Wandering Eyes

Thatsy (Fr) (Martaline {GB}) (lot 15) topped the single-session Tattersalls Ireland Cheltenham April Sale, selling for £130,000 to Aidan O’Ryan and Gordon Elliott. A winner of a Mar. 11 point-to-point, the Monbeg Stables offering was second in another point-to-point on Mar. 31. The 4-year-old grey was one of 25 lots to find a new home on Thursday, as the sale grossed £1,265,600. The average was £50,620 (-41%) and the median was £47,000 (-6%). “Whilst it has been a terrific season at the Tattersalls Ireland Cheltenham Sales thus far–this evening’s April Sale is the first one to show a decrease in the key indicators,” said Tattersalls Ireland Director of Horses in Training Richard Pugh said. “Comparing sales to previous year however will never apply to select form sales such as this one in the same way as it does to sales with more substantial catalogue quantities. April 2017 bounced back from a relatively low comparable turnover in 2016 to return exceptional results last year.” View the full article

Ocala Breeders’ Sales Company’s April Sale of 2-Year-Olds begins next week and it’s a reminder that the Florida Thoroughbred industry in Ocala–and greater Marion County in Central Florida–made its name in its early years, in the 1950s, as the place to buy early maturing stock. The unlimited supply of sunshine and limestone-rich soil helped produce tough horses. With 24-hour access to outdoors and no winters of note, Florida-breds started off with physiological advantages over their Northern counterparts. Florida-breds frequently outran their pedigrees because of the land and the weather, but the ways in which they were raised tough and trained early seemed to put more speed into their pedigrees, too–even where stamina was evident. This held true from the beginnings of the 2-year-olds-in-training industry, when Carl Rose’s 1940 German St. Leger winner Samurai (Oleander)–a spoils of war–put Rosemere Farm in Ocala on the map in the 1950s as a sire of early maturing stock. The stamina was evident in the 1980s, with Charlie DiLibero’s prolific duo of An Eldorado (Vaguely Noble) and Lawmaker (Round Table) at DiLibero Farm in Citra. And even today, you see it in the young Irish Derby winner Treasure Beach (Galileo) at Joseph and Helen Barbazon’s Pleasant Acres in Morriston. And how about when speed sires were involved? Aisco Stable’s brilliant sprinter Mr. Prospector and his miler son Fappiano, a John Nerud homebred whose influence on the classics is constant, are the best examples. Change is a constant in life and the in Thoroughbred industry but it’s particularly evident in Florida. From 2007 to 2016, The Jockey Club stats indicate the annual foal crop in Florida has declined 54%, from 4,367 foals to 2,026. Major farms have disappeared or are disappearing–not a new trend but something that’s been common throughout the state’s relatively young history of spurts of growth and decline. The impact of Florida on the breed at large, however, has been consistently visible, from before Dr. Fager to after Affirmed and in between, and it is evident in the female families of the two major Kentucky Derby contenders, Scat Daddy’s Justify and Malibu Moon’s Magnum Moon. Ironically, both were unraced at two and will be on a change-making mission to become the first Derby winner since Apollo in 1882 to have not raced as a juvenile. The sires of both, incidentally, were produced from daughters of Mr. Prospector. Justify Justify’s third dam is Florida-bred sprinter Voodoo Lily, a daughter of Baldski from Cap the Moment, by For the Moment. She won the six-furlong GIII Columbia S. (now the Safely Kept) at Laurel and five of 18 starts altogether for earnings of $250,370. She was bred by two Florida stalwarts, Farnsworth Farms and Gerald Robins. Farnsworth, which won an Eclipse Award for leading breeder of 1996, was founded in Ocala in the early 1960s by the father-son duo of Isidore and Mike Sherman and stood Baldski, a son of Nijinsky and a half-brother to the top 12-furlong horse Exceller. The breeder of more than 200 stakes winners, Farnsworth also bred Cap the Moment, Justify’s fourth dam. Mike Sherman closed the operation in the mid-2000s. Robins raced For the Moment, a Grade I winner at two and three and a brother to Honest Pleasure, also a Grade I winner at two and three. Both were bred by the Sams family’s Waldemar Farms near Williston and were sired by the farm’s flagship Bold Ruler stallion What a Pleasure. The latter led the general sire list in 1975 and 1976 and had also sired the Waldemar-bred Kentucky Derby winner Foolish Pleasure. In partnership with Tim Sams of Waldemar, Robins bred the Fappiano colt Tasso, with whom he won the 1985 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile by a nose from Storm Cat. Tasso was later named 2-year-old champion. Waldemar, by the way, is now Gil and Marilyn Campbell’s Stonehedge Farm South, where the top Florida sire Sword Dance (Ire), another son of Nijinsky, stood his entire career. The Campbells are top state breeders but like many in Florida they have cut back their operation–including the standing of stallions –in recent years. It’s notable that Gil Campbell bred Songbird’s dam, Grade II winner Ivanavinalot, and stood her unraced Forty Niner sire West Acre during headier times. Magnum Moon Magnum Moon’s third dam, Win Crafty Lady, was another graded stakes-winning Florida-bred sprinter. By Crafty Prospector from Honeytab, by Al Hattab, Win Crafty Lady was bred by Estelle Sands and James H. Iselin and won the six-furlong GIII Interborough Breeders’ Cup H. on the inner track at Aqueduct and overall eight of 25 starts and $303,844. Win Crafty Lady got her speed and toughness from Crafty Prospector, a freaky Florida-bred son of Mr. Prospector who Jimmy Iselin had trained to win seven of 10 starts. The colt was a sprinter-miler who’d been plagued by unsoundness, and though he never won a stakes race, he was second in the GI Gulfstream Park H. and earned his ticket to stud. He began his career at Steve and Gary Wolfson’s Happy Valley Farm near Ocala. The Wolfson brothers were sons of Harbor View’s Louis Wolfson–the breeder and owner of Florida-bred Triple Crown winner Affirmed. With the aid of his pedigree and the Florida environment, Crafty Prospector prospered right off the bat, getting fast and tough racehorses like Win Crafty Lady. His sire had also started his career in Florida at Butch Savin’s Aisco Stable, and by the time Crafty Prospector was enjoying success, Mr. Prospector had already left for Kentucky and was one of the most prepotent stallions at Claiborne. The Wolfson brothers had played a part in Mr. Prospector’s early success, too, as breeders of his first-crop filly It’s in the Air, the Eclipse champion 2-year-old filly of 1978. And Louis Wolfson had raced Mr. Prospector’s sire, Raise a Native, so the fit at Happy Valley for Crafty Prospector was a natural one. Crafty Prospector’s success created demand and he later followed his sire to Kentucky where he stood at Fred Seitz’s Brookdale Farm. Happy Valley Farm is now defunct, but the property still operates as Jimmy “J.J.” Crupi’s Crupi’s New Castle Farm–a top outfit for preparing young horses. This consistent pattern of success, failure, and rebirth is jarringly common in Florida, much like the high volatility index in the stock market these days. A lack of trading volume can highlight volatility in the markets, and it’s probably the cause of it in Florida, where lower foal crops affect industry stability at all levels but most especially the stud farms. Win Crafty Lady had raced for owners Joseph and Winnie Greeley. A year after the mare was retired in 1993, they bought a 147-acre farm in northwest Marion County named Ravenbrook Farm and renamed it Sabine Stable. Sabine was a successful commercial boutique operation that followed a diversified business plan of breeding and pinhooking that kept it hedged from the vagaries of Florida’s economy. On the breeding end, it patronized commercial Kentucky sires, which meant foaling mares in Kentucky before breeding there. The mares were sent back to Florida with their foals afterwards, and the foals got the benefit of being raised in Florida–but with bigger pedigrees attached to them. Win Crafty Lady became the foundation of Sabine’s commercial operation, and her first notable foal was the Kentucky-bred Dehere colt Graeme Hall, a multiple Grade II winner of $1,147,441 who had cost Canadian Eugene Melnyk $200,000 at the 1998 Keeneland September sale. The mare’s next foal was the Kentucky-bred Hennessy filly Harmony Lodge, and she also was bought by Melnyk, for $1,650,000 as a Fasig-Tipton February 2-year-old of 2000. Harmony Lodge won the GI Ballerina S. and earned $851,120. Sabine Stable ran until Joseph Greeley died in 2013. The property was sold in 2016 and is being used for ponies now. Sabine’s link to Magnum Moon continued with Win Crafty Lady’s eighth foal, Win McCool, a Kentucky-bred daughter of recently deceased Giant’s Causeway. Win McCool is Magnum Moon’s second dam. The Greeleys had retained and raced her, and Win McCool, like her dam, was a sprinter. She won the six-furlong G3 Floral Park Handicap and earned $218,982. Postscript Eugene Melnyk stood Graeme Hall at his 1,000-acre Winding Oaks Farm, which encompasses some of Ocala’s richest history. Melnyk bought the farm in 2001 from Harry Mangurian and put Phil Hronec, who’d been running John Franks’s place, in charge. Hronec is managing the property as a boarding entity now while Melnyk is in the process of developing it commercially. When I met Hronec in March, the first trees by the office at the entrance to the farm on SR 200 had been levelled to clear about the way for a Jaguar/Land Rover dealership. Melnyk and Hronec enjoyed a great run together at what was formely Mangurian’s Mockingbird Farm. The latter was established in the early 1970s on 300 acres abutting Tartan Farms, and Magurian eventually absorbed 700 acres of Tartan when that famed operation closed. Hronec gave me a tour of the property, which includes the Tartan/Mockingbird graveyard where Dr. Fager and other notables rest. Only about 300 acres of the current property, including the training track, will be used for horses, Hronec said, when everything is said and done. Hronec said Melnyk had tried to sell the property whole but didn’t get the price he’d wanted and had settled on commercially developing the land himself. A few miles away as the crow flies is Glen Hill Farm, another notable nursery that was established in the 1960s by Leonard Lavin. Lavin’s grandson Craig Bernick now runs the farm, although Bernick has tweaked its mode of operation. Glen Hill, like Sabine did, breeds its mares mostly to Kentucky stallions– Bernick and his mother own L’Elevage Bloodstock, a minor shareholder in Curlin–and the mares, because of economies of scale, are foaled in Kentucky instead of Florida. Bernick also buys yearlings now to develop as potential broodmares. On a recent tour of Glen Hill, I saw young stock by War Front, Into Mischief, Australia (GB), and a number of other high-powered sires. I also saw a lot of high-powered people on the farm when Bernick hosted his annual crawfish boil after a day of selling at OBS March. The party was held poolside next to a pristine mid-century modern house where Lavin had lived, and the guests included such as Walker Hancock, Alex Solis II, Kip Elser, Wesley Ward, Boyd Browning, Tom Ryan, Mike Wallace, Brad Wesibord, Hubert Guy, Charlie O’Connor, Gatewood Bell, Headley Bell, Jack Wolf, etc. The 2-year-olds at OBS had drawn them to Ocala. It’s still the destination at this time of year and its influence cannot be ignored. View the full article

Although a mandatory transfer of full veterinary records for claimed horses isn’t likely to happen soon, the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) outlined plans Apr. 19 for a proposed new rule that would require a record of intra-articular injections to be passed from a previous owner to a new owner whenever a horse gets claimed. The CHRB had been poised to take a first pass Thursday at advancing a rule pertaining to the transfer of “all existing veterinary medical records” for claimed horses. But after hearing input from trainers and veterinarians at a separate committee meeting earlier this week, the board opted to streamline that initiative to include only records of joint injections. Commissioner Madeline Auerbach said this compromise version of the new rule would likely surface on the agenda for the May CHRB meeting. “We really did narrow the scope of what we were doing initially,” Auerbach said. “And what we are looking for is a methodology, a mechanism, of when a horse is claimed…that the records of injections will follow that horse’s claim.” Auerbach added that a “last 30 days” record of injections is what could be proposed when the new rule comes up for vote. Alan Balch, executive director of the California Thoroughbred Trainers, said that “we certainly agree with the urgency of getting this done,” so long as input from veterinarians is factored into the CHRB’s decision. Auerbach agreed, adding that “based on my discussion with a lot of the different vets, they see no issue in us making that narrow [a scope of] information available at this time without further study.” CHRB equine medical director Rick Arthur, DVM, said “the point is, we’re going to try to develop something that’s simple and reasonable that provides information that protects the health and welfare of the horse.” Separately, a related rule-making vote that could preclude horses from racing within five days of receiving any intra-articular injection was postponed Thursday because only four CHRB members were in attendance. The full CHRB board is supposed to consist of seven commissioners, but only six right now have been appointed (Chuck Winner and Jesse Choper were absent). The CHRB advanced by a 4-0 vote a proposed rule amendment that, if adopted after a 45-day public comment period, will now require the scratch of any newly gelded Thoroughbred if the change isn’t announced to the public before start of that day’s wagering. The CHRB has been dealing with the issue of unannounced and/or unreported geldings for several years now. The current version of the rule, amended in 2017, states that any trainer who fails to report to the racing office the gelding of a horse be fined a mandatory minimum of $1,000. However, a loophole exists whereby the trainer might report the gelding properly, but racing officials, for whatever reason, might fail to communicate this change to the public, thus depriving them of pertinent betting information. “The history of this rule was that the board a couple of years ago increased the fine to $1,000, and the intent of that was to hopefully eliminate these situations where a change was not made known to the public,” explained CHRB executive director Rick Baedeker. “But now that the horse is going to be scratched if the public is not aware [that it has been gelded], there’s no longer a need for the specific minimum $1,000 fine.” To clarify, CHRB members stated that this rule won’t apply to first-time starters (because first-timers have no established statistical form that could be affected). The “start of wagering” was defined as being when betting pools for the entire day open (generally around 10:30 a.m. Pacific time). And it was also underscored that stewards could still impose a fine upon any “responsible party” at their discretion. A 45-day public comment period now precedes a vote on this issue by the board to make these changes official. Until then, the existing version of the rule remains in effect. The CHRB also advanced to the public comment stage by a 4-0 vote a proposed rule that would require trainers and assistant trainers to complete 12 hours of continuing education (CE) course work over a three-year period as a condition of licensure starting in 2020. The development of how the program would work is just now being planned, but the bulk of the requirements would likely be able to be satisfied by online participation in “modules” that the CHRB could either compile on its own or outsource from existing entities. New York and Indiana have initiated similar programs (with varying degrees of participation success), and CHRB members said making the course work dually available in Spanish would be a priority. “The real issue is getting trainers accustomed to the fact–as lawyers, veterinarians and physicians are–that CE is part of their professional responsibility,” said Arthur. “So it is a paradigm change.” View the full article

RAGING BULL (FR) (c, 3, Dark Angel {Ire}–Rosa Bonheur, by Mr. Greeley) continued a lights-out run for trainer Chad Brown at the Keeneland meet with a rallying debut tally on the grass. Showing a steady worktab at Palm Meadows before finishing off preparations with a half-mile on the local dirt in :49 flat (33/86) Apr. 6, the bay broke about two lengths slowly as the narrow 29-10 second choice before darting over to the rail into the clubhouse turn. Traveling comfortably in sixth behind fractions of :24.28 and :48.80, he advanced four wide on the latter half of the far bend, swept to the lead just outside the sixteenth pole and edged clear to score by 1 3/4 lengths in hand over First Spring (Spring At Last). The final running time for a mile over ‘good’ turf was 1:39.23. The winner’s second dam is MGSW Rolly Polly (Ire) (Mukaddamah). He has a juvenile half-brother by Pivotal (GB) named Rapture (Fr) and a yearling Siyouni (Fr) half-sister named Siyoubaby (Ire). Sales History: $100,935 Ylg ’16 GOFSEP. Lifetime Record: $44,400. O-Peter M. Brant; B-Dayton Investments Limited (FR); T-Chad C. Brown. View the full article

Freshened off a disappointing effort last time out in February, Al and Sandee Kirkwood's Blackjackcat heads a field of nine 3-year-olds and up in the $100,000 American Stakes (G3T) April 21 at one mile over the Santa Anita Park turf. View the full article

Tim Bryant has been named president and general manager of Derby City Gaming, the $60 million state-of-the-art historical racing machine facility opening in Louisville this fall, Churchill Downs announced Thursday. He will assume his new role May 14. “Churchill Downs continues to bring new life and innovation to Kentucky’s signature horse racing industry through initiatives like Derby City Gaming, and I’m honored to reunite with such an accomplished team and the City of Louisville,” said Bryant. “Historical racing is critical to continued, long-term growth for our industry and keeping the Kentucky racing circuit competitive with other states.” Bryant rejoins Churchill Downs after spending the last 15 months as chief operating officer of a Northern California casino. He previously held the title of president and general manager at CDI’s Fair Grounds Race Course and Slots in New Orleans from May 2010 through January 2017. View the full article

The revival of the MATCH Series (Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred Championships) gained further momentum Thursday when the region’s breeders organizations announced they will pay bonuses to the breeder of the highest point earning colt/gelding and filly/mare from each program. The Pennsylvania Horse Breeders Association, Maryland Horse Breeders Association, Thoroughbred breeders Association of New Jersey and Delaware Certified Thoroughbred Program will each offer $10,000 in bonuses, with the breeder of the top point-earning male and female from each program receiving a $5,000 bonus. “I am delighted that we have been able to bring our breeders into the Series and showcase our bred-fund programs”, said Series creator Alan Foreman. “In our efforts to revive the Series, we wanted everyone in the region to be able to participate. This is a wonderful step for the Series and something we hope we can build on in future years, including competition among the Programs”. The MATCH Series, which returns May 18 at Pimlico after a 16-year hiatus, is the industry’s first and only regional championship competition. Horses will compete in stakes races in five different divisions throughout the region from mid-May through mid-September, with the horses competing for just under $3 million in purses and earning points for their order of finish. The owners and trainers will compete for $450,000 in bonuses, with bonuses being paid for the winners of each division and the overall championship. View the full article

Retired Racehorse Project has extended its application deadline for the Starting Gate Consulting Team Competition to May 4. The team competition was announced in March, but In order to give more teams the opportunity to participate, the deadline for applications has recently been extended to May 4. The team competition will allow members of Pony Clubs and collegiate, high school and show stable teams to collaborate in transitioning a horse off the track, under their coach or trainer’s guidance. It will also allow those considering entering the Thoroughbred Makeover as individuals in the future to experience the process without committing to acquire a horse of their own. “We’ve heard over and over again that there’s a sector of people out there who very much want to compete in the Makeover, but for a variety of reasons they were hesitant to take on a horse by themselves,” said Jen Roytz, executive director of RRP. “We created the Starting Gate Consulting Team Competition to offer groups of equestrians a chance to bring a single horse along and share in the expense and time commitment. Teams can work together to bring the horse along, then decide which members will present the horse at the Makeover. Furthermore, it’s the perfect way to show Thoroughbreds’ versatility as lesson horses or intercollegiate mounts, as these horses will be judged under multiple riders.” View the full article

The New York Racing Association will team up with Charles Town to host a Cross Country Pick 4 Apr. 21, featuring races at Aqueduct and Charles Town, highlighted by the $1.2 million GII Charles Town Classic. The sequence is as follows: Leg 1 – Charles Town, Race 10: Dance with Bristol (5:04 p.m.) Leg 2 – Aqueduct, Race 8: New York-bred allowance (5:17) Leg 3 – Charles Town, Race 11: GII Charles Town Classic (5:36) Leg 4 – Aqueduct, Race 9: NYSS Park Avenue (5:49) The minimum bet for the multi-track, multi-race wager is 50 cents. Wagering on the Cross Country Pick 4 is also available on track, on ADW platforms, and at simulcast facilities across the country. FOX Sports Saturday At The Races, set to air on FS2 from 4-6 p.m., will offer live coverage and analysis of the Charles Town Classic, along with coverage of stakes action at Aqueduct. Gabby Gaudet will provide on-site coverage throughout the day from Charles Town. View the full article

Churchill Downs Incorporated Foundation will hold three separate 50/50 charitable gaming raffle drawings to be held during Kentucky Derby week, one drawing on Thurby, Oaks day and Derby day. Participants will have the chance to win half of that day’s raffle sales, with the other half going toward the CDIF to support its charitable initiatives, including Thoroughbred aftercare, arts and educational opportunities for backside employees and breast and ovarian cancer research and prevention. CDIF will guarantee a minimum $50,000 pool for the Derby day raffle. Tickets for each raffle may be purchased anytime from now until the raffle days at www.DerbyGives.com. Guests can also purchase raffle tickets, which are $5 each, for all three raffles while attending any Derby week racing event starting on opening night. The raffle is open to legal U.S. residents that are 18 years of age or older. Void where prohibited or restricted by law, rule or regulation. View the full article

Kentucky Downs will offer a record $10 million in purses and Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund supplements at its five-date meet Sept. 1-13, with all 13 existing stakes getting increases, as well as, the creation of the $500,000 Kentucky Downs Juvenile Turf Sprint. The Juvenile Turf Sprint, to be held Sept. 8, is designed as a prep for the new $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint to be held Nov. 2 at Churchill Downs. The new KYD race, with $250,000 of its $500,000 purse available to Kentucky-bred and -sired horses through the KTDF, will be run at 6 1/2 furlongs. The Kentucky Downs Juvenile and the Exacta Systems Juvenile Fillies were stretched in distance from seven furlongs to a mile. Those races are Sept. 1 and go from $350,000 to $400,000, including KTDF money. “We have witnessed the rise in the importance of turf racing in America, as evidenced by the Breeders’ Cup adding the Juvenile Turf Sprint, so we want to mirror that trend,” said Ted Nicholson, Kentucky Downs’ senior vice president and general manager. “We believe the Juvenile Turf Sprint will be a home run for the Breeders’ Cup in its first year, and it made sense for us to provide a logical pathway to that race. “One of our goals is to be complementary to the great turf stakes at Keeneland and the Breeders’ Cup races at Churchill Downs. We see it as a terrific opportunity for horses to run at Kentucky Downs, Keeneland and Churchill Downs, never having to leave the Commonwealth as the international spotlight shines on our racetracks.” The GIII Calumet Farm Kentucky Turf Cup Sept. 8 was bumped from $600,000 to $750,000 and the Sept. 1 Tourist Mile’s purse was increased from $400,000 to $750,000. Both races offer $400,000 in base purses plus an additional $350,000 in KTDF money. The GIII Kentucky Downs Turf Sprint and GIII Kentucky Downs Ladies Turf were raised to $500,000, from $400,000 and $350,000, respectively. The GIII Kentucky Downs Ladies Sprint, which is being run as a graded event for the first time this year is now $450,000 as opposed to $350,000 last term. The track is also offering four $100,000 races held under starter-allowance conditions Sept. 9 to serve as preps for the Claiming Crown late in the year at Gulfstream Park. The races (two apiece for males and for females at 6 1/2 furlongs and a mile and 70 yards) are for horses who have started for a claiming price of $25,000 or less since Jan. 1, 2017. The winners receive an automatic spot in the associated Claiming Crown event and up to $1,000 for shipping to Florida. The enhancements are made possible by the success of Kentucky Downs’ historical horse-racing operation. In addition, Kentucky Downs is transferring $2.4 million in purses and KTDF money to Ellis Park in an arrangement approved by the Kentucky Horsemen’s Benevolent & Protective Association. The deal includes creating four $100,000 turf stakes Aug. 5 for a Kentucky Downs Preview Day positioned as launching pads to their corresponding Kentucky Downs race. View the full article

After scoring victories in four of her first five races, Jenda's Agenda will make her graded stakes debut April 20 in the $100,000 Hilliard Lyons Doubledogdare Stakes (G3) at Keeneland. View the full article

Kicking off its second season ApR. 21, Arlington International Racecourse will present Good Day Arlington on NBC Sports Chicago. Hosted by Howard Sudberry and Alyssa Ali, the 30-minute show will air at 11:00 a.m. on 23 Saturdays from Apr. 21 through Sept. 22. “Howard is familiar to Chicago viewers from his years of covering the Chicago sports scene and his experience gives him a unique perspective on Chicago sports and also on Thoroughbred horse racing,” said Arlington General Manager Tony Petrillo. “Alyssa has national television experience, a great social media following, and as the daughter of a trainer she is a racing expert. Howard and Alyssa also have a great chemistry and that helps makes this show fun to watch.” Good Day Arlington will feature segments on horse racing and current sporting events, as well as the food, fashion, and people that make Arlington the special venue it is. Famed Chicago hockey player and sports broadcaster Eddie Olczyk is scheduled to join Sudberry and Ali as the first on-air guest of the season Apr. 21. View the full article

The New York Racing Association and MSG Networks announced a multi-year extension of their long-standing agreement for MSGN’s telecast of NYRA’s racing progamming, including their flagship ‘live’ shows. With this agreement in place, MSG+ will continue to be the regional home for all NYRA racing. In 2018, MSGN’s coverage of NYRA racing will expand to include 225 hours of live racing and analysis, including all 40 days of Saratoga Live. With the addition of select Aqueduct Live shows, beginning with a special Charles Town Classic show Apr. 21, MSGN expects to air 105 Live shows over the remainder of 2018, an increase the 97 live shows aired in 2017. In addition, NYRA programming will also be available on MSG GO, MSGN’s live streaming and video on demand platform for smartphones, tablets and computers. “MSG Networks is proud to extend its agreement with our long-term partner, the New York Racing Association,” said Jeff Filippi, senior vice president of programming and production, and executive producer, MSG Networks. “Horse racing fans can once again look forward to extensive live coverage from three of America’s premiere racing venues.” Hosted by Greg Wolf, MSGN’s broadcasts feature will include commentary and analysis from a combination NYRA personalities including Paul LoDuca, Maggie Wolfendale, Andy Serling, Gabby Gaudet and Larry Collmus. “Sports fans trust that MSG is committed to providing consistent coverage from NYRA tracks,” said Tony Allevato, Executive Producer for NYRA TV and NYRA Bets President. “The strength of the NYRA/MSG relationship has allowed us to adapt and evolve the format of our shows to meet the needs and expectations of viewers. We thank our partners at MSG for ensuring that the best racing in the country will also be the most accessible.” Live racing from Belmont Park will return to MSG Plus Apr. 28 and MSGN will telecast 44 Belmont Park Live shows. On Wednesday, June 6, Belmont Park Live will present a half hour special to preview the 150th running of the Belmont Stakes on Saturday, June 9. View the full article

Churchill Downs will institute new entry procedures that will be in effect for guests visiting the track any day of Kentucky Derby Week, starting Saturday, April 28 through Derby day May 5. The track launched KentuckyDerbyParking.com to help visitors plan their arrival. “Churchill Downs has invested heavily to improve the arrival and entry experience for all our guests and employees. We want to ensure a safe and secure environment, while helping people get in and out of the venue as efficiently as possible,” said Churchill President Kevin Flanery. “We encourage everyone joining us for Derby Week to visit KentuckyDerbyParking.com so you know exactly what to expect before you get to the track.” Derby Week visitors will be the first to use Churchill Downs’ new expanded entry plaza, which will lead guests from Central Avenue to the newly constructed paddock gate that’s replacing previous entrances at gates one and 17. The track renamed its admission gates to reflect their locations in the venue: paddock gate, clubhouse gate and infield gate. New entry procedures include: all guest passing through a metal detector; prohibited items (which are listed on kentuckyderbyparking.com); self-scanning entry turnstiles; no reentry; secondary ticket scanning and official wristbands for certain sections; and quick entry lanes for guests with no bags. The track has released a video to inform guests on what to expect, which can be viewed here. In keeping with tradition, guests on Oaks and Derby Days are permitted to bring in food and box lunches in clear plastic bags smaller than 18 inches by 18 inches. However, these items are prohibited opening night Apr. 28 through Thurby May 3. View the full article

Coolmore stallion Magician (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}-Absolutelyfabulous {Ire}, by Mozart {Ire}) will relocate from Ashford Stud to Coolmore’s Castlehyde Stud in Cork next month. The G1 Irish 2000 Guineas winner’s eldest crop are now 2-year-olds and his covering fee has been set at €7,500. Magician’s yearlings sold quite well last autumn; he had six sell for an average of 67,333gns and a top price of 210,000gns which was for a colt out of Perfect Step (Ire) (Iffraaj {GB}), bought by Amanda Skiffington on behalf of Coolmore at Tattersalls Book 2 from Kilminfoyle House Stud. Castlehyde manager John Kennedy is looking forward to the stallion joining the likes of Holy Roman Emperor (Ire) and Starspangledbanner (Aus) and said, “The Magician colt out of Perfect Step has been earning very positive reports from Ballydoyle so it makes sense to bring Magician back to Ireland. He also has first crop 2-year-olds with British-based trainers Richard Fahey, Charlie Hills, Peter Chapple-Hyam, David Simcock and Charlie Fellowes.” View the full article

CHELSEA CLOISTERS (f, 2, First Samurai–Postulant, by Pulpit) took all the money for her debut in Thursday’s opener and Keeneland and ran to it, drawing off powerfully in the lane to a dominant score. Showing several sharp drills, including a local half-mile gate spin in :48 flat (5/86) Apr. 6, the $125,000 Fasig-Tipton July buy broke customarily sharply for a Wesley Ward baby from her inside draw and quickly established command. Challenged briefly by Elle Factor (The Factor) through a :22.60 quarter, the bay stole away on the turn and slammed the door past the furlong grounds en route to a seven-length romp in :51.70. Elle Factor was second-best. The winner is a half to Beggarthyneighbor (Half Ours), SW, $190,217. Her dam is a half to GSW Antrim Rd. (Fit to Fight), while second dam Pretty in Green (Green Forest) is a half to MGISW Wavering Monarch (Majestic Light). Deeper in the female family are MG1SW Motivator (GB) (Montjeu {Ire}), MGISW Goodbye Halo (Halo), dual champion Zilzal (Nureyev), MGISW Awe Inspiring (Slew o’ Gold), MG1SW Culture Vulture (Timeless Moment) and MG1SW Polish Precedent (Danzig). Postulant was bred to Not This Time last spring. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $36,000. O-Hat Creek Racing; B-Alastar Thoroughbred Co (KY); T-Wesley A. Ward. View the full article

6th-NEW, £10,000, Cond, 4-19, 3yo, 10fT, 2:04.72, gd. NORDIC LIGHTS (GB) (c, 3, Intello {Ger}–Marika {GB} {SW-Eng}, by Marju {Ire}), who scored in taking fashion on debut over 10 furlongs on Lingfield’s Polytrack Mar. 7, raced towards the fore throughout the early stages. In front with a half mile remaining, the 5-2 second favourite was joined and headed soon after by the strong-travelling Argentello (Ire) (Intello {Ger}) but stuck to the task to regain the advantage approaching the final furlong. Staying on stoutly, the 575,000gns TATBRE 2yo had two lengths to spare over Raa Atoll (GB) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) at the line, with Argentello fading to be five lengths further away in third and The Queen’s Elector (GB) (Dansili {GB}) another five lengths back in fourth having made the early running. “He broke the track record here breezing and although he did it the nice way around first time when he was slow out of gates, we expected him to do it like he did today,” commented trainer Charlie Appleby whose purple patch continues. “He’s a nice horse and I think he’ll get further, but I’ll sit on the fence for a bit and digest the week.” Nordic Lights, who as Appleby stated caused a stir on day one of last year’s Tattersalls Craven Breeze-Up Sale and duly became the most expensive progeny of his sire at that point, is a half-brother to Sabratah (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}), MSW & GSP-Fr, $165,478, and to Raw Impulse (GB) (Makfi {GB}), SW-Aus, $191,238. The listed-winning dam is a half to the G3 Fred Darling S. winner Sueboog (Ire) (Darshaan {GB}), who in turn produced one of Godolphin’s stalwarts in the G1 Prix d’Ispahan and G2 Prix Guillaume d’Ornano scorer Best of the Bests (Ire) (Machiavellian). Her 2-year-old colt is by Charm Spirit (Ire) and she also has a yearling colt by Kingman (GB). Sales history: 95,000gns Wlg ’15 TATFOA; 100,000gns RNA Ylg ’16 TATOCT; 575,000gns 2yo ’17 TATBRE. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, $14,400. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton. O-Godolphin; B-Shutford Stud (GB); T-Charlie Appleby. View the full article

In this ongoing series, Heather Anderson subs for Alan Carasso and takes a look ahead at US-bred and/or conceived runners entered for the upcoming weekend at the tracks on the Japan Racing Association circuit, with a focus on pedigree and/or performance in the sales ring. Here are the horses of interest for this weekend running at Tokyo and Kyoto Racecourses. Saturday, Apr. 21, 2018 11th-TOK, ¥41,800,000 (US$417k), Open (Oasis S.), 4yo/up, 1600m DREAM KIRARI (h, 6, Giant’s Causeway–Truant, by Gone West), third in the G3 Elm S. last term, steps up in trip after a third going 1400 metres in the Listed Coral S. at Hanshin behind fellow US-bred and 2016 G1 February S. hero Moanin (Henny Hughes) on Mar. 31. Out of a half-sister to European highweights Bosra Sham (Woodman) and Hector Protector (Woodman), as well as French Classic victor Shanghai (Procida), the entire was purchased for $250,000 back in 2013 during the Keeneland September Yearling Sale. B-Colts Neck Stables LLC (KY) 2nd-KYO, ¥9,550,000 (US$89k), Maiden, 3yo, 1400m AMERICAN DOMINGO (f, 3, Scat Daddy–Queen of The Night, by Sadler’s Wells) was 10th over the Hanshin sod when unveiled on Dec. 9, but was a much-improved fourth switched to Chukyo over this trip Mar. 25. Trying dirt for the first time on Saturday, the $160,000 KEESEP yearling is from the same family as international champion Falbrav (Ire) (Fairy King), as her placed dam was a half-sister to the six-time Group 1 winner. B-Queen Of The Night Syndicate (KY). Sunday, Apr. 22, 2018 10th-KYO, ¥34,620,000 (US$322,364), Allowance, 4yo/up, 1900m SOLEIL DE PARIS (c, 4, Lemon Drop Kid–Chatham, by Maria’s Mon) already sports three wins from seven starts, and was successful over the Nakayama main going 1800 metres on Jan. 14. Making his second 4-year-old appearance, the $535,000 KEESEP yearling shares his MSP dam Chatham (Maria’s Mon) with European juvenile highweight Air Force Blue (War Front), while champion juvenile filly Flanders (Seeking the Gold) is nested under his third dam, the winning Starlet Storm (Storm Bird). B-Stone Farm (KY). 11th-KYO, ¥112,800,000 (US$1,050,500), G2 Yomiuri Milers Cup, 4yo/up, 1600mT DASHING BLAZE (h, 6, Kitten’s Joy–Blazing Bliss, by Honour and Glory) scored his first group win in the G3 Epsom Cup at Tokyo last June, but ran respectably when fourth in the G3 Kokura Daishoten in his 6-year-old bow on Feb. 8. Originally a $65,000 KEESEP yearling, the full-brother to SP Honor the Kitten bloomed into a $400,000 OBSAPR juvenile and dropped a spot most recently in the Mar. 11 G2 Kinko Sho to subsequent G1Osaka Hai hero Suave Richard (Jpn) (Heart’s Cry {Jpn}). Another U.S.-bred of interest is Mozu Ascot (c, 4, Frankel {GB}–India, by Hennessy), a son of European superstar Frankel (GB), who has enjoyed such a good start to his second career. From the family of Grade I winners To Honor And Serve (Bernardini) and Angela Renee (Bernardini), the half-brother to SW Kareena (Medaglia d’Oro) was an encouraging second last out in the G3 Hankyu Cup on Feb. 25. B-Kenneth L. & Sarah K. Ramsey (KY) for Dashing Blaze & B- Summer Wind Farm (KY) for Mozu Ascot. View the full article

It feels unnecessary for Roger Charlton to talk of building his profile. This, after all, is a man who won two Derbies in his first season some 28 years ago, and in the meantime has developed a reputation perhaps the equal of any other current British trainer in terms of pragmatism and maximising the potential of sprinters, stayers and anything in between. Yet racing is a numbers game and memories are short in this data-rich age. So Charlton, who jots down every winner in a small notebook on his desk at the historic Beckhampton yard he took over from Jeremy Tree, can point to an impressive 67 fresh entries from 2017 including three Group 1s from the Irish National Stud’s new stallion Decorated Knight (GB) (Galileo {Ire}). “Last year was our best in terms of winners and prize-money, and we were even sixth in Ireland, mainly thanks to Decorated Knight,” he said. “He’ll be hard to replace at that level but I suppose at this time last year we weren’t really expecting to win three Group 1s with him – he was consistent in Group 3s, Group 2s, but Group 1s are hard to come by. Somehow he did it, so we need a replacement.” “Our strength this year is that maybe on the back of having a couple of good years, maybe Group 1 winners help, and the likes of Quest For More (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}), Thistle Bird (GB) (Selkirk) and Al Kazeem (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) are gradually lifting your profile, raising your head a bit more. And I think that results to a certain extent in better quality younger horses from owner-breeders as well as new owners. Probably this year, for the first time since I started training, we have over 60 two-year-olds. We only have space for 105 here, but you need reserves and if you’re looking for quality you also need quantity to get you there. After all, we’re competing with people who have 200 or 250 horses in training. We have to fight hard.” Last year’s intake included Juddmonte’s giant Herculean (GB) (Frankel {GB}), a full-brother to the smart Fair Eva (GB) out of G1 Sprint Cup S. winner African Rose (GB) (Observatory), who made a striking debut at Ascot last September. “Herculean has been a little slow to come to hand, he was a bit held up in one way or another, so he won’t run in a trial or the Guineas,” Charlton explained. “He’ll hopefully make an outing some time later in April and we’ll see where we go from there. He’s a big horse with a long stride, and looked quite good at Ascot. He’s exciting. He put on a lot of weight through the winter and you’d still think that he’d be a better horse in September than he is in June. He could start off over seven furlongs but I’d be looking at a mile and it would be a bonus if he stayed further.” Charlton’s sole entry in the G1 QIPCO 1000 Guineas is Gavota (GB) (Bated Breath {GB}), narrowly beaten in the G3 Oh So Sharp S. last October. “She was a bit unlucky not to win a Group race but perhaps didn’t handle running into the dip at Newmarket. She’s not a big, robust filly, she should come to hand, and might go in a Guineas trial but I’m not at this stage thinking of her as a rock-hard Guineas contender. It might be a question of looking about a bit.” Indeed Gavota’s Guineas credentials may become clearer after she contests the G3 Dubai Duty Free S. at Newbury on Saturday. Even more intriguing is Withhold (GB) (Champs Elysees {GB}), who landed a mighty gamble on only his second start for his new connections in the Cesarewitch. “It was only a handicap and he is only rated 98 but I can see him improving,” Charlton said. “The aim this year is, longer term, to present him into the Melbourne Cup with a low weight, but he needs to improve 12lb or thereabouts to get in. To see if he’s good enough he probably needs to run in Cup races and maybe start at Sandown. Even if he’s second or third the handicapper will be looking at taking him up.” He continued, “It’s about a light season, four or five runs before the Cup, so rather than it being an afterthought it’s going to have to be an objective. It’ll be very hard to do that but instead of a £60,000 race, we’re trying to win a £4million race but Mr Bloom (owner Tony) would like that sort of challenge.” Although his premier stayer is being geared for abroad, Charlton approves of the valuable bonuses recently allocated to the Cesarewitch and Ebor. “Thanks to the BHA the stayers programme has been hugely incentivised and they’re proper races to have as a target,” he said. “I think it will take eight to 10 years before it really gets into the system. The owner-breeder who is planning their matings now will start to think ‘we’ll go to that mile and a quarter, mile and a half stallion because there should be a market for those rather than wanting instant success from natural speed all the time’. The market for the stayers is pretty good, there’s a steady stream going to Australia for that exact reason in that they don’t breed staying horses. In many ways staying races are more captivating, and it’s nice to have horses that are late maturing, and with stamina in their pedigrees.” Almodovar (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) exemplifies the type Charlton describes. Third in the G2 Hardwicke S. in 2016 for David Lanigan, he is not far off a belated reappearance. The 68-year-old explained, “He had a year out to recover from various issues. I don’t know a lot about him but so far he’s a nice natured, nice moving horse who had a pretty high level of potential form. As a six-year-old and a gelding, you’d hope there’s a good chance he gets back up to that level or better.” Atty Persse (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), who won at Royal Ascot before losing his way, has also been gelded. “He needed bit of time off to rebuild himself. He’s not in full training, so no early targets, but he has done very well and I think that with a bit of luck, at the level he’s at, he can still progress again. He has settled down very well. Montjeu had a gene that needed careful management, such as with Camelot, and some of the Frankels might be the same. You need to harness their energy and be trained well, as he was, but some are deeply relaxed. It’s a bit like Danehill in that he’s proving he can be a sire of anything – they can stay, they can be fast, they can be two-year-olds – and we’re only scratching at it now, he has plenty more to come.” Charlton continued, “We saw a lot of energy in Frankel when he was winning his races, and some of the characteristics of the Frankels is that it’s very obvious that their best furlong was their last one, or even the one after the winning post. Atty did that, they get into their stride and they’re away.” Other older members of the team include the prolific Cribbs Causeway (Ire) (Rip Van Winkle {Ire}), who will attempt to pick up further black type, old stager Second Step (Ire) (Dalakhani {Ire}) and Projection (GB) (Acclamation {GB}), who shook up the high-class Blue Point (Ire) (Shamardal) in the G3 Bengough S. and will take in more group sprints. “A few of the two-year-olds I might need to get on with, but I like to work them on the grass and we’ve not been anywhere near that with the weather,” Charlton concluded. “There are some nicely bred ones among them and some quite nice maiden three-year-olds, but you have to remind yourself that Charlie Appleby, John Gosden, they all have hugely strong bunches of three-year-olds as well. They’re pretty competitive divisions – you think you’ve got a good one to run at Newbury and it’s beaten by group horses.” Certainly his string lacks the depth of a few of his rivals but, as the last 28 years have shown, Roger Charlton is never making up the numbers. View the full article

Grade I winner and ‘TDN Rising Star‘ Diversify (Bellamy Road) is among a field of seven set to square off in the $1.2-million GII Charles Town Classic Saturday. The New York-bred capped a three-race win streak with a front-running tally in the GI Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont last October, but connections opted to skip the GI Breeders’ Cup Classic and he instead shipped to Churchill Downs for the Nov. 24 GI Clark H., in which faded to fourth. That was his first start outside of the Empire State, so there’s at least some question as to how he’ll handle new surroundings and a quirky bull-ring track, but the Rick Violette, Jr. pupil has been working swiftly at Palm Meadows since his last afternoon appearance. Past Charles Town experience has proven an advantage in this race before, as evidenced by Imperative (Bernardini)’s wins in 2014 and 2017. War Story (Northern Afleet) is the lone runner to have competed here before-he was a close third in last year’s renewal. The hard-knocking chestnut annexed the GII Brooklyn Invitational S. at Belmont next out, before finishing fourth in a trio of Grade I affairs to end 2017, including the Nov. 4 GI Breeders’ Cup Classic. He was far back after a wide journey in the GI Pegasus World Cup Jan. 27, but returned to winning ways with a romping success in Tampa’s Challenger S. Mar. 10. You’re to Blame (Distorted Humor) rounded out the trifecta that day. Fear the Cowboy (Cowboy Cal) turned in a breakout performance in winning Gulfstream’s GII Harlan’s Holiday S. Dec. 16. Fourth in the Pegasus World Cup, he shipped all the way to Santa Anita to finish a distant third in the Mar. 10 GI Santa Anita H. Something Awesome (Awesome Again) is four-for-five since being transferred from Woodbine-based Danny Vella to Maryland-based Jose Corrales in the fall. The 7-year-old Ontario-bred stretched out to this nine-furlong distance for the first time last out in Laurel’s Mar. 17 Harrison E. Johnson Memorial S., and responded with a 2 1/4-length success, good for a career-best 100 Beyer Speed Figure. Third finisher Discreet Lover (Repent) flattered that one’s performance with a win in the GIII Excelsior S. at Aqueduct Apr. 7. View the full article

Charlie Appleby has made his presence felt in a major way this week at Newmarket and 24 hours after Soliloquy (GB) made all under William Buick to capture the G3 Nell Gwyn S. it was deja vu as TDN Rising Star Masar (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}) killed off the opposition in dramatic fashion in Thursday’s G3 bet365 Craven S. Setting just a steady tempo early, last year’s G3 Solario S. winner who started as the 7-2 second favourite had everything in trouble passing three out and from there it was all over as he strode on powerfully for a nine-length dismissal of White Mocha (Lope de Vega {Ire}), with the 8-13 favourite Roaring Lion (Kitten’s Joy) fading to be third, a head away. “That was a very good performance–he had been showing flashes of brilliance and was always going to be a better 3-year-old than 2-year-old,” Buick said. “He’s a lovely mover with a great turn of foot and he just put everything together there.” Appleby, who had gambled with the dirt in Meydan when tackling the Mar. 10 Listed Al Bastakiya with Masar only to see him trail in 10th, was not surprised by the result and added, “I knew he was 100 per-cent ready, as he’d done fantastically well over the winter. It was never my intention to run him in Dubai, but he was going too well and so I wanted to get a bit of gas out of him and put some manners on him. If he had adapted to the dirt, we could have gone UAE Derby and if not it still put a run under his belt and so if this came down to a dogfight fitness was going to be his edge. He quickened twice and has got stronger, but we always said he was going to be a 3-year-old and he’s got the pedigree to do that. The Guineas route is foremost in our minds now.” Understandably, given his G2 Royal Lodge S. win and G1 Racing Post Trophy second accompanied by bullish vibes from Newmarket, Roaring Lion was hot property here and few conceived of defeat as he looked to set up a rematch with Saxon Warrior (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}). If Masar had a patchy record, he was still an unknown quantity and his unbeaten stablemate Glorious Journey (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) looked all potential so the Appleby team arrived with an air of quiet confidence. Masar’s early conditioning when third in the Listed Chesham S. at Royal Ascot helped him to succeed in Sandown’s Solario in September before he came unstuck on testing ground when third in the G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere at Chantilly on Arc day. Sixth behind Mendelssohn (Scat Daddy) in Del Mar’s GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf in November, he had therefore become something of a forgotten horse particularly as he was beaten out of sight tackling the dirt last month. Even at halfway here supporters of Roaring Lion would have been content as he seemed to be following the chestnut with a degree of comfort, but as Masar applied building pressure the favourite soon cracked and the closing stages were a tour de force rarely seen in this 2000 Guineas prep. Roaring Lion’s trainer John Gosden was far from forlorn and said, “I’m perfectly happy. He was 80 per-cent. He tired in the last furlong. For me, he needs an end-to-end gallop. He does not want a steady one and a dash. He may well go for the Guineas. I’d hope there’d be proper pace all the way. There usually is. It’s very different to the trial. I think his strength in the end will be a mile and a quarter at least. He’s in the Prix du Jockey Club as well, but the Guineas is still very much an option.” Hugo Palmer said of the runner-up White Mocha, “We’ll probably skip the Guineas and go a mile and a quarter next time.” It is not surprising that Masar was tried on the dirt, as his dam Khawlah (Ire) (Cape Cross {Ire}) was successful in the G2 UAE Derby and G3 UAE Oaks. A half-sister to the G2 Prix Guillaume d’Ornano scorer and G1 Jebel Hatta runner-up Vancouverite (GB) (Dansili {GB}), she is a granddaughter of Melikah (Ire) (Lammtarra) who captured the Listed Pretty Polly S. and placed in the G1 English and Irish Oaks. Her three black-type winners are headed by the G2 Grand Prix de Deauville hero Masterstroke (Monsun {Ger}), who was also third in the G1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, while her G3 Meld S.-winning son Moonlight Magic (GB) shares Cape Cross as a sire with Khawlah. Melikah’s dam is the G1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe heroine and bewildering matriarch Urban Sea (Miswaki), whose Sea the Stars (Ire) is also by Cape Cross. Khawlah’s 2-year-old colt by Shamardal unfortunately died this year. Thursday, Newmarket, Britain BET365 CRAVEN S.-G3, £60,000, NEW, 4-19, 3yo, c/g, 8fT, 1:38.15, gd. 1–MASAR (IRE), 126, c, 3, by New Approach (Ire) 1st Dam: Khawlah (Ire) (Hwt. 3yo-UAE at 7-9.5f, MGSW-UAE & GSP-Eng, $1,366,175), by Cape Cross (Ire) 2nd Dam: Villarrica, by Selkirk 3rd Dam: Melikah (Ire), by Lammtarra O/B-Godolphin (IRE); T-Charlie Appleby; J-William Buick. £34,026. Lifetime Record: G1SP-Fr, 7-3-0-2, $157,990. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. 2–White Mocha, 126, c, 3, Lope de Vega (Ire)–Lastroseofsummer (Ire), by Haafhd (GB). (90,000gns Ylg ’16 TATOCT). O-Dr Ali Ridha; B-Woodford Thoroughbreds LLC (KY); T-Hugo Palmer. £12,900. 3–Roaring Lion, 126, c, 3, Kitten’s Joy–Vionnet, by Street Sense. ($160,000 Ylg ’16 KEESEP). O-Qatar Racing Ltd; B-Ran Jan Racing Inc (KY); T-John Gosden. £6,456. Margins: 9, HD, 4. Odds: 3.50, 16.00, 0.60. Also Ran: Glorious Journey (GB), Just Brilliant (Ire), Sir Hamilton (Ire). Scratched: Thunderhooves (GB). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton. View the full article

When retired iconic Woodbine race announcer Dan Loiselle reflects on his 29 years of calling Thoroughbred races, there is one horse that stands out among all the others–Wise Dan (Wiseman’s Ferry)–and having a chance to meet the champion horse for the first time last week provided him with a special memory. Loiselle, who retired in 2015 and was recently voted into the Canadian Horse Race Hall of Fame, happened to be on a two-week road trip in the U.S. with his wife, Wendy. They visited some historic places, such as Graceland, the Civil Rights Museum, the Grand Ole Opry, Churchill Downs (because Wendy had never been to the track), Keeneland and the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame. But a key part of their itinerary, in particular in Lexington, was visiting the Forest Lane Farm of the Wise Dan’s trainer Charlie LoPresti and his wife, Amy. Loiselle wanted to see Wise Dan because he personally stood out from all the horses–and not just because of a similar name. “In 2012, he won the Woodbine Mile and went on to win the Breeders’ Cup Mile and was named the American Horse of the Year,” Loiselle said. “In 2013 he won the Woodbine Mile and Johnny Velazquez rode him and he never even asked the horse to run and he broke the course record. He then went on to win the Breeders’ Cup again and went on to become the American Horse of the Year again. When they came to the wire in 2013, I said, ‘Here he is, the Titan of the Turf. The sensational Wise Dan.’ “All I read about him for the next week was everybody calling him the Titan of the Turf. So he was my favorite horse and calling those two Woodbine Miles was really special. So when I was in Lexington last week, I got a hold of Charlie LoPresti and his wife Amy and went out to the farm and I got a picture of the big chestnut horse standing in the paddock with me. “It’s a picture of Wise Dan and Dumb Dan together,” Loiselle joked. “It was great to see the old horse and he looks really good.” Because of his fixture calling races high above the Woodbine grandstand, Loiselle had never seen the horse up close, and when he called the LoPresti’s home phone and left a message saying he wanted to drop by the farm to see Wise Dan, Amy told Charlie he had to immediately call him back and tell him how much they wanted to see him. “I was dying to meet him because he’s got such a great, great voice,” Amy said. “He’s like Tom Durkin. Honestly, it’s a shame that he retired. There’s certain people that have that kind of voice for calling races. He put so much into it, you can tell. He said [the 2013 Woodbine Mile] was his favorite race he ever called. I said me, too. I was just thrilled that they came. It meant a lot to me. “That was a really big deal for me because I didn’t travel with [the horse] and I lived everything vicariously through my nephew and Charlie because they went everywhere with him. Charlie would tell me stories about meeting people and Woodbine was one of his favorite, favorite places to go. They were so nice to them up there. It’s the greatest turf course that there is.” Coincidentally, Amy had been watching races of Wise Dan a week before Loiselle called. “It’s just kind of funny he called a week later,” Amy said. Loiselle said he and Wendy spent an hour with the horse. “He’s a lovely animal and I’ve heard stories about him, how approachable he was, how you could pet him, but fierce and determined as a racehorse,” Loiselle said. “I had thought I’d love to see him, and if it doesn’t happen that’s fine, too.” Charlie LoPresti, who was unavailable when the Loiselles came to the farm because he had a horse racing that day, said it was the first time an announcer had dropped by to see the horse. “He’s just a great race caller, but I think Wise Dan meant so much to him and I was flattered that he called and wanted to come see him,” LoPresti said. “There’s been a lot of people come see him–a lot of media–but that’s the first time a race caller had come see him.” Loiselle said Wise Dan’s personal connection to him is because of what the horse did for Canadian horse racing. “I was just so impressed by him,” Loiselle said. “You don’t see a lot of American champions come to Woodbine [and dominate]. Kentucky Derby winner Funny Cide came to Woodbine and won the Dominion Day and A.P. Indy came to Woodbine [to run in the now-defunct Molson Mile], but not a lot of really, really, high profile horses. You don’t see American Pharoahs and California Chromes at Woodbine, but Wise Dan did.” With Loiselle three years removed from race-calling, Robert Geller has taken over announcing duties at Woodbine. The Toronto oval’s 63rd year of Thoroughbred racing begins Saturday with a 10-race card that includes Pink Lloyd, the favorite to win Canadian Horse of the Year honors Thursday night at the 2018 Sovereign Awards, entered in the Jacques Cartier S. View the full article

Stunning when capturing the G1 TJ Smith S. on Apr. 17 by two lengths, his second elite level score, the Gerald Ryan-trained Trapeze Artist (Aus) (Snitzel {Aus}) looks hard to beat in Saturday’s G1 All-Aged S. over 1400m. Jumping around slightly in his distances of late, the 3-year-old colt will surely secure himself a more lucrative stud deal if he can claim a third Group 1 victory. Around this time last year, Godolphin’s It’s Somewhat (Dynaformer) resumed with a Group 3 win followed a victory over this year’s G1 Doncaster winner Happy Clapper (Aus) (Teofilo {Ire}) before travelling to Queensland for further stakes success. If anywhere near that form, the 7-year-old could surprise quite a few. Three runs back over 1400m saw Brave Smash (Jpn) (Tosen Phantom {Jpn}) snared the G1 Futurity S. at Caulfield and having never finished out of the places at the trip, the Darren Weir-trained A$2.3m earner puts up a strong case. Second on four occasions from five starts at the trip, including second in this race last year, the Kris Lees-trained Le Romain (Aus) (Hard Spun) will be third-up after a pleasing fourth behind Trapeze Artist in the TJ Smith S. Placed in three of his four runs this time in, blue-blood colt Showtime (Aus) (Snitzel {Aus}) is likely to sit handy, and if the pace is only moderate, he could sprint when rounding the turn and be hard to run down. Winless since the Listed Albury Cup in March 2016, but with 11 placed efforts, all at black type level since, the Chris Waller-trained Tom Melbourne (Ire) (Dylan Thomas {Ire}) is statistically a place chance, although categorically he’s not a winning chance. Not having raced since his failure in the G1 Australian Cup over 2000m at Flemington, Godolphin’s Hartnell (GB) (Authorized {Ire}) drops back to the trip of his most recent Group 1 victory, when winning the CF Orr S. at Caulfield in February. Given an easy time in a recent barrier trial, jockey Hugh Bowman rides the 7-year-old in an attempt to reinvigorate the multiple Group 1 winner. View the full article

With two top level chances in Saturday’s G1 Moet & Chandon Champagne S. over 1600m at Randwick, Team Hawkes’ runners Outrageous (Aus) (All Too Hard {Aus}) and Irukandji (Aus) (Dundeel {NZ}) look capable of continuing their impressive form of late. Third in the G1 Sires’ Produce S. over a furlong shorter on Apr. 7, the Brenton Avdulla-ridden Outrageous gained clear running when it was too late last start before charging home, indicating that the step up to the mile should suit. A winner of the G3 Baillieu Qty (1400m) on Mar.31, the Spendthrift Australia-raced Irukandji, like his stablemate, indicates that the 1600m of Saturday’s race should suit and from gate four has the option of going forward, or settling behind those that try to cross him. One of only two runners in the field to have contested the G1 Golden Slipper S. and the G1 Sires’ Produce S., the Hayes, Hayes and Dabernig-trained Long Leaf (Aus) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) finished in fourth last start after working home well out of the pack, and if still capable of performing at his peak on his fifth run in this campaign, should be a contender. Seemingly surprising all bar her trainer and owner by winning the G1 Sires’ Produce S. as the outsider of the field, El Dorado Dreaming (Aus) (Ilovethiscity {Aus}) needs to be included once again, purely just to show that her Group 1 victory was no fluke. Successful in the G2 VRC Sires’ on Mar. 10, before a very unlucky run in the Sires’ Produce, the Ciaron Maher-trained Not A Single Cent (Aus) (Not A Single Doubt {Aus}) is looking to atone here, and a win would give his dam a second Group 1 winner in the space of a few weeks, with the colt being a half-brother to triple Group 1 winner Happy Clapper (Aus) (Teofilo {Ire}). With his dam capturing this race in 2013, Godolphin’s well-bred colt Encryption (Aus) (Lonhro {Aus}) had the gun run in the Sires’, a race also won by his dam Guelph (Aus) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}), but failed to really make an impression, when beaten just under two lengths into sixth. His sire and dam recorded 11 combined Group 1 wins at 1600m and above, so on paper this colt should be in the finish. View the full article