Wandering Eyes

After nearly two months out of action with a fractured hand, Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano made a special trip from New York to Keeneland in Lexington for a morning session with Ferocious.View the full article

Just 13 days after Bluestocking's tour de force in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (G1), Kalpana became the latest filly to carry the Juddmonte silks to group 1 glory in the British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes (G1) at Ascot.View the full article

Everything remains on course for Hillwood Stable's Maryland-bred and based multiple graded-stakes winner Post Time following his final local workout Oct. 19 ahead of a scheduled start in the $1 million Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) Nov. 2 at Del Mar.View the full article

Multiple graded winner Post Time (Frosted) put in his final local workout in Maryland Saturday morning ahead of his scheduled start in the GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile Nov. 2. Emma Wolfe, assistant trainer and exercise rider for Brittany Russell, was in the irons for the four furlong move in :49.60 over the main track at Fair Hill Training Center, which ended up being the seventh fastest of 20 that morning. It was the third work for the grey, who is tied for second on the Breeders' Cup leaderboard for the Dirt Mile behind MGISW Seize the Grey (Arrogate), and Russell reported a solid prognosis for her stable star. “He went good. He went a half-mile in 49 and change and did it very well,” Russell said. “It's been quiet and good, and that's what we're looking for. Day to day, everything is going the way we need it to.” Aside from the 2024 Preakness winner, three other slots have already been filled in the gate as MGISW National Treasure (Quality Road), MGSW Three Technique (Mr Speaker), and Japan-based multiple group winner Crown Pride (Jpn) (Reach the Crown {Jpn}) have all earned automatic spots in the 14-starter limited field. The champion 2-year-old in Maryland in 2022, Post Time gave a good run at the highest level in New York this past summer, finishing second in the GI Hill 'n' Dale Metropolitan Mile Handicap and third in the GI Whitney Stakes, before returning home to Laurel Park to dominate the Listed Polynesian Stakes Sept. 14 by 11 1/2 lengths. Never off the board in 13 lifetime starts, he is less than $3,000 shy of becoming racing's newest millionaire. Accompanied by Wolfe, Post Time is scheduled to leave from Newark, NJ to California Oct. 23, and the rest of the team, including jockey Sheldon Russell, are scheduled to arrive Oct. 30. “Emma's going to travel with him and she will be out there with him,” Russell said. “He's going to fly middle of the week, so he will get a skip over the racetrack. Emma will breeze him like a solo half and let him gallop out. The main work is done now. It'll just be some maintenance the week before, let him feel the track and all that.” “As long as he's healthy, he's the kind of horse that thrives on racing. We're all lucky to be in Post Time's world, really.” The post Post Time Puts In Final Local Work for Breeders’ Cup, Ships Out Oct. 23 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Who can forget the pulsating finish of this year's GI Kentucky Derby, when three noses hit the wire together in one of the tightest photo finishes we've seen in years? Other than the immediate connections of those three colts, it's hard to imagine anyone more invested in the result than Debby Oxley, whose beloved mare, Darling My Darling (Deputy Minister), is the granddam of two-thirds of that trifecta. While Mystik Dan (Goldencents) got his nose on the wire first, it was the Oxley-bred 'TDN Rising Star' and GI Toyota Blue Grass Stakes winner Sierra Leone (Gun Runner) and then-unbeaten MGSW globetrotter Forever Young (Jpn) (Real Steel {Jpn}) who had Oxley's attention. The two leaned on each other down the lane, exchanging bumps as they went, only to finish a nose apart and, more crucially, a nose behind Mystik Dan. Two grandsons of the same mare hitting the board in the Derby is unprecedented. Now they have a chance to equal or better that result in the Nov. 2 GI Breeders' Cup Classic. “Even when I watch the Derby replay, I think, 'Boys, boys! You're cousins. Just lay off each other and think about that other guy,'” said Oxley with a laugh. “It was exciting. They did so well. When Sierra Leone came around the corner and started making that move, I thought I was going to watch Monarchos again. He was just rolling. I almost bred a Derby winner.” Sierra Leone (left) and Forever Young battling in the Derby | Coady Media Mystik Dan's nose may have stood between Oxley and the honor of breeding a Derby winner, but she's already been in that hallowed winner's circle as an owner. In 2001, her husband, John “Jack” Oxley, captured the sport's most coveted prize with Monarchos, who joined Secretariat as the only winner to finish the Derby's 10 furlongs in under two minutes. While the couple often breed and campaign horses in their separate names, they share the experiences together. They've also won Breeders' Cups as owners. Their 2016 champion 2-year-old colt Classic Empire won the Juvenile, while 1999 champion older mare Beautiful Pleasure won the Distaff as she tore through the female ranks with six Grade I victories. Also among their combined dozens of black-type winners is 1995 GI Kentucky Oaks winner Gal in a Ruckus and 2013 Canadian Horse of the Year Uncaptured. “We've been very, very blessed with our racing career,” said Oxley. “Beautiful Pleasure was our horse of a lifetime. Right now, we seem to be in an exciting part on the breeding side. In racing, you just have to be patient and persevere.” Perhaps no where in the Oxleys' racing history is that long game more evident than it is with the classy Darling My Darling, who first caught Oxley's eye as a yearling in 1998. “I really liked her dam, Roamin Rachel. I remember seeing her run and she was just a real hard-knocking, tough mare,” remembered Oxley. “When 'Darling' appeared in the [1998 Keeneland September] sale, I said to Jack, 'Look at this horse.' He bought her and gave her to me later.” Roamin Rachel, a daughter of Mr. Prospector's son Mining, won Saratoga's GI Ballerina Handicap and Keeneland's GII Beaumont Stakes in the early 1990s for William Farish. John Oxley would secure her daughter by Deputy Minister for $300,000. Roamin Rachel would eventually also produce Japanese Horse of the Year Zenno Rob Roy (Jpn). After breaking her maiden on debut at Saratoga by daylight, Darling My Darling finished second in both the GI Matron Stakes and GI Frizette Stakes as a 2-year-old. The late John T. Ward, Jr., who trained so many of the Oxleys' horses, conditioned the bay. “We have an incredible picture of her first win at our house in Saratoga,” said Oxley. “She's always been special to us. She won the Doubledogdare in 2001. My sister, who at that point lived in Maryland, was able to be here for that race and was able to be in the win picture with me. 'Darling' also won the Raven Run. Those are two nice races at Keeneland she won which have subsequently became graded stakes.” Darling My Darling at Keeneland more than two decades ago | Horsephotos It's as a broodmare that Darling My Darling has excelled even more. Her two top runners were GI Darley Alcibiades Stakes winner Heavenly Love (Malibu Moon) and GII Santa Ynez Stakes winner Forever Darling (Congrats), who just happen to be the dams of Sierra Leone and Forever Young, respectively. Oxley raced and retained Heavenly Love, but sold Forever Darling for $8,000 at Keeneland in 2014. She doesn't regret letting the latter go. “Obviously, she had some issues [to bring that price]. She was by Congrats and he was not very popular at that time. What's interesting about the breeding side of the business is if you're trying to sell, a horse might be in demand when you breed and, by the time you go to sell, nobody might want them. Plus, we already had others in the family and you can't keep everything.” Forever Darling's son, Forever Young, figures to be one of the favorites in the Breeders' Cup Classic. Unbeaten in his native Japan, including earlier this month in the Japan Dirt Classic, he won this year's G2 UAE Derby and G3 Saudi Derby, both in spectacular style, before suffering his only career defeat when just missing in the Kentucky Derby by two nostrils. One of those nostrils belonged to Sierra Leone, who is scheduled to once again join Darling My Darling's other grandson in the gate for the Classic. When he topped the 2022 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale at $2.3 million, the Oxleys had never before bred a major sales topper and certainly not at that level. They'd bred and raced a number of Grade I winners, champions even, but topping one of the sport's most prestigious sales was new territory. Had they ever envisioned such a thing? Sierra Leone's $2.3-million sale at Fasig-Tipton Saratoga | Fasig-Tipton “Heavens, no! No, no, no. Not at all,” said Oxley. “It was shocking. We knew he was going to sell well, but you never know one is going to sell that well. On the flip side, we've had horses we thought were going to sell well and didn't. When Sierra Leone sold, we just had to sit there and get our thoughts together before we left the pavilion. “The sale was pretty amazing,” continued Oxley. “He always had a really, really good disposition and I think that helps him. He was always a very smart horse and it just was a dream to deal with him. It's a lot of fun to see his races. I scream just as loud as if I owned him.” Oxley said the 27-year-old Darling My Darling's continued success is meaningful for their operation, the breeding arm of which is based at their bucolic Fawn Leap Farm just outside of Midway, Ky. “It's special because she was so special,” said Oxley. “She's pensioned at the farm. [Farm manager] Laurie [Gimmon] takes very good care of our horses.” Darling My Darling's last foal is a 2021 filly named Lovely Darling (Flameaway), who is unraced. Oxley has retained her and will breed her next year, although she and her team haven't finalized their mating plans yet. Oxley has also retained a couple of the other members of the family, with the obvious star being Heavenly Love. She sold that mare's unraced 2-year-old colt by Nyquist, now named Domestic Policy, for $250,000 to Mike Ryan at the 2023 Fasig-Tipton October yearling sale. Heavenly Love doesn't have a yearling and is back in foal to Nyquist, but she does have a Feb. 11-foaled Gun Runner filly–a full-sister to Sierra Leone–that has Oxley excited. “We're planning on racing her. She is very precocious, strong-headed, and a little bossy, so I'm struggling with naming her. Heavenly Love is such a beautiful name, but this filly needs to have a name that has a little bit of a kick to it to match her personality. It's a work in progress. So far the ones I've come up with are beautiful, but she needs something a little more tough. We're excited about her. I didn't breed a Derby winner, but right now I'd settle for breeding an Oaks winner!” Debby Oxley's Darling My Darling at age 27 | Sarah Andrew Or perhaps a Breeders' Cup Classic winner? Sierra Leone could make it happen and is training well at Belmont in preparation. Whether or not Forever Young, who reportedly ships from Japan to the U.S. Oct. 22, gets his nose in front of his “cousin” this time, Oxley said it's gratifying to have two grandsons of her cherished Darling My Darling competing at the highest level of the sport against each other. “We're just a small operation,” said Oxley with a modesty which belies the couple's success in the sport. As everyone in racing knows, it's a feat of outrageous proportions just to get a horse to the starting gate in races like the Derby and Classic. The odds of one mare's descendants making it to the gate together in the same year in America's two greatest prizes have got to be astronomical. Surely no one will begrudge great celebrating in the Oxley household if a grandson of her regal mare takes home America's richest prize Nov. 2 at Del Mar. The post With Derby Grandsons Set to Clash Again in BC Classic, Darling My Darling Holds Court at Fawn Leap appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Jockey Billy Loughnane won the inaugural UK & Ireland World Pool Jockeys' Championship and will donate his £50,000 cheque to The Christy Lambe Foundation, World Pool announced on Saturday. On top of the leaderboard with 187.05pts, Loughnane finished ahead of Oisin Murphy (97.25pts) in second, having triumphed on a number of outsiders through the World Pool season. The competition rewards the winning jockey of each World Pool race in the UK and Ireland with the horse's World Pool Win dividend. Loughnane struck on Rashabar (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}) in the G2 Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot, which returned 129.90 (versus 80/1) SP, which gave Loughnane a clear advantage against his peers. Loughnane said, “I'm very grateful to World Pool for this prize. It's a significant amount of money and I'm honoured to be able to donate it to The Christy Lambe Foundation. “Riding in these races on the big days is what I've always dreamed of, so to win a few and to top the leaderboard is a fantastic feeling. “The Christy Lambe Foundation was only setup two years ago and this money will be very important. The charity works to help people struggling with mental health and poverty, and it's a cause that's close to my heart as Christy's oldest brother Michael is my sponsor, through his company Lambe Construction.” For more information about the UK & Ireland World Pool Jockeys' Championship, please visit World Pool's website. The post Billy Loughnane Wins £50K World Pool Jockeys’ Championship appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

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Coolmore's grade 1-winning freshman sire Echo Town was represented by his first stakes winner Oct. 18 when Elegant Echo rallied from off the pace to score in the $100,000 Oklahoma Classics Lassie Stakes at Remington Park.View the full article

Saturday's card at Leopardstown offered many clues to the 2025 Classics and it may have saved the best until last as Ballydoyle's Twain (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}–Wading {Ire}, by Montjeu {Ire}) became his sire's 10th TDN Rising Star in the closing seven-furlong maiden. Sent straight to the front by Mark Crehan, the son of the G2 Rockfel Stakes winner stayed on the rail as all others opted to race wide and surrender ground for a better racing surface. Turning for home with a sizeable advantage, the 28-1 shot kept galloping powerfully through the testing ground to register a six-length defeat of stablemate Mississippi River (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) who denied the third Rosegreen runner and 15-8 favourite Serengeti (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) by a head. Remember the name! Twain, a colt by Wootton Bassett, defies market weakness on debut to score in the style of a horse with a huge future. He led home a 1-2-3 for @Ballydoyle @LeopardstownRC pic.twitter.com/DCwNOc5hF8 — Racing TV (@RacingTV) October 19, 2024 The post TDN Rising Star Number 10 For Wootton Bassett As Ballydoyle’s Twain Impresses appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The 2-year-old fillies have been a step or two ahead of the colts all season and further evidence that we are dealing either with a substandard crop of colts or above-average crop of fillies was seen at Leopardstown on Saturday when the battle-hardened Exactly (Ire) (Frankel {GB}–Heartache {GB}, by Kyllachy {GB}) dominated the G3 Killavullan Stakes. Sent off the 11-10 favourite for the seven-furlong contest, Ballydoyle's G1 Moyglare Stud Stakes and G1 Prix Marcel Boussac third was sent straight to the front by Wayne Lordan and powered clear in the straight for a 6 1/2-length success from stablemate and Goffs Million runner-up Antelope Canyon (Ire) (No Nay Never). The post Frankel’s Exactly Supreme In The Killavullan appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Walmac Farm's 'TDN Rising Star' Locked (Gun Runner), an impressive winner of last fall's GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity at Keeneland and most recently third as the favorite in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Santa Anita Nov. 3, returned to the races in style with a runaway victory in the opener at the Big A Saturday. Favored at 2-5 and racing with first-time Lasix, he was ridden by John Velazquez to keep pace in second, set his sights on Gun It (Tapit) approaching the quarter pole and level off beautifully from there to win going away by 7 1/2 lengths in a razor sharp 1:21.02 for seven furlongs. Locked was cross-entered in Saturday's GIII Perryville Stakes at Keeneland. He missed a pair of intended starts earlier this spring, including the GII Coolmore Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream Park Mar. 2, and was subsequently taken out of training by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher due to a knee injury. “Kudos to Ian Brennan and his team at Stonestreet and of course Todd Pletcher and his team for getting Locked back to the races,” Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners President & Founder Aron Wellman said. “There has never been any question as to the enormity of this colt's talent and to see him come back off a 50-week layoff and come within a 1/5 of a second off a long-time track record set by a blazing horse in Artax validates that notion. We know the further, the better, but few horses possess the type of speed and stamina to do what he's done in his career to date. Hopefully, he can stay on the straight and narrow and there are more important trophies to add to his mantle.” Hailing from the third crop of leading young sire Gun Runner, Locked was produced by a winning half-sister to MGISW Gabby's Golden Gal (Medaglia d'Oro) and MGSW & GISP Always a Princess (Leroidesanimaux {Brz}). The Gun Runner/Malibu Moon cross is already responsible for GISW Sierra Leone and GSWs Shotgun Hottie and Runninsonofagun. Locked, a $425,000 Keeneland September yearling, is also bred similarly to MGISW and 'TDN Rising Star' Taiba (Gun Runner), who is out of a Flatter mare. His dam produced a filly by Tiz the Law in 2023 and a colt by Early Voting this year. She was bred back to Gun Runner. 1st-Belmont The Big A, $95,000, Alw (NW2$X)/Opt. Clm ($62,500), 10-19, 3yo/up, 7f, 1:21.02, ft, 7 1/2 lengths. LOCKED (c, 3, Gun Runner–Luna Rosa, by Malibu Moon) Sales history: $425,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: 5-3-0-2, $660,650. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV. O-Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners & Walmac Farm; B-Rosa Colasanti (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher. LOCKED, the 3YO son of @Three_Chimneys stallion Gun Runner, dominates in his return to the races with @ljlmvel up for trainer @PletcherRacing. pic.twitter.com/3qRrnCPL9C — NYRA () (@TheNYRA) October 19, 2024 The post Locked Romps in Much-Anticipated Big A Return appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

After a fierce battle throughout the season, Sean Dylan Bowen edged Joe Leavy by two victories to be named the British Champion Apprentice Flat Jockey for 2024 at Catterick Racecourse, Great British Racing announced on Saturday. Bowen rode 44 winners (13%) for the year, while Leavy was second on 42 and Kaiya Fraser made up third at 34. The wins were accumulated inside a set period of May 4- Oct. 19. The Irishman won an apprentice race at Doncaster in March, only his second ride since relocating to Britain, and the momentum built from there. Earlier in the week Bowen was three wins clear of Leavy by Thursday, but the pair each won a race at Haydock Park on Friday. Leavy won the second race at Catterick on Saturday to bring him within two to tie Bowen, but both jockeys were out of luck in a handicap later in the day, sealing the title for Bowen. The 18-year-old, who rides for boss trainer James Owens, said, “The main reason I came over [to Britain] was there's more racing here than in Ireland, and my ambition was just to pick up as many rides as I could and hopefully have some winners along the way. It's definitely been a help having the experience of coming over [to Britain] for the odd ride last season.” Owens said, “Sean is a real team player with a great head on his shoulders, very well mannered, and an extremely natural horseman. He has been incredibly committed this season and has a very bright future ahead of him. Myself and the team couldn't be happier and more proud of him.” Oisin Murphy formally regained the British Champion Flat Jockey title on Saturday. Murphy was winning it for the fourth time, having prevailed in 2019, 2020, and 2021. Dale Gibson, racing director for the PJA, said, “Congratulations to Sean on winning the coveted champion apprentice title. Bowen follows in the footsteps of outstanding champion jockeys such as the late Lester Piggott and Pat Eddery, alongside the current stars such as Frankie Dettori, Ryan Moore, Will Buick and Oisin Murphy. Sean has been a model of consistency all year and fought out a terrific battle with Joe until the final day of the apprentice championship. We wish Sean and all his apprentice colleagues continued success in future.” The post Sean D. Bowen Named Champion Apprentice Jockey, As Murphy Regains Champion Jockey Crown appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Saturday's G1 Qipco Champion Stakes threw up a major shock as Shadwell's Anmaat (Ire) (Awtaad {Ire}–African Moonlight {UAE}, by Halling) swooped late to register a 40-1 success and provide further evidence of the skill and guile of Owen Burrows. Contesting his second group 1 having scored on his only previous try in the Prix d'Ispahan last May, the 6-year-old was coming off a below-par fifth in the G2 Prix Dollar 13 days ago but at least had his favoured testing ground to aide his cause. Travelling strongly in a pocket behind the pace throughout the early stages, the gelding stalwart looked beaten two out with Jim Crowley at work and seemingly trapped. Four runners appeared to be coming to win it from there, but the real danger was in behind as Anmaat surged between rivals to grab Calandagan (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}) close home. At the line, there was a half length between the winner and that 6-4 favourite, with another outsider Royal Rhyme (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) 1 3/4 lengths away in third. BIG upset! Anmaat wins the Group 1 QIPCO Champion Stakes at @Ascot for @JimCrowley1978 and @OwenBurrowsRace… pic.twitter.com/1WO7NL4beB — At The Races (@AtTheRaces) October 19, 2024 The post Champion Stakes Glory For Shadwell’s Anmaat appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

There was a sense of inevitability in the lead-up to Saturday's G1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes and for the vast majority of the mile feature as Nurlan Bizakov's Charyn (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}–Futoon {Ire}, by Kodiac {GB}) capped a near-perfect season at Ascot. Adding to his G1 Queen Anne Stakes and G1 Prix Jacques le Marois successes, the 13-8 favourite had only Facteur Cheval (Ire) (Ribchester {Ire}) to concern him late on but ultimately subdued his latest challenger to record a two-length success. Needing the occasional niggle from Silvestre De Sousa as he tracked the pace set by Henry Longfellow (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), the Roger Varian-trained grey was on the bridle moving to that rival three out and after taking control soon after was swiftly tackled by the Jerome Reynier stable star. Asserting his superior strength in the final furlong, the homebred forged another elite-level win as Tamfana (Ger) (Soldier Hollow {GB}) finished 4 1/4 lengths away in third. A third Group 1 for Charyn! He is back to winning ways as he takes the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes for @SilvDSousa and @varianstable at @Ascot… pic.twitter.com/hEjzUtybAx — At The Races (@AtTheRaces) October 19, 2024 The post Charyn Does It Again For Bizakov In The QEII appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Sam Agars COURIER ALADDIN - R6 (2) Undefeated galloper has the class to overcome wide gate Jay Rooney SKY TRUST - R10 (11) Drops in weight from a top win and maps to get a dream run Jack Dawling SKY TRUST - R10 (11) Dominant last-start winner can dictate proceedings again from gate two Phillip Woo FORERUNNER - R2 (6) The booking of Zac Purton can produce an overdue win for this consistent customer Shannon (Vincent Wong) BEAU GOSSE - R1 (10) Has had two pleasing runs and can break through stepping up to a mile Racing Post Online MASTER MASTERMIND - R3 (2) Won well at his last start and looks hard to beat Tom Wood BALLISTIC WIN - R3 (1) Has a seven-pound swing with the horse that beat him and he's trialled wellView the full article

Coolmore's 2023 Goffs Orby Book 1 sale topper Minnie Hauk (Ire) (Frankel {GB}–Multilingual {GB}, by Dansili {GB}), a €1.85-million purchase, followed up a debut second at Cork earlier this month with a breakthrough score in Saturday's Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Maiden over one mile at Leopardstown. The 2-5 favourite was held wide racing prominently through the initial strides and stalked the leader in a close-up second after prolonged early exchanges. Sent forward rounding the home turn, she came under pressure when threatened in the straight and was driven out in the latter stages to hold Subsonic (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) by a half-length. Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Maiden @LeopardstownRC @IrishEBF_ Leopardstown – Maiden – Femelles – 2 ans – 1609m – 9 Pts Minnie Hauk (f) (Ire) W M Lordan (Frankel?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Frankel (Gb) @JuddmonteFarms – Multilingual (Gb) par Dansili (Gb)) A P O'Brien Derrick… pic.twitter.com/dt8hf4BJk2 — French and International Horse Racing (@Vincenzo0612) October 19, 2024 The post Last Year’s Goffs Orby Book 1 Topper Sheds Maiden Status at Leopardstown appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Saturday's G1 Qipco British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes looked there for the taking beforehand, with no standout performer in the line-up and in the end it came down to who was the most progressive. Step forward Juddmonte's Kalpana (GB) (Study Of Man {Ire}–Zero Gravity {GB}, by Dansili {GB}), who had made a significant advance last time in the G3 September Stakes and who successfully carried that momentum into this mile-and-a-half test. Tracking the early pace under William Buick, the Andrew Balding-trained 100-30 favourite moved to Ballydoyle's Wingspan (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) passing two out and soon had her measure en route to a two-length success, with three lengths back to Tiffany (Ire) (Farhh {GB}) in third. Proper filly! Kalpana takes the QIPCO British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes at @Ascot for @WilliamBuickX, @AndrewBalding2 and @JuddmonteFarms… pic.twitter.com/j6ZJwQQ5St — At The Races (@AtTheRaces) October 19, 2024 The post Study Of Man’s Kalpana Wins The Fillies & Mares For Juddmonte appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Owners Club hosted the world's first-ever virtual Champions Day race at Ascot on Saturday. Over 10,000 players participated from across the UK, with 600 qualifying for the tournament, 60 making the finals and the top 12 participating in the live race, broadcast live on all screens across the racecourse. The virtual race was called by announcer Mike X, with In Her Majesty's Service, the virtual horse, winning for owner Vermdrago. The virtual race was powered by Owners Club's AI and Web3 technology. Each horse in the game boasts unique genetics, breeding traits, and training capabilities that simulate real-world racing dynamics, allowing players to train, breed, and race their own thoroughbred virtual horses in a fully immersive experience. Owners Club Virtual QIPCO Champions Day Champions Champion Stakes Winning Horse: HerMajestysService Owner: Vermdragon Long Distance Winning Horse: Newfie Queen Owner: Metabon6896 Sprint Winning Horse: Fury Owner: Phil Fillies and Mares Winning Horse: bojack Owner: walter lopez Queen Elizabeth II Cup Winning Horse: Mad Max Owner: Criptoharrier Owners Club CEO Jonathan Strause said, “The success of our virtual Champions Day race at Ascot marks a pivotal moment for both horse racing and gaming. This event proves that we can merge traditional sports with modern technology to create engaging, competitive experiences that attract new audiences while preserving the excitement and prestige of the sport.” The post Owners Club Crowns World’s First Virtual Champions Day AI Race Winner appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

James Fanshawe trainee and G1 King's Stand Stakes fourth Kind Of Blue (GB) (Blue Point {Ire}–Blues Sister {GB}, by Compton Place {GB}) was acquired by Wathnan Racing after a posting a second-place finish in last month's G1 Haydock Sprint Cup and provided an immediate return on investment with a brave success in Ascot's G1 Qipco British Champions Sprint Stakes. The 10-1 chance and 'TDN Rising Star' employed patient tactics from flagfall and settled off the tempo through halfway. Cruising into contention at the quarter-mile marker, he was ridden to the fore approaching the furlong pole and kept on in resolute fashion under a continued drive to hold the rallying Swingalong (Ire) (Showcasing {GB}) by a head. Flora Of Bermuda (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) contributed to a thrilling finale in the six-furlong dash and was a neck down in third, a half-length ahead of Beauvatier (Fr) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) in fourth. Qipco British Chp Sprint Stakes @Ascot #ChampionsDay |@ChampionsSeries Ascot – Groupe 1 – 3 ans et plus – 1200m – 20 Pts – Souple (3.5) – 580.695 € Kind Of Blue (m) (Gb) James Doyle @the_doyler Swingalong Flora Of Bermuda (Blue… pic.twitter.com/POfy8ki4Y2 — French and International Horse Racing (@Vincenzo0612) October 19, 2024 The post Blue Point’s Kind Of Blue Digs Deep For Group 1 Breakthrough appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Two weeks on from completing a facsimile of his banner 2022 season by notching a second victory in ParisLongchamp's G1 Prix du Cadran, Europe's dominant stayer Kyprios (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}–Polished Gem {Ire}, by Danehill) added lustre to a perfect 2024 campaign with a decisive success in Saturday's G2 Qipco British Champions Long Distance Cup at Ascot. Ballydoyle's star went postward as the 8-11 favourite to gain compensation for a neck defeat in this two-mile contest last year and stalked pacesetting stablemate The Euphrates (GB) (Frankel {GB}) until turning for home. Easing ahead approaching the quarter-mile marker, he subdued closest pursuer Sweet William (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) before entering the final furlong and stayed on powerfully in the closing stages to win by 2 1/4 lengths with plenty in reserve. Sweet William's stablemate and defending champion Trawlerman (Ire) (Golden Horn {GB}) ran on to good effect and finished 1 1/2 lengths adrift in third. King Kyprios The best stayer of his generation wins his first QIPCO British Champions Long Distance Cup in style What a mighty horse he is @coolmorestud | @Ballydoyle pic.twitter.com/McGEfuiD6I — Champions Series (@ChampionsSeries) October 19, 2024 The post Kyprios Too Good For Eight Rivals in Ascot’s G2 Long Distance Cup appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Two weeks after his brilliant Group One breakthrough in the Epsom Handicap (1600m), the New Zealand-bred rising superstar Ceolwulf (NZ) (Tavistock) conquered an even stronger line-up over the same course and distance in Saturday’s A$5 million Gr.1 King Charles III Stakes (1600m) at Randwick. Ceolwulf began his four-year-old season without any stakes wins to his name, but he hinted at a bright future at that level with runner-up finishes in the Gr.1 Rosehill Guineas (2000m) and Gr.1 Australian Derby (2400m) in the autumn. The Tavistock gelding broke his black-type drought in style with a stunning finish out of the pack in the Epsom on October 5, more than vindicating trainer Joe Pride’s enormous and long-standing belief in his ability. Pride had no hesitation in taking on some of Australia’s very best racehorses under weight-for-age conditions on Saturday, and Ceolwulf rose to the occasion and raised the bar again. Rider Chad Scofield admitted that his pre-race plan went out the window after a relatively slow beginning, with Ceolwulf ending up well back in seventh and a big margin behind the brilliant front-runner Pride Of Jenni. That Trelawney Stud-bred mare won three Group One races last season in blistering all-the-way style, and she rounded the Randwick home turn on Saturday as the reigning Australian Horse of the Year and the one they all had to catch. My Oberon was the first to move up alongside Pride Of Jenni, but she saw him coming and dug deep to gradually turn back his challenge. Then Schofield unleashed Ceolwulf down the middle of the track, and he powered past the great mare in the final few strides to score a scintillating win by three-quarters of a length. “That was breathtaking,” Schofield said. “I thought he was super in the Epsom, but that was even better. “He didn’t jump that well, so I had to go to plan B and settle a bit further back than I wanted. Once I got him into the clear in the straight, he gave me the most amazing turn of foot. “This is probably a changing of the guard. He’s the new one. He’s a machine. We know the stamina he’s got, and now we’re seeing that turn of foot. It’s very rare for a horse to have both of those things, and he’s just the best-tempered horse as well. He’s improving all the time too, which is scary.” Ceolwulf has now had 14 starts for four wins, five placings and more than A$4.75 million in stakes. “I certainly thought he could go out there and do that today,” Pride said. “And I said to the owners that if it doesn’t happen this year, it’ll happen next year. “I’ve been very confident that he’s on that path towards being one of the best horses around. After today, he’s there. He’s on his way. I think he’s already a star. “We gelded him after his three-year-old season. I’ll probably have some of the owners ask why we did that now, but I think he’s a better horse now as a gelding. “I’m just really grateful to have come across a horse like this. The world’s his oyster.” Ceolwulf was bred by Cambridge Stud owners Brendan and Jo Lindsay and is a son of the Shamardal mare Las Brisas. Ceolwulf is a graduate of the 2022 New Zealand Bloodstock Ready to Run Sale, where Pride and part-owner Leighton Howl went to $170,000 to secure him from Riversley Park’s draft. View the full article

The Gr.3 TAB Counties Cup (2100m) and Gr.3 Skycity Hamilton Waikato Cup (2400m) are looming large on the horizon for The Odyssey (NZ) (Zacinto) after a dominant win in the Elsdon Park (2100m) at Ellerslie on Saturday. Bred and raced by Gareth Downey and Mel Gamble, the Zacinto gelding emerged on the scene with four wins from seven starts last season including the inaugural $350,000 Remutaka Classic (2100m) at Trentham in January. The early stages of The Odyssey’s 2024 spring campaign had been a story of strong finishes that were just slightly too late, running fourth at Ruakaka on August 17, third at Hastings on September 7 and fourth again at Matamata on October 2. The Hastings and Matamata runs both came from wide gates. The Odyssey was drawn much better in gate three for Saturday’s $65,000 open handicap at Ellerslie, and jockey Courtney Barnes gave him a comfortable run in fifth along the rail. Barnes angled the chestnut away from the fence with 500m remaining, and by the home turn, The Odyssey was looming ominously on the outside of the front-running My Maebelline Girl and Quality Time. The Odyssey changed gears in the straight and quickly put the result beyond doubt, opening up a three-length winning margin over Arby and My Maebelline Girl. Trained at Cambridge by Ben and Ryan Foote, The Odyssey has now had 13 starts for five wins, two placings and $289,170 in stakes. “That was a good win today, we’re very happy with that,” Ben Foote said. “He finally drew a barrier, which has been quite rare for our stable lately. He’s been drawing bad barriers in his last couple and getting a long way back, which makes it a lot harder for him. The better draw made a big difference for him today and Courtney gave him a nice run. “We’ll probably carry on towards races like the Counties Cup and Waikato Cup. I think those sorts of races will be nice targets for him this season.” The Odyssey is one of six winners from only seven foals to race out of Downey and Gamble’s star mare Macavelli Miss, who herself won six races including the Gr.1 Thorndon Mile (1600m). The best-performed of the Vettori mare’s progeny is Mac De Lago, who won the Gr.1 Gold Challenge (1600m) at Greyville in South Africa. Four-race winner Fleetwood Maca placed in the Gr.2 Eight Carat Classic (1600m) at Ellerslie, while Gaugin boasts seven wins, De Good Habit five and The Odyssey and Danish Rock four each. View the full article

The 2024 King Charles III Stakes at Royal Randwick delivered a thrilling finish, with Joe Pride‘s untapped four-year-old star Ceolwulf emerging victorious to cap off a dramatic The Everest Day that saw both highs and lows for the trainer. Earlier on the day there was a tense moment as Pride’s former The Everest champion, Think […] The post 2024 King Charles III Stakes Winner Ceolwulf Full of Pride appeared first on HorseRacing.com.au. View the full article

Andrea Atzeni’s undercard second the best result for the five riders, with Brenton Avdulla managing only eighth in The Everest.View the full article

Galloper bids to become just the second horse to win the Japanese Derby and Japanese St Leger in the past 51 years.View the full article