Wandering Eyes

Hong Kong bloodstock agent Willie Leung had a big hour at Karaka early on Thursday afternoon, spending more than $1 million to secure two well-credentialled colts at the NZB Ready to Run Sale. Leung paid $400,000 under his Magus Equine banner to buy Lot 271, a Russian Revolution colt from the draft of Ohukia Lodge, then followed that up with a $625,000 purchase of Lot 288. The latter colt was offered by BMD Bloodstock and is by Toronado out of the Zabeel mare Attractive, who is a half-sister to Gr.1 Goodwood Handicap (1200m) winner Velocitea. “I rated that colt one of the best horses in the sale,” Leung said. “Toronado is going very well in Hong Kong, and it’s great to secure such a high-quality son of that stallion for Francis (Lui, trainer).” Toronado stands at Swettenham Stud for a service fee of A$88,000. He has sired 22 winners from just 37 runners in Hong Kong, headed by Gr.1 Centenary Sprint Cup (1200m) winner Victor The Winner, Hong Kong Classic Mile (1600m) and Hong Kong Classic Cup (1800m) winner Helios Express, and Group Three winner and Gr.1 Champions & Chater Cup (2400m) placegetter Senor Toba. Leung hopes his new recruit could develop into a candidate to join that black-type list. Lot 283, a colt by Toronado out of Attractive Photo: Trish Dunell “The type of horse that he is, the dream is a race like the Hong Kong Derby (2000m),” he said. “He’ll probably stay here in New Zealand through until the end of next winter, and then we’ll take things from there. “Francis and I have had some great luck at this sale in the past with horses like Golden Sixty, so let’s hope for some more.” Golden Sixty was a $300,000 purchase from the 2017 Ready to Run Sale and went on to win 26 of his 31 starts including 10 Group One triumphs. He broke Hong Kong’s all-time prizemoney record with more than HK$167 million (NZ$34 million). Leung added another purchase to his list not long after that big-priced double, paying another $180,000 for the Embellish gelding catalogued as Lot 299. Leung spoke highly about this week’s 2024 edition of the Ready to Run Sale. “It’s been a strong sale,” he said. “There are some very good quality horses here, and you have to be prepared to pay quite a bit of money to get the ones that you want.” View the full article

The connections of the talented and patiently handled mare Imprevu(NZ) (Wrote) are aiming high this preparation with their pride and joy. The daughter of Wrote has already acquitted herself well in black type company and will have an opportunity at Pukekohe Park on Saturday to break through ahead of a tilt at a top-flight sprinting target. Imprevu will step out in the Gr.2 Dunstan Horsefeeds Auckland Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1400m) following a strong performance when opening her current campaign earlier this month in the Listed Legacy Lodge Sprint (1200m). Also placed in last season’s Gr.3 Rotorua Stakes (1400m), the six-year-old rounded off well to finish runner-up at Te Rapa behind the well-performed Babylon Berlin. “She’s a happy horse and has come through her first run really nicely. She had a good draw and a good ride, I’m very happy and her work has been lovely,” trainer Janenne Dalley said. “We’re hoping the Railway (Gr.1, 1200m) will be her go this time and it sits well for her with the shift back to January 25. “I can freshen her up a bit more and find a nice lead-up to that, she doesn’t need a lot of racing.” She will be ridden on Saturday by apprentice Tayla Mitchell, who rides her in work and was reunited last time out after winning a race aboard the mare earlier in her career. Bred by part-owner David Lunn, Imprevu has put together the tidy record of five wins and 11 placings from her 23 appearances. “She’s a talented mare and she’s from a very good family that goes back to Pure Lust and nice people to train for,” Dalley said. Second dam Pure Lust was a multiple stakes winner, who also finished third in both the Gr.1 Doomben Cup (2020m) and the Gr.1 Championship Stakes (2100m). “David doesn’t like to get them up and going too early and she had a trial as a late three-year-old and kicked off as an early four-year-old, the family just needs that bit more time,” Dalley said. “She was a little bit wayward in her first couple of starts, they just take a little bit to get their heads in the game.” View the full article

With one of the world’s most exciting sprinters flying the flag for David Hayes in Hong Kong, it has been no surprise to see the trainer’s sons zeroing in on progeny of Windsor Park Stud stallion Shamexpress during the Ready to Run Sale at Karaka this week. Hayes trains the Shamexpress gelding Ka Ying Rising, who has made an enormous impression winning eight of his 10 starts including all of his last seven in succession. Previously the winner of the Gr.3 Sha Tin Vase (1200m) in June and the Gr.2 Premier Bowl (1200m) in October, Ka Ying Rising added last Sunday’s Gr.2 Jockey Club Sprint (1200m) in a scintillating performance. The four-year-old romped to victory by three and a quarter lengths and broke the Sha Tin track record with a time of 1:07.43. When he returned to Hong Kong a few years ago, David Hayes left his Lindsay Park operation in Australia in the hands of his sons Ben, JD and Will Hayes. That trio has been on a recruiting drive for Shamexpress two-year-olds at Karaka this week, securing two of them for a total of $540,000. Lindsay Park Racing paid $260,000 on Wednesday to buy Lot 66, a colt from the draft of Lilywhites Lodge. He is a son of the Savabeel mare Mia Rose. The team struck again on Thursday with the $280,000 purchase of Lot 332. Offered by Phoenix Park, he is out of the unraced Pins mare Up A Ghia. “Off the strength of what Ka Ying Rising has been doing, we’ve been pleased to come over here and find another two nice sons of Shamexpress,” Will Hayes said. “Both will be heading for Hong Kong, and we bought them for Dr Peter Lam, who’s a big supporter of Dad’s stable there. “The one we bought today (Thursday) is a lovely big, athletic gelding and a very easy mover. One of Ka Ying Rising’s best attributes is his effortless speed, and we saw some similarities in the way this guy moves. “Parading out the back here can be quite a stressful environment for young horses, but we were impressed with how well he handled everything. “We’ll take him back to Lindsay Park now. We prepare a lot of horses for Hong Kong there. He’ll go into our system and we’ll put him through all the processes. Horses come out of this sale very well educated anyway, but we’ll see how he goes and then decide when he gets the tick to head up to Hong Kong.” Ka Ying Rising is emerging as one of the very best progeny of Shamexpress, who stands for a service fee of $8,000 at Windsor Park Stud. The O’Reilly stallion has been credited with a total of 147 winners from 224 runners, with 13 stakes winners headed by the multiple Group One-winning mare Coventina Bay. Shamexpress has also spent time in the black-type spotlight in Australia this year with Grinzinger Belle’s victories in the Gr.2 Let’s Elope Stakes (1400m), Gr.3 The Vanity (1400m) and Gr.3 Ladies’ Day Vase (1600m). Hayes has been impressed with the selling at Karaka over the last two days, pointing to the impressive honour roll of previous Ready to Run Sale graduates. Among those is Lindsay Park’s nine-time Australian Group One winner and A$16 million earner Mr Brightside, who was passed in when offered with a $50,000 reserve at this sale in 2019. “It’s been a very good sale, which I think is a reflection of the quality of horses that have been coming out of it over the last few years,” Hayes said. Lindsay Park continued to be busy through the early part of Thursday afternoon, paying $260,000 to buy BMD Bloodstock’s Per Incanto colt out of the Medaglia d’Oro mare Alternative Fact, which went through the ring as Lot 265. View the full article

The thoroughbred racing industry is in mourning following the passing of respected horseman Danny Champion. The 52-year-old, who hailed from Taranaki, was based in Hawke’s Bay with his partner Kate Hercock, having spent much of his life in Canterbury. In 22 seasons of training, much of that time in partnership with Kezia Murphy, Champion won 139 races, highlighted by victory in the 2013 edition of the Listed Canterbury Belle Stakes (1200m) with Orovela, who he had sourced as a weanling for just $1,200. There would be few who knew Champion better than Murphy, who was by his side from the moment he kicked off his training career. “He was a really significant person in my life,” Murphy said. “I met Danny when I was 17 and he had been involved in racing all his life, but he was looking to start up as a trainer himself. “I was basically with him from day one when he got his trainer’s license, and we got into a lot of breaking in and pre-training. “I had no involvement in racing. I loved horses but I had come from an eventing and dressage background. Danny really introduced me to the world of racing and starting young horses. “When the operation got a bit bigger, we had the opportunity to move to Ashburton. I worked for Danny for quite some time and then her offered me a partnership around 2010 or 11, which I was very grateful for and duly accepted.” Murphy said Champion had a great eye for horses, and while the stable didn’t have the budget to purchase top-end young stock, Champion was able to secure some bargain buys and got the best out of the horses he trained. “He had a real gift for finding a bargain. Many of his horses were cheap purchases who went on to do well above what you would expect,” Murphy said. “The thing that I most enjoyed with Danny was the challenging horses that perhaps some of the bigger stables might not have been interested in. Danny was a brilliant horseman and farrier, and he really liked a challenge, and he definitely instilled that in me.” While a natural horseman, Champion wasn’t introduced to the animal he would come to love until he went to school and struck up an association with the son of a renowned Taranaki trainer. “He grew up in a non-horsey family and when he was in primary school he became friends with John Wheeler’s son, Ryan,” Murphy said. “They were best mates and he used to go up to John Wheeler’s and he loved the horses. “John and his late wife Lyndsey had a huge influence in Danny’s life and he loved going there to ride their ponies, which eventuated into riding track work.” Champion was intent on a career in the saddle, but it soon became evident that he would quickly outgrow a jockeys build. “I think Danny was pretty devastated when he got on the scales one day and he was 52.5 kilos and John said to him he wasn’t going to make an apprentice,” Murphy said. With his riding hopes dashed, Champion turned to harness racing, but the love of the thoroughbred swiftly drew him back and he worked for a number of Taranaki trainers before eventually moving to Christchurch after a successful southern campaign in the early nineties. “He was working for Max Northcott and he came down (to Riccarton) with a horse called Sir Barton for the Grand National Carnival in 1991, and he won the Grand National (Hurdles). “Danny did quite a lot of schooling with jumpers, he was quite accomplished in everything he did, he was a gifted horseman. “When he came down it was apparently really beautiful weather compared to Taranaki, where it rains all the time, and he thought what a great place to be. He went back home with the horses and then decided to move down to Riccarton.” Following 20 years training in Canterbury, Champion moved to Hawke’s Bay last year to be with his partner Kate Hercock. “It was bittersweet (ending the training partnership) having been involved with each other for 20 years, but I was really happy for Danny that he had met Kate and he was doing what he wanted to do,” Murphy said. Champion continued to have success in the north and it was fitting that he was victorious with his last runner to the races, Makkaldee at Tauherenikau earlier this month, with Hercock in the saddle. Murphy said it was a pleasure to be mentored by Champion and he will be sorely missed. “He was a strong, courageous and loyal person and had a great sense of humour,” she said. “He was always happy to help a stranger, he loved helping people. “When he was in a grand mood, there was no one else you would rather be around. He was one of a kind, a really funny guy and had a lot to offer.” Champion’s funeral is set to take place at 2pm next Tuesday, November 26, at Riccarton Racecourse. View the full article

What Kembla Grange Races Where Kembla Grange Racecourse – Princess Highway, Kembla Grange NSW 2526 When Saturday, November 23, 2024 First Race 12:35pm AEDT Visit Dabble The sixth renewal of The Gong (1600m) headlines the action at Kembla Grange Racecourse on Saturday afternoon, with a bumper 10-race program lined up for the Illawarra’s marquee card on the calendar. The rail is in the true position the entire circuit, and with clearing conditions forecast leading into the weekend, punters can expect a track upgrade into the Good range. The opening event is scheduled to get underway at 12:35pm local time. Check out HorseBetting’s preview of The Gong 2024 here. The Warra Tip: Iowna Merc There will be speed to burn in The Warra (1000m), with a field of 11 assembled for the Group 3 sprinting feature. It should setup nicely for the Bjorn Baker-trained Iowna Merc returning from a 126-day spell. The son of Winning Rupert has never missed the frame first-up and trialled like a bomb at Warwick Farm on November 8 heading into this assignment. Rachel King gets the opportunity to lob into a handy position with cover throughout from gate seven, and with 53kg on his back, punters can expect Iowna Merc to be putting in the big strides late. The Warra Race 9 – #7 Iowna Merc (7) 5yo Gelding | T: Bjorn Baker | J: Rachel King (53kg) +500 with Neds Next Best at Kembla Grange: Pisanello The James Cummings-trained Pisanello is on a hat-trick heading into this BM78 contest. The son of Ribchester couldn’t have been more impressive securing back-to-back wins, with his latest victory coming down the Flemington straight course on November 9. He’s rock-hard fit heading into this third-up assignment, and provided Adam Hyeronimus can get off the inside running rail turning for home, Pisanello should prove too classy for this lot. Best Bet Race 3 – #4 Pisanello (1) 4yo Gelding | T: James Cummings | J: Adam Hyeronimus (60kg) +200 with Picklebet Next Best at Kembla Grange: Gilded Water European import Gilded Water makes his Australian debut after a 156-day spell and appears primed for a first-up assault. The Fastnet Rock gelding has only been seen for one official barrier trial at Warwick Farm on October 29, with the three-year-old hitting the line well to suggest he’s acclimatized well since joining the Ciaron Maher barn. There’s real intent kicking off the campaign over 2000m, and with gate four allowing Jason Collett to stalk his rivals from the one-one, Gilded Water should get every chance to make an impression at a good price with BlondeBet. Next Best Race 5 – #11 Gilded Water (4) 3yo Gelding | T: Ciaron Maher | J: Jason Collett (54kg) +400 with BlondeBet Best Value at Kembla Grange: Saltcoats The Chris Waller-trained Saltcoats represents terrific each-way value with horse racing bookmakers as he returns after 238 days off the scene. The New Zealand import is yet to capture victory across his five Australian starts; however, the four-year-old seemingly does his best work fresh, highlighted by his runner-up performance behind Infatuation at Rosehill on February 3. Tommy Berry will need some luck negating a passage from gate 10, but if the breaks fall his way, the $10 about Saltcoats will prove too big to ignore. Best Value Race 6 – #3 Saltcoats (10) 4yo Gelding | T: Chris Waller | J: Tommy Berry (60.5kg) +900 with Dabble Saturday quaddie tips for Kembla Grange Kembla Grange quadrella selections November 23, 2024 2-3-11-13-14-15 1-3-9-11 3-7-10 3-7-9-11-12-16 | Copy this bet straight to your betslip Horse racing tips View the full article

Veteran handler is optimistic Irish import continues to improve after rebounding from first-up flop.View the full article

What Doomben Races Where Doomben Racecourse – 75 Hampden St, Ascot QLD 4007 When Saturday, November 23, 2024 First Race 12:18pm AEST Visit Dabble Racing will return to Doomben for a massive 10-race program this Saturday afternoon, with the first event scheduled to kick off at 12:18pm AEST. With a lot of rain falling in the lead-up to the meeting, it is expected that racing will go ahead on a genuine Heavy 10 surface throughout the day. The rail will be in its true position for the entire circuit. Recognition Stakes tip: Midnight In Tokyo Nothing went right for Midnight In Tokyo first-up as the Annabel Neasham & Rob Archibald-trained mare blundered the start before having to maintain a wide run from the 500m mark. Although the daughter of Kobayashi had a lot going against her at this track over 1200m, she still powered home strongly to finish in third place and will take good benefit from the run. If this girl can jump better from barrier five, Bailey Wheeler can settle midfield off the fence, and with even luck, Midnight In Tokyo can record a sixth career victory with a similar finishing burst. Recognition Stakes Race 7 – #5 Midnight In Tokyo (5) 5yo Mare | T: Annabel Neasham & Rob Archibald | J: Bailey Wheeler (53kg) +250 with Picklebet Tattersall’s Classic tip: Party For Two Party For Two will return from a four-month spell in the Tattersall’s Classic following two very good trial victories over 1000m and 1050m on rain-affected tracks. The Matthew Hoysted-trained mare was last seen finishing second behind Recommendation in the Group 3 Sir John Monash Stakes at Caulfield. Ryan Maloney will push forward to settle on speed, and if Party For Two can produce a similar effort to her Group 3 placing from last preparation, she will prove very hard to run down late. Tattersall’s Classic Race 8 – #5 Party For Two (8) 4yo Mare | T: Matthew Hoysted | J: Ryan Maloney (56.5kg) +700 with Dabble Best Bet at Doomben: Metalart Metalart started his career undefeated through four starts before striking firmer tracks this preparation, where the Kelly Schweida-trained gelding has failed to win in three runs. The son of Better Than Ready ran home nicely to finish second behind Torabella at this track and trip on November 9, but still looked as though he hadn’t hit peak fitness yet. Now that he is set to compete in a weaker contest on a wet track, expect Michael Rodd to push forward, settle in the one-one position, and receive the run of the race. Best Bet Race 10 – #2 Metalart (11) 4yo Gelding | T: Kelly Schweida | J: Michael Rodd (59.5kg) +250 with PlayUp Next Best at Doomben: Bossed Up Tony Gollan and Kyle Wilson-Taylor will combine with Bossed Up in the penultimate event when the four-year-old gelding returns from an eight-week freshen. This son of Better Than Ready ran home the best of any of his rivals at Toowoomba in a Class 3 Handicap to finish a narrow third place on a Heavy track. Although he has had a longer break between runs than normal, Bossed Up can settle closer to the speed here, and his blistering turn of foot will give him every chance to record another victory. Next Best Race 9 – #12 Bossed Up (7) 4yo Gelding | T: Tony Gollan | J: Kyle Wilson-Taylor (55.5kg) +450 with Neds Doomben quaddie tips – 23/11/24 Doomben quadrella selections Saturday, November 23, 2024 4-5-7 2-3-5-8-11 7-10-12-13 2-11-13 | Copy this bet straight to your betslip Horse racing tips View the full article

Pinstriped ridden by Ben Allen winning the Group 1 Memsie Stakes at Caulfield. (Photo by Pat Scala/Racing Photos) Trainer Enver Jusufovic is optimistic about Pinstriped’s chances in the Listed Cranbourne Cup (1600m) on Saturday, with the six-year-old gelding set to jump from the inside barrier. “It’s a race that’s been around for years, and you’ve got to have the right type of horse in it, and I’ve got the right horse, but he’s got a lot of weight,” Jusufovic said. “It’ll be a big effort if he can win it, and I would have preferred him drawing a little bit wider, but it is what it is. Hopefully Ben (Allen) can give him plenty of room when it’s time to press the button.” Pinstriped has not won since his Group 1 triumph in the Memsie Stakes (1400m) on August 31, but Jusufovic believes his charge is in excellent shape heading into a more suitable assignment this weekend. “It’s a big impost, 61 kilos, but he’s won a Group 1, so it’s going to be interesting, giving horses like Globe seven kilos,” the trainer noted. “Hopefully we don’t get too far back, and we have a bit of luck. He is the class horse of the race, and he’s a big horse. “He’s nice and strong. I’ve got him where I want him. He’s super fit, but it won’t be easy. “Anyway, we’re in there with a chance.” Horse racing news View the full article

Cloudland. (Photo by George Sal/Racing Photos) Kris Lees is optimistic about Cloudland’s chances in the inaugural The Meteorite, but acknowledges the gelding will need to elevate his performance to make an impact in the $1 million race at Cranbourne this Saturday. The grey, owned by OTI Racing, will represent the syndicate’s slot in the Southside Slot Series, which also includes next month’s $1 million The Supernova (1400m) at Pakenham. Cloudland, a six-year-old son of Swiss Ace, earned his spot in OTI’s slot following a gritty win in the Subzero Handicap (1400m) at Flemington on Melbourne Cup Day. “It was a tough win last start, and I thought he got a lovely ride from James McDonald,” Lees told Racing.com. “He was up on the speed and toughed it out well. He has to go to another level, but he’s come through the win well.” Lees has adjusted Cloudland’s preparation for the drop back to 1200m, aiming to keep the gelding sharp. “We’ve just tried to keep him a little on the fresh side coming back to 1200 metres,” he explained. “OTI have a slot, so they wished to put him in, which I was happy with. “There are a couple of smart horses in there, but he’s tough and he’ll take up a position.” Horse racing news View the full article

Encap returning to the mounting yard after claiming the Theo Marks Stakes. Photo: bradleyphotos.com.au Trainer Gary Portelli is confident that Encap can return to form in Saturday’s $1 million The Gong (1600m) at Kembla Grange, despite drawing the wide barrier 19. Reflecting on the four-year-old gelding’s recent midfield finish in the Golden Eagle (500m), Portelli attributed the performance to unfavourable track conditions and a minor setback. “We’re not having much luck with these gates, but he’s going to get back anyway,” Portelli said. “Hopefully it will be a truly run race and, based on his work on Tuesday morning, if he has any luck from that gate, he is going to be right in the finish.” Encap, who had a heel issue leading into the Golden Eagle, didn’t fully let down on the firm track that day, according to Portelli. “He’d had a little heel issue that we’d had to work on (before the Golden Eagle), and he just felt the hard track that day as well. While he likes it firm, you could just see he was holding back a bit. Since then, his foot is 110 percent right,” Portelli explained. With rain falling over the past few days at Kembla Grange, Portelli believes the softer conditions will suit Encap perfectly. “The track should just have the edge off it, and it will be perfect.” Horse racing news View the full article

What Moonee Valley Races Where Moonee Valley Racecourse – Gate 2 Feehan Ave, Moonee Ponds VIC 3039 When Friday, November 22, 2024 First Race 6:15pm AEDT Visit Dabble Horse racing in Victoria heads to Moonee Valley on Friday night for a competitive eight-race meeting. A scorching top of 35 degrees is forecast for Melbourne, meaning the Good 4 track rating will likely be upgraded to a Good 3 at some point. The rail comes out 7m for the entire circuit, with the action set to get underway at 6:15pm AEDT. Best Bet at Moonee Valley: Spione Spione could not have been more impressive on debut when scoring by a narrow margin at the Moonee Valley 1200m. Having sustained a long sprint from the rear of the field, the four-year-old gelding won by just a half-head but arguably would have been further had the runner-up not laid out on him in the home straight. The son of Showtime returns to the same course and distance on Friday night, and with a repeat effort, Spione should remain undefeated through two starts. Best Bet Race 7 – #9 Spione (8) 4yo Gelding | T: Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes | J: Jordan Childs (60kg) Bet with Neds Next Best at Moonee Valley: Exopipi Exopipi has been a shade unlucky in her last two starts at Morphettville. Jake Stephens’ mare was crucially held up for a run two starts back when a moral beaten, and then struggled to cut back the deficit last time out when settling at the rear of a seven-horse field in a leader-dominated affair. Barrier one is a touch concerning, but with the in-form Lachlan Neindorf making the trip across the border, Exopipi will just need clear air at the right time to be bringing up an overdue success. Next Best Race 5 – #10 Exopipi (1) 6yo Mare | T: Jake Stephens | J: Lachlan Neindorf (57.5kg) Bet with Playup Best Value at Moonee Valley: Wild Ruby Wild Ruby has not had much luck in any of her three starts, but the way she keeps hitting the line once in clear air suggests she will not remain a maiden for long. The four-year-old mare should have won at Echuca on November 5 when held up until the 200m mark, flashing home to be beaten by the barest of margins. Alana Kelly should keep her out of trouble from barrier 12 this time, and if Wild Ruby can replicate the same turn of foot she produced at Echuca, she looks over the odds with BlondeBet. Best Value Race 2 – #8 Wild Ruby (12) 4yo Mare | T: Mitch Freedman | J: Alana Kelly (57.5kg) Bet with BlondeBet Friday quaddie tips for Moonee Valley Moonee Valley quadrella selections Friday, November 22, 2024 1-8-10 1-2-4-6-8 2-8-9 1-2-5-8-9 | Copy this bet straight to your betslip Horse racing tips View the full article

Veteran jockey Tim Thornton recorded his 3,000th career win Nov. 14, leading the panel of racing experts to vote Thornton Jockey of the Week for Nov. 11-17.View the full article

The 90th running of the Longacres Mile Stakes headlines a 20-race stakes schedule worth $1,075,000 for Emerald Downs at the 51-day meeting from April 27-Sept. 7, 2025.View the full article

Check out this week’s The Box Seat with Matt Cross and Greg O’Connor View the full article

Karis Teetan has claimed the final International Jockeys’ Championship spot. Hugh Bowman and Karis Teetan have clinched the final two places in the International Jockeys’ Championship (IJC) on December 4 as Tony Cruz celebrated his best meeting of the 2024/25 season with a quartet at Happy Valley on Wednesday night. Bowman, who won the IJC in 2016, returns for the seventh time, while 2019 IJC champion Teetan will compete for the sixth time in the 12-jockey competition after surviving Matthew Poon’s challenge for the final spot in the lucrative series. The pair joins fellow Hong Kong-based jockeys Zac Purton, who qualifies for the IJC as last season’s Hong Kong’s champion rider, and Vincent Ho, who last year created history by becoming the first homegrown Hong Kong rider to win the IJC. The quartet will compete against an illustrious cast of international rivals – Ryan Moore, William Buick, James McDonald, Colin Keane, Yuga Kawada, Hollie Doyle, Rachel King and Mickael Barzalona – in the four-race series, where jockeys receive 12 points for a win, six points for second and four points for third across four races at Happy Valley next month. The series boasts total prize of HK$1 million. The winner receives HK$600,000, while second and third collect HK$250,000 and HK$150,000, respectively. With Purton a clearcut leader of the 2024/25 Hong Kong jockeys’ championship with 40 wins and Ho (16 wins) assured his place as defending IJC champion, the final two places were decided on the jockeys’ championship standings after tonight’s standings. Bowman (19) was comfortably placed before the meeting and, while unable to add to his tally, duly secured his spot, while Teetan (15 wins) staved off Poon (14) with Take Action’s fighting victory for John Size. “I’m thankful for all the support I get. Without the support of people of like Mr Size, you cannot have any success,” Teetan said. “The IJC, all the guys want to ride in it. It’s always a fantastic night organised by The Hong Kong Jockey Club and you just want to be part of it. I’ve ridden in a few of them, so I know how it feels – it’s very exciting.” Bowman said: “It’s a huge honour. This is the first time to represent Hong Kong. I was injured last year and couldn’t take my place. It’s a wonderful night. It’s a great showcase of international racing and it’s the benchmark of jockey challenges around the world, in my opinion. “To be part of it once again is a huge privilege.” Cruz dominated tonight’s meeting with a quartet. “I’m very happy, the stable is going very well,” Cruz said. “The horses seemed to enjoy the softer track tonight.” The veteran handler first struck with former Australian galloper Viva Graciousness, who notched a maiden win in Hong Kong under Matthew Chadwick. Formerly known as Bulikov when trained by Robert Heathcote in Queensland, the Deep Field gelding was having his 14th start in Hong Kong. Cruz’s double came via Lovero, who was second past the post under Angus Chung but was awarded the Class 3 Hung Shui Kiu Handicap (1650m) after an objection was lodged against Super Unicorn, ridden by Purton, for a late shift. Brenton Avdulla chimed in with the third leg of Cruz’s treble, before Chung guided Gustosisimo to victory to present dual Hong Kong champion trainer Cruz with his 14th win of the campaign. A three-time winner in Australia, Exceed And Excel gelding Gustosisimo earned a PP Bonus of HK$1.5 million for the breakthrough success. McDonald followed a Group 2 double at Sha Tin on Sunday on Romantic Warrior and Voyage Bubble with the first Happy Valley brace of his short-term stint. The New Zealander scored aboard Storming Dragon for compatriot Jamie Richards before partnering Danny Shum-trained Yee Cheong Spirit. Luke Ferraris and Mark Newnham teamed up for their sixth win of the season together when Super Charizzard capitalised on barrier one. “This horse was probably overdue for a win, but he’d never really pulled a good barrier until now so he got the gun run, the run opened up for him and he got a saloon passage through,” Ferraris said. “This win will do his confidence the world of good – he lacks of bit of confidence – but credit to Mark and his team.” Chris So and Keagan De Melo combined with Holy Roman Emperor gelding Cervin. Horse racing news View the full article

Matamata trainer Pam Gerard will head to Pukekohe on Saturday to tackle a couple of feature targets with her emerging mares Shoes(NZ) (Derryn) and Reputation(NZ) (Iffraaj), and she is under no illusion about the size of the task ahead of them. Fresh off her first solo Group One triumph in the New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) with Savaglee, Gerard will change tack with a pair of rising talents facing sizzling fields, firstly with Shoes in the Gr.3 Haunui Farm Counties Bowl (1100m). Always a mare she rated, Shoes has come into her own in recent starts, winning three on the bounce, including over subsequent winner Twain at Tauranga. Gerard has been delighted with the daughter of Derryn’s recent progress but recognises the challenge the likes of Crocetti and Babylon Berlin present. “She’s just gaining confidence all the time, but I have to admit, I’m not so confident when I saw the noms come out and the field,” Gerard said. “There are four Group One horses in there and we may be asking a bit much of her at this stage. Sometimes this race can come up not as strong, but it’s a super field this weekend so I’m not sure we’ve quite made the right decision. We’ll have to see.” Shoes is often setting the pace in her races, but Gerard is unsure whether that will be the case on Saturday where she will be ridden by Kelly Myers. “You can’t really do much different with her race pattern, but there is a lot of speed in the race, so it’s a really tricky one,” she said. “She’s coming out of 75 grade, it would’ve been nice to give her a little run in an Open without too much pressure on. She will be up to them at some point, whether it’s Saturday, I’m not sure.” Her older stablemate, Reputation, has been lightly raced with just nine starts under belt, but secured a bid in the Gr.2 Dunstan Horsefeeds Auckland Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1400m) with a commanding win first-up at Te Rapa. “She was super, she’s really a staying mare and we gave her the run because we missed another at Te Rapa before that,” Gerard said. “I was actually quite surprised to see how well she put them away, that’s not usually her pattern of race or what she’s meant to be doing.” The Iffraaj five-year-old is contending a number of elite-level horses in the fillies and mares’ contest, but with a black-type focus this campaign, Gerard is happy to give her the opportunity. “Obviously it’s very tough at the even weights with some very good hoses in this race, so it’s another hard decision,” she said. “I’m not sure she’s quite up to them at 1400, but the way she won the other day, I’m welcoming her to prove me wrong. “We’re in there and we’ll have a go, but the main thing for her this season is getting black-type. I don’t know where, but she’s going super.” Gerard’s other representative at Pukekohe will be Pericles, the winner of last season’s Listed Uncle Remus Stakes (1200m), who contends with a horror outside draw in the Stella Artois 1500 Championship Qualifier (1400m). “A very tough gate, he hasn’t had a lot of luck with a big weight and that gate,” Gerard said. “There’s not a lot of things going in our favour, but he’s a horse with a lot of ability.” Meanwhile, Gerard’s star colt Savaglee is enjoying a short break at The Oaks Stud following his Guineas success, with plenty of discussion to come around his summer campaign. “He flew home on the Monday and has been back at the Oaks having a little rest,” Gerard said. “He’ll be back in next week, Rick (Williams, The Oaks Stud General Manager) is keeping a good eye on him. “Nothing is confirmed yet for him, we will sit down with Rick and work that out. There is a lot of water to go under the bridge before then, I’m just looking forward to getting him back in the stable and seeing how he’s come through it. “He’ll have to keep going in the right direction to be competitive in Australia or wherever he goes, but once he comes back and we assess him, we’ll finalise things.” In winning the $650,000 classic, the son of Savabeel earned Canterbury Jockey Club’s slot in the $4.5 million NZB Kiwi (1600m) in March, but no deal has been finalised at this stage. “It’s really up to Rick and Dick Karreman (owner), I’ll just do my bit in training the horse and they can point me in the right direction,” Gerard said. “It is a huge honour to be offered the spot, but we have to remember he has stallion potential, and that race doesn’t have any black-type attached to it that can enhance his career and value. Whether he needs that or not, I’m not sure.” View the full article

The four-time Group 1 winner City Of Troy (Justify) has been named Cartier Horse of the Year at the 34th Cartier Racing Awards in London on Wednesday evening. Trained by Aidan O'Brien for the Coolmore partners Sue Magnier, Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith, who received four awards on the night, City Of Troy was last year's Cartier Two-Year-Old Colt. No horse other than Frankel (GB) has won both those titles in successive years. Winner of the Derby, Coral-Eclipse and Juddmonte International this year, City Of Troy takes the Cartier Horse of the Year award ahead of stable-mate Kyprios (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), multiple Group 1-winning miler Charyn (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) and Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner Bluestocking (GB) (Camelot {GB}). He also took the title of Cartier Three-Year-Old Colt over Notable Speech (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), Rosallion (Ire) (Blue Point {Ire}) and Calandagan (Fr) (Gleneagles {Ire}). Charyn, owned by Nurlan Bizakov and trained by Roger Varian, received the Cartier Older Horse award following three Group 1 wins in the Queen Anne Stakes, Prix Jacques Le Marois and Queen Elizabeth II Stakes. The four-year-old got the nod over Bluestocking, King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes winner Goliath (Ger) (Adlerflug {Ger}) and Godolphin's globe-trotter Rebel's Romance (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}). Kyprios, owned by the partnership of Moyglare Stud Farm, Sue Magnier, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith and Westerberg and winner of the Gold Cup, Goodwood Cup, Irish St Leger and Qatar Prix du Cadran in 2024, was named Cartier Stayer for the second time. The Cartier Three-Year-Old Filly is Porta Fortuna (Ire) (Caravaggio), also a treble Group 1 winner this year of the Coronation Stakes, Falmouth Stakes and Matron Stakes. Owned by a partnership that includes Barry Fowler, Medallion Racing, Steve Weston and Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, the Donnacha O'Brien-trained filly prevailed over fellow Group 1 winners Tamfana (Ger) (Solider Hollow {GB}), Ramatuelle (Justify) and Kalpana (GB) (Study Of Man {Ire}). The Cartier Sprinter award was given to the Archie Watson-trained Bradsell (GB) (Tasleet {GB}), winner of the Nunthorpe Stakes and Flying Five for Victorious Racing. Runners-up in the category were Asfoora (Aus) (Flying Artie {Aus}), Kind Of Blue (GB) (Blue Point {Ire}) and Starlust (GB) (Zoustar {Aus}). In the juvenile division, Godolphin's Shadow Of Light (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) is the Cartier Two-Year-Old Colt after becoming the second two-year-old in 42 years to win both the Middle Park Stakes and Dewhurst Stakes. Also in contention were Henri Matisse (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), Hotazhell (GB) (Too Darn Hot {GB}) and Whistlejacket (Ire) (No Nay Never). The unbeaten Lake Victoria (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), whose top-level wins came in the Cheveley Park Stakes and Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, was named Cartier Two-Year-Old Filly over Fairy Godmother (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}), Babouche (GB) (Kodiac {GB}) and Desert Flower (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) The recipient of the Cartier/The Daily Telegraph Award of Merit in 2024 is Jessica Harrington. A former international three-day eventer for Ireland, she has become one of her country's most successful trainers across both Flat and National Hunt racing. “We are thrilled to celebrate another tremendous year of European racing and our congratulations go to all of this year's winners at the Cartier Racing Awards,” said Laurent Feniou, managing director of Cartier UK. “City Of Troy looked an exceptional colt throughout the season and he is a worthy recipient of the Cartier Horse of the Year award. We are honoured to be able to present the Cartier/The Daily Telegraph Award of Merit to Jessica Harrington, who has proved such an inspirational figure across the equestrian world.” The post City Of Troy Crowned Cartier Horse of the Year appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Every week, the TDN posts a roundup of the relevant Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA)-related rulings from around the country. Among this week's rulings, trainer Paul Valery has been banned a total 108 months and fined a combined $75,000 for several medication violations. His suspension period began on May 14 this year and concludes May 14, 2033. According to the five separate resolutions listed on the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit (HIWU)'s website, the Valery-trained Quincy Café and Pure Speight tested positive for Formestane and 4-Hydroxytestosterone–both banned steroidal substances–after winning at Gulfstream Park on Mar. 13 and Apr. 21 respectively. According to HIWU, Valery administered several controlled and banned substances to Quincy Café, who finished fourth at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 7, within the race-day period when just feed, hay and water are permitted. He was also found in possession of two products containing Dehydroepiandrosterone (a banned substance) at Gulfstream Park on May 14. NEW HISA/HIWU STEWARDS RULINGS The following rulings were reported on HISA's “rulings” portal and through the HIWU “pending” and “resolved” cases portals. Resolved ADMC Violations Date: 11/19/2024 Licensee: Isidro Castro, trainer Penalty: Disqualification of Covered Horse's Race results, including forfeiture of all purses and other compensation, prizes, trophies, points, and rankings and repayment or surrender (as applicable); a fine of $500; imposition of 1.5 Penalty Points. Admission. Explainer: Medication violation for the presence of Triamcinolene-a controlled substance (Class C)-in a sample taken from Bourbon Delight, who finished third at Hawthorne on 9/8/24. Date: 11/19/2024 Licensee: Cirilo Gorostieta, trainer Penalty: 15-day period of Ineligibility for Covered Person, beginning on November 20, 2024; Disqualification of Covered Horse's Race results, including forfeiture of all purses and other compensation, prizes, trophies, points, and rankings and repayment or surrender (as applicable); a fine of $1,000; imposition of 2 Penalty Points. Final decision by HIWU. Explainer: Medication violation for the presence of Tramadol-a controlled substance (Class B)-in a sample taken from Certain Victor E, who finished second at Belterra Park on 9/26/24. Date: 11/18/2024 Licensee: Christopher Davis, trainer Penalty: 7-day period of Ineligibility for Covered Person, beginning on November 19, 2024; Disqualification of Covered Horse's Race results, including forfeiture of all purses and other compensation, prizes, trophies, points, and rankings and repayment or surrender (as applicable); a fine of $1,000; imposition of 1.5 Penalty Points. Admission. Explainer: Medication violation for the presence of Dantrolene-a controlled substance (Class C)-in a sample taken from Morunning, who finished second at Keeneland on 10/10/24. Date: 11/15/2024 Licensee: Ruby Thomas, trainer Penalty: A fine of $500; imposition of 1.5 Penalty Points. Admission. Explainer: Vets' list medication violation for the presence of Dantrolene-a controlled substance (Class C)-in a sample taken from Crystal Proof on 10/13/24. Date: 11/14/2024 Licensee: Kelly Von Hemel, trainer Penalty: 7-day period of Ineligibility for Covered Person, beginning on November 15, 2024; Disqualification of Covered Horse's Race results, including forfeiture of all purses and other compensation, prizes, trophies, points, and rankings and repayment or surrender (as applicable); a fine of $1,000; imposition of 2 Penalty Points. Admission. Explainer: Medication violation for the presence of Cannabidiol (CBD)-a controlled substance (Class B)-in a sample taken from Jackie Sparrow, who finished second at Prairie Meadows on 8/25/24. Date: 11/14/2024 Licensee: Efren Loza, trainer Penalty: Equine anti-doping notices withdrawn. No consequences imposed. Explainer: There had been alleged vets' list medication violations for the presence of Clenbuterol-a banned substance except in strict circumstances-in samples taken from Lucago on 8/5/24 and again on 9/3/24. Date: 11/14/2024 Licensee: Robert Hess, trainer Penalty: Disqualification of Covered Horse's Race results, including forfeiture of all purses and other compensation, prizes, trophies, points, and rankings and repayment or surrender (as applicable); a fine of $500; imposition of 1.5 Penalty Points. Final decision of HIWU. Explainer: Medication violation for the presence of Tranexamic Acid-a controlled substance (Class C)-in a sample taken from Handy Dandy, who won at Del Mar on 8/25/24. Date: 11/14 and 11/15/2024 Licensee: Paul Valery, trainer Penalty: 108-month suspension for multiple violations, $75,000 fine (combined). Explainer: Medication violations for the presence of Formestane and 4-Hydroxytestosterone-both banned substances-in a sample taken from QuincyCafe, who won at Gulfstream Park on 3/13/24, and from Pure Speight, who won at Gulfstream Park on 4/21/24. Race-day medication violations for the use or attempted use of two banned substances-Gamma Aminobutyric Acid and Prasterone-as well as three controlled substances on Quincy Café, who finished fourth at Gulfstream Park on 1/7/24. And charged with possessing two products containing a banned substance on 5/14/24. Date: 11/13/2024 Licensee: Allan Shuchman, trainer Penalty: 7-day period of Ineligibility for Covered Person, beginning on November 14, 2024; Disqualification of Covered Horse's Race results, including forfeiture of all purses and other compensation, prizes, trophies, points, and rankings and repayment or surrender (as applicable); a fine of $1,000; imposition of 2 Penalty Points. Admission. Explainer: Medication violation for the presence of Capsaicin-a controlled substance (Class C)-in a sample taken from Wahoowa Wahoowa, who won at Penn National on 10/23/24. Date: 11/13/2024 Licensee: Chief Stipe O'Neill, trainer Penalty: Disqualification of Covered Horse's Race results, including forfeiture of all purses and other compensation, prizes, trophies, points, and rankings and repayment or surrender (as applicable); a fine of $500; imposition of 1.5 Penalty Points. Admission. Explainer: Use or attempted use of a Class C controlled medication on I'llhaveanotherwon during the race period on 8/24/24. According to the case resolution, “on August 24, 2024, prior to Race 10 at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, California, an employee of Mr. O'Neill administered an equine supplement product to the Covered Horse I'llhaveanotherwon,” when “only feed, hay, and water are permitted during the Race Period.” Pending ADMC Violations 11/19/2024, Amador Sanchez, trainer: Pending medication violations for the presence of Lidocaine-a controlled substance (Class B)-in samples taken from Mayheminthepalace, who won at Remington Park on 10/4/24, and from Excuses, who finished second at Remington Park on 10/6/24. 11/15/2024, Matt Hebert, trainer: Pending medication violation for the presence of Acepromazine-a controlled substance (Class C)-in a sample taken from Ranch Badge, who won at Remington Park on 9/5/24. 11/15/2024, Efron Loza, Jr., trainer: Provisional suspension for the use or attempted use of Clenbuterol-a banned substance except in strict circumstances-on the horse Lucago on an event dated 8/5/24. Violations of Crop Rule Due to current technical issues with the HISA rulings website, we will update next week's weekly rulings with any crop violations from this week. The post Stewards and Commissions Rulings, Nov 14-20 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

A deep nine-race card, including two stakes, kicks off opening day, Nov. 22, of the 153rd season of racing at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots in New Orleans. View the full article

The last few weeks have been and will continue to be important ones for Mark Cornett's C2 Racing Stable, which he owns alongside his brother Clint. A few weeks ago, the Cornett brothers won the GI PNC Bank Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint with longshot Soul of an Angel (Atreides). And later this week, their stable's star, GI Longines Breeders' Cup Classic winner White Abarrio (Race Day), will have first start since finishing a disappointing fifth in the GI Metropolitan Handicap June 8. He'll run in an allowance race Friday at Gulfstream Park, one that will, Cornett said, go a long way toward determining his future. To talk about White Abarrio, Soul of an Angel and why, with White Abarrio, they have been playing musical chairs when it comes to their trainers, Mark Cornett joined our team his week on TDN Writers' Room Podcast presented by Keeneland. “Not only does [White Abarrio] have to run well Friday, he's got to run great,” Cornett said. “We got a lot of balls in the air right now. We've got the Japanese looking at him to buy him as a stallion prospect. So, that's one option we've got. Then we have a partner on the horse, [His Royal Highness] Prince Faisal [bin Khaled bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud]. The whole point is we're here in this race to run him one more year and then turn him over to the breeding shed.” White Abarrio was trained by Saffie Joseph, Jr. for about a year-and-a-half before he was replaced by Richard Dutrow Jr. The Cornetts did not want to replace Joseph but their hands were tied when he was temporarily banned by Churchill Downs because he had two horses euthanized during a period in 2023 where horse safety had become a huge issue for Churchill. Neither horse passed away due to a muskoskeletal injury. At first, it appeared to be a smart move as Dutrow was able to win the 2023 GI Whitney Stakes and the Classic with White Abarrio. But he wasn't the same horse when kicking off his 2024 campaign. He was tenth in the GI Saudi Cup and a non-threatening fifth in his return trip to the Met Mile. “I just wasn't happy after the Met Mile performance,” Cornett said. “I'm big on getting information. I manage all my own horses for the stable C2. And if you can't get accurate information, it's puts you in a bind on managing the horse. Whether it's running times, whether it's running in the right race, mapping out a campaign, selling the horse at the right time. Whatever it is, you have to get accurate information. It's the very small details that matter in this business. If you can't get the small details right, then you're at a disadvantage. “One thing Saffie and I built up is a relationship where I get very accurate information and what he tells me turns out to be the case,” said Cornett. “When I buy a horse, I have expectations for that horse and what I think the horse can accomplish. We have a very good dialogue and game plan on that. Information is the key to clicking on all cylinders.” Soul of Angel has improved dramatically in her last two starts and it appears the reason why is the decision to turn her back to sprinting. Prior to the Breeders' Cup, she earned her ticket by capturing the Princess Rooney Stakes at Gulfstream, which was also at seven furlongs. “I told Saffie when we bought her that one turn is what we want to do,” he said. “How short? We don't know, but let's take a shot in the [GII] Ruffian [Stakes], which she won. That kind of proved our thought process there. She ran so good there, bu there were really no one-turn races coming up. So what we decided to do is stretch her out around two turns. She ran okay in the Personal Ensign. But, yes, the Breeders' Cup win proved she's much better around one turn.” In our 'Breeding Spotlight' section we looked at the WinStar stallion Nashville, and in the 'News You Can Use' segment, presented by Darley Europe, Emma Berry joined to discuss the European foal and breeding stock sales. Elsewhere on the podcast, which is also sponsored by the Pennsylvania Horse Breeders' Association, West Point Thoroughbreds, WinStar, Darley America, the KTOB and XBTV.com, the team of Zoe Cadman, Bill Finley and Randy Moss expressed their opinions on the comeback of GISW and 'TDN Rising Star' Tamara (Bolt d'Oro), a daughter of the great Beholder. Making her 2024 debut, the filly lost by a nose against optional claimers at Del Mar on Friday, Nov. 15 when she was beaten by the undefeated Sandy Bottom (Omaha Beach). Moss and Finley said they were disappointed by the effort, while Cadman said she expects to see a much improved Tamara when she contests the GI La Brea Stakes next month in Arcadia. Sticking with the California theme, Santa Anita ran a pair of stakes races for 2-year-olds over the weekend and even though he did not win either of them, Bob Baffert dominated the entries. The Hall of Famer had four of the five starters entered in Saturday's Desi Arnaz Stakes at the seaside oval. Though this is clearly not his fault, Baffert's dominance is a problem. To have one trainer control so many top horses can lead to nothing short of an unappealing racing product. What can be done about it? Probably nothing. But Moss suggested that tracks should look into a rule that would put a cap on how many different horses a trainer can run during a given meet. To watch the Writers' Room, click here. To view the show as a podcast, click here. The post Mark Cornett Joins TDN Writers’ Room Podcast appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Accumulating $158,000 by betting More Than Looks in the Breeders' Cup Mile (G1T), Steven Wells, a bar owner from Fordville, N.D., won a record-setting edition of the Breeders' Cup Betting Challenge.View the full article

Rigney Racing's 'TDN Rising Star' Jonathan's Way (Vekoma), seventh at a well-backed 5-1 in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Del Mar, is being aimed at the GII Kentucky Jockey Club at Churchill Downs Nov. 30. The previously unbeaten GIII Iroquois Stakes winner returned to trainer Phil Bauer's Louisville base with a five-furlong bullet in :58.80 (1/76) Nov. 16. “Hopefully, we'll put that behind us and run well in the Jockey Club,” Bauer said. “He's shown great energy since he shipped home. That's the main reason why we even considered it. This last breeze didn't seem to take anything out of him. He's indicating to us that he's in good shape and ready to go.” The $290,000 Keeneland November weanling purchase kicked off his career with an eye-catching, come-from-behind debut victory going six furlongs at Saratoga Aug. 17, then wired 10 rivals in the one-turn mile Iroquois beneath the Twin Spires Sept. 14. Headstrong beneath Joel Rosario in the early stages of the Juvenile, Jonathan's Way raced in between horses in fifth through fractions of :23.44 and :47.89 and never really got going while finishing seven lengths behind front-running winner Citizen Bull (Into Mischief). The Juvenile was Jonathan's Way's first try around two turns. “Overall, pretty disappointed in the whole trip out there,” Bauer said. “Definitely think he's way better than that. Turn the page. We talked long and hard after the Breeders' Cup–the goal is the (Kentucky) Derby–so we felt like sitting on him until the end of January for the first Fair Grounds prep might not be in his favor coming off a race like that.” Bauer continued, “We tried to educate him a little more the other morning getting him behind some horses and he seemed to handle it better than he did in the race. I think everything is natural progression with racing and young horses. Hopefully, he'll learn from it and both our team and Joel learned a little more about him, too.” Bauer concluded, “We're gonna run in the Jockey Club and hopefully end the year on a better note than the Breeders' Cup.” One of five stakes winners from the first crop of Vekoma, Jonathan's Way was produced by the stakes-winning Indian Charlie mare Female Drama. The post Disappointing Seventh in Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, ‘Rising Star’ Jonathan’s Way Targeting Kentucky Jockey Club 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 son of G1 Coronation Stakes winner Fallen For You (GB) (Dansili {GB}). 6.00 Southwell, Novice, £6,300, 2yo, 8f 13y (AWT) WRITTEN FOR YOU (IRE) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) is a notable debutante for John and Thady Gosden during a spell that warrants close attention paid to the yard's runners as a son of the G1 Coronation Stakes heroine Fallen For You (GB) (Dansili {GB}. Normandie Stud's homebred, who is also a half-brother to the multiple group winner Glorious Journey (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), is up against the experienced Charlie Johnston runner Pride Of Donegal (Ire) (Saxon Warrior {Jpn}), the 12th foal out of the G1 Champion Stakes heroine Pride (Fr) (Peintre Celebre). 5.30 Southwell, Novice, £6,300, 2yo, 8f 13y (AWT) GAMRAI (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) is another newcomer from the Gosdens' Clarehaven base to catch the eye on this card, being a half-brother to the G2 Duke Of Cambridge Stakes winner Aljazzi (GB) (Shamardal). Imad Al Sagar's homebred encounters the race-fit Ar Rayyan (Ire) (Siyouni {Fr}), Al Shaqab's son of their G1 Coronation Stakes and G1 Prix Rothschild heroine Qemah (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}) who was fourth on debut at Kempton last month. The post Lope De Vega Son Of Fallen For You Debuts At Southwell appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The win by More Than Looks (More Than Ready) in the GI FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile netted $158,000 for Steven Wells's bankroll in the Breeders' Cup Betting Challenge (BCBC), pushing him to a win in the Nov. 1-2 contest. Wells, a 51-year-old bar owner from Fordville, North Dakota, topped a record 585 entries to win the 16th annual BCBC, Thoroughbred racing's biggest live-money tournament. “I am very satisfied,” said Wells. “I've won a lot of live money tournaments, but this is the biggest.” With tournament players wagering on the 41st Breeders' Cup World Championships at Del Mar, each player was required to fund a $2,500 buy-in and a $7,500 betting bankroll. All buy-in monies were applied to the prize pool, making a record total prize pool of $1,462,500. Players made real wagers with their bankroll over the two days and 22 races, keeping all wagering earnings. The 2024 tournament players generated nearly $7.3 million in wagering handle. Combined with his first-place prize of $421,200, Wells earned $573,200 from the BCBC. Runner-up was Tyler Sprague of Las Vegas, Nev., who took home a total of $411,400. Tyler Hoffman of Sylmar, Calif. was third and earned $267,600. In addition to those wagering at Del Mar, players participated in the BCBC from official satellite locations at Gulfstream Park, Monmouth Park, and Santa Anita Park, as well as online. Complete tournament results are available here. The post Bar Owner from North Dakota Wins Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

For the first time since the spring of 2021, when he began serving what was ultimately more than a three-year suspension by track operator Churchill Downs Inc., Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert has a horse in competition at Churchill Downs.View the full article