Wandering Eyes

Multiple Group 1-placed filly A Lilac Rolla (Ire) (Harry Angel {Ire}) (lot 1735) became the first seven-figure filly or mare during Tuesday's Sceptre Sessions at the Tattersalls December Mares Sale. A half-sister to the multiple stakes placed Mutaaqeb (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), she sold for 1,000,000gns to John Stewart's Resolute Bloodstock, who was bidding online. Northern Farm was the underbidder. Consigned by Paddy Twomey's Athassel House Stud, the bay won the G3 Ballylinch Stud Priory Belle Stakes at Leopardstown and was second in the G1 Irish 1000 Guineas and third in the G1 Falmouth Stakes. Bred by John Cullinan, A Lilac Rolla was a €40,000 purchase by Amanda Skiffington out of the Tattersalls Ireland September Yearling Sale in 2022. Resolute Bloodstock had signed–online once again–for the G3 Princess Margaret Stakes third Tales Of The Heart (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}) (lot 1721) for 650,000gns earlier in the day. “The fillies/mares are coming to America to dominate Keeneland,” Stewart told TDN Europe. “We are specifically looking for turf fillies that like soft ground. I told people I was serious. 2024 was just a sample of what is to come from Resolute. “I was the underbidder on Believing too. That sucked. But I gave it a good run.” We have reached seven figures at the second session of the #tattsdecember Sceptre Sessions. A Lilac Rolla, who is a G3 winner, was consigned by her trainer Paddy Twomey and has been bought by an online purchaser. Northern Farm were the direct underbidder. pic.twitter.com/Dx3b8H06nq — TDN (@theTDN) December 3, 2024 The post John Stewart’s Resolute Bloodstock Pays 1,000,000gns Online For The Classic-Placed A Lilac Rolla At Tattersalls appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Rockridge Stud, with a pair of new stallions in 2025, has released its stud fees for next year's breeding season. New to the New York operation next year are Chewing Gum (Candy Ride {Arg}), winner of the 2022 GII Joe Hernandez Stakes and runner-up in the 2021 GI Jaipur Stakes, and three-time graded winner Messier (Empire Maker), who was second in the 2021 GI Santa Anita Derby. Chewing Gum's fee is private and Messier will stand his initial season at stud for $5,000 LFSN. Rockridge Stud, in partnership with WinStar Farm, Taylor Made Stallions, Fortune Farm, and Mill Creek Farm, will stand Americanrevolution (Constitution) for $12,500 LFSN. In partnership with Irish Hill/Dutchess View Stallions, Waldorf Farm, and Hidden Lake Farm, Mind Control (Stay Thirsty) will stand for $8,000 LFSN. Slumber (GB) (Cacique {Ire}) will stand for $7,500 LFSN, as will War Dancer (War Front). Disco Partner (Disco Rico)'s fee is private. Rockridge will give breeders the opportunity to see Chewing Gum and Messier at Mill Creek Farm in Stillwater Dec. 14 from 11 a.m.-noon. Light refreshments will be served. The annual Rockridge Stud stallion show will be held Jan. 25 from 12 p.m. until 2 p.m. A full lunch buffet will be served and there will be drawings for free seasons to each stallion. The post Messier, Chewing Gum New to Rockridge Roster in 2025 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Besides a 40-day summer meet, NYRA will conduct one additional day of racing at Saratoga Race Course during the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival and race at Saratoga for the first time from July 3-6 for a July 4th Racing Festival.View the full article

Prairie Meadows has announced the live horse racing dates for the 2025 season, which have been approved by the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission. The racing season will run May 9 through Sept. 27.View the full article

Andrew Balding has given a positive update on his G1 Longines Hong Kong Cup entry The Foxes (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}), who is set to face Hong Kong superstar Romantic Warrior (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}) on Sunday. He won a listed race at Newcastle over Group 1 winner Dubai Honour (Ire) (Pride Of Dubai {Aus}) last month and galloped at Sha Tin on Tuesday morning. “He's got a fair bit to find with Romantic Warrior but I think we are certainly in the mix with the others,” said Balding. “He has come out of his recent win at Newcastle very well and I can't feel we could have him any better. He's a horse we have always thought a lot of.” The King Power racing runner won the G2 Royal Lodge Stakes at two and the G2 Dante Stakes at three, before running second in the GI Belmont Derby Invitational Stakes. The Foxes was fourth in the G1 Juddmonte International Stakes in August of 2023 and did not grace the racecourse again that year, after some setbacks. Third in the Winter Derby Trial Conditions Stakes this January, he was unplaced in the G2 Neom Turf Cup in February, and was ninth in the G3 Earl Of Sefton Stakes in April. Given another lengthy break, he returned to run fifth in the G3 Darley Stakes in October prior to his listed victory at Newcastle. “We had issues with him straight after he returned from New York,” added Balding, who won the G1 Hong Kong Vase in 2004 with Phoenix Reach (Ire) (Alhaarth {Ire}). “But with plenty of time off and careful rehabilitation, he seems right back to his best. He showed that he was back on his A game when he beat Dubai Honour at Newcastle. “We haven't had a horse for Hong Kong for several years. But it's always something we would like to do. I think The Foxes is quite similar to Phoenix Reach, to be honest.” The post The Foxes Poised For Longines Hong Kong Cup Run appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Prairie Meadows Casino, Racetrack, & Hotel's live horse racing dates for the 2025 season have been approved by the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission (IRGC). Prairie Meadows 2025 live racing season will begin on Friday, May 9, and conclude on Saturday, Sept. 27. A total of 80 racing days will be scheduled with both Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse racing offered. The season begins with 20 days of Thoroughbred-only racing from May 9 – June 14, followed by 60 days of a mixed Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse schedule starting Sunday, June 15 and continuing through Saturday, Sept. 27. Live racing will be offered on a Friday – Monday schedule with exceptions of the first and last weekend of the season when there is no racing on Sunday or Monday, and also no racing on Monday, July 7. There will be live racing on Thursday, July 3 kicking off the July 4th holiday period of racing. Post times on Fridays and Saturdays will typically be at 6pm CT, and post times on Sundays and Mondays at 4pm CT. The first condition book along with the stall application should be available around Feb. 1, 2025. The post Prairie Meadows Announces 2025 Racing Dates appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

For the past two weeks, we have been telling you how some of racing's biggest names fell in love with the sport. Now it's our turn. Here are some of the stories behind the bylines you see every day in the TDN. Sue Finley, Publisher Myparents both loved to go to the racetrack, and they would drag me and my brother when we were young. I was completely bored by it. But when I was 15, they told me that an 18-year-old jockey was going for the Triple Crown on a horse named Affirmed, and I found it fascinating that someone pretty much my age was about to achieve something so incredible. I went with my parents and my best friend, and I still remember where we sat-section R on the third floor of the Belmont grandstand. We went back and forth to the paddock all day, saw the horses and jockeys up close, and marveled at the huge posters decorating the walls at Belmont about how the Thoroughbred racehorse was the fastest animal in the world. And when Affirmed and Steve Cauthen came down the stretch, hanging on to a slim lead over Alydar, we screamed our heads off. I was hooked, and we started going to the races every weekend, and I learned everything I could about handicapping and pedigrees. My parents were $2 bettors, and nothing made my father happier than to go to the track with $10, and come home with $12, “after gas and tolls,” as he'd say. “Where else can you have a day out and end up with more money than where you started?” he'd ask people. Six years later, as I was graduating from NYU with a degree in journalism, I went out to Belmont Park and asked if they needed a free intern on their press staff. I've worked in horse racing pretty much every day since. Bill Finley, columnist With an older brother and father who loved the sport, I can remember going to the racetrack when I was six or seven. I would often go with my dad, who would give me maybe $10 to bet with for the day. Largely betting in favorites to show, I won money the first 11 times I went to the track. Easy game? Right? Bill Finley | Sue Finley Photo My family was living in Philadelphia at the time and we made frequent to Garden State, Atlantic City, Delaware Park and the racetrack formerly known as Keystone. But I liked all sports back then and was a rabid fan of the Phillies, Eagles, 76ers and Flyers. The track was fifth on the list. That changed for me when I was 11 years old and was hit by a car and broke my femur on my right leg. It took months for me to recover, which included a long stint in a pediatric rehabilitation hospital in Atlantic City. I was placed in a body cast. After several months I still had a cast on, but a smaller one and I was finally able to get around on crutches. To celebrate my release from the hospital, my parents decided to treat me to a trip to Saratoga. I had never been before. As luck would have it, they picked the week that a horse named Secretariat was entered in the 1972 Sanford Stakes. He was not even the favorite in the race. Linda's Chief was. But, even at this early point in his career, some were saying that Secretariat was on his way to stardom and I came to expect that he was going to put on a show. He won the Sanford and I was sold. He, of course, became my favorite horse and I would see him run later that same year in the Garden State Stakes. I would have been a racing fan had it not been for Secretariat, but my love affair with him was what moved me into the super-fan category. I saw his 1973 Preakness and Belmont in person and was mesmerized by his Belmont, the greatest performance in the history of the sport. The '70s were a great time to be a racing fan. You had Seattle Slew, Affirmed, Forego, Ruffian, Spectacular Bid and so many others. I liked them all, but not in the way that I liked Secretariat. If not for him, I don't think I would have made a career as a turf writer. Thanks, Big Red. J.N. Campbell, Staff Writer I started a new job at the Kentucky Horse Park while I was in graduate school for history in Lexington. I didn't know really anything about horses or racing, but I was interested in museums after doing an internship at the Smithsonian. The entry-level position was the chance to be what they call a museum technician which means you assist with the care and handling of objects. The day I started at the International Museum of the Horse the curator told me she had some exhibit cleaning that I could do. She takes me to this case and inside were the Triple Crown trophies of Secretariat and Seattle Slew. So, I polished them. Once I was done she told me to follow her. We go into the Calumet trophy room and she says “hey, we can't stop now, you're on a roll!” When lunch came around the curator told me that if I wanted to eat out back that I might enjoy seeing the horses that were part of the Hall of Champions. I had no clue what she was talking about. She said the latest member was arriving that day and he was pretty special. It was Cigar. Getting to see him up close and learn about the history of this sport really resonated with me. I went to Keeneland that same year, stood there in the paddock, watched the post parades and I was hooked. That was 25 years ago and I'm still as enamored as the day I got to polish those trophies and first saw Cigar. The post How I Got Hooked on Racing: TDN’s Sue Finley, Bill Finley and J.N. Campbell appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Nobals, set to be the first American-trained runner in the Hong Kong Races since 2017, spiked a fever after traveling and is under observation.View the full article

Grade 3 bumper winner Junta Marvel (Fr) (Masked Marvel {GB}) (lot 750), in foal to Blue Bresil (Fr), is one of seven supplemental entries for the Goffs December NH Sale. Scheduled for Dec. 9-11, the sale features breeding stock and foals and begins at 10 a.m. each day. A trio of mares join Junta Marvel–lot 751, Happy Halo (Ire) (Saint Des Saints {Fr}) in foal to Blue Bresil (Fr) and out of a full-sister to graded winner Royal Alphabet (Ire) (King's Theatr); Sainte Baol (Fr) (Saint Des Saints {Fr}) (lot 752) in foal to Poet's Word (Ire), and Maggie Bugatti (Ire) (Gentlewave {Ire}) (lot 753) carrying to Affinisea (Ire). There are also three more foals by Vadamos (Fr) (lot 686A), a colt, a Crystal Ocean (GB) filly (lot 686B); and a Nirvana Du Berlais (Fr) filly (lot 686C). The post Junta Marvel Leads Goffs December NH Supplements appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The 2025 racing schedule, which includes 200 live race days at Aqueduct Racetrack and Saratoga Race Course, has been released by the New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA). The ongoing construction of Belmont Park will again require adjustments to the customary NYRA schedule. Most notably, the 2025 Belmont Stakes Racing Festival, expanded for 2025, will be held across five days at Saratoga Race Course from Wednesday, June 4 through Sunday, June 8. Saratoga will also play host to the extended July 4th Racing Festival, which is traditionally held at Belmont Park, from Thursday, July 3 through Sunday, July 6. The July 4th Racing Festival will serve as the conclusion of the 2025 Belmont at the Big A spring/summer meet. “There is nothing in sports that compares with the energy at Saratoga Race Course, and we join the fans in looking forward to another spectacular season of racing in 2025,” said NYRA President & CEO David O'Rourke. “While Saratoga is rightly defined by history and tradition, NYRA is thrilled to bring the Belmont Stakes and a special July 4th Racing Festival to Saratoga while a new Belmont Park takes shape on Long Island.” In addition, the fall and spring/summer meets normally held at Belmont Park will take place at Aqueduct Racetrack in 2025, including the period between the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival and July 4th Racing Festival. Following the close of the 2024 Aqueduct fall meet on Sunday, Dec. 29, the 49-day winter meet begins Wednesday, Jan. 1 and continues through Sunday, Mar. 30. With the exception of Opening Week, live racing will be conducted Thursday-Sunday from the week of Jan. 9 through the week of Feb. 27. Aqueduct will host a Presidents' Day card on Monday, Feb. 17. The winter meet will offer three-day race weeks Friday-Sunday throughout the month of March. The 15-day Aqueduct spring meet will run from Thursday, Apr. 3 through Sunday, Apr. 27 with racing conducted Thursday-Sunday. The NYRA circuit will remain at Aqueduct for the Belmont at the Big A spring/summer meet, which will open on Thursday, May 1 and continue through Sunday, July 6, with the final four days relocating to Saratoga for the July 4th Racing Festival. Racing at the Belmont at the Big A spring/summer meet will be conducted Thursday-Sunday throughout the spring/summer with the exception of a Memorial Day program on Monday, May 26.* The 40-day summer meet at Saratoga Race Course will open on Thursday, July 10 and continue through Labor Day, Sept. 1. Following the four-day opening week, live racing will be conducted Wednesday-Sunday with the exception of closing week, which will conclude on Monday, Sept. 1. The NYRA circuit will then return downstate for the 32-day Belmont at the Big A fall meet, which will open on Thursday, Sept. 11 and continue through Sunday, Nov. 2. Racing will be conducted Thursday-Sunday throughout the Belmont at the Big A fall meet. A 27-day fall meet at Aqueduct Racetrack will draw the curtain on live racing at NYRA in 2025. The fall meet will open on Thursday, Nov. 6 and continue through Wednesday, Dec. 31 with live racing generally conducted Thursday-Sunday. For the 2025 calendar of live race dates, visit www.NYRA.com/2025. The post NYRA Releases 2025 Race Dates; Expands Belmont and July 4 Festivals appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Supply, Meet Demand Producing horses with exceptional speed inherently produces many more lacking that singular talent. Everyone in the business knows this by-product is the primary cause of the aftercare problem. The volume of over-supply is enormous. Visibility, awareness and legitimate concern over what happens to these unwanted horses grows constantly. The social license implications of this dilemma are intensifying into a serious threat to an industry already buffeted by other storms and controversies. Everyone understands these facts and many feel this intrinsic challenge may be insurmountable. Yet fundamentally, the solution to the aftercare problem is simple. Create a corresponding demand for these horses. To be effective the demand must accurately match thoroughbreds, requiring their distinct blend of speed, stamina and agility, except not overly favoring a subset of the population such as gender, physique or disposition. The demand must be at least equivalent in scale and have varied preferences to match the number and diversity of horses. It must also be enduring, giving horses a lifelong purpose including residual value when their athletic capabilities decline in later years. A demand with these criteria can only come from an equestrian sport. The State of Equestrian Competition Regrettably there are no traditional equestrian sports that favor the full-thoroughbred horse. Western disciplines much prefer the short range speed and cow-sense of the quarter horse. English disciplines want the impressive movement and predictable disposition of the Warmblood. A quarter century ago, the sport of eventing did lean toward the thoroughbred because the cross-country component played a far greater role in the competition. Warmblood breeders and special interests will be sure eventing does not reverse course. Furthermore, virtually all traditional disciplines have become very exclusive, shutting out the vast majority of equestrians and barring access to new-comers that lack the substantial resources needed to participate. This exclusionary mixture is why efforts to incentivize thoroughbreds in traditional sports have found a hard ceiling. However, it also points to an enormous untapped resource that can be converted into the critical piece missing from thoroughbred aftercare. Indeed, both horses and people are looking for a new competitive opportunity. Connecting Horses and People Unwanted thoroughbred horses and burgeoning exclusivity in equestrian disciplines were catalysts for creating the first new horse sport in a half century. Cross Country Equestrian (CCE) is a purpose-built remedy for both predicaments, connecting two sides by filling the void between them. CCE is an objectively scored competition based on cross country jumping. Competitors score points by jumping obstacles and incur penalties for errors and time faults. Speed and stamina are important so thoroughbreds have a distinct advantage. CCE has unique flexibility and innovative optionality that make it friendly to all levels of experience, significantly safer than comparable sports, and exciting for everyone including spectators. After years of development, CCE was launched in late 2023. This year saw over two dozen competitions in eight states and developing the framework of a sophisticated internet based sport management system. The 2025 schedule has several large-scale competitions as CCE progresses toward an international debut. CCE is exciting, fun and prioritizes the partnership that is the foremost attraction of riding sports. It has proven itself to the first group of equestrians and they want more. CCE is set to expand. That is where the thoroughbred industry can step up. Mutual Benefits Hoping a systemic problem will fix itself or an outsider will clean up the mess is unrealistic. As the entity responsible for generating the unwanted supply of horses, the entire thoroughbred industry should do whatever is needed to develop a corresponding demand. Rider in a CCE competition | courtesy Nick Larkin Accountability is important and righteous, but there is a tremendous hidden opportunity that goes far beyond virtue signaling or leveraging good deeds for positive publicity. The solution to the aftercare problem can also alleviate and potentially resolve several major issues confronting thoroughbred racing. To see how, requires stepping back to get a wider perspective and thinking differently. Fundamentally, racing must grow a significantly larger audience if it and the affiliated businesses behind racing are to thrive. On a similarly elemental level, where to look for an audience interested in horses is patently obvious–people that already like horses. A thoroughbred-centric equestrian sport that harmonizes with racing would merge the thoroughbred world with a multitude of displaced and disenchanted equestrians looking for a new home. That would fill the follower deficit with the best type of fans–enthusiastic, knowledgeable people that actively support everything thoroughbred. Broadening the definition and image of thoroughbred sport will naturally widen exposure and appeal. Observing regular people actively involved with thoroughbreds makes the entire scene relatable and inviting. Authentically focusing on the horse, showcasing their engaging life-stories, displaying perpetual compassion and providing immersive experiences is compelling and retains fascination. The potential benefits to the existing industry are open-ended. Collaborations where racecourses and training centers function as CCE incubators for horses and people, rather than laying dormant between meets. Extending revenue, employment and relevance between seasons. Some venues will open their track, infield and surrounding areas to competitions, filling grandstands, restaurants and even betting windows. Wider exposure will likely generate unexpected outgrowth such as track-based therapy programs or additional entertainment-based opportunities. The infrastructure is already there. Why not use it to advance and enlarge the thoroughbred enterprise? A Bright Future Imagine an expansive thoroughbred industry that involves the horse well beyond the first few years of speed. Retirement and vocational programs are comfortably overseeing the horses unable to perform in active roles. Horses are sought after and valued, in all their variety. The organizations and small businesses that form the aftercare pipeline are no longer backlogged as the demand matches or exceeds the supply. The upstream and downstream advantages are countless. The optics are overwhelmingly positive and the public majority supports the business that fully embraces and revolves around the central figure – the thoroughbred horse. CCE and the Cross Country Equestrian Association are ready to make this happen. Are you? There are numerous ways to support CCE and end the aftercare problem. Get involved by joining, participating or sponsoring competitions, courses, and ongoing development. Visit www.CrossCountryEquestrianAssociation.com or contact us at contact@CrossCountryEquestrianAssociation.com Nick Larkin, a native of New Zealand now living in Lexington, Kentucky, is a world-class event rider, instructor, trainer and the pioneer of CCE, with experience organizing and competing in equestrian sports, breeding, racing and steeplechasing. He has been hands-on, full-contact horses for almost four decades. The post Open Letter to the Industry: The Solution to the Aftercare Problem.. and More appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Arqana has moved to allay concerns ahead of its Breeding Stock Sale following a reported outbreak of Equine Herpes Virus (EHV-1) in two sport horses near Paris. A statement released by the sales company on Tuesday read, “With just a few days to go before the Vente d'Elevage, Arqana has sent all vendors a specific equine health protocol to follow as a result of a call for vigilance by the RESPE (equine infectious disease surveillance) after two cases of EHV-1 were reported in mid-November in sport horses located in the Paris region. “To date, the crisis unit in place has not reported any significant change in the number of positive cases. Furthermore, no cases have been recorded among racehorses or bloodstock. However, Arqana has decided to be proactive and, in conjunction with France Galop, has put in place measures to ensure the health of the lots offered for sale. All horses will have been tested before arriving at the Deauville establishment and regular temperature readings will be taken (before and during the sale) to prevent any potential cases. The veterinary resources deployed by Arqana have been reinforced to ensure the best possible monitoring of the health of the horses at the Deauville sales.” The Arqana Breeding Stock Sale begins its four-day run on Saturday, December 7. The post Arqana Advisory on EHV-1 Outbreak in Paris appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

When her many friends think of Ramona Bass, the first thing they picture is a smile as wide as all outdoors. And if you're used to the wide skies of South Texas, that is saying plenty. No country for old men, they call it, but from girlhood onward it has suited Bass just fine-and her own border story has instead been one that savors All The Pretty Horses. Its latest chapter concerns her “beautiful boy” Annapolis, who entered her life as the bonus in the package with the $4 million purchase of My Miss Sophia (Unbridled's Song) at the 2018 Keeneland November Sale. The GI Kentucky Oaks runner-up was then pregnant by Bass's favorite stallion, War Front, and from the moment their son stood up from the foaling straw it was clear that the mare was going to pay her way. “Oh my gosh, he was a spectacular foal,” Bass recalls. “Really something from day one. The mare was a huge stretch, quite terrifying actually. But when Steve [Young, agent] showed her to me, she was such a queen. And then Seth [Hancock] told me, 'You buy that mare.' So we did!” Sent to his dam's trainer Todd Pletcher, Annapolis was an unbeaten graded stakes winner at two, and as a sophomore beat his seniors in the GI Coolmore Turf Mile (stakes record). But his pedigree certainly entitled him to try the main track-My Miss Sophia is a half-sister to a GI Florida Derby winner, from a family strewn with elite dirt performers-and that was very much the intention when Annapolis was derailed by injury in January. Suddenly he was on his way to Claiborne, with barely any time to retrieve the head start enjoyed by all the other new sires. “It wasn't the best of timing,” Bass acknowledges. “But we all went to work, bought him some nice mares and started politicking. Of course, I wasn't very quiet about him. I was pushing a little. Well, maybe a lot! Only for the Fort Worth Zoo, which has been my life's work for 40 years, do I otherwise act this way. I hope people don't start running the other way when they see me!” To do so, however, would be to reverse every instinct for enjoyment-and, as it turned out, Annapolis himself was all the salesman needed. “A lot of people got very excited very quickly,” Bass says. “He's a big, strong horse with a lot of bone, and wonderful balance and disposition. He's just gorgeous, really. And of course he's so beautifully bred. I was really thrilled with the interest. He ended up with 149 mares, which is what I consider a full book.” After that remarkable response, against the clock, Annapolis is now recruiting his second book. And what makes the momentum behind him so fulfilling is that a Claiborne stallion brings his owner right back to the future. To understand that, however, we must return to what was once called the Wild Horse Desert. “But we do have shade,” Bass protests, when you suggest that six generations on a cattle ranch-founded in the era of border bandits, tribal raiders and Texas Rangers-give her family history the widest of those wide horizons. “We have trees! South Texas is actually very pretty. We have beautiful wildflowers, when it rains. And, yes, trees: gorgeous live oaks, and mesquites, and many others.” A friend from New York, though pleasantly surprised not to find herself in a literal desert, was told she couldn't leave early on a Sunday because everybody would be out with the quail hunt. Like, everybody. Not to worry, she replied, she would just get a cab. Bass raises an expressive eyebrow. “Okay, girl, you find a cab out here.” So it's trees, yes; taxis, no. And the women go shooting same as everyone else. “All of us grew up with wildlife, cattle, hunting,” Bass says. “Even if people weren't ever on a ranch, that's all part of the Texas character. Texans are very proud of their heritage, and still think of themselves as independent, loyal, and probably pretty outspoken. We were a republic for nine years, and no-one ever forgets that. And that country stayed wild a long time. We were still getting bandits down there in the 1900s. I have a photo of my great uncle at the ranch with Pancho Villa.” But the Lonesome Dove heritage-and Bass remembers devouring that epic in three days straight, pregnant on the porch, resting the book on her bump as though to inculcate border lore into the next generation while yet unborn-in her family's case dovetailed usefully with another trademark Texas saga, the kind chronicled in Giant. For it was oil that enabled her father, Arthur A. Seeligson Jr., to fund the love of racehorses he shared with his daughter. “My husband Lee calls horses 'Ramona's affliction,'” says Bass. “In my case, it's an inherited condition. It was not so, for my father. My grandparents were rather serious, and very perplexed by horseracing and gambling. But one summer [ranching neighbor] Bob Kleberg-whose granddaughters are some of my dearest friends-took my father to Saratoga for a visit, and the rest is history. “Dad took a share in Graustark, and bought Brown Berry who became our blue hen. It turned out to be quite the nick. From their matings we had major stakes winners not only in America but Europe as well. It was the best of times. Dad loved horses, and so did I. I'd always go to the track with him when no-one else would. Growing up, every August the whole family would leave Texas lock, stock and barrel, to be in La Jolla for Del Mar. Every year of my life. I have pictures in the winner's circle when I was probably three years old.” It wasn't just about the sire, naturally, and Bass stresses equal gratitude to the dam. (“Thank goodness,” she says, “for my beautiful, talented, organized and always loving mother, who kept the whole family in order-and still does!”) But when Bass referred to Texans as “pretty outspoken,” her father was no exception. “He was a character,” she says. “But outspoken in a gentlemanly kind of way. When we say 'character,' it's a positive. It means a person stands out and isn't afraid to be different or unique. And he was always very funny. I miss him a lot. I was so lucky because Dad always told me I could do anything I set my mind to. And I believed him.” One of the most fortunate introductions made in those years was to Claiborne, where Seeligson stood Brown Berry's best son. Bass alleges that she was already 20 when Avatar won the 1975 Belmont Stakes, a claim that shakes either her own credibility or that of one's math teacher. Regardless, it's a memory that keeps her young. “He had run second to Foolish Pleasure in the Derby, and probably would have won but for an incident with a horse called Diablo, appropriately named Devil!” Bass recalls. “So Avatar should have been one of the favorites for the Belmont, but wasn't.” She breaks into that smile again. “I tell you, they didn't exaggerate too much, in the Seabiscuit film, about how the East Coast looked at West Coast horses! Tommy Doyle worked him a mile and a half the Wednesday before the race. Do that today, they'd say you were crazy. But those horses were warriors.” Poignantly, Bass recalls that there was a proposal for the three Classic winners to square off in a decider. Her father rejected the idea, as not suiting Avatar, and the match instead devised for Foolish Pleasure ended in the indelible tragedy of Ruffian. Overall, however, to the young Bass that era ignited an undying passion. While her parents raced all over, “our horses were based in Southern California and we were there a lot, which certainly didn't hurt my feelings!” And actually Brown Berry had already produced a Derby favorite in Unconscious, albeit that ended in anti-climax (fifth and injured). “Apparently Unconscious was named for a gambling term,” Bass explains. “If you're gambling unconscious, you can't lose. Personally I think owning these horses is gamble enough. But all month in La Jolla, Dad and his friends would sit on the beach playing backgammon and then go to Del Mar in the afternoon.” Now, nearly half a century later, Bass has a stallion at Claiborne herself. Annapolis looks excitingly qualified to contest the same vacancy among turf stallions, following the loss of English Channel and Kitten's Joy, that has catapulted Oscar Performance to stardom-with the bonus of those stellar dirt names in his pedigree. “People see Annapolis as real value,” Bass says proudly. “He's not a $12,500 horse, but we decided to start there because he didn't come in before January. Really, if you look around, he's probably more like a $20,000-$25,000 horse.” So now Bass can joke about herself as an “inherited affliction” for Claiborne, and likewise for Richard Mandella, who trains most of her horses just as he previously trained for her father. Above all, the “affliction” has joyously infected her son Perry. “So our relationship is the same as I had with my father,” Bass says. “It was actually Dad who started taking Perry to Del Mar when he was four. He'd feed him chocolate sundaes all day to keep him quiet. So when he got home, it was just a sugar-high nightmare. But Perry became as obsessed as I am, which is lovely for me. Thankfully he does all the things I don't like, i.e. keeping the books! I just love being with the horses, picking them out at sales and planning matings together. We're a breed-to-race outfit, after all, but we do sell when necessary. Anyway, it's such fun for Perry and me to have this together. My girls aren't a bit interested-and my husband just thinks we're crazy.” In every other way, happily, Lee has proved a blessed match. “We came from the same world, our families had been friends for generations, and he was at Yale with my brother-but we just kept missing each other,” Bass says. “And thank goodness, because I was the sit-in-the-front kind of student, raising my hand all the time, trying to be good. I think Lee had a little more fun than I did. But we ended up meeting at a good age, I was 27, and so often in life timing is everything. And he has really been such a good sport about all this.” How could he not, when confronted daily by that smile? For others, certainly, her enthusiasm is contagious-not least the breeders lining up for Annapolis. “I've never had a stallion before, so this is all new to me,” Bass says. “But it's great to bring things full circle with Claiborne. He looks a man now. Coming off the track, he still looked a boy. But his lovely personality hasn't changed. He's a fun character. Sleeps all day, and a real baby about his peppermints. His man Rodeo has cared for a lot of stallions, over the years, and says Annapolis is the easiest he's ever been around. He just walks up, does his duty, turns around and walks back. No scene, no yelling, no bucking or kicking. Of course I'm prejudiced, but he's just a special horse.” My Miss Sophia has lately been “married” to Gun Runner with such persuasive results-Don Robinson is breaking a yearling filly, with a weanling colt next-that she's back in foal to the Three Chimneys champion. And very soon we'll start finding out whether Annapolis can extend her dynasty. For now, Bass is just glad to see him given every chance. “We're so grateful to our wonderful and loyal friends, who were first in to support us,” she says. “And to those shareholders and breeders who stepped right up. I do believe in him-and thankfully I'm not alone.” The post Annapolis Helping Bass Hit the High Notes appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) confirmed on Tuesday that the appointment of a new chief executive officer will be announced in the new year to allow the newly appointed BHA chair, Lord Allen of Kensington, to play a role in the recruitment process. Upon the completion of Julie Harrington's term on Tuesday, December 31, the BHA's current chief regulatory officer Brant Dunshea will take on the role of acting CEO while the recruitment process is finalised. Dunshea joined the BHA in March 2015. He was promoted to the role of director of integrity and regulatory operations in September 2016 and then chief regulatory officer in April 2018. The post Appointment of New BHA Chief Executive On Hold Until 2025 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

One-time Melbourne Cup fancy Mark Twain (NZ) (Shocking) is nearing the end of his rehabilitation from a tendon injury as connections plan for another Cup tilt in 2025. OTI Racing director Terry Henderson said this week the rehabilitation program other stable runners have undergone for similar tendon injuries has a comeback strike-rate of about 70 per cent, so hopes are high Mark Twain can also make it back to the track. “He’s close to the end of his rehabilitation with Matty Williams and he looks good as he finishes off,” Henderson said. “What happens now is that he will have six weeks in the paddock and then Matty will give him four or five weeks’ work before he goes back to (trainer) Roger (James). “So it’ll be about three months before he gets back to Roger and that will allow him a good, slow build-up to the spring. “The (rehabilitation) process has worked well. We’ve had a number of horses go through it including last Saturday’s winner Karburan and we are running at about 70 per cent (success rate). “If you can get them back for four or five runs, we call it a success, so fingers crossed.” It should be a much earlier return to the track for Mark Twain’s three-quarter brother Samuel Langhorne (NZ) (Shocking), who is expected to run at Ballarat on Saturday. Also a stayer on the rise, Samuel Langhorne has not raced since he finished sixth in the Listed Andrew Ramsden (2800m) at Flemington in May. View the full article

Australian-based jockey returns to Happy Valley contest on a high after first-leg success last year.View the full article

His Highness the Aga Khan has been acknowledged for his significant involvement in racing and breeding in being given the Contribution to the Industry Award at the annual Horse Racing Ireland Awards on Monday evening. “With these awards, we celebrate something more profound than achievements and investments,” said HRI Chairman Nicky Hartery. “His Highness the Aga Khan is not just a valued partner of the Irish racing community; he is one of us. We feel that he is part of the very fabric of our industry, and we have claimed him as one of our own. “We are forever grateful for all His Highness has done for Irish horse racing. His vision, dedication, and generosity has enriched our sport and strengthened our community in ways that will endure for generations.” Aidan O'Brien was the recipient of the Flat Award after a season which saw him crowned champion trainer in both Ireland and Britain, with his National Hunt counterpart Willie Mullins also achieving that same notable double. Mullins was duly given the National Hunt Award. The Flat Achievement Award went the way of Gerry Keane, who was represented by Royal Ascot winner Crystal Black (Ire), ridden by the trainer's son, champion jockey Colin Keane, during a memorable season. Champion apprentice James Ryan received the Emerging Talent Award. Suzanne Eade, chief executive of HRI, said, “It was an honour to celebrate Irish racing and breeding this evening and give due recognition to those who make our industry the incredible success it is. We owe His Highness the Aga Khan so much and I hope that tonight's recognition goes some way towards acknowledging his immense contribution, wonderful generosity and an unwavering support of our industry.” The 22nd Horse Racing Ireland Award Winners: Contribution to the Industry: His Highness the Aga Khan Horse of the Year: Galopin Des Champs Emerging Talent Award: James Ryan National Hunt Award: Willie Mullins National Hunt Achievement Award: Tom Gibney Point-to-Point Award: David Christie Flat Award: Aidan O'Brien Flat Achievement Award: Gerry Keane Racecourse of the Year: Fairyhouse Ride of the Year Award: JJ Slevin The post ‘One Of Us’: HH Aga Khan Honoured at HRI Awards appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Hong Kong Derby hopeful will head to the city circuit for the first time on Wednesday.View the full article

Jaylah Kennedy guides Hard To Cross home to win at Sandown. Photo: Bruno Cannatelli Racing Victoria (RV) Stewards have handed down a 12-month racing ban to Hard To Cross, a horse trained by Patrick Payne, following the detection of prohibited substances, including anabolic steroids, in post-race samples. The ban prohibits the horse from competing until May 25, 2025, contingent upon the submission of a clearance certificate confirming compliance. The investigation was initiated after samples were collected from Hard To Cross following its victories in two races at Sportsbet Sandown Hillside: the Tobin Brothers Celebrating Lives Handicap on May 15, 2024, and the Tile Importer Handicap on May 25, 2024. Subsequent testing revealed the presence of Formestane and its metabolites, 4-Hydroxytestosterone and 6a-Hydroxyandrost-4-Ene-3, 17-Dione, substances classified as anabolic steroids under the Australian Rules of Racing. Stewards notified Patrick Payne of the irregularities on June 25 and July 5, 2024, before confirmatory results were received. Following this, RV Stewards requested submissions from Payne and the managing owner concerning AR 248(4), which mandates a minimum 12-month ban for horses found with anabolic androgenic steroids in their systems. This rule also requires a clearance certificate before the horse can return to competition. After consulting with legal counsel and stakeholders, the Stewards enforced AR 248(4), disqualifying Hard To Cross until the stipulated conditions are met. While the immediate decision pertains to the ban, the broader circumstances surrounding the positive tests remain under investigation. Horse racing news View the full article

Speedster misses Tuesday morning work as he continues to battle a fever ahead of his clash with local star Ka Ying Rising.View the full article

French rider will aim to be the first female to win at Sha Tin’s marquee meeting when she partners Iresine in the Group One Hong Kong Vase (2,400m) on Sunday.View the full article

Luke Oliver after Spanish Tides won the Mia Kleer Hand Sanitiser Handicap at Moonee Valley Racecourse on July 30, 2022 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Reg Ryan/Racing Photos) Racing Victoria (RV) Stewards have charged trainer Luke Oliver following an inquiry into a prohibited substance detected in a post-race sample from the horse Justdoit. This is the second tribunal hearing Luke Oliver has been involved in, with the first being with Hey Bella back in April 12. The allegations relate to a breach of the Australian Rules of Racing (AR) involving the administration of banned substances. The charge stems from Justdoit’s participation in Race 3 at the Donate to RDA Australia event at Flemington Racecourse on August 3, 2024. The horse claimed victory in the event, but subsequent urine samples revealed the presence of methamphetamine, a stimulant listed under Division 1 of Part 2 of Schedule 1 (Prohibited List B) in the Rules of Racing. The positive result was confirmed by Racing Analytical Services Limited and the Australian Racing Forensic Laboratory. Methamphetamine is strictly prohibited in racing as it has no therapeutic value and contravenes AR 240(2), which holds trainers accountable for ensuring their horses are free from prohibited substances during competition. RV Stewards emphasised that trainers are responsible for safeguarding their horses from exposure to substances outlined in Prohibited List A or B. This responsibility includes maintaining strict controls to avoid accidental contamination or intentional administration. The case has been referred to the Victorian Racing Tribunal (VRT), with a hearing date yet to be determined. If found guilty, Oliver could face penalties, including fines or suspension. Horse racing news View the full article

By Adam Hamilton Friday night has all the hallmarks of the Grand Final for freakish filly Keayang Zahara. On face value, most expect the three-year-old to just turn up in the $200,000 Garrards NZ Trotting Derby at Addington, and win again. But driver Jason Lee sees it a little differently. “We think it’s her biggest test for a few reasons,” he said. “It’s as strong a field as she’s met, it should be a real staying test and it’s at the end of a long first (racing) campaign for her. “All the signs say she’s thrived over here and is as good as ever, but you’re still mindful how far she’s come in this campaign and that she had her first start back on April 3.” Lee and his mother, Marg, who trains the filly, decided to keep Keayang Zahara in Christchurch for Friday’s Derby after she cruised to her 13th win from as many starts – six of them at Group 1 level – in last Friday night’s NZ Trotting Oaks. “She gave us no reason not to, it’s that simple,” Jason Lee said. “We’re here, it’s worth good money and it only meant staying another week. When she came through the Oaks so well, we had to give it a go.” Significantly, Lee scrapped plans to drive in the second round of Inter Dominion heats at Bathurst on Wednesday night to stay with Keayang Zahara. “It’s more for my headspace, just to know and see we’ve done everything to have her as well as we can for this week’s race,” he said. “Don’t get me wrong, Antti (Ruokonen, travelling foreman) knows her as well as I do and would’ve managed without me, but we do this as a really important race and her biggest test so far. “I haven’t really felt much pressure so far with her, maybe a bit in the slot race (The Ascent) because it was worth so much and her first run over here (NZ), but I’m feeling a bit going into this week. “We know the unbeaten streak will end at some stage, but it would be really nice to get through this campaign with it intact, so it all comes down to the Derby and we know it’ll be another test.” While Lee asked Keayang Zahara to show gate speed for the first time in her career last week and she responded to work to the front, his gut feel is to be more conservative in the Derby. “I’m thinking I’ve got to be more patient in a longer race this week,” he said. “Let her find her feet and settle in the first lap or so. “The instinct is to back her speed, to drive her with a sit, but when you’re in a big field of young trotters, you’ve also got to be mindful that some can gallop. “Ideally, I’ll be able to settle not far off them, the pace will be good and we save her for that sprint of hers, but I also know I’ll have to keep an open mind and drive to how the race is run.” Beyond the Derby, Keayang Zahara returns home for a spell at the Lee clan’s Ecklin South property about three hours south-east of Melbourne. “We’ve got a blank canvas. We haven’t even thought about what happens after the spell or how long she has out,” Lee said. “There’s no shortage of options, but we’ll sit down with all the family members involved in her and talk it through. “We’re certainly mindful of how far she’s come and what a big first campaign it’s been.” It’s sounding like a return to the NZ for the TAB Trot at Cambridge in April is unlikely. View the full article

This Friday’s $300,000 Garrards New Zealand Pacing Derby at Addington has attracted a quality field including the likes of Better Knuckle Up, Jeremiah, Chase A Dream and last start winners Renegade and Bazooka. Half a century ago it was a very different Derby – essentially a one horse race dominated by one of the greats. The NZ Derby 50 Years ago – Noodlum Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk Health wise he was not 100 per cent but Noodlum still outclassed his opponents at the New Zealand Derby on November 23, 1974. Recognised as one of the best pacers of his era, Noodlum sprung a curb in the lead up to the big race 50 years ago. Reports at the time said : “all Noodlum’s troubles originate from the fact that the great drive possessed in his beautiful pacing action caused strain on his stifles and when soreness occurred in these ligaments it placed greater pressure on the lower areas of his hind legs eventually resulting in injuries.” Noodlum still had little trouble in winning the Derby, being hard held all the way in front for trainer-driver and part owner Freeman Holmes and covering his last 800 metres in 57.8 to make it 15 wins in a row. At the time it was his 20th win in 23 lifetime starts. Commissioner tracked Noodlum all the way and held second easily by a length and a quarter from the maiden In Or Out, who finished stoutly for third. Steven Stock battled on for fourth two and a half lengths back with a similar margin to Chief Eagle. “I just turned the whip round in my hand in the straight to get a better grip. He was pulling so hard,” Freeman said post race. Noodlum’s time for the 2600 metres was an unremarkable 3:27. To provide context Koarakau in 1973 and Main Adios in 1975 were both markedly quicker (3:23). Such was Noodlum’s impact that at one stage an Australian based syndicate offered $180,000 for the star pacer. It was an incredible money at the time but turned down by owners Ann Wilson and Holmes. Holmes’s uncle, the great Maurice “The Maestro” Holmes drove Noodlum on seven occasions. He was impressed enough to say “he’s the greatest juvenile pacer I’ve ever sat behind.” It’s part of harness racing folklore that Noodlum was “Muldoon” spelt backwards. A year after Noodlum’s Derby win Robert Muldoon, the then National Party leader, would become Prime Minister. Noodlum retired from racing with 28 wins from 42 starts and went on to be a champion sire. Aged 18 he died after serving a mare. View the full article

By Mike Love Local trainer Steve Harding recorded his biggest win when Audacity took out the Cabins 2U Akaroa Cup at Motukarara on Saturday. And he didn’t have to go far for the win – he lives just down the road at McQueens Valley. “It was very impressive,” he said of Audacity’s performance, “it’s only just sinking in really.” Audacity made a good beginning from the unruly 10 metre mark with driver Ross Cameron. They worked into the three wide line from the 2000m, improving gradually to mid-field. Cameron then went straight to the lead at the 900m where they stayed and booted away, holding off the only danger in Xlendi to win by three quarters of a length, sizzling home in 55.8 seconds for the final 800m. “Ross (Cameron) said he was going to drive him like the best horse in the race. He’s done a very good job. That was Ross’ first cup win as well.” “The only question mark with him had just been his standing start manners. But he was so good on Saturday. He seems to have turned the corner since he’s had his break. He was a different horse the last two starts. He was just so relaxed in the box where normally he’d been on edge and won’t stand still.” It was Audacity’s fourth win from 12 starts. A full time electrician and hobby trainer it was Harding’s fourth win of the season making it his most successful so far. “The plan now is probably Rangiora and stick to the country cups. Then he will probably have a bit of a freshen up and see what’s around in the new year.” Audacity was given to Harding by owner and breeder Graeme Trist to work up on the premise that he would be given a half share if he were to make it to the races. “I did a couple of horses for him a few years ago. He came back to me with the La Moocha breed. He said he had a few foals coming and whether I’d be interested in getting them up and going.” Audacity is out of In The Pocket mare La Moocha whose mother is former New Zealand Cup winner Kym’s Girl. “They’ve all been very head strong in their own different ways. Most people would have sacked Audacity in his younger days.” Trist also bred and part owned Manjimup who won six races. He too was trained by Harding and was out of La Moocha. “I’m pottering around with his younger half brother who is by Betterthancheddar. He’s a handful but has a lovely way of going.” View the full article