Wandering Eyes

Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance will return to Saratoga during the first week of August to highlight accredited aftercare through a variety of initiatives at both Saratoga Race Course and Fasig-Tipton, the TAA announced Thursday. The organization will participate in events during Whitney weekend, which includes the GI Whitney Stakes, and will remain active through the Fasig-Tipton Selected Yearling Sale the following week. The New York Racing Association will feature Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance as its Community Partner during Whitney weekend and TAA will also be present at NYRA's Community Outreach Booth on Saturday and Sunday, where fans can learn more about accredited aftercare. Branded merchandise will be available in exchange for donations, including a limited-edition Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance t-shirt. Donna Barton Brothers, author of Inside Track: Insider's Guide to Horse Racing, will appear at the booth on Saturday from 11 a.m. to noon. Signed copies of her book will be available for $10 each, while supplies last. NYRA will also recognize Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance with a named race on the undercard on both Saturday and Sunday. Following each race, a presentation will be made to the winning connections, who will receive a branded blanket and gift bag. “NYRA is pleased to continue this important partnership with Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance during Whitney weekend at Saratoga,” said Tony Allevato, NYRA Chief Revenue Officer and President of NYRA Bets. “Saratoga provides the ideal stage for highlighting the importance of supporting accredited aftercare, and we thank TAA for their commitment to the sport.” The weekend will also include hosting the winners of the VIP experience auctioned earlier this year through the “Off to the Races” campaign supporting accredited aftercare. This experience was donated by NYRA, the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame, and Anne's Washington Inn. The winners will enjoy a horseman's box for five, paddock and winner's circle access, a private tour with Tom Durkin, a family museum membership, and more. Fasig-Tipton, a supporting partner of Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance, will host The Saratoga Sale of selected yearlings Aug. 4-5. Representatives will be on-site to meet with supporters, consigners, and buyers to promote accredited aftercare. Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance will also distribute New York Thoroughbred Breeding & Development Fund co-branded gifts to consigners participating in the New York Bred Yearlings Sale, scheduled for Aug. 10-11. While in Saratoga, Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance will also conduct inspections at accredited aftercare facilities as part of its ongoing accreditation process. In addition, staff will meet with trainers, owners, and supporters throughout the week and convene for the organization's annual board meeting on Thursday, Aug. 7. The post Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance In The Spotlight During Whitney Weekend At Saratoga appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

NBC Sports will showcase the 2026 GI Longines Kentucky Oaks in prime time for the first time ever in 2026, Churchill Downs Incorporated announced Thursday. The 152nd Kentucky Oaks, featuring racing's best 3-year-old fillies, will be presented Friday, May 1, 2026, at 8 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock. In addition to racing, Kentucky Oaks traditions centered around fashion and women's health advocacy will remain central pillars of the event pageantry–now culminating in a twilight finish. “We are excited to present the Kentucky Oaks in prime time for the first time ever,” said Jon Miller, President, Acquisitions & Partnerships, NBC Sports. “With the Oaks on Friday night leading into the Kentucky Derby on the first Saturday in May, we can't wait to get back to Churchill Downs for another historic weekend of racing.” “By moving the Kentucky Oaks to prime time, we're giving one of horse racing's most treasured traditions the national stage it deserves,” said CDI CEO Bill Carstanjen. “This decision is rooted in our commitment to growing the sport, reaching new audiences and creating unforgettable experiences for our fans.” The Kentucky Derby stands as America's oldest continually held major sporting event. The 152nd Kentucky Derby will be held Saturday, May 2, 2026, on NBC and Peacock. In May 2024, NBC Sports and Churchill Downs announced a multi-year extension of their historic partnership. The relationship, which began with the 2001 Kentucky Derby, will make NBC the longest running home of the Kentucky Derby, as NBCUniversal will become the first media company to present the most prestigious event in horse racing for three decades (32 editions of the Kentucky Derby from 2001-32). The post NBC To Air 2026 Kentucky Oaks In Prime Time 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) will make his first public appearance for more than 12 months when the Roger James and Robert Wellwood-trained gelding has an exhibition gallop at Te Rapa on Saturday. The lightly-raced son of Shocking won last year’s Listed Roy Higgins (2600m) at Flemington to secure a place in the 2024 Melbourne Cup only for a tendon injury last spring to quash the Cup dream. A year on and the rising six-year-old has pleased in his recovery with the OTI-raced gelding on the Cup comeback trail. “He’s in great order. He didn’t have a lot of idle time,” James said. “The OTI team have used the services of Matthew Williams in Warrnambool who has had a lot of success with those similar injuries. “He was not idle from the time it happened until four or five months afterwards and then they gave him a month off, two months before he came back over to us. “We are mixing it up with a combination of swimming, treadmill and some trackwork, so he’s on a varied program. “We were very grateful to Terry Henderson and the OTI team to get the horse back. I actually sowed the seed as to whether Terry wanted to leave the horse there given he had rehabilitated in Australia, but it was never in question.” The winner of four of his 12 starts with a further three placings including a luckless third in last year’s Gr.2 Auckland Cup (3200m), Mark Twain will likely have just one start in New Zealand this spring before an Australian campaign. “He will have an exhibition gallop after race two at Te Rapa on Saturday,” James said. “All going well he will have a trial on August 12 and then head to the races at Te Aroha over a mile on August 31 before heading to Australia.” OTI’s Terry Henderson described Mark Twain as the most talented horse in their southern hemisphere arsenal. “He is a very special horse. We got a glimpse of that in last year’s Roy Higgins, where he came from last and won,” Henderson said. “He needs to qualify for the Melbourne Cup again so he will be aimed towards a race like the Bart Cummings (Gr.3, 2500m) in October.” Looking ahead to spring, Henderson is also bullish about the prospects of New Zealand Derby placegetter Golden Century (NZ) (Pierro), who has transferred to Chris Waller from Tony Pike. “He trialled really well on Tuesday,” Henderson said. “He will have another trial in two weeks, and there is a race for him on August 15. “He could be a Caulfield Cup (Gr.1, 2400m) horse or he could even be a Metropolitan (Gr.1, 2400m) horse.” An avid fan of sourcing horses from New Zealand, Henderson credited bloodstock agent Phill Cataldo as a key component to the syndicator’s success. “We are blessed with having Phill Cataldo over there. Phill is a highly respected bloodstock agent who is at the track every morning,” Henderson said. “Many of the horses that we buy, we know about before they have actually gone to the trials, so we are able to act quickly, which has been a huge advantage to us. “Phill has been able to produce seven or eight Group One winners, including I’m Thunderstruck. The value is there. The New Zealand dollar is ten percent lower than the Australian dollar, and the logistics of getting them over to Australia are easy. “We find the New Zealand market to be very attractive, not only in the trial sector but also in the Ready to Run sale. We have had a fair bit of luck with the Ready to Run horses that go under the hammer in November.” View the full article

Havana Grey, the sire of the most expensive lot at the Tattersalls Somerville Yearling Sale in both 2023 and 2024, will be represented by 10 yearlings when the Whitsbury Manor Stud stallion tries to repeat those sale-topping exploits at this year's Somerville, which takes place at Park Paddocks on Tuesday, September 2. A total of 272 yearlings have been catalogued, with lot 145 featuring among the sons and daughters of Havana Grey. Offered by Bearstone Stud, the filly is a full-sister to the G3 Prix Eclipse and Weatherbys Super Sprint winner Eddie's Boy, who was a 45,000gns purchase at the Somerville Yearling Sale in 2021. Havana Grey will also be represented by lot 73, a filly out of the Listed winner and G1 Cheveley Park Stakes fourth Miss Work Of Art, herself the dam of the Listed scorer Tapisserie. First-season sires Caturra and Perfect Power lead the way numerically with 13 yearlings apiece, while other stallions with their first yearlings catalogued include Baaeed, Bayside Boy, Dubawi Legend, Minzaal, Naval Crown, Persian Force, Space Traveller and State Of Rest. Lot 267, Houghton Bloodstock's half-sister to the G2 Dubai City Of Gold Stakes hero Prize Money, is one of the potential highlights among Perfect Power's yearlings, while lot 205 is another to look out for as a son of Minzaal and the dual Group 3 winner Alanza. Other well-bred yearlings catalogued include lot 74, a Tasleet half-brother to the Cheveley Park third Baileys Jubilee; lot 139, Castledillon Stud's Ardad half-brother to the G1 2,000 Guineas fourth Galeron; and lot 151, a Sioux Nation half-sister to the GII Dance Smartly Stakes heroine and GI Just A Game Stakes runner-up Wakanaka. The largest consignment of yearlings will come from Tally-Ho Stud with 21 lots catalogued, including lot 271, a Cotai Glory half-sister to the GII Appalachian Stakes winner and Cheveley Park second The Mackem Bullet. Meanwhile, last year's sale-topping consignor, Whitsbury Manor Stud, will offer a draft of 6 lots. One of the bargains from last year's sale was Norris Bloodstock's Havana Gold colt out of Spitfire Limited, who sold to Highflyer and Eve Johnson Houghton for just 9,000gns. Later named Havana Hurricane, he has proved himself a smart two-year-old this season, having followed his victory in the Listed Windsor Castle Stakes at Royal Ascot with a runner-up finish in the Weatherbys Super Sprint. The Royal Ascot roll of honour among Somerville graduates is headed by Bradsell, the winner of the G2 Coventry Stakes and G1 King's Stand Stakes. Meanwhile, this year's G2 Queen Mary Stakes second Flowerhead features among a further eight Somerville juveniles who have gone on to finish placed at that meeting since the sale's inception in 2021. All yearlings catalogued in the Tattersalls Somerville Yearling Sale are eligible for the £200,000 Tattersalls Somerville Auction Stakes, as well as the £200,000 Tattersalls October Auction Stakes held five weeks later. “Yet another Royal Ascot two-year-old winner for the Tattersalls Somerville Yearling Sale in 2025 underlines the sale's extraordinary record as a source of top-class juvenile talent in its short history,” said Tattersalls chairman Edmond Mahony. “Havana Hurricane joins the ranks of star graduates such as Bradsell, with their respective purchase prices of 9,000 guineas and 12,000 guineas illustrating the remarkable value to be found at the sale. “Additional incentive to buyers is provided by a substantial increase in the prize-money for the Tattersalls Somerville Auction Stakes and the Tattersalls October Auction Stakes which will now both be run for £200,000 each, underlining Tattersalls commitment to rewarding owners and further enhancing the appeal of the sale to a wide cross-section of domestic and international buyers.” The post Another Strong Hand for Havana Grey in Somerville Yearling Sale Catalogue appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Aidan O'Brien will rely on the G1 Coronation Cup hero Jan Brueghel (Galileo) in Saturday's G1 King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot after opting to withdraw the Derby and Irish Derby hero Lambourn (Australia) and the Pretty Polly winner Whirl (Wootton Bassett). Just five remain, with Ballydoyle's pacemaker Continuous (Heart's Cry) there to set up the rematch between his stablemate and The Aga Khan Studs Epsom runner-up Calandagan (Gleneagles), who has since captured the G1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud. Juddmonte's G1 British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes heroine Kalpana (Study Of Man) and Godolphin's multiple top-level-winning international heavyweight Rebel's Romance (Dubawi) complete the select field. After Jessica Harrington withdrew Marcstown Farms' Green Impact (Wootton Bassett), the midsummer monument will have no three-year-old representation. He instead goes for Saturday's G2 York Stakes. The post O’Brien Relies On Jan Brueghel, King George Rematch With Calandagan Is On appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Thirsk Racecourse stages the second edition of the Graham Lee IJF Stable Staff Stakes on Friday. Sponsored by Sky Bet, the Graham Lee IJF Stable Staff Stakes sees 11 employees from racing yards compete in a one-mile 'hands-and-heels' race. The riders will be 'led up' by professional jockeys, with all participants having agreed to meet the minimum sponsorship obligation of £500. Last year's race raised £20,000 for the Injured Jockeys Fund (IJF), specifically to provide for the future needs of Lee, who was left with life-changing injuries after a fall at Newcastle in November 2023. The 49-year-old rode with great success under both codes, notably winning the 2004 Grand National on Amberleigh House and the 2015 Gold Cup at Royal Ascot on Trip To Paris. Race organiser Adele Mulrennan said, “The Sky Bet Graham Lee IJF charity race is a chance for jockeys to show their support for stable staff in a unique twist of roles. It also gives them an opportunity to get involved with some fundraising for Graham – and the race has been so well supported again this year. I look forward to seeing who wins this year's bespoke saddle and, even better, Graham will be in attendance.” More information about the participants in the Graham Lee IJF Stable Staff Stakes can be found here. The post Thirsk Hosts Second Edition of the Graham Lee Charity Race appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Riccarton horseman Andrew Carston collected a winning double at his local synthetic meeting on Thursday, firstly as an owner and later as a trainer. From his own barn, Delmonico (NZ) (Prince Of Brooklyn) was aiming for back-to-back victories in the BMC Construction Rating 75 1600, having caught Rule Of Law (NZ) (Justify)right on the line last start on the all-weather surface. In the hands of Krishna Mudhoo, the gelding was customarily slow away, before coming through on the rail to settle in fifth. The big-striding Peecee Pussycat (NZ) (Pure Champion) went up to lead and gave a sight down much of the home straight, only for the win to be snatched by Delmonico in the shadows of the post. It was the fifth win from 27 starts for the son of Prince Of Brooklyn, who has hit his straps again this campaign. “I’m really happy with him, he’s really come of age this year,” Carston said. “I told a couple of people today that he won his first couple of starts for me as a four-year-old, then he just got right up in the grades as a bit of a big dumb-dumb. He’s taken a long time to work it all out and he hasn’t gone a bad race this whole preparation to be fair. “I was a little worried in the smaller field that we would be a bit closer than we were, but Krishna rides him well, he just leaves him alone early and he showed a really good turn of foot. He hasn’t really shown that same turn of foot on the grass, but he really gets going on the poly.” Carston intends to run Delmonico during the Grand National Festival of Racing in the coming weeks, but unfortunately won’t have a synthetic option. “I will run him on National Week, but he’ll have to go to the grass because there isn’t a suitable race for him on the poly, which is a bit disappointing,” he said. “But he has got a pretty good record on wet ground, so he’ll run there, then we’ll reassess.” Earlier in the meeting, Carston was represented by Go Your Own Way (NZ) (Belardo), a son of Belardo, prepared by West Melton trainer Nayton Mitchell. Go Your Own Way had made four appearances since joining Mitchell, all with merit, and stepping up to the middle-distance trip, he looked well suited and punters agreed, backing the gelding into $2.40 favouritism. Jumping from the ace barrier, Go Your Own Way took his time to get into stride, settling near the tail of the field. Princess Solitaire (NZ) (U S Navy Flag) was the pacemaker throughout and led the maiden field into the straight, where Go Your Own Way started to go through his gears. He hit the lead at the 50m alongside Typsy (NZ) (U S Navy Flag) and had the edge over that runner late, powering clear to salute by three-quarters of a length. The four-year-old was a $2,900 purchase via gavelhouse.com for Carston and Mitchell, and has more than doubled that investment with Thursday’s result. “He was a gavelhouse purchase for Nayton and he’s doing a good job with him,” Carston said. “At the time, he was going for the newcomer to training award, but I think he’ll end up second or third. “This horse was a bit headstrong initially, but Nayton has worked him out and he was quite dominant today, although in maiden grade, he did win well.” View the full article

Tony Furness will head to Otaki with family history on his side when he tackles the Listed Phils Electrical and Gipsy Caravans Ryder Stakes (1200m) with his promising juvenile Reconvene (NZ) (Derryn) on Saturday. His father, Bert Furness, won the race with High Saint (NZ), and Furness would dearly love to repeat the feat. “Dad won the race 50-odd years ago, I was 14 or 15 back then,” he said. “I won a couple of trials on the horse myself, but I think Bob Skelton was a wee bit better than me. “He wasn’t a bad little horse, he went on to win the Foxbridge (Plate) after that.” Furness’ representative in this year’s edition will be Derryn gelding Reconvene, who has finished runner-up in his last two outings, including last start behind Saturday race rival Spandeedo. “He has been going well, so it is worth a crack I think,” Furness said. “He made up a lot of ground on him (Spandeedo (NZ) (Ferrando)). He wasn’t copping the track as good as I thought he would, but every track is different, and he got through it still.” Furness happened on Reconvene by chance after asking Grangewilliam Stud’s Mark Corcoran if he had any young stock he was looking to sell when having one of his mares served by resident stallion The Bold One. “I got one of Dan Myers’ mares, who I had won a couple of races with, and went to The Bold One,” Furness said. “I asked him (Corcoran) if he had any I could look at and he said he had this little fella there. I went and had a look and off we went. “He is a neat little horse. He is quiet and travels by himself. He is a dream horse really.” A dairy farmer, Furness has trained a couple of horses at a time over the last 30 years, and he said it’s a nice distraction from the farm. “I milk cows, so I do one or two,” he said. “I have been a bit lucky to train a few for Dan Myers, who is just up the road from me. I have trained three for Dan and they have all won, we have had a bit of fun.” Furness also spent some time as a jockey and said he had a memorable day in the saddle at Ellerslie in his youth. “I had a horse bolt on me and rode a winner at Ellerslie. I got two hot dogs and a snow freeze down the straight it was that wide,” he quipped. “I only had a handful of rides as a jockey, I was pretty big and heavy. It was good to have a win at Ellerslie, but that was about it.” Things are ramping up on the farm for Furness and he said Reconvene will head for a spell following Saturday’s run. “He will be going out as I have got all my cows coming in, so I am getting busy,” he said. View the full article

Budding junior driver Kate Coppins heads to Cambridge Raceway tonight with a strong book of four drives, and plenty of reasons to be optimistic. She kicks off her night in Race 1, the Christmas At The Raceway Tickets On Sale Now Handicap Trot (5:41p.m.) aboard President Flynntin. The pair have been in a rich vein of form lately, booking a cheque in all their last four starts. This season has been the geldings most successful yet, amassing two wins and a further seven placings, all of which with Coppins in the bike. His last start at Cambridge Raceway showed plenty of promise and Kate is confident that he has found another field that he is capable of capitalising on tonight. “With the field he found himself in last start we expected him to run a place,” Kate said. “But in saying that it’s probably the best run he’s had. He ran a personal best last quarter that day, so I’d say he’s a good chance to make up his 10m handicap tonight and if he can get a nice enough run, he’ll definitely be there in the finish.” In Race 3, the Garrards Horse And Hound Mobile Pace (6:32 p.m.) Coppins jumps aboard Brookside Girl for David Butcher. The Downbytheseaside mare finds a step down in grade after some solid efforts at Alexandra Park and looks well-placed against tonight’s opposition. “Her last few starts at Auckland have been quite good,” Kate said. “With that form and the downgrade in the field she’s racing tonight I’d say she’s a pretty big chance. It will be up to David as to what we do, if anything we’d be looking to sit back and make a mid-race move.” For her third drive Coppins teams up with her employer Arna Donnelly aboard Joes Rock in Race 5, the Dunstan Horsefeeds Mobile Pace at (7:29 p.m.) Back from a brief freshen-up, the mare has a solid record at Cambridge, with four placings from six starts at the track. “It’s her first start back from a spell, she’s a bit of a one-trick pony so I’ll be saving her for the run home,” Kate explained. “Hopefully we’ll find some cover and get a bit of luck in the running. I don’t get behind her often in trackwork but the few times I have this preparation she’s found the line really well. She’s as happy as ever.” Coppins rounds out her night in Race 6, the TFS Horse Transport Mobile Pace (7:54 p.m.) with Baileys Pitch, also for Donnelly. The Bettor’s Delight gelding ran better than his fresh-up performance suggests, and Kate is hopeful that with a bit more luck, they can turn things around tonight. “I didn’t do him many favours with my drive on him last start,” she admitted. “I’d like to have put him in a handier position off the gate. He still found the line really well despite the run that he got so if we can get handy early tonight, he’ll make his presence known at the finish.” And when it comes to her best chance of the night? “President Flynntin, he’s always my pick of the litter,” she laughed “He’s a good boy.” View the full article

Capable race mare Sea Eagle (NZ) left the best until last during her brief breeding career. The daughter of Group One winner Don Eduardo’s final foal is the promising Eagle Rock (NZ) (Eagle Rock), who will attempt to add to his record in the Property Brokers Taumarunui 3YO (1400m) at Te Rapa on Saturday. The El Roca gelding is prepared by part-owner and breeder Kylie Little who trained Sea Eagle to win on six occasions, including two editions of the Parliamentary Handicap (2200m) at Trentham. Of her two previous live foals, Eagle Rock’s older sister Golden Eagle (NZ) (El Roca) won once, while another sibling Belle Fille (NZ) (El Roca) was unraced. “She was a good mare and taught me a lot. She’s been retired, he’s the last foal which may have been a bit premature, but she raced until a later age (eight),” Little said. “He (Eagle Rock) is probably a bit more relaxed than her, and she was quite a short-coupled little brown thing whereas he’s more classic looking with a bit of length about him.” Eagle Rock finished runner-up in his first two starts at Pukekohe and Wanganui before he broke his maiden last time out over a mile at Te Rapa at the end of May. “He’s still got to learn the game, he’s not a racehorse yet but he’s getting there,” Little said. “He trialled up nicely at Te Awamutu and has done well since. “The distance could be a little bit short, he’s a really nice stayer in the making but at a young age he’s probably still sharp enough to go a nice 1400m.” Safely through the weekend, Eagle Rock may make another trip to the Central Districts for a special conditions maiden over 1800m. “All going well, he’ll go to New Plymouth and depending on that we’ll see whether we give him one more over ground,” Little said. “We’ll put him aside then and bring him back, there’ll be plenty left in the tank for the autumn. “In time, I think he’s going to be a really nice type of cups’ horse.” Lynsey Satherley has been booked to ride Eagle Rock while Bridget Grylls will be aboard stablemate Irrigate (NZ) (Ocean Park) in The Callinan Family Taumarunui Gold Cup (2200m). The Ocean Park mare posted consecutive minor placings before an under-par effort at Te Rapa earlier this month. “She threw a spanner in the works and before that she was going on all cylinders,” Little said. “It was just one of those days, so we’ll just put in behind us and move on. I think with the track improving it will suit her a lot better on Saturday.” View the full article

The short-priced favourite for the upcoming Racecourse Hotel and Motor Lodge 150th Grand National Steeplechase (5600m), Jesko (NZ) (Atlante), will step out on the flat at Waverley on Friday as he readies for his biggest test yet in a fortnight. The son of Atlante commenced his current campaign at Waverley in April, and in the hands of his co-trainer Shaun Fannin downed his Rating 65 rivals over 2200m. That trend continued when he stepped out over fences, winning a restricted open steeplechase at Wanganui and claiming feature crowns in the Manawatu Steeplechase (4000m) and Wellington Steeplechase (4900m). Fannin, who trains Jesko in partnership with his wife Hazel, will hand over the reins for the first time this preparation when Chris Dell guides the gelding’s fortunes in the EquivetsNZ (2200m). “It’s definitely more of a fitness run before Riccarton, we wanted to give him a hit out on the grass and this looked like a nice option,” Fannin said. “He’s raced well at Waverley previously and has had a couple of wins there on the flat. “He galloped well on the course proper at Awapuni yesterday (Tuesday) and went pretty well, so I wouldn’t be surprised if he ran a cheeky race on Friday. “It’ll be very beneficial to be able to get a race into him before we go down south.” Hazel will accompany Jesko to Christchurch early next week, with the Racecourse Hotel and Motor Lodge Koral Steeplechase (4250m) as his first assignment on Saturday, August 2. “He’ll race on Friday, then will head down to Riccarton on Tuesday,” Fannin said. “He’ll run in the Koral before the National, that’s the plan. “He’s done a fair bit of jumping so he doesn’t need too much in between, but he did have a school last Thursday, more so because of the lack of grass tracks to gallop on. It was a good way of getting some fitness into him. “Hazel is going down with him for the first week, so I’ll probably ask her to pop him over a couple of jumps down there on the day before the Koral. He’s done a fair bit of jumping so hopefully he remembers what he’s doing when he gets out there.” At the Waverley meeting, the stable will also be represented by Sweet Ada (NZ) (Adelaide), a consistent mare searching for an elusive maiden success in the Chris Hays Livestock (2200m). “She’s been going consistent races and she meets a similar field to what she’s been coming up against,” Fannin said. “She’s done well since Woodville, so I can’t see any reason why she shouldn’t be a good top-three chance again. View the full article

Thistledown Racino in Ohio fired its track superintendent on Monday, and management at the Cleveland-area track has brought in outside racing surface consultants and is working with the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) in the aftermath of four lost days of racing and training this week because of escalating safety concerns with the dirt surface. But Sean Wright, who was only on the superintendent's job four months before his abrupt termination July 21, told TDN in a Wednesday phone interview that Thistledown's troubles on its one-mile dirt oval extend beyond the graphic images that have circulated on social media this week showing fist-sized rocks that were allegedly picked up from the track by jockeys and horsemen on Monday and Tuesday. Wright said that there have been eight catastrophic injuries at Thistledown since the meet began Apr. 21–five in races and three during training–and that when he became concerned enough on Monday morning to discuss the issue with the track's stewards and then to contact HISA, he was terminated within just a few hours by track management. “Monday, when I told the stewards and when I told the HISA official that's on the grounds that I do not feel comfortable guaranteeing the safety of that racetrack because I don't want to break any more horses down, that's when I was called upstairs and subsequently let go,” Wright said. “I believe I was let go because of [being] a whistleblower,” Wright said. “They even mentioned during our meeting that it was not my place to go to the stewards or HISA. Well you know what? It was damn sure my place to go to the stewards or HISA.” Wright continued: “When I reported what I saw on that racetrack, that's my professional obligation. And it's not only my professional obligation, I take a lot of pride. I've been in this business for 45 years. My family's been in this business for over 100 years. I rode. I trained. These guys mean something to me. These horses mean something to me. That's what I'm here for.” TDN left messages for three Thistledown racing executives on Wednesday, seeking management's side of the story about the state of the track surface and Wright's firing. But none of the racino's execs–general manager Chris Volle, director of racing Patrick Ellsworth, and racing secretary Patrick Mackey–called back prior to deadline for this story. Herbie Rivera, Jr., the Jockey's Guild representative whose region includes Thistledown, told TDN that track management has brought back the racino's retired track operations director, David Ellsworth, who is Patrick's father, to oversee the track's maintenance. “I was a jockey there for years, in the 1980s and 90s, Rivera said. “That was my home track, and that track was the best, always in great shape. But this year they lost their track man [John Banno] who had been there for 25 years, who went to Laurel.” Rivera explained that even before the superintendent transition this past spring from Banno to Wright (who came to Ohio after working as the track superintendent at Ruidoso Downs in New Mexico), the Thistledown surface had been devolving. “I was talking to one of my top riders recently and I asked him how long has it been this way,” Rivera said. “And he told me the last couple of years it's been up and down, very wavy, for whatever reason.” Rivera said those sorts of complaints seemed to come and go, but that he started getting reports on July 21 that Thistledown's surface was way out of whack. “Whatever it was, it was a disaster Monday morning,” Rivera said. “They went out to gallop, then [about an hour before the scheduled renovation break] they closed [the track] and started working on it hoping to run [the Monday afternoon races]. The jockeys picked up a bunch of rocks and they brought them to the stewards. “Then came Tuesday morning. I was in touch with my jocks, and they said the track looked good, really good. But by 10 o'clock [the surface] was wavy [when the harrows were going over the surface], and they didn't like what they saw. So I think the management and jockeys, everybody together, decided 'Let's work on this' to try to get it to the satisfaction of everybody.” Horses break from the gate at Thistledown | JJ Zamaiko Wright has his own theories about the track's problems, which he said largely come down to two issues: The recent lack of rain, compounded by repeated difficulties in getting his crew of employees to follow maintenance orders. “When I first started to work here, we went 34 consecutive race days without a single incident,” Wright said. “When it was raining, we were great, because I would level that racetrack every day. I would make sure that it was conditioned and harrowed every day.” Wright said the problems with the track surface began to pick up once the rain ceased to fall earlier this summer. The top got too loose while the bottom got too hard. He said he tried to underscore to his crew the importance of adding water, but that they would not consistently comply with his requests. “I don't mean to throw my guys under the bus, but a spade's a spade here,” Wright said. According to Wright's version of events, when some employees responded to his orders by swearing at him and refusing to do the work, he began putting his track maintenance orders in writing, via text messages, so he would have a written record to document the work he wanted done. “My separation notice says that I had threatened one of my employees. I did not threaten one of my employees,” Wright said. “Any time that I had asked one of my employees to do something, I got called a [expletive] and they walked off and ignored it. They're all Teamsters. You can tell by my accent I'm from Texas, and I'm not used to dealing with unions.” Wright told TDN that he reported this alleged insubordination to Thistledown's management and human resources department. Although he maintains that he did not threaten any specific employee, he did admit to TDN that he told his bosses he was almost at the point of punching someone if the verbal attacks kept up, which was another reason he wanted his exchanges with workers documented via text messages. “I didn't know what to do, but I know I damn sure didn't deserve to be called a [expletive] every time I asked somebody to do their job,” Wright said. Wright said that once the catastrophic injuries reached a total of eight this month, he, track management, and a HISA on-site representative all concurred that the Racing Surfaces Testing Laboratory needed to be asked to come in and do another inspection to see what had changed since the pre-meet track analysis in March. The testing was done on Saturday, July 19, Wright said. Although the complete analysis has not been finalized, Wright said he rode along with the testing crew as they circled the track taking readings that looked for inconsistencies under the surface, and that he was told that the preliminary results looked good or “probably even better” than March's readings. “I went around there with them for the measurements. You can tell when the raw data's coming back what it kind of looks like,” Wright said. On Sunday there was no racing at Thistledown, but training occurred without incident, Wright said. “Monday I got there about 12:30 in the morning. I went out there and I leveled the racetrack like I usually do, and then I brought out the conditioner to cut the racetrack, because that's what I use as a cut harrow. I called for water and the night crew started watering.” At 6:00 a.m. the track opened for training, with Wright back in his office to attend to paperwork. But Wright said within 15 minutes his phone was “ringing off the hook” with complaints about how bad the track looked. Wright said he stepped out to look at it, and it appeared evident to him that the crew hadn't done the necessary follow-up watering or harrowing. Wright said he cut short training and personally oversaw the work to try and get the track ready for that afternoon's racing. After that is when he went to the stewards and HISA with his concerns. Wright was called in for an afternoon conference with his bosses and then told later that evening that he was fired. Wright told TDN on Wednesday he has been in contact with a lawyer about possibly challenging the firing in court because he believes he was wrongfully terminated for speaking up about safety concerns. He also said that he now has personal concerns about ever getting another track superintendent job in the industry with a termination that is “not justifiable” on his résumé. “Some days I got there right after midnight, other days I didn't get there until three o'clock in the morning, but I usually didn't leave until after six o'clock in the afternoon, every day. I took off less than 10 days since I first started working there Mar. 18,” Wright said. “I'd go into the jocks' room every day to try and get feedback from the riders. When we did start having accidents, I requested that I be able to go up to the stewards' box and watch the replays, and we watched them together, in slow motion, to try and figure out what went wrong. That's how much attention I've tried to pay to that racetrack,” Wright said. Thistledown eventually ended up cancelling all of its racing this week (Monday through Thursday) to try and get the track back in order. Training is expected to resume Saturday, July 26, with racing to follow on Monday, July 28. The post Thistledown Track Super Claims He Was Fired for Reporting Safety Concerns to Stewards and HISA appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Barry Irwin's Team Valor International announced July 23 the acquisition of group 3-winning filly Queen Azteca. She will make her first North American start Aug. 16 in the Alabama Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Course.View the full article

Barry Irwin's Team Valor International announced July 23 their acquisition of grade 3-winning filly Queen Azteca. She will make her first North American start Aug. 16 in the Alabama Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Course.View the full article

Central Kentucky-based McMahon and Hill Bloodstock has promoted Kristin Stivers to Controller and hired Mary Motion as Director of Business Development. In addition to offering bloodstock services such as portfolio management, insurance, and appraisals, McMahon and Hill also offers U.S.- and New Zealand-based racing, pinhooking, and breeding partnerships under the Bourbon Lane name. Stivers, who has been with McMahon and Hill since 2016, will oversee finances for Spruce Lane Farm, the Bourbon Lane Retirement Fund, multiple partnerships, pinhooking LLCs, and single horse co-ownerships. Motion, whose background includes time with trainers Graham Motion and Christophe Clement, as well as with bloodstock agent Chad Schumer, will focus on the partner and client experience within the partnerships, pinhooking LLCs, and co-ownership groups. The post Stivers Promoted, Motion Hired at McMahon and Hill appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The first day of the Tattersalls Ireland July Store Sale was topped by an Order Of St George gelding at €55,000. Sold by Liss House to Gaynestown, lot 32 is from the same family as Grade 2-placed hurdler Carriganog (Shantou). Overall, eight horses made €30,000 or more, with a son of Harzand (lot 4) the other lot to breach the €50,000 mark. Brian Lawless picked up the Glebe Farm offering for €52,000. At the close of trade, 155 horses sold for €1,381,950. The average was €8,916 and the median was €6,000. The second and final day of the store sale will begin at 10 a.m. The post Order Of St George Gelding Tops First Day Of The July Store Sale appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – When he found out he was going to need a new jockey, John Shirreffs didn't blink. He knew who was going to ride Baeza (McKinzie) in Saturday's $500,000 GII Jim Dandy Stakes at Saratoga Race Course. And the jockey isn't all that new, not to Baeza. Baeza will be reunited with California-based Hector Berrios when he steps on the track to take on GI Kentucky Derby and GI Belmont Stakes winner Sovereignty (Into Mischief) and three others in the 1 1/8-mile traditional prep for the Aug. 23 GI Travers Stakes. Shirreffs knew a few weeks ago that he was going to be jockey shopping when Flavien Prat informed him he would be unavailable. Prat is heading to California to ride 'TDN Rising Star' Nysos (Nyquist) in the $300,000 GII San Diego Handicap. Prat rode Baeza in the Kentucky Derby and Belmont. Berrios was the rider for three of Baeza's first four starts, including a second-place finish in the GI Santa Anita Derby behind Journalism (Curlin). “I don't think there was another rider that we were really considering because of Hector's experience with the horse,” Shirreffs said Wednesday morning on the Saratoga backstretch. “It's hard to continually change riders on a horse. I think a horse, especially a young horse, needs a little consistency.” This will be the 37-year-old Berrios's first time riding at Saratoga. “Oh yeah, very comfortable with him,” Shirreffs said. “Hector is a professional rider. He studies the Form, he watches film. He has lots of experience and he has lots of experience with Baeza. He knows him in and out.” Baeza, owned by C R K Stable LLC and Grandview Equine, arrived in Saratoga on Friday night. After he walked on Saturday, he went to the track on Sunday. Shirreffs is looking forward to another chance at Sovereignty. Baeza finished third behind him in the Kentucky Derby and Belmont. In the Derby, he was 1 1/2 lengths behind him, but only beaten a neck for second by Journalism. Last month at the Belmont, run at Saratoga, Sovereignty beat Baeza by 6 1/2 lengths. “We've all seen (Sovereignty) run,” Shirreffs said. “He is a very nice horse. My horse has to run his best race, and I think Baeza has a better race in him.” Pressure Off Bauer After Halina's Forte Honorable Miss Win When Halina's Forte (Mitole) surprised just about everyone–including her trainer–when she won the GII Honorable Miss at 24-1 on Sunday, the pressure was off the barn. “Made our meet,” trainer Phil Bauer said at his barn on the Oklahoma training track Wednesday morning. “You don't want to set the bar too high coming up here because you will just get deflated. You hope to win one or two and we got our one. The longer the meet goes, and you haven't been able to get a win, it weighs on you a little bit.” Haliana's Forte wins the Honorable Miss | Coglianese Ridden by Irad Ortiz, Jr., Halina's Forte was the second-longest price in the Honorable Miss field of eight. It was her second start this year after finishing second in the Prairie Rose Stakes at Prairie Meadows as the 4-5 favorite. That was her first start since November. Halina's Forte slipped up the rail and won the race by a half-length over R Disaster (Awesome Slew). 'TDN Rising Star' Scylla (Tapit), the 6-5 even-money favorite, was third. Last year, Halina's Forte, owned by Rigney Racing, won the Galway Stakes at Saratoga. “I was shocked when she did not win off the layoff,” Bauer said. “I thought that was kind of a walkover race. Sometimes they need one and I tried not to read into it too much and kept marching forward.” Bauer said he was more surprised that his other horse in the race–5-year-old mare Little Prankster (Practical Joke)–finished last. She was 17-1. Last year, Bauer had a successful summer at Saratoga with six wins in 17 starts. He has 14 horses in his barn. There is a chance Halina's Forte could be seen again. That would be in the seven-furlong, $500,000 GI Ballerina on Aug. 23, Travers Day. “We'll see how it comes up,” Bauer said. “('TDN Rising Star') Ways and Means (Practical Joke) might scare some horses away. If it's a position where you think you could get top three, it's probably worth running.” Looking For a New York Sweep The bonus is no more, but that doesn't mean a sweep of three New York-bred summer races doesn't mean anything. And that is the position trainer Rob Atras is in with his 3-year-old Train the Trainer (Dialed In). Train the Trainer wins the Mike Lee | Sarah Andrew In his last two starts, Train the Trainer won the Mike Lee Stakes at Saratoga on June 4 and the New York Derby at Finger Lakes on July 14. The third leg of the series is the $200,000 Albany Stakes on Aug. 21 and Atras is hoping to be there. From 1999 to 2015, the three races made up the Big Apple Triple and a horse that won all three legs would get a bonus of $250,000. “It would be nice,” Atras said when asked about the Big Apple Triple. “But it's alright. If he makes it to the race and runs big and happens to win it, I would be fine with that, too.” Train the Trainer began his career in California with trainer Mark Glatt. “He ran a really good second in his first race and Mark called me and asked if I would take the horse in New York,” Atras said. “They did not really have anything mapped out for him.” Train the Trainer, owned by Alipony Racing and Saints or Sinners, has won all three of his starts with Atras. He broke his maiden by five lengths, won the Mike Lee by 2 3/4 lengths and then the New York Derby by 4 1/2 as the 1-2 favorite. The likely favorite in the Mike Lee, Mo Plex (Complexity), was not able to run because his barn was under quarantine at the time. “After that race, we were not really sure what to do,” Atras said. “We weren't really pointing to the New York Derby; we were looking at maybe an allowance race.” He ultimately decided to head to Finger Lakes and two turns and Train the Trainer passed the test. Now, he'll try for the sweep. After that, who knows? “It's a possibility,” he said when asked about trying open company. “For now, we're going to take it one race at a time.” The post Saratoga Notebook, Presented by NYRA Bets: Shirreffs More Than Comfortable Having Berrios Back on Baeza appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

In this continuing series, TDN's Senior Racing Editor Steve Sherack catches up with the connections of promising maidens to keep on your radar. Counterbalance (f, 2, Caravaggio–Out of Balance, by Kitten's Joy) came flashing home to finish fourth in a race that held together quite well over opening weekend at Del Mar. Overlooked at 37-1 in her debut going five furlongs on dirt for trainer Michael McCarthy, the Amerman Racing homebred broke alertly from her inside draw, but was quickly outfooted. She was heading the wrong direction while under a ride in sixth as the highly touted, even-money favorite Cherry Cider (Tiz the Law) was hounded by Thank You India (Practical Joke) with eventual winner La Wally (Constitution) sitting the garden spot in third through an opening quarter in :21.97. Still with plenty to do with positions unchanged at the top of the stretch, Counterbalance began to figure things out from there and came rocketing home in a field-best :12.05 to finish three lengths adrift the winner while powering on impressively past the wire. La Wally was a nose better than Cherry Cider and it was another 2 1/4 lengths back to Thank You India in third. The final time for five furlongs over the fast going was :58.25. Counterbalance received a 55 Beyer Speed Figure. “I thought the race was very positive in that she accelerated in the lane going five furlongs to be fourth,” owner/breeder John Amerman said. “Importantly, she galloped out ahead of all the other horses in the race. We are very pleased with this daughter of Caravaggio's performance.” All 12 of Caravaggio's graded/group winners have excelled on grass, led by top-level winners Porta Fortuna (Ire), Whitebeam (GB) and Tenebrism. Counterbalance's dam and two-time winner Out of Balance (Kitten's Joy) made all 18 of her career starts on grass. She was produced by Balance (Thunder Gulch)–a half-sister to the once-in-a-lifetime Zenyatta–who carried the navy silks of Amerman Racing to a trio of Grade I victories at Santa Anita. Could a surface switch be in Counterbalance's future? “At this point, our options are open,” Amerman said. Since launching 'Second Chances' in 2017, 64 maidens have been featured in these pages (through 2024), producing 25% graded stakes winners, 34% stakes winners and 48% stakes horses. The series has introduced eight future winners at the top level, led by this year's GI Kentucky Derby and GI Belmont Stakes winner Sovereignty (Into Mischief), 2023 Horse of the Year Cody's Wish (Curlin) and fellow two-time Breeders' Cup winner Golden Pal (Uncle Mo). Did LA WALLY ($14.20) watch the Haskell earlier? The two-year-old daughter of Constitution (@WinStarFarm) absolutely flew down the lane to just catch favored Cherry Cider in the 6th at @DelMarRacing. What a ride by @Antonio1Fresu for trainer Mark Glatt. pic.twitter.com/e6n6opQ5U8 — FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) July 19, 2025 The post Second Chances: Well-Related Counterbalance Outruns 37-1 Odds in Del Mar Debut appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Kids Day will take place at Saratoga Race Course on Sunday, July 27. The celebration of racing and family fun will be presented in conjunction with the NYRA Students of Thoroughbreds and Racing (NYRA STAR), a signature program designed to welcome young fans to the sport of Thoroughbred racing. The first 5,000 children, ages 12 and under, will receive a Saratoga headband, presented by NYRA STAR, along with a $25 gift card to Hildebrandt's Ice Cream for the perfect start to a day of engaging, hands-on activities at the Spa. Kids Day will give children and families a special behind-the-scenes look at life on the track. Kids will accompany NYRA staff to perform various racing-day responsibilities, including announcing scratches and changes and the ceremonial call of “Riders Up” in the Paddock. The post Saratoga Race Course to Host Kids Day on July 27 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

There will be a fervent hope for sunshine July 25 when the $200,000 Amsterdam Stakes (G2) is contested at Saratoga Race Course View the full article

Atlantic Friends Racing's Historic Heart fended off the challenge of grade 1 winner Proven Innocent to notch his first top-level triumph in the July 23 $150,000 A. P. Smithwick Memorial Handicap (NSA-1) at Saratoga Race Course.View the full article

Thursday, Leopardstown, post time: 18:27, SAUDI CUP SILVER FLASH STAKES-G3, €36,000, 2yo, f, 7f 57yT Field: Balantina (Ire) (Ten Sovereigns {Ire}), Brownstown (GB) (Cracksman {GB}), Composing (Ire) Wootton Bassett {GB}), Red Autumn (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}), Skydance (GB) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}), Smexy (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}). TDN Verdict: Aidan O'Brien has farmed this and Composing could easily be his 15th winner after her success in a Curragh maiden that is working out well. Skydance has shaped well in two starts over shorter, with the latter being a third in the G2 Airlie Stud Stakes, and is bred to appreciate this step up in trip, while the Albany third Balantina sets the form standard. [Tom Frary]. Thursday, Leopardstown, post time: 18:57, JAPAN RACING ASSOCIATION TYROS STAKES-G3, €36,000, 2yo, 7f 57yT Field: Flanker Jet (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}), Flushing Meadows (Wootton Bassett {GB}), North Coast (Ire) (Starman {GB}), Prospect Thunder (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}). TDN Verdict: Like the Silver Flash, Aidan O'Brien dominates the history of this Classic pointer, with his 16 winners including King Of Kings, Rip Van Winkle, Cape Blanco, Gleneagles, Churchill and Anthony Van Dyck. Flushing Meadows may have got turned over in the Anglesey last time, but so was the first name on that list and you get the distinct feeling that this is one of their best. There isn't much opposition, with the Listed Pat Smullen Stakes runner-up North Coast the only real threat back at seven furlongs. [Tom Frary]. Thursday, Sandown, post time: 15:20, THE EUROPEAN BLOODSTOCK NEWS EBF STAR STAKES-Listed, £40,000, 2yo, f, 7fT Field: Electoral College (War Front), Hayynah (GB) (Showcasing {GB}), Hope Queen (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}), Jennifer Jane (Ire) (New Bay {GB}), Mystic Moment (GB) (Time Test {GB}), Nandita (Ire) (Blue Point {Ire}), Orion's Belt (Ire) (Starman {GB}), Tavana (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}). TDN Verdict: Orion's Belt scored with authority at Newmarket's July Festival and is one of the more likely types in a tight contest, with the Beverley winner Hope Queen and Wetherby scorer Jennifer Jane to be respected. [Tom Frary]. Thursday, Compiegne, France, post time: 18:23, PRIX PELLEAS-Listed, €50,300, 3yo, c/g, 10fT Field: Nizam (Fr) (Pinatubo {Ire}), Ephesus (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}), Uthred (Fr) (Persian King {Ire}), Abando (Ger) (Adlerflug {Ger}), Green Cape (Fr) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), Dioptase (Ire) (New Bay {GB}), Jenilat Bright (Fr) (Birchwood {Ire}), Think Giant (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}). TDN Verdict: Gestut Ittlingen's German raider Abando was never a factor in this month's G1 German Derby and can stake a claim if reproducing the form of his third, behind German Derby sixth Zuckerhut and Hamburg hero Hochkonig, in June's G2 Union-Rennen at Cologne. Consistent G3 Prix Greffulhe runner-up Dioptase is an obvious danger and returns off a confidence-boosting tally over this trip at Salon de Provence last month. Last year's G3 Preis des Winterfavoriten second Think Giant has been out just once since, annexing a 10-furlong Chantilly conditions contest on sophomore bow four weeks ago. Philippe Decouz sends forth dual one-mile winner Uthred, who steps up in distance having run fifth the Listed Prix de Saint-Patrick last month. [Sean Cronin]. Friday, Ascot, post time: 14:25, THE FLEXJET PAT EDDERY STAKES-Listed, £50,000, 2yo, 7fT Field: A Bit Of Spirit (Ire) (Palace Pire {GB}), Cape Ashizuri (Ire) (St Mark's Basilica {Fr}), Italica (GB) (Sergei Prokofiev, Reciprocated (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}), Sirius A (Ire) (Palace Pier {GB}), Time To Turn (GB) (Dark Angel {Ire}), Tricky Tel (GB) (Ubettabelieveit {Ire}). TDN Verdict: Unbeaten and impressive at Nottingham and Carlisle, Reciprocated will be a warm order to continue the momentum in this often-informative race won in recent times by Chindit and Rosallion. A Bit Of Spirit is also two-for-two and untested so far, while the Ayr debut winner Cape Ashizuri looked a smart prospect and has the pedigree to go far. [Tom Frary]. Click here for the complete fields. The post Black-Type Analysis: O’Brien Aiming For A 15th Silver Flash With Composing appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Journalism (Curlin) won again, taking down the GI Haskell S. at Monmouth. But that's what we've come to expect from one of the sport's most consistent horses and the trainer, Michael McCarthy, who has pushed all the right buttons. To talk about Journalism and what's ahead for the 3-year-old, McCarthy joined this week's TDN Writers' Room Podcast, presented by Keeneland. McCarthy was this week's Gainesway Guest of the Week. Journalism is a throwback, an iron horse who doesn't miss any dances. McCarthy noticed early on how tough this horse was. “He was a horse early on that seemed to thrive on training and running as a 2-year-old, three races in seven weeks,” McCarthy said. “That kind of gave me the impetus that maybe he could handle something like the Triple Crown, if we were fortunate enough to get there, and we were. I thought his race in the Kentucky Derby was very good on a sloppy racetrack and he had a little bit of trouble early in the race. He came back and trained just as well for the Preakness and you saw what happened there. Then it seemed like to me like he may have even gotten better after the Preakness and had a very gutsy performance in the Belmont at Saratoga. We brought him back to California, tried to give him an easy 10 days, two weeks, and he didn't seem to be having it. So, we started back up with him lightly and he made it known pretty quickly that he wanted to get back to the work tab. So, I guess you could call him an iron horse. People call him a throwback. He's a horse that carries a lot of condition. He's a very smart horse and takes good care of himself.” As is so often the case with Journalism, he looked like he was spinning his wheels in the Haskell. Then, 100 yards or so before the wire, he took off like he was shot out of a cannon. “In the Haskell, going into the first turn, he had taken himself back a little bit farther than we're accustomed to,” McCarthy said. “Then going around the first turn, Umberto (Rispoli) gave him a tap on the shoulder and he re-engaged and put himself in contention by about the five-eighths pole. Sometimes with good horses, until they get to the quarter pole, you just never know where they're at.” What's next for Journalism? There are a number of possibilities, including the GI Travers S. and the GI Pacific Classic. “We'll kind of watch him here over the next week and maybe come up with a game plan,” McCarthy said. “But, as of right now, I think everything needs to be on the table. It'll be interesting to see what happens in the Jim Dandy this weekend. He's been on the plane, off the plane. Part of the reason for us to go to Monmouth, outside of it being a Grade I, was it was just the easiest locale to get to. You can fly directly into Newark. Obviously, if you head back to Saratoga, you've got to go to Newark. Hopefully, that's a direct flight to Newark and then a four or five-hour van ride to Saratoga. So a lot of those factors will come into play. Some horses thrive on shipping and running. Sometimes it gets to them a little bit, but we're going to give him an easy couple of weeks here before we come up with anything.” McCarthy served as a long-time assistant to Todd Pletcher. What did he learn from the Hall of Famer? “Showing up was probably number one,” he said. “You do whatever it takes to get the job done, and that was number two. Organization was definitely number three. Anyone that walks into Todd's barn can see. They get things done in a timely fashion and everything is professional. So, there's a lot of things. I could start and we could talk about this for quite some time.” In our “Fastest Horse of the Week,” segment which is sponsored by WinStar, the team went over the many reasons there are to breed to WinStar stallion Life Is Good. The fastest horse of the week was the Pride of New Jersey, Book 'em Danno (Bucchero). He got a 111 Beyer for his win in the GII Alfred G. Vanderbilt S. Elsewhere on the podcast, which is also sponsored by 1/ST Racing, the Pennsylvania Horse Breeders' Association, West Point Thoroughbreds, the KTOB and 1/ST TV, the team of Zoe Cadman, Bill Finley and Randy Moss talked about Chad Brown's big day Saturday at Monmouth, where he won four races and increased his lead on his rivals in the trainer's standings. They looked at the blowout win by Scottish Lassie (McKinzie) in the GI Coaching Club American Oaks at Saratoga. The show wrapped up with a discussion of the interview that Kentucky Governor and 2028 Presidential hopeful Andy Beshear did with the TDN. To watch the Writers' Room, click here. To view the show as a podcast, click here. The post Michael McCarthy Joins the TDN Writers’ Room Podcast, presented by Keeneland appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-bred horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Thursday's Observations features a half-brother to G2 Blandford Stakes winner and G1 Irish Oaks second Cayenne Pepper. 5.25 Leopardstown, Mdn, €20,000, 2yo, 8fT MONTREAL (IRE) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) is one of two Ballydoyle runners in this maiden won in 2022 by Tower Of London and the choice of Ryan Moore. A half-brother to the G2 Blandford Stakes winner and Irish Oaks runner-up Cayenne Pepper, he is joined by fellow newcomer Pierre Bonnard (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), a son of the G1 Nassau Stakes winner Sultanina (New Approach). The post Cayenne Pepper’s Half-Brother Montreal An Eyecatcher For Ballydoyle appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The $135,000 Curlin Stakes at Saratoga is not a time-honored path to the Travers Stakes (G1). Yet the Curlin serves a purpose as one last chance to swim in a shallow pond before heading over to much deeper waters in the Aug. 23 Midsummer Derby.View the full article