Wandering Eyes

Bill Thurlow will have mixed feelings when gifted filly Movin Out(NZ) (Staphanos) leaves his stable for Australia this weekend. The Waverley trainer confirmed the sale of the lightly raced three-year-old, who has been purchased by thoroughbred powerhouse Yulong and will join Chris Waller’s operation. Movin Out was raced by Thurlow’s brother Grant and his wife Paddi and quickly showed her talent when a debut third on her home course before breaking her maiden at Otaki. The daughter of Staphanos subsequently bridged a significant gap to elite level company when rounding off strongly to finish third behind Captured By Love and Alabama Lass in the Gr.1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m). “Chris got hold of me and the deal was done, the money was too good to turn down,” Thurlow said. “I’d love to still have her, and it is a bit of a shame, but it’s commercial reality really. “She travels out on Saturday morning and will fly to Australia on Sunday.” Movin Out is a daughter of the Stravinsky mare Wahaha, a half-sister to four-time Group One winner Wall Street, and was bought out of Anistay Lodge’s Book 2 draft for $24,000 at Karaka last year. Her sister and stablemate The Entertainer, who won twice during the New Zealand Cup carnival, will continue to fly the family flag for the same connections. “She’s got residual value as she was Group Three placed (Desert Gold Stakes, 1600m) as a three-year-old,” Thurlow said. He will now focus his efforts on his double-handed assault with Battle Secret and Whangaehu on Saturday’s Listed Steelform Roofing Group Wanganui Cup (2040m). “Whangaehu is probably a run short, I’m a little bit worried about that because he missed Wellington,” Thurlow said. “We did trial him, but it’s not quite the same although he’s not far away. The other horse is going really well, he’s flying along.” To be ridden by Lily Sutherland, Whangaehu finished sixth when resuming over 1400m before a trial win at Foxton while Tegan Newman will be aboard Battle Secret who has four wins and two placings from his last six appearances. Newman will also partner Elivaber in the Dave Hoskin Carriers Maiden (2040m) and she has four top three finishes from five starts this campaign. “You’d think she’d get one soon, I thought it would be the other day at Woodville and she has done well since,” Thurlow said. “She’s got a nice draw and has to be ridden forward, she is a real one-pacer and can’t sit and quicken.” View the full article

Timaru trainer Leonard Stewart had a successful trip to Cromwell 12 months ago, and he hopes for more of the same with a number of runners heading to the two-day carnival on Friday and Sunday. His seven-race winning mare Vague(NZ) (Tobique) finished second in last year’s equivalent of the Girl On The Ground and Urban Fencing (2030m), before a third placing to Capo Dell Impero and Jon Ol Rocco in the Happy Hire Cromwell Cup (2030m). The daughter of Tobique has the same assignments ahead of her this weekend, coming off a number of creditable runs out of grade this preparation. “She’s just racing out of her class a wee bit recently,” Stewart said. “But the top-rated horse is scratched (Burgie), so it’s not so bad on Friday.” Patience has been the friend of stablemate Morrie(NZ) (Natural Destiny), a seven-year-old by Natural Destiny who has run three placings from a trio of starts this campaign. Chasing his elusive maiden success, the gelding will line-up in the Jackson Smart and Omakau Auto Centre (1220m) on Friday, with the possibility of backing up in the Magpie Scaffolding Maiden (1400m) on Sunday. “He’s taken a long time to mature and the penny has finally dropped,” Stewart said “I think he’s on the mark now, he’s working well, enjoying his racing and wants to be in it.” Stewart holds a similar opinion of Our Princess Boot(NZ) (Jimmy Choux), a mare racing consistently well over ground, with her recent performances being credited to regular rider Terry Moseley. “The big factor for her recently has been Terry Moseley’s positioning of her in the races, he seems to be able to pop her in and give her a good ride every time,” Stewart said. “She may be six, but she’s still maturing, and we may look to put her out for a while after this and look to next year.” Our Princess Boot will contest the Peter Lyon Shearing and Breen Construction (2030m) alongside stablemate Callmeginger(NZ) (Iffraaj), while veteran galloper Take The Deel is looking to go one better after finishing second in three of his last four starts when contesting the A1 Homes and A Woman’s Touch Clean (2030m). “He got galloped on about nine months ago and he’s a real thinking horse,” Stewart said. “Sam Wynne (jockey) got on him more recently, and I don’t know whether it’s her Irish tone, but he seemed to respond to her and get out there and give it a go. “He seems to have his confidence back now and he’s been running well.” Stewart will also have Sympathique(NZ) (Postponed) and Aorangi Assassin(NZ) (Showcasing) entered in the Metalcraft Roofing and New World Alexandra (1220m), with every horse nominated for a respective assignment on the final day. “There’s a couple of others we are taking down that are still maturing, they are improving and running reasonable races, so we thought we’d give them a trip away and see how they come through it before having a break,” he said. “All going well we will look to back them up on Sunday, hopefully they get a bit of moisture in the track although they do irrigate well down there. As long as it’s not too hot and the horses come through the first day. “I think the committee and the volunteers at Cromwell make this carnival so good, everyone is helping out.” View the full article

It could be a day of firsts for the connections of Bravo Centurion (AUS) when Western Australia's hottest horse aims to repel the eastern invasion and extend his picket fence in the Nov. 30 Winterbottom Stakes (G1). View the full article

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A second horse in Barn 4 at Hollywood Gaming at Mahoning Valley Race Course tested positive for strangles, a contagious upper respiratory bacterial infection. A 14-day quarantine is now in place at this barn.View the full article

Trainer Bob Baffert called Nov. 27 a "glorious day" as his first starter at Churchill Downs following a three-year suspension from the track, Barnes, was victorious.View the full article

Laurel Park is scheduled to resume racing on Thanksgiving, Nov. 28, after canceling racing over track surface concerns when it was last scheduled to race Nov. 22-23.View the full article

Zedan Racing Stables' Barnes (c, 2, Into Mischief–All American Dream, by American Pharoah), a $3.2-million FTSAUG yearling, made trainer Bob Baffert's return to Churchill Downs a winning one Wednesday when just getting his nose in front of Innovator (Authentic) on the line. The 1-5 favorite was hustled out of the gate, but was taken in hand and settled off the pace when Luis Saez, aboard Innovator, proved intent on gaining the early lead. Bottled up behind horses nearing the lane, he found running room in upper stretch, but drifted out and raced greenly before kicking into gear late to just get his nose in front on the line. He completed the 5 1/2 furlongs in 1:02.97. Baffert, making his return to Churchill after his three-year ban at the track was lifted in July, admitted he was happy to be back at the Louisville oval and even was looking ahead to a return next May. “Hopefully, we will keep him healthy and hopefully we are here the first Saturday in May,” Baffert said from the winner's circle. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0. O-Zedan Racing Stables. B-Jeff Drown & Don Rachel LLC (Ky). T-Bob Baffert. In a photo finish, the buzz horse BARNES comes out on top on debut in R7 at @churchilldowns for trainer Bob Baffert with Martin Garcia aboard! #TwinSpiresReplay pic.twitter.com/SrvH6kCVHA — TwinSpires Racing (@TwinSpires) November 27, 2024 The post Baffert Back in Churchill Winner’s Circle with $3.2-Million Barnes appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Three is the magic number for trainer Phil D'Amato at Del Mar Nov. 29 as he sends a trio of runners to the post in an attempt to win his third $200,000 Hollywood Turf Cup Stakes (G2T).View the full article

A perfect 3-for-3 at Del Mar, Formidable Man will go up against a field that includes New York invaders Donegal Momentum and Carson's Run.View the full article

How did we get hooked on this sport? We all have stories about how our love affair developed and blossomed. The TDN will be reaching out to numerous notable people in the industry to get their stories to find out how they got hooked and stayed hooked on the sport. Eddie Olczyk, former NHL player, T.V. analyst It goes back to around 1978. I was 12 and in the summertime I was playing spring- and summer-league hockey and a teammate of mine's dad was our manager, a guy by the name of Tony Kwilas. His son Danny was our goalie. He was a horseplayer and in between our hockey sessions, he grabbed us one day and we went to the track, to Arlington. I knew we were going to go there a couple of days prior. I borrowed $20 from my mother's purse. That was my introduction at the old Arlington. I loved going there and seeing these incredible equine athletes and these crazy human beings getting on the back of these horses. At that time, I had no clue so far as what I was doing. But being at the track at the old Arlington was just awesome. That was my first introduction to it. My first few wagers, I just played numbers. I played my hockey number which was 16. I lost my first few races and I was down to $12. I went up and bet a $5 exacta box and sure enough it came in. I hit for something like $153. I went back to the ticket taker, the same one I went to for my first two bets. I was a big kid when I was 12, but I certainly didn't look like I was 18. More like 15, 16. I see the total, $153. The guy looks at me and says, 'Hey, kid, how old are you?' I looked at him and said 'you didn't ask me how old I was when I lost.' Then the guy pulled out a hundred, then some tens and fives. I slipped him a $5 tip and winked at him. You should have seen his reaction when I gave him the $5. He must have thought I was some smart-ass kid. I kept going to the track with Danny and his dad and they would have the Racing Form. I am a Racing Form guy through and through. I learned to read the Form and I listened to what older people who had been playing the game for a long time had to tell me. When I would go to the track or tape the races at home, I would always watch the race replays and then go back and look at the Form and go, 'Ok, how did the puzzle come together after the fact?' I kind of worked from the end result backward. I evolved as a handicapper over the years. I first heard about track bias toward the end of my career, in the mid-90s. I just started really tracking biases and taking notes. I became real hard-core on that. I realized some days it didn't matter if you had the fastest horse in the race, he's not going to win if he's running on the worst part of the track. Handicapping really challenged me. I had my hockey career but racing and handicapping gave me an opportunity to breathe a little bit and enjoy a passion that's been with me for 46 years. Maggi Moss, lawyer and racehorse owner I got hooked on horses when I was nine years old. I lived in Iowa and my dad had served in the Army and with mounted police horses. He bought me my first show horse when I was nine. I went from having one horse when I was nine all the way to him building a show horse farm and competing on the big horse show circuit. That was until I went to law school. I was going to be lawyer. In 1997, before I ever owned any racehorses, a girlfriend took me to Prairie Meadows. I started to think this was a beautiful sport. Since I had been judging horse shows, I started marking my program noting who had the biggest, shiniest best-looking racehorse in each race. I went to a trainer and asked him what it would cost to buy a horse. I only knew about show horses and I knew they were really expensive. The trainer told me I could get a really good racehorse for $25,000. That year, the trainer (David R. Vance) claimed a horse for me at Oaklawn named Apak for $25,000. That was my first racehorse. I always tell people that when I went and watched that horse run, I knew horses really well but I knew nothing about horse racing. How do I get silks, where is the winner's circle? I had done show horses for 20 years. We shipped Apak over to Prairie Meadows and in his fourth start for me, he won. I still remember who the jockey was–Vicki Warhol. Apak won that day and it changed my life. What would have happened if it didn't go well with that horse? I don't know. He won a bunch of races at Prairie Meadows and I thought, I want to do a lot more of this. I want many, many horses . I thought the game was easy. In 2006, I might have had 50-60 race horses around the country. Someone told me no female owner had ever led the nation in wins. I was right near the top of the standings. I won 211 races in 2006, more than any other owner that year, the first woman to do so in more than half a century. About two months later, I got a call at my law office, a woman from New Jersey said she had one of our horse that they just bailed out of a kill pen. At that point, I didn't know anything about slaughter. Then everything changed. I wasn't so interested in winning owner titles. I was going to save horses. That's what happened. The post How I Got Hooked on Racing: Eddie Olczyk and Maggi Moss appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

NEWMARKET, UK — Mehmas (Ire) has done little wrong since exploding onto the scene as the leading first-season sire of 2020 and, unlike some who have achieved that accolade, he has sustained that momentum through subsequent seasons. Only a few weeks ago, his daughter Naughty Eyes (Ire), who has been supplemented for next week's December Mares Sale as wildcard lot 1486D, became her sire's 62nd two-year-old winner of the season, enabling Mehmas to break the record set by his own stud-mate Kodiac (GB). It has been another stellar year for the Tally-Ho Stud resident, with three juvenile Group/Grade 1 winners, and the foal buyers have clearly been scrutinising his latest crop on the ground. Footballer Ryan Kent is the new owner of the day's top lot, the Mehmas filly from Michael O'Leary's Plantation Stud, who bought her dam, the Listed Rose Bowl Stakes winner Natalie's Joy (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) for 300,000gns at the December Mares Sale in 2021. This, her second foal, has gone some way towards recouping that outlay after selling to Kent for 200,000gns through Daniel Creighton of Salcey Forest Stud. Standing with Kent's partner Kirsty Spence, Creighton said, “Mehmas is flying this year, she is out of a Lope De Vega mare, a similar cross to Persian Force and to Gubbass.” He added, “Ryan loves pedigrees and he is quite involved when he can, looking at pictures and videos of stock. I always tell vendors that they should [provide these]. It is important.” Lot 668 was the first of two six-figure Mehmas weanlings sold from Plantation Stud within minutes as two lots later the colt out of the winning Frankel (GB) mare Like (Ire) was knocked down at 130,000gns to David O'Callaghan of Yeomanstown Stud. Plantation also offered the sole weanling in the sale from the first crop of Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint winner Golden Pal. Catalogued as lot 669, the the first foal of dual winner Lady Clementine (GB) (Churchill {Ire}) was picked up for 90,000gns by Mick Fitzpatrick of JC Bloodstock. On a bitterly cold day, the trade did at least warm up considerably. From a tardy start with a clearance rate of only 60% on Tuesday, 82% of the Wednesday foals changed hands, with figures up in every sector from this same day last year. The average price rose by 7% to 44,098gns and the median by 10% to 34,000gns. The turnover of 8,996,000gns, from 204 foals sold, was up 8% from 12 months ago. Kellsgrange to the Fore With Freshman Sires Mehmas's son Minzaal (Ire) also played his part in a good day's trade, as did his fellow freshman Perfect Power (Ire), the treble Group 1-winning star of the first crop of Ardad (Ire). Both names appeared in the draft of Dermot Dwan's Kellsgrange Stud, which enjoyed some decent results on Wednesday. All six of the consignor's foals offered found a buyer at an average price of 78,500gns, led by lot 625, a colt by Minzaal who was bought by Tally-Ho Stud for 165,000gns. Out of the winning Oasis Dream (GB) mare Freedom March (GB), he is a half-brother to two winners rated 95 and 100, and is from the family of 1,000 Guineas winner Speciosa (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}). Dwan also sold a son of Perfect Power, bred by Haddenham Stud Farm from the unraced Totally Lost (Ire) (Rip Van Winkle {Ire}), for 65,000gns. He said, “The Minzaal is a smashing foal, he did about his 130th show yesterday and just floated along and did it all very easily. You still have to get it over the line, but when you have the right individuals they do it themselves.” He added of Derrinstown Stud's Minzaal, “He suited her pedigree well, he was a fast horse and it is quite a fast family. [Freedom March] throws a great foal every year – and they can run.” Minzaal currently has top order among the new crop of sires, with 16 of his first weanlings sold for an average of 50,438gns, while Darley's Perfect Power has had 10 sold at an average price of 48,100gns. Whitsbury Manor Havana Good Time Havana Grey and Whitsbury Manor Stud. It has been a winning combination for six years and thus it proved again, with four of the day's 16 six-figure lots all emanating from the stud's draft and by its flagship sire. Lot 444, a colt out of the listed-placed Fairy Dust (Ire) (Gregorian {Ire}), joined the Yeomanstown Stud team of pinhooks which, by the end of day two, numbered 11 new foals. “The sire speaks for himself but we sold a couple of good ones by him in the autumn, and this colt is one of our top picks of today,” said Yeomanstown's Robert O'Callaghan. “He is out of a good fast mare, by a good fast stallion and will come back next year.” Lot 620, the own sister to listed winner Holguin (GB), was picked up for 170,000gns by Alex Elliott after he saw off underbidder Mimi Wadham for the daughter of dual winner Roxie Lot (GB) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}). “She has been bought for Amo Racing, and we are obviously looking for fillies,” Elliott said. “I think all operations need to look at horses at all levels. I think she makes sense, what would she have cost as a yearling next year? Kia, as has everyone, has had a lot of luck with Havana Grey, he is a very good sire.” Another of the few non-pinhooks of the day (lot 661) went to trainer Paddy Twomey, who bought the Havana Grey filly out of the Italian champion two-year-old Telepatic Glances (Ire) (Pride Of Dubai {Aus}) for 130,000gns. “The way my model works, I attend every sale I am happy to buy them in training, as foals, as yearlings or in utero,” he explained. “I don't mind when we get them as long as we get the good ones. When you get the chance to buy a nice filly like this, out of a good two-year-old, you have to act, and as a trainer I might not get the chance to buy her if she went to a pinhooker.” He added, “When you see a sire doing what he has you pay attention. In the end I am trying to get the best ones I can.” Newsells Park On The Mark Signing as RC Bloodstock, Roderic Kavanagh went to 175,000gns for lot 588, a Starspangledbanner (Aus) filly out of Zoella (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), who has already produced three winners from her three runners, including the listed-placed Back See Das (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}). “The mare's a proven producer so there might be a bit more to happen in the family with two good siblings to race on,” Kavanagh said. “One has gone to Dubai and the other's just got black type. “Hopefully she'll come back here next October. Book 1 will be the plan. We're aiming for the top end of the October Sale trade. It was very strong this year and hopefully we can catch it next year too.” The filly was sold by Newsells Park Stud, whose draft included a Nathaniel (Ire) filly sold to Mick Fitzpatrick for 80,000gns. It has been a good week for Nathaniel to date. The sire of Irish Oaks winner You Got To Me (GB) has had four foals sold so far for an average of 62,000gns. Two of those were bought by Fitzpatrick and another by Tally-Ho Stud. Another noted pinhooker who selected a filly by a proven middle-distance sire was Paul McCartan, who gave 140,000gns for lot 604 from the draft of Drumlin and Yellowford. The filly is out of the treble winner Rainbow Rising (Fr), a Henrythenavigator half-sister to Queen's Vase winner and St Leger runner-up Mahler (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) from the family of Footstepsinthesand. McCartan said, “When we started out we concentrated on those speedy pages and precocious ones, but there is demand for the middle-distance sort, particularly with a filly.” Northern Lights Richard Auld's Northern Bloodstock brought three foals to Tattersalls and all three sold for an average of 91,667gns to lead the consignors' table after the first two days. The trio included a Blue Point (Ire) colt out of the unraced Jeeds Legacy (Ire) (Raven's Pass) who made his way onto the Yeomanstown Stud list of purchases at 175,000gns. Thursday at Tattersalls is an inspection day ahead of two more foal sessions on Friday and Saturday. The post ‘Mehmas is Flying’: 200K Filly Leads Improved Trade at Tattersalls appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

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As we approach this year's season of giving thanks, I am especially grateful for those in the veterinary profession, the dedicated racing connections who stand by their horses for life, and the amazing Thoroughbreds who teach us what really matters. My mare, Sadie's Magic (Street Magician), has taken me on many adventures and taught me a tremendous amount as a rider. What I did not expect were the lessons that she would teach me out of the saddle: lessons in resilience, perseverance, and the perspective on life that would follow after Sadie's unexpected cancer diagnosis and resulting treatment journey. Having earned the nickname “Sensible Sadie” early in life due to her intelligent, kind nature, Sadie was enabled through these characteristics to quickly succeed in a second career. Sadie has always been game to try whatever discipline we throw at her. She's a true example of the versatility and heart of the Thoroughbred and the reason Thoroughbreds will always be my favorite breed. Following her retirement from racing in 2019, Sadie's adventures have spanned from competing at the Retired Racehorse Project's Thoroughbred Makeover in hunters and jumpers, the Real Rider Cup, hunter derbies, dressage, foxhunting, beach rides, to many happy miles on the trails of New Jersey. In late 2022, we began to dabble in eventing, which seemed to be Sadie's “thing.” After winning her first schooling horse trial, we hoped to continue to explore this new discipline in the future. Our competitive dreams were halted when a small, seemingly innocuous bump presented on Sadie's forehead. Fortunately, Sadie was outwardly unaffected and my husband and I thought we might be overreacting in reaching out to her vet, figuring she had likely just bumped her head in the field (horses, you know?) What started with a text to Sadie's primary veterinarian, Dr. Stefanie DeNoia, prefaced with “I'm probably overreacting, but…[,]” led to a medical journey resulting in Sadie being diagnosed with a rare sarcoma cancer. We are forever grateful for the diligence and dedication of Sadie's veterinarians for making this diagnosis. Without them, Sadie would never have been given the chance to fight this and would potentially not be with us today. It truly took a village to determine the best plan for Sadie. I don't know where we would be if not for the thoroughness of Dr. DeNoia in taking our concerns seriously and taking the initial ultrasound, the brilliance of Dr. Jennifer Smith at New Jersey Equine Clinic for obtaining a biopsy and ultimately catching this rare cancer, as well as Dr. David Levine of the University of Pennsylvania's New Bolton Center in taking Sadie's CT-scan and providing critical input needed to assess treatment options. Following her diagnosis, we quickly began exploring the options with the support of Sadie's team. Unfortunately, Sadie's prognosis without treatment was grim, and a difficult decision had to be made: either allow her to live out whatever time she had left (a heartbreaking proposition looking at this otherwise healthy young horse), or take a risk and pursue treatment with the hope, but by no means guarantee, that treatment would be successful. We accepted that her athletic career may be over and decided that if she could continue to enjoy a good quality of life, however long that may be, that was a win for us. After all, these incredible animals give us so much more than just the time spent in the saddle. I do not wish a decision like this on any horse owner and would never fault anyone for choosing not to pursue treatment. However, in this circumstance, after extensive deliberation, taking into consideration Sadie's temperament, age, and overall health, we chose to take a leap of faith and go all in on fighting this. Following numerous consultations, we were informed that the only option for Sadie's particular cancer was radiation therapy. This already overwhelming proposition was made even more complex by the fact that very few equine hospitals in the United States offer such therapy. The best option for Sadie was Auburn University's JT Vaughn Large Animal Teaching Hospital – an approximately 900-mile, 14-hour trip from our farm in New Jersey. So began the logistical challenge of coordinating Sadie's trip to Alabama for her month-long stay. Taking on this adventure in our two-horse bumper-pull trailer was less than ideal and finding shipping from New Jersey to Alabama proved challenging. Enter Sadie's breeder, Erika Neuberg of Nearaway Farm, who graciously offered her horse trailer, allowing Sadie to make the trip in a box stall. This act of kindness enabled us to make the long trip to Alabama for Sadie to receive treatment. Throughout her treatment, during which she was placed under general anesthesia 10 times, Sadie exhibited the same sensible nature and grit that she did on the track and in her second career. Sadie completed her treatment at Auburn on October 16, 2023. Her incredible team of oncologists and veterinarians even held a graduation ceremony for her, complete with a cap and diploma. It's hard to put into words how grateful I am to the team at Auburn–including but not limited to, Dr. Gregory Almond, Dr. Larissa Pinheiro Muller e Castro, Dr. Lindsey Boone, Dr. Kira Noordwijk, Dr. Kayla Peck, as well as the wonderful veterinary students and staff at Auburn–for their kindness, dedication, and unwavering support through the very challenging time during Sadie's treatment. Sadie continues to defy the odds, constantly exhibiting her resilience and grit throughout her first year post-treatment. We found our expectations once again surpassed when she was cleared to return to work following her post-treatment CT-scans. Her return has been slow and gradual with lots of walking to rebuild her fitness. Throughout her return to work, Sadie continued to show that she was game for more. This culminated in her return to competition this September at the Stone Tavern Schooling Horse Trial at the Horse Park of New Jersey. Sadie picked up where she left off and completed all three phases of the starter division, finishing on her dressage score. After thinking we would lose Sadie last year, I never imagined she would trot down the center line ever again, and cried happy tears after every phase. Moving forward, we will continue to take things day by day and let Sadie tell us what she wants to do. She owes us nothing and we owe her so much. As we enter the holiday season, it's a perfect time to reflect on our past year and be thankful for everything everyone has done for Sadie. I could not be more grateful for the incredible team of veterinarians who have given me the gift of more time with my mare, and all those who supported her in this journey. Without them, we would not be where we are today. The post Sadie’s Squad: The Team Who Saved a Mare From a Rare Cancer appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Turfway Park's Holiday Meet, running through Dec. 29, boasts record-setting purses fueled by support from the Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund. Owners, trainers, and jockeys will compete for more than $7 million in purses across the meet.View the full article

Trainer Brad Cox sends out the top two chances on the morning line for Friday's GII Clark Stakes at Churchill Downs, and those who support the duo from a pari-mutuel perspective will be looking for some positive cashflow to get a head start on their holiday shopping. Since being acquired privately by Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani's Wathnan Racing earlier this season, Hit Show (Candy Ride {Arg}) has yet to taste defeat in three starts, including the GIII West Virginia Governor's Stakes in August, a neck defeat of Cooke Creek (Uncle Mo) in the GII Lukas Classic Stakes in the local slop at the back end of September and another narrow success over Bolzy (Gun Runner) when last seen in Keeneland's GII Fayette Stakes Oct. 26. Hit Show was bred and raced by Gary and Mary West up to the time of his sale, and the couple is represented by stablemate Most Wanted (Candy Ride {Arg}). The homebred half-brother to MGISW 'TDN Rising Star' Life Is Good (Into Mischief) has an unblemished record of his own from his four trips to the races, including the Aug. 11 Ellis Park Derby and the GIII Oklahoma Derby Sept. 29. “It should be a fun weekend of racing. We've got a lot of nice horses entered,” said Cox, who won the 2018 with another son of Candy Ride, Leofric. “The Clark is always a marquee race in the fall, and both horses fit the race well. We're expecting top efforts from them both.” Rattle N Roll (Connect) made his two most recent starts in the Lukas Classic, finishing fourth in 2023 before returning off a year's absence to finish a sound third to Hit Show Sept. 28. He was entered for the GI Breeders' Cup Classic, but failed to draw in off the also-eligible list. Crupi (Curlin) goes out for Todd Pletcher, winner of the Clark in 2005 and again in 2007, and was last seen finishing a distant third to stablemate Tapit Trice (Tapit) in the GII Woodward Stakes Sept. 28. Red Route One (Gun Runner) looks to follow in the hoofprints of his sire, who won this in 2016, and runs for the first time since taking the GIII Prairie Meadows Cornhusker Handicap July 6. Full Field Set For Mrs. Revere A maximum field of 12 sophomore fillies will load the gate for a competitive renewal of the co-featured GII Mrs. Revere Stakes beneath the Twin Spires. Kehoe Beach (Omaha Beach) is a head from being perfect on the grass, but a repeat of either her two most recent efforts likely gets the job done in her stakes debut. All-the-way winner of a seven-furlong allowance at Kentucky Downs Sept. 8, the $450,000 Keeneland September purchase dominated second-level Keeneland allowance foes from the front Oct. 26, scoring by 5 1/2 lengths, but she may have some other speedy types to deal with here. A pair of fillies who have already established their affinity for the Matt Winn turf course are poised to capitalize if the favorite falters. Pin Up Betty (Constitution) is two-for-two at Churchill, having graduated by five lengths before defeating Buchu (Justify) in the GII Regret Stakes June 1. The latter won her maiden over this course last September but is winless since taking out the GII Appalachian Stakes at Keeneland on her seasonal debut back in April. Poolside With Slim (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}) ran down Pharoah's Wine (American Pharoah) in the GII Valley View Stakes in Lexington Oct. 25, but has a very difficult draw to defy from gate 12 of 12. Minoushka (GB) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}), Group 3-placed in France for Carlos and Yann Lerner, overcame trouble to take her U.S. debut in Keeneland allowance company Oct. 10. In graded action on Thanksgiving Day, 'TDN Rising Star' Tarifa (Bernardini) takes on Musical Mischief (Into Mischief) and the commonly owned Loved (Medaglia d'Oro) in the GIII Falls City Stakes looking to add to her nose win in the GII Mother Goose Stakes Oct. 26; Implicated (Connect) looks to return to the form that won her the GII Nassau Stakes in the GIII Cardinal Handicap; and Augustin Stable homebred Truly Quality (Quality Road) ships into Del Mar for the GII Hollywood Turf Cup on the back of a late-running success in the Oct. 5 GIII Singspiel Stakes at Woodbine. The post Cox Clark Twosome Look To Keep Backers in the ‘Black’ on Friday appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

It's not that Medallion Racing, a branch of Taylor Made, didn't get off to a good start. It was anything but. A racing partnership whose goal is to gets its partners to experience racing at the highest levels around the world, Taylor Made was delivering on that promise. Out of 250 plus starts, Medallion, at one point had raced five Grade I winners, won 28 graded stakes and had 72 top-three finishes in graded stakes. But what it didn't have was a superstar, the type that could win multiple Grade I or Group I stakes. That all changed when Medallion purchased an interest in Porta Fortuna (Ire) (Caravaggio) after she made her first start in a race at the Curragh in 2023. Fast forward to 2024 and, despite an eighth-place showing in the GI Breeders' Cup Mile, she's won four Group I races. Her list of stakes victories includes two at the Royal Ascot meet, in the G1 Coronation S. and the G3 Albany S. “It's been great to own her and Porta Fortuna is the culmination of everything we have worked for since we started Medallion seven years ago,” said Taylor Made President and CEO Mark Taylor. “She's the first horse we've had who has won multiple Grade I races and has gotten to the championship level. (Porta Fortuna was named the Cartier Champion 3-year-old Filly of 2024). There were some other horses that we almost pulled the trigger on and, for whatever reason, it was either the price or other concerns, became horses that we missed on. They went on to have these sensational performances. We missed on a few but not with Porta Fortuna. She was a walk-off home run.” Trained by Donnacha O'Brien, Porta Fortuna is being given the winter off before she gears up for her 4-year-old campaign. The first major goal is a return to Royal Ascot. The rest of the season is up in the air, but Taylor said that a return trip to the Breeders' Cup is on his wish list and that there is a possibility she will have a prep in the U.S. before the Breeders' Cup. “You get a horse like her and it's very easy to get ahead of yourself,” Taylor said. “These horses are not robots and they have to tell you what they want to do. It's really exciting for us because Donnacha is a massive talent and I think that with her being one of his first really big-time horses it is going to be something that is going to keep Porta in the conversation for decades to come. When Donnacha wins his 100th Group I race they'll be saying that one of his first very big horses was Porta Fortuna. We're leaving it in his hands and really don't have any concrete races picked out at this point.” There are hundreds of racing partnership out there, but none quite like Medallion. Partners can buy into a horse for a one-time fee of $50,000. The goal is to find ready-made horses who are capable of winning group or graded stakes races immediately after being purchased by Medallion. When the syndicate buys the horse the goal is to have it running in a stakes race in five weeks or less from the time of the purchase. “Any time you start a new venture in business or in life a lot of times you have a vision of how it will evolve, but many times it veers and turns into something different,” Taylor said. “We like to think that think Medallion racing has been one of those special ventures that when we sat down and scratched things out on a piece of paper this is exactly what we wanted to achieve. We want to create a racing partnership that ensures that people are going to get a taste of racing at the very highest level, and we're going to have it at an affordable price point where people can stick their toe in the water without coming off the high dive. “It's really come to fruition. I give a lot of the credit to (Medallion Racing Manager) Phillip Shelton and to our partnerships brand coordinator Molly Hyer. Everybody on our team works together to create a real high level concierge type of service for our partners and we have been successful getting our partners to experience a really high level of racing at some of the best venues around the world.” Taylor said they have never had a purchase who did not make it to the races for Medallion. “Porta was one of the riskier buys because all she had ever done before was to break her maiden,” Taylor said. “Mark McStay brought her to us and was very high on her. Phillip Shelton actually had to talk me personally into it. I was worried that there was a lot of downside. They both loved the horse and thought she'd have massive upside if we get this thing right. I give the team credit because they got it right. That's how it kind of works. If you are an investor and we are building the team, building the stabile, most of these horses will be running in group or grades races within 30 days of us buying them. It's instant action. With yearling or two-year-old partnerships you buy in and then you have this long holding pattern while the horse develops. Those partnerships definitely have their place and you can catch lightning in a bottle, like they did with Flightline. But what we wanted to do is get people in and guarantee them they are going to get to a graded race and enjoy the experience. It's not like it's going to be 'I bought four yearlings and none of them can run.' You know you're going to get a taste of racing at the top level right away. Then you see if you like it and then you figure out if you want to take a deeper dive into the horse racing game in some other way.” The Medallion stable is always developing. On average there are about 12 ½ horses in each new class. The mares are normally sold at the November sales and that money is then reinvested in new acquisitions. A win by Porta Fortuna in the 2025 Breeders' Cup Mile would be the ultimate success story. But let her have another year where she wins three Group I races in Europe and no one will complain. She's only four and has raced just 12 times, winning six Group races. It's possible that she's just getting started. The post Porta Fortuna A Dream Horse for Medallion Racing appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Top UK trainer Jamie Osborne talks through his team for the 2024-25 Dubai Racing Carnival, including Ouzo, Sean and 2-year-olds Heart of Honor and Secret Combination.View the full article

The nominees for the ROA Epsom Awards, sponsored by the Racehorse Owners Association (ROA), have been revealed. The awards will take place at Epsom Downs Racecourse on Saturday, Nov. 30, and will celebrate the achievements of Epsom's NH and Flat horses, trainers, and industry staff over the past year. The awards ceremony and dinner will be hosted by Frankie Foster and Mattie Batchelor. The nominees for the awards are as follows: Best 2yo – Beautiful Things (M Attwater), Many Men (J Boyle) Best 3yo -Carnival (J Boyle), Hello Cotai (A West), Mc Loven (S Dow) Best Older Horse – Epsom Faithful (P Phelan), Hodler (J Boyle), Live In The Dream (A West) Best National Hunt Horse – Blue Universe (M Attwater), Classic Anthem (J Boyle), Martin Spirit (A West) Most Improved Horse/Handicapper – Carnival Day (J Boyle), Thursday (S Dow), Tronido (S Dow) Horse of the Year – Cabeza De Llave (M Attwater), Rabinal (S Dow), Smasher (M Attwater) There will also be a 'Horse with the most wins' award presented on the evening. Three human awards will also be given: the Stanley Wootton Award (incorporating the Racing Welfare Dedication to Racing Award) and sponsored by Epsom Downs Racecourse, which will recognise outstanding merit on behalf of Epsom as a racing and training centre; the Howard Wright Special Recognition Award, sponsored by RaceTech, will recognise a person, horse or special achievement that might otherwise slip under the radar of the conventional awards; and the Sir David Prosser Trophy, sponsored by Lady Rosemary Prosser and Orbital Veterinary Services, will be given to the Epsom trainer with the most winners in a calendar year (Nov. 5 2022 to Nov. 4 2023). The judging panel will be Epsom Downs and Sandown Park's Andrew Cooper, the Racing Post's Lee Mottershead, Rishi Persad, and the ROA's Sarah Holton. Dawn Goodfellow, Racing Welfare chief executive, said, “We're delighted to once again be staging the ROA Epsom Awards, and we'd like to wish all of the nominees the very best of luck. We look forward to finding out who the judges have chosen as winners, at what promises to be a wonderful evening of entertainment and celebration and would like to thank our sponsors, hosts and judges for their support.” The post Nominees For ROA Epsom Awards In Aid Of Racing Welfare Announced appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

By Adam Hamilton There are short priced favourites and then there is Keayang Zahara. The unbeaten Australian filly is at $1.04 to win Friday’s $140,000 Group 1 New Zealand Trotting Oaks at Addington Raceway (9.02pm) with Princess Sadie, Empire City and High Step all joint second favourite at $12. That she’s considered unbeatable won’t be a surprise to anyone after her eight length demolition of the field in her New Zealand debut, the Majestic Horse Floats LP THE ASCENT on Show Day, November 15. Driver Jason Lee is back in Christchurch and will consult with foreman and caretaker trainer Antti Ruokonen on the star filly’s final touches before she goes for a 13th successive win. “Antti says she’s been great since the last win. Yes, she was a bit tired after it and a bit stiff, too, but the track was quite heavy through Cup Week and you saw that with slower times they were running,” Lee said. “She bounced back quickly and Antti said everything points to her being as good as ever. “The one thing I’m keen to see myself is how fresh she seems. On the Tuesday before the slot race, she was bouncing around and double barrelling, if she’s like that again I’ll give her a hit out the day before the race (Thursday).” “It wouldn’t be ideal if she was too fresh behind the starting gate.” Lee, who surrendered two key drives on Inter Dominion opening night at Newcastle to partner Keayang Zahara, was pleased with barrier seven for the daughter of Volstead. “It’s about where you’d like and takes the pressure out of potentially having to really use her early,” he said. “I’m sure she’ll have plenty of early speed when we want to use it, and maybe we’ll use some this week, but we’ve spent a lot of time training to settle and relax. “The other top filly (Empire City) is drawn outside us and I’m sure we’ve got the speed to keep them all outside of us as we float forward. “It’s only short (1980m), so we’re best working forward to stay away from any traffic.” Keayang Zahara brilliantly won all 11 Aussie runs, including five at Group 1 level, before becoming the talk of NZ Cup Week. Connections immediately opted to stay in NZ for the Oaks, but will delay a decision on staying another week for the $200,000 Group 1 NZ Trotting Derby. “It really is one race at a time,” Lee said. “It makes sense to stay because we’re here and it’s only another week, but we’re mindful of how far she’s come so quickly and it’s still her first campaign. “Let’s just see how she gets through this week and we’ll make the Derby call by Sunday, I’d think.” View the full article

A barn at Hollywood Gaming at Mahoning Valley Race Course remained under quarantine through the morning of Nov. 27 for a confirmed case of strangles. View the full article

1st-Aqueduct, $90K, Msw, 2yo, 6f, 12:10 p.m. ET. Stonestreet Stables homebred APPLE JAX (Speightstown), a full-brother to Grade I winner Charlatan, debuts for trainer Chad Brown. Out of graded winner Authenticity (Quiet American), the juvenile is also a half to stakes winner Hanalei Moon (Malibu Moon). Brown also saddles firster Munden (Gun Runner), a $300,000 FTSAUG yearling purchase by Jeffrey Drown, Don Rachel, and Richard Schermerhorn. TJCIS PPS The post Friday Racing Insights: Full-Brother to Charlatan Debuts at Aqueduct appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The 2024 Henry Cecil Open Weekend has raised a record £89,196–a 68% increase on the amount raised last year–the committee behind the event announced on Wednesday. The money will be distributed to the main charity beneficiary, the Newmarket Housing Trust, which is run by the Newmarket Trainers Group to create a portfolio of much-needed accommodation across the town for racing staff, as well as the long-standing charity partner, Racing Welfare. Trainer Charlie Fellowes, chairman of the Henry Cecil Open Weekend, said, “My sincere thanks go to all those who make this wonderful event possible. It is a huge team effort and without the support of our generous sponsors, advertisers, all the sites that open their doors and my fellow Newmarket trainers and their staff who give up a rare day off to open their yards, this event would not be possible. “It is a fantastic opportunity to showcase our sport, the equine stars who are at the heart of it, and all that the headquarters of British horseracing here in Newmarket has to offer. To have raised such an incredible amount of money, more than we have ever raised before, is a testament to all those involved in the weekend, and I am thrilled we can support such a worthy cause in the Newmarket Housing Trust, a critical new project in Newmarket.” The post Henry Cecil Open Weekend Raises a Record Amount for Charity appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

It was perhaps fitting last week that the inaugural edition of Winter Watch going to print should coincide with the arrival of snow across many parts of Britain, albeit we now find ourselves with one less meeting to report on after the cold snap brought terminal consequences for a certain all-weather track in Nottinghamshire. Consider yourself lucky if you spent that particular Monday evening in the warmth of home, cup of tea in hand ready to find out what this Winter Watch was all about. Meanwhile, all of those involved with putting on the nine-race card at Southwell battled on manfully through gradually worsening conditions to see it through to its conclusion, before another three inches of snow overnight forced the abandonment of Tuesday's fixture. That reduced the number of all-weather meetings staged in Britain last week to 10, including Saturday's cards at Newcastle and Wolverhampton where Storm Bert and its extreme weather posed further challenges for the jockeys, stable staff and many others who come together to give us Flat racing in this country roughly 350 days of the year. Now, we suddenly find ourselves in the middle of the November break, eight rare and thoroughly deserved days for all of those mentioned above to hopefully rack up some air miles, instead of hours in the car travelling the length and breadth of Britain. We'll be keeping a close eye on this week's two meetings at Dundalk, but you can appreciate that there won't be a Winter Watch next week with no other Flat racing to speak of in these parts until Wolverhampton kicks us off again on Monday, December 2. In the meantime, now feels like as good time as any to express our gratitude to everyone in the industry who will continue to put in the hard yards this winter, whatever the elements might have to throw at them. This week is no exception, with horses up and down the country still needing to be fed, mucked out and exercised. Whether it's the care and love shown to their horses by the stable staff, or the dedication and skill shown by the jockeys, we're blessed to follow a sport that has so much to be proud of. It's something that we should never lose sight of, nor the importance of giving our devoted workforce some much-needed respite. Rising Stars Round-Up Speaking of a devoted workforce, Tom Frary and Sean Cronin of Cafe Racing will remain hard at work over the coming weeks and months in the search for more 'TDN Rising Stars' in Europe, the latest of which appeared at Wolverhampton on Thursday when Shadwell's Falakeyah (GB) ran out an impressive winner of the first division of the fillies' maiden over an extended mile. There's no point me copying Tom's homework, with his summary of the performance available here, but the gist is that Falakeyah won by five and a half lengths in the style of a filly with a huge future, in keeping with her blue-blooded pedigree. The daughter of New Bay (GB) is out of the unraced War Front mare Alaflaak who, in turn, is out of the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf heroine Lahudood (GB) (Singspiel {Ire}). Lahudood's other offspring include the Listed winner Aghareed (Kingmambo), who is perhaps best known as the dam of Baaeed (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), who was beaten just once in 11 career starts, notably winning six Group 1 races. For good measure, he is a full-brother to the G1 Coronation Cup and G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes winner Hukum (Ire), who raced for the same trainer as Falekeyah in Owen Burrows. Incidentally, Falakeyah is the second all-weather winner to have earned 'TDN Rising Star' status in recent weeks after Princess Zahra Aga Khan's Mandanaba (Fr) (Ghaiyyath {Ire}), who impressed when making a winning debut at Chantilly on November 12. Last winter six horses were nominated as 'TDN Rising Stars' in Europe when winning on the all-weather between the months of November and April. As well as the subsequent G1 2,000 Guineas and G1 Sussex Stakes hero Notable Speech (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), they included the Karl Burke-trained Night Raider (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}), who is now unbeaten in four starts on the all-weather following his victory in the Listed Golden Rose Stakes at Newcastle on November 16. He's very much a sprinter going places and another example of what we're looking for this winter, even if it didn't work out for him on turf during the summer. Eye-catcher! Falakeyah is impressive on debut as she powers home at @WolvesRaces for @JimCrowley1978 and @OwenBurrowsRace… pic.twitter.com/GVBG3rGh4B — At The Races (@AtTheRaces) November 21, 2024 Brooklyn One To Follow For Boughey Like Falakeyah, Brooklyn (Ire) kicked off his career in the best possible fashion when winning a seven-furlong novice at Newcastle on Friday, forging clear in the closing stages to land the spoils by three and three-quarter lengths. The similarities with the Shadwell filly don't end there, either, as he's by Darley's Night Of Thunder (Ire), another son of Dubawi (Ire) making a big impression at stud, and the distaff side of his pedigree is littered with some star names of recent years. His dam, the winning Dansili (GB) mare Black Ruby (Ire), is a half-sister to a pair of Group 1 winners by Galileo (Ire) in the Fillies' Mile scorer Together Forever (Ire)–the dam of a certain City Of Troy (Justify)–and Oaks heroine Forever Together (Ire), as well as the G1 Prix Jean Prat winner Lord Shanakill (Speightstown). Bred by Vimal and Gillian Khosla, who raced Black Ruby, a daughter of their outstanding broodmare Green Room (Theatrical {Ire}), Brooklyn was offered by Ballylinch Stud at Book 1 of the Goffs Orby Yearling Sale where he was bought by Arthur Hoyeau, on behalf of the Windfield Partners, for €175,000. Clearly, he's a colt who has needed a bit of time, having been described as “very backwards” by trainer George Boughey back in April, but the penny has certainly dropped now judged on the manner of his Newcastle success, looking a thorough professional on his way to justifying odds-on favouritism. He's bred to be suited by at least a mile–Black Ruby gained her sole career win over a mile and a quarter–and there should be good races to be won with him as a three-year-old. A word, too, for Brooklyn's jockey Billy Loughnane, the teenage sensation who revealed in a post on X on Tuesday that he's using his time off to travel to Australia where he'll be based for the next few months. A double on that Newcastle card took his tally of winners in Britain this year to 162, a remarkable haul for a rider in just his second full season with a licence. Champion Performance at Lingfield Lambourn trainer Ed Walker is nearing the end of what is already the best season of his training career, numerically, since he saddled his first runner exactly 14 years ago today [Wednesday], with his tally of 72 winners in Britain surpassing his previous best total of 66 in both 2021 and 2023. A deserved Group 1 win for Makarova (GB) (Acclamation {GB}) in the Prix de l'Abbaye at Longchamp was no doubt the highlight, while another notable theme this year has been the success Walker has enjoyed with his two-year-olds, having saddled 22 winners from 108 such runners in Britain at a 20% strike rate. The G2 Lowther Stakes winner Celandine (GB) (Kingman {GB}) is the undoubted pick of that bunch, though a horse like Noble Champion (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) could pose stiffer competition next year after he became the latest juvenile winner from Kingsdown Stables with an emphatic victory in a seven-furlong novice at Lingfield on Thursday. A 500,000gns purchase at Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, having first sold at Park Paddocks for 140,000gns at the December Foal Sale, Noble Champion had shown plenty of ability on his debut at Newmarket earlier in the month, travelling as well as any before appearing to get tired in the closing stages, and he showed the benefit of that run with a smooth performance from the front at Lingfield. After hanging right on the home turn, the most striking feature of his success was the turn of foot he then displayed once back on an even keel, drawing right away from his rivals to win by five and a half lengths. There was more than a bit of Pogo (Ire) (Zebedee {GB}) in that performance and if he proves anything like as talented as his half-brother, who counts the G2 Challenge Stakes among his eight career victories, then his connections should have plenty of fun days ahead with this colt. Owners Tbt Racing Limited certainly seem intent on making a splash, anyway. They returned to Book 1 this year to buy a Night Of Thunder (Ire) filly for 900,000gns and a Kingman (GB) filly for 750,000gns, among others, giving Walker cause for optimism that his two-year-old team for 2025 could prove a force to be reckoned with once again. Easy as you like! The 500,000 gns purchase Noble Champion gets off the mark in style for @edwalkerracing and @HectorCrouch… pic.twitter.com/2rb6MhQvQc — At The Races (@AtTheRaces) November 21, 2024 Beckett Bandwagon Rolls On Speaking of powerful two-year-old squads, no trainer has sent out more individual winners from that age group in Britain this year than Ralph Beckett, who has had 43 different juveniles from his yard win at least one race, compared to 39 for Karl Burke, his closest pursuer. Miss Cartesian (Ire) was winner number 43 when making a successful debut in a six-furlong filles' novice on Monday of last week, ultimately winning by three quarters of a length with a bit to spare, despite having taken a while to get the hang of things. In pure form terms, she didn't achieve anything out of the ordinary, but it was a promising start to her career, nonetheless, with enough there in her pedigree to suggest she has the potential to prove a bit above average. Bred by Milestream Stud, who sold her for €50,000 at Book 1 of the Orby Yearling Sale, the daughter of Kodiac (GB) is the second foal out of a Pivotal (GB) half-sister to the 1,000 Guineas heroine Mawj (Ire) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}) and the five-time Group 1 winner and sire Modern Games (Ire). On the same card at Wolverhampton, run in similarly foul conditions to those we saw around 80 miles away at Southwell, Good Banter (Ire) (Calyx {GB}) also deserves a mention after he gained his second win from three career starts with another professional performance in the six-furlong novice. Bought for €70,000 at the Tattersalls Ireland September Yearling Sale, he gave 7lb and a comprehensive beating to a newcomer trained by, you guessed it, Ralph Beckett, making all to win by a length and three-quarters. Good Banter is in equally capable hands with Clive Cox, especially when it comes to this type of horse. He could be one to quickly climb the ranks in three-year-old sprint handicaps for Paul and Clare Rooney, who enjoyed some good days with a similar type this year in James's Delight (Ire) (Invincible Army {Ire}), the Listed winner who pushed his rating from 88 to 110. Dundalk Debrief It wasn't to be for Dancing Teapot (Ire) (Camelot {GB})–one of our 'Winners In Waiting' in the first installment of Winter Watch–when she returned to Dundalk for the first division of the one-mile fillies' maiden on Friday. Once again she found one too good in the Adrian Murray-trained Carolina Jetstream (GB) (Pinatubo {Ire}), though it was still another promising run, running to a level which should be good enough for her to win a similar event before too long. The second division of that fillies' maiden perhaps wasn't quite so strong as the first, but credit to Mick Halford and Tracey Collins, for whom Empress Artemis (Ire) was their third juvenile winner of the year and first to win on debut. Michael Enright's homebred also added her name to the growing number of two-year-olds winners in 2024 for Mehmas (Ire), with his unprecedented tally now up to 66. Incidentally, the filly who broke the world record for him at Wolverhampton earlier this month, Naughty Eyes (Ire), has been catalogued to sell at the Tattersalls December Mares Sale since we discussed her in these pages last week. As for the final talking point from Friday's card at Dundalk, Juddmonte homebred Purview (GB) (Kingman {GB}) looked very much one to follow when winning the one-mile maiden on his debut for Dermot Weld, staying on well in the straight to land the spoils by two and three-quarter lengths. As you'd expect from one in those silks, he's impeccably bred as a son of the Listed scorer Variable (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) who, in turn, is out of the G1 Prix Marcel Boussac winner Proportional (GB) (Beat Hollow {GB}). It's been a quiet enough year for Weld since the retirement of his Oaks heroine Ezeliya (Fr) (Dubawi {Ire}), and Purview was only his third two-year-old winner of the season after Hazdann (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) and Swelter (GB) (Kingman {GB}), both of whom have been off the track since maiden wins in the summer. Weld has never been one to overface his horses at two, though, and he'll be hoping that his patient approach with this trio pays dividends in 2025, certainly in the case of Hazdann, who beat the subsequent G2 Champions Juvenile Stakes winner Green Impact (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) when getting off the mark at the Curragh on Irish Derby weekend. An impressive debut by Purview in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden with Chris Hayes onboard for the Dermot Weld team! @IrishEBF_ | @DundalkStadium pic.twitter.com/ABxiL9qlip — Horse Racing Ireland (@HRIRacing) November 22, 2024 Winner In Waiting Safe Idea (GB) Cracksman (GB)–Bright Flash (GB), by Dutch Art (GB) The second division of the fillies' maiden run at Wolverhampton on Thursday didn't have a horse to take it apart like Falakeyah did the first, but it should still throw up plenty of winners, with Charlie Johnston's Safe Idea arguably shaping like the best horse in the race, despite finishing only fourth. In a slowly-run race she came from much further back than the three who beat her and it was a huge run under the circumstances to be beaten only two lengths at the line, especially as her SP of 40-1 suggests expectations were low. She will stay further and is one to look out for next time. The post Winter Watch: Time to Take Stock appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

A share in Group 1 winner and sire Zarak (Fr) has been sold privately for €600,000 to Chauvigny Global Equine, Arqana announced on Wednesday. Originally passed in at €650,000 during Tuesday's Arqana Online November Sale, the 1/50th share (lot 1) has now been purchased by Sebastien Desmontils's operation. Based at the Aga Khan Studs' Haras de Bonneval, the son of Dubawi (Ire) and Zarkava (Ire) (Zamindar) has sired a total of 28 stakes winners, 19 of them at group level or higher. In 2024 alone, the bay had 19 stakes winners through Nov. 27. Among his eight group winners were G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains hero and now Haras d'Etreham stallion Metropolitan (Fr), as well as G1 Prix Ganay victor Haya Zark (Fr). Zarakem (Fr), Straight (Ger), and Spanish Eyes (Ger) all finished runner-up in Group 1 races–the Prince Of Wales's Stakes, Preis von Europa, and Preis Der Diana, respectively. His current crop of yearlings sold for €360,000, €250,000, €230,000, etc. during Arqana's August Sale. Zarak will stand for €80,000 next year. The post Zarak Share Sells Privately For €600,000 To Chauvigny Global Equine appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article