Wandering Eyes

By Brigette Solomon It was business pretty much as usual, and expected, for the House juggernaut at Manawatu this week. “I’d anticipated they’d all go good races as most of them had been racing well and we had targeted this meeting for them,” says driver Wilson House, “but it was pretty awesome to get four winners.” All four were trained by his father Michael and went out as short-priced favourites. The Canterbury-based House stable has become well adept at travelling their horses to where they will be most competitive, with Monday’s meeting being a prime example. Of the seven runners they started yesterday they came away with four wins and a second placing. Son Of Patrick was House’s first win of the day taking out the Central Energy Trust Handicap Trot and starting from a 40 metre handicap. It was the six-year-old gelding’ss eighth career win and he was foot perfect stepping away from the start with House allowing him to settle into rhythm before moving forward to the parked position where he remained for the majority of the race. In the home straight Son Of Patrick picked up the leader easily to win the race by 0.5 lengths. “He has raced in some tough fields in Canterbury lately, so I knew if he got away ok he’d be competitive and he won nicely,” said House. House would then drive The Next Best Thing to post the gelding’s maiden victory in race two by a narrow margin over second placed Million Dollar Chic. The Highview Tommy gelding didn’t make the win easy for House with a mid race gallop at around the 1000 metre mark causing him to lose ground, and then hitting the front in the home straight and only just holding off the challenge from Million Dollar Chic who was closing in. “He’s been getting close to a win, so it was good to get it,” said House. In race 4, the Racing Again 19th and 21st November Mobile Pace, the House runners took the quinella with Jazzy Styx winning and Santanna Mach, driven by Crystal Hackett second. From the ace starting draw, Jazzy Styx showed good gate speed when sent forward early by House before handing up the lead to stable mate Santanna Mach. The Vincent mare then enjoyed a cosy trip behind the leader before taking the passing lane and getting up to win by over a length. “Both of these horses have had very consistent form and have raced well on this track in the past so I expected both to be amongst the first couple home,” said House. In the final race of the day, House saluted the judge with stable veteran Warloch who brought up his 17th lifetime win. From a wide draw (7) House was content to settle the gelding at the tail of the field, meanwhile a three way battle for the lead ensued between Baileys Pitch, Eddie Osei, and Christiano Buccini who would eventually obtain the lead. The result was a swift lead time with House sitting back until the final lap when he set off three wide and made short work of rounding the field to sit outside the leader. With 400 metres to run Warloch headed the leader and would continue to improve and run away from the field to win by two lengths. “It was probably my favourite win of the day because he is just such an honest horse, he’s tough and he always tries so hard,” said Wilson, “he just always does his best.” The 10-year-old gelding by Well Said has now won just over $280,000 in stakes from 17 wins and 34 placings. View the full article

The New York State Gaming Commission (NYSGC) and Steve Asmussen have entered into a negotiated agreement that will “adjourn” twice-postponed hearings that were supposed to have examined the Hall-of-Fame conditioner's fitness for owner and trainer licensure after the NYSGC raised concerns regarding Asmussen's pay practices involving backstretch workers. In exchange for the hearing being taken off the NYSGC's docket, the agency explained in a Nov. 12 press release, Asmussen must engage and pay for an independent monitor approved by the NYSGC who will provide quarterly written reports to the NYSGC concerning whether Asmussen's racing stable is in compliance with federal and New York labor laws. Back in June, the NYSGC first announced its intent to hold a licensure hearing over Asmussen's pay practices only days after the United States Department of Labor obtained a court order requiring Asmussen to pay $243,260 in back wages and an equal amount in liquidated damages, for a total of $486,520. The federal investigation had found that Asmussen had denied overtime wages to 163 grooms and hotwalkers at Churchill Downs and Keeneland Race Course. As TDN's Bill Finley reported on June 13, the fact that the NYSGC was even seeking a hearing was notable because, “While Asmussen has had persistent problems with the Department of Labor, this is first time that any gaming or racing commission has looked into the matter and threatened revocation of Asmussen's license.” Asmussen, with 10,697 training victories, is the winningest Thoroughbred conditioner in North American history. His outfit has multiple divisions nationwide, but out of 2,036 starts so far this year, only 47 of them occurred in New York. “Courts have determined Thoroughbred Trainer Steven M. Asmussen's stable engaged in 'willful' violations of such labor laws, causing the Commission to question whether Mr. Asmussen should continue to participate in New York racing…” NYSGC chair Brian O'Dwyer stated in Tuesday's press release, which was issued by the agency after BloodHorse first reported that Asmussen's Nov. 13 hearing was “indefinitely postponed.” O'Dwyer added that, “Just as the Gaming Commission is concerned with the welfare of racehorses, riders and drivers, we are concerned with the wellbeing of the dedicated backstretch workers who make the sport possible. These individuals must be fairly compensated, and all licensed trainers must abide by labor laws.” A text message sent Tuesday to Asmussen seeking comment on the agreement yielded no reply. TDN then emailed Asmussen's attorney, Clark Brewster, who responded to the request for comment with the following statement: “After submissions to the NYSGC and discussions the matter has been resolved in favor of invited transparency, including the option for the NYSGC to review and monitor the payroll and wage-and-hour compliance actions implemented by Mr. Asmussen over the past few years to meet the record keeping mandates of the Department of Labor. We appreciate the concerns of the NYSGC and understand that through these efforts the entire industry may benefit from decisional law and the measures taken by the Asmussen stables to reach compliance.” The hearing notice issued in June stated that the NYSGC sought to investigate 1) Asmussen's financial responsibility, experience, character and general fitness; 2) Whether or not Asmussen is financially irresponsible; 3) Whether or not Asmussen has been guilty of or attempted any fraud or misrepresentation in connection with racing; 4) Whether or not Asmussen has violated or attempted to violate any law with respect to racing; 5) Whether or not Asmussen has engaged in one or more improper, corrupt or fraudulent acts or practices. Under the terms of the agreement, Asmussen must “make relevant books, records, and information available for the monitor's inspection” for the next two years. According to the agreement (which can be read in its entirety here), the monitor will be looking for whether Asmussen is in compliance with “federal and New York labor laws that concern wage-and-hour requirements, recordkeeping requirements with respect to wage-and-hour laws, prevailing-wage requirements for non-immigrant workers, reimbursement requirements for non-immigrant workers, and associated recordkeeping requirements pertaining to non-immigrant workers.” The monitor will have the power to give written notice to Asmussen if any alleged violations are uncovered, and can suggest “corrective action.” Asmussen will have 30 days after the issuance of any non-compliance notice to correct the conditions set forth in the monitor's notice. Should he fail to correct the conditions set forth in the monitor's notice, then the monitor shall promptly inform the NYSGC. By Dec. 31, 2026, if the commission decides, based on the reports, that Asmussen has been in “substantial compliance” with the relevant labor laws, the NYSGC “shall discontinue” the matter, the agreement stated. If the commission believes that compliance has not occurred, the matter will remain open and the hearing that got put off will be rescheduled. “Should there be non-compliance with labor laws, or the Commission becomes aware of further violations, we reserve the right to take further action concerning Mr. Asmussen's license,” O'Dwyer stated, adding that, “All trainers should take note and operate accordingly: New York State takes labor laws very seriously.” The post Asmussen and NYSGC Enter Agreement to Monitor Trainer’s Payroll Practices appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Trainer Juan Muñoz Cano brings four starters to the Claiming Crown at Churchill Downs Nov. 16.View the full article

Maiden Watch: Week of Nov. 4-Nov. 11View the full article

Multiple graded stakes winner Irish War Cry (Curlin–Irish Sovereign, by Polish Numbers) has been purchased by Bob and Tyree Wolesensky and will relocate from Northview Stallion Station in Maryland to the Wolesensky's Leadem Farm in Leola, Arkansas for the 2025 breeding season. The 10-year-old stallion won the 2017 GII Wood Memorial Stakes and GII Lambholm South Holy Bull Stakes, as well as the 2018 GIII Pimilco Special. He is the sire of this year's Maryland Million Sprint Stakes winner Celtic Contender, as well as Maryland Million Distaff third-place finisher Spencerian and stakes-placed Feeling Woozy. “He checks all our boxes here and we couldn't be more excited to bring such an accomplished son of Curlin, from such a strong Danzig female family line, to Arkansas,” said Bob Wolesensky. Jay Goodwin, who brokered the deal, said, “David Wade and Bob Wolesensky are two of the nicest people in the horse business. Love working with both of them. I'm excited to breed a couple of mares to Irish War Cry myself.” Irish War Cry will join American Freedom and Super Stock on the Leadem Stallion roster. The post Irish War Cry to Leadem Farm in Arkansas appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Richard Frisby added a third Walk In The Park (Ire) foal to his purchases at the Tattersalls Ireland November National Hunt Sale on Tuesday when going to a sale-topping €92,000 for the Ballincurrig Stud-consigned colt out of the Astarabad mare En Vedette (Fr). A Listed winner over hurdles in France, En Vedette is the dam of five winners from six runners, including two black-type performers in Sabrina (Ire) (Yeats {Ire}) and Lady Adare (Ire) (Sholokhov {Ire}). Her 2020 gelding by Flemensfirth made €140,000 at the Derby Sale in 2023, bought by Tom Malone and Paul Nicholls. Speaking on behalf of his father, J J Frisby said of lot 509, “This colt has everything–it is a good price. She is still quite a young mare and has had some good sales ring results.” A total of 16 lots surpassed €50,000 on Tuesday, compared to just two across the first two days of the sale, with the others including the Golden Horn (GB) colt out of Mill Quest (Ire) (Milan {GB}) who went through the ring as lot 576. The only colt by Golden Horn on offer this week, he was sold by Glen Stables for Kieran and Billy Kenneally, with Kevin Ross Bloodstock and Ben Case emerging as the successful bidders on behalf of Lady Jane Grosvenor. “The sire is doing well,” said Ross. “The mare was a tough mare and she won nine times. He was one of our picks, a lovely type, a lovely mover. I think this is the first National Hunt type by the sire we have bought and he will be for resale.” Ross was also responsible for the pick of the day's other lots, this time buying alongside Chris Jones of Killeen Glebe Stud when spending €72,000 on a filly by Poet's Word (Ire) (lot 463) from Sunnyhill Stud. Her dam, Ballyshannon Rose (Ire) (Doyen {Ire}), was a Grade 2 winner over fences for Paul Fahey. “She is the best foal we have seen here,” said Ross's wife Anna. “There is quite a good word now about the sire and this filly is very well made, a lovely mover, and she has a stunning pedigree. There is black type in every dam and she is a great first foal out of the mare.” The final session of the November National Hunt Sale gets underway at 10am on Wednesday. The post Walk In The Park Colt Heads Strong Trade at Tattersalls Ireland November NH Sale appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

There are six horse racing meetings set for Australia on Wednesday, November 13. Our racing analysts here at horsebetting.com.au have found you the best bets and the quaddie numbers for Bendigo, Rosehill & Happy Valley (HK). Wednesday’s Free Horse Racing Tips – November 13, 2024 Bendigo Racing Tips Rosehill Racing Tips Happy Valley (HK) Racing Tips As always, there are plenty of promotions available for Australian racing fans. Check out all the top horse racing bookmakers to see what daily promotions they have. If you are looking for a new bookmaker for the horse racing taking place on November 13, 2024 check out our guide to the best online racing betting sites. Neds Code GETON 1 Take It To The Neds Level Neds Only orange bookie! Check Out Neds Review 18+ Gamble Responsibly. What are you prepared to lose today? “GETON is not a bonus code. Neds does not offer bonus codes in Australia and this referral code does not grant access to offers. Full terms. 2 It Pays To Play PlayUp Aussie-owned horse racing specialists! Check Out PlayUp Review 18+ Gamble Responsibly. Imagine what you could be buying instead. Full terms. Dabble Signup Code AUSRACING 3 Say Hey to the social bet! Dabble Have a Dabble with friends! Join Dabble Review 18+ Gamble Responsibly. THINK. IS THIS A BET YOU REALLY WANT TO PLACE? Full terms. Recommended! Bet365 Signup Code GETON 4 Never Ordinary Bet365 World Favourite! Visit Bet365 Review 18+ Gamble Responsibly. GETON is not a bonus code. bet365 does not offer bonus codes in Australia and this referral code does not grant access to offers. What’s gambling really costing you? Full terms. 5 Next Gen Racing Betting pickleBet Top 4 Betting. Extra Place. Every Race. Join Picklebet Review 18+ Gamble Responsibly. What are you really gambling with? Full terms. 6 Bet With A Boom BoomBet Daily Racing Promotions – Login to view! Join Boombet Review 18+ Gamble responsibly. Think. Is this a bet you really want to place. Full terms. Horse racing tips View the full article

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Tamara, trained by Hall of Famer Richard Mandella, won the 2023 Del Mar Debutante Stakes (G1) before finishing seventh in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1), where she was found to have suffered a fractured splint bone.View the full article

The New York State Gaming Commission and Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen have entered into a monitoring agreement of his labor practices, resulting in the cancellation of a scheduled license revocation hearing.View the full article

Trainer Juan Muñoz Cano brings four starters to the Claiming Crown at Churchill Downs Nov. 16.View the full article

Rathasker Stud has announced its fees for next season, with Bungle Inthejungle (GB), the sire of this year's G3 Phoenix Sprint Stakes winner Givemethebeatboys (Ire), leading the three-strong roster of stallions at €7,500. It will be the second consecutive year that Bungle Inthejungle has stood for €7,500, having covered 103 mares this season at his base in County Kildare. Perhaps best known as the sire of the G1 Nunthorpe Stakes heroine Winter Power (Ire), he enjoyed another notable result on the Knavesmire recently when his two-year-old Jungle Drums (Ire) won the Listed Rockingham Stakes. Bungle Inthejungle is joined at Rathasker by Coulsty (Ire) and Gregorian (Ire), both of whom remain unchanged at €5,500 and €4,500, respectively. Bolo Neighs (Ire) was the flagbearer for Coulsty in 2024 when winning the Goffs 500 and finishing third behind Jungle Drums at York, while Gregorian was represented well by the four-time winner Great Blasket (Ire). The post Bungle Inthejungle Heads Rathasker Stud Roster at Unchanged €7,500 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Okay, so the top price at Fasig-Tipton last week was paid for a mare by Frankel (GB), followed by daughters of Justify and his damsire Ghostzapper. But next, at $3.6 million, came a daughter of Flintshire (GB), Surge Capacity, while her own dam Strong Incentive made $2.75 million, despite also being by a Kentucky reject in Warrior's Reward. Other seven-figure sales included mares by Speightster, Frac Daddy and Marking, while the first such transactions at Keeneland next day concerned daughters of Mastery and Bird Song. It's the same every year. Seven-figure mares at Keeneland last time round included daughters of Big Brown, Afleet Alex, Pastorius (Ger), First Samurai and (again) Mastery. I'd congratulate any highly paid counsellor, asked to seed a breeding program, who might dare to recommend using such sires. These mares have elevated their value by disclosing a genetic functionality–whether through performance or production–that allows investors to indulge their unfashionable sires, who were typically working a brief window of opportunity in their earliest books. Blue hens have certainly emerged from obscurity. Families evolve. Some rise, some fall, most do a bit of both. But between blue-collar and blueblood, one way or another the bull needs his herd. It was certainly striking, last weekend, how a series of graded stakes scorers happened to be descended from landmark mares. The fourth dam of GII Red Smith Stakes winner Integration (Quality Road) is Chic Shirine. GIII Hill Prince Stakes winner Deterministic (Liam's Map) traces to Courtly Dee as fifth dam. GIII Long Island Stakes scorer Be Your Best (Ire) (Muhaarar {GB}) is out of a great-granddaughter of Up the Flagpole. Lady Be Good features as sixth dam of GIII Bessarabian Stakes winner Stormcast (Mitole). And if you go back far enough, you'll even find that GII River City Stakes winner Battle of Normandy (City of Light) eventually leads you to Busher. What does all that prove? Not much, perhaps. The influence of these matriarchs is surely too attenuated to explain athletic prowess here and now. But it would be less contentious to suggest that the whole culture they represent, of patient curation, secures a depth of genetic soil that has conjured these blooms as only the latest among many. The seeding of these families was almost invariably the work of owner-breeders, who chose matings with the quaint objective of producing a fast horse, and not just a fast buck. Perhaps we should not be surprised that four of these five horses won on turf, and the other on synthetic, not an environment, as we know, favored by many commercial breeders today. Old-school diligence (and resources!) won't pay off all the time, of course, and many good horses, equally obviously, emerge from commercially improvised pages. Perhaps it simply boils down to what gives us most confidence, as individuals, in judging how best to build on the work of our predecessors. For instance, the three dams dividing Integration from Chic Shirine are by Scat Daddy, Sky Mesa and that excellent distaff influence, Lyphard. The first two are both by sires tracing to the Claiborne matriarch, Narrate, the third dam of Johannesburg, granddam of Pulpit. I couldn't pretend to know quite how that may have helped Integration's dam Harmonize become a Grade I winner, and now replicate that talent in her son; any more than I could say what the same pair–Pulpit, as sire of the second dam; Johannesburg, as grandsire–together contributed to Justify. But I do find it comforting whenever sheer breadth of quality neutralizes the unpredictable distribution of genetic influence. Seeing Sky Mesa behind a mare, for instance, would always reassure me. His extremely solid output, from limited opportunity, is rooted in the elementary combination of a superbly bred sire and a superbly bred dam (tracing to Busanda). The same elementary formula (genetic gold x genetic gold) produced Mineshaft, who performs a similar role in Battle of Normandy's pedigree, as sire of the second dam. He was by A.P. Indy out of Prospectors Delite, herself by Mr. Prospector out of Up the Flagpole–and that blend, as it happens, is strongly echoed in the granddam of Be Your Best, who was by A.P. Indy out of Up the Flagpole's daughter by Nureyev, Flagbird. Obviously all these winners owe much to their sires, too, and the way their genes complement the maternal family. But we should never forget how the market's obsession with stallions is often primarily a matter of convenience. Modern book sizes, in particular, provide a helpfully legible statistical handle. But what actually unlocks the door, very often, is family. Never Too Much of a Good Thing If you want to take this saturation of quality a step further, there's no more blatant technique than inbreeding–something conspicuous in another of the winners mentioned above. Stormcast is out of a Quiet American mare, which will always guarantee certain flavors. Famously, not only are Quiet American himself and his sire Fappiano both out of Dr. Fager mares, but those mares are themselves both out of a daughter of Cequillo (Princequillo). In the case of Stormcast, however, second dam Millie's Delight additionally doubles down on Buckpasser. Her sire El Gran Senor is out of Sex Appeal, Buckpasser's daughter out of the celebrated Best In Show, while her dam Defer (Damascus) is out of I Pass, who was by Buckpasser out of Impish (herself daughter of Lady Be Good and Majestic Prince). Over recent days, however, perhaps no pedigree has been more concentrated than that of Paris Lily (City of Light), a Godolphin homebred who broke her maiden at Churchill last Friday. We're long familiar with Secretariat's distaff footprint, but he tramples all over this filly. Her first two dams are by sires out of Secretariat mares (Storm Cat and Lion Cavern); so, too, is City of Light's damsire Dehere; while his great-grandsire is Lion Cavern's brother Gone West, and his granddam is by Secretariat's half-brother Somethingfabulous. Battle of Normandy | Coady Media Paris Lily, incidentally, contributed to a healthy run for City of Light, who had taken time to consolidate his breakout champion Fierceness. The latter could hardly have done more, in defeat, than he did at the Breeders' Cup. The aforementioned Battle of Normandy is their sire's sixth graded stakes winner. Illuminare resumed his progress with a 98 Beyer in an optional allowance at Aqueduct and another sophomore, the $750,000 juvenile Benedetta, continued to regroup in a similar sprint at Churchill. City of Light found himself in a hot intake and cannot yet match the cumulative stakes ratios of several peers. But his fee has been adjusted accordingly, even as he has taken a step forward with each of his three years with runners–giving his stock a profile consistent with his own, as one that thrived with maturity. A Fertile Field The point expounded earlier, about the long-term percolation of curated quality, is further attested by Elysian Field, winner of the GIII Maple Leaf Stakes–a timely illustration, during the breeding stock sales, of how breeders sharing the same principles can tap into each other's work. Her granddam Initiation (Deputy Minister), sold as a yearling to Augustin Stable, represented six generations of stewardship by Peter Blum all the way to his foundation mare Mono. (Blum had actually sold Initiation's dam, but later repented and bought her back). Despite winning a stakes in a light career, Initiation was later culled to St Simon Place (confirming its extraordinary flair for bargains) for just $9,000 at the 2020 November Sale. She was 15, and proving a modest producer. That same spring, however, her half-sister Treasure delivered a Quality Road colt who would eventually become GI Preakness and GI Met Mile winner National Treasure. National Treasure | Sarah Andrew In the meantime, Initiation's daughter by Smart Strike, Elysian, had been sold to Anderson Farms after winning three times in the Strawbridge silks, for $100,000 at Keeneland January in 2018. She was sent to Hard Spun, and Elysian Field is the result. Despite making no more than $50,000 as a yearling, with her dam moved on soon afterwards, Elysian Field won the Woodbine Oaks last year (also runner-up in the King's Plate) and her graded stakes breakthrough makes Zilli's Fasig-Tipton Digital purchase last October of her dam, carrying a full-sibling, appear a tremendous strike at $55,000. “Strike” is the operative word, Hard Spun having lately been on quite a roll with Smart Strike mares. Saturday's runner-up, Millie Girl, herself represents the same cross. So, too, does GII Hillsborough Stakes winner Sparkle Blue; likewise, sophomore stakes scorers Give It a Whirl and Good Lord Lorrie. Hard Spun has clicked with many different influences and I leave to others any excitement that three of his four sons (Two Phil's the exception) contesting an eventual succession in Kentucky are also out of mares by sires tracing to Mr. Prospector. It always baffles me that the same people who “brand” entire sire-lines scoff at the idea that class might be concentrated beneath similarly recessed mares. They can dismiss as ancient history the fact that Blum bought Mono 50 years ago because she was out of a sister to Assault, but they can't really have it both ways. Because of the precious link Hard Spun provides to Danzig, and a Smart Strike mare doing the same with Mr. Prospector, doubtless Elysian Field will be acclaimed as “Northern Dancer over Mr. Prospector.” But who could sensibly say the same of Occult (Into Mischief), the GIII Monmouth Oaks winner who last month claimed her third Grade I podium when runner-up in the Spinster Stakes? Each to their own. But I'm rather more interested that Occult's fifth dam is Mono, and Blum and his team have expertly developed the line right down to her sale as a $625,000 yearling, than in finding Northern Dancer five generations behind Into Mischief and Mr. Prospector three behind Empire Maker. The post Breeding Digest: Blue-Collar Mares and Bluebloods appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Tamara, trained by Hall of Famer Richard Mandella, won the 2023 Del Mar Debutante (G1) before finishing seventh in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1), where she was found to have suffered a fractured splint bone.View the full article

Trainer Juan Muñoz Cano brings four starters to the Claiming Crown at Churchill Downs Nov. 16.View the full article

The Group 1-placed Westminster Moon (Ire) (Sea The Moon {Ger}) and 10 other wildcards have been added to the catalogue for the Arqana Autumn Sale, which takes place from November 18-21. The full catalogue is available to view here. Trained by Andreas Wohler, Westminster Moon finished third in the Grosser Dallmayr-Preis – Bayerisches Zuchtrennen won by Calif (Ger) (Areion {Ger}) at Munich in July. Last seen filling the same position in the G2 Premio Roma at Capannelle in October, the four-year-old will be offered by Coulonces as lot 427. Listed winner Kaneshya (Fr) (Hunter's Light {Ire}) (lot 454) is another late addition to the Coulonces draft, while the G3 Silbernes Pferd runner-up Padre Palou (Ger) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) (lot 441) and the Listed-placed Pleaseman (Fr) (Al Wukair {Ire}) (lot 425) will be offered by OH Consignment and trainer Conny Whitfield, respectively. Over jumps, AQPS Group winner Jet Blue (Fr) (Martaline {GB}) will be consigned as lot 455 by trainer Hugo Merienne. The post Proven Group Performer Westminster Moon Heads Arqana Wildcards appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

A hearing in a New York State Gaming Commission proceeding threatening Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen with a license revocation will not occur as scheduled, according to an agency spokesperson.View the full article

The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority announced Nov. 12 the launch of HISA Horse In-Sight, a cutting-edge digital tool designed for regulatory veterinarians.View the full article

A total of 1,401 lots have been catalogued for the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, which takes place from January 7-13. The full catalogue is available to view here. Previous graduates of the Gold Coast Yearling Sale include multiple Group 1 winners such as Winx (Aus) (Street Cry {Ire}), Golden Sixty (Aus) (Medaglia d'Oro), Imperatriz (Aus) (I Am Invincible {Aus}) and Alligator Blood (Aus) (All Too Hard {Aus}), in addition to the recent G1 Melbourne Cup hero Knight's Choice (Aus) (Extreme Choice {Aus}). The yearlings catalogued across the six days of the sale include the progeny of 127 individual sires, with siblings to top-level winners such as Amelia's Jewel (Aus) (Siyouni {Fr}), Imperatriz, In Secret (Aus) (I Am Invincible {Aus}), Nettoyer (Aus) (Sebring {Aus}), Profondo (Aus) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) and Warm Heart (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) featuring among the headline lots. Magic Millions managing director Barry Bowditch said, “The sale is the most influential for our industry with future stallions including Snitzel, Pierro, Savabeel, Written Tycoon, Pierata, Stay Inside, Farnan, Zoustar and Capitalist all being sold in the sale ring that will host their progeny in January. “Our team has inspected yearlings right across Australia and New Zealand and assembled what we feel is a truly world class offering of future racetrack stars. We're proud of the development of our graduates, with 34 individual Group 1 winners and 237 stakes winners produced from this sale over the last five years, regularly winning across all distances and age groups. “Buyers should be confident to know they can come to January to fill any order. Be that for Golden Slipper winning colts, Coolmore winners, Guineas winners, Oaks and Derby winners, and even Melbourne Cup winners. You can find them all on the Gold Coast in January.” He added, “Buying a yearling at the 2025 Gold Coast Yearling Sale will provide shoppers the opportunity to race for more than A$20 million in 28 races nationally every year as part of the Magic Millions Race Series.” The post Catalogue for the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale Now Online appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority has announced the launch of HISA Horse In-Sight, a cutting-edge digital tool designed for regulatory veterinarians. Integrated within the HISA Portal, the platform combines a horse's career and medical history to provide a unique and holistic view of its health and performance. HISA Horse In-Sight was developed to empower regulatory veterinarians to make informed, timely decisions with greater efficiency and accuracy, ultimately enhancing horse health and welfare across Thoroughbred racing. “HISA Horse In-Sight represents a significant leap forward in how we approach equine care and safety in horseracing,” said HISA CEO Lisa Lazarus. “By providing regulatory veterinarians with an intuitive and data-rich tool, we're empowering them to make more informed, timely decisions that directly impact the health and welfare of our horses. This is a clear demonstration of HISA's ongoing commitment to leveraging innovation for the betterment of Thoroughbred racing and the protection of its athletes.” HISA Horse In-Sight features an intuitive graph that visually captures a horse's racing career, represented by high-speed furlongs over time. With an extensive array of data points, regulatory veterinarians can now access key information through a simple statistics box or explore a horse's history in detail via the Horse History tab. Key features of HISA Horse In-Sight include: A comprehensive view of races, workouts, scratches and more, complete with result details and conditions; Advanced filters enabling customized views by treatment type, injury outcome or veterinary list status; The ability to compare multiple horses through the Race Day tab, offering valuable insights into intra-articular injections and injuries; Dynamic time controls allowing regulatory veterinarians to explore a horse's history across any timeline, with rolling totals of high-speed furlongs for precision insights; Downloadable reports ideal for research, mortality reviews and other essential veterinary tasks. This platform builds on other recent innovations like HISA's partnership with Palantir to create a data-enabled tool that helps stakeholders identify horses at risk for injury before racing, and MedEnt, HISA's mobile app for recording medical treatments. The post HISA Launches Horse In-Sight Digital Tool For Regulatory Veterinarians appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Sakheer (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}), the new stallion at Ballyhane Stud for 2025, will stand at a fee of €6,500 on Live Foal terms. He will cover a maximum of 140 mares. The G2 Mill Reef Stakes winner, who raced for KHK Racing, arrived at the farm in Leighlinbridge recently. “Everyone on the farm loves him, he has a super temperament,” said Ballyhane's Joe Foley. “He's been here a few weeks now and he has settled in well. We can't wait to show him to breeders. “We've had a fantastic reaction to the news that he is joining the Ballyhane roster. I must say I've never had so many phone calls about a stallion in such a short space of time. He added, “We will be offering Live Foal terms and limiting his book to 140 mares as a sign of solidarity with breeders at a time of some uncertainly in the market.” The post Sakheer at €6,500, Live Foal, in ‘Solidarity’ With Breeders appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Kia Joorabchian has submitted an offer to buy Freemason Lodge, the long-term base of retiring trainer Sir Michael Stoute, the Amo Racing founder told the Nick Luck Daily Podcast on Tuesday. Stoute brought a training career spanning more than five decades to an end when he saddled his final runner at Yarmouth last week and Joorabchian has now confirmed his ambition to purchase the yard in Newmarket from which Stoute sent out the majority of his 16 British Classic winners. Joorabchian, whose spending spree at Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale made headlines last month, already owns a yard in Lambourn, currently home to Brazilian-born trainer Raphael Freire, but now finds himself in the market for a bigger base to accomodate his expanding team. “We have a training yard at the moment in Lambourn,” said Joorabchian. “It holds 37 boxes, it's a relatively small operation, and we've been operating there for two years. Now, we're actively looking for something that is a little bit more appropriate to the size that we're becoming. “[Freemason Lodge] is definitely something that we are considering and looking at quite closely. It's something that would be an honour to be a part of. It has such a great history with Sir Michael Stoute and such a great reputation as a yard. I think any yard of that nature is very rare. “These yards in Newmarket on the Bury Road don't come up very often and it's been under the same trainer for many years. It has had wonderful success, multiple Derby winners, and the location is in a perfect place. You come out and you're right there on the gallops. “The yard is beautifully structured and I think it would be of benefit to anyone who took it over–it would be an honour for anybody who takes it over from such an incredible man.” He added, “We've made an offer and that offer needs to get accepted. I don't want to jump the gun. Being in sports, people always say to me 'the transfer for this player is done', but it's never done until the boy is wearing the shirt and playing on the pitch. That's the way I look at things. “But as I said, Sir Michael's yard is one of the greatest yards, from a historic point of view and from the number of incredible winners that he has produced. It is very well managed and he's had incredible staff working there for many, many years. They've all been very loyal to him. “I'd like to make sure that if we do get it, we manage to keep that reputation and history alive. That would be my aim if we do get it and if we don't then we will definitely be in the market to find something else.” The post Kia Joorabchian Reveals Hopes to Buy Sir Michael Stoute’s Long-Term Base appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The post When Chefs Become Trainers appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Peter Douglass of Ten Twenty Racing has pledged an initial $1,000 to LoneStar Outreach to Place Ex-Racers, plus an additional $500 every time one of the Ten Twenty horses wins a stakes race. Since founding Ten Twenty Racing just a few years ago, Douglass's horses have earned nearly $1 million on the racetrack. The stable looks to improve the performance of claiming horses with a focus on nutrition, conditioning, and understanding each horse's unique personality. “Supporting LOPE is a natural extension of our commitment to the horses who have given so much to the sport,” said Douglass. “These warhorses have incredible stories and even greater potential. I'm proud to contribute to their aftercare and to inspire others in the racing community to do the same.” LOPE seeks to help older retired racehorses find new purpose after their racing days are over. By hosting learning lab field trips for K-12 students at their farm, LOPE allows ex-racehorses to play a vital role in education, teaching kids about math, science, and the importance of animal welfare. Through these programs, children experience the joy and intelligence of these remarkable horses firsthand. “Peter Douglass's support is an inspiration to us all,” said Lynn Reardon, Executive Director of LOPE. “His commitment to our mission not only helps us care for these wonderful horses but also encourages others to consider how they can make a difference in the lives of retired racehorses. Together, we can show that even the most seasoned champions have much to give beyond the racetrack.” For more information about LOPE, visit https://www.lopetx.org/. The post Ten Twenty Racing Pledges Support to LOPE’s Racehorse Aftercare Mission appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Dollars & Sense with Frank AngstView the full article