feel like the market's falling off one bit. What's started to happen is people are really focused now on what it's going to cost. So they're all focused on the same horses. If you're going to spend that kind of money, you have to work on your ROI rather than a risk-analysis aspect. You can still find plenty of good horses in three-to-five [hundred thousand] range.” Gunderson, who signed for 22 yearlings at Keeneland September and an additional 20 horses in November, picked up 12 more Monday. “We'll send him back to [Hill 'n' Dale] for a couple of days and see what we have,” Gunderson said. “We'll see if we can move him down to Ocala later and go from there. He might go to Saratoga. I don't mind running a horse, but I'll see how he pans out. One thing about this market, is there's a concentration of pinhookers who are saying 'I can't pay more than this number for a horse'. But the reality is, I'm not sure that's in play right now. If it's the best horse in a sale, and you're moving it on to be the best horse in the next sale, then you might be surprised what you can pay and still end up successfully pinhooking a horse.” “He was always very good,” added Hill 'n' Dale's newly-appointed Director of Bloodstock Jes Sikura. “One we had a lot of excitement for coming into the sale. I knew there was a lot of popularity and [we're] thrilled with the result. [He has] a great page. His sister's with the Flying Dutchman and being bred to good stallions so there's a lot of things happening in the family. We're happy with [the price], he was deserving. Excited to see what his plans are for the future.” Nothing But Net, presented by Muirfield Insurance: Constitution Colt Brings Quick Return for Hunter Valley A colt by leading young sire Constitution (hip 458) brought a quick return on investment for Hunter Valley Farm. Purchased by the operation in utero for $150,000 at the 2024 Fasig-Tipton November Sale, he was resold Monday for $310,000 to Clover Creek Bloodstock. Team of Teams, stakes placed in France and a stakes winner in United States, is a daughter of MGSW/MGISP Teammate, making her a half-sister to MGSP Team Colors (Street Cry {Ire}). This is also the family of GSW/MGISP and top stallion War Front (Danzig). “She was a lovely mare,” said Hunter Valley's Fergus Galvin. “She was a good runner. We loved her cover. And when the colt came out, he was nice from the get go. And we're really happy with the price.” While Galvin initially planned to keep the colt through this year, the strength of the weanling market at last year's Keeneland November Sale convinced him to change his mind. “We hadn't entered him in November,” Galvin said. “We were thinking, at the time he was born, that we'd hold onto him as a yearling. But then we saw how strong the weanling market was in November and that's why we went ahead and placed him in the January Sale. [The market has carried its momentum] 100%. We were resigned to the fact that we were going to keep him until next year and then [November] was so strong.” Team of Teams is due this year to Maxfield and she also has an Uncle Mo colt bought by Repole Stables at last year's Keeneland September Sale. “We're hoping a few things might happen for this mare,” Galvin continued. “We'll foal her out this but we haven't booked her yet [for 2026]. The post ‘A lot of Positives’: Keeneland January Kicks Off in Style appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Tiffany Case (Uncle Mo) (hip 465), the dam of Eclipse finalist and Grade I winner Nitrogen (Medaglia d'Oro), lit up the board at Keeneland Monday when selling to Mandy Pope's Whisper Hill Farm for $3.2 million. The 13-year-old mare, in foal to Not This Time, was consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency, as agent for the Green family's D J Stable. D J Stable purchased Tiffany Case, in foal to Violence, for $320,000 at the 2019 Keeneland November sale. That in-utero foal became Love to Shop, who co-topped last year's January sale when selling for $700,000 to Pin Oak Stud. The post Mandy Pope Goes to $3.2 Million for Tiffany Case, Dam of Nitrogen, at Keeneland appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article