Wandering Eyes

The Lexington leg of the Real Rider Cup, held June 28 at New Vocations at Mereworth Farm raised over $57,000 to support Thoroughbred aftercare efforts. The charity show jumping competition brings together personalities from across the breeding and racing industry to increase awareness and raise funds for Beyond the Wire, New Vocations, and the Retired Racehorse Project, with each rider pledging to raise at least $1,000. Kristin VanMeter and Hardesty won the individual competition, and VanMeter's Team Stockplace, which included Gina Gans, Mary Motion, and Avery Wismer, prevailed as the winners of the team competition. Jockey Sophie Doyle took home the highest earner award, having raised over $6,000 by the conclusion of the evening. An honorable mention is due to multi-year RRC participant Sergio DeSousa of Hidden Brook Farm, who achieved a milestone of over $25,000 raised in the course of his participation. “As of Saturday evening, our grassroots event has raised nearly $700,000 for a group of beneficiaries representing a diverse cross section of programs within the aftercare community,” said Real Rider Cup founder Anita Motion. “It's our honor and imperative to give back to the horses who give us our livelihood by supporting these essential organizations.” Real Rider Cup action continues Oct. 18 when it joins the schedule of events on cross country day at the MARS Maryland 5-Star at Fair Hill presented by Brown Advisory. For more information, visit www.therealridercup.com. The post Real Rider Cup Lexington Raises Over $57k for Thoroughbred Aftercare appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

I knew it was coming, but that doesn't dull the sadness. I posted online last week that I was sad about the news D. Wayne Lukas had been put in hospice care and retired from training, but it's complicated to explain why I feel so profoundly sad about the passing of a man that I'd only spoken with a few times briefly in my life. A lot of it has to do with a connection I had with my dad that he unknowingly helped fuel many times over more than 40 years. In a strange way, Lukas's death feels like I'm losing another connection to my dad, who also passed away on Mar. 13 of this year. As a kid, I fell in love with horse racing and treated horse racing magazines and Thoroughbred pedigrees like other boys my age treated baseball cards. It was an unusual obsession for a boy growing up in Texas while pari-mutuel wagering was still illegal and no legal racing was anywhere in my home state. But that was fitting because I wasn't like most other boys my age. As a teenager, my dad and I started a tradition of going to Oaklawn Park every April for the Arkansas Derby–the biggest race close to Texas every year at that time. And a friend of his told him how we could sneak into the stable area of the track without licenses–a trick that worked flawlessly for us year after year. My dad didn't really understand my obsession with racing, but he loved me enough to indulge it and even encourage it. I'm sure he would have rather had a son who was more interested in football or baseball and had any athletic ability, but I wasn't going to be that kid. The first year we went to Oaklawn Park, I took my camera and dragged my dad all over the stable area looking for the barns of the big trainers who had the stakes horses–the horses about whom I had encyclopedic knowledge. And number one on my list was the barn of D. Wayne Lukas. He was at the top of the game at that time, and his barn was full of horses that I wanted to see up close and photograph. Tops among them the first year we went (1983) was King Ranch's splendid champion filly by Alydar, Althea, who stormed to an impressive victory over males in the Arkansas Derby that year. While I was walking the shedrow quietly and snapping pictures while trying not to get caught, Wayne Lukas himself came around the corner. I was sure my dad and I were about to get yelled at or thrown out of the Oaklawn stable area. Instead, Wayne engaged me in a conversation about his horses, treating me with the kind of welcoming kindness and encouragement he wasn't known for until much later in his life. At that time, people viewed him–fairly–as often arrogant and brash. Legitimate or just momentary kindness, he made my dad and I feel like he was impressed with my knowledge of his current and past trainees. Maybe even more meaningful, my dad knew enough about the sport at that point that he knew Lukas was a big deal, and he was clearly proud that his son had been able to hold a meaningful conversation with such an expert. It was the first time D. Wayne Lukas brought my dad and I a little closer. The next April, my dad and I were at Oaklawn again, and we again ran into Wayne at his barn. He was welcoming, and this time he told me to follow him to a particular stall, where he told me, “You'll be hearing a lot more about this filly here.” Then, he proceeded to pull the gray filly to the front of her stall so I could take a picture of him with her and my dad could take a picture of me with her. She was relatively unknown at the time, but she won some major stakes later that year. The next year, that filly–Lady's Secret–put together a campaign that included a win over males in the GI Whitney Handicap and a victory in the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff on her way to the 1986 Horse of the Year title. While my dad's interest in horse racing was never as keen as mine, when it was Triple Crown time, he always wanted to know who Lukas had running. Growing up, my dad owned a mortgage company, an insurance agency, and did work as a real estate appraiser and real estate agent–whatever it took to keep things going as the economy ebbed and flowed over the decades. He worked incredibly hard, and he worked a lot. He didn't have many hobbies, and especially as I got older, I often found it hard to find things to talk to him about. But he did enjoy gambling, and that made horse racing more interesting for him and something we could share. Lukas and his horses factored into many of those conversations over the years. My dad was proud when some horse racing columns I had written were quoted in a biography about Lukas sometime in the 1990s. Even as an adult, few things feel better than when your dad is proud of you. One more gift Lukas unknowingly gave me. In 2022, an opportunity came to buy shares in a yearling colt by Arrogate through MyRacehorse that was going to be trained by Lukas. I couldn't resist, and I knew it was a journey my father would want to take with me. He did. We both bought shares in the gray colt and relived a lot of memories, including the days at Oaklawn Park when I was a teenager as we embarked on our adventure with our trainer, D. Wayne Lukas. That colt, Seize the Grey, was a topic of many conversations with my dad over the next couple of years, at a time when his world was getting smaller and more difficult as his health declined. In 2023, I was at Saratoga to watch my Derby winner, Mage, run in the Travers. That morning, I stopped by Lukas's office in the Saratoga stable area. I told him about my dad and me meeting him 40 years earlier at Oaklawn and the fact that we were now both shareholders in Seize the Grey. Though I know he heard similar things frequently, he indulged my story. And in Lukas's typically optimistic way, he proceeded to tell me what a talented colt he was and that he thought he was going to have an exciting future. I knew enough about Lukas to know he might be telling the truth, or he might be saying what he knew I wanted to hear because he always was the sport's best marketer. Turns out Lukas was telling the truth because Seize the Grey won the following year's GI Preakness Stakes, as well as some other major stakes. When Seize the Grey was coming down the Pimlico stretch in front, tears started streaming down my face. Interestingly, it was less about winning the Preakness than it was about this journey with my dad centered around this trainer who had hovered around our lives for more than four decades. At a time when my dad wasn't having many moments of joy, this man I hardly knew delivered a moment of great joy that my parents and I could share. It seemed an incredible and perfect end to an unlikely story many years in the making. While the Preakness was not Seize the Grey's last major win, it was the last one my dad was well enough to enjoy. And because of the Lukas connection and all the history and emotion behind it, that win means more to me than my two Kentucky Derby winners or any other race I've been fortunate enough to win with my tiny shares in horses. Today, I find myself both mourning D. Wayne Lukas and the loss of one more connection to my dad. Lukas–especially in his younger days–was often too hard on horses and made his share of mistakes. But he was also the kind of horseman who held champion filly Landaluce's head in his lap as she passed away from a freak disease. And the kind of man who routinely chose random kids to join him in the winner's circle after a win to encourage their interest in racing. Later in his life, he was a trainer who gave young riders a chance to ride quality horses when others wouldn't. Most importantly to me, though, D. Wayne Lukas was part of the fabric of my relationship with my dad–at times enhancing our closeness and providing us moments of unforgettable joy. I will always be grateful to him for that, and the world seems a little less bright and optimistic today knowing he's no longer with us. Richard Glover Jr. is the CEO of the Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens, and has owned shares in two Kentucky Derby winners, Mage and Authentic. The post Letter to the Editor: Wayne Lukas, My Dad, and Me appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Light Years Charm has Group racing in his future after scything his way through the field to win the Class Two Hong Kong Reunification Cup (1,400m) at Sha Tin on Tuesday. The David Eustace-trained improver always travelled best one from the rear under Zac Purton and despite turning widest of all into the straight, the top jockey was full of both rein and confidence. When unleashed, the Rubick galloper surged into the lead at the 100m pole before holding off a challenge from the equally...View the full article

by Adam Hamilton Champion Queensland trainer Grant Dixon cannot believe star Kiwi filly Captains Mistress was overlooked for a start in Saturday night’s $300,000 Group 1 Rising Sun at Albion Park. Instead, her Kiwi trainer Nathan Williamson will come across her as a hot favourite from barrier in a consolation of the Rising Sun. “I’m more than surprised, I’m dumbfounded, to be honest,” Dixon said. “What more did she need to do? “Along with everything she’s done in NZ, she’s come across here (Brisbane) early and won both her races. “And what she did at Redcliffe (in the Oaks) last week was enormous. It takes a really special horse to do the work she did at Redcliffe and win. “Combine the work she did with the fact she ran as quick as the boys did in the (Redcliffe) Derby and I just can’t see how didn’t get in (to the Rising Sun). “I think she’d have brought a real X-factor to the race, too. And she could’ve won it with the right sort of run, she’s that good.” Dixon will still have three Rising Sun runners, three-year-old pair Fate Awaits and Path To Greatness, along with four-year-old Charge Ahead. Kiwi star Rubira and Luke McCarthy’s Hesitate join Dixon’s pair to give the race a record four three-year-old runners. No three-year-old has won the Rising Sun in its four-year history. The closest have been Leap To Fame’s third in 2022 and Rocknroll Hammer’s second (to Leap To Fame) in 2023. “If it’s going to happen, this is the year,” Dixon said. “It’s a good four-year-old crop, but there’s no standout, while the three-year-olds look like a really good batch.” Rubira, fresh from leading throughout in last week’s Redcliffe Derby and beating Dixon’s pair, is the most strongly fancied of the three-year-olds at $5.50 from gate three. Kiwi-bred The Janitor is a firming ($4.50 into $3.50) favourite from gate six. He is trained by Chantal Turpin and driven by her husband Pete McMullen, who are going for back-to-back wins in the feature after Wisper A Secret won well last year. NZ’s other Rising Sun hopeful, David and Stacey White’s Betterthancash, is sweating on a start as the first emergency. His chances hinge whether Victorian star Bay Of Biscay and stablemate War Dan Buddy get a flight from Melbourne to Brisbane on Friday. Insiders say the flight is only a remote chance of happening. Bay Of Biscay and War Dan Buddy will be scratched if the flight doesn’t eventuate. View the full article

by Adam Hamilton Champion Queensland trainer Grant Dixon cannot believe star Kiwi filly Captains Mistress was overlooked for a start in Saturday night’s $300,000 Group 1 Rising Sun at Albion Park. Instead, her Kiwi trainer Nathan Williamson will come across her as a hot favourite from barrier in a consolation of the Rising Sun. “I’m more than surprised, I’m dumbfounded, to be honest,” Dixon said. “What more did she need to do? “Along with everything she’s done in NZ, she’s come across here (Brisbane) early and won both her races. “And what she did at Redcliffe (in the Oaks) last week was enormous. It takes a really special horse to do the work she did at Redcliffe and win. “Combine the work she did with the fact she ran as quick as the boys did in the (Redcliffe) Derby and I just can’t see how didn’t get in (to the Rising Sun). “I think she’d have brought a real X-factor to the race, too. And she could’ve won it with the right sort of run, she’s that good.” Dixon will still have three Rising Sun runners, three-year-old pair Fate Awaits and Path To Greatness, along with four-year-old Charge Ahead. Kiwi star Rubira and Luke McCarthy’s Hesitate join Dixon’s pair to give the race a record four three-year-old runners. No three-year-old has won the Rising Sun in its four-year history. The closest have been Leap To Fame’s third in 2022 and Rocknroll Hammer’s second (to Leap To Fame) in 2023. “If it’s going to happen, this is the year,” Dixon said. “It’s a good four-year-old crop, but there’s no standout, while the three-year-olds look like a really good batch.” Rubira, fresh from leading throughout in last week’s Redcliffe Derby and beating Dixon’s pair, is the most strongly fancied of the three-year-olds at $5.50 from gate three. Kiwi-bred The Janitor is a firming ($4.50 into $3.50) favourite from gate six. He is trained by Chantal Turpin and driven by her husband Pete McMullen, who are going for back-to-back wins in the feature after Wisper A Secret won well last year. NZ’s other Rising Sun hopeful, David and Stacey White’s Betterthancash, is sweating on a start as the first emergency. His chances hinge whether Victorian star Bay Of Biscay and stablemate War Dan Buddy get a flight from Melbourne to Brisbane on Friday. Insiders say the flight is only a remote chance of happening. Bay Of Biscay and War Dan Buddy will be scratched if the flight doesn’t eventuate. View the full article

Harness Racing New Zealand (HRNZ) advises the industry of important amendments to the Harness Racing New Zealand Regulations – Conduct of Meetings, Programming, Handicapping and Rating Regulation, specifically relating to Clause 17: Junior Driver Rating Concessions. Correction to Clause 17.1 – Eligibility Threshold Increased Effective immediately, the wording of Clause 17.1 has been revised to correct the eligibility threshold for junior driver concessions. The original clause stated: “Race-winning 4YO and older horses driven by a junior driver that has driven up to and including 10 career wins at the commencement of the meeting concerned will receive a two-point rating reduction if that win is not a Rating Penalty Free race.” This was incorrect. The clause now correctly reads: “Race-winning 4YO and older horses driven by a junior driver that has driven up to and including 50 career wins at the commencement of the meeting concerned will receive a two-point rating reduction if that win is not a Rating Penalty Free race.” This adjustment ensures that the rating concessions remain in line with historical practices and support junior drivers in building experience and opportunity within the industry. Deferral of Clause 17.3 – Designated Races Concession Framework HRNZ also advises that Clause 17.3, which was drafted to introduce an expanded rating concession framework for designated races, will not be implemented at this stage. This clause was introduced by the Utilisation Reference Group (URG) to provide a new concession similar to those applied in various states of Australia, with the intent of creating an opportunity to drop horses back in grade and provide extra opportunities for them. The clause proposed a system allowing horses otherwise ineligible for specific races to receive rating point reductions based on the junior driver’s experience level, summarised as: 3 point reduction for junior drivers with 0-10 career wins 2 point reduction for 11-25 career wins 1 point reduction for 26+ career wins Following further consideration, HRNZ has determined that this provision requires additional consultation and development. Accordingly, Clause 17.3 is deferred and will not come into effect until further notice. Commitment to Consistency and Further Review Importantly, these updates mean that junior driver rating concessions remain consistent with the practices in place prior to the introduction of the new rating system on 30 June 2025. To ensure junior drivers continue to have meaningful pathways and appropriate opportunities, HRNZ will soon establish a dedicated working group to review the operation of junior driver concessions. This group will include representation from junior drivers themselves, with the aim of refining these provisions to best support their development and participation. Further Information For any questions or further clarification, please contact Matthew Peden – Head of Racing & Wagering: matthew.peden@hrnz.co.nz. View the full article

Harness Racing New Zealand (HRNZ) advises the industry of important amendments to the Harness Racing New Zealand Regulations – Conduct of Meetings, Programming, Handicapping and Rating Regulation, specifically relating to Clause 17: Junior Driver Rating Concessions. Correction to Clause 17.1 – Eligibility Threshold Increased Effective immediately, the wording of Clause 17.1 has been revised to correct the eligibility threshold for junior driver concessions. The original clause stated: “Race-winning 4YO and older horses driven by a junior driver that has driven up to and including 10 career wins at the commencement of the meeting concerned will receive a two-point rating reduction if that win is not a Rating Penalty Free race.” This was incorrect. The clause now correctly reads: “Race-winning 4YO and older horses driven by a junior driver that has driven up to and including 50 career wins at the commencement of the meeting concerned will receive a two-point rating reduction if that win is not a Rating Penalty Free race.” This adjustment ensures that the rating concessions remain in line with historical practices and support junior drivers in building experience and opportunity within the industry. Deferral of Clause 17.3 – Designated Races Concession Framework HRNZ also advises that Clause 17.3, which was drafted to introduce an expanded rating concession framework for designated races, will not be implemented at this stage. This clause was introduced by the Utilisation Reference Group (URG) to provide a new concession similar to those applied in various states of Australia, with the intent of creating an opportunity to drop horses back in grade and provide extra opportunities for them. The clause proposed a system allowing horses otherwise ineligible for specific races to receive rating point reductions based on the junior driver’s experience level, summarised as: 3 point reduction for junior drivers with 0-10 career wins 2 point reduction for 11-25 career wins 1 point reduction for 26+ career wins Following further consideration, HRNZ has determined that this provision requires additional consultation and development. Accordingly, Clause 17.3 is deferred and will not come into effect until further notice. Commitment to Consistency and Further Review Importantly, these updates mean that junior driver rating concessions remain consistent with the practices in place prior to the introduction of the new rating system on 30 June 2025. To ensure junior drivers continue to have meaningful pathways and appropriate opportunities, HRNZ will soon establish a dedicated working group to review the operation of junior driver concessions. This group will include representation from junior drivers themselves, with the aim of refining these provisions to best support their development and participation. Further Information For any questions or further clarification, please contact Matthew Peden – Head of Racing & Wagering: matthew.peden@hrnz.co.nz. View the full article

by Adam Hamilton The barrier draws have given the Kiwi raiders their chance to make statements on Inter Dominion opening night at Albion Park on Saturday. The biggest winner was young trotting star Bet N Win, who snared the pole in the second of the two trotting heats. In contrast, his main danger and prepost favourite for the final, Arcee Phoenix, has drawn outside the front row (gate seven). Earlier, NZ’s other contender in the trotting series, old Oscar Bonavena, has drawn a back row trailing draw (gate nine) in his heat. It’s close to ideal given the nine-year-old can get anxious and gallop when he draws the front row. Over to the pacing series and the lone Kiwi flag bearer, the emerging Pinseeker, has drawn to land big early points from barrier three in the third of the three pacing heats. The Jonny Cox-trained pacer has early speed and should settle forward, but does have the mighty Leap To Fame to contend with. Against that, Leap To Fame’s exasperating run of awkward inside barriers continued when he landed gate eight (inside the back row) in the 2138m race. Sure, history says his trainer-driver Grant Dixon will find a way off the inside and Leap To Fame will win, but the draw still adds intrigue. Leap To Fame’s odds to win the final of $1.30 before the first round of heats are run tomorrow night (Saturday) is unheard of. Ponder all the greats that have come before him and none have been so dominant going into the start of the sport’s most iconic and biggest event. Most felt the great Kiwi stayer Lazarus was a “moral” at Gloucester Park in the 2017 series he won, but he started $2 in the final. Two years earlier, the wayward but rampaging Lennytheshark proved a class above his rivals at Gloucester Park, but he still started at $2.10. More recently, Ultimate Sniper stifled betting at $1.40 for the 2019 Auckland final, but many forget he was actually $7 before a heat was run. You have to go back 20 years to one of the greatest of all Kiwis, Elsu, in the Auckland series of 2005 to find a horse anywhere near as short as Leap To Fame before a heat was run. He still started $1.55 when won all three heats and romped home in the final. This is rarefied air and while you want to say it shouldn’t happen, Leap To Fame deserved to be this short. If, or as many think, when he wins this final, anyone who doesn’t rate him alongside any of the all-time greats is kidding themselves. On any measure – prize money, winning strike rate, major wins, the way he does it and longevity – Leap To Fame is as good as any of them. Even champion horseman Luke McCarthy, who trains and drives the defending Inter Dominion champion and main danger, Don Hugo, admits he faces an enormous task. Don Hugo won’t have it easy on night one after drawing the back row (gate 10) in the second pacing heat. View the full article

by Adam Hamilton The barrier draws have given the Kiwi raiders their chance to make statements on Inter Dominion opening night at Albion Park on Saturday. The biggest winner was young trotting star Bet N Win, who snared the pole in the second of the two trotting heats. In contrast, his main danger and prepost favourite for the final, Arcee Phoenix, has drawn outside the front row (gate seven). Earlier, NZ’s other contender in the trotting series, old Oscar Bonavena, has drawn a back row trailing draw (gate nine) in his heat. It’s close to ideal given the nine-year-old can get anxious and gallop when he draws the front row. Over to the pacing series and the lone Kiwi flag bearer, the emerging Pinseeker, has drawn to land big early points from barrier three in the third of the three pacing heats. The Jonny Cox-trained pacer has early speed and should settle forward, but does have the mighty Leap To Fame to contend with. Against that, Leap To Fame’s exasperating run of awkward inside barriers continued when he landed gate eight (inside the back row) in the 2138m race. Sure, history says his trainer-driver Grant Dixon will find a way off the inside and Leap To Fame will win, but the draw still adds intrigue. Leap To Fame’s odds to win the final of $1.30 before the first round of heats are run tomorrow night (Saturday) is unheard of. Ponder all the greats that have come before him and none have been so dominant going into the start of the sport’s most iconic and biggest event. Most felt the great Kiwi stayer Lazarus was a “moral” at Gloucester Park in the 2017 series he won, but he started $2 in the final. Two years earlier, the wayward but rampaging Lennytheshark proved a class above his rivals at Gloucester Park, but he still started at $2.10. More recently, Ultimate Sniper stifled betting at $1.40 for the 2019 Auckland final, but many forget he was actually $7 before a heat was run. You have to go back 20 years to one of the greatest of all Kiwis, Elsu, in the Auckland series of 2005 to find a horse anywhere near as short as Leap To Fame before a heat was run. He still started $1.55 when won all three heats and romped home in the final. This is rarefied air and while you want to say it shouldn’t happen, Leap To Fame deserved to be this short. If, or as many think, when he wins this final, anyone who doesn’t rate him alongside any of the all-time greats is kidding themselves. On any measure – prize money, winning strike rate, major wins, the way he does it and longevity – Leap To Fame is as good as any of them. Even champion horseman Luke McCarthy, who trains and drives the defending Inter Dominion champion and main danger, Don Hugo, admits he faces an enormous task. Don Hugo won’t have it easy on night one after drawing the back row (gate 10) in the second pacing heat. View the full article

Emma Thompson was stepping into the unknown when taking on the role as Programme Lead for the NZB Kiwi, and after executing an outstanding inaugural running in March, she was recognised at Entain’s Industry Excellence Awards. For the duration of 2024 through to Champions Day, Thompson was immersed in promoting the $3.5 million slot race, the first of its kind in thoroughbred racing on Kiwi soil. She brought a modern, innovative approach to the event, whilst maintaining the history and culture of New Zealand and our racing industry. Thompson’s effort and dedication to the concept were rewarded on Sunday night, where she was humbled to be announced the winner of the Administration and Innovation Excellence category. “I was a bit shocked honestly, I was stoked to even be nominated among an elite calibre of young people,” she said. “To win, it was quite surreal. “Thank you very much to the team at Entain for putting on the awards, what they are doing for our industry is incredible. They were instrumental in establishing the NZB Kiwi, which I’m very grateful for. “It was very special to be recognised for organising something that, in my opinion, has a really special place in the industry and hopefully will have a lasting impact for many years to come. “I couldn’t have done it without an incredible team, and I’d like to thank my steering committee, Cameron George and Petrea Vela. They really helped me professionally and gave me confidence to make smart decisions around the race. “I’m very grateful to them, and the entire team at NZTR.” As a daughter of Rich Hill Stud proprietors John and Colleen Thompson, thoroughbreds were the centre of Thompson’s upbringing, and after university, an opportunity at New Zealand Bloodstock sparked her love for marketing and administration. “I graduated with a marketing and communications degree, then landed a marketing internship at NZB,” she said. “I started a week before the Ready to Run Sale in 2018, and within a week, I realised how much I loved being a part of the industry. “I’ve watched my parents build their business from the ground-up, and what they’ve achieved in the past few years with their own stallions has been amazing to watch. I’m very proud of them, and that has a flow-on to how I want to be in my life, and the impact I want to make on the industry. “Starting at NZB gave me great knowledge at the grassroots level, the people were amazing, and I loved the marketing and advertising side of things. That really sparked my interest and then I moved to NZTR about two-and-a-half years ago, which was a bit of a career jump for me.” Thompson took on a new position as New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing’s Communication and Public Relations Lead, which led to her role in promoting the NZB Kiwi. “I really found my passion for writing and communicating and I’ve been very lucky to be given opportunities along the way, as well as some amazing role models,” she said. “I knew very early on that the new race was going to be something special, so I took the bull by the horns and tried to do my part in getting that off the ground. We contracted Andrew Gourdie, who was our Head of Content and Media, and the Kiwi would not have got anywhere near the cut-through that it did without him. “It was very cool to be able to set something up from scratch, but that did make it challenging at times because there was no blueprint to follow. That presented an opportunity for us to be really bold and innovative, and something I really leaned into was the New Zealand industry, which was really well-received internationally.” In the lead-up to March 8, Thompson targeted mainstream media coverage with her own unique flare. “One of my favourite memories was the barrier draw, where I came up with the idea of smashing Kiwi eggs,” she said. “I really wanted to incorporate something that had never been done before, that would get mainstream cut-through. “I’m a Gen Z, so if someone’s talking about it, whether it’s bad or good, it’s all publicity for the race. I worked with an amazing event manager who helped us pull that off, and I think that was definitely a special moment, bringing an idea to reality.” Over 12 months of work finally came together in a two-minute display of elite three-year-old racing, when Thompson admitted she felt a sense of relief. “It was a very hectic day, but it was quite a relief when the race was run,” she said. “I think the narrative that we were able to build throughout the racing season, to create a moment that people wanted to be a part of, was really special to see. “One of my priorities was to ensure the slot holders had an experience unlike any other day they’ve attended before, and it was amazing to see every piece of the puzzle come together. “We worked with the iwi to have a haka powhiri, and we were able to show our beautiful culture on the world stage, with the World Pool meeting involved. “In a race that is so highly publicised, people tend to look for negative attention, but all of the horses got home safely, in such an elite calibre of field too. It was the highest-rated three-year-old race of the season, so to get that in its inaugural year and get the buy-in from stakeholders, we’re really only scratching the surface.” Having started her career at New Zealand Bloodstock, their sponsorship of such a new concept was particularly special for Thompson. “I’d like to acknowledge and thank NZB as well, for coming on board and sponsoring the inaugural running of the race,” she said. “To have Sir Peter Vela, the Vela family and the team at NZB support the concept was amazing, and it was a nice fit considering they had nine graduates from all three of their sales in the race. “It had a special part in my heart, because that is where I started my career, so I was very proud to work with their team, who I’m very close with.” View the full article

Buyers can currently bid on 11 stakes-performed mares in the National Online Breeding Stock Sale on Gavelhouse Plus, including one that brings South American bloodlines and Singaporean racetrack performance. The Argentinian-bred Istataba is by the Galileo stallion Treasure Beach, who won the Irish Derby (2400m) and is the sire of nine Group One winners among a total of 21 stakes-winning progeny. He has already racked up 15 winners as a broodmare sire including Group Three winner Candlelit (Equal Stripes). Istataba’s dam is Coordenada (Equal Stripes), who was a standout two-year-old in Argentina and won the Group One Gran Premio Estrellas Juvenile Fillies (1600m). Coordenado’s full-brother Cooptado (Equal Stripes) was Champion 3YO Colt in Argentina in 2013-14 and won the Group One Gran Premio Nacional (2500m). Fellow elite-level winners Cool Day (John F Kennedy), Coquelize (Equalize) and Punk (Ringaro) all feature on the pedigree page. Istataba had 29 starts for five wins, 10 placings and over S$536,000 in stakes. Her wins came over distances ranging from 1200 to 2000 metres, and she was runner-up in the Singapore 3YO Classic (1400m) and finished third in two editions of the prestigious Singapore Gold Cup (2000m). “She’s a lovely mare and a very athletic type of horse,” said Donna Logan, who trained Istataba in Singapore. “She showed so much ability on the track, winning five times over a range of distances and placing in the Singapore Gold Cup two years in a row. “One of the best things about her is how easy she is to handle and ride. She’s just great to do anything with. She obviously travelled well, handling the big trip from to Singapore to New Zealand. She could easily have raced here, but I think the owners were just finding the distance between them and the horse a bit difficult, so they’re putting her on the market. “She brings some bloodlines that we don’t see too much of in our part of the world, and I think she’s going to make an absolutely beautiful broodmare. She has such an outstanding temperament and I’m sure she’ll leave lovely foals and pass on her great attributes.” Bidding is open in the 2025 National Online Breeding Stock Sale on Gavelhouse Plus with the first lot closing from 7pm (NZT) on Wednesday 9th July. View the full article

Cambridge gelding Cleese (NZ) (Sweet Orange) will make his first appearance at the races in more than nine months when he heads to Arawa Park on Wednesday to contest the Arawa Park Hotel Rotorua 1560. The seven-year-old son of Sweet Orange was last sighted on raceday when runner-up behind Group Three performer Nest Egg at Ellerslie last September, with trainer John Bell nursing a couple of niggly issues with the gelding. Bell reported he is now in full fettle, and he is looking forward to his gelding resuming on Wednesday, albeit at a distance further than intended. “He has been away for a while, but he is probably one of the most improved horses in the stable,” Bell said. “We had to put him in that race because there was nothing else around for him. I would have liked to have gone to a 1400m, but he will run a nice race over 1560m. “He will be a bit fresh of course, but he hasn’t run a bad race in his life, and I am very pleased to have him back.” Cleese was set to lumber 61.5kg but will get some weight relief courtesy of apprentice jockey Sam McNab’s four-kilogram claim. Bell has yet to map out the rest of Cleese’s preparation and said Wednesday’s performance will dictate his next target. “We will get through this one and assess his fitness as to where we head,” he said. “We will take it race by race.” Looking ahead to the weekend, Bell will have just the one runner at Te Rapa on Saturday but has yet to decide which race they will target. Ata Rangi (NZ) (Haradasun) is dual nominated for the OTL Group LTD Hurdle (2800m) and John Young Family 2400, but he said retirement is looming for the nine-year-old gelding with the lack of jumping opportunities available to him now that he has won his maiden hurdle. “I have him in the hurdle, but he is going to come up against horses that have won five or six races, so that doesn’t thrill me at all,” Bell said. “I am looking for a 0-1 or 0-2 hurdle, which they don’t have anymore. “I have got him in the 2400m as well. If we can’t get suitable races for jumping, he will probably be retired.” View the full article

The racing industry has lost one of its more colourful characters with the passing of Joe Yorke on Sunday. The Manawatu horseman was a respected breaker and pre-trainer for a number of top Central Districts racing stables before becoming a bloodstock agent, but he is more known for his feats in the Equestrian world, having competed in showjumping at the 1976 Montreal Olympics with Big Red. The pair were inducted into the Equestrian Sports New Zealand Hall of Fame at their 75th Anniversary dinner on Friday night, alongside thoroughbred trainer and Olympian Harvey Wilson and his wife Ann. Wilson was sad to hear of Yorke’s passing just two days later, aged 77, and recalled their time together preparing to compete at the Montreal Olympics. “We rode a lot together in the early days,” Wilson said. “We went to England in a team in ‘76 to go to Montreal – Joe Yorke, myself and John Cottle. “John and my horses suffered a bit from travel sickness, so we didn’t get there, so Joe was the only representative when riding for New Zealand at Montreal.” Joe Yorke on Big Red clearing 6ft 6inches in Australia Photo: supplied While they failed to make the final, Yorke and Big Red proved to be a formidable pair in the lead-up, gaining their Olympic selection through numerous wins and placings, including Horse of the Year and the Pilmer Plate for puissance in 1974, and the Norwood Gold Cup in 1975. Such was their standing that the trophy awarded to New Zealand show jumping’s Young Rider of the Year is called The Big Red Cup, named in honour of Yorke’s chestnut. While Big Red was Yorke’s most popular horse, Wilson said he also had plenty of success with another mount. “He also had another very good horse that jumped for New Zealand called Challenge,” Wilson said. “Challenge was his first horse and Big Red was his second horse, and he was a very good horse. He did a very good job to have two horses compete for New Zealand, and that is not easy.” Following his Olympic endeavours, Yorke returned to New Zealand to concentrate more on thoroughbred racing and he established a successful breaking-in and pre-training business. “He retired after Montreal and he set-up his own business up where he used to break-in and pretrain, and he then became a bloodstock agent,” Wilson said. Yorke was a familiar face on Stuart Hale’s annual yearling sale tour, with his quick wit and expert eye a welcome addition to the high-anticipated gathering. While sad to hear of Yorke’s passing, Wilson was pleased his old friend was able to be honoured for his achievements in the saddle when inducted into the Hall of Fame last Friday. “It’s very sad, having been inducted into the Equestrian Federation Hall of Fame two days before,” Wilson said. “He was a great horseman.” View the full article

Emily Murphy brings you Winter Weigh In, your place for Thoroughbred racing news, reviews and insights throughout the colder months. The team look back at some brilliant jumping performances as well as the best of the Winter Championships from Ruakaka. Winter Weigh In, June 30 View the full article

Transitioning into the breeding side of thoroughbred racing reignited Olivia Blane’s love for the industry, a passion that was recognised at Entain’s Industry Excellence Awards where she was named winner of the Stud, Stable and Kennel Excellence Award. Blane leads the yearling preparation team at Waikato Stud, one of New Zealand’s premier breeding operations. Despite holding such a pivotal role, she was caught by surprise when announced the winner on Sunday night. “I was surprised, but really honoured to be announced the winner,” she said. “It felt great to be nominated and selected as a finalist after years of hard work.” Entering the industry as a teenager, Blane initially found her place riding trackwork and travelling racehorses, of which she did for well over a decade. Eventually, she was looking for a new direction and found her way to the Matamata nursery. “I started working in racing when I was about 17, I would go and ride trackwork before school,” she said. “I spent the next 15 years in racing, going to and from Australia travelling with horses, and I worked in Australia for a while. “I got to the stage where I’d had enough of the early mornings, so I applied for the Night Foaling role at Waikato, just to try something completely different. I did three seasons of that, as well as (yearling) prep, then last year, I got the Yearling Manager position.” Blane is responsible for 170 youngsters this season, many of which are being prepared for public auction, as well as a team of staff with a range of stud and equine experience. “I get them when they’re freshly weaned off their mothers, so the whole handling process and teaching them the basics is very rewarding, watching them grow and change,” she said. “We bring 25 to 30 horses in every week from weaning, to do trimming, rug-breaking, and bit-breaking, and we’ve just completed that for 170 weanlings. They’ll come in again every six weeks, for survey x-rays and truck trips, and they’ll have plenty of time to learn how to live and eat in a box as well so they’re ready for the yearling sales and racing life. “I have seven to eight people working in the team during the off season, and during prep, we’d have closer to 15 to 17. Some of those people have never touched horses before, so just teaching them everything is pretty rewarding as well. “My partner, who was previously a heavy machinery driver, decided he wanted to work with the horses and he came in last year, so that was cool to teach him all of the ropes.” Blane feels a great sense of pride in watching Waikato Stud’s yearlings go through the sales ring or into racing careers and noted a couple of standout moments at Karaka over the past couple of years. “The year we sold the Chandelier colt for $1 million was my first prep here, that was pretty cool,” she said. “I led one of Garry’s (Chittick) through the ring that made $850,000, a Savabeel colt out of Relentless Desire, that was a highlight as well. “I really like those yearlings that are just in the mid-range too, they become your favourites and some you just get the impression that they’ll be really nice racehorses.” Reflecting on her award, which includes a $10,000 prize, Blane expressed her gratitude towards the Waikato Stud management team, particularly studmaster Mark Chittick. “Mark (Chittick), Mike (Rennie) and Jaimee (Underwood) have helped me a lot,” she said. “This was probably my last-ditch attempt at a horse job, otherwise I was probably going to go into an accounting degree or something like that, but it has really made me love the game. “I never thought I would be working in a stud, but here I am, and I love it. The variety is great, I still love doing the foaling and breeding, we are on call and can go in if we’d like too. My department is pretty different to the rest of the farm, but we still help out a lot around the place and learn a huge amount. “I didn’t realise how much goes into breeding a horse, there’s so much to it.” View the full article

Emerging filly Levakia (NZ) (Proisir) has given Curraghmore further cause for celebration. The Ken and Bev Kelso-trained three-year-old struck for the second time from a handful of starts when she won the Winter Championship Final (1600m) at Ruakaka last Saturday. The Proisir filly’s success followed the good time enjoyed by Curraghmore at New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Weanling Sale at Karaka. They ended the auction as the leading vendor by aggregate with eight youngsters sold for $465,000 and a top price of $120,000 for a colt by Sword Of State who was knocked down to Kaha Nui Farm. He is a half-brother to the Gr.3 Easter Cup (2000m) winner Torranzino. Levakia was bred by Gordon Cunningham’s Waikato operation and sold to Ancroft Stud for $105,000 at New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Online Yearling Sale. “She was a filly that we always liked, she was a progressive type but didn’t have the maturity to be a January sales yearling,” Cunningham said. “She was a filly that had plenty of quality but needed that extra time. “She has obviously showed good ability from the get-go for her owners, they have been very patient and all going well she will continue to reward them in the next 12 months and more.” Levakia is out of the unraced Rip Van Winkle mare Rose’s Girl, who produced a colt by Sword Of State last season. “I’ve got a big opinion of him and he’ll either go to Karaka in January or the breeze-up sale,” Cunningham said. “The mare is back in foal to Proisir on the strength of the promise that Levakia showed. “We bred Rose’s Girl and she’s from the one of the very best Waikato Stud families. “Levakia is a little bit distant from the real depth in the pedigree and hopefully she can put this branch of the family back on the map.” It features the Australasian and European Group One winner and late sire Starcraft (NZ) (Soviet Star), whose half-sister Forum Floozie was a stakes winner and finished runner-up in an edition of the Gr.1 Coolmore Classic (1500m). Their dam Flying Floozie was a three-time New Zealand Broodmare of the Year while this season’s Gr.2 Waikato Guineas (2000m) and Gr.3 Wellington Stakes (1600m) winner Tuxedo (NZ) (Tivaci) is also a family member. View the full article

Wentwood Grange Yearling Manager Brad Molander was recognised for his contribution to the New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeding industry at the Entain Industry Excellence Awards on Sunday night when he was bestowed the Dedication to Breeding Excellence Award. It comes two years after Molander was awarded the Mary Lynne Ryan Young Achiever at the National Breeding Awards, and he was delighted to be recognised by the wider industry on Sunday. “It was awesome to get the award and be recognised,” Molander said. “The Hawkins family, who own Wentwood Grange, were there as well as a few friends, and I got a lot of messages of congratulations from family. “I do a bit with the standardbreds as well with harness racing, so to mix those two codes and to have a great night like that was really fun.” Molander has become an integral part of the Wentwood Grange team, leading their yearling sale preparation for the best part of a decade, and he enjoys being a part of the Waikato farm’s framework. “I have been yearling manager at Wentwood for eight seasons,” he said. “I love getting the babies ready from when we start handling them when they come off the mare. “We do a good bit of everything at Wentwood, we do the mares, foals, spellers, racehorses and yearlings, we are all one big team. I love it.” Molander also has plenty of skin in the game himself, having started breeding on his own account in the last few years, and he has struck immediate success. “In partnership with my mate John Atkinson, who is our farrier, I have got an Iffraaj mare called Missouri that we bought for $600 (off gavelhouse.com),” Molander said. “We bred her to Embellish, who was only a $4,000 stallion at the time, and we sold her first foal (In The Air) for $27,500 at the weanling sales a couple of years ago. “He won as an early two-year-old at Tauherenikau and ran in the Karaka Millions, which was awesome. To do that with the first foal we bred and first foal out of the mare was great. He only followed them around in the Karaka Millions field, but it was amazing to be there with a runner in the race. “The second foal, the colt by Embellish, we took him to Book 2 at the beginning of this year and he made $100,000. Ross McCarroll bought him and he is at the farm right now. I have kept a share in him with Ross and the rest of the new owners. He has been broken in and the reports from the breakers were good. “We skipped a year with the mare to give her a year off and now she is in-foal to Shamexpress and she is due late-August.” While pleased to receive his award on Sunday, Molander said he got a bigger kick out of enjoying the night with his partner, Cambridge Raceway chief executive David Branch, who was also a finalist in the Administration and Innovation Excellence category. “The highlight for me was being a finalist on an evening like that with Dave, that was really special,” he said. As part of his award, Molander received a $10,000 cash prize, which he said would likely be reinvested into the industry. “Thank you to Entain,” he said. “I haven’t thought about what I will use the money towards, but it will probably end up going back into the industry.” View the full article

Newmarket trainer Charlie Fellowes will aim to add the United States to the list of countries where he has saddled winners when lining up Luther in the July 4 Belmont Derby Invitational Stakes (G1T).View the full article

The New York Racing Association did not create its trio of rich 3-year-old turf races for Flying Mohawk. But the series does come in quite handy for runners like the son of Karakontie. View the full article

On the June 30 BloodHorse Monday, Gatewood Bell discusses the 2026 Breeders' Cup at Keeneland, Louie Rabaut and Sean Collins remember D. Wayne Lukas, Dan Illman recaps the Laurel Park meet, and Rachel McLaughlin previews the Indiana Derby (G3).View the full article

Preakness Stakes (G1) winner Journalism returned to the work tab June 29, breezing a half-mile at Santa Anita Park in :47 4/5. Trainer Michael McCarthy said the son of Curlin came out of the work well, but has no goals yet for summer races.View the full article

I can't really remember a time that D. Wayne Lukas wasn't in my life. Beginning with my teenage years, to say that I was a big fan of Wayne's is an epic understatement. As a student that liked to study at night it was highly likely I would take an afternoon siesta. So, I used to tell my mother “If ANYBODY calls, don't wake me. ONLY if it's the Queen of England or D. Wayne Lukas.” My mother can corroborate this story. Even though I was a huge fan of racing in general, Wayne occupied much of the gray matter in my brain. It was all about him, his horses, his wins and everything and everyone associated with him. I still have my scrapbooks with all my racing favorites, highlighted by an extensive Wayne Lukas section. Nowadays, it might be just cause for a restraining order. But back then, it was the only way I could connect with the man I so revered. I've told the story many times of my first meeting with him in the early 1990s, so I'll keep it brief. My first visit to Saratoga occurred in the summer of 1994, and that in itself was exciting. After Wayne won the King's Bishop with Chimes Band, I quite shyly (I know many of you are having a hard time believing this part of the story) hovered near the winner's circle as Wayne held court. My cousin, who clearly had more guts than I did, worked her magic and talked our way into the winner's circle so I could get an autograph. That was the moment I met my living hero. What can I say? Wayne was Wayne. Eloquence, class, charisma and charm. For most, pinpointing the exact moment that will launch them on a lifelong journey can be challenging, but for me, the origin is crystal clear. After joining the racing media ranks several years later, I had the opportunity to deal with Wayne on a professional level on a more frequent basis, however, to this day, I maintain that our initial meeting went a long way in informing my behavior toward racing fans as well as other industry professionals. Looking back, it gave wings to my love of racing. As a member of the media, I pestered Wayne, for YEARS, about allowing me to write his memoir. And as many of you who know him can imagine, he resisted. Strenuously. He didn't think it would be worth the time or effort, and he often said he didn't think people would be all that interested. Never was a statement less true. When he finally agreed for which we can thank his wife Laurie for helping pave the way, Wayne said he wanted it to be a book on his favorite quotes, which he was so famously known for. And then the real negotiations began. He wanted just the quotes, in black and white, a pocket-size book that people can carry around. Of course, I thought it was such a great opportunity to give people a slightly deeper look at many of the highs in his career, and some of the challenges he encountered in his life. I said, 'Let's add some historic pictures? How about I add a few short passages of some of the significant people, horses and events in his life?' He ultimately agreed, however, I won't lie, it wasn't an easy sell. I would often tell him, only half joking, “Wayne, it isn't about the book itself, it's about the movie that will come after!” If ever there was a man's life that was made for a motion picture, it is that of Wayne Lukas. (Btw, Wayne once said he thought Clint Eastwood would have been the most appropriate actor to play the role… Of course). Working on a book with Wayne Lukas might have been only a dream 25 years earlier, but it suddenly became a reality. During the process, I even had the opportunity to go to Wayne and Laurie's house in Louisville prior to the disassembly of his famous trophy collection before it was sent to the Kentucky Derby Museum. Talk about Alice finding herself in Wonderland. I can confidently say I will never witness something on that scale again. Often, while working on the book, Wayne would call me at 6:30 a.m. to discuss some of his thoughts. For a person who did not keep a trainer's hours, I would call him back a couple of hours later and he would always say, “I've already finished half my day!” I never had the heart to tell him that my work day would likely take me well into the evening. But I appreciated the spirit behind the pokes–never mean, but always in the belief that he just wanted to spread the good word. With Wayne, many of the quotes he liked to share and that he put great emphasis on were part of his own personal gospel. Which is why it is so appropriate that he selected the title of our collaborative book, Sermon on the Mount. The title really made sense for those who knew him, both personally and as a racing personality. He was a preacher and the racetrack was his church. Dubbed 'The Coach' because of his early days as a basketball coach, Wayne became well-known for actively teaching and trying to impart lessons to subsequent generations. However, I sometimes wonder if he realized that most of what he taught us was imparted by simply being who he was. Sometimes the lessons were tough, and often uncensored, but if you were open to hearing them, they were right there. And his team, including the amazing horseman Bas Nicholl, also projected that same spirit and tradition of teaching and making the sport available to young fans. The encounter that launched a career in racing: 19-year-old Christina meeting Wayne at Saratoga | Courtesy C Bossinakis In my own life, I've also embraced the gift of mentoring and fostering subsequent generations, something that Wayne became increasingly committed to. While he could be a great interview, courtesy of the decades of practice, he could also be intimidating for the inexperienced. The first time I ever interviewed him was at Keeneland September circa 2002 after he purchased a $1-million-plus yearling. Keeping my cool took some work–I was nervous but I knew my stuff so that went a long way with Wayne. If you did your homework and you were prepared, you'd be fine. Fast forward 25 years, and I've had the opportunity to counsel a couple of journalists who had upcoming interviews with him, looking for anything to make things go smoothly. Not that any of them really needed help, however it showed that Wayne still invoked that kind of reverence from the younger generation of professionals. From my early days as a journalist, I made it a point for Wayne to be the #1 stop on my itinerary whenever I showed up at a track he was stabled at. Whether he was winning or losing, and admittedly there were some pretty tough stretches over the past 25 years, I made him the priority. And why not? I always felt like, given everything he means to me, that it was the least I could do. Over the last few years, I have grown to understand that he was no longer just an iconic figure, a trainer that once rocked the racing world, but a man who loved and cherished his family and friends. He was a man who had channeled all of himself into horses and into racing for most of his life and for what may have seemed like a mere blip in a storied career, I was fortunate enough to have been given a front-row view of a truly spectacular life. With too many personal experiences to outline here, I recall vividly one of the last times I would see him, a few weeks ago in Baltimore prior to the Preakness. As usual, he was my first stop at Pimlico and he was being interviewed by the media as I walked up to his barn. Seated in his customary spot outside his barn office, he saw me approaching and said mid-sentence, “There is my girl.” I leaned down and hugged and kissed him and in that moment I knew, this isn't the man who I watched on TV as a teenager and couldn't even fathom sharing the same air as him. This was someone I had grown to love as a dear friend. The sudden realization that Wayne's barn will no longer be my first stop when visiting the backstretch is, in a word, painful. However, I find some consolation that as long as I live, Wayne's spirit and countless lessons will endure in me, and anyone whose life had been touched by 'The Man'. The post ‘The Man’–D. Wayne Lukas–The Original appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Donegal Racing's stakes winner A.P. Kid was euthanized June 28 following a workout over the Oklahoma Turf Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. View the full article

The United States Supreme Court took a major step toward moving forward the years-long dispute over the constitutionality of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority's powers with a sweeping set of orders June 30.View the full article

Over the 30 years former trainer Mike Machowsky spent plying his trade with stopwatch and condition book, his constant companion was the doughty California-bred. A Cal-bred helped launch his career-Native Boundary, who showed class and grit aplenty over three years and 22 starts. Only the Bobby Frankel-trained Eternity Star stood between him and the 1991 G1 Hollywood Derby. Later in Machowsky's career, the wily Cal-bred Caracortado stamped his mark over several seasons on some of the West Coast's most illustrious slug-fests over a mile. As Fasig-Tipton's California representative-a position he has held since 2019 after handing back his license-Machowsky views the role of the Cal-bred through a different but no less appealing lens. Only now, the critical role of the Cal-bred in propping up the industry has perhaps never been of greater import. Same goes for the owners' and breeders' program built up around them. “The likes of New York and Pennsylvania have very good breeding programs. But California really is one of the best. It always has been. I just think we need to capitalize on it more,” said Machowsky, one recent morning in his small office adjacent to the Santa Anita paymaster. “And how can we make it better?” he added. “How can we make it worth more to everyone?” The need for a healthy breeding model is borne out in the numbers. Since 2014, Cal-breds have represented between 45% and 50% of all starters at Thoroughbred race meets in the state. During the recently concluded six-month Santa Anita meet, they accounted for just over 48% of starters. But modeling performed for the TDN suggests there will be a combined 290 fewer Cal-bred runners competing in California between 2026 through 2028. Over the next few years, therefore, racing secretaries will have to rely on fewer of them. Which begs the question: how to shore up California breeding to ensure that the next few years will followed by a renaissance? “It's such a great program. If you've got a good Cal-bred, especially if you're the breeder of the Cal-bred, it's a great program. And if you're an owner that owns in California, or a trainer that trains in California, you have to have Cal-breds to support your stable.” The way Machowsky sees it, there are two main approaches. You can take a scalpel to the problem, or an axe. In terms of the latter approach, Machowsky believes that former California Thoroughbred Breeders' Association (CTBA) vice chair Harris Auerbach might be onto something when he proposed consolidating the breeding industries in the nation's Western and South-Western regions. “There's a lot of potential plusses here for combining forces,” said Machowsky, adding how, in recent years, he has tentatively broached such a scheme with other jurisdictions. Consolidation is always proposed as a means to strengthen. In this case, it would strengthen the breeding industries in states like New Mexico, California, Oregon, Washington and Arizona, reinforcing what remains of the racing programs in these states, all the while giving breeders-and struggling breeders especially-reason to keep going. “Washington doesn't have racing in the winter, right?” said Machowsky. “This could be a program to give your horse more options to run by offering incentives for you to run in New Mexico or in Arizona or in California or Washington or wherever.” He knows such a radical rethink of the West Coast breeding machine would require a radical set of events to give it life. Even if enough prominent figures from a diverse set of competing enclaves could come to some kind agreement, individual legislatures would likely have to sign off on it. That's why the specifics are light. But the genesis of the idea is an imperative. “We're in a unique situation and we need unique ideas,” said Machowsky. “Something to give these guys a dream.” From dreams to missed opportunities, Machowsky's other big-ticket idea is built around his suspicion that not enough influential figures around the country understand just what a lucrative breeding and incentives program exists in California. “Maybe this article will help people realize we've got such a good program out here,” he said, pinpointing provisions in the state's owners' and breeders' incentives and awards program, like the maiden bonus program, the stallion awards, and how the program extends to out-of-state graded stakes races, as well. “Maybe it'll open somebody's eyes.” More pointedly, an opportunity exists for a large out-of-state breeding operation to come to California with a stallion that's perhaps not as commercially viable as his more illustrious barn-mates, said Machowsky, along with a squad of mares to support him. The offspring, he added, would do better as headline acts at a California sale rather than sideshows in another. “Maybe he doesn't fit as well in Kentucky anymore, not going to get as much market share in Kentucky as he would in California,” said Machowsky, about the sort of stallion that would fit the bill. California's breeders' awards make such a proposition financially viable, said Machowsky. Like a rising tide lifting all boats, this injection of outside quality into the state would help all breeders, bringing more eyes to the sales, and likely more dollars, too, he said. There would also be a smart philanthropic element to the venture, helping to shore up a key corner of the industry in a state so vital to horse racing's nationwide health. “I think everybody understands we need California to survive. There's a lot of money that's pumped out of here,” said Machowsky. “They would bring more quality out here, do well at the sales selling them and racing them, and then reap the breeders' awards and stallion awards.” A tilt towards quality is evident in one of Machowsky's more pointed suggestions, that of affording the offspring of mares in foal to Californian stallions-but which are foaled in another state-the same breeders' awards were it born on home soils. “Say, John Harris has one of his super mares in foal to one of his stallions. He wants to foal her in Kentucky but he's still going to bring her back. Same with Terry Lovingier or any of these guys. “If they had one of their nicer mares, and say she's going to foal in January in Kentucky but they wanted to breed her in February then get her back out here, then let her foal in Kentucky and that foal is still eligible for the breeders' awards in California. Because right now, it's not,” said Machowsky, who added that caveats would have to be explored, like placing a time-limit with which the mare must return to California. Another idea is to make changes to the Cal-bred turf program, including expanding the number of turf stakes races for Cal-breds. “There's plenty of good turf sires in California,” said Machowsky. “But how do we fund it? That's the thing. Is there a way to make a futurity program for the breeders? It's possible-kind of like they do with the Quarter Horses, where you pay into it.” Such ideas, said Machowsky, aren't meant as finished thoughts but rather launching pads for all industry stakeholders sat around the negotiation table to grapple with, to drop or to take up accordingly, then shape into their own. “Everybody has to sit down at the table and talk about these things. We need to incentivize these breeders, give them as much opportunity to make as much as they can through their breeding programs or their stallion programs,” said Machowsky. “Us losing Northen California racing, we've got to all get together and make sure this thing survives.” The post Machowsky Talks California Breeding: A Unique Situation Needs “Unique Ideas” appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article