Wandering Eyes

A runaway leader on the way to a 10th training championship from 17 attempts; within reach of John Moore’s prize money record with a third of a season left; market dominance in two of the three Group Ones and chances in all of them – John Size goes to the Champions Day stage at the peak of his powers. His freshly minted 94-win record from last year’s championship is looking vaguely vulnerable and the 63-year-old’s yard bristles with not just a great team of high-class... View the full article

The cramped overnight odds look a misleading guide to his chances but the John Size-trained Ping Hai Star can place his name alongside up with some local legends by winning the HK$24 million Audemars Piguet QE II Cup at Sha Tin. Ping Hai Star (Joao Moreira) looked every bit the real deal with his last-to-first Derby win to overwhelm his own age group last month. If he was guaranteed to turn up like that again and with the right pace in the race for him, then he might be a legitimate short-odds... View the full article

Zac Purton’s magnificent midweek effort at Happy Valley breathed new life into the jockeys’ championship and put him ahead in a key statistic but rival Joao Moreira says he is ready for the challenge of a thrilling title chase. Each of Moreira’s three consecutive championships has been a walkover, with the margin to Purton, who has been second on each occasion, 50, 88 and 64 victories. Purton put in one of the greatest riding displays ever witnessed at the iconic venue on... View the full article

Trainer Tony Cruz has been left scrambling to find a new jockey to ride recalcitrant galloper Pakistan Star in tomorrow’s Audemars Piguet QEII Cup after Australian Kerrin McEvoy was stood down from riding today and banned from flying because of an ear infection. McEvoy was because of be a late call up for Pakistan Star after Brazilian Silvestre de Sousa was unable to arrange suitable flights from England to take the ride. McEvoy had just won a race at Hawkesbury, near Sydney, when he was... View the full article

The Ocala Breeders’ Sales Company’s April Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds concluded another record-setting renewal Friday in Central Florida, with a filly by Medaglia d’Oro (hip 1197) putting an exclamation point on a power-packed four days when selling for a sale-topping $1.1 million to bloodstock agent Steve Young. The 2017 edition of the April sale set records for gross, average and median and all three figures were bettered in 2018. In all, 698 juveniles grossed $68,735,500, up from the 2017 gross of $60,935,900 for 678 horses sold. The average of $98,475 was up 9.6% from last year’s record figure of $89,876. The median rose 15.8% to $55,000. “We are extremely happy with the sale,” said OBS Director of Sales Tod Wojciechowski. “There were records across the board and we finished with a flurry. The last horse through the ring brought $300,000 and the last 10 horses through the ring were all sales. Average is up, median up, gross up, RNAs down, it was a very good horse sale. We were very pleased with last year setting records, to think we would wheel back and not just barely get past the record mark, but do it in every category is very gratifying. It’s a testament to the quality of product our consignors brought to the market and the buyers recognizing that good horses come out of this sale.” With the double-digit increase in median, consignors agreed the middle-market was stronger than in recent years. “I think the market is great,” said Randy Miles. “We have had some horses that are below average, but we are still finding homes for them. So it seems like it’s a great market from top to bottom. Competition was still fierce at the top, according to Michael O’Farrell, whose Ocala Stud sold the sale’s lone seven-figure juvenile, but activity continued throughout the market. “I think the market is fine,” O’Farrell said. “The market at the top is very strong. In the middle and towards the bottom has gotten better, I feel. The middle has gotten better and consigners should be happy.” The catalogue of 1,222 was whittled down by 370 outs, but of the 852 juveniles offered at the auction, 698 sold for a sparkling buy-back rate of 18.1%. The April sale has rapidly evolved over the last several years and has turned into the bellweather auction of the juvenile sales season. The transition has left some consignors wondering what an April prospect is. “[OBS President] Tom Ventura said it the other day and I think he is dead right,” said Ciaran Dunne of Wavertree Stables. “This is not your grandfather’s April sale. We had a good sale. We moved a good percentage of them, but we came here with April horses and people came here with March horses, so it is hard to compete. You scratch your head and wonder where you go with April horses from now on. The market is great, but it is hard to compete with Tapits and half-brothers to juvenile champions when you show up with your typical April horse. You can’t complain about the market. It is strong enough. You just have to have what they want.” The OBS trio of juvenile sales concludes with the June Sale, which will be held June 12-14. Young Saves the Best for Last Bloodstock agent Steve Young was active throughout all four sessions of OBS April, but he saved the best for last in his series of purchases, winning a heated battle late in Friday’s final session to take home a Medaglia d’Oro filly for a sale-topping $1.1 million. Hip 1197 was the only seven-figure purchase of the auction. When asked what attracted him to the filly, Young was momentarily at a loss for words. “It is always nice when you don’t know where to start,” Young said. “She is very good on the racetrack. Her breeze was terrific. She is by a tremendous sire, which goes without saying. She is out of a Carson City mare and that basically speaks for itself too. Young continued, “She is from Mr. Currin’s family and he was always a nice guy to me. He trained his own horses and did very well. She is also a half-sister to Stormello (Stormy Atlantic).” Bred by the Estate of William L. Currin, Hip 1197 is out of Wilshewed, who is also the dam of GISW Stormello, GSWs My Best Brother (Stormy Atlantic) and Gala Award (Bernardini); GISP ‘TDN Rising Star” Cherry Lodge (Bernardini); and GSP Greatest Game (Giant’s Causeway). The :9 4/5 bullet worker was purchased by Jeff Weiss’s Rosedown Racing for $300,000 at Keeneland September and was consigned here by Randy Bradshaw. “She had all the goods,” Bradshaw said. “She jumped through all the hoops and I think she is a very special filly. Steve bought her and they will have a lot of fun with her. She is as good as it gets.” Bradshaw added, “Jeff Weiss is a great guy and I am glad they had a great sale. He mostly races and does a little pinhooking, but I think he will do a little more in the future.” Daughters of Medaglia d’Oro have been in high demand due to the exploits of Rachel Alexandra, Songbird, Plum Pretty and New Money Honey. Young bought another sale-topping daughter of the Darley sire at the Keeneland January sale earlier this term, going to $1.6 million for broodmare prospect and MGSW Mrs. McDougal. Young was the sale’s leading buyer, purchasing seven juveniles for a total of $2.605 million. —@CDeBernardisTDN Stonestreet, E 5 Team for Kantharos Colt Barbara Banke of Stonestreet Stables and Bob Edwards of eFive Racing will meet up next week in Louisville to watch their juvenile champion Good Magic (Curlin) compete in the GI Kentucky Derby. The partnership warmed up for the big event with a major purchase at the OBS April sale, going to $800,000 to acquire a colt by Stonestreet stallion Kantharos. Mike Ryan and John Moynihan sat in the back row of the pavilion and saw off a determined Raymie Lightner, bidding on behalf of Rockingham Ranch, to acquire the colt (hip 1164). The juvenile was bred and consigned by Ocala Stud. “He was a special horse,” Ryan, advisor to e Five Racing, said. “We think he’s the best Kantharos we’ve seen. He’s got a lot of leg and he looks like a horse who will go two turns. We thought he would be expensive, when you see what the [freshman sire] He’s Had Enoughs are bringing and Kantharos has already shown he gets runners.” Kantharos was unbeaten in three lifetime starts for Stonestreet Stables, winning the GIII Bashford Manor S. and GII Saratoga Special in 2010. He began his stud career in Florida before relocating to Hill ‘n’ Dale in Kentucky last year. “He is a beautiful horse,” Stonestreet’s Moynihan said. “What I loved the most is that he looked just like his father. He is a taller, leaner version of his father. He looks just like him–probably looks more like him than any horse I’ve ever seen by Kantharos.” Of the partnership, Ryan added, “Bob and Barbara are great friends and we thought this would be a good horse to partner on. He’s by their sire and he’s a Florida-bred. We knew he was going to be pricey, so it made perfect sense. They are really enjoying their partnership and their friendship. So it looked like a no-brainer to us.” The chestnut colt, who worked a quarter in :20 4/5 during last week’s under-tack preview, is out of Valid Concorde (Concorde’s Tune), a full-sister to stakes winner Rocky River. “He is an extremely good-looking horse and he trained great,” said Ocala Stud’s Michael O’Farrell. “He is by a stallion that gets runners. I think they are going to love him. He is a beautiful colt, never missed a day of training and did everything right. He ticked all the boxes as they say, just a wonderful, wonderful colt.” In addition to hip 1164, Kantharos was also represented this week in Ocala by a $400,000 colt (hip 552) and a $300,000 filly (hip 1007). “I think he’s a horse that could follow in the steps of Into Mischief,” Ryan said of Kantharos. “He reminds me of Carson City because they have that incredible fire in their bellies, incredible determination. They are fast and reliable and they fight. I bought a share in the horse a couple of years ago because I loved him. He was a hell of a racehorse–he was three for three and never beaten.” Orr Digs Deep for Munnings Colt Ed Orr has been in the racing game for the better part of two decades, but the Colorado resident made his biggest splash in the sales ring Friday in Ocala, going to $700,000 to secure a colt by Munnings. “He met all our criteria,” Orr said after signing the ticket on hip 955 out back. “There are always a few things we’d like to change about one, we’d maybe be looking for a different page than we bought here, but we liked most all the boxes on him that got checked.” Consigned by Randy Miles, the juvenile is out of Senate Caucus (Siphon {Brz}) and is a half-brother to stakes-placed Avarice (Not For Love) and Fly E Dubai (E Dubai) and is from the family of Summer Bird and Tap Your Heels. “This is the most I’ve ever paid for a horse,” Orr said. “I guess this business sucks you in and you forget who you are and how you made it.” A self-professed cowboy, Orr’s business ventures have included cattle, gas and oil interests. Success in those arenas led to his involvment in racing some 15 years ago. “We have had good fortune in a lot of our business ventures,” Orr said. “I still run cattle in Colorado. That led into a real estate brockerage firm, we sell farms and ranches and that led into some land development, mostly in Colorado, and that led into the oil and gas business. We are out of the oil and gas business now, but we still have all of those other ventures going. And [racing] has turned out to be more challenging than any of those business ventures ever were.” Orr, whose sales team includes Kerry Thomas’s THT Bloodstock and trainer Tim Schuh, said he is traditionally more active at the yearling sales, but supplements his stable at the juvenile sales. “I actually like buying better at the yearling sales, but we sprinkle in some of these 2-year-olds so we can see more, some of the things we can’t see as yearlings,” he said. “We like doing that.” Of his involvement in racing, Orr added, “We started out kind of slow and we’ve just gotten more and more involved over the years. We’ve learned a lot of hard lessons along the way and this may be the biggest lesson I’ve learned right here, with the most expensive horse I’ve ever purchased. I used to rodeo a lot and when I got too old to do that, racing replaced that rodeo bug, that competitive bug, that I have.” The colt, who worked a furlong last week in :10 flat, will be trained by Steve Asmussen. Munnings Colt Continues Strong April for Miles When hip 955 sold for $700,000 to Ed Orr Friday, it was another pinhooking score for consignor Randy Miles, who has enjoyed a strong showing this week in Ocala. The juvenile was purchased for $100,000 at last year’s Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale. “I loved the horse,” Miles said of the Virginia-bred Munnings colt. “We bought him in Saratoga and he was sort of big then. He’s always been big in stature, but now he’s matured mentally. So he put it all together. He’s always been very talented, we didn’t have to prep him very much for the sales. Half of what he did on the breeze day was all him, it was not preparation. He was always fast, so we didn’t have to breeze him that often. It was all him. The horse deserves all the credit. We just got him here safe and sound.” Also Friday, Miles sold a filly by Arch (hip 967), a $90,000 Keeneland September RNA, for $190,000 and an Eskendereya colt, purchased for $43,000 at last year’s Fasig-Tipton July sale, for $180,000. Hip 1017, a colt by Candy Ride (Arg) who RNA’d for $135,000 last September, brought a final bid of $260,000. “I was nervous when I woke up this morning because I had five or six really good hroses to sell and I was just hoping it would all fall into place,” Miles said. “And luckily so far it has.” Earlier in the week, Miles sold a Strong Mandate colt (hip 144) for $550,000. The juvenile was acquired for $60,000 at last year’s Fasig-Tipton October sale. Masiello Continues Building Solo Stable Robert Masiello has been a longtime partner of West Point Thoroughbreds, teaming up with them on horses such as GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf runner-up Best Performance (Broken Vow) and MGSW Divine Oath (Broken Vow). While Masiello will continue his partnership with Terry Finley’s operation, he is now building a personal stable, which will include a $435,000 son of Midshipman purchased in Ocala Friday. West Point’s Joe Migliore signed the ticket on Masiello’s behalf on hip 1055, who is now the most expensive offspring for his Darley sire. “This was a colt we both really loved and I thought he had one of the more exceptional works of the sale, not just his session,” Migliore said of the :10 flat worker. “I really love the family as well, with a horse in New York that we have watched a little bit, Small Bear (Macho Uno), who is a nice stakes horse. I think the stallion, Midshipman, is a bit underrated. I think he is a value stallion. For an exceptional athlete, we were willing to stretch the budget.” Masiello bought a pair of juveniles at OBS March, going to $390,000 for a son of Candy Ride (Arg) and $60,000 for a Big Drama filly. “Rob’s a great owner and a tremendous guy, who is really starting to spread his wings in this game,” Migliore said. “He spent some money at OBS March and he wanted to come here and buy one nice colt. We stayed patient and had to wait a few days, but we are glad that we did.” Migliore continued, “He is looking to branch a bit on his own. He has a great relationship with Terry Finley and West Point and that is how he got his start as an owner. He is always going to own horse with West Point, but will also begin to own some singularly.” Bred by Martin lake and Serendipty Farm, Hip 1055 was purchased for $55,000 at Keeneland September by Kate Sheehan on behalf of the Wavertree Stables team. “He is typical of the sale I think,” said consignor Ciaran Dunne. “It seems that is what they want. He is a big, strong, physically imposing horse. Given his pedigree, we were scared to death when we bought him for $55,000. But, it doesn’t matter anymore, which is good because that is what we are supposed to be doing. We are supposed to be here selling athletes.” Of the colt’s development from September to now, Dunne said, “He is a late foal and in September, he was kind of a big, raw, immature colt. He has filled out and strengthened. We thought for the longest time we were going to take him to California, but we just waited and gave him a couple of weeks to come here. All the time had really benefitted him.” —@CDeBernardisTDN Goldencents Colt Tops Woodside Ranch Consignment A colt from the first crop of two-time GI Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile winner Goldencents (Into Mischief) became the highest-priced horse for Bryan Rice’s Woodside Ranch consignment when hammering to Bob Feld, who was bidding on behalf of Samantha Siegel’s Jay Em Ess Stable, for $400,000. Hip 1161 was purchased by Todd Mostoller and Commonwealth New Era Racing for $235,000 at Keeneland September. Bred by Deann and Greg Baer, the bay colt is out of Urloveisasymphony (Forest Wildcat) and breezed in :10 flat. “Todd Mostoller, a gentleman from Pennsylvania that I’ve done business with in the past, bought him as a yearling,” said Rice, a son of well-known horseman Clyde Rice, who passed away last year. “He has an investment group and he wanted to gather a couple of nice horses and either pinhook them or race them and give them a chance either way they took us. This horse really struck all the right boxes and met the mark. The other filly [Hip 802], we will go on and race. We are happy on all counts.” Rice sold three other horses by Spendthrift’s Goldencents at OBS April, Hip 26, a $100,000 colt; Hip 173, a $40,000 filly; and Hip 935, a $65,000 filly. When asked his impressions on the young sire’s first foals, Rice said, “I had four foals by Goldencents this year and all of them were very likeable horses with a lot of strength and character and really trained well. I think this stallion has a really good chance. This colt in particular was just perfect in every corner. He never had a bad day and just developed continuously and I think he will keep going forward.” —@CDeBernardisTDN He’s Had Enough Colt Pays off for Envision Brittany Dallaire and Jonathan Poole’s Envision Equine, which set a highwater mark with the $450,000 sale of a Violence colt at last year’s OBS April sale, bettered that mark Friday in Ocala when bloodstock agent Dennis O’Neill purchased a colt by freshman sire He’s Had Enough (hip 1158) for $485,000. The couple purchased the youngster, out of Up for Grabs (First Samurai), for $35,000 at last year’s OBS October sale. “We had no idea where to put him as far as price ranges,” Dallaire admitted after the transaction. “The sale has been all over the place, but the horse has been a good horse. He jumped through all the hoops and people have liked him. His pedigree was a little light and he’s by a new sire, so we weren’t sure how much he would bring. We knew he would do really well, but we weren’t sure how well.” The colt worked a co-bullet quarter last week in :20 3/5. Of the gray colt’s appeal as a yearling, Dallaire, who aims to pinhook between 10 and 15 horses a year, said, “My boyfriend Jonathan and I picked him out here in October. We loved the individual. We can’t really afford the big sires with a good individual, so we just go with the good individual and kind of forgive what’s on paper a little bit and hope they do this. He had the same frame [last fall], but’s he’s gotten bigger and stronger and better.” He’s Had Enough had a strong showing in Ocala this week. In addition to hip 1158, he was also represented by a $370,000 colt (hip 276) and a $320,000 colt (hip 305). City Zip Colt Headed to California The team behind Jed Cohen’s Red Baron’s Barn and his son Tim Cohen’s Rancho Temescal returned to California after Thursday’s session of OBS April, but that did not stop them from purchasing a $400,000 colt from the penultimate crop of the late City Zip. Former jockey turned bloodstock agent Kyle Kaenel signed the ticket on Hip 943 on the Cohens behalf. “He is a nice bodied colt and seemed to have a pretty good mind,” said Tim Cohen when reached by phone Friday back home in California. “He had a nice breeze [in :10 flat]. We have been working the sale with Mark Glatt and Jeff Mullins, who train for us, and it was a consensus pick.” As for the price, Cohen said, “That is the price I expected for that one. In the preceding days, I think we spent a little bit more than we thought we’d have to on some of the horses. It was a tough sale on the buying side.” The Cohens, who have about 30 horses in training, in addition to a dozen 2-year-olds, bought a total of six horses throughout the four-day OBS April sale with Hip 943 being the most expensive. The father-son team also purchased Hip 711, a $350,000 Jimmy Creed filly; Hip 356, a $250,000 Point of Entry colt; Hip 886, a $90,000 son of Hard Spun; Hip 178, a $75,000 colt by City Zip; and Hip 740, a $55,000 son of With Distinction. “I am Rancho Temescal and my dad Jed Cohen is Red Baron Barn,” Cohen said. “My dad has been running horses for about 55 years and is still very active. Usually we buy 2-year-olds and buy in Europe, at least lately. Typically we look at turf horses. They seem to last longer.” Bred by George Krikorian, the son of Screen Gem (Dynaformer) was purchased by Brad Grady’s Grand Oaks for $150,000 at Keeneland September and was consigned to this sale by Bobby Dodd. The Dodd/Grady team was responsible for last year’s record-setting OBS April topper Conquistador (Tiznow), a $125,000 KEESEP yearling turned $2.45 million juvenile purchase. “We bought him in September. We liked everything about him,” Dodd said. “City Zip was a really solid sire. All of them are just really hard-knocking good horses. He was just a really good individual and exceeded his reserve so we are happy. I was expecting the $250,000 to $300,000 range.” —@CDeBernardisTDN Fazza Racing Busy at OBS The OBS April sale attracted an eclectic buying bench from across the globe and representatives of the Dubai-based Fazza Racing Stable were particularly active at the four-day auction, purchasing 15 juveniles for $1.07 million. The group’s top priced acquisition was a filly by Rattlesnake Bridge (hip 1071), who was purchased for $165,000. “Fazza Racing Stable is primarily the stable for the crown prince [Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum], but we have some new owners, some of them had horses before and some of them haven’t,” explained Jennifer Reggio, who was accompanied at the auction by Majed Almorzooqi and the horses were signed under the name of that owner. “They are very interested in American racing and breeding and we are trying to bring some fresh blood into Dubai.” It was the second year Reggio had purchased for the group at the April sale. “We got a few last year in April,” she said. “We had a lot of help from Bradley Weisbord and Liz Crow. This year, we were sent here by a couple of the owners and they wanted to see what we could do by ourselves. So I really give credit to Brad and Liz who helped us so much last year.” Asked what the group looked for in horses to be sent to Dubai, Reggio said, “We’re primarily dirt, we do have some turf racing, but we look for dirt horses and distance, we don’t have too many sprint races, so anything two turns on the dirt is really interesting for us. We did take a couple that could be better for turf or sprint, but the way we see it, we would like to think we could come back to the U.S. and run the horses here. So we are open to joining the racing here also.” Since the Dubai racing season won’t get underway until November, Reggio thinks she and her team were able to find some bargains in the 2-year-old market. “I have to say it was a pretty fair sale, the prices were good, especially on the ones that we got for a lot less than I thought,” Reggio said. “Of course, everyone is looking for different things and some people are more afraid of vet reports and things like that. Fortunately for us, we are not running soon. Our season starts in early November, so we have a lot of time to give the babies. So it’s not like we are here locally and we need to send them to the races in the next 30 or 60 days. They will get a nice break, which we really like, to give the babies some time off.” Reggio is hoping to return to Ocala next spring and may be back in the U.S. even sooner. “I hope we will be back for next year’s 2-year-old sales,” she said. “There is a small chance a couple of owners will look for yearlings to possibly do some pinhooking ourselves. They are horsemen and they love the horses. It’s not new to them by far, but coming over this way is a new venture for a couple of them.” View the full article

Keeneland closed its 2018 spring meet April 27 with an all-sources handle total of more than $157 million. View the full article

Curatolo suspended for two days View the full article

A grade 2 winner at a mile and a quarter, Matthew Schera's Isotherm will try something entirely different in the $100,000 San Simeon Stakes (G3T) April 29 at Santa Anita Park. View the full article

The added distance of the 1 1/2-mile Bewitch Stakes (G3T) proved a good fit for Mom's On Strike, who took command in midstretch on her way to a 3 1/4-length victory April 27 at Keeneland, closing day of the spring meet. View the full article

The added distance of the 1 1/2-mile Bewitch Stakes (G3T) proved a good fit for Mom's On Strike, who took command in midstretch on her way to about a 2 1/2-length victory April 27 at Keeneland, closing day of the spring meet. View the full article

Magnum Moon, Audible, Vino Rosso, and Noble Indy each gained the approval of their trainer April 27 after the first three each covered a half-mile in their final tune ups, with Noble Indy going five furlongs. View the full article

On the first Saturday in May, Bob Baffert will saddle Justify as the favorite in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1). Before that, though, comes the last Saturday in April. View the full article

It took the better part of four days, but the OBS April sale finally had its first seven-figure transaction when bloodstock agent Steve Young made a final bid of $1.1 million to secure a daughter of Medaglia d’Oro late in Friday’s final session of the four-day auction. Consigned by Randy Bradshaw, the bay filly is out of Wilshewed (Carson City) and is a half-sister to Grade I winner Stormello (Stormy Atlantic) and graded winners My Best Brother (Stormy Atlantic) and Gala Award (Bernardini). The filly, who was a $300,000 Keeneland September yearling, worked a co-fastest furlong in :9 4/5 at last week’s under-tack preview. View the full article

Trainer Chad Brown, who has been overseeing the final preparatory moves of Kentucky Derby contender Good Magic (Curlin) at Churchill Downs in Louisville, arrived at Keeneland in Lexington Friday morning to observe the works by several other members of his team. Chief among them, undefeated Rushing Fall (More Than Ready) worked four furlongs in company in :48.40 on a fast dirt track after the morning renovation break. Victorious in Keenealand’s GIII Jessamine S. in October, she closed out the season with a score in the GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Del Mar in November. Among the juvenile filly finalists for the 2017 season, she returned this term with a win in the GII Appalachian S. Apr. 8. Campaigned by e Five Racing Thoroughbreds, the three-year-old is scheduled to depart Keeneland (today) Saturday ahead of a tilt at Friday’s GIII Edgewood S. The filly has also has been nominated to the one-mile G1 Coronation June 22 at Royal Ascot in England. “After speaking with owner Bob Edwards, he had a change of heart and wanted to run her one more time in Kentucky,” offered Brown in regards to Rushing Fall’s schedule. “If she bounced out of the Appalachian well, which she did, we wanted to give her every opportunity to show she’s ready to run again.” He added, “Based on what I just saw (in her breeze), she looks great.” View the full article

Stonestreet Stables and e Five Racing joined forces on a $1 million Curlin colt two years ago at Keeneland September, which turned out pretty well as that colt, now named Good Magic, went on to win the GI BC Juvenile and an Eclipse award and is now headed to the GI Kentucky Derby. The two powerhouse operations teamed up once again at OBS Friday for an $800,000 son of Kantharos, who was just recently relocated from Ocala Stud, which bred and consigned Hip 1164, to Hill ‘n’ Dale. Out of Valid Concorde (Concorde’s Tune), the colt breezed in a snappy :20 4/5. View the full article

Jumps rider Katie Walsh announced her retirement from the saddle moments after piloting Antey (Ger) (Lord of England {Ger}) to win the SalesSense International Novice Hurdle at Punchestown on Friday. The 33-year-old Walsh, who rode 158 winners over jumps in Ireland and six in Britain, including two Group 1 wins, told Racing Post, “I’ve been thinking about it for a while and it’s on to the next chapter in life. I wanted to go out on a winner and I said to myself that I’d retire whenever I rode my next winner, whether it be here at Punchestown or wherever. I’ve had a marvellous career and I’ve unbelievable memories. I wanted to go out on my own terms and everyone is here, my husband Ross and my family. I couldn’t have picked a better place.” View the full article

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Today’s Observations features a pricey yearling from the immediate family of Quarter Moon and Yesterday. 4.30 Leicester, Cond, £7,000, 3yo, 10fT LOVEISILI (GB) (Dansili {GB}), represents the Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum-Roger Varian connection and is a 650,000gns TATOCT purchase who makes his debut against seven rivals. A G1 Epsom Derby entry, he is out of a full-sister to the G1SWs Quarter Moon (Ire) (Sadler’s Wells) and Yesterday (Ire) (Sadler’s Wells), as well as three other significant black-type performers for that great sire. View the full article

• Two-time GI Kentucky Derby-winning trainer Todd Pletcher put his 2018 arsenal on full display Friday morning at Churchill Downs under a cloudless sky with four workers. Streaking GI Xpressbet Florida Derby winner Audible (Into Mischief) worked a half-mile in :49.40 (39/75); unbeaten GI Arkansas Derby winner and ‘TDN Rising Star’ Magnum Moon (Malibu Moon) worked a half-mile in :47.40 (4/75); Vino Rosso (Curlin), winner of the GII Wood Memorial S., worked a bullet half-mile in :47.20 (1/75); and ‘TDN Rising Star’ Noble Indy (Take Charge Indy), a game winner of the GII Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby, worked five furlongs in 1:01.60 (24/43). “This was an important day and we got perfect conditions,” Pletcher said. “All four handled the surface well. Sometimes you come in and worry that they won’t like the track, but they all got over it well.” Pletcher continued, “Magnum Moon was very good and had good energy. He galloped out strong and I was very happy with him. Audible was very good. Javier [Castellano] was happy with him. Vino Rosso was good and Johnny [Velazquez] was happy with him. All three of those were similar with Magnum Moon and Vino Rosso quicker and Audible a good gallop out. Noble Indy showed good energy and Florent [Geroux] got along well with him.” • The undefeated GI Santa Anita Derby winner and ‘TDN Rising Star’ Justify (Scat Daddy) posted his final official workout in advance of the Kentucky Derby at Santa Anita Park, breezing seven furlongs in 1:25.20 (1/1) under Drayden Van Dyke. Santa Anita clockers recorded splits of :24.60, :36.40, :48.40, 1:00.60 and 1:12.60. “That’s what you want to see,” Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert said. “You want to see a horse that’s enjoying what he’s doing. He worked well and got something out of it. I was either going to work him tomorrow or today and I moved it up an extra day because he’s going to leave on Monday.” • Lone Sailor (Majestic Warrior), narow runner-up in the Louisiana Derby, breezed a half-mile in :48 (13/75) beneath the Twin Spires Friday. “A lot of people get caught up in his fast workout times,” trainer Tom Amoss said. “That’s just who he is. He naturally works that fast so I’d be worried if he went slower. He will still need to improve. It’s a very deep field this year.” View the full article

My first experience of watching the Kentucky Derby as an owner (a very small stake) turned out to be…well, dangerous. Now, when I called the race for a number of years I could have sold my TV/VIP credential and bought a mid-sized car. I chose not to and stay employed. My calling position was seven or eight stories above the track, directly on the finish line with totally unencumbered views of the race from within an enclosed glass booth, replete with a security guard to boot. Pretty safe. But for Derby 2017, I was a fan and not cocooned in my commodious compartment. I was a fan of Always Dreaming (Bodemeister) and a part of the ownership stake that West Point Thoroughbreds had in the colt. So, for my first Derby as a civilian in over 25 years, I had a seat near my compatriots in an area facing the paddock. That was fine with me–I had seen the track view so many times over the decades and it was refreshing to check out the paddock scene. And unlike my working days, my ticket included an open bar. Nothing wrong with that. So, the afternoon turns to early evening and “My Old Kentucky Home” time approaches. I had made my way to the paddock to get near the big horse. Maybe snap a selfie. I must admit I had never experienced any thrill like this before. Admittedly…I felt pretty damn cool. Luckily, no one took my pulse rate. I would have been hospitalized immediately. Now, given my status as a minor shareholder, I stayed back a few feet behind the main principles: Vinnie Viola, Anthony Bonomo, Anthony Manganaro and Terry Finley of West Point. But I still managed that selfie. Hey, I was a tourist that day. The horses made their way onto the track. My Old Kentucky Home” wafts above and, sorry, but the song never made me weep. It was always a bad idea to be crying five minutes before you have to call the Derby. And I am not so lachrymose to begin with. Anyway…I take my dry-eyed self to the tunnel that leads from the paddock to the track. I’ll watch the race from there on the big screen infield TV across the track. And, should we win, I could have quick access to the winner’s circle across the track. Post time. 160,000 scream in unison. My heart rate is now at an incalculable rate. I am at my viewing point, standing in the tunnel up against the wall. I catch a glimpse of the tops of the horses as the huge field streaks past us. I redirect my attention to the big TV screen and then all hell breaks loose. People in the tunnel scream, “Get out of the way! Move it! Move!!!” In a flash, the red-coated outrider aloft his horse has a hold of Thunder Snow (Helmet {Aus}) and his blue-silked jockey Christophe Soumillon. People scattering, shrieking, getting the hell out of the way. I had nowhere to go. I was literally up against the wall. And coming toward me is this huge, bug-eyed animal in a panic. Turns out just as the Derby gate had opened, the Dubai-based Thunder Snow, totally unaccustomed to American racing, the muddy track conditions and 160,000 roaring maniacs just went bonkers. He was buck jumping down the track like a rodeo bull. Dangerous situation. The outrider, who did a great job by the way, had to get this very distraught and upset Thoroughbred out of harm’s way. And that way was taking him off the track and through the tunnel into the paddock all while the Derby was in full progress. And here he is scaring me to death. I swear he looked me right in the eye. Now, I must admit I am a bit afraid of horses. I never have gotten close to them because they make me sneeze and I have never felt comfortable in their company. Don’t accuse me of not loving horses. I love them as much as anyone. But I love them from a distance. That distance was now about six inches. The agitated 1,000 pounds of muscle and sinew wheeled his rear end into perfect striking position toward my person. The resulting kick would have made for a most eventful or perhaps final Derby memory for me. I was now pretty much pinned to wall and managed to push his back end away from me and just as I did that…the outrider straightened him out and they raced toward the paddock. Whew! I shake my head trying to compose myself and get my heartrate somewhere below 300 beats a minute. And then I realize…OMG! Always Dreaming. The Derby! I had missed most of the race being part of this commotion. By now the horses are three furlongs from home. I ask the girl next to me, `Where is Always Dreaming?’ He’s in front. OMG. PS: Where are they now? Always Dreaming won the Derby but did not fare well the rest of the year. Turns out he had ulcers. He is fine now and is running on Oaks Day at Churchill Downs in the $400,000 GII Alysheba S. Thunder Snow is back home where he won the $10,000,000 G1 Dubai World Cup and is considered by many to be the best dirt horse in training in the world. View the full article

Off at an ultimately generous even money, MIGHTY SCARLETT (f, 3, Scat Daddy–Thundering Emilia, by Thunder Gulch) made light work of things to graduate at second asking on closing day at Keeneland to become the newest ‘TDN Rising Star’. The chestnut, exiting a runner-up effort on the Tampa Bay Derby undercard Mar. 10, allowed whatever speed there was to clear and was guided down towards the inside to sit fourth with a lap to travel. Allowed to lob along from that position as the pace slackened through the middle stages, she was joined to her outside by her chief market rival Smart Shot (Skipshot) nearing the half-mile marker, but Mighty Scarlett was asked for some run and was alongside pacesetting Dayfa (Tiznow) as they raced around the turn. Held together into the lane by Jose Ortiz, Mighty Scarlett kicked anew into the final furlong and a half and sped away to romp by about five lengths. First-starter Brie’s Lucky Charm (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) ran on nicely to finish a highly promising second, while Smart Shot held for third. The win was the 12th from just 22 starters at the boutique meet for trainer Chad Brown. Lifetime Record: 2-1-1-0. O-Long Lake Stable LLC, Head of Plains Partners, Doheny Racing Stable & Thomas Coleman; B-Teneri Farm Inc & Bernardo Alvarez Calderon (KY); T-Chad Brown. View the full article

The official inauguration of ParisLongchamp racecourse takes place on Sunday despite the fact that the track opened three weeks ago and has already held five meetings. France Galop president Edouard de Rothschild has been pleased with the response to the new facilities so far, both from the horsemen and the racing public, and admits that adjustments have been made in line with feedback received. “Anybody who’s moved into a new house knows that you need time to adjust, even if you have worked alongside the architect to make it the way you felt was right,” he said. “We welcomed all our guests before we have had a chance to chill out, but we watch and listen to our visitors, we have tested everything and we have tried to adjust to the people’s wishes. It is something we are used to at France Galop, since we are a non-profit association. We do have to please as many members as we can. I must say that so far the racing people have been very positive and I am glad they are, because this racecourse is their home as much as it is mine. This is where we need to show the world what we do best. We just cannot fail.” The European turf season has started with the hangover of one of the worst winters of recent times, with soft ground a regular feature, and it looks as though Sunday’s meeting will be held in similarly testing conditions. De Rothschild continued, “We also had to deal with bad weather and it looks like Sunday, of all days, could be rainy. There’s nothing we can do about that. We just need to take our umbrellas along. But since the opening, we have had the opportunity to improve a few things, make sure the public, as well as the owners and trainers move around swiftly, find their way and their spaces easily, have a chance to enjoy the show we put on the course. In the end, of course, we are gathered here for the racing.” In that regard, de Rothschild and his team could hardly have wished for a better opening act than to be welcoming Europe’s top-rated colt, Cracksman (GB) (Frankel {GB}), to tackle the first Group 1 race to be staged at ParisLongchamp, the Prix Ganay. “It’s largely thanks to Anthony Oppenheimer and John Gosden, who have trusted us once again by showing their champion Cracksman to the French crowds,” he added. “He has been a great addition to the field of the Prix Ganay. We couldn’t dream of such a star lining up when we decided to double the race’s prize-money to €600,000. I think that it is a good idea because the Prix Ganay is wonderfully timed, early enough in the season to pull in some of the winter champions and late enough to provide a nice springboard for the main European season, with the Qatar Arc weekend as our climax. With Enable, Cracksman and the Ballydoyle squad still around, and possibly new champions revealed in the next couple of months from all over Europe, we look forward to a great homecoming Arc weekend.” View the full article

Diamond Creek Farm’s ADAM BOWDEN The Mad, Dizzy Carousel of CHESTER What’s Going On At THE KENTUCKY CASTLE? Where To Eat At This Year’s PREAKNESS Host a DERBY PARTY View the full article

6th-SAN, £10,000, Cond, 4-27, 3yo, f, 9f 209yT, 2:17.40, g/s. CRYSTAL HOPE (GB) (f, 3, by Nathaniel (Ire) 1st Dam: Crystal Etoile (GB), by Dansili (GB) 2nd Dam: Crystal Star (GB), by Mark of Esteem (Ire) 3rd Dam: Crystal Cavern, by Be My Guest Crystal Hope, who hails from the same family of the card’s G3 Gordon Richards S. winner Crystal Ocean (GB) (Sea the Stars {Ire}), was clueless when sixth on debut over an extended mile at Nottingham in October and little was expected other than further tutelage as she started at 14-1. Settled in mid-division by William Buick throughout the early stages, the homebred was delivered with a strong challenge down the outer to take command with a furlong remaining and surge clear of Give and Take (GB) (Cityscape {GB}) to win by three lengths. The 10-11 favourite Highgarden (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}), a descendant of the G1SW Rebelline (Ire) (Robellino), held every chance but could only stay on at one pace to be 1 1/4 lengths further away in third. Lifetime Record: 2-1-0-0, $9,002. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton. O-Sir Evelyn De Rothschild; B-Southcourt Stud (GB); T-Sir Michael Stoute. View the full article

Magnum Moon, Audible, Vino Rosso, and Noble Indy each gained the approval of their trainer April 27 after the first three each covered a half-mile in their final tune ups, with Noble Indy going five furlongs. View the full article

Beginning Thursday, May 3, first post time on all Santa Anita Park live racing days, excepting three Triple Crown Saturdays, will be at 12:30 p.m. PT. View the full article