Wandering Eyes

Group One winner Smokin’ Romans broke a two-year win drought in style on Saturday with a black-type success at the scene of his biggest triumph. The Ghibellines gelding went into Saturday’s A$300,000 Gr.3 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2600m) at Flemington as a nine-time winner from a career spanning 39 starts. However, he had not won since taking out the Gr.1 Turnbull Stakes (2000m) at Flemington in October of 2022. The eight-year-old turned back the clock in Saturday’s Queen Elizabeth Stakes under a front-running ride from Ben Melham. He held the chasers at bay all the way down the Flemington straight, beating Star Vega by half a length with another four lengths back to Berkeley Square in third. “I was a little bit cheeky,” Melham said. “We had it pretty steady the first half. He’s a lovely old horse. He’s got a beautiful rhythm. They sent the mozzies out midway to inject a bit of pressure, probably rightfully so, as I was going pretty steady on him. But from that moment on, he picked up, he switched on and when I went for him, he picked up quickly. “Because we had it so cheap the first half, I stepped it up a good way out and he maintained his gallop all the way through the line. “Sometimes, these old horses, you’ve got to try something a bit different on them. Just trying something different, leading and sprinting a long way out, it seemed to work with him today. He’s a good, honest horse, a sound horse. Obviously he hasn’t been in the winner’s circle for a long time. It’s good to see him return there.” Smokin’ Romans is trained by Ciaron Maher and has now had 40 starts for 10 wins, nine placings and A$1.96 million in stakes. “He’s a Turnbull winner,” Maher said. “He hasn’t got to that form for a while, but it’s fantastic for the horse, the owners and the team to get a big win like this. “He’s bred down in the South Island in New Zealand, so he’s a pretty hardy fella. He’s sound and the team have done a great job with him. The owners have had a big thrill today on the last day of the Flemington carnival. “We’ll definitely have a look at the Zipping Classic (Gr.2, 2400m) now. I feel that a few of these horses will be having a crack at that, and he’s winning, so we’ll give it a go.” Smokin’ Romans was bred by Brian and Lorraine Anderton’s White Robe Lodge. The son of Ghibellines is out of the Andertons’ high-class staying mare Inferno, the winner of 10 races including the Gr.3 Canterbury Gold Cup (2000m) twice. Smokin’ Romans sports the colours of Kiwi owner Don Frampton, who has raced Group One winners such as Booming and Trounced. Frampton secured a share in the gelding following his sale to Darren Weir for $52,500 during the Book 1 sale at Karaka in 2018. View the full article

Hinged ridden by James McDonald winning the 2024 Matriarch Stakes at Flemington. (Photo by Scott Barbour/Racing Photos) After failing to win a race and running several placings in over two years, Hinged ($4) has finally broken her lengthy winless drought by claiming the Group 2 Matriarch Stakes at Flemington, giving Chris Waller and James McDonald another winner at the Melbourne Cup Carnival. The daughter of Worthy Cause recorded her previous victory on February 26, 2022, and since then she has finished in the placings on nine occasions, which led many punters to steer clear of the six-year-old mare, drifting from an opening quote of $3.30 to jump at $4 with Neds. However, in just her third attempt at Flemington, McDonald got everything out of his mount to claim a very brave Sirileo Miss ($41) in the final bounds at the end of the 2000m journey. Declan Bates adopted Pride Of Jenni-like tactics on Sirileo Miss, sprinting out to an early two-length lead over Liveore ($26), Wishlor Lass ($23) and Lady In Pink ($14) before lifting the tempo at the 800m mark to build on her lead. Lady In Pink was the only runner from the top four that battled on and chased the tearaway leader turning for home, while the likes of Hinged, Little Mix ($13) and Firestorm ($5.50) made their runs down the middle of the track. With 200m to go, there appeared to be only one runner that could run down the leader, and it was McDonald getting absolutely everything out of Hinged, who put in the big bounds late to nab Sirileo Miss in the last 20m of the race. Lady In Pink and Little Mix continued to chase gamely and finished in third and fourth place, respectively. 2024 Matriarch Stakes replay – Hinged Chris Waller appeared to be a relieved trainer when he spoke about the win post-race. “She loves racing to be fair and although she’s getting on in life, it’s the best she’s ever looked and I took a video of her and sent it to the owners yesterday to say look at how well she’s travelled down from Sydney as well as racing last Saturday, you’d hardly know,” Waller said. “So it’s a little trip away stimulator and so many things in her favour. “Great ride from James McDonnell, nice draw, good weight and a long Flemington straight so it made it easier. “It worked out perfectly the first half of the race, James got her in a good spot, good speed so it set up well.” James McDonald was quick in his assessment of the win. “A great will to win and she did a good job,” McDonald said. “It set up really well, she was well- placed under those conditions and it’s a really good race to win so it adds a good value to her.” Horse racing news View the full article

Babylon Berlin winning Saturday’s Listed Legacy Lodge Sprint (1200m) at Te Rapa. Photo: Kenton Wright (Race Images) Quality sprinter Babylon Berlin successfully defended her crown in the Listed Legacy Lodge Sprint (1200m) within a display of pure sprinting power at Te Rapa on Saturday. The Ben and Ryan Foote-trained six-year-old mare has been amongst the upper echelon of New Zealand sprinters in recent years having competed with distinction at the highest levels including finishing runner-up on three separate occasions at Group 1 level. Entering her fifth season of raceday action the challenge for her mentors was to ensure she still had the desire to compete on the track and that question was answered in emphatic fashion as she ran her rivals off their feet in stunning fashion. Rider Vinnie Colgan, who had already won twice on the programme with La Dorada and Bella Voce, sent the daughter of All Too Hard straight to the lead from the barriers and had a lapful of horse under him approaching the home bend. Colgan let Babylon Berlin have her head at the 300m and she powered clear before holding on comfortably from Imprevu and Geriatrix in a smart 1.09.55 for the 1200m journey. Ben Foote was rapt to see the mare take the race that she also won fresh-up in 2023, suggesting she was on track to contest some of the major sprint races on the New Zealand calendar over the summer months. “I just wasn’t sure if she wanted to be back but that proves the point (she does),” Foote said. “When you see other mares like Atishu and Bella Nipotina winning as seven-year-olds it puts a spring in your step, but you never know until they step out again. “She didn’t turn her coat until a couple of weeks ago and in the back of my mind I had that thought about whether she wanted to be there. “She deserves to win a Group 1 but we will want to see how she comes through this one first before we get too far ahead although the sprint series is an obvious target.” Foote was referring to races like the Group 1 Railway (1200m), the Group 1 Telegraph and Group 1 BCD Group Sprint (1400m) where Babylon Berlin finished runner-up in each race during 2022/2023 racing season. Those races are included in a new innovative ten-race series initiated by New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing and Entain New Zealand & Australia this season that includes races in Australia and New Zealand that culminate on Champions Day at Ellerslie on 8 March. Points will be allocated to the first four placegetters of each race in the respective series, with a bonus pool of $500,000 being shared amongst the owners of the three highest point scoring horses at the conclusion of each series. Horse racing news View the full article

Illicit Dreams winning Saturday’s Listed Pegasus Stakes (1000m) at Riccarton. Photo: Ajay Berry (Race Images South) Riccarton is a home away from home for speedy Ruakaka mare Illicit Dreams, who added a blistering front-running win in Saturday’s Listed Pegasus Stakes (1000m) to her proud record at the Christchurch track. A daunting 1200km journey separates Riccarton from trainer Kenny Rae’s Northland base, but Illicit Dreams has repeatedly taken those big trips in her stride and produced some of the best performances of her career. The daughter of Vancouver is now a dual stakes winner and has also been stakes-placed, and all of those have been at Riccarton. She won the Listed Champagne Stakes (1200m) as an autumn two-year-old in 2023, then returned last spring for a runner-up finish behind Viva Vienna in the Listed Canterbury Belle Stakes (1200m). Overall, Illicit Dreams has now had two wins and two placings from seven starts at the track. The four-year-old ran her rivals off their feet in Saturday’s Pegasus, which was the first of eight black-type races to be staged at Riccarton during the New Zealand Cup Carnival. Sam Spratt sent Illicit Dreams straight to the lead and dominated the race from there, kicking hard in the straight and keeping herself out of reach of the highly rated Australian import South Of Houston. Illicit Dreams was still a half-neck in front of that rival at the finish line, with the same margin back to Tikki in third. Illicit Dreams stopped the clock at 55.3 seconds on a Soft5 track. It the fourth-fastest time for the Pegasus Stakes in the last 20 years, beaten only by Ticklish (54.20 seconds in 2006), Darcybee (54.82 seconds in 2005) and Sensei (55 seconds in 2019). Bought by Rae Racing for $30,000 from Book 2 of Karaka 2022, Illicit Dreams has now earned over $180,000 from a 19-start, five-win career. “Well, we’ve got one win from the trip down south anyway,” Rae said. “I was thinking of going straight into the Stewards’ Stakes (Listed, 1200m) next week with her, but then I thought you can get bad luck with draws and things like that. She can still back up next week now, but if she doesn’t, we’ve got a prize anyway. “I thought she was at false odds coming into this, and we’ve got the result. I’d like to thank the owners, and one of them isn’t here today because he’s been a bit crook lately. It’s a big trip down for this carnival. I’ve got a lot of good people behind me that make it possible, and I’d like to thank them as well.” Illicit Dreams provided a winning start to an exciting carnival for Spratt, whose rides also include Group 1 favourites Savaglee and Alabama Lass. “This horse was ready to run today, they said she’d been working beautifully down here,” she said. “Kenny told me that she might be a step slow away, but once she gets up and running, she’s off. We managed to get the kick right today, and I was pretty happy once we did that. She cruised along at a really nice speed. “If she gets away with an easy lead again, she might be alright stepping up to 1200m for the Stewards next week. But she is a real little running type and probably needs that uncontested lead.” Horse racing news View the full article

Reputation winning Rating 75 (1300m) at Te Rapa on Saturday. Photo: Kenton Wright (Race Images) Progressive mare Reputation kicked off a new campaign at Te Rapa on Saturday in fine style when she produced a fighting front running effort to claim the Maven Waikato 1300 (1300m). The Pam Gerard-prepared five-year-old had signed off her four-year-old season with a creditable midfield finish in the Group 3 Cuddle Stakes (1600m) at Trentham in March and was fitted for her raceday resumption with a 1000m open class trial victory on her home track at Matamata last month. Apprentice Joe Nishizuka took her straight to the front from her inside barrier and dictated a steady speed before being attacked by Our Absolute on her outer and Charmer on her inner shortly after rounding the home bend. Nishizuka didn’t panic and kept pushing the mare along as she found plenty in the final 100m to hold out Our Absolute and the late-closing Keegan to score a gritty victory. With Gerard in Christchurch putting the final touches on Group 1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) favourite Savaglee, her partner and sable representative Tommy Hazlett was on hand to witness the triumph. “Early doors she looked very promising and probably towards the end of her last campaign she ran out of luck on a couple of occasions,” Hazlett said. “She trialled nicely earlier on and I’m really pleased for Joe (Nishizuka). “He’s been having his ups and downs and has been doing a lot of work on getting his timing and his style right and he rode her really well. “He deserves this as he has gone back to basics and it seems to be working.” Nishizuka was beaming as he accepted post-race congratulations, describing the victory as having gone pretty much to plan from the outset. “She jumped out nicely and got the lead easily so I was waiting for something to come and lead,” he said. “Nothing did so I said I’m going to lead and she was cruising along nicely. “I waited in the straight before asking her to go where she kept on kicking on. “She is a very nice mare and will have a good season.” Horse racing news View the full article

La Dorada winning the 2YO (1100m) at Te Rapa on Saturday. Photo: Kenton Wright (Race Images) Royally bred filly La Dorada justified some inspired betting support when she proved too tough in the closing stages of the Hallmark Stud (1100m) at Te Rapa. Making her raceday debut for trainers Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson, the daughter of Waikato Stud stallion Super Seth had impressed when winning an 850m trial at Te Awamutu last month which saw punters install her the $2.70 favourite against her age-group rivals. Rider Vinnie Colgan was briefly caught three wide in the early stages of the contest but soon found cover behind the pacemakers on the punters elect before making his challenge between runners after Toretto had loomed on his outside rounding the home bend. La Dorada showed all her fighting qualities as she shook off the attentions of Toretto in the final 150m to charge clear and secure the winning $23,000 first prize in the race, which virtually guarantees her a place in the field for the $1m Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m) at Ellerslie on 25 January. “She certainly didn’t have much go right for her in the running, but it ended up a lovely win and she showed her class,” Walker said. “I thought she did very well to keep going through the gap when squeezed up between runners in the straight. That’s a really good sign for a two-year-old, especially having her first start. “She actually motored to the line in really good style, and she’s another lovely filly that Dave (Ellis) bought as a yearling off Waikato Stud. “We believe Super Seth is a sire on the up and up and we hold his progeny in high regard. “For La Dorada, it’s all systems go towards black type races and, of course, contesting the Karaka Million 2YO in January. “We’ll give her a week off and we’ll then set about plans for upcoming races.” Te Akau Racing boss David Ellis purchased the filly for $190,000 out of the Waikato Stud draft during the Book 1 sale at Karaka earlier in the year after purchasing her dam, Gold Fever, as a yearling for $110,000, from the draft of Sledmere Stud, at the 2016 Gold Coast Yearling Sale Colgan admitted he was a little anxious during the early stages of the contest when he was trapped wide for the first 400m. “I drew well and when the horses inside me didn’t go to the fence I was left parked for a little while,” he said. “I was a little worried but her class got her through it. “She really rallied when I needed it and she was very gutsy.” Bookmakers immediately halved her quote for the Karaka Millions 2YO from $16 to $8 where Storm Front ($5) currently heads the betting market. Horse racing news View the full article

Fillies and mares take center stage as grade 1 racing resumes in Japan with the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes (G1) Nov. 10 at Kyoto Racecourse.View the full article

LEXINGTON, KY – The Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale continued to produce strong results as the nine-day auction continued into its Book 3 section Friday with double-digit gains over last year's corresponding session. During Friday's session, 244 head grossed $18,195,500 for an average of $74,572 and a median of $60,000. The average increased 20.71% and the median was up 20.00% from last year's Book 3 opener when 243 horses sold for $15,012,500 for an average of $61,780 and a median of $50,000. With 417 head catalogued Friday, 314 went through the ring with 70 failing to meet their reserves for a buy-back rate of 22.29%. It was 24.77% a year ago. Mandy Pope's Whisper Hill Farm, which purchased the auction's $2.4-million topper during Tuesday's opening session, made the top bid of Friday's session when paying $600,000 to acquire the 3-year-old broodmare prospect Adoptable (Curlin) from the Claiborne Farm consignment. Wimberley Bloodstock made the session's second highest bid when going to $375,000 to acquire graded-placed Unsung Melody (Maclean's Music) from the Grovendale Sales consignment. Grovendale also sold one of eight weanlings to sell for $200,000 or over during the session, when offering a colt by Corniche who sold for $200,000 to Mouse Bloodstock. Demand for horses continued to be strong into Book 3, according to Grovendale's Chance Timm. “I think it's been pretty solid overall,” said Timm. “For the right foals, there are plenty of buyers there. And I was pleasantly surprised by the mare market. Older, in-foal mares probably did a little better than I expected. To be honest, Book 2 was a little spotty, especially around the $100,000 to $200,000 mark, it was on or off the line. Whereas, today there were some older mares that were in foal to desirable stallions that brought what they should have brought. In the last couple of years, those have been kind of tough. The market kind of falls off a bit of a cliff for some of those 10-year or older mares. But today felt a little better, which was good.” A pair of weanlings shared Friday's top price of $250,000, with Joe Pickerrell bidding that amount for a colt by Jackie's Warrior and an internet bid from Easy Living Stables paying that figure for a colt by Twirling Candy. Twenty five weanlings sold for six figures, with eight bringing $200,000 or over Friday. “It's strong. Very strong,” Pickerrell said of the weanling market at Keeneland this week. “Anything you follow up there, it seems like a crowd follows you. Everybody is still here. We are all still looking. The yearling guys made plenty of money last year, so everybody is still shopping and I figure it will be that way to the end.” Weanlings by first-crop sires continued to dominate the results sheets, with five of the eight to bring $200,000 or over Friday from their stallion's first crops. “They are always popular,” Pickerrell said. “Everybody is always excited about the next big thing. First-crop sires have been good to us and Jackie's Warrior was a fast one, so he fits a lot of what we are looking for.” Timm said this year's class of first-crop sires is exceptional. “I think the quality of the first-crop sires out here is very strong,” he said. “We sold a really nice Corniche colt today that was very well-received. I think he, amongst the other first-crop stallions, have had a really good sale. It's a really strong group for sure. But overall, I think the foals are as good as they have ever been.” The Keeneland November sale continues through Wednesday, with sessions beginning at 10 a.m. 'An Outstanding Looker:' Pope Buys Adoptable for $600k The broodmare band at Mandy Pope's Whisper Hill Farm, which already included a pair of daughters of American Story (Ghostzapper), added a third Friday when Pope went to a session-topping $600,000 to add the mare's 3-year-old daughter Adoptable (Curlin) (hip 1285) to the roster. “I own part of the family and we have been happy with the foals and sold some good foals out of them,” Pope said. “She is good looking and we are just looking to keep that family going.” Whisper Hill purchased American Gal (Concord Point) for $3 million at the 2018 Fasig-Tipton November sale and then, on the very next hip, purchased that multiple Grade I winner's unraced full-sister America's Starlet for $550,000. American Gal's 2-year-old colt by Into Mischief sold for $1.1 million at last year's Keeneland September sale, while America's Starlet's 2-year-old colt by Curlin sold for $600,000 at that same sale. Through four sessions of the November sale, Whisper Hill–alone or in partnership–has purchased 17 head for $9,015,000, including the auction's $2.4-million topper Roses for Debra (Liam's Map). The unraced Adoptable was purchased by Repole Stable and St. Elias Stables for $450,000 at the 2022 Keeneland September sale. She sold Friday as a broodmare prospect and was consigned by Claiborne Farm. “We are very happy with that result,” said Claiborne Farm Manager Bradley Purcell. “She was a $450,000 yearling, so we were thinking maybe $250,000 or $300,000. So we are very happy with the outcome and very happy with the home she is going to. She must have been a standout in this book, with her pedigree and her looks. She is an outstanding looker.” Unsung Melody | Keeneland 'She Will Make a Top-Class Broodmare:' Jacobson Buys Unsung Melody for $375k Brendan Jacobson of Wimberley Bloodstock, who came into the Keeneland November sale looking to add numbers to his broodmare band, made his most expensive purchase of the week when going to $375,000 to acquire stakes winner Unsung Melody (Maclean's Music) (hip 1260), a 4-year-old racing/broodmare prospect, from the Grovendale Sales consignment Friday. “She is going to go into the broodmare band,” Jacobson said after signing the ticket on the bay filly out back. “She had a lovely physical. She is a proven runner and I really, really liked her. I think she will make a top-class broodmare.” Racing for WSS Racing and trained by John Ortiz, Unsung Melody finished third in the GIII Winning Colors Stakes in May before winning the Saylorville Stakes in July. Wimberley Bloodstock currently has a commercial broodmare band of some 15 to 20 head and Jacbobson said the goal is to get that number above 30. The star of the band is Holiday Soiree (Harlan's Holiday), the dam of Grade I winner Vahva (Gun Runner), whom he purchased for $300,000 at last year's Keeneland November sale. “We breed to sell,” Jacobson said. “We will keep fillies, typically out of really good fillies, mainly mares that are producers of graded stakes winners. I own the dam of Vahva. I have a foal on the ground from her [by City of Light] and we will probably keep her and run her and then add her back to the broodmare band.” Also at Keeneland this week, Wimberley has purchased Golden Review (Medaglia d'Oro) (hip 194) for $295,000 and Seeking Mo Jewel (Nyquist) (hip 1186) for $100,000. Jackie's Warrior, Twirling Candy Colts Lead Weanlings Friday A colt from the first crop of Eclipse sprint champion Jackie's Warrior (hip 1347) was the top-priced weanling for much of Friday's fourth session of the Keeneland November sale when selling for $250,000 to the bid of Ocala horseman Joe Pickerrell. That figure was matched late in the day by an internet bid from Easy Living Stables to acquire a colt by Twirling Candy (hip 1459) from the Lane's End consignment. Pickerrell, who signed the ticket on hip 1347 as Arrowhead Farm, said the youngster was destined for resale next year. “He just had a lot to like,” Pickerrell said. “He's by a freshman sire. He had a lot of stretch, scope and size. Jackie's Warrior was very impressive with what he did on the track. We are trying to find some big, fancy colts that look like him.” The dark bay colt is out of Caribbean Lady (Speightstown), a half-sister to multiple graded stakes winner Halory Leigh (Halory Hunter). The weanling is a half-brother to stakes winner Let Her Inspire U (Practical Joke). He was bred by Torie Gladwell, Jordan Wycoff and Jimmy and Martha Gladwell and was consigned Friday by Scott Mallory. Hip 1459 is out of Jemmabelle (Street Sense), a half-sister to graded-placed Moyo Honey (Mizzen Mast). She was bred by Jamie Corbett and W.S. Farish. The post ‘Everybody is Still Here’: Pope Buys Adoptable for $600k to Top Keeneland November Book 3 Opener appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Champions Stakes Day. (Photo by George Sal/Racing Photos) VRC Champions Stakes Day 2024 is finally here with a bumper nine-race meeting set down for decision at Flemington Racecourse on Saturday, November 9, 2024. The Group 1 Champions Sprint (1200m), Group 1 Champions Mile (1600m) and Group 1 Champions Stakes (2000m) will open the quaddie, with the first of the three Group 1 races jumping at 3:50pm As the Melbourne Cup Carnival comes to a close, catch up on all the race replays, results and dividends provided by top horse racing bookmakers here. Flemington race replays and results 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Race 1 – BM84 Handicap (1600 METRES) Race Replay & Results Place No. Silks Horse Trainer Jockey Fixed Odds (W) Fixed Odds (P) 1st 9 Angland Mick Price & Michael Kent (Jnr) Michael Dee $3.60 $1.65 2nd 8 Farhh Flung Danny O’Brien Damian Lane $3.40 3rd 1 Nation’s Call Robbie Griffiths & Mathew de Kock Jye McNeil $1.95 4th 7 Anahita Chris Waller James McDonald Exotic Bet Type Results Dividend Quinella 9-8 $23.50 Exacta 9-8 $35.70 Duet 9-8 $9.30 Duet 9-1 $3.30 Duet 8-1 $11.90 Trifecta 9-8-1 $205.50 First Four 9-8-1-7 $1,372.90 Horse racing news View the full article

Five Diamonds Day. Photo: Bradleyphotos.com.au Five Diamonds Day 2024 awaits punters at Rosehill on Saturday, November 9, 2024 with a bumper 10-race meeting set down for decision. The $2 million Five Diamonds (1800m) headlines what is set to be a big day of racing in Sydney. As the Sydney Spring Carnival winds down, catch up on all the race replays, results and dividends provided by top horse racing bookmakers here. Rosehill race replays and results 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Race 1 – Midway Handicap (1300 METRES) Race Replay & Results Place No. Silks Horse Trainer Jockey Fixed Odds (W) Fixed Odds (P) 1st 10 Direct Fire Theresa Bateup Amy McLucas $5.50 $1.95 2nd 7 Monte Supreme Robert & Luke Price Tommy Berry $1.55 3rd 5 Byron Lee & Cherie Curtis Reece Jones $1.95 4th 6 Justela Kerry Parker Jay Ford Exotic Bet Type Results Dividend Quinella 10-7 $10.10 Exacta 10-7 $23.90 Duet 10-7 $4.30 Duet 10-5 $5.50 Duet 7-5 $3.70 Trifecta 10-7-5 $108.00 First Four 10-7-5-6 $978.50 Horse racing news View the full article

By Adam Hamilton The first step of Swayzee’s extraordinary IRT New Zealand Trotting Cup title defence went without fuss when he easily won last night’s $60,000 Cherry City Cup (2887m) at Young. The race, which required a seven-hour return road trip from Swayzee’s Menangle barn, was crucial as it kept alive his quest to snare a $1 million bonus for winning all five legs of the NSW Carnival of Cups series. Swayzee won the first leg at Parkes on September 20 and last night’s race at Young was the second leg. The next leg is at Tamworth on January 17. Last night was the romp many expected with Swayzee’s driver Cam Hart looking to give him the easiest possible run ahead of his manic next few days ahead of Tuesday’s NZ Cup. Hart pushed through from the back row and kept charging around the field to find the lead after 400m. He then dictated terms through a steady 61.6sec middle half. Hart barely quickened down the back straight in 29.1sec as Serg Blanco charged quickly at him and Jordy looked from a run on his back. But Swayzee was just cruising and Hart “clicked him up” to pull away and win by three metres over Jordy with Serg Blanco third in a 27.2sec last quarter. They went a 2min0.2sec mile rate for the marathon trip. Trainer Jason Grimson will quickly switch focus to Sunday when Swayzee boards a flight to Auckland and then a connector from Auckland down to Christchurch. With yesterday’s scratching of Leap To Fame, Swayzee is $2.70 favourite to successfully defend his title at Addington on Tuesday. Young Kiwi stars Merlin ($3.20) and Don’t Stop Dreaming ($4.50) are the main dangers. X X X TOP former Kiwi pacer Minstrel snared the biggest win of his career and did it the hard way in last night’s $450,000 Group 1 WA Pacing Cup at Gloucester Park. In a remarkable training performance, Team Bond did it with Minstrel just second-up from a spell and after having a fitness scare a couple of weeks ago. Throw in the fact he sat parked throughout the 2536m feature and it was a WA Cup win to remember. Young gun driver Deni Roberts did her part, “nursing” Minstrel outside leader Pinny Tiger as long as she could, knowing main dangers Mister Smartie (one-one) and Captain Ravishing (one out, two back) were stalking her. Minstrel gave a great kick at the top of the straight and held-off Mister Smartie to win by 1.5m in a 1min55sec mile rate, while Mighty Ronaldo escaped three pegs to charge into third spot. Captain Ravishing came three-wide without cover at the 1000m rather than risk being pocketed, but the effort took its toll and he weakened late to finish a close fourth. Minstrel’s win capped a massive week for Team Bond and Roberts, who won the Group 1 WA Derby the previous Friday night with Christopher Dance. “That almost brought a tear to my eye and I’m not one to cry. That’s insane,” Roberts said. “He’s an absolute machine. I thought they’d get me at the top of the straight, but he finds that extra gear that the others don’t have. He’s been the most amazing horse for us.” Minstrel’s win was his 25th from 64 starts with another 19 placings. He’s now banked $1,298,288. Earlier in the night, star mare Steno made the most of an ideal draw to lead throughout and win the $100,000 Group 2 Norms Daughter Classic. Trained and driven by Jocelyn Young, Steno scorched down the back straight in 27.4sec and just held-off a late challenge from Little Darling to win by a half-head in a 1min54.7sec mile rate for 2130m. Last season’s NZ Oaks winner Aardiebytheseaside did the work outside the leader and tired to finish 10m from the winner in fifth spot. View the full article

By Michael Guerin Nicky Chilcott had to be kind to be cruel to Village Rebel and it finally paid off at Alexandra Park on Friday night. The five-year-old son of Raging Bull outstayed the more favoured three-year-olds Always B Elite and Hawkeye Pierce to win the TAB Northern Metro Final for the pacers, having to do it the tough way sitting parked. Trainer Chilcott says that is the best way to drive Village Rebel but she hasn’t been letting driver Sailesh Abernethy do that this campaign as she needed to restore the gelding’s confidence. “He has a motor but the problem is he is a big dummy,” says Chilcott. “He learned a bit with travelling around last campaign but because he is a bit that way we have tended to drive him tough. “But as I said to Sailesh, if we keep driving him that way every start we are never going to get the best out of him long term. “So we decided to start this campaign by sitting him in and letting him run home so he felt good and had some good experiences, even though we knew he might not be able to win that way. “Sailesh has done a great job sticking to that plan but tonight I told him he could let him go. “He was ready and he showed that and it was great to get the win as this was the one we wanted.” Chilcott admits she doesn’t know whether Village Rebel will ever show his total worth, with his brain smaller than his heart, and she says he could spend time back on the Country Cups circuit over the summer as it saw him improve last term. A horse with more ambitious immediate plans is Friday night’s Metro Trot Final winner Faith In Manchester. The five-year-old mare blew her rivals away thanks in part to a dominant Todd Mitchell drive but also a sizzling 56.7 second last 800m, which meant those back in the field from big handicaps had no chance. It enabled Faith In Manchester to trot 3:26.5 for the 2700m off her 10m handicap suggesting she won’t be out of place in open class, particularly as the north is well short of open class trotters. She will get her chance in the big time soon enough with the new $100,000 Queen of Diamonds at Alexandra Park on December 13, a Group 1 Trot restricted to fillies and mares and a race she should still get into well. “We think it is a great thing to have a Group 1 fillies and mares trot and the logical aim for her,” says co-trainer Michelle Wallis. “Then she has the Golden Gait Final the week after so she has a big end to the year coming up. “I don’t see why she can’t spend time in open class next year, especially with us lacking many open class numbers up here at the moment.” Other eyecatchers on Friday night were The Jolly Roger making it three wins on end, hard to follow three-year-old trotter Father Barry finally get things right and Franco Santana living up to his breeding winning for the second time on end. The night started on a great note when Voronov extended trainer Luk Chin’s best ever season with the popular horseman’s 21st winner for the year, seven more than his previous best two years ago. View the full article

For the 30th racing season, Emerald Downs will have 51 days of live racing beginning Apr. 27 and ending Sept. 7, the track announced Friday evening. The meeting will run through 13 Fridays, 18 Saturdays, and 18 Sundays as well as special racing days on Memorial Day May 26 and the annual Fireworks Spectacular July 3. There will be a mid-season break spanning July 4 to July 10, and the stakes schedule will be crowned by the 90th renewal of the Longacres Mile. “We are looking forward to the 30th spring and summer of exciting racing and family fun promotions at Emerald Downs,” said track president Phil Ziegler. “There's something special planned for every race day.” The post Emerald Downs Releases 2025 Racing Dates appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) runner-up Post Time resumed training Nov. 7 at Fair Hill Training Center, and if he continues to train well, he could race next in the Dec. 7 Cigar Mile Handicap (G2) at Aqueduct Racetrack, trainer Brittany Russell said.View the full article

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Seemingly at home on both synthetic and turf courses, No Mo Candy (Uncle Mo) picked up her third win in a row and her first in stakes company in the GIII Pebbles Stakes at Aqueduct. Unveiled going 1m70 June 27 at Gulfstream Park, she missed by diminishing neck over that synthetic track and turned her luck around in that next start when she graduated July 26 by the same margin. Last seen putting up her best Beyer number to date, an 83 when she won against optional claiming company going a 1 3/16-miles over this surface during the Belmont Big A meet Sept. 20, she was an ice-cold 18-1 on the board here as Klaravich Stables's Oversubscribed (GB) (Too Darn Hot {GB}) took the honors as 4-5 favorite. Settling in second as the zealous frontrunner GSP Macanga (American Pharoah) stepped out to set the tempo, No Mo Candy was just off that leader for the majority of the race through :23.68, :47.61, and 1:11.57 splits. Still on hold as they swung into the lane, she was called on with three-sixteenths left to the wire and had a half-length margin leaving the eighth pole. Edging way from Oversubscribed as that favorite tried to mount a rally, No Mo Candy was 1 1/4 lengths ahead on the wire. Way to Be Marie (Not This Time) held on to third. “She broke really good, and I know Macanga [No. 7] is a difficult horse and she's going to run off. When I tried to put [No Mo Candy] behind her, my filly got strong and I was like, 'don't get into a fight with me now.',” said winning rider John Velazquez. “I didn't want to be head-and-head with the other horse. I hide her behind for a little bit and she got a little strong going into that first turn. I eased out on the backside and she kind of came back to me, so I was happy that she relaxed and gave me a little chance where I wouldn't be into her mouth.” “Second turn, Macanga started going and I put her right behind them. Into the stretch, she got head-and-head, and you could see she put a competitive mind up and when I asked her to go, she did it nicely. First time for me to get on her I didn't know what to expect but she was very professional to do anything I wanted to do, other than she was a little aggressive than I wanted her to be the first part of the race.” NO MO CANDY the 3YO daughter of @coolmoreamerica stallion Uncle Mo, wins the Grade 3 Pebbles Stakes at 18-1 with @ljlmvel aboard for trainer @SaffieJosephJr. pic.twitter.com/nlLbmdpJBp — NYRA () (@TheNYRA) November 8, 2024 Pedigree Notes: The fourth winner in a row from five to the races–the lone unplaced sibling being the 2-year-old Tongolele (Mastery)–and the first to secure black-type, No Mo Candy is her dam's most accomplished offspring. Sweet has also produced a yearling colt by Liam's Map as her most recent when she did not produce a foal off a visit to Mo Donegal for this year. She was bred to Pappacap for 2025. The dam is a wining full-sister to GISW Fault and a half-sister to GSP Betweenhereandcool (Unbridled's Song) as well as the dam of GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies runner-up GISW Juju's Map (Liam's Map). This is the immediate female family of SW & MGSP South Bend (Alogrithms) and MGISW Bast (Uncle Mo). Friday, Aqueduct PEBBLES S.-GIII, $175,000, Aqueduct, 11-8, 3yo, f, 1mT, 1:34.84, fm. 1–NO MO CANDY, 118, f, 3, by Uncle Mo 1st Dam: Sweet, by Blame 2nd Dam: Charming N Lovable, by Horse Chestnut (Saf) 3rd Dam: St Lucinda, by St. Jovite 1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($80,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP). O-Niall J. Brennan and Michael J. Ryan; B-Claiborne Farm (KY); T-Saffie A. Joseph, Jr.; J-John R. Velazquez. $96,250. Lifetime Record: 4-3-1-0, $181,680. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus* Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. 2–Oversubscribed (GB), 122, f, 3, Too Darn Hot (GB)–Zurigha (Ire), by Cape Cross (Ire). (400,000gns Ylg '22 TATOCT). O-Klaravich Stables, Inc.; B-Rabbah Bloodstock Limited (GB); T-Chad C. Brown. $35,000. 3–Way to Be Marie, 118, f, 3, Not This Time–Woman of the World, by Henrythenavigator. ($75,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP; $95,000 2yo '23 OBSAPR). O-Robert V. LaPenta and Madaket Stables LLC; B-William B. Harrigan & Mike Pietrangelo (KY); T-Rob Atras. $21,000. Margins: 1 1/4, 2, 1. Odds: 18.20, 0.95, 12.10. Also Ran: Jody's Pride, Whiskey Decision, See You Around (Ire), Macanga, Dea Matrona (Fr). Scratched: Best Impression, Save Us Melania. Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV. The post Longshot No Mo Candy Makes It Three in a Row in Pebbles appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. and jockey John Velazquez, who separately won Breeders' Cup races last week at Del Mar, resumed their graded stakes-winning ways Nov. 8 at Aqueduct, teaming to upset the $175,000 Pebbles Stakes (G3T) with No Mo Candy.View the full article

Scat Daddy's Seabhac will stand for €4,000 at Haras du Taillis next year, Jour de Galop revealed on Friday evening. The GIII Pilgrim Stakes hero stood for the same amount this year and has been represented by Group 2 winners Rue Boissonade (Fr) and Angers (Fr). Other members of the Taillis roster include newcomer Gamestop (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), second in the G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere at two, who will stand for €4,000. Military Style, a War Front half-brother to Justify, will remain at €3,500. Adlerflug (Ger)'s Savoir Vivre (Ire) will also stand for an unchanged fee, in his case €2,000. A rare Mill Reef (GB)-line horse is Fantastic Moon (Ger) (Dalakhani {Ire}), who will command €1,000, while Hey Gaman (GB) will receive a boost to €2,500 from €1,900. He is the sire of the three-time winner Eagle Gate (Fr) from his first crop. The post Haras Du Taillis Roster And Fees Announced appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

If only those walls could talk. There's a room from a bygone era within the press box at Aqueduct Racetrack where members of the media congregated between races. The space's counter is still there, but you have to use your imagination when it comes to what the scene looked like in the old days. The latches on the windows that are now worn with time would be thrown open to let in the sounds of the oval below, while the crisp white shades from the fixtures would have adequately illuminated the newly-printed forms strewn about the scattered tables. The chatter that took place still feels palpable though and it would have been something to share a coffee with legendary writers like the Daily Racing Form's Joe Hirsch and The New York Times's Walter Wellesley Smith, better known as “Red,” as they took a break from their efforts to craft a pithy lead. Smith captured best this kind of nostalgia when he said about his own craft, “I like to get where the cabbage is cooking and catch the scents.” That's the stuff. As we remember what was before returning to our screens, it is certainly appropriate that Saturday's grades stakes slate includes the annual renewal of the GII Red Smith Stakes at the Big A, which was a race that was renamed for the celebrated sportswriter in 1982. Going the 11 furlongs on the grass this time around are an eclectic bunch of nine older males and we might wish that Smith was around to offer a piece just one last time about the field. There are a trio of seasoned pros drawn here that have over 30 starts to their credit. As a 7-year-old, MGSW City Man (Mucho Macho Man) is coming to the end of his career, but the Christophe Clement trainee might have one last trick up his sleeve in what will be his 37th go. Deterministic wins the Virginia Derby at Colonial | Coady Media The veteran will face a pair of stalwarts from Rick Dutrow's barn in SW Pioneering Spirit (American Pharoah) and the winner from last year's Red Smith, MGSW Master Piece (Chi) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}). “He's [Master Piece] run big twice on this grass course,” said Dutrow. “We can't wait to watch him run again. He's a pleasure to be around. Every barn that he's in, just all the people really like him because he's such a cool, funny horse to be around.” More lightly-raced competitors include morning-line favorite MGSW Integration (Quality Road), who was the runner-up this past summer in the GI Arlington Million at Colonial Downs, and the class climbing 4-year-old colt Rebel Red (GB) (Frankel {GB}). The latter won against allowance types for trainer Cherie DeVaux at Saratoga July 13, but sadly lost an eye following the race. Proving once again that equine athletes can adapt, the chestnut cleared the next condition in-style at Keeneland Oct. 5. The other graded race on Saturday in Ozone Park is the nine-furlong GIII Hill Prince Stakes for 3-year-olds on the turf. This could be a throwdown between GSP Cugino (Twirling Candy) and GIII Virginia Derby champ Deterministic (Liam's Map). A Shug McGaughey trainee, Cugino certainly sparkled this summer in the Audubon Stakes at Churchill Downs when he led from the bell, but the bay was well-beaten in the GIII Nashville Derby at Kentucky Downs Aug. 31. As for 'TDN Rising Star' Deterministic, Christophe Clement made the call to move the GIII Gotham Stakes hero to the grass and it has paid dividends. If the dark bay rates like he is capable of doing, then the race could be his for the taking. “He [Deterministic] won the Gotham nicely in the slop, but then he had two average races on the dirt, and we decided to switch him back to the turf,” said Clement assistant trainer Christophe Lorieul. “He's by Liam's Map and we've had some success with Liam's Map on the turf, so that's why we tried him and now he's been showing consistent form.” Heading over to Louisville, Churchill Downs has the GIII River City Stakes on tap. Like the Hill Prince, this one is also set for nine furlongs on the grass. Older runners entered in the River City include MGSP Cash Equity (Fr) (Toronado {Ire}), who will battle the likes of 'TDN Rising Star' and MGSW Emmanuel (More Than Ready) and GSP Reckoning Force (Air Force Blue). Caitlinhergrtness nets the King's Plate | Michael Burns Finally, the graded stakes train heads north of the border to Canada and the folks on-track at Woodbine will have the chance to see Caitlinhergrtness (Omaha Beach) return to Toronto in the GIII Maple Leaf Stakes. Named after WNBA superstar Caitlin Clark, the last time the filly took to the all-weather surface, she beat the boys in the King's Plate Aug. 23. After finishing third in the GI Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup at Keeneland Oct. 12, trainer Kevin Attard sends her up against older females for the first time. Standing in her way is stablemate Fashionably Fab (Silent Name {Jpn}), who won the GIII Ontario Matron Stakes at Woodbine Sept. 14, and the battle-tested runner-up from that same race, Elysian Field (Hard Spun). Next, a capacity field of 14 will head to the post in the GIII Bessarabian Stakes. Longshots could be live here, like GSP Tripolina (Constitution), who was just added to the Keeneland Horses of Racing Age Sale Nov. 14, and MGSP Dolce Sopresa (Maclean's Music), who should relish the timing behind a cutback and a surface switch. Rounding out the card at Woodbine is the GII Autumn Stakes for older males. Owner Mike Repole promised to send his stock to other trainers and he has delivered. Never Surprised (Constitution) finally cleared the optional claiming ranks over the E.P. Taylor grass course after a strong graded stakes showing earlier in his career under Todd Pletcher. Now a 6-year-old, he will tangle with Canadian champion 3-year-old colt and King's Plate victor Paramount Prince (Society's Chairman) and MSW Forever Souper (American Pharoah), who comes in riding a three-race black-type win streak. The post Red Smith Leads Turf Stories On Graded Stakes Saturday appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Heavily favoured in the Japanese ante-post markets, juvenile Group 1 winner Regaleira (Jpn) (Kitasan Black {Jpn}) is the pick versus 16 members of her own sex in the G1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup at Kyoto on Sunday. The 2023 Hopeful Stakes heroine successfully faced males last December, and that theme continued through the Japanese Classics. She was not disgraced with a sixth in the G1 Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas) in April, and she repeated the dose in the G1 Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby), running with credit to take fifth in May. Returning to her own sex in the G2 Rose Stakes at Chukyo in September, she closed with gusto to take fifth once again, after being dead last for most of the 2000-metre trip. Jockey Christophe Lemaire said, “Her weak point is her start, so I'd like to get a better early position this time and hope things go smoothly. She has great closing speed and she should be able to win another Grade 1 race. She's been a bit unlucky, with things like the slow pace in the Derby, and the widest gate in the Rose Stakes, so I'm hoping things go her way this time.” Second choice Shinryokuka (Jpn) (Satono Diamond {Jpn}) also sports Group 1 form at two, running second to subsequent Japanese Filly Triple Crown winner Liberty Island (Jpn) (Duramente {Jpn}) in the G1 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies. She lost her way during her 3-year-old year, but showed a glimmer of her old talent when third to Conch Shell (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}) in the G3 Nakayama Himba Stakes in March. Disaster struck in the G3 Fukushima Himba Stakes a month later, with the daughter of Lei Carla (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn}) falling approaching the final bend, and failing to finish. Encouragingly, she was back in the winner's circle by a nose in the G3 Niigata Kinen over 2000 metres on Sept. 1. Trainer Masahiro Takeuchi said, “She's done some good training with other horses, and has also run solo in a relaxed manner, even when the training track hasn't been in good condition. She's a lot stronger now, and doesn't lack power like she used to. It was good to see her run much better in her last race, and her condition keeps improving. She should run well this time, even if the ground comes up softer on the day of the race.” The consistent Wholeness (Jpn) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), a winner of four of her six starts, has yet to attain the status of group-race winner, but she ran third in the G3 Mermaid Stakes in June, and added the Listed Niigata Himba over this trip on Oct. 20. Assistant trainer Nobuyuki Tashiro said, “She's been at the stable since her last race, but she's remained in good shape, and with just a short time between runs, she's done enough. We've taken care to bring her along in the right way, and mentally and physically she's developed nicely. She's won on left-handed tracks, but has also run well right-handed, when finishing third in a graded race, and it'll be better for her this time on the outer course. She'll be up against Grade 1 opponents this time, but I'll look forward to how she runs in the race.” There is form through the 2023 Queen Elizabeth II Cup heroine Brede Weg (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}), who bested Scintillation (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) last out in the Oct. 14 G2 Fuchu Himba Stakes by 1 1/4 lengths. Third in that edition of the QEII Cup was Harper (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}). Stunning Rose (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn}) is aiming for some redemption, going winless in her last six starts since winning the 2022 G1 Shuka Sho (Japanese Fillies St Leger). She leaves from stall 11. The post Queen Elizabeth II Cup Appeals Regaleira’s For The Taking appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

“We bought the bar with a credit card,” recalls Ken Donworth. “Forty thousand bucks, credit card debt at 20 percent. And we paid it off in three or four months.” He shakes his head. “That was 1998. I don't think I'd do it now. So we did take risks, no doubt. But we didn't get caught on any of those slippery slopes.” On the contrary. In a college town like Lexington, Donworth and his partners soon figured that policing their customers' age was more trouble than it was worth. So in 2001, right after 9/11 when the confidence had gone out of everyone else, they bought a parking lot instead. After 14 years, they were able to cash out the land to the university. “So much of it is timing,” Donworth says. “Timing, and relationships. We didn't have enough at the time, for that parking lot, but we had friends help out with the downpayment.” And, with the years, those relationships have paid off to make Donworth a unique case in this occasional series on Kentucky's Irish diaspora. Yes, it was the Thoroughbred that first brought him here, and continues to capture both his imagination and his spare funds. But he has meanwhile adapted a personable and industrious nature to parallel opportunities–above all in property, whether as realtor, landlord or speculator–with remarkable success, even by the standards of a community united by endeavor. “But you just go back to Gerry Dilger, Robbie Lyons, David Mullins, James Keogh, Padraig Campion,” Donworth says. “If they'd been couch potatoes or bums, those guys wouldn't be here in the first place. So then people back home saw what they were achieving, and next thing were up and at it themselves. Success breeds success. Those people definitely set the standard high. And now I feel that we all give the younger guys, coming over today, something to strive for too.” He was in their shoes once, after all. Donworth's father and uncles were small breeders in County Limerick, so when he left school at 16, in 1988, he started as a groom at Coolmore. (His barn foreman was a certain Paul Shanahan.) As soon as he was old enough, Donworth came out to Ashford. He had seen Brian O'Rourke coming home to the neighboring village every Christmas, with money to spend, just from breaking yearlings out in Kentucky. When Brian's brother Garrett was hired by Juddmonte, Dermot Ryan accepted the chance to take over at Creek View, and his young pal was soon aboard, too. For the next four years they shared digs, and Ryan is now godfather to Donworth's daughter. “But it was still a fairly small farm we were on, 380 acres,” Donworth recalls. “Everybody helped out doing everything, because we lived next to the stallion shed. El Gran Senor had to breed at night. He had a few fertility problems, so had to breed when the mare was ovulating. Storm Bird was there, too. Wonderful memories, and all those guys are still great friends.” But besides horsemanship, Donworth had another useful genetic inheritance. His grandfather had been a real entrepreneur, founding a steel company outside Cashel and later renting out Dublin property. “His example had definitely got me out of that frame of mind of being stuck in Knockainey and accepting your limits,” Donworth says. “His attitude was always that the sky was the limit.” Sure enough, Donworth's brothers soon followed him to Kentucky: Richard via Australia, Barry after starting as a butcher in Limerick. “But he soon realized he wouldn't be going too many places doing that,” Donworth says. “Now he has a horse transport company and a couple of bars, and Richard has a farm. There's no way we'd have done all this at home. Here there was opportunity.” Gradually Donworth raised his own sights. At the end of 1996, after a couple of years in night school, he declared himself done with the horse business. “I felt there was a ceiling and you were always going to bounce off it,” he explains. “I really appreciated the way I'd been treated at Coolmore. But you know what, this horse stuff is tough. It's a grind. Seven days a week, you don't earn much, and you couldn't see the light with so much competition. I just felt I needed to try and figure something out for myself.” He had already evinced a flair for enterprise, screening Gaelic football matches in a local bar. “Nobody had the signal in the Tri-state, and the internet was new and spotty back then,” Donworth recalls. “So we charged 20 bucks and people would come on a Sunday from Tennessee, Ohio, Kentucky, to see Tyrone matches especially, they had a strong team at the time.” And it was from Tyrone that he next landed a marketing job with Powerscreen, manufacturers of crushers and aggregate equipment. “Which I knew nothing about!” he says. “I'd know a little bit more now: I've been with them ever since.” Crucially his role left Donworth flexibility, at nights and weekends, to develop a real estate sideline. “I could never have done that without the Powerscreen work,” he admits. “And dealing with their high-value machines gave me confidence with big numbers. So nothing fazes me now. Whether it's a hundred grand house or a $20 million farm, I can go in to both the same.” Lindsay Donworth and Ken Donworth | courtesy of Ken Donworth Needless to say, his first sale was on the cheaper end of that spectrum. But it set a template, his client being a compatriot working in bloodstock. Before long Donworth was emboldened to invest in some rental properties–first for himself, then for buddies doing well in the world he had quit. “And one thing leads to another,” he says. “You do a good job for those guys and they say, 'Well, Ken sure knows what he's doing.' And I'd be managing their properties as well. So they're working on the farms and every month get a check for the houses. Everything has become a lot more expensive. But this is going back 15 years, and a lot of the guys have their houses paid off now.” In turn, when wealthy Americans came to town and needed help with real estate, the Irishmen managing their farms knew the very guy. “So really the stars just aligned,” Donworth says. “It was a good little niche that kind of happened almost by accident. Most of my work comes from horse business referrals. I don't advertise, don't do social media. But anybody of any account in the horse business will typically recommend or refer me.” The point was that Donworth had learned, in the Thoroughbred industry, that your word must be your bond; and the same was true in what he was doing now. “This is a small community,” he says of the Bluegrass. “And your reputation is your life. I've one client in the horse business who has bought five houses from me over the years. That's a huge compliment, really. Because with real estate, things can and will go wrong. So loyalty is huge. All those things: reputation, honesty, confidentiality… you can't buy that stuff. So you just keep the head down. Like they say, loose lips sink ships.” It is no secret, however, that Donworth handled the $15 million sale of Shadwell to John Stewart. He has long been comfortable with transactions at that level, not least after hooking up with Sotheby's nearly 20 years ago. The benefits have been reciprocal: a prestigious international brand raised his profile, while he could provide a finger on the local pulse. “Last year was incredible, and a lot of the guys were giving me stick about the money I must be making,” Donworth says. “And I said, 'You know what? When people were lining up for their bloodstock license, I was in the real estate line–with nobody else in it. And there were 100 of you!'” But Donworth never abandoned his first love. And when the commissions started coming in, he began to wheel some of it back into Thoroughbreds. Hootenanny (center) | Horsephotos “And it's worked well, so far,” he says. “Of course I've also seen the downside. I have too many horses, really. But for the last 15 years or so we've had a syndicate of Irish guys: David Cox, Richie Galway, Ben McElroy, and a buddy, Tony Dardis in New York. And we've had good success, basically pinhooking foals. And also with Des Ryan, with mares. We've had good years and bad years, but the amount of winners we've had off Ben's little farm has been pretty incredible, really.” One recent graduate was Valiant Force (Malibu Moon), winner of the G2 Norfolk Stakes at Royal Ascot last year, albeit he had proved a marginal pinhook ($75,000 foal/$100,000 yearling). And, on the face of it, things had turned out much worse, back in 2012, with a $120,000 colt from the first crop of Quality Road. When Gatewood Bell bought him the following September, for just $75,000, Donworth found him in the bar and said: “Good job buying that horse. But there's no way you're leaving without me taking a piece!” So he reclaimed a leg, and then the other lads came in to split it up, and Wesley Ward bought the remaining 75 percent. They called him Hootenanny. “And he goes and beats one of Michael Tabor's hotpots first time out at Keeneland,” Donworth recalls. “He was beaten in the slop at Pimlico next time, but then Coolmore bought him to send to Ascot. So we went over and he won the Windsor Castle Stakes. An experience you'd never forget: we took the money, got a kicker, and partied. It was awesome.” In addition, Donworth has a few mares spread between his brother Richard; Rick Howard; and Des Ryan. He has the odd horse in training, too, as one of the earliest patrons of Brendan Walsh. Brian McCarthy, Lindsay Donworth and Ken Donworth | courtesy of Ken Donworth “Brendan was living on Archie St. George's couch at the time,” Donworth recalls. “So he's another great Irish success story. And it hasn't come by accident. Like so many of the Irish guys over here, he's driven. And really that's what makes this world go round: if you have that passion, that drive, and can figure out your little niche.” Many contributors to this series, however affectionate to their homeland, have suggested that they could never have found equivalent opportunities but for crossing the water. Donworth is no different. “When I left, in the early '90s, Ireland really wasn't booming at all,” he reflects. “And if I'd stayed and been caught up in the whole Celtic Tiger thing, I would probably have ended up broke or in jail! Look, I have good friends in Ireland who have done very well for themselves. But the fact is there's more money over here, and more opportunity. And everybody wants to see you do well.” There was certainly something in the blood, anyhow, and Donworth sees a familiar appetite for work in daughter Charlotte and son Patrick–already a budding tycoon, at just 15. Of course, the dam side contributes too: Donworth emphasizes the support of his wife Lindsay and also her father Pat Sullivan, with his expertise as a real estate lawyer. “Patrick has a vending machine business, a power-washing business, and also sells sneakers!” says Donworth. “He definitely likes making money. But, again, he has to create his reputation, show up and be honest. And he gets that. Nobody in our house sits around on their ass. And that's huge, because you can't teach work ethic. You either have it, or you don't. “We grew up on a farm in Knockainey, with a population not even 100. And when we go back, you really can't begin to explain what it's like here to the guy in the pub that farms and struggles and barely survives. I know I just got lucky. But if you put yourself in the right spots, it can work out.” The post Shamrocks In The Bluegrass: Ken Donworth appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The proposed amendment to increase taxation on horse racing betting was withdrawn by the French government from the Social Security Financing Bill (PLFSS) which is currently tabled in the French Senate, the Jour de Galop reported on Friday. The news follows a Paris-based protest held by the racing industry on Thursday. The PLFSS will now be examined by senators on Nov. 13. The post Increased Taxation On Horse Racing Betting Amendment Withdrawn In French Senate appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The enforcement arm of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority has suspended trainer Kevin Eikleberry and fined him $1,000 for his use or attempted use of Epsom salts during the race period.View the full article

Group 2 winner and Group 1 sire Acclamation (GB) has been pensioned from stallion duties at Rathbarry Stud. The 25-year-old son of Royal Applause (GB) stood for €25,000 this term. Bred by Tedwood Bloodstock and partners, the son of Princess Athena (Ire) (Ahonoora {GB}) won the G2 Diadem Stakes and was placed in both the G2 King's Stand Stakes prior to it being elevated to Group 1 level and the G1 Nunthorpe Stakes for Gerald Cottrell. The sire of 155 stakes horses internationally and 68 lifetime stakes winners, the bay got his stallion career off to a great start, with G1 Middle Park Stakes hero and future Champion Sire elect Dark Angel (Ire) and fellow top-level winner Equiano (Fr) in his first crop, good enough to be named Leading First-Season Sire in 2007. Overall, he is the sire of seven winners at the highest table led by Romantic Warrior (Ire), a Hong Kong star, with 6-million gns mare Marsha (Ire) amidst the bunch. Acclamation is also making his mark as a sire-of-sires, with Tally-Ho Stud's Mehmas (Ire) and the aforementioned Dark Angel at stud in Ireland among numerous sire sons. His daughters have foaled 38 stakes winners to date, 19 of them at group level with G1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud winner Broome (Ire) (Australia {GB}) and G1 Commonwealth Cup victor Eqtidaar (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) the best of them. Rathbarry Stud's owner Paul Cashman said, “Acclamation has been our flag bearer here at Rathbarry since 2004 and with such a brilliant temperament he has been a pleasure to deal with. His progeny came up trumps every year both on the racetrack and in the sales ring bringing good fortune to all his investors. We really regard him as one of the family as does our stallion man, Clive Cox, who has done an amazing job caring for him. We hope he will have a long and healthy retirement here at the stud.” The post ‘One Of The Family’–Acclamation Pensioned At Rathbarry Stud appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Fillies and mares take center stage as grade 1 racing resumes in Japan with the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes (G1) Nov. 10 at Kyoto Racecourse.View the full article