Wandering Eyes

The Postman is about to become a billboard for the World Driving Championship (WDC) . New Zealand’s representative for this November’s championship Blair Orange will wear specially made WDC silks in all his races throughout October , starting at Addington on Wednesday. The white silks will not be the ones worn by Orange during the WDC – there he will wear the Silver Fern. Ten of the world’s best drivers will duel it out at Kaikoura, Cambridge, Winton and Addington between November 2-11. It’s the first time New Zealand has been the sole host of the championship with Kiwis encouraged to get behind the “Backing Blair” campaign. A line of Backing Blair merchandise has been designed specially for the WDC and a range of socks, beer coolers, caps, sunglasses and flags will be available for people to purchase. The merch will feature Orange’s campaign logo and his nickname The Postman (because he always delivers). The Backing Blair campaign will be launched on Harness Million night at Addington on Friday, October 10 and the man himself will be there in the Backing Blair Fanzone on the Spectators’ front lawn for anyone wanting photos and signatures. There will be spot prizes, draws, and giveaways throughout the evening. Fans can also leave him a personal good luck note in the Fan Mailbox. Backing Blair merchandise can be viewed (and pre-purchased) on wdc25.nz View the full article

New Zealand-bred Group One winner War Machine (NZ) (Harry Angel) will get his chance to audition for a place in next month’s A$20 million The Everest (1200m) this week, but trainers Ben, JD and Will Hayes have yet to decide where that will be. The last-start winner of the Gr.1 Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) at Eagle Farm has had a slower than anticipated start to the spring, with a foot abscess delaying initial plans. “He just got a foot abscess at the wrong time, which didn’t let us trial when we planned to trial, so it set us back about a week,” Ben Hayes told Racing.com. “In a funny way, it’s probably been a good thing. The horse has absolutely thrived, he looks a million dollars. “He trialled last week and it was an eye-catching trial. He was great through the line and we feel he is right on track.” The five-year-old son of Harry Angel is nominated for the Gr.2 Premiere Stakes (1200m) at Randwick and the Gr.2 Gilgai Stakes (1200m) at Flemington on Saturday, with Hayes leaning towards the later. “We have two nice options to look at now, either down the straight at Flemington, which he is most likely to head that way, or the race in Sydney,” he said. His connections are hoping a strong performance will attract the interest of The Everest slot holders, and Hayes said they would welcome the chance to contest the rich feature. “This is his audition (for The Everest) I would say,” Hayes said. “Wherever he runs I am sure there will be lots of people watching and seeing how he goes, and if he were to run well, it wouldn’t surprise me (if he was offered a place in The Everest). He is a very sharp horse that we feel is in great order.” Bred by MDJ Bloodstock Ltd, War Machine was offered for sale at both the New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sales and the Ready To Run Sale via the Wallace family’s Ardsley Stud, but failed to reach his $100,000 reserve on both occasions. By Harry Angel out of the winning Hussonet mare Caserta, the gelding subsequently went into training with Jim Wallace and won his only trial at Foxton by six lengths before his private purchase. With six victories and four placings from 13 starts, War Machine has amassed A$2.48 million in prizemoney to date. View the full article

Te Akau Racing marketing manager Julia-Rose Hayes has had plenty of success syndicating horses selected by her father, David Ellis, and that has continued with her latest syndicate. Hayes has been a key part of New Zealand’s leading stable, operated by her parents David Ellis and Karyn Fenton-Ellis, for several years and she has taken pride in the handful of syndicates she has formed. Her two biggest success stories have been syndicating Group One winner On The Bubbles and Group One performer Wild Night, and she is hoping she has found another in Out Of The Blue (NZ) (Tivaci), who won on debut over 800m at Riccarton last Saturday. The two-year-old gelding’s dam, Cornflower Blue, is a former member of the stable, for whom she won the Gr.3 Barneswood Farm Stakes (1400m) and placed in the Gr.1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m), Gr.2 Wellington Guineas (1400m) and Listed Mufhasa Sakes (1300m). Upon retirement, she began her new career as a broodmare at Waikato Stud, who offered her second colt by Tivaci through their New Zealand Bloodstock Book 1 Yearling Sale draft at Karaka earlier this year where he caught the eye of Te Akau Racing principal David Ellis, who secured him with a final bid of $60,000. Hayes had gone to her parents prior to the sale proposing to put together a syndicate targeted towards younger people, and Ellis thought his Karaka purchase was ideal for her needs. “It was at the stage where there were a lot of micro-syndication popping up and I put a proposal to David and Karyn asking would they be interested if we offered shares from one percent, and they said yes,” Hayes said. “It was targeted at young people who want to meet new people and have a share in hopefully a good racehorse, which it looks like we have got. “A lot of people (syndicate members) came through our website because we have got the capability to buy online, through promotion and friends of friends.” Hayes was rapt when Ellis put forward Out Of The Blue as her syndicate horse, with Hayes having a connection to his dam as well. “I did this punting competition with about 10 guys and I was the only female,” Hayes said. “Cornflower Blue was my bet one year and she ran third at Ellerslie. “She was such a good mare to us and in this punting competition we ended up earning about $28,000 that we split. “It was great when I saw we had bought the Cornflower Blue, and David and Mark (Walker, co-trainer) were like ‘this is the one for you’. It was pretty exciting as I feel I have a connection with the horse.” Hayes’ vision duly came to life and the Te Akau Tangerine Army Racing Partnership 1 was formed, and syndicate members were quickly rewarded when Out Of The Blue won on debut at Riccarton just eight months on. “It was fantastic, and I am so excited for the syndicate,” Hayes said. With his $14,000 winner’s cheque, Out Of The Blue has put himself firmly in contention for January’s Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m) at Ellerslie. His debut win is a positive sign for Hayes, whose former syndicate horse On The Bubbles (a $90,000 Karaka purchase by Ellis) also won on debut as a juvenile before going on to win the Karaka Millions 2YO and Gr.1 Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m), and she is hoping Out Of The Blue can go on to reach the same lofty heights. “Isn’t it quite funny that it’s OOTB (Out Of The Blue)? We used to call On The Bubbles, OTB, so maybe we have On The Bubbles II,” Hayes quipped. “All things going well, it looks like we are going to have a hell of a night at the Karaka Millions. We are going to ride the wave and enjoy it.” Hayes is looking forward to socialising with the syndicate in the months ahead leading into the Karaka Millions, with a number of events in the pipeline. “Everyone involved in the syndicate are so keen to meet new people and that’s what makes this really exciting, we are celebrating it all together, but we have yet to catch-up,” she said. “We are going to have an event before the end of the year. If we make the Karaka Millions, we will have an event on Karaka Millions night as well. “The social aspect is really fun and being able to meet new people. I love people and I thrive on socialising and most people in the industry feel the same and that is why we love the industry, as well as the horses. When you get success on a racecourse, there is nothing that tastes as good as that.” View the full article

Craig Williams is one of the world’s best jockeys, but has become as well known for another reasons. He chats with Michael about why helping those affected by the war in Ukraine means so much and the work he’s done on the ground. Guerin Report – S2 Ep. 5 Ft. Craig Williams Part.1 View the full article

Blue Sky At Night (NZ) (Shamexpress) collected a couple of Cups last season and trainer Shelley Hale is hoping she can add to her haul when she heads to Matamata on Saturday to contest the Listed Team Wealleans Matamata Cup (1600m). The eight-year-old daughter of Shamexpress was victorious in the Gr.3 Waikato Cup (2400m) at Te Rapa in December before winning the Gr.3 Avondale Cup (2400m) at Ellerslie in February, and Hale is pleased with the way she is coming up this time in. “She had a great season last year, so it is good to have her back and ready to go again,” Hale said. Blue Sky At Night had her first public hit-out of the season when comfortably taking out her 1300m trial at Cambridge on Tuesday, giving Hale plenty of confidence heading into the mile first-up this weekend. “It was a lovely trial,” Hale said. “She was just out there for a pipe-opener and she seemed to do it very comfortably and happily. “She is working up really nicely. She got out in the birdcage today, pricked the ears and still looks like she loves being out there, so that is the main thing.” Blue Sky At Night holds a nomination for next month’s Gr.1 Livamol Classic (2040m) at Ellerslie, and Hale said her first-up performance will dictate whether she continues towards that goal or they change tack towards further Cups targets. “She is a natural stayer, so we will just leave her in there at the moment,” Hale said. “She is going to run on Saturday in the Matamata Cup and we will just see how she measures up there and how she comes through it. “In past years, the Livamol has sometimes dropped off a little but I don’t think it is going to this year. There will be plenty of other options, she can switch back and get ready for the Counties (Gr.3, 2100m) and Waikato Cups.” Hale is looking forward to her stable star resuming this weekend and said the mile first-up poses no concerns. “She had about six weeks off and she is pretty easy to get fit, so I don’t think the mile first-up will prove any challenges,” she said. “Being fresh she will have a bit of ping in her legs.” View the full article

Blue Sky At Night (right) will resume in the Listed Matamata Cup (1600m) on Saturday at Matamata. Photo: Kenton Wright (Race Images). Blue Sky At Night collected a couple of Cups last season and trainer Shelley Hale is hoping she can add to her haul when she heads to Matamata on Saturday to contest the Listed Team Wealleans Matamata Cup (1600m). The eight-year-old daughter of Shamexpress was victorious in the Group 3 Waikato Cup (2400m) at Te Rapa in December before winning the Group 3 Avondale Cup (2400m) at Ellerslie in February, and Hale is pleased with the way she is coming up this time in. “She had a great season last year, so it is good to have her back and ready to go again,” Hale said. Blue Sky At Night had her first public hit-out of the season when comfortably taking out her 1300m trial at Cambridge on Tuesday, giving Hale plenty of confidence heading into the mile first-up this weekend. “It was a lovely trial,” Hale said. “She was just out there for a pipe-opener and she seemed to do it very comfortably and happily. “She is working up really nicely. She got out in the birdcage today, pricked the ears and still looks like she loves being out there, so that is the main thing.” Blue Sky At Night holds a nomination for next month’s Group 1 Livamol Classic (2040m) at Ellerslie, and Hale said her first-up performance will dictate whether she continues towards that goal or they change tack towards further Cups targets. “She is a natural stayer, so we will just leave her in there at the moment,” Hale said. “She is going to run on Saturday in the Matamata Cup and we will just see how she measures up there and how she comes through it. “In past years, the Livamol has sometimes dropped off a little but I don’t think it is going to this year. There will be plenty of other options, she can switch back and get ready for the Counties (Gr.3, 2100m) and Waikato Cups.” Hale is looking forward to her stable star resuming this weekend and said the mile first-up poses no concerns. “She had about six weeks off and she is pretty easy to get fit, so I don’t think the mile first-up will prove any challenges,” she said. “Being fresh she will have a bit of ping in her legs.” Aussie betting sites are likely to release early markets for the Matamata Cup on Wednesday, with Blue Sky at Night expected to be among the favourites. View the full article

Last season’s Hong Kong Triple Crown winner Voyage Bubble eased his way through a barrier trial on Tuesday as he tunes up for his return in the Group Two Sha Tin Trophy (1,600m) on October 19. The Hong Kong Champion Miler and Hong Kong Champion Stayer finished fourth behind Invincible Shield – who broke the tape at 1:10.62 – after settling towards the rear before making steady ground in the straight under Matthew Poon Ming-fai. Last seen running riot to win the Group One Champions & Chater Cup...View the full article

She’s Unusual, the son of Unusual Suspect, has continued the Auret family’s stunning run of success with their resident stallion. Photo: Bradleyphotos.com.au Continued success with resident stallion Unusual Suspect and their racing team has kept Nigel and Adaire Auret busier than they may have envisaged, but without any complaints. They own and operate Letham Stud on the outskirts of Wanganui, with son and Group One-winning trainer Fraser close by at Marton. The family celebrated a winning trans-Tasman double at the weekend with homebred She’s Unusual scoring at Rosehill on Saturday and a day later enjoyed further success at Waverley with Unusual Gem. “It’s been terrific for us, and we are trying to retire sooner rather than later, but we can’t while this is going on. It’s been fantastic,” Nigel Auret said. “We cut outside mares completely in the last two years, for our own lifestyle and to try and preserve the longevity of the stallion. “We’ve got 10 mares in foal to him, and it would be nice to try and cut another couple back.” Fraser Auret prepared She’s Unusual to win on debut for his parents at Awapuni and she was then sold to OTI Racing and partners and relocated to Randwick trainer John O’Shea, who now operates in partnership with Tom Charlton. The lightly tried six-year-old has won a further four races and placed six times from her 12 starts in Australia. She’s Unusual jumped a $3 favourite with betting sites under Zac Lloyd on the weekend, eventually beating home Nkoski and State of America in convincing fashion. “She’s a tough little thing and growing with every start so hopefully it’s onwards and upwards for her,” Nigel Auret said. She’s Unusual is out of dual stakes winner La Fille En Jeu, a daughter of former Letham resident stallion Mettre En Jeu, whose brother Overtheriver won 24 races and is a multiple black type place-getter. La Fille En Jeu has produced three fillies and a colt by Unusual Suspect since She’s Unusual and is back in foal once again. “They’re running around the paddock, and the oldest one went to Fraser on Sunday,” Nigel Auret said. “They are quite slow maturing, and we let them make their own way before we get cracking with them, patience is a virtue that is working in this case. “Fraser knows them inside and out and how to deal with them, there are some really exciting ones coming along.” Unusual Suspect has sired 50 winners from 83 runners, including Listed Champagne Stakes (1200m) winner Unusual Countess, following a racing career that featured a Group 1 Hollywood Turf Cup (2400m) victory and success in the Listed Werribee Cup (2600m). “We never got into the big numbers game and at the moment he’s still very fertile, he’ll be 22 in March so we’ll keep him as long as we can,” Auret said. His four-year-old daughter Unusual Gem broke her maiden over 2200m at Waverley following minor placings at her three previous outings. Her dam Gem Of A Pearl is from a family that features the Aurets’ Group One winners Pompeii Pearl (Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes, 1400m) and Saint Cecile (New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes, 1600m). “She had another (Unusual Suspect) filly last season and is back in foal again, she’s about two weeks behind La Fille En Jeu,” Auret said. View the full article

Kylie Williams rode her 1000th winner aboard Riviera Rebel at Riccarton on Saturday. Photo: Race Images South Canterbury jockey Kylie Williams ticked off a major goal over the weekend and she is hoping to achieve one more before retirement. The 45-year-old hoop brought up her 1,000th victory in the saddle when piloting home Riviera Rebel to win the North Canterbury Cup (2000m) in front of family and friends at her home track of Riccarton on Saturday. Riviera Rebel was a $6 winner with Neds Australia in what was a wide-open race punctuated by a horror fall which saw four jockeys lose their seats. “It’s good to finally get there, it has been a while,” she said. “The family were there, so that was even better.” A career in the saddle was never in Williams’ mind as a child, and if it wasn’t for the bold nature of a friend, she may never have pursued life as a jockey. “I never really had a lot to do with horses,” Williams said. “I wanted to leave school and Dad wouldn’t let me unless I had a job. There was an advertisement in The Press that said ‘are you over 16, under 50kg and want to become an apprentice jockey?’ I was too scared, so my friend rang up and applied for me.” Williams is forever grateful for that nudge, which landed her in a career which has spanned nearly 30 years. “I spent three months in Otaki on a course and was assigned to Tania Forde in Dunsandel and I have been doing it ever since,” she said. Williams commenced her riding career in the 1996/97 season, and even with the birth of her three children, she hasn’t missed a season. She has posted 32 Group or Listed victories, and while they were special, Williams said winning some maiden races have meant just as much. “They are all pretty special,” she said. “The one where I won a maiden at Riverton on Pure Zambezi for very good friends of mine was great. To even get the horse to the races, let alone to win a race, was special.” Having now reached her goal of 1000 wins in the saddle, retirement has crept into Williams’ mind, but there is one more thing she would like to do before she hangs up her riding boots, ride against her son, Logan Bates. The 23-year-old looks to have inherited his mother’s talent in the saddle, having recorded 108 wins in Australia, including 59 last season, which led to him being crowned Country Racing Victoria Apprentice Jockey of the Year. “I never encouraged him to become a jockey or be involved in horses,” Williams said. “He did the greyhounds and then the trots, and then decided to try being an apprentice jockey. He is outdoing his mum at the moment. “It will be cool to ride against him and hopefully he will get back here for Cup Week if all goes well.” All going to plan, Williams said she will be happy to retire shortly after and start to enjoy life outside of racing and spend more time with her children. “I am thinking maybe Christmas time,” she said. “I have had to sacrifice a lot with the kids through the races and now I want to be able to go to Australia and watch Logan or go to watch my daughter, Rhiarn, do gymnastics. And my son Rico has just turned 18, he has nothing to do with horses, and he wants to be a tradie.” While Williams is in good health and could continue to ride, she said she would like to retire on her terms. “I don’t want to be out there when I shouldn’t be out there,” she said. “I want to retire when I have decided and not when people say I shouldn’t be out there riding.” A natural lightweight, Williams has never missed out on enjoying a family Christmas dinner, but she said she is looking forward to attending some of the summer racedays at some of her favourite tracks. “I have always been okay with my weight, so I have never missed out on food or anything like that,” she said. “I would like to go to some of the race meetings that I enjoy riding at, like Kumara and Cromwell, but be on the other side.” View the full article

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By Michael Guerin How much difference can 500m make? Well, maybe that question has two parts, the other being how much fitter will Merlin strip for the Holmes D G at Alexandra Park on Friday night after his first-up defeat to stablemate Sooner The Bettor. The pair clashed two weeks ago and Sooner The Bettor found the lead over 2200m in the Spring Cup and never looked like being headed while Merlin remarkably secured the one-one soon from his 20m back mark after the start but could manage only third. No surprise in either of those things as Sooner The Bettor is a wonderful sprinter and Merlin was always going to be vulnerable fresh up off 20m over 2200m. So how much will change this Friday? Merlin has to be fitter, albeit he looked pretty fit before the Spring Cup, and the extra 500m should give him more time to get handy. But how much handier can you get than the one-one he enjoyed last time? It worked this time last year as Merlin finished second in the Spring Cup then bolted away with the Holmes D G from 20m behind, leading home a Purdon/Phelan First 4, which could be on the cards again this Friday. The bookies are being careful though, rating him a $2.20 chance and having Sooner The Bettor at $5 and Jolimont a very short $5.50 in the opening market. The race also doubles as a win and you are in for the IRT New Zealand Cup and while that doesn’t matter for Merlin it does for just about any other horse in the race if they hope to be in the biggest race of all. With the two Western Australian pacers (Minstrel and Heza Sport) pulling out last week Sooner The Bettor is as good as guaranteed a Cup start but the Arna Donnelly-trained trio of Jolimont, Little Spike and The Surfer would all need to win this Friday to be certain of being at Addington on the second Tuesday in November. To see Friday’s fields at Alexandra Park click here View the full article

Continued success with resident stallion Unusual Suspect and their racing team has kept Nigel and Adaire Auret busier than they may have envisaged, but without any complaints. They own and operate Letham Stud on the outskirts of Wanganui, with son and Group One-winning trainer Fraser close by at Marton. The family celebrated a winning trans-Tasman double at the weekend with homebred She’s Unusual scoring at Rosehill on Saturday and a day later enjoyed further success at Waverley with Unusual Gem. “It’s been terrific for us, and we are trying to retire sooner rather than later, but we can’t while this is going on. It’s been fantastic,” Nigel Auret said. “We cut outside mares completely in the last two years, for our own lifestyle and to try and preserve the longevity of the stallion. “We’ve got 10 mares in foal to him, and it would be nice to try and cut another couple back.” Fraser Auret prepared She’s Unusual (NZ) (Unusual Suspect) to win on debut for his parents at Awapuni and she was then sold to OTI Racing and partners and relocated to Randwick trainer John O’Shea, who now operates in partnership with Tom Charlton. The lightly tried six-year-old has won a further four races and placed six times from her 12 starts in Australia. “She’s a tough little thing and growing with every start so hopefully it’s onwards and upwards for her,” Nigel Auret said. She’s Unusual is out of dual stakes winner La Fille En Jeu, a daughter of former Letham resident stallion Mettre En Jeu, whose brother Overtheriver won 24 races and is a multiple black type placegetter. La Fille En Jeu has produced three fillies and a colt by Unusual Suspect since She’s Unusual and is back in foal once again. “They’re running around the paddock, and the oldest one went to Fraser on Sunday,” Nigel Auret said. “They are quite slow maturing, and we let them make their own way before we get cracking with them, patience is a virtue that is working in this case. “Fraser knows them inside and out and how to deal with them, there are some really exciting ones coming along.” Unusual Suspect has sired 50 winners from 83 runners, including Listed Champagne Stakes (1200m) winner Unusual Countess, following a racing career that featured a Gr.1 Hollywood Turf Cup (2400m) victory and success in the Listed Werribee Cup (2600m). “We never got into the big numbers game and at the moment he’s still very fertile, he’ll be 22 in March so we’ll keep him as long as we can,” Auret said. His four-year-old daughter Unusual Gem (NZ) (Unusual Suspect) broke her maiden over 2200m at Waverley following minor placings at her three previous outings. Her dam Gem Of A Pearl is from a family that features the Aurets’ Group One winners Pompeii Pearl (Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes, 1400m) and Saint Cecile (New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes, 1600m). “She had another (Unusual Suspect) filly last season and is back in foal again, she’s about two weeks behind La Fille En Jeu,” Auret said. View the full article

Canterbury jockey Kylie Williams ticked off a major goal over the weekend and she is hoping to achieve one more before retirement. The 45-year-old hoop brought up her 1,000th victory in the saddle when piloting home Riviera Rebel (NZ) (Pure Champion) to win the North Canterbury Cup (2000m) in front of family and friends at her home track of Riccarton on Saturday. “It’s good to finally get there, it has been a while,” she said. “The family were there, so that was even better.” A career in the saddle was never in Williams’ mind as a child, and if it wasn’t for the bold nature of a friend, she may never have pursued life as a jockey. “I never really had a lot to do with horses,” Williams said. “I wanted to leave school and Dad wouldn’t let me unless I had a job. There was an advertisement in The Press that said ‘are you over 16, under 50kg and want to become an apprentice jockey?’ I was too scared, so my friend rang up and applied for me.” Williams is forever grateful for that nudge, which landed her in a career which has spanned nearly 30 years. “I spent three months in Otaki on a course and was assigned to Tania Forde in Dunsandel and I have been doing it ever since,” she said. Williams commenced her riding career in the 1996/97 season, and even with the birth of her three children, she hasn’t missed a season. She has posted 32 Group or Listed victories, and while they were special, Williams said winning some maiden races have meant just as much. “They are all pretty special,” she said. “The one where I won a maiden at Riverton on Pure Zambezi (NZ) (Zacinto) for very good friends of mine was great. To even get the horse to the races, let alone to win a race, was special.” Having now reached her goal of 1000 wins in the saddle, retirement has crept into Williams’ mind, but there is one more thing she would like to do before she hangs up her riding boots, ride against her son, Logan Bates. The 23-year-old looks to have inherited his mother’s talent in the saddle, having recorded 108 wins in Australia, including 59 last season, which led to him being crowned Country Racing Victoria Apprentice Jockey of the Year. “I never encouraged him to become a jockey or be involved in horses,” Williams said. “He did the greyhounds and then the trots, and then decided to try being an apprentice jockey. He is outdoing his mum at the moment. “It will be cool to ride against him and hopefully he will get back here for Cup Week if all goes well.” All going to plan, Williams said she will be happy to retire shortly after and start to enjoy life outside of racing and spend more time with her children. “I am thinking maybe Christmas time,” she said. “I have had to sacrifice a lot with the kids through the races and now I want to be able to go to Australia and watch Logan or go to watch my daughter, Rhiarn, do gymnastics. And my son Rico has just turned 18, he has nothing to do with horses, and he wants to be a tradie.” While Williams is in good health and could continue to ride, she said she would like to retire on her terms. “I don’t want to be out there when I shouldn’t be out there,” she said. “I want to retire when I have decided and not when people say I shouldn’t be out there riding.” A natural lightweight, Williams has never missed out on enjoying a family Christmas dinner, but she said she is looking forward to attending some of the summer racedays at some of her favourite tracks. “I have always been okay with my weight, so I have never missed out on food or anything like that,” she said. “I would like to go to some of the race meetings that I enjoy riding at, like Kumara and Cromwell, but be on the other side.” View the full article

Tommy Jo and Percy's Bar last out finished 1-2 in the Spinaway Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Course. They are the only stakes winners in the six-horse field for the Oct. 3 Alcibiades Stakes (G1) going 1 1/16 miles at Keeneland. View the full article

After securing runner-up honors in the past two editions of the Phoenix Stakes (G2), Nakatomi will try to land top honors when he starts in the six-furlong sprint Oct. 3 at Keeneland.View the full article

After his father, Carlo, has continued his strong opposition to decoupling, Gulfstream Park informed first-year trainer Nick Vaccarezza that they will not accept his entries.View the full article

BBN Racing's Bracket Buster landed his first graded stakes victory in the Oklahoma Derby (G3) Sept. 28 at Remington Park. His trainer Vicki Oliver became the first female trainer to win the race. View the full article

On the Sept. 29 episode of BloodHorse Monday, Kenny McPeek discusses Mystik Dan's Lukas Classic (G2) win and Thorpedo Anna's upcoming start in the Spinster Stakes (G1) at Keeneland Oct. 5. Bob Ehalt recaps weekend racing in New York.View the full article

Bill Knauf is the president and general manager of the non-profit Maryland Jockey Club Inc., (MJC), which took over the management of Laurel Park and Pimlico Race Course this year. It's a time of tremendous transition in that state, with Pimlico currently being demolished and rebuilt with the goal of all commercial-track Thoroughbred racing in Maryland moving to the new Baltimore venue by 2027. Laurel will then close for racing and training, and a new training facility at Shamrock Farm in Carroll County will be built. Knauf updated TDN on those longer-term projects and on the current state of racing at Laurel. A transcript of the conversation follows, edited for brevity. TDN: Let's start, please, with an overview of the Pimlico project. BK: Pimlico is currently under demolition and has been for some time now. They're getting down to the final pieces of the building that remain, about a quarter of the building. All of the barn area is demolished, frontside and backside barns. Once they finish that they'll be moving on to cleaning up the site. The next phase that has already been approved by the Maryland Board of Public Works is the infrastructure and laying that throughout the facility. We've got the track all covered up and [its material] stored on the infield. It's exciting to see some progress, keeping it moving. Construction will keep going all through the winter. TDN: Is the goal for the grand opening still the 2027 GI Preakness Stakes? BK: That is the objective, yes. TDN: And at that point, all racing will shift to Pimlico, or do you envision a phased-in transition period? BK: For timelines, I don't think we have that set yet. If for some reason Pimlico is not completely ready, we'll utilize temporary structures [for the Preakness] just like the Preakness has always done in the infield, and then we would just come back to Laurel [to race] until the building is ready to be moved into. TDN: How about a progress report for the Shamrock Farm training center, which will be 20 miles from Pimlico and is projected to have 800 stalls? BK: Shamrock was officially purchased by the state about a week or so ago. The plans for that are still ongoing. The Maryland Stadium Authority [MSA] is in charge of those projects, and we're working with them and the horsemen's group on the layout of that still. The architects are working on a lot of the infrastructure right now. TDN: Shamrock Farm was the name of the property when it was founded by the Rooney family in 1948. Will the MJC be keeping that name or rebranding it? BK: The name Shamrock will stay. TDN: Are you envisioning any sort of construction delays related to the recently doubled tariffs on imported steel and aluminum? Even in projects where those materials are sourced domestically, the increased demand is forcing United States producers to raise prices, and general slowdowns and problems with in supply chains are routinely being reported throughout the construction sector. BK: I haven't heard of any, but I'm probably the wrong person to ask. The MSA is certainly better equipped to answer those types of questions. From my standpoint, we're here to support them on the horse racing infrastructure and programming questions. TDN: When you were an executive at Monmouth Park, you were instrumental in pulling off the 2007 Breeders' Cup there when the track was a first-time host of the event. Maryland has also never hosted a Breeders' Cup. Do you envision that the new Pimlico might be a candidate for hosting the championships? BK: I think it's very early for those types of conversations. However, I think it's hard not to think that we would be a good candidate for it. Going through that experience at Monmouth, I learned an incredible amount and got a flavor and taste of the event and for running it. I think Pimlico, with all the history that it's had, and certainly a great [sports and hospitality] city in Baltimore to host it, I actually think it would be a wonderful site for the Breeders' Cup in the future. I'm not sure when the right timing would be, but we would love it. TDN: In the meantime, you must be well into the planning stages for the 2026 Preakness to be held at Laurel. What can fans and horsemen expect? BK: The Preakness at Laurel will be run, as it was at Pimlico in 2025, with [former owner and operator] The Stronach Group running the event. We will assist them in operating it in all facets of the facility, so yes, we've had plenty of internal meetings to talk about it. Obviously, it's a new venue [for the Preakness], but for people who have not been to Laurel, it's a beautiful facility. It's a gorgeous, large racetrack, so I think there are going to be some really nice advantages for the Preakness to come here. We'll be taking advantage of the extra-wide turf course for undercard races and in the days leading up to it. But obviously, it is going to take a lot more planning, and there will certainly be some changes as it relates to gearing up for an event of that magnitude and size. TDN: On that topic, we have to ask the obligatory “Triple Crown race spacing” question, especially considering that Sovereignty (Into Mischief) won the GI Kentucky Derby and the GI Belmont Stakes this season without contesting the Preakness, and only three horses that ran in the Derby also ran in the Preakness. Any movement or thoughts on rearranging the races so there are more than two weeks between the Derby and the Preakness and/or three weeks between the Preakness and the Belmont? BK: We're still at the beginning stages of our media rights deal, and our board will be looking at everything. I think we enter these types of conversations with an open mind, but also certainly acknowledging the history of the Triple Crown. The short answer is we don't have any answer yet. TDN: The situation of Triple Crown race spacing often gets framed like this: Churchill Downs has no reason to move off the first Saturday in May. The various entities who have controlled Maryland racing over the past few decades seem willing to talk about changing the Preakness date because the second jewel is clearly the most adversely affected race of the three. The New York Racing Association is often portrayed as not being willing to budge off moving the Belmont from its early June date. Is that a fair characterization of what's going on? BK: Well, I haven't spoken to either [of the other host tracks] on it, really. So I wouldn't want to put words in anybody's mouth, because I'm not really sure what everybody's thinking. I think what we're focusing on right now is obviously the media rights portion of the Preakness. That's a long process, and we want to make sure we do it right. Obviously the date [of the Preakness] is a major factor in that, but we want to do it so it's a strong fit for the new MJC and everything we want to showcase. I think we're going to approach it first from our own viewpoint, and then once we have an idea where we would want to go, we'll talk to those [other tracks]. TDN: As the Laurel meet gets into the second month of its fall season, please give us a “state of the union” overview. BK: We started off the year at a slow gallop [laughs]. With the new organization taking over, there was a big transition in terms of putting messaging out there in terms of Laurel Park being back up and running after a little bit of a break from December to January. And we had some rough weather, some snow dates, which is very uncommon here. We had some really nice momentum around April and May. The Stronach Group had a really great Preakness, and then we had a really good June. Middle of the year we started to find a little bit of a groove. At that point we had some different marketing and media, some different personnel that we brought in, putting out messaging not only for on-site events but also for the gambling fan base around the country. July and August were interesting, because that was the first time [Maryland racing took an extended summer break]. That decision was made prior to me getting here, something that the horsemen and the [now defunct] Maryland Thoroughbred Racetrack Operating Authority made when they were here. But I thought it was a very good decision, getting a break while working with Colonial and Delaware, and paying some out-of-state bonuses so [Maryland] horsemen had opportunities to earn money. They ran pretty heavily at those two venues, and now we're circling back to Laurel. September is such a beautiful weather month, and our turf course is in great condition. That's where Laurel's bread-and butter is, this extra-wide turf course. I start to get excited when we see big fields and competitive racing. We're still trying to get the word out more around the country of what Maryland racing can put on. There's a lot of competition out there, which I recognize. But I think when bettors start playing our product, they're going to find that it's a good and consistent one. TDN: Right now Maryland is at a 120-date annual schedule. Will that be the norm for the foreseeable future? BK: We're taking it one year at a time. I think this is a learning curve for us and the horsemen, and we're certainly in this together, to sort of find that right balance. I would foresee us probably doing something similar for next year, and then as it evolves, we're going to learn what works each year and what doesn't. By the time we get to Pimlico, Pimlico will be prepared to do a similar schedule. But I couldn't comment yet. The idea is to have as much year-round racing as possible here, but we'll see how it goes. We're all going to keep learning. TDN: The Oct. 11 Maryland Million is the next major event on Laurel's calendar. This will be the 40th edition of that state-centric stakes festival, and Maryland was the first state breeding program to conduct and promote such an event at that scale. What sets Maryland apart? BK: I'm personally excited to see all of the energy and planning that goes into the day. When we get to Pimlico and can host a lot larger crowds, I feel like this is one of those events that should be a 10,000- to 20,000-attendance day that can really grow and grow. You get a lot of support from the breeders, obviously, but the state's entire horse community has always really targeted this event and turned out for it. We need to continue to work on ways to make sure that other breeders and horsemen around the country, who may not have thought of coming here to bring a broodmare or a stallion, know that you've got $500 million in facilities going in here, you've got a new non-profit [operator] that is geared toward the horsemen, and that Maryland is in a really good place racing-wise right now and moving forward. The post Q and A with Maryland Jockey Club’s Bill Knauf appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

KILDARE, IRELAND – John Stewart made a welcome first visit to the Goffs Orby Sale on Monday and, despite taking a little time to acclimatise to the European style of bidding – with auctioneer Nick Nugent partly to blame – the Resolute Racing man spent €1,555,000 on four lots, headed by the sale-topping Blue Point colt at €675,000. Stewart rolled his sleeves up pretty early in the session. Sitting directly in front of Nugent in the seats below the rostrum, he spent €230,000 on the McCracken Farms-consigned Ghaiyyath filly [lot 10]. However, when the bidding was stalled at €205,000, Stewart tried to bid €20,000, with Nugent assuming the American-based buyer was trying to lob in a cheeky bid of €2,000. After a quick back forward between the pair, Nugent jokingly told Stewart to keep his hand in the air until he was willing to stop, to which the major owner duly obliged, eventually landing the half-sister to Best Solution (Kodiac) and El Bodegon (Kodiac) for just €5,000 more than he tried to bid initially. Stewart had come on for the run by the time Tom Whelan's [Church View Stables] Blue Point half-brother to Bay City Roller (New Bay) was sent through the ring. Bred by John Connaughton, winner of this year's small breeder of the year category at the ITBA Awards, the Blue Point colt sold for €675,000. Stewart commented, “Really good pedigree. We are really high on Blue Point – he rates really good on our system. [He is] one of the top colts that we had for today and we're really excited to get him. I felt like we got a good price on him as well so we are happy about that. It's a proven family and the dam is just going to improve. He will probably end up with Francis Graffard, who trains most of our horses here in Europe. This is my first time here at Goffs. It's good fun.” While Connaughton was not in attendance at Goffs, Whelan reported the 93-year-old to be delighted with the price the colt fetched, before describing himself to be in awe of the strength of the market in recent weeks. Whelan said, “I spoke with John on the phone. Unfortunately he couldn't make it today but he is delighted. We've had a great run, thank God. This is a fine horse. It's unbelievable, really.” Whelan went on to single Goffs out for praise, going as far as saying he believed his horses made the most they could conceivably make at Kildare Paddocks. “It's been easy for me,” he said. “I've only had two horses through the ring so far – one made €260,000 and the other made €675,000. Three horses of our own made over €100,000 at Fairyhouse as well. In fairness, we've had good stock but it's been an amazing couple of weeks. I can't complain.” He added, “I have been standing outside doors at sales for 45 years now and I can never remember the volume of people turning up to a sale as we had at Fairyhouse last week. We might not have the same volume here at Goffs but the majority of the big boys are here. If you have the horse, I don't see why you would need to sell it in Newmarket. It all boils down to bringing the right stock. Look at the two we've just sold. There would want to be some interest for them to sell for more abroad than they sold for here today. I just feel, if the horses are here, Goffs will get the people here to buy them. It's as simple as that. If you have a really nice horse, you will sell it the same here as anywhere else.” Resolute Racing went on to buy a Frankel colt from the Castlebridge Consignment for €550,000 and a €100,000 Camelot filly from Baroda Stud. The Blue Point sale-topper headlined a rock-solid opening session to the Orby Sale with 199 of the 227 horses offered selling at a clearance rate of 88%. The €26,218,500 turnover was up by 3% on last year while the €131,752 climbed 10% and the median climbed 25% to €100,000. Redvers's New Partnership Swoops For Daughter Of Irish Guineas Winner Hermosa Purchasing on behalf of a new unnamed partnership, David Redvers went to €625,000 to secure a Wootton Bassett filly out of Irish 1,000 Guineas winner Hermosa (Galileo) that was consigned by Baroda Stud. The Wootton Bassett filly is likely to be trained in France, according to Redvers, who purchased the filly whilst standing alongside Henri Bozo of Ecurie des Monceaux. Redvers said, “She has been purchased on behalf of a new partnership that includes Henri Bozo. We have found it increasingly difficult to buy broodmares. We put a partnership together to see if we could find some proper broodmares with a view towards having them with the upside of racing. What hasn't been said about the stallion and this family?” Redvers added, “She's babyish and will improve with time. She will come back to Tweenhills to get broken in and will go across the Channel where Henri can look after things from there.” €550k Sea The Stars Colt To Victorious Forever Billy Jackson-Stops has settled into his new role buying on behalf of Victorious Racing, which has now been rebranded as Victorious Forever to incorporate the amalgamation of KHK Racing's interests. The new buying team came up trumps at €550,000 for the Glenvale Stud-consigned Sea The Stars colt, who, according to Jackson-Stops, will join trainer George Scott. The bloodstock agent said, “He has been bought for Victorious Forever and he will go to George Scott. His Highness [Shaikh Nasser] was really keen on him and obviously it is a pedigree that everyone knows well. When we put the horse up to him this morning, he told us to push hard for him. We only have a very small number of horses on the list and that was one who really struck a chord with him. So, George will train the horse and he has already had a bit of success with Sea The Stars this year. Victorious Forever is a pretty exciting partnership so hopefully we have some nice horses to run next year.” Subplots Newtown Anner Stud swooped to land a sister to dual Group 1 winner Saffron Beach from Ballylinch Stud for €500,000. It was PJ Colville who signed the docket on behalf of Maurice Regan's operation. He commented, “We thought she was a bit of a collector's item. We will race her and hopefully breed her in time. Maurice [Regan] came in this morning to see her and he thought she was a very nice filly. A great outlook and a great step to her so we were keen to try and have her. She'll come back to mine to be broken and then we'll manage her from there. Whatever trainer Maurice is happy with on the day will get her!” Al Shira'aa Racing's Kieran Lalor showered Mehmas with praise after landing a filly by Tally-Ho Stud's superstar stallion who is bred in the purple. Out of Group 1 performer Beach Bunny, the Mehmas filly, who was bred by the late Lady O'Reilly, was knocked down for €400,000. Lalor said, “We've been very lucky at Goffs – we bought Jannah Rose and Ocean Jewel here. We've been very lucky with Lady O'Reilly's horses in particular and have bought some that she had in partnership with Henri Bozo.”This is a gorgeous filly by a fantastic sire – we have been trying to find one [by Mehmas] and this one has a fantastic pedigree. She is a lovely individual and the boss loved her so delighted to have her on board.” Speaking about plans for the future, Lalor added, “She will go to the farm, along with all of the horses we bought in France, and they will get a few months on the farm before going to Ian McCarthy of Grangecoor Farm for breaking in. She will probably stay in Ireland. Willie [McCreery] and Joseph [O'Brien] train for us in Ireland so I could see her staying here. She looks pretty precocious and the sire looks like he is going to keep on sky-rocketing. Eventually, I can see him coming up with Classic winners.” Kia Joorabchian's Amo Racing contributed to the bustling trade by spending €1,585,000 on four yearlings, headed by a €525,000 Frankel colt that was bred by Kirsten Rausing's Staffordstown Stud. Out of Madame Chiang, who David Simcock trained to win the G1 Champion Fillies & Mares Stakes at Ascot, the Frankel colt was described by bloodstock agent Alex Elliott as a long-term prospect for Amo Racing. He said, “David Simcock was there and he trained the whole family. He was a big supporter of the horse. The mare has been very good to him and, listen, when you convert it back to Sterling, it could look good value heading into next week. He will take plenty of time. He's a three-year-old type that could end up being a very good stayer. He's the type of horse who could take us to some very good races down the line.” Amo's spend was completed by a €400,000 Invincible Spirit filly and a €390,000 Sea The Stars filly from Airlie Stud along with a €160,000 Minzaal colt from Tally-Ho Stud. The strength of Bond Thoroughbreds, who struck gold at the Curragh on Sunday when the Paddy Twomey-trained Black Caviar Gold (Havana Grey) landed the G3 Weld Park Stakes, has been one of the major talking points throughout the sale season. Bidding through bloodstock agent Jason Kelly, Bond Thoroughbreds spent €1.32 million on four yearlings, headed by a €440,000 Frankel filly from Tally-Ho Stud and a €420,000 Wootton Bassett colt from Castlehyde Stud. Both horses will be trained by Christopher Head in France. Meanwhile, the Mehmas colt picked up from Church View Stables for €260,000 and the €200,000 Havana Grey colt from Pier House Stud will be trained by Twomey. Bond Thoroughbreds were represented by Phenomenal Filly in Saturday's Goffs Million. Not only did that filly scoop €35,000 for finishing fifth behind Coolmore and Aidan O'Brien's Dorset in the showpiece race, but she also picked up a €50,000 bonus for winning her maiden at Leopardstown back in July. Naturally, Charlie Bond described himself as a big fan of the Goffs Million series. He said, “It helps when we have won two of the [bonus] races. Paddy has won two of them, so that's €70,000 each time, which is a massive incentive. It's unbelievable how well we get treated by Goffs when we come here.” The sole Torquator Tasso yearling in the sale, a filly consigned by Kildaragh Stud, was well-received by the market with trainer Andy Slattery out-bidding BBA Ireland's Patrick Cooper at €140,000. That follows on from the very positive BBAG Yearling Sale the stallion enjoyed in his native Germany. Buy of the day State Of Rest appears to have been well-received by the market in recent weeks and lot 209, a filly by the multiple Group 1 winner, looked a bit of value at €55,000. Bought by Highflyer's Anthony Bromley and Joseph O'Brien, the State Of Rest filly is from a good family and boasted plenty of quality. In this market, she looks well-bought. Golden touch Take a bow Luke Bleahen. As if turning $3,000 into €90,000 with a colt by a stallion [Highly Motivated] hardly anyone at Tattersalls Ireland had heard of last week wasn't enough, the shrewd young pinhooker repeated the trick here on Monday when his €22,000 City Light colt rocked into €115,000 to Rabbah Bloodstock. “I'm pure delighted,” Bleahen said. “I'm so grateful to Mr Ryan and Mr Abdullah, to Mr Woods who underbid him, and to everyone else who bid – Tom Taaffe and a contingent from America, Edgar Byrne and his Scandinavian clients, Dermot Farrington with Ralph Beckett, and Anthony Bromley. “It was a great feeling, selling a horse with so many shrewd judges on him like that. Usually you're standing there waiting for the next bid, but they came thick and fast this time.I think the French premiums were a big draw, and he was the only lot by City Light in the sale. I have a Hello Youmzain colt tomorrow who's also the only lot by his sire here. Maybe being a little bit different helps sometimes.” He added, “Most of the credit goes to Wesley Hayes, who's at home with me and Dad every day of the week, and puts in hours of work. I've also got Calum Harte here doing his first sale for me, and he hasn't missed a beat in every show. I'm very lucky to receive all the help that I get. “I'm also grateful to Goffs for attracting so many international clients. Just look at the list of people on the City Light colt. He had eight vets and was popular all the way through.” Thought for the day Sale days can be pressure-cooker environments for anyone trying to buy a horse. Sometimes, emotions can run high and rumour has it that two foreign visitors succumbed to their urges over the past couple of days. Word on the street is that the star-crossed lovers turned the lunging ring at Goffs into a makeshift covering shed on Sunday morning. Let's hope it didn't go to the panel! The post Resolute Racing Bags Sale-Topping Blue Point Colt On Goffs Orby Debut appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Grade I winner Mo Forza (Uncle Mo–Inflamed, by Unusual Heat) was represented by his first winner when Mo Holland Drive won at Santa Anita last Sunday. The 9-year-old freshman sire stands at Rancho San Miguel in San Miguel, California. Mo Holland Drive is the first foal out of the multiple winner Awesome Drive (Summer Front). Bred by River Oak Farm LLC, the colt has earned $58,680 to date for the ownership group of Altamira Racing Stable, California Racing Partners, Ciaglia Racing LLC, Tom Kagele and Nathan McCauley. Through three seasons on the track, Mo Forza won eight of 15 starts–seven of those wins at the graded level–including the GI Hollywood Derby. He retired with earnings of $1,034,460. Mo Forza entered stud at Rancho San Miguel in 2022 with a bankroll of $1,034,460. He is California's leading stallion by number of mares bred in 2023 (102) and 2024 (90). Mo Forza's 2025 fee at Rancho San Miguel was $7,500. The post Freshman Sire Mo Forza Gets First Winner at Santa Anita appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Oh, for a daughter to take the legacy forward! That was the late Marty Wygod's thought, year after year, when his dual Grade I winner Tranquility Lake (Rahy) persisted in stubbornly producing colts. True, her Storm Cats had served his program well: After Market and Courageous Cat both won Grade Is, while their brother Jalil made $9.7 million as a yearling. But then, finally, the mare delivered a filly–her very last foal, by Smart Strike. Emily Bushnell, his daughter, recalls ecstatically calling Wygod at 5 a.m. when the foetal test came through. They named her Meadowsweet, which flowered along Tranquility Lake on the family ranch in California, and she showed nice ability in a light career: won a couple, and ran a close fifth in the GI Del Mar Oaks. And then, as he began his final battle with illness last year, Wygod gifted Meadowsweet's Into Mischief colt to his daughter, along with longtime advisor Ric Waldman. Just days before Wygod lost that battle, when still in feisty and amusing form at the hospital, Resilience booked his GI Kentucky Derby gate by winning the GII Wood Memorial. The horse was very aptly named, and not just for the fortitude he imparted to grieving friends and family when briefly threatening to win at Churchill, ultimately fading into an honorable sixth. “It was really special,” Bushnell recalls. “It was going to be a hard time, no matter what, but I think the horse really helped us, changed how we all processed what we were going through. Grief is hard, but this was like being shown there was still a future to look forward to. My dad lived a long life, a great life, and here was a way of carrying that on.” And, in fact, Wygod had left with that same consolation. For he knew that he had a daughter worthy of the legacy. He had taught her well; taught her, in fact, resilience. Because with horses, as with life in general, success is a ladder scaled on rungs of disappointment. Sure enough, asked how she was raised, Bushnell shares a couple of instructive glimpses of the character that sustained not only an astounding business career but also a Thoroughbred program (operated alongside her mother Pam) that raised 124 stakes winners. The first goes back to when he was teaching her to ride. Wygod, remember, had always been a hands-on horseman, gaining his first experience as a 15-year-old walking hots at Belmont for Woody Stephens and Homer Pardue. “Whenever I would fall off, or the horse took off with me, it was always the same,” Bushnell recalls. “Yes, you should be as careful as you can, but it was all about getting straight back up and trying again. I think that was instilled into me from a very young age, to be determined, keep trying, work really hard. “And then, at the track, we did a lot of traveling together and of course, you always remember the big wins, and how exciting they were. But I'll also never forget when After Market was first or second choice at the [Monmouth] Breeders' Cup, and we had all that rain, and he didn't like soft turf. I was thinking, 'Oh, it's the Breeders' Cup, I can't believe we'll actually scratch.' But in his mind there was never a doubt. It was the right thing for the horse, and that was all you ever needed to think about. So I think that was also an incredibly important lesson, in how to approach those hard decisions that you're always going to face.” Already in girlhood Bushnell knew that she had inherited a passion. In New Jersey, there had been riding horses and racetrack lay-ups on the farm; and after moving to the opposite coast, father and daughter were constantly on the backside at Del Mar or Santa Anita, visiting the likes of Life Is Sweet and Sweet Catomine, both Breeders' Cup winners by Storm Cat out of the homebred Sweet Life (Kris S.). “They had the most incredible demeanor,” Bushnell recalls. “You could just go in and sit with them, they were such loves–but then such fierce competitors on the track. When you're lucky enough to have an emotional connection with horses like that, it's pretty powerful. Then, when I moved East, my dad would come out and I'd drive him out from the city to the track at 5 a.m. So horses were definitely the common ground between us, a special part of our relationship from an early age.” Wygod was always thinking ahead and, with Bushnell's brother Max also coming East for college, began to question the future of River Edge, the Californian farm where he had stood Pirate's Bounty and Benchmark. It was the latter, in fact, who had focused the River Edge manager, Russell Drake, on his half-sister Tranquility Lake as a yearling. Drake became a cherished mentor. “He was such a big influence in learning about horses and horsemanship,” Bushnell says gratefully. “How to take care of them, how to ask the right questions, make sure you have the right people looking after them. I believe he grew up in Arizona, and he was super old school. He had an incredible eye, and would really take his time with horses. Whenever he came to Kentucky, he would give everyone a hard time about how bad the grass looked, compared to California. But also just incredibly patient and kind. We'd spend a lot of time just squatting in front of horses, him pointing out what he's looking at and why. At the end of the day, I know we're all just making educated guesses, but this was really getting our hands on horses and seeing how each one is unique, and then doing the right thing for each one's plan.” As Bushnell grew up, her father began to measure the depth of her engagement. “I mean, he had impeccably high standards,” she says. “He'd expect everyone to think through every single angle–and the one thing you didn't think through will always be what he asks. But I think that's why he did so well, because he always was thinking of the next move. A mare would foal and next day he's asking what we're thinking, not even for that breeding season, but the following one. He was always a year ahead. And because he had started thinking about whether to keep the farm in California, and how involved I wanted to be, he started pulling me into the daily and weekly conversations.” When Wygod finally broke up River Edge, instead concentrating a band of quality broodmares at Lane's End, Bushnell bought a couple out of the Barretts dispersal and tested the water with her own little program. And, planner as he was, her father had long prepared her even for the poignant conversations that became inevitable in his final weeks. “I mean, for the previous 20 years he'd been like, 'If I go tomorrow, this is the plan with the horses; this is who you need to call; this is what I think.' And I'd be like, 'Okay, but you're fine and we're going to dinner tomorrow night: you need to relax!' Even after the Wood Memorial, in the hospital, he was saying, 'So you going to call the jockey's agent? You going to do this? Going to do that?' 'Yes, we've got it.' So I promise it was all very meticulously planned!” Sure enough, the dovetailed operation–now under the banner Tranquility Lake Farms LLC–could hardly have made a better start. At Saratoga last year, an Into Mischief colt out of Sweet Sting (Awesome Again) made $2.4 million, second highest price of the sale; and this time round a daughter of millionaire Paradise Woods (Union Rags) by Gun Runner was its top filly at $2.6 million. Naturally Bushnell isn't going to take all the credit for this culmination to decades of diligence. As just one example of a family developed by her father through five generations, Beauty Reigns (Tapit), third in the GI Test Stakes last month, boasts Sweet Life as third dam. “It's been wild,” Bushnell says of the way these dynasties have been received in the ring. “You feel so passionate, seeing your horses in the barn, about the bloodlines they represent. So just to have that confirmation-seeing them brought out and getting that sort of reaction-is incredible.” Not that she can afford to indulge sentiment unduly. Sweet Sting herself was moved on for no more than $385,000, carrying a sibling to her sales knockout, at Keeneland last November; along with her Not This Time filly for $250,000. “But I have her daughter by Empire Maker,” Bushnell explains. “That's kind of the goal, to make sure we're selling horses when, hopefully, they're peaking in value, or close to that, still with a lot of upside. I always wanted an Empire Maker broodmare, she's a great physical, and hopefully the family continues to produce great individuals and her value increases. “My dad always wanted to keep the best, to compete on the track. Only every now and then would he sell one. But I'm looking down the road and asking how can I make this sustainable for our family. So selling some of the best is going to be part of our business plan. We don't have big numbers, but we have great families that have been cultivated over generations, so being able to sell one or two a year makes a real difference to how we can operate.” Moreover the revenue freed her hand to add fresh blood to the program with a $1-million Tapit filly at the September Sale: a half-sister to GI Alabama Stakes winner Eskimo Kisses (To Honor and Serve), and granddaughter of none other than Winning Colors (Caro {Ire}). “My dad and I were underbidders on Eskimo Kisses,” Bushnell explains. “It's a family we'd gravitate towards, whenever we saw it in a catalogue, and we really loved her. Then last year at Tattersalls I saw Oujda (Fr) (Sioux Nation) [out of another granddaughter of Winning Colors] and loved her, too. She went past what we were willing to pay then [750,000gns], but when we came across this one at Keeneland, after the great sale in August, I was hopeful we might be able to bring her home-and was so excited when we did.” Bushnell is comfortable with the prospect of maintaining 15-20 mares, not just from an economic perspective but also to ensure that farm graduates can be properly tracked, and assisted if later reaching a difficult crossroads. She is also grateful, in this and many other ways, for the assistance of Kate Sheehan. They first met through horses when at adjacent colleges and, Drake having supported Sheehan early in her career, she became an ideal conduit for the transition from California to Kentucky. Ciaran Dunne, meanwhile, handles the education of the young stock in Florida. That yielded a bonus earlier this spring, when Dunne was looking to bring partners into an exciting filly Bushnell watched win on debut at Keeneland. Lennilu (Leinster) followed up in a Gulfstream stakes and then ran a close third of 23 at Royal Ascot. “That was so fun,” Bushnell says. “We don't usually have early 2-year-olds, and I'd never been before, but it was amazing. She's tough as nails and beat the boys at Gulfstream on Saturday so hopefully goes to the Breeders' Cup.” Perhaps that prospect will quicken the interest already being shown by Bushnell's children at just eight, seven and four. “My husband and I brought the kids up to Saratoga a lot this summer,” she says. “And my two oldest were getting up with me every morning at 5.30 and they're like, 'We want to go to the track!' 'You do? Okay!' So we'd all get on our bikes and ride over to Oklahoma. And they loved it, which I'm really excited about. “Obviously I really miss just being able to call my dad and talk about everything. But seeing so many things that we talked about come to fruition, it does make me feel really proud of what I'm continuing on.” The post Wygod Legacy in Tranquil Hands With Daughter Emily Bushnell appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk When it comes to Mighty Looee’s highlights reel one race is streets ahead of any other. The Sweet Lou eight-year-old, owned by Robyn Hellaby and co-trained by partner Robert Dunn, has been retired from the race track after notching up 17 wins in a 104-start career from 2019 and is now being re-educated for his Life After Racing. And looking back there is a clear stand out. “It was that Country Cup championship at Addington,” says Hellaby, “what a race!” To relive it still gives the couple goosebumps. It was the $90,000 Hydroflow New Zealand Country Championship over 3200 metres at Addington on May 12, 2023. Off the equal back mark of 20 metres, Mighty Looee added to his handicap by breaking badly at the start. He settled a long and lonely last for driver Korbyn Newman. Against a high quality and capacity field they were still trailing the field with a lap to go before getting onto the three wide train. The then six-year-old continued to make headway before charging to the lead inside the final 200 to beat Wheels Of Fortune and Get Up N Dance by over a length. At 15/15 in the betting Mighty Looee paid $73 for the win. “It was the run of his life,” says Dunn, who trained Mighty Looee along with daughter-in-law Jenna Dunn. Hellaby wasn’t on course to see it – she was on family-minding duties in Auckland! “My son Andrew had had twin boys and there we were with these tiny two month old babies and we saw him (Mighty Looee) coming through and we couldn’t yell out cause the babies were asleep,” says Hellaby, “so we were going ‘Go Looee’ very quietly and then when he won we went ‘yeah!’ – it was ridiculous.” “We were so quiet but so excited,” says Hellaby. At the time commentator Matt Cross could scarcely believe what had happened. “Mighty Looee has won it – what a massive performance.” “It was so great for Korbyn,” says Hellaby, “he took a shine to Looee right from the start and did so much with him.” Mighty Looee also had four wins in Australia in 2021-22. “He used to over race and that was his only downfall really,” says Dunn, “he could pull don’t you worry – he’d get real keen!” “And that’s why we sent him to Menangle, we thought the mile racing would suit but he didn’t relax, he was on the nickel all the way.” He then came back to New Zealand. His last win was the 2024 Methven Cup and the decision was made to retire him after two seventh placings at Alexandra Park in August. For Hellaby Mighty Looee was her first foray into standardbred ownership. Dunn had bought him at the sales for $20,000 in 2018 and thought he’d had him sold, only for the deal to fall through A car ride later and Hellaby had been persuaded by Dunn to get involved, and she was Mighty Looee’s new owner. “I didn’t even know who Sweet Lou was,” she laughs. Right now Mighty Looee is being re-educated to saddle as part of HRNZ’s HERO (re-homing and re-educating) programme. “He’s with Jo Ferguson and will be with her for four to six weeks,” says Hellaby. “I’m shocked Jo has got him to trot so quickly,” says Dunn, “he just paced everywhere with me and he’s cantering as well. He takes ponies on the lead and he’s learning very quickly.” Wherever he gets re-homed Hellaby is keen to stay involved. “He’s very kind and intelligent – I just love that horse,” she says. View the full article

Forever Young will get his warmup for the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) in the Nippon TV Hai Oct. 1 at Funabashi Racecourse in Japan.View the full article

In his first meet at Churchill Downs since returning from a broken ankle, jockey Tyler Gaffalione earned his 14th overall riding title at the Louisville, Ky., track.View the full article