Wandering Eyes

Horse racing is staring down the prospects of one of the most highly anticipated rematches in recent history between Sovereignty and Journalism. View the full article

Harvey A. Clarke Racing Stables' Gosger (Nyquist), who opened a five-length lead in the May 17 GI Preakness Stakes into the final furlong before being run down in the final strides by Journalism (Curlin), will reportedly not contest the final leg of this year's Triple Crown, the GI Belmont Stakes at Saratoga June 7. Daily Racing Form was first to report the news. Trained by Brendan Walsh, the homebred colt earned his way into Preakness consideration off his two-length success in the GIII Stonestreet Lexington Stakes Apr. 12 and attended a strong early pace at Pimlico before taking over from Clever Again (American Pharoah) in upper stretch. The traffic issues that befell Journalism approaching the eighth pole dictated that Gosger spurted clear with time ticking away, and only a rally for the ages from the GI Kentucky Derby runner-up denied Gosger a 15-1 upset. According to DRF, Gosger could instead be headed to the GI Haskell Invitational Stakes at Monmouth Park on July 19 or the GII Jim Dandy Stakes at Saratoga July 26. Either could be used as a stepping-stone to the GI DraftKings Travers Stakes at the Spa on Aug. 23. “I don't think we're going to go to the Belmont. I think we'll give him a little more time,” Walsh told the Form. “We'll see how the next few weeks go. I think he'll improve.” A half-brother to GI QE II Challenge Cup heroine Harvey's Lil Goil (American Pharoah), Gosger is out of the unraced Gloria S (Tapit), a half-sister to the Clarke-bred dual Classic winner I'll Have Another (Flower Alley). This is also the immediate family of recent GII Churchill Distaff Turf Mile third Movin' On Up (Accelerate). The post Report: Gosger To Skip Belmont In Favor Of Future Targets appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Longtime owner and breeder Deanna Manfredi has been named the new president of the Pennsylvania Horse Breeders Association, the organization announced Wednesday. Most recently secretary of the association, she succeeds Gregory Newell who has held the role since 2019. “I haven't been a very political person, which is why this has been a long time coming,” said Manfredi. “I don't have a political bone in my body. Unfortunately, we find ourselves now where our whole future, our whole program, the sport essentially, has become a political issue. Owner of Ascoli Piceno Farm for the past 20 years, Manfredi has been a member of the PHBA board since 2016. The post PHBA Names Denna Manfredi First Woman President appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The star attraction last Saturday at Pimlico was no doubt GI Preakness S. winner Journalism (Curlin). It's hard to top the winner of a Triple Crown race. But there was another 3-year-old colt on the card who turned in a huge race and will surely be heard from again. Owned by Bobby Flay and James Ventura, Crudo was an impressive winner of the Sir Barton S., a restricted race for 3-year-olds. He won by 7 1/2 lengths. A start in the GI Belmont S. is a possibility for this exciting son of Justify, who was purchased for $350,000 as a weanling at the Keeneland November Sale. Crudo is an Italian cooking term that means raw. So that we could learn more about Crudo, we called upon Flay to join us this week for the TDN Writers' Room Podcast presented by Keeneland. He was the Gainesway Guest of the Week. So far as running in the Belmont, Flay said that decision would be made by trainer Todd Pletcher. “I don't make those choices,” Flay said. “One of the things I learned a long time ago is I let the people who really know what they're doing make those decisions. So, that means in Todd Pletcher we trust. I've heard some rumblings about going to the Belmont. Personally, I think it might be a little early for that horse, but, then again, he showed some talent. That's for sure. So, you have to start thinking about things like that, but it's a long summer and there's so many great races during the summer. When we get excited about something that might be, let's call it 'better than the usual,' you can't wait to see it happen again. I think sometimes you make decisions with horses like that too quickly. But if Todd calls me up and says, 'I want to run in the Belmont Stakes,' that's where the horse is going.” Crudo is somewhat an oddity, a colt for an owner who has specialized in fillies. “In this case, I'm not really sure why I bought a colt, but I decided I was going to and that I would pinhook a few horses,” Flay said. “That's what happens when you go to these sales…like all of a sudden you start getting creative. There is a lot of time in between waiting for your horses to come through the ring. So a couple of bourbons later, I thought 'let's pinhook some horses.' Sire power is very important to me. Justify had just started showing that he was going to have talent outside of his racing record as a sire. (Bloodstock advisor) Tom (McGreevy) said, 'I love this horse's walk.' So I paid the $350,000. He was the most expensive justify weanling that season that went through the ring. And then Justify became even more successful over the next handful of months as a sire. He was winning in Europe. He was winning in the U.S. “I was like, wow, we're going to ring the bell here. We took them to the Saratoga sale, which is one of my favorite sales, to pinhook him. And nobody looked at him. I mean, honestly. Nobody. Everybody said, he's too short-legged.” Crudo was bought back when bidding stalled out at $520,000. He didn't look like or run like a short-legged horse in the Sir Barton. “This horse just seems to get better as the furlongs click off,” Flay said. “I think we saw a little bit of that the other day. They were not going slow. It was :23, :46 and they were on his back. And when he turned for home, he just kicked away. And if you watch the gallop out, you'll see that he galloped out 20 lengths ahead of everyone else. It was crazy. He showed that he has some talent. It was really nice to watch.” Flay also weighed in on the spacing of the Triple Crown races, which became an even hotter issue after it was announced the GI Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty (Into Mischief) would not be running in the Preakness. Flay is among those who feels that there's needs to be more time between the races. “I love the traditions of this sport,” Flay said. “It's one of the things I love about it. And that's why when you see me at a racetrack, I am dressed up because I feel like the sport and the horses and all the people around it deserve that respect. I like the traditions of horse racing and think it goes beyond how fast the horse can run and did you cash a bet. I just love the whole sort of pageantry of it all, but in this case, I would like to defect from tradition and run the races on the first Saturday in May, the first Saturday in June and the first Saturday in July. My feeling is really that nothing else matters as much as the Triple Crown. It's not even close. It's 50 lengths back to the most important race after that. We need to take care of the Triple Crown if we want people to pay attention to the sport beyond the people that actually already pay attention to the sport. That's always been my goal. I want people to get tied onto the Triple Crown for as long as possible. instead of it being a five-week thing, why not make it something that goes on well into the summer. And if they have to push back some races at Saratoga, so be it.” In our “Fastest Horse of the Week” segment, which is sponsored by WinStar, we went over the many reasons there are breed to WinStar stallion Two Phil's. There were three “fastest horses of the week,” all of them earning a 100 Beyer Speed Figure. They were GIII Pimlico Special winner Awesome Aaron (Practical Joke), Booth (Mitole), the winner of the GIII Maryland Sprint S., and Utah Beach (English Channel), the winner of the GIII Louisville S. Elsewhere on the podcast, which is also sponsored by the KTOB, the Pennsylvania Horse Breeders' Association, West Point Thoroughbreds, 1/ST Racing and 1/ST TV, the team of Randy Moss, Zoe Cadman and Bill Finley talked about who was at fault–Umberto Rispoli or Flavien Prat–when there was so much bumping in the stretch run of the Preakness. Cadman, a former jockey, said she thought Rispoli was to blame. There was also a discussion of Junior Alvarado's appeal for excessive use of the whip in the Kentucky Derby. Moss said that thanks to his connections at NBC, was able to watch a super slow motion replay from a camera that followed Sovereignty all around the track. He said he thought Alvarado actually hit the horse nine times. The team also remembered trainer Larry Demeritte, who passed away earlier this week at age 75. Click here for the audio-only version. The post Bobby Flay Joins TDN Writers’ Room Podcast, Presented By Keeneland appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Entries for the first three days of Canterbury Park's 51-day season were robust. A total of 186 horses were entered across 22 races for average entries of 8.45 per race.View the full article

The 4-year-old filly Poetisa topped the first day of the Goffs Spring HIT/PTP Sale at Doncaster when selling to Harold Kirk and Willie Mullins for £300,000. She was one of seven lots to break the six-figure mark. Sold as lot 308, the daughter of Poet's Word and the Old Vic mare Chars was consigned by Toby Bulgin. She is a half-sister to Flemensfirth's G2 Abram Mares' Novices' Hurdle heroine Queenofhearts. Under the second dam is Grade 1-winning hurdler Macs Joy (Religiously). Purchased for £42,000 by Bulgin out of the Goffs Doncaster Spring Store Sale in 2024, the filly won a Cheltenham bumper last month. “Toby saw her here last year and liked her and bought her,” said the Lambourn-based Nicola Bulgin, whose silks were carried by Poetisa for her win. “She did everything right and had a great temperament, she was lovely to do at home. It was always the plan to race her in a bumper and then hopefully resell her. We were happy to wait with her, as she was a bit of a baby and took a while to come to hand, and it looked like she wanted better ground, so the timing of the race at Cheltenham worked in her favour.” Nicky Henderson was the underbidder on the top lot, alongside Jerry McGrath. Of the 188 horses offered on day one, 156 (83%) sold for a gross of £5,308,500 (-22%). The average was up 11% to £34,029 and the median rose 30% to £26,000. The sale continues tomorrow at 10 a.m. The post Poetisa Tops The First Day Of The Goffs Spring HIT/PTP Sale At £300k appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Taken off the Triple Crown trail with an ankle chip, sensational GII Fasig-Tipton Risen Star S. upsetter Magnitude (Not This Time) has begun to gear up for a return to action this summer. The Winchell Thoroughbreds colorbearer was a 9 3/4-length, front-running winner of the Risen Star at odds of 43-1 Feb. 15, good for a co-division leading 108 Beyer Speed Figure. He was credited with a four-furlong workout for Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen in :53.40 (54/54) at Churchill Downs May 15, his first breeze since having an ankle chip removed by Dr. Larry Bramlage four days after his Risen Star victory. “He looks great. He's been coming back great,” the Winchell family's longtime advisor and racing manager David Fiske said. “He's coming right along and pointed for a mid-to-late summer campaign.” Fiske continued, “So far, everything's gone according to schedule and pretty perfect since the surgery. I think it was a calendar issue, he couldn't get back in time for any of the big 3-year-old races the first part of the year. So, he'll try to get cranked up for the ones the second part of the year.” “He's coming right along and pointed for a mid-to-late summer campaign.” Off the Triple Crown trail with an ankle chip, sensational GII Risen Star winner Magnitude (Not This Time) has returned to training. (Video courtesy Winchell advisor David Fiske). pic.twitter.com/lnL9erSmRA — Steve Sherack (@SteveSherackTDN) May 21, 2025 Magnitude got his picture taken twice last year and capped his five-race, 2-year-old campaign with a well-beaten second-place finish behind Built (Hard Spun) in the Gun Runner S. Dec. 21. He finished sixth–beaten 2 3/4 lengths–in the slop in the GIII Lecomte S. Jan. 18 before his breakout performance in the Risen Star. “He continues to generate excitement,” Fiske said. “I was pretty excited after he won the Risen Star. Not only because he was our horse. Just the way he did it, and the figures that came back on it–he was just exciting at that time of the year. Fingers crossed, he's been doing everything great.” One of 23 graded winners for leading young sire Not This Time, Magnitude was produced by the Bernardini mare Rockadelic, a daughter of MGISW and GI Kentucky Oaks runner-up Octave (Unbridled's Song). The $310,000 KEENOV weanling turned $450,000 KEESEP yearling was bred in Kentucky by Ron Stolich. The post Off Triple Crown Trail With Ankle Chip, Magnitude Aiming for Summer Return appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

After running second in the Steve Sexton Mile Stakes (G3) the past two years, Louisiana-bred standout Touchuponastar aims to make the third time a charm in the $400,000 race at Lone Star Park May 26.View the full article

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-bred horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Thursday's Observations features the second highest priced juvenile from the Tattersalls Craven Breeze-Up Sale earlier this spring. 3.55 Yarmouth, Novice, £40,000, 2yo, 6f 3yT SILENT APPLAUSE (IRE) (Acclamation {GB}) was the second-highest-priced lot at last month's Tattersalls Craven Breeze Up Sale when falling to Godolphin at 1.4million gns. Charlie Appleby introduces him in a race he won 12 months ago, with Wathnan Racing's fellow newcomer Postmodern (Ire) (Too Darn Hot {GB}) in opposition as a Hamad Al Jehani-trained half-brother to Muhaarar's GII Pegasus World Cup Filly and Mare Turf Invitational Stakes winner Be Your Best. 14.47 Haydock, Novice, £11,000, 2yo, 6fT MAXIMIZED (GB) (Mehmas {Ire}) was another big deal at last month's Breeze-Ups, selling to Godolphin for £720,000 as the second-highest-priced juvenile at the Goffs UK auction. A half-brother to the Listed scorer and Group 3-placed Benefit and grandson of the G1 Cheveley Park Stakes heroine Hooray, he is passed over by William Buick for Charlie Appleby's other newcomer, the homebred Time To Turn (GB) (Dark Angel {Ire}) who hails from the family of Ivawood. The post Debut For Godolphin’s Craven Breeze-Up Sensation Silent Applause appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Ted Durcan has quickly established himself as one of the most respected bloodstock agents on the beat since retiring from race-riding with over 1,500 winners under his belt at the age of 45 in 2018. In a career that spanned 25 years, Durcan achieved Classic success aboard Light Shift in the Oaks in 2007 before partnering Mastery to St Leger glory in 2007. He also enjoyed hugely successful periods abroad and was crowned champion jockey in the UAE on seven occasions. In many ways, bloodstock has proved to be a natural progression for Durcan, who has already enjoyed notable success with high-class graduates like Bracken's Laugh and Cheltenham Festival scorer Wodhooh flying the flag for the 52-year-old. From his best days in the industry to avoiding pitfalls that are part and parcel with life as a bloodstock agent, Durcan proves to be a fascinating interviewee. Brian: I spent a good bit of time looking back through the videos of some of your biggest wins in the saddle recently. I'd wager few meant as much to you as Light Shift winning the Oaks given that it propelled Sir Henry Cecil back into the limelight after a period in the doldrums. Did you even get a chance to appreciate a success of that magnitude at the time? Ted: I did because I saw the lull that he was going through in the years building up to the Oaks. His health wasn't great either and there were a few other issues going on at the time. His numbers had really dwindled – like properly plummeted – and he only had a handful of winners that season. Henry was such a popular person and, when he was struggling, Juddmonte and the Niarchos family stayed behind him 100 per cent. That's what rescued him. So when Light Shift came along, it was obviously massive for me, but it was all about Henry on the day. To be owned by one of the two powerhouses who backed him when he really needed it most, that made it extra special. The magnitude of what had happened was probably lost on me at the time but I definitely see it now. It was an unbelievable afternoon. That chapter of your life has closed and you are now known as Ted Durcan the bloodstock agent rather than Ted Durcan the ex-jockey. Yes, 100 per cent. And it's been going well but everyone knows how hard this game is and you are reliant on a little bit of luck along the way. Another massive part of my job, that few people talk about, is that you need the horse to end up with the right trainer. That's a massive thing. Good trainers can make you look very clever and I am fortunate to work for a lot of talented operators. It's hard work but I love it. Every jockey has their shelf life and I knew mine was up so I was happy to stop at 45 even though it wasn't an easy decision to make. The last thing I wanted to do was to overstay my welcome. I had seen it down through the years, riders staying on a little longer than they ought to have, and I was determined not to let that happen to me. I also understand why they did it because in many ways, being a jockey is all you know, and the uncertainty of what's ahead can be daunting. I was never the most natural rider. I knew I had my limitations. So when it started to slow down, I didn't want to overstay my welcome, which is why I branched out into bloodstock. I think you're being a bit harsh on yourself. No, I'm not. I genuinely mean that. I think I was very lucky. There were a lot of riders who were far more natural than I was but they didn't enjoy the same luck as I did. I think being in the right place at the right moment probably helped me. I mean, I rode for some amazing people during my time as a jockey. That wasn't a masterplan on my behalf. It's just how my career evolved. I learned my craft in a very hard school but an unbelievable school in Jim Bolger's. One thing that remains with me about my time spent with Jim is that he gave everyone a chance. No matter how ordinary you were, he gave you a chance. Now, you'd have to earn it. But he was fair. If you worked, he gave you a shot at it. I will always remember that and I will always be grateful for it. There were lads there in Jim's when I was there – [Paul] Carberry, [Tony] McCoy, Seamie [Heffernan], Willie [Supple], Christy [Roche] – and they were in a different league to me. But Jim gave everyone an opportunity. When you are talking about luck, you could say you are lucky to have found something that you have slipped into so seamlessly since you retired from the saddle. A lot of people struggle to replace that buzz. It's the regime that you miss. Your life is mapped out for you – get up at 5am, ride out, get on the road to the races, etc, etc. When you stop, what do you do? You can only mow the lawn once a week. So you have to replace it with something. I had a very brief flirtation with the idea of going training when I smashed one of my ankles a couple of years before I actually retired. I had a bit of time off to think so I mulled it over and actually sat all of the training modules just to have them. That's one of the reasons I went to Sir Michael Stoute, because I was half thinking of training. I wanted to see how an operation like his worked from the inside out and he was unbelievable to me. He was extremely open and I could basically see as much as I wanted to. But I realised after about a year that training was not for me. Why? Because there are so many elements to training that wouldn't suit me. Media, for example, is something I find very hard. High maintenance are the wrong words to use, but I think owners demand an awful lot more from trainers now, so to be successful as a trainer you need to be fairly hands-on in dealing with owners. The man-management of staff, the amount of rules and regulations a trainer has to comply with now and so many other things made me realise it has become harder and harder for trainers to make a go of it and I don't envy anyone in that profession. I think owners are more involved than they ever were and they have higher expectations as well. An email once a month is not going to suffice. They want to be in the loop, and when they are putting up the money, they have every right to. Half the fun in owning the horses is the journey. The race day is great but the lead-up to that race and the journey is what owners want to be a part of. I know I would have struggled with that side of things. There are a few areas that I knew I would have struggled with so I said, 'hang on, I'm not heading down that avenue,' and I'm glad I didn't. Durcan [left]: riding work for Sir Michael Stoute with Ryan Moore | Emma Berry But then you've gone into bloodstock which, to my understanding, is another job where you need to put yourself out there in order to get clients. That is one area I lack in. It does not come naturally to me to pick up the phone and sell a horse. I'll hold my hands up there. I would admire the people who are able to get out there and get things done. Some might call it neck but I don't even mean it like. I'm probably not forceful enough. I know some agents find it easier than others but I don't go around giving it the hard sell. From speaking to a few people about what you bring to the table as a bloodstock agent, a lot of people describe you as being an excellent judge, bordering on fussy. I'd view that as a positive if I was an owner as I'd feel my money would be going further if I gave you an order. Fussy? Really? I don't know about that but I walk out from a lot of sales empty-handed. I'd much rather that than buy something half-heartedly. That's a horrible feeling. If you walk out of the sale with something you weren't completely sold on, nobody likes that. Buying a horse for the sake of filling an order is not for me. I'd actually hate to do it. So there must be a lot of loss-making trips as a bloodstock agent? It's not as rosy as people think. There are plenty of people who take the piss and think nothing of it but that's part and parcel of the job. You just have to learn from it and know who they are and not do business with them in the future. I think every agent will find that a lot of people come to you with what you perceive to be good intentions but they are actually just tyre-kickers and they are really just trying to get some information out of you. They don't think twice about wasting your time. It's probably a job where you could become a very busy fool quite easily? And that can be infuriating. People have the neck to think it's okay to waste your time. Don't get me wrong, there are some brilliant people in this game, but having your time wasted is part and parcel of this business unfortunately. What horse has provided you with your biggest kick as a bloodstock agent? Take Wodhooh for example, I bought her for 50,000gns out of Sir Michael Stoute's at the July Sale in 2023 and she went to Gordon Elliott. She won at the Cheltenham Festival this year and pushed Lossiemouth close in a Grade 1 at Aintree. I have got some kick out of her more so than any other horse purely because she just kept on exceeding expectations and is owned by the best people in the world. They gave me an order to go and find a horse to win a race or two. Never in our wildest dreams did we think we'd end up at the major spring festivals but Gordon did a brilliant job and she kept on rising to the challenge. That was a wonderful journey and hopefully she will provide us all with a lot of fun next year as well. I absolutely love this job and I love keeping busy. I'm a fair weather rider as well – I still ride out and I do a bit with William Haggas now. It keeps you fit and it's great to be associated with such a slick operation. So I enjoy that as well. I have always had an invested interest in riding work and working out what a horse wanted. I love it. But the aim is to buy horses that fulfill what the owners want and to grow the bloodstock business. Whether that aim is winning a little handicap somewhere or a horse like Wodhooh winning at the Cheltenham Festival, you want to meet owners' and trainers' expectations. Letsbefrank was another good example of a horse doing a job for connections. He cost 35,000gns but went and won a hundred-grand Sunday Series bonus for Jim Goldie and his owners. That was another brilliant result for people who are involved in racing for all of the right reasons and I got a huge kick out of that horse as well. Yes, of course you want to up the ante and buy a better calibre of horse all of the time, but it's very hard to get up and rolling. The aim is to continue the business model, keep delivering and then hopefully be in a position to buy nicer horses year after year. And what is it that you look for in a horse? It's all of the obvious things but one thing that I have learned is that attitude is a massive thing. If a horse finds the whole sales process hard, what is going to happen that horse on the day of a race or even in the build-up to a race when the work starts to get hard and the screws are being tightened? If they are not able for the sales process, they won't come through and deliver on the track. Attitude is a massive part of it for me. A horse with a good attitude will get over niggles and little flaws that they might have but, if they haven't got the right attitude, they will roll over easily enough. A horse with the right attitude is a huge help. You've worked with some legendary trainers. What sets them apart? Is there a common theme? Attention to detail, for sure. And the ability to place horses is another key to their respective successes. William, for example, would rarely place his horses in the wrong spot. He knows what he has. And what about Sir Michael Stoute? He was a marvellous man to be around. Such a horseman. Brilliant with the horses and brilliant with staff. Patience. Nobody would rush Sir Michael into anything if he didn't want to do it himself. Crystal Ocean, Poet's Word and even winning the Derby with Desert Crown just a couple of years before he retired. They were brilliant training feats and he is just an amazing man. In the modern world that we live in, where people want instant results – or even instant action – it makes it hard for another Sir Michael Stoute to come through the ranks. Take Ulysses for example, to get him to achieve what he did as a four-year-old – that was an amazing achievement and I don't think many other trainers would have been able to do the same. He was a very handsome horse but he would be coming off the Heath in Newmarket hollering and roaring. There was never any malice to him but Sir Michael took his time with him and then he started winning Coral-Eclipses and Juddmonte Internationals as a four-year-old. Different class. Poet's Word was another. He won a handicap off 88 before he went on to win Group 1s as a five-year-old. Expert Eye was another. I rode Expert Eye in his second-last piece of work before he won the Breeders' Cup Turf Mile. He went through the motions and nobody bar Michael would have thought he could go and win at the Breeders' Cup. The rest is history. Sir Michael has an unbelievable ability of getting the best out of horses. For all of the success you have enjoyed in buying winners on the track, I'd venture that sourcing La Rosetta for just 40,000gns on behalf of Frances Crowley would rank pretty highly given the Blue Point colt out of the mare sold for €250,000 at Goffs in 2023. That was special because my wife [Sue] and I have been long-time friends with Pat [Smullen] and Frances. We used to do the Middle Eastern tour back in the day and we had a lot of fun together. That was a special moment given our association together and we've had a few other mares together. La Rosetta has been a lovely mare. Frances has a Lope De Vega out of the mare this year and I gather she's visited Starman recently so that will be exciting. The post Ted Durcan: ‘I Love Being A Bloodstock Agent, But It’s Not As Rosy As People Think’ appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

France Galop's administrative council has agreed to a plan to cut prize money by €20 million (approximately US$22.68 million) per year in an effort to bring the sport back to a balanced budget by 2029. Group 1s on the flat will be exempt.View the full article

Zarigana remains the winner of the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches (French One Thousand Guineas, G1) after the appeal lodged by connections of Shes Perfect was unsuccessful.View the full article

Both making their 4-year-old debuts, Brightwork and Two Sharp will have a rematch of last year's Prioress Stakes (G3) in the $250,000 Winning Colors Stakes (G3) at Churchill Downs May 26.View the full article

1st-CD, $141K, OC100k/C, 3yo/up, 1m, 5:00 p.m. ET. DRAGOON GUARD (Arrogate) turned in a strong 2024 campaign as the gray broke his maiden second out by 3 3/4 lengths at Keeneland in April then cleared an optional claimer at Churchill Downs in early June. The colt captured both the GIII Indiana Derby in July and the GIII West Virginia Derby in August before running third to Seize the Grey (Arrogate) in the GI Pennsylvania Derby at Parx to close out his season in September. Back on the work tab at Fair Grounds in mid-March, the Brad Cox trainee is a fourth generation homebred for Juddmonte and is out of MGISP Filimbi (Mizzen Mast). Dragoon Guard's extended female family includes GI Central bank Ashland Stakes heroine Weep No More (Mineshaft) and GIII Dixiana Bourbon Stakes victor Current (Curlin). TJCIS PPS Dragoon Guard steps up to win the G3 Indiana Derby under @flothejock for trainer @bradcoxracing and owner @JuddmonteFarms! #TwinSpiresReplay pic.twitter.com/HsXrRTO1iO — TwinSpires Racing (@TwinSpires) July 6, 2024 The post Thursday Insights: Out Of Winter Quarters Dragoon Guard To Begin Campaign At Churchill appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

France Galop's administrative council has agreed to a plan to cut prize-money by €20 million (approximately $22.68 million) per year in an effort to bring the sport back to a balanced budget by 2029. Group 1s on the flat will be exempt.View the full article

The catalogue for the inaugural Goffs Classic Breeze-Up Sale, which features progeny of stallions like Sea The Stars, Night Of Thunder, Havana Grey and more, has been released. A select offering of 62 juveniles will go under the hammer at Kildare Paddocks on Saturday June 28 during Ireland's premier Classic weekend, the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby. The breeze itself is set to take place at Naas racecourse on Monday June 23. Speaking about the release of the catalogue, Goffs chief Henry Beeby said, “Goffs Classic Breeze-Up was positioned from the outset as a premium sale for quality, later maturing two-year-olds and we are proud to present a catalogue that we believe fulfils this ambition with a sire profile that would be the envy of any Breeze-Up Sale in Europe. “We are immensely grateful to the vendors who have supported the inaugural sale with horses that will attract both domestic and international buyers in town for Ireland's biggest Classic weekend.” He added, “Our thanks must also go to Aidan McGarry and the team at Naas Racecourse as we co-host the first Classic breeze. Renowned as the nursery of Champions, their superb track is arguably the best surface in the country on which to gallop young horses.” The catalogue also boasts progeny of many notable sires including Acclamation, Dark Angel, Hello Youmzain, Mehmas, New Bay, No Nay Never, Sioux Nation, Starman, Starspangledbanner, Teofilo, Too Darn Hot, Wootton Bassett and Zarak.” The post ‘A Premium Sale For Quality’ – Goffs Release Classic Breeze-Up Sale Catalogue appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

After finishing second in the May 2 Kentucky Oaks (G1), Drexel Hill developed a bone chip and will miss the big summer targets for 3-year-old fillies at Saratoga Race Course.View the full article

Lean Master and Thriving Brothers both salute on a great night for the trainer.View the full article

Every week, the TDN posts a roundup of the relevant Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) related rulings from around the country. The following rulings were reported on HISA's “rulings” portal and through the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit's (HIWU) “pending” and “resolved” cases portals. Resolved ADMC Violations Date: 05/20/2025 Licensee: John Servis, trainer Penalty: Disqualification of Covered Horse's Race results, including forfeiture of all purses and other compensation, prizes, trophies, points, and rankings and repayment or surrender (as applicable); a fine of $500; imposition of 1.5 Penalty Points. Final decision by HIWU. Explainer: Medication violation for the presence of Phenylbutazone–a controlled substance (Class C)–in a sample taken from Strong Like Sara, who finished third in the Rainbow Miss Stakes at Oaklawn Park on 4/6/25. Date: 05/20/2025 Licensee: Aldana Spieth, trainer Penalty: 7-day period of Ineligibility for Covered Person, beginning on May 21, 2025; Disqualification of Covered Horse's Race results, including forfeiture of all purses and other compensation, prizes, trophies, points, and rankings and repayment or surrender (as applicable); a fine of $1,000; imposition of 2 Penalty Points. Admission. Explainer: Medication violation for the presence of Acepromazine–a controlled substance (Class B)–in a sample taken from Breath Deeply, who won at Tampa Bay on 2/1/25. Date: 05/19/2025 Licensee: Ryan Kenney, trainer Penalty: Disqualification of Covered Horse's Race results, including forfeiture of all purses and other compensation, prizes, trophies, points, and rankings and repayment or surrender (as applicable); a fine of $500; imposition of 1.5 Penalty Points. Final decision by HIWU. Explainer: Medication violation for the presence of Methocarbamol–a controlled substance (Class C)–in a sample taken from Spaghetti Tree, who finished second at Turf Paradise on 4/2/25. Date: 05/15/2025 Licensee: Tonja Wilson, trainer Penalty: Disqualification of Covered Horse's Race results, including forfeiture of all purses and other compensation, prizes, trophies, points, and rankings and repayment or surrender (as applicable); a fine of $500; imposition of 1.5 Penalty Points. Admission. Explainer: Medication violation for the presence of Phenylbutazone–a controlled substance (Class C)–in a sample taken from Witsec, who finished second at Will Rogers on 4/14/25. Date: 05/14/2025 Licensee: Stacy Campo, trainer Penalty: 7-day period of Ineligibility for Covered Person, beginning on May 15, 2025; Disqualification of Covered Horse's Race results, including forfeiture of all purses and other compensation, prizes, trophies, points, and rankings and repayment or surrender (as applicable); a fine of $1,000; imposition of 2 Penalty Points. Admission. Explainer: Medication violation for the presence of Lidocaine–a controlled substance (Class B)–in a sample taken from Lucky Burglar, who won at Turf Paradise on 1/21/25. Pending ADMC Violations 05/20/2025, Carl Cunningham, trainer: Pending vets' list medication violation for the presence of Phenylbutazone–a controlled substance (Class C)–in a sample taken from Prince Pierre on 4/22/25. 05/20/2025, Steve Williams, trainer: Pending medication violation for the presence of Phenylbutazone–a controlled substance (Class C)–in a sample taken from Gospel Mark, who finished second at Will Rogers on 4/21/25. 05/20/2025, Glenn Wismer, trainer: Pending medication violation for the presence of Acepromazine–a controlled substance (Class B)–in a sample taken from Ask Arthur, who finished fifth at Keeneland on 4/19/25. 05/19/2025, Emmanuel Tzortzakis, trainer: Pending vets' list medication violation for the presence of Cannabidiol (CBD)–a controlled substance (Class B)–in a sample taken from Whoosh on 3/18/25. 05/16/2025, Gregory Foley, trainer: Pending vets' list medication violation for the presence of Dexamethasone and Phenylbutazone–both controlled substances (Class C)–in a sample taken from Hard to Get on 4/15/25. 05/16/2025, Dr. Donald McCrosky, veterinarian: Pending violation of Rule 3216(a), the “tampering or attempted tampering by a covered person with any part of doping control or medication control,” involving the horse Childersattack for an event dated 10/16/24. Violations of Crop Rule Belterra Park Victor Lara – violation date May 15; $250 fine, one-day suspension Antioco Murgia – violation date May 15; $250 fine, one-day suspension Gulfstream Park Edwin Gonzalez – violation date May 16; $1,000 fine, four-day suspension Parx Racing Andy Hernandez – violation date May 17; $250 fine, one-day suspension The post Weekly Rulings: May 15-May 21 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

It has been two years since the launch of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act's (HISA) anti-doping and medication control program. During that time, one of the struggles federal officials have been open about is getting all the laboratories onto the same page in terms of drug-testing approaches and methodologies, after decades of different state commissions requiring of their contracted laboratories a range of standards. In this regard, U.S. horse racing is years behind its counterparts in human athletics, which seriously grappled with the same issues around the turn of the millennium–and is still wrestling with them today, as advances in doping and drug testing evolve. To get a status update on where things stand with lab harmonization, the TDN recently spoke with Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit (HIWU) chief of science Dr. Mary Scollay, and with Racing Medication and Testing Consortium (RMTC) executive director, Michael Hardy. HEAL Program Earlier this year, HIWU put the new HISA Equine Analytical Laboratory (HEAL) accreditation program into action, with the RMTC still in charge of issuing single and double-blind tests that gauge the labs' performances. “We are paying them to oversee that program because it is incredibly labor intensive,” said Scollay, about the RMTC's ongoing involvement. In a single-blind test, a substance has been added to a sample and the lab is required simply to identify it. The single-blind sample is known to the lab (but not of course the substance). In a double-blind test, a substance has been added to a sample that is included as part of the routine sample flow, and the labs have no idea which of them is the culprit. Single-blinds offer a much easier bar to clear than double-blinds. Prior to the launch of HEAL, a set of 10 single blind samples were sent out by the RMTC biannually. Under HEAL, this has been ramped up in frequency, with at least two single-blind samples distributed every other month. “What it allows us to do is not wait six months to ask a question that we want to be answered by the labs. It allows us to be more responsive and more nimble if we have a question,” said Scollay. Double-blinds are also now sent out roughly every two months, said Scollay. “We had started a double-blind program when I was with the RMTC,” said Scollay, who before joining HIWU was RMTC's executive director and chief operating officer for three years. “But it was early days and there were lots of challenges associated with the double-blind program prior to implementation,” she added. “There are lots of ways a sample can degrade or otherwise change that can affect the concentrations detected by the laboratory, and those changes can occur outside the laboratory's control.” Has HIWU encountered any problems with its labs since the advent of the HEAL program? “We have encountered some matters that after investigation were rapidly resolved, and not evidence of any kind of fatal flaw in the laboratory,” said Scollay. Chicago Lab Last September, the RMTC temporarily suspended its accreditation of the University of Illinois Chicago's (UIC) Analytical Forensic Toxicology Laboratory. When asked later that month what precipitated the suspension, Scollay explained it was for “multiple violations of their code of standards,” and that “there were several external quality assurance samples that were failed.” The specifics of the problems at the lab remain fuzzy. After the initial interim suspension was extended, the RMTC's Horseracing Testing Laboratory Committee (HTLC) met at the end of January and ultimately decided to revoke the lab's accreditation altogether, said Hardy. The revocation, said Hardy, was due in large part to the lab's “repeated failure to take appropriate corrective action given due time by the HTLC to do so, and inability to demonstrate their compliance with the RMTC's code of standards to ensure quality of test results.” Prior to the advent of HISA's ADMC program, the lab processed samples for Illinois and Oregon, said Hardy. Under HISA, the lab did A sample testing for Illinois, and B sample confirmation testing for other states as directed by HIWU. Scollay said she doesn't believe the accreditation issues that have bedeviled the Chicago lab will impact any positive cases processed through the facility. “When we became aware [of the problems at the Chicago lab], we obviously reviewed all the findings that were reported by that laboratory and determined there were no deficiencies in the science that they performed for us,” said Scollay. “The cases we put forward had solid data and we didn't feel the need to withdraw any of them.” Kentucky Lab The RMTC initially suspended its accreditation of the University of Kentucky Equine Analytical Chemistry Laboratory (UK-EACL) following news that the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit (HIWU) had stopped sending samples to the lab due to “concerns with the performance” of the facility. A September report jointly-issued by HIWU and HISA cited multiple failures on the part of the lab and the lab director, Scott Stanley, including “intentional misrepresentations” of positive tests as negative, “persistent delays” and “unprofessional behavior.” Stanley strongly refutes the findings of the report. In an October statement issued by his attorney, Stanley said the report's claims are made without evidence. “The report offers no concrete documentation–no email records, timelines, or verified communications–leaving the allegations vague and unsupported. Nevertheless, the press has accepted these accusations without scrutiny or fact-checking, painting an incomplete and misleading picture,” the attorney wrote. Under a major restructuring since, the Kentucky lab is no longer affiliated with the university. It's now under the ownership of Eagle Diagnostics with a newly branded title: the Equine Integrity and Anti-Doping Sciences (EQIAS) Lab. According to Scollay, the EQIAS lab, under the directorship of Travis Mays–formerly with Texas A&M University–has submitted application for HEAL accreditation. “The materials that they submitted are under overview by our lab experts group. They have started that work but it's a tremendous volume of materials that they're reviewing,” said Scollay, who added that “realistically,” the new EQIAS lab could receive probationary HEAL accreditation within sixty to ninety days. Pennsylvania After an unusually high number of total carbon dioxide (TCO2) cases emerged out of the Pennsylvania Equine Toxicology and Research Laboratory (PETRL), the facility was required to upgrade its TCO2 testing equipment, bringing it up to par with the other labs. Several TCO2 positives processed by the lab were dropped. More recently, an internal adjudication panel dismissed a Flunixin positive against trainer Christophe Clement that had been processed by the Pennsylvania lab. The panel agreed “by a balance of probability” with the trainer's legal team, which had identified “sufficient possible problems and deficiencies in the testing that cast some doubt about the scientific reliability of the testing that resulted in the [adverse analytical finding].” When asked if this recent decision was indicative of ongoing problems with the Pennsylvania lab, Scollay contended that the panel had sided with an expert brought forward by the defense team who lacked expertise in horse racing drug testing. “They applied a set of standards based on their area expertise which is irrelevant to what our labs are required to do by [International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation] G7 standards,” said Scollay. “We believe the actual facts contravene the conclusion of the hearing officer.” When asked if HIWU might be in trouble if other defense teams take the same legal approach, Scollay said that was a question for their legal team. Sarah Andrew Metformin Last June, HISA announced that it was deferring all interim suspensions involving the common diabetes treatment metformin until the RMTC's Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC) had conducted a review of the available science relating to the drug. This review, which includes multiple administration studies, remains ongoing, said Hardy. “Once all that information is put together and reviewed by the SAC, that information and any recommendation that comes out of the review will be presented to HISA,” said Hardy. Why has the review taken so long (it was initially earmarked for conclusion by the end of last year)? “Science,” said Hardy, who said that studies of this kind often throw up new questions that need answering. “Frankly, when you undertake a review like this, there are a lot more questions than answers, right?” he said. “The best way to come up with the answers is to do more research and study, which in our case, we had the opportunity and the funding to pursue administration studies which provides the most accurate information to make any kind of recommendation.” General Lab Harmonization In the early months of the ADMC program, metformin was one of the substances that HIWU officials had to develop testing specifications for. It joined more than 300 core analytes for which HIWU had such uniform testing standards. Some 18 months later, Scollay said that list of core analytes is largely the same. “What we do have are different laboratories doing population surveillance for analytics that aren't on that list but potentially of interest,” she said. “We've got the canary in the coal mine looking for things. And if they show up or there starts to be evidence for them, then yes, there will be a meeting, we'll talk about methodology, we'll say 'this is being added to the list of core analytics, we want you testing in both matrices or we want to be able to test for this in hair,'” said Scollay. In terms of lab variability, the equation is a simple one: the fewer the facilities, the less chance for differences. If Kentucky's EQIAS lab returns to the fold, then HIWU will be back up to using five facilities. Is this a manageable number? “An ideal is probably three laboratories, simply because if you get down to too few, the tail starts wagging the dog,” said Scollay. “But I'm not going to say five is suboptimal. Five can be hugely successful, and that is largely dependent upon collaboration, cooperation, communication and willingness to be part of the team.” The post Lab Harmonization Two Years Into HIWU appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

It is a prerogative of journalism–on the basis that most people won't read what you write, and that those that do will remember only what you get wrong–that you're allowed to repeat yourself. But fear not, I won't be returning to last week's soapbox other than to offer a vote of thanks to Mike McCarthy and his patrons for their willingness to explore whether a modern Thoroughbred is actually more resilient than the timid horsemen of our time generally allow us to see. It would be nice if they could see it through and run Journalism (Curlin) in the GI Belmont Stakes, even if its abbreviation–temporary, one trusts!–does not make quite the same demands as usual. As it is, that brawl for the GI Preakness could not have showcased more dramatically the toughness of a horse who had so recently soaked up a demanding race at Churchill. This business is all about weighing risk and reward, and Journalism emphatically seized the chance he was granted to advertise precisely those genetic wares the Triple Crown series is intended to examine. Whatever he can do from here, he has hugely amplified his appeal as a stallion prospect–just as his own sire did, in himself winning the Preakness after finishing second in the GI Kentucky Derby. (Lest we forget, Curlin went on to run third in the GI Belmont Stakes and was so irreparably shattered by this inhumane, irresponsible treatment that he completed Horse of the Year campaigns at both three and four….) The future Coolmore sire, moreover, has vindicated another big gamble: the $825,000 one taken by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners (and partners Bridlewood) at the 2023 Saratoga Select Sale. That assures us that Journalism has the physique and pedigree to underpin performance when going on to a stud career. He will, of course, be entering strong competition among sons of Curlin, not least with a couple of lately offering outlier speed in Elite Power and Cody's Wish. Journalism is Curlin's only stakes winner out of an Uncle Mo mare, which shows the perils of reducing the mysteries of breeding to any kind of formula. True, the Seattle Slew line does tend to recur with notable frequency behind Curlin's better runners. But then the likes of A.P. Indy, his son Bernardini and grandson Tapit have proved exceptional distaff influences, wherever they hang their hat. Anyhow, for the little it may be worth, Journalism's granddam is a daughter of Bernardini: Peppy Rafaela, a half-sister to triple graded stakes scorer Songster (Songandaprayer). Having shown very little in three starts, she quickly contributed to Bernardini's reputation as a broodmare sire. Peppy Rafaela was carrying a first foal by Uncle Mo when purchased by Frank Batten for $100,000 at the Keeneland January Sale of 2014, and the resulting filly cleared that investment as a $135,000 weanling in the same ring that November. After going through two pinhook cycles, the filly was named Mopotism and proved herself as hardy as she was classy: topping $875,000 across 26 starts, she won the GII La Canada Stakes and placed four times at the Grade I level. That earned her a place in Don Alberto's broodmare band for $1.05 million at the 2019 Fasig-Tipton November Sale. Much of that investment was recovered by Journalism himself, as Mopotism's first yearling. And even though he remained unraced by the time his Tapit half-brother followed him to Saratoga last summer, Flying Dutchmen had to go as high as $1.5 million. Safe to say, then, that Mopotism is throwing knockout models. Presumably her daughter by Into Mischief is presenting a delicious dilemma as the yearling sales approach. As so often, the rising tide of Journalism is floating many other boats. Mopotism's 3-year-old full-sister Ruth, if seemingly not progressing on the track, ensures that Batten still has skin in the game. (Remember that he already banked $775,000 for a brother to Mopotism, the year after her retirement.) And Peppy Rafaela's daughter by Curlin, tailed off on her only start, was bought by Narvick International for $250,000 at the 2020 Keeneland November Sale, with a maiden cover by Arrogate. The resulting filly is breezing for Steve Asmussen at Louisiana Downs. Gosger | Coady Media Glorious Genes Behind Gosger The lamented Uncle Mo's legacy was doubly measured in the Preakness, one of his daughters producing the winner and a son siring runner-up Gosger (Nyquist). In progressing smartly towards the elite of the crop, this colt is confirming his unraced dam Gloria S. (Tapit) as something special: she has already given us GI Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup winner Harvey's Lil Goil (American Pharoah). Gloria S. is a half-sister to I'll Have Another (Flower Alley), himself a Preakness winner when following up his Derby win in 2012. I'll Have Another having brought just $11,000 as a yearling, that November his breeder, the late Harvey Clarke, tried to cash out his 10-year-old dam Arch's Gal Edith (Arch)–winner of her sole start, in a sprint maiden–at Fasig-Tipton. Whatever disappointment Clarke may have been felt when she failed to reach her reserve, at $950,000, his family can now celebrate his memory, and legacy, with a homebred stallion in the making. In grieving Clarke's loss, in 2019, they resolved to continue the stable in a streamlined form. One of the highlights of his Turf career had been to race Cairo Prince in partnership, and he had duly sent Gloria S. to be covered by that horse at stud. The resulting filly won on debut and has meanwhile become a black-type producer, her daughter Movin' On Up (Accelerate) having broken the track record when winning a turf stakes at Gulfstream this spring. Admittedly Movin' On Up had been claimed when breaking her maiden; while Golden Award (Medaglia d'Oro), a half-sister to I'll Have Another and Gloria S., had already been acquired by Summer Wind after she won a maiden and allowance in his silks (went on to win a couple of graded stakes). But the Clarke family is still seeing plenty of action. They have a juvenile filly out of Harvey's Lil Goil by Street Sense, for instance, while the raw Gosger is going to keep drawing on the wholesome seeding of his family. Behind those first two dams, by Tapit and Arch, we find a third robust influence in Pleasant Tap. And fifth dam Last Bird (Sea-Bird {Fr}) is also third dam of a mare named Leslie's Lady (Tricky Creek). Last Bird's dam Patelin (Cornish Prince) has combined several other productive lines, notably as fifth dam of that brilliant talent Nadal (Blame), who strikingly combines other flavors noted in Gosger's pedigree: his sire is a son of Arch; his dam is by Tapit's sire Pulpit; and his granddam is by Pleasant Tap's sire Pleasant Colony. Best Of Intentions For Honor I always thought Honor A.P. the most talented of his crop, too good for the Horse of the Year the one time he had an uncompromised shot at him, and his physique encouraged me that he might prove as much in his second career. Honor A.P. | Sarah Andrew Nobody was ever going to get a proper handle on Honor A.P. until he began sending a few sophomores round a second turn, but the terror that infects breeders whenever they see a starting gate confined him to just 39 mares last spring. In this day and age, then, it won't be easy to extend the chance he deserves even at $10,000. But there is hope yet. The Preakness turned into a non-event for Heart of Honor (GB), albeit the way he persevered after his gate issues would have made a conventional Belmont Stakes of real interest. But that disappointment had been eased on the eve of the Classic when Margie's Intention secured their sire a first graded success in the GII Black-Eyed Susan Stakes. This filly's first and third dams were both unraced but the one in between, Dance Hall Days (Seeking Daylight), was a stakes-winning half-sister to GI Prioress winner Cat Moves (Tale of the Cat). That was not enough to earn Dance Hall Days much attention in the record-breaking Edward P. Evans dispersal in 2011, when sold for $80,000. Seven years later she was culled by WinStar for $8,000 and by the time she surfaced in a sale in Arizona, in 2022, she would change hands for just $700. With hindsight, she had been given limited opportunity in her partners. In 2014, however, she did get access to Into Mischief when still only $20,000. The resulting filly is the dam of Margie's Intention, Playful Dancer. She actually raised $190,000 as a yearling and, despite failing to make the track, was still worth $125,000 to Coteau Grove Farms at the 2018 Keeneland November Sale. Margie's Intention, Playful Dancer's third foal, proved a nice pinhook when bought by Becky Thomas as a $57,000 Fasig October yearling, realizing $185,000 from Corbin Blumberg at OBS the following spring. And her excellent winter among Louisiana-breds at the Fair Grounds–maiden and allowance scores, two stakes placings–was not lost on the people who had bred her dam. When Margie's Intention ran last weekend, Baron Stable had a new partner: WinStar Farm. Her sire has actually already had a 10-length maiden winner over 4.5 furlongs from his second crop. So who knows? Maybe even in this feckless commercial age, Honor could yet come back into fashion. The post Breeding Digest: Triple Crown Timidity Now Yesterday’s News appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The initial batch of entries for the Tattersalls Online Breeze-Up Session were revealed on Wednesday. Dundalk will host the breeze at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, May 28, with all lots going under the hammer beginning on June 4 and ending a day later. For the third edition of the session, a total of 21 sires are represented, with lots including a Cotai Glory filly (lot 10), herself a half-sister to the Group 2-placed Big Boots (Society Rock) set to sell; as is an Ardad filly (lot 21) out of listed winner Maremmadiavola (Kheleyf); and a Supremacy filly (lot 12) out of a half-sister to Group 2 winner Silk Sari (Dalakhani). There is also a colt by Mohaather (lot 11) out of a half-sister to GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint winner Belvoir Bay (Equiano); a filly by American Grade I sire Maclean's Music (lot 29); and a Starspangledbanner filly out of a half-sister to G2 Adelaide Cup scorer Muir (Galileo). Past graduates include the €120,000 Irish EBF Auction Race Series Final heroine Fiona MacCoul (Coulsty), who made 27,000gns at this sale last year on the bid of Jack Cantillon. Entries will still be accepted through Friday, May 23. The post Initial Entries Recieved For The Tattersalls Online Breeze-Up Sale appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Racing HQ with Steve Hewlett Kovalica hasn’t won since the Qld Derby, however, he has been racing the elite since. Owner Neville Morgan says the guaranteed speed in the Doomben Cup should see him be competitive. CLICK TO PLAY AUDIO View the full article

Connections of Shes Perfect have been unsuccessful in their appeal to have the result of last week's Poule d'Essai des Pouliches overturned, meaning that Francis Graffard's Zarigana remains the winner. The Charlie Fellowes-trained Shes Perfect passed the post first at ParisLongchamp, a nose ahead of hot favourite Zarigana, but the placings were reversed after the pair came close together over a furlong out, with the French officials deciding the interference was enough to have affected the result. Zarigana's jockey Mickael Barzalona also dropped his whip in the closing stages and then proceeded to slap his mount on the neck as a form of encouragement, raising concerns from Fellowes and Shes Perfect's owners, the Basher Watts Syndicate. However, after hearing the appeal on Tuesday, France Galop confirmed no change to the Classic result on Wednesday. “I didn't really know what to expect, I think it was a really difficult decision to make,” Fellowes said. “You only have to look at the comments on social media, it really was 50-50. Some thought it was incredibly harsh and some thought it was a fair outcome. “That was probably a fair reflection on the incident, the front-on camera looks awful but from the camera behind and overhead it looks as if she's done very little. It was a very, very hard case and I'm sure it wasn't a decision that was taken lightly. “Obviously I'm absolutely gutted, it's a very big deal for my yard. I've got 40 horses in and to win a Classic, a Group One, is huge for us and to have it taken away under these circumstances is difficult.” He added, “In those Group Ones we just don't seem to have much luck, you only have to go back to Prince Of Arran in his third attempt at the Melbourne Cup. It's gutting, but I completely respect the decision and maybe there'll be a rematch at Ascot in June. “If I had a pound for every time someone has messaged me since last Sunday saying 'at least you know you have a good filly on your hands' I would be a very rich man! “It is true, we've got a very talented filly and wherever she runs next she's going to be one of the favourites for a big race. Whether that's the Prix de Diane or the Coronation we haven't decided, but she's a filly to really look forward to for the rest of the season. “It's an amazing story and the ownership group are fantastic. She couldn't have taken the race in France any better, she's fresh and well and raring to go again.” The post Shes Perfect Team Unsuccessful In French Guineas Appeal appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Celestial Colours retired just days after sustaining injury at Conghua.View the full article