Wandering Eyes

Santa Anita Park has canceled live racing Jan. 4 as the final round of strong storms pushes out of Southern California.View the full article

The National Thoroughbred Racing Association, Daily Racing Form, and the National Turf Writers and Broadcasters announced Jan. 4 the finalists for the 2025 Eclipse Awards, recognizing excellence through the past year in Thoroughbred racing.View the full article

Track stars such as Ted Noffey (Into Mischief), Sovereignty (Into Mischief) and Forever Young (Jpn) (Real Steel {Jpn}) are among the finalists for the 2025 Resolute Racing Eclipse Awards, recognizing excellence through the past year in Thoroughbred racing, the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) said via a Sunday press release. Winners in 17 horse and human categories will be announced on FanDuel TV, and other outlets, during the 55th Annual Resolute Racing Eclipse Awards, presented by John Deere, The Jockey Club and the NTRA, on Thursday, Jan. 22 at 7:30 p.m. ET. The evening will culminate with the announcement of the 2025 Horse of the Year. Of the 240 eligible voters represented by the NTRA, consisting of racetrack racing officials and Equibase field personnel, the National Turf Writers & Broadcasters and Daily Racing Form, 221 (92%) took part in the voting. Finalists were determined in each category by voters' top three selections, using a 10-5-1 point basis. Eclipse Award winners are determined solely by first-place votes. The 2025 Eclipse Awards Finalists, with the exception of Horse of the Year, (in alphabetical order) are: 2-Year-Old Male: Brant (Gun Runner), Gstaad (GB) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}), Ted Noffey; 2-Year-Old Filly: Cy Fair (Not This Time), Explora (Blame), Super Corredora (Gun Runner); 3-Year-Old Male: Baeza (McKinzie), Journalism (Curlin), Sovereignty; 3-Year-Old Filly: Good Cheer (Medaglia d'Oro), Nitrogen (Medaglia d'Oro), Shisospicy (Mitole); Older Dirt Male: Forever Young, Nysos (Nyquist), Sierra Leone (Gun Runner); Older Dirt Female: Scylla (Tapit), Splendora (Audible), Thorpedo Anna (Fast Anna); Male Sprinter: Bentornato (Valiant Minister), Book'em Danno (Bucchero), Nysos; Female Sprinter: Kopion (Omaha Beach), Shisospicy, Splendora; Male Turf Horse: Deterministic (Liam's Map), Notable Speech (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), Rebel's Romance (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}); Female Turf Horse: Gezora (Fr) (Almanzor {Fr}), She Feels Pretty (Karakontie {Jpn}), Shisospicy; Steeplechase Horse: Cool Jet (Ire) (Jet Away {GB}), Swore (Broken Vow), Zanahiyr (Ire) (Nathaniel {Ire}); Owner: Godolphin LLC, Klaravich Stables, Inc., Spendthrift Farm LLC; Breeder: Don Alberto Corporation, Godolphin LLC, WinStar Farm, LLC; Trainer: Chad Brown, Brad Cox, Bill Mott; Jockey: Irad Oritz Jr., Flavien Prat, John Velazquez; Apprentice Jockey: Christopher Elliott, Yedsit Hazlewood, Pietro Moran. Finalists for Horse of the Year will be revealed during the live show Jan. 22. In addition to honoring the 17 winners in the horse and human categories, Dan Piazza will receive the Eclipse Award as the 2025 Horseplayer of the Year. Members of the media will be honored for outstanding coverage in six categories. Click here for more information concerning Eclipse-related events. The post Ted Noffey, Sovereignty, Forever Young Among 2025 Eclipse Finalists appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Santa Anita Park has canceled live racing Jan. 4 as the final round of strong storms pushes out of the Southern California area.View the full article

Having recently returned from Australia where he was supporting the England men's cricket team in its ill-fated quest to regain the Ashes, Ben Shoare is now preparing to embark on his first full season at Ace Stud, having been appointed to the role of nominations manager in November last year. The next man in our Hot Seat is a relative latecomer to racing but has quickly developed an obsession with sales catalogues, while his own brief cricketing career saw him take the notable scalp of a former England batsman. How did you become involved in bloodstock in the first place? It was kind of random for me. I was sent home from my final year at uni, just as Covid struck in March 2020. I finished my degree at home and mulled it over a bit, just feeling not sure about what to do. I got rejected from the BHA grad scheme, which I thought was going to be right up my street, and I got rejected from a couple of jobs in racing yards because I had no experience – I'd never touched a horse. I ended up sending a tweet out, basically asking for a job anywhere, and good old David Redvers was straight back to me. I think I sent the tweet out on a Thursday or Friday and I started in Tweenhills on the Monday. That was how it all started and it was David who put me in touch with the team at the Irish National Stud. I was only in Tweenhills for six months and then went over to the INS for the Thoroughbred Breeding Management course. What has been the proudest moment of your career to date? It's hard to pinpoint a particular moment. Everything is always going at a million miles an hour and there's always something to do the next day, rather than dwelling on a bit of success you might have had. I guess I've been involved for just under six years now and I'm very proud of the progress I've made, to be honest. I've just started the new job and I was very proud to be entrusted with that responsibility. When I worked at Tweenhills, I worked out pretty quickly that I wanted to be involved in sales and stallions, so a nominations position was something that I always had my eye on. Since I got the job, I've had a lot of people whom I respect hugely come up and say that they thought it was well deserved. That was pleasing to hear. Shaquille is the only stallion currently standing at Ace Stud. Is he proving an easy sell heading into your first full season in the role? I don't know if there's such a thing as an easy sell when it comes to stallions. Even with the boys at the very top, there are going to be challenges along the way, when you're in too much demand almost. But Shaquille is very popular. His first foals made a huge impression at the sales and anybody who came to see the stallion himself had nothing but good things to say. He's going to be busy again and, having dropped his fee to £10,000 for 2026, off the back of a 60 grand foal average, he has every right to be. It's no surprise that I've had breeders at all levels ringing me up and asking about him. Give us an underrated sire to keep the right side of next year… As an overall package and at the current fees, I'd go with Sioux Nation. He's covered an awful lot of mares now, but a lot of people still don't seem convinced. Personally, I think it's a matter of time until he kicks on. I think 2026 might be the last year for him in the sort of mid-range bracket in terms of fee. I'm a big believer in him. He had the French Guineas horse [Shes Perfect] in 2025 and I think he'll cement himself with one or two more of them. Of the stallions who are going to have their first runners in 2026, I'm absolutely buzzing to see the Golden Pals. He was a favourite of mine, an absolute speedball, so I'm looking forward to seeing them. What was your defining memory of 2025? There is probably a bit of recency bias here, but the day I spent under the scoreboard at Adelaide for the Ashes with the Barmy Army is probably going to live very long in the memory for me. That was a great day spent with my family and some close friends. What motivates you? In my role at Ace Stud, I'm hugely motivated by the opportunity to help the wider breeding industry. It's well documented that foals crops have declined and the number of small breeders is declining. Ace Stud is a new organisation and it's going to continue to grow. I really want to give breeders in Britain, and elsewhere, the chance to grow as well. I want breeders to know what they're going to get when they ring me and I want them to know that a success for them is a success for me, in my position. It's my job to get mares to the stallion, but that can only happen if I've got repeat customers, so I'll be fighting their corner. There will be more stallions joining the ranks in the years to come and I want to build relationships with breeders that are hopefully going to last a long time. From my own point of view, I've got a few mares and success on the track is all that matters for me. I need to make things pay and get a good result in the sales ring every now and then just to keep the show on the road. But I've got loads of partners in the horses that we're breeding and, when I'm old and grey, I'll be sat around with the same lads and we'll be remembering the horses based on what they won, not what they made in the ring. What keeps you awake at night? It probably varies throughout the year, but there is one constant and it's probably sad to say that I've cancelled plans of mine because catalogues have been released online and I can't wait for the next day to get into them. Obsessing over those sales catalogues is probably my main one. Other than that, probably the film Interstellar. If I watch that, I'm staring at the ceiling for a good few hours after it. That's my favourite film. What is your biggest regret? I've got a few regrets, things I've said and things I've done. You always wonder what might be different if you'd done things differently, but nothing that really haunts me or keeps me awake at night like the sales catalogues! One thing I do wish is that I'd learned to ride as a young man. I've been lucky enough to travel a good bit and it's very clear that being able to get up on a racehorse is a pretty useful skill to have in this game when it comes to travelling around the world. Tell us something people don't know about Ben Shoare… I'm 30 now and it's going back a few years, but I'm the proud holder of one first-class wicket. Poor Gary Ballance, I bowled him a long hop and he managed to smash it to square leg. That was for Leeds/Bradford MCCU in the warm-up games at the start of the season. I think I would have been 18 or 19 at the time. What is your favourite sale/place and why? I spent a summer in Saratoga in 2022 and that place just has it all for anyone in this game. I'd implore people to get out there during the racing and the sales, if they haven't already. It's an epic spot, with the racecourse on the doorstep, the sales ground next door and Lake George just up the road. It's just a brilliant place to spend as much time as you possibly can and I'll be doing my best to get back there! What's your go-to karaoke song? I'd give Billy Joel's Scenes From An Italian Restaurant a good rattle. Who is your inspiration? My close group of friends, some of whom I'm involved in racing with and some of whom I'm not. Those guys have certainly kept me going and inspired me to grind it out through the tough times. We all have plenty of them in this game. It's nice to feel like we're in the battle together and we're always able to have a bit of a laugh about it. The post In The Hot Seat: Ben Shoare appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The road sign at the turn-off from Ousden towards Wickhambrook reads 'This is a quiet lane'. Drive a mile or so down that lane and it becomes considerably less quiet as one arrives at Genesis Green Stud. There, the unmistakably booming voice of Michael Swinburn greets visitors, who will be arriving in increasing numbers over the next few months, and he is unmistakably excited about the reason behind this. “Come and see him,” Swinburn says with gusto of the stud's newest arrival, the Group 2 winner Royal Scotsman, who is about to turn Genesis Green into a stallion operation for the first time in its near-70-year existence. Alongside him is his father, the sprightly Wally, who will turn 89 in a week's time. “Forty-two years we've been here and everything is working well and now he drops this on me,” says Wally in a mock huff, but with a gleam in his eye which suggests that he will relish every bit of what is coming.” He adds, “I mean, can you imagine an ex-jockey buying a stud farm?” Well, yes actually, it is easy to imagine if that jockey happens to bear the name Wally Swinburn, the champion in Ireland in 1976 and 1977, who also rode with great success in Britain, France and India. And in fact, he and his wife Doreen bought the farm from another former jockey, Harry Carr, who set it up in 1958. Three generations are ensconced there now. Doreen ushers us in to her 'Irish kitchen', as welcoming as that title implies. Their neighbour, bloodstock agent Grant Pritchard-Gordon, has come to view Royal Scotsman and to pick the brains of Michael and Nicky Swinburn's youngest son, Jake, who has recently completed the Godolphin Flying Start course and is now employed by Total Performance Data. Leaf-blower in hand, Jake is clearly actively involved with all the goings-on at Genesis Green, while his brother Ben is currently working in Ireland at Yeomanstown Stud. Lively conversation ensues, overlapping from different corners of the table, son often correcting father, from one generation to the next. You get a lot more than you bargained for when going to view a Genesis Green stallion, especially if you happen to be a lover of racing history. There in the hallway is the bronze gifted by the Aga Khan of Shergar and Walter Swinburn, Wally and Doreen's much-missed son, alongside a photo of Wally holding the great horse at Ballymany Stud just a month before his kidnap. Then there are Wally's fascinating tales – of taking Stanerra to Tokyo to win the third running of the Japan Cup for Frank Dunne in 1983, of Charles Engelhard and riding Romulus, of being jocked off Blue Wind by Lester Piggott in the Oaks the year Walter won the Derby on Shergar. Father and son did at least end up completing a Derby/Oaks double of sorts as Wally rode Blue Wind when she won the Irish Oaks. We could stay for hours – we did! – and eventually conversation turns to the five-year-old son of Gleaneagles whom the Swinburns have known since his weanling days. Royal Scotsman | Emma Berry Genesis Green Stud, which now comprises 165 acres across two neighbouring farms, is well established as a commercial consignor on the sales beat, once emotionally topping the December Foal Sale at Tattersalls when selling a Dubawi colt to Godolphin for 1.8m gns. That same year, 2021, Genesis Green consigned on behalf of breeder Rabbah Bloodstock the colt who would become known as Royal Scotsman to Book 2 of the Tattersalls October Sale, selling him for 125,000gns to Ed Sackville for owners Jim and Fitri Hay. “We had no intention of standing stallions,” says Michael Swinburn as he begins to recount the tale of the return to Suffolk of Royal Scotsman, who at one stage had been pencilled in to begin his stud career in France. “There was a little bit of a problem [with that plan] and there had been a lot of conversation with [the Hays' racing manager] Alex Cole. When Jim heard I might be interested in him as a stallion, he said that he wanted him to stand in England and to breed to the horse. “Basically, Alex came back with a proposal and we bought half the horse. It all happened that quickly and that suddenly, but he was always a horse I was interested in breeding to anyway.” He continues, “He came here as a weanling and he was an absolute belter. This was just an opportunity really too good to pass by.” Certainly, breeders calling in to see Royal Scotsman will be unlikely to leave disappointed as he has lovely balance and is a fine stamp of a horse, standing a little over 16.1hh. His race record is worth rereading, too. Breaking his maiden on his second start for Paul and Oliver Cole at Goodwood by five lengths, he then went straight to the Coventry to finish third to Bradsell and Persian Force, with Blackbeard two lengths behind him in fourth. On his next start at Goodwood, he landed the Richmond Stakes before finishing fifth in the Gimcrack, with a subsequent poor scope being given as the reason for that disappointment. Royal Scotsman's best run at two, however, was undoubtedly his seasonal swansong in the Dewhurst in which he was beaten a head by Chaldean. That pair would meet again on the first Saturday of May the following year. Chaldean again had the upper hand, with Royal Scotsman taking third behind Hi Royal in the 2,000 Guineas. After sub-par efforts in the Irish 2,000 Guineas and St James's Palace, Royal Scotsman sat out the rest of the year “with a niggle”, but he was back at four to win the G3 Diomed Stakes at Epsom and finish second to Topgear in the G2 Challenge Stakes. “At the end of the day, he's not just a Group 2 winner or a Group 3 winner who was a fast horse: he was a class horse,” Swinburn says. “He was unlucky not to be champion two-year-old. Third in the Coventry, he won the Richmond in a faster time than Mehmas or Vandeek. He holds the record for the Richmond. He was basically unlucky in the Dewhurst, hence his rating of 118 as a two-year-old. “He's a good-looking horse with a lovely pedigree. He's everything, really, that I look for in a stallion: good two-year-old, trained on, out of a black-type mare.” Chaldean -©racingfotos_76274325132-300x214.jpg" alt="" width="598" height="426" /> A tight finish in the Dewhurst between Royal Scotsman and Chaldean | Racingfotos Out of the twice Listed-placed Cheveley Park Stud-bred mare Enrol (Pivotal), Royal Scotsman is a half-brother to the multiple Hong Kong winner Encountered (Churchill), who was runner-up to California Spangle in the G2 Sha Tin Trophy. He comes along at a time when his sire Gleneagles is enjoying something of a resurgence via his recent Group 1 winners Calandagan, who is vying with Ka Ying Rising for 'world's best horse' honours, Mill Stream, who is now ensconced at Yeomanstown Stud, Arrow Eagle, and Palladium. And, if you like this kind of thing, Royal Scotsman has a double dose of the influential broodmare Special in his pedigree. The announcement of his arrival to Genesis Green Stud came late in the year but, at a time when a lot of smaller breeders are perhaps leaving their mating decisions later than usual, that is not necessarily a bad thing. Swinburn has been encouraged by the response so far. He says, “Even at the December sales, we weren't sure whether it was going to happen or not. But the thing that has surprised me is the amount of goodwill. People have been coming up to me and saying, 'Well done, Michael.' “We sent 14 mares to Ireland last year and, since Brexit, that has become prohibitively expensive. It used to be just under £1,000 to get one over and back for us to do it ourselves. Now it's close to £2,000. So you could go to Ireland for a €5,000 to €10,000 stallion, or you could have a good value £6,000 stallion here. I'd like to think breeders commercially can make money out of him. “Because he didn't run [in 2025], we decided to be very aggressive with the price to hopefully get to pick the mares that we wanted. We're not going to compete with the big stallion Irish operations covering 150-200 mares. One, there aren't the mares in England to do that. And two, nor did we want to do that, to be perfectly frank. Are we going to be leading first-season sire? With winners, no. But I'd like to think we'll have a good shout at being leading sire by winners to runners.” He continues, “I want it to be like Tim Rogers used to do in the olden days. He used to stand them low, pick his mares – with Habitat, all those stallions. We're not looking to be out in three years on this horse. Hopefully he'll be here 15 years-plus covering mares.” Swinburn is realistic in his assessment of the issues currently facing the breeding industry through a contracting foal crop and he has seen through his own boarding business the gradual loss of some of the traditional smaller owner-breeders. Despite this and the competitiveness of the stallion market he insists that his new stallion will not cover mares without a suitable profile. “I'll manage that part of it in the nicest possible way,” he says of potentially having to let down breeders whose mares have been poor producers for a number of years. “Someone has to tell them, in a nice way. If IKEA were making tables for £100 and selling them for £50, they wouldn't be making those tables for very long. We've got to be open with ourselves and say that.” He does however believe that there is still room for optimism. “I think the GBB scheme [Great British Bonus] is important, especially for the market that he's going to be in, which is middle to low end. The GBB is a big thing for British breeders.” He adds, “The thing that's gone is basically what our old clients were – the owner-breeder, like Peter Pritchard or the Scotts. Those people had them in training and wanted a place to put their mare. The returns, the economics of it doesn't make sense now, unless they're able to wheel and deal a bit. “To be perfectly honest, I would say our sales are subsidising our owners here. It's nice to have the cashflow coming through from them but we couldn't survive as a farm just having walk-in mares or permanent boarders. It wouldn't pay. Keeping mares and doing it properly – coming in for a feed every day, not being fed in the paddocks and stuff like that – that takes labour.” And he is adamant in his view that racing's leaders have to make a stronger case to government when it comes to the importance of British breeding. “At some stage, we're going to have to turn around and say, 'Hold on a second, you're not paying us enough.' How that's done is going to be a difficult decision,” he says. “But I don't think the solution is that hard. When you've got the bookmakers saying there are not enough horses per race, you've got to say, 'Lads, why? It's costing the breeders 10 grand to breed a horse and you're giving them five.' “We have to make a decision: are we an industry or are we a hobby? If we're a hobby, fine, keep going as we are. If we want to be an industry, the product has to be paid for.” In launching a stallion that he believes has a chance to be commercially successful, Swinburn will naturally be backing Royal Scotsman with his family's mares and says that the Hays will also be sending him at least 10 mares. “Jim wants the horse to stand in this country because he wants to race his progeny,” Swinburn notes. “Had I not thought he has a great chance of doing it, I wouldn't have bothered, to be perfectly honest. I'm standing him because I think he has a great chance, and it's a commercial decision. So, that's it.” Plenty have already wished Swinburn luck and it is easy to see why. The tale of this family of excellent horsemen and women has taken an unexpected twist, but in Royal Scotsman there is an exciting new chapter just waiting to be written. The post ‘We Had No Intention of Standing Stallions’: Royal Scotsman Heralds a New Era at Genesis Green Stud appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Santa Anita Park has canceled live racing on Sunday, Jan. 4 as the final round of strong storms pushes out of the Southern California area, the track said in a press release on Sunday morning. The storm has dropped more than 10 inches of rain on the Arcadia, California, track since an atmospheric river began pummeling the West Coast Dec. 23. “The weather is set to improve significantly by Monday, and we don't have any rain in sight for the next 10 days or so,” said Santa Anita Park's General Manager Nate Newby. “We are grateful for the support of our stakeholders these last two weeks. It hasn't been easy, but the safety of the horses will always come first. We're looking forward to building on the strong momentum from our first few days and getting back to business.” Racing returns to Santa Anita Park on Thursday, which is the first of two announced makeup days due to the rain cancelations. First post time on Thursday will be 12 noon and will feature two turf stakes races. The track has also added Thursday, Jan. 15 to the racing schedule. The post Go Away! Sunday Santa Anita Card Canceled As Rain Set To Move Out appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

French star Maxime Guyon kept up his stellar form on his short-term stint in Hong Kong with another Sha Tin double courtesy of The Concentration and Gallant Epoch on Sunday. Since starting a three-month contract at the end of November, Guyon broke through with a Group One success on Sosie in the Hong Kong Vase (2,400m) and Sunday’s brace boosted his haul to nine winners. The Concentration overcame a wide trip without cover in the second half of the field to snare the opening Class Five Tai Lam...View the full article

Brazilian import Sagacious Life leapt into contention for Zac Purton’s Classic Mile ride of choice after continuing a strong start to his Hong Kong career with a fighting victory at Sha Tin on Sunday. After Sagacious Life proved too strong for several Classic Mile hopefuls in the Class Two Leighton Handicap (1,600m), trainer Pierre Ng Pang-chi revealed the son of Put It Back had surged into Purton’s consideration for the first leg of the four-year-old series on February 1. “Everyone’s chasing...View the full article

John Size continued his ominous march towards the top of the trainers’ premiership after another double at Sha Tin on Sunday, headlined by Stellar Express’ easy win in the Group Three Bauhinia Sprint Trophy (1,000m). The champion trainer was 15 winners behind the then leader Caspar Fownes going into New Year’s Day, but after four winners at the last two meetings, the gap has now eroded to 12 to leader Mark Newnham. Size would never pay any attention to that fact, nor would he likely know he has...View the full article

Wanganui trainer Kevin Myers and Canterbury apprentice jockey Floor Moerman proved to be a potent combination at Omoto on Sunday, bagging a treble at the Greymouth meeting, including the Recreation Hotel Greymouth Cup (2000m) with Sunset Boulevard (NZ) (Eminent). The Peter Vela-bred and raced gelding was heavily favoured to take out the meeting’s feature race, having been freshened since his two victories over New Zealand Cup Week in November. Moerman was positive from the jump aboard the son of Eminent, settling him outside early pacemaker Taimate Diva before taking a trail when Victortheinflictor came around to challenge for the lead. Heading into the back straight, Moerman decided to take the bull by the horns and sent her charge forward to assume control of the race and they quickly opened up several margins on their rivals. Stablemate, and last year’s race winner, Kick On (NZ) (Per Incanto) took chase, eventually drawing alongside Sunset Boulevard with 200m to go. The pair put on a great spectacle for the bustling holiday crowd down the home straight, but it was Sunset Boulevard who got his head in front to reward favourite punters. “They both kicked clear and I was pretty confident at the 600m when they had the rest of them off the bit,” stable representative Luke Myers said. “Kick On went a really good race at Wellington last start and we thought he could almost pop Sunset Boulevard today, and he almost did, but Sunset’s class just got him through today.” Two races prior, Myers and Moerman kicked off their treble when Gr.3 New Zealand Cup (3200m) winner Bozo (NZ) (Satono Aladdin) took out the Westland RC Miss Scenicland Stakes (1500m). The 93-rated mare got in beautifully under the race’s weight-for-age conditions, carrying just 53kg, 3kg lighter than her closest rival. She was backed into $1.60 favouritism and won accordingly, beating Speed Dial by 1-3/4 lengths, with a further three-lengths back to Sprocket Rocket in third. “She did it nicely,” Luke Myers said. “She came through her run in the New Zealand Cup probably the best any horse has come through any run. “She was a chance of getting outsprinted, so Floor rode her beautifully and let the horse roll.” Myers said Bozo will likely back-up at Kumara on Saturday in the Kumara Gold Nuggets (1810m). Moerman split those two victories with a win aboard the Myers-trained Sheaf (NZ) (Eminent) in the Jack Curragh Memorial (2000m), and Myers said she was a great asset at the West Coast meeting. “It was good having Floor on with her claim,” Myers said. “She has ridden these last three perfectly and put them in the race at the right time.” The stable went a step further, winning a quaddie at the meeting, with fellow apprentice jockey Amber Riddell riding stable runner Possess (Pierata) to victory in the Vernon & Vazey 0800 Truck Parts (1500m). View the full article

Join a full team this week on Weigh In. Guy Heveldt, Emily Murphy, Aidan Rodley and Jayne Ivil break down the action from Trentham on a Group 1 raceday and look back to the New Years Day Races out of Ellerslie. Weigh In, January 4 View the full article

It will be an anxious few weeks for the connections of State The Obvious (NZ) (Sword Of State) as they wait to see if their filly makes the cut for the $1 million TAB Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m) at Ellerslie on January 24. The daughter of Sword Of State made a strong play at Te Aroha on Saturday when winning the Mark Anderson Memorial Maiden 2YO (1000m), with her $10,360 winning cheque bringing her earnings to $11,285, placing her in 20th position in order of entry for the Karaka Millions, meaning she will require plenty of luck to make the 14-horse field as the current sixth emergency. “That (Karaka Millions) is the reason why we ran yesterday,” said Graham Richardson, who trains the filly in partnership with Rogan Norvall. “We thought if she could handle it (wet track) and win, then we are a chance (of making the Karaka Millions field), but if we step back and scratch we were no chance. “It was all about experience as well. She has pulled up this morning like she never had a race, which is incredible for a two-year-old.” While State The Obvious is an outside shot of qualifying for the rich feature, her trainers are not tempted to give her another run in the lead-up in a last-ditch effort to make the field, and have set their sights to their home track for an alternative. “If I have to panic and give her another run before then it is just not worth it,” Richardson said. “There are still a couple of races to go and if she doesn’t get into the Karaka Million then she will head to the Matamata Breeders’ Stakes (Gr.2, 1200m) as a back-up plan.” Richardson was pleased with State The Obvious’ second-up victory, having finished fourth behind subsequent Group Two performer Lara Antipova over 1150m at Te Aroha last month. “She is a really nice filly,” he said. “It was very heavy and I was quite unsure of how she would handle it, but she was probably the biggest horse in the field and she is very strong. “She will just get better and better, she has got a good action and she is very laidback. She is a lovely, kind horse.” Bred by Cambridge Stud, State The Obvious was purchased out of their 2025 New Zealand Bloodstock Book 1 Yearling Sale draft by Richardson and Brendon McCullum for $170,000. Cambridge Stud retained a share in the filly and she races in their familiar black and gold silks. State The Obvious could be a part of a strong line-up for the stable at Ellerslie on Karaka Millions night, with both Lollapalooza (NZ) (El Roca) and Fleeting Star (Cool Aza Beel) heading towards the $1.5 million Karaka Millions 3YO (1600m). Both fillies placed in the Gr.2 Eight Carat Classic (1600m) at Ellerslie on Boxing Day, and Richardson said they have come through the race well and have enjoyed a short freshen-up prior to their lucrative target. “They have come through the run really well,” he said. “I gave them a few days off out in the paddock. They are both back in work and they are both heading towards the Karaka Three-Year-Old Mile.” While Group One winner and $4 million NZB Kiwi (1500m) contender Lollapalooza has captured the limelight between the pair, Richardson has been rapt with Fleeting Star’s progression since making her debut in August, with the filly finishing in the money in all six of her starts to date. “She is a very sensible filly and she is tough,” he said. New Year’s Day victor Romilly (So You Think), another Karaka purchase by Richardson and McCullum, is also set to head to Ellerslie on Karaka Millions night where the Jo Giles Stakes (1400m) looms as her target. “Some of these horses that Baz (McCullum) and I are buying are now winning races and it is a great thrill,” Richardson said. “We will probably go to Karaka Million night to the fillies and mares 1400m with her (Romilly). It is going to be a strong field but we will put a set of blinkers on her.” View the full article

Miss Jones (Deep Field) showed plenty of promise in Australia, placing in six of her 10 starts for trainers Richard and Will Freedman, but she has found her groove since crossing the Tasman. The daughter of Deep Field broke through for her maiden win when victorious in her New Zealand debut for new trainer Cody Cole at Ellerslie last month and doubled her tally at Trentham on Saturday when taking out the Listen Live On Sportnation.co.nz Maiden Sprint (1200m). From her outside draw in the seven-horse field, she was taken forward by jockey Opie Bosson to sit outside pacemaker Falcrests Belle and she raced kindly for the in-form hoop. When he asked her to improve when entering the home straight she quickly responded and ran away to a 2-1/2 length victory over the previously unbeaten Thorax. “She was a little angel,” Bosson said. “She jumped well and just took our time getting across and once we got there she travelled beautifully and gave me a really good kick when I asked the question. “She gives you the feel that she has got some gears there. I know it has taken her a while to win a race, but I think she is putting it all together now.” Cole was confident of another bold showing on Saturday and believes she has a bright future if she continues on her current trajectory. “She was good. Opie has got a lovely set of hands and I think she appreciated that,” he said. “She probably appreciates the New Zealand environment a bit more too. “She switched off early enough that she was going to find a nice kick late and she did. Opie sat there quietly for as long as he could and it was perfect. “If she keeps improving her racing manners there’s no reason she can’t get to a good level. “It wasn’t a big field but there were some nice horses in it. Today was a good sign and a step in the right direction.” Cole said the Trelawney Stud-raced mare is loving the rural lifestyle on his Waikato property and he is now looking forward to hatching a plan to tackle some loftier targets with the four-year-old. “She is a mare that appreciates being out at the farm,” he said. “We don’t take her to the town stable, she just lives out there and goes to the paddock every day. Just keeping her in a happy spot more than anything is the most important thing. “We can start making plans after today. Before this it was just getting her to do things right and see if she could step up or not from her maiden win.” Later in the card, Cole was back in the winner’s circle courtesy of Bradley (NZ) (Belardo) in the Blue Star Group 1600. “He is a horse with more ability than he has shown us,” Cole said. “I am really happy for the owners, Justine (Sclater) and her crew have been really patient and supportive of me in trying to figure the horse out. We have finally done that and it is nice to get the job done on a good day.” The stable also featured prominently in the feature race of the card, the Gr.1 TAB Telegraph (1200m), with last year’s placegetter Navigator (NZ) (El Roca) going one better to finish runner-up behind First Five. View the full article

The outcome of the Jan. 3 Mucho Macho Man Stakes at Gulfstream Park suggests the following: Thou shall not underestimate Commandment on the Kentucky Derby (G1) trail.View the full article

Florida Derby (G1) winner Tappan Street, who successfully returned from an eight-month layoff to win Dec. 19 at Gulfstream Park, worked for the first time since that victory Jan. 3 in preparation for the Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) Jan. 24. View the full article

Strategic Risk launched a sustained rally into the far turn that would see him seize the lead near the quarter pole, draw clear in early stretch, and cruise to a 4 1/2-length score in the $250,000 Smarty Jones Stakes Jan. 3 at Oaklawn Park.View the full article

Grade I winner Tappan Street (Into Mischief) worked Saturday morning at Gulfstream Park in his continued preparation for the Pegasus World Cup Invitational. Working four furlongs alone at Payson Park, the Brad Cox trainee was clocked in :49.60 (15/48) in his first move since his successful return to the races Dec. 19 against allowance optional claiming company at Gulfstream Park. “It was a really good move, by himself, :49.2 and 1:02.2,” said Cox. “I thought the track was much deeper after the break up there [at Payson Park].” Disco Time (Not This Time), the unbeaten winner of the GIII Lecomte Stakes, worked five furlongs the day prior Jan. 2 in 1:01 flat, the fastest of five others at that distance. “Disco Time went [Friday], lights out,” Cox said. “He's really on it. Super pleased with how he's breezed the last few weeks and how he physically looks.” Both runners are currently being pointed toward the Pegasus World Cup Invitational Saturday, Jan. 24. The post Tappan Street, Disco Time Work for Pegasus at Payson Park appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Strategic Risk (Noble Bird) rolled into town from Florida, and not only topped the exacta in the Smarty Jones Stakes for his connections, but also took home Kentucky Derby points in the process. Dominating a maiden field at first asking June 7 at Gulfstream Park against fellow Florida-breds, he missed the board in back to back graded starts at Saratoga, but bounced back to run third Oct. 18 in the Florida Sired Affirmed Stakes. Building on that effort, and at his first trip at 1 1/16-miles over the main track last out Nov. 29, he rolled off the screen by nine lengths to win the FTBOA Florida Sire In Reality Stakes. Sent off here at 5-2 odds, the son of Noble Bird was content to stalk from second as Louisiana invader Scar Ship (Midshipman) set the pace through an opening fraction in :24.48 and posted a half-mile in :49.72. Pushing to the head of affairs after soft fractions through the far bend, he poked a head in front entering the stretch and the race was over from there. Extending his lead, the victor coasted in to win by 4 1/2 lengths. Stablemate Silent Tactic (Tacitus) closed from the back to claim second and Baytown Dreamer (Mendelssohn) claimed third. Strategic Risk picked up 10 points toward the Road to the Kentucky Derby, and currently sits in 11th in an eight-way tie with other runners who have the same tally. Strategic Risk is the most recent stakes winner for Strategize, who has also produced two other black-type horses–full-siblings to this victor named Strategic Bird and Just Relax. The former produced a 2025 filly by Mitole as her most recent offspring. The mare also claims a juvenile full-sister to that trio as well as a 2025 colt by Roadster. She went back to that stallion for 2026. #7 STRATEGIC RISK ($7.00) puts himself on the Kentucky Derby leaderboard with a victory in the $250,000 Smarty Jones Stakes at @OaklawnRacing. This is the second stakes win for the three-year-old Noble Bird colt. @jjcjockey was aboard for @markecasse. pic.twitter.com/dotatW2Ewl — FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) January 3, 2026 SMARTY JONES S., $250,000, Oaklawn, 1-3, 3yo, 1 1/16m, 1:45.06, ft. 1–STRATEGIC RISK, 119, c, 3, by Noble Bird 1st Dam: Strategize, by Afleet Alex 2nd Dam: Strategy, by A.P. Indy 3rd Dam: Educated Risk, by Mr. Prospector O-John C. Oxley; B-John Oxley Living Trust (FL); T-Mark E. Casse; J-Javier Castellano. $138,750. Lifetime Record: 6-3-0-1, $392,300. *Full to Strategic Bird, MSW, $116,130. 2–Silent Tactic, 117, c, 3, Tacitus–Magical Sign, by Gun Runner. ($60,000 Ylg '24 FTKOCT; $500,000 2yo '25 OBSAPR). O-John C. Oxley; B-Don Alberto Corporation (KY); T-Mark E. Casse. $46,250. 3–Baytown Dreamer, 117, c, 3, Mendelssohn–Colerful Bride, by Munnings. ($5,000 Ylg '24 KEESEP; $70,000 RNA 2yo '25 IGDAPR). O-Baytown Partnerships; B-Brookstone Farm, Lee Mauberret, & James Blazek (KY); T-Paul McEntee. $23,125. Margins: 4HF, 3/4, 4. Odds: 2.50, 14.10, 84.30. Also Ran: Sleepingonfreedom, Rancho Santa Fe, Scar Ship, Universe, Oscar's Hope. Scratched: Boca Beach Club. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV. The post Strategic Risk Steps Up to Win Smarty Jones for Fun, Claims Derby Points appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

For a 3-year-old colt, the first Saturday in January at chilly Aqueduct Racetrack feels a lot more than five months removed from the first Saturday in May at Churchill Downs. View the full article

The Jan. 3 Mucho Macho Man Stakes at Gulfstream Park suggests the following: Thou shall not underestimate Commandment on the Kentucky Derby (G1) trail.View the full article

Wathnan Racing's Commandment (Into Mischief) ran to the billing as the 1-2 favorite with a dominating win in Saturday's Mucho Macho Man S. going a one-turn mile at Gulfstream Park. Drawn on the fence, the $500,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase was fourth through opening fractions of :24.09 and :47.38. All dressed up with nowhere to go at the top of the stretch, Commandment bulled his way through in between horses beneath Irad Ortiz, Jr. and leveled off beautifully from there to win going away by 6 3/4 lengths in 1:38.23. Longshot Roger That Dana (Awesome Slew) was second. Commandment was highlighted in Steve Sherack's Second Chances series following a better-than-it looked fourth-place finish as the 5-2 favorite on debut in a live maiden special weight at Keeneland Oct. 4. He followed up with a visually impressive maiden win going seven furlongs at Churchill Downs Nov. 1. Commandment is out of Sippican Harbor (Orb), who carried winning breeder Lee Pokoik's kelly green-and-pink silks to a 16-1 upset victory in the 2018 GI Spinaway S. at Saratoga. Sippican Harbor, a half-sister to Japanese superstar Awesome Result (Justify), RNA'd for $1.45 million at the 2019 FTKNOV sale. Sippican Harbor had a colt by Curlin in 2024 and a filly by Elite Power in 2025. She was bred to McKinzie for 2026. Commandment is bred on the same Into Mischief x A.P. Indy cross as leading Horse of the Year candidate Sovereignty. MUCHO MACHO MAN S., $157,500, Gulfstream, 1-3, 3yo, 1m, 1:38.23, ft. 1–COMMANDMENT, 118, c, 3, by Into Mischief 1st Dam: Sippican Harbor (GISW, $262,650), by Orb 2nd Dam: Blossomed, by Deputy Minister 3rd Dam: Texas Cinema, by Mt. Livermore ($485,000 RNA Wlg '23 FTKNOV; $475,000 RNA Ylg '24 FTSAUG; $500,000 Ylg '24 KEESEP). 1ST BLACK TYPE WIN. O-Wathnan Racing; B-Lee Pokoik (KY); T-Brad H. Cox; J-Irad Ortiz, Jr. $91,140. Lifetime Record: 3-2-0-0, $165,459. 2–Roger That Dana, 118, r, 3, Awesome Slew–Take Me to Zuber, by Toccet. ($85,000 2yo '25 OBSOPN). O-Smith Ranch Stables; B-Ocala Stud (FL); T-Luis M. Ramirez. $36,900. 3–Thunder Chuck, 118, g, 3, Good Magic–I'll Take the Cake, by Nobiz Like Shobiz. ($160,000 Ylg '24 KEESEP). O-Lea Farms LLC; B-Pavel Matejka & Good Magic Syndicate (KY); T-Jorge Delgado. $14,700. Margins: 6 3/4, 1 3/4, 2HF. Odds: 0.50, 23.90, 21.40. Also Ran: Max Capacity, Epic Summer, Tripp's Promise, Cabourg. Scratched: Blame Yasself, Mr. Hooligan. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV. WOW! COMMANDMENT ($3.00) won with conviction in the $175,000 Mucho Macho Man Stakes at @GulfstreamPark. Another winner by @spendthriftfarm's Into Mischief! @bradcoxracing conditions the 3YO colt. @iradortiz coasted home on the son of G1 Spinaway winner Sippican Harbor. pic.twitter.com/GqQovRg3rn — FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) January 3, 2026 The post Commandment With Authority in Mucho Macho Man appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

For a 3-year-old colt, the first Saturday in January at chilly Aqueduct Racetrack is a lot more than five months removed from the first Saturday in May at Churchill Downs. View the full article

In the kickoff of stakes action Jan. 3 at Gulfstream Park, Sister Troienne easily dispatched five other 3-year-old fillies to post a comfortable victory in the $157,500 Ginger Brew Stakes.View the full article

Woodslane homebred Sister Troienne (Munnings), already on a three-race win streak, kicked off 2026 with a bang, driving clear to seize the one-mile Ginger Brew Stakes at Gulfstream Park Saturday. The chestnut settled nicely on the outside in a tracking spot about a length and a half behind 23-1 Laigina (Leinster) through a :24 first quarter. The 1-5 choice, Sister Troienne edged up to the frontrunner's hip as the half clocked in :47.87, drew on even terms on the turn, and wrested command before rider Mario Gutierrez made any perceptible move. Sister Troienne drove clear to win by 1 3/4 lengths as Gutierrez eased up while Laigina held second. Final time for the mile on turf was 1:33.42. Sister Troienne debuted with a main track third at Ellis Park last August before trying the lawn at Churchill Downs in September, resulting in a 4 1/2-length maiden special weight score. An open-daylight Keeneland allowance victory followed, with a move to Gulfstream and a Nov. 27 Wait a While Stakes win on the Tapeta after that race was taken off the turf. Dyna Passer, dam of Sister Troienne, has a 2-year-old full-sister to the Ginger Brew winner named Ultraviolet. She didn't produce a foal in 2025, but has been bred to Oscar Performance for this spring. The mare is a half-sister to GISW Sadler's Joy (Kitten's Joy) and to MGSW Wolfie's Dynaghost (Ghostzapper). SISTER TROIENNE ($2.60) continues to impress in her 3YO campaign as she delivers in the $175,000 Ginger Brew Stakes at @GulfstreamPark under @_MGutierrez_ for trainer @BLynchRacing. Woodslane Racing is the owner/breeder of this daughter of @CoolmoreAmerica stallion Munnings. pic.twitter.com/8Rn7qBf4Wu — FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) January 3, 2026 GINGER BREW S., $157,500, Gulfstream, 1-3, 3yo, f, 1mT, 1:33.42, fm. 1–SISTER TROIENNE, 120, f, 3, by Munnings 1st Dam: Dyna Passer (SP, $232,330), by Lemon Drop Kid 2nd Dam: Dynaire, by Dynaformer 3rd Dam: Binya (Ger), by Royal Solo (Ire) ($190,000 RNA Ylg '24 KEESEP). O/B-Woodslane Farm/Racing LLC (KY); T-Brian A. Lynch; J-Mario Gutierrez. $92,070. Lifetime Record: 5-4-0-1, $300,509. 2–Laigina, 118, f, 3, Leinster–Patriotic Brother, by Brother Derek. 1ST BLACK TYPE. O-Green With MV Stable and Patrick L. Biancone Racing LLC; B-Diamond 100 Racing Club (FL); T-Patrick L. Biancone. $37,200. 3–Storm's Wake, 120, f, 3, Oscar Performance–Amber Storm (Ire), by Night of Thunder (Ire). 1ST BLACK TYPE. O/-William Werner (KY); T-Brian A. Lynch. $14,850. Margins: 1 3/4, 3/4, 1 3/4. Odds: 0.30, 23.70, 7.30. Also Ran: Tideoftime, Bert's Knoty Girl, R Slew of Cash. Scratched: Bayou Brigid, Spirit Doll. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV. The post Munnings Filly Sister Troienne Makes it Four in a Row in Ginger Brew appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article