Wandering Eyes

Journalism (c, 2, Curlin–Mopotism, by Uncle Mo), an impressive maiden winner stretching to a mile second out at Del Mar Nov. 17, rolled past 'TDN Rising Star' Getaway Car (Curlin) in the stretch to win going away and key an exacta for his leading sire in Saturday's GII Los Alamitos Futurity. Heavily favored GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile runner-up Gaming (Game Winner) was third. The final time for 1 1/16 miles was 1:43.04. Journalism becomes the 110th stakes/64th graded winner worldwide for leading sire Curlin. Saturday, Los Alamitos LOS ALAMITOS FUTURITY-GII, $200,000, Los Alamitos, 12-14, 2yo, 1 1/16m, 1:43.04, ft. 1–JOURNALISM, 120, c, 2, by Curlin 1st Dam: Mopotism (GSW & MGISP, $876,090), by Uncle Mo 2nd Dam: Peppy Rafaela, by Bernardini 3rd Dam: Peppy Lapeau, by French Deputy 1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($825,000 Ylg '23 FTSAUG). O-Bridlewood Farm, Don Alberto Stable, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Elayne Stables 5 LLC and Robert V. LaPenta; B-Don Alberto Corporation (KY); T-Michael McCarthy; J-Umberto Rispoli. $120,000. Lifetime Record: 3-2-0-1, $158,880. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. 2–Getaway Car, 120, c, 2, Curlin–Surrender Now, by Morning Line. 'TDN Rising Star'. ($300,000 Wlg '22 KEENOV; $700,000 Ylg '23 KEESEP). O-SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, Stonestreet Stables LLC, Dianne Bashor, Determined Stables, Robert E. Masterson, Tom J. Ryan, Waves Edge Capital LLC and Catherine Donovan; B-Blue Heaven Farm & Curlin Syndicate (KY); T-Bob Baffert. $40,000. 3–Gaming, 120, c, 2, Game Winner–So Stylish, by Johannesburg. ($40,000 Ylg '23 KEESEP; $250,000 2yo '24 OBSMAR). O-Michael E. Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman; B-Mt. Brilliant Farm & Ranch, LLC (KY); T-Bob Baffert. $24,000. Margins: 3HF, 3, 6. Odds: 2.80, 3.70, 0.50. Also Ran: Rank, Mellencamp. Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV. JOURNALISM ($7.60) set out to make headlines in the $200,000 Los Alamitos Futurity (G2). The two-year-old son of Curlin was ridden by @umbyrispoli for trainer @mwmracing. Play the last of the day card and return for the Night card: https://t.co/UZoLIUWypE pic.twitter.com/AcXXimn75X — FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) December 15, 2024 The post Headline Horse: Curlin’s Journalism Impresses in Los Alamitos Futurity appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The Locomotive could be full steam ahead to New Zealand, Luke McCarthy wins elusive final and Cantfindabettorman gets some consolation in today’s wrap of the Inter Dominion Finals at Menangle. By Adam Hamilton Owner Glen Holland will look seriously at a New Zealand trip with newly crowned Inter Dominion winner The Locomotive. Holland said now the $NZ650,000 TAB Trot was confirmed for Cambridge in April, it was a serious option. Like Just Believe the past two years, The Locomotive made a clean sweep of the series, winning all three heats and the final, at Menanagle last night. It was The Locomotive’s eighth successive win and gave Goulburn trainer-driver Brad Hewitt his biggest moment at his first drive in an Inter Dominion final. “I’d never have thought it would come with a trotter, but it’s great,” he said. “You wouldn’t get an easier drive, either. He absolutely cruised in.” The Locomotive worked forward to take the lead from Keayang Chucky and dashed clear late to win by nine metres in a 1min55.3sec mile rate for 2300m, with closing splits of 55.7 and 28.3sec. Holland confirmed the five-year-old, who has been trained by Wayne Potter for much of his stellar juvenile career, would remain with Hewitt. “He’s Brad’s now. Whether we go to the Great Southern Star, over to the big NZ or up to Brisbane for that next Inter Dominion in July (next year,” he said. The Locomotive, a son of Muscle Mass, has raced 35 times for 22 wins and banked $485,758. Keayang Chucky ran a sound second, but had his chance, while unheralded stablemate Keayang Stuka – the find of the series – smashed the clock from a mile back to finish a clear third. X X X The Hunter Cup is the next big target for newly crowned Inter Dominion hero Don Hugo. Trainer-driver Luke McCarthy said a “hit and run” trip on Victoria’s marquee race at Melton on February 1 was most likely. “There’s a chance he could go to Ballarat, but more likely I’ll just keep him at home where he loves it and go for the Hunter Cup only,” he said. McCarthy ticked the only missing big box of his career with a monstrous Inter Dominion pacing final win on Don Hugo at Menangle last night. McCarthy added the iconic race to the Miracle Mile, Hunter Cup, Victoria Cup and TAB Eureka on his trophy cabinet and this time trained the winner himself, too. It was his 11th drive in a pacing final. “It’s a great one to get off the Bucket List, it’s taken me a few goes,” McCarthy said. Don Hugo capped a stunning rise to prominence, having burst into the big league winning the world’s richest harness race, the $A2.1mil TAB Eureka at Menangle back on September 7. “He was good then, he’s better now. That’s the great thing, every time he goes out for a break he comes back better and he’s still only a four-year-old,” McCarthy said. “If he keeps building, he’ll be up with the best I’ve driven. He has to be.” Don Hugo, who survived a stunning slugfest with star WA warrior Minstrel over the last 700m, obliterated the track record with a 1min50.4sec mile rate for 2300m, taking a full second off the previous mark. McCarthy, 42, has been a megastar of the sport for 15 years. He boasts almost 3000 wins, 80 at Group 1 level, plus a World Trotting Derby win in the US. Minstrel’s effort for second was outstanding, while David Aiken’s remarkable rising nine-year-old Max Delight ran a terrific third. X X X Champion driver Chris Alford was left wondering what might have been after winning the Inter Dominion pacing consolation on former Kiwi gelding Cantfindabettorman. The Isabel Walsh-trained five-year-old was one of the stars of the first round of heats in the series, but didn’t handle the travel to Bathurst well on night two, which derailed his final hopes. “He wasn’t himself in the race at Bathurst and then didn’t back-up a few days later in the last heat at Menangle, which cost us making the final,” Walsh said. But Alford left nothing to chance by pushing forward to take the lead from gate four and dictating terms last night. “Isabel and Pete (Walsh) have done a great job to pick him back up in a week and he felt a lot more like his best tonight,” he said. “He’d have been very competitive in the final at his best, but winning this (consolation) is a good result from where we were.” Cantfindabettorman, raced by Diane Reilly who had 2022 Inter Dominion winner I Cast No Shadow, will now return to Victoria to lock horns with Tact McLeod and others in the major country cups ahead of the Hunter Cup. View the full article

It was a big day for owners like Sheila Rosenblum and NY Final Furlong Racing Stable. But it was a huge day for first-year stallion Honest Mischief. View the full article

Bill Knauf, a long-time executive at Monmouth Park, has been named the president and general manager of the non-profit entity the Maryland Jockey Club Inc. that is set to take control of Maryland's two major Thoroughbred tracks starting Jan. 1. The announcement of his hiring was made by the Maryland Thoroughbred Racetrack Authority (MTRA), a non-profit group modeled after the New York Racing Association, which operates racing at Aqueduct, Belmont and Saratoga. The Maryland tracks were transferred to the MTRA by The Stronach Group, which donated them to the state after years of operating at a loss. His duties in Maryland will include overseeing the rebuild of Pimlico, made possible by a $400 million investment in the facility approved by the Maryland General Assembly and Gov. Wes Moore. Once Pimlico has been rebuilt, racing will cease at Laurel. Knauf, 51, served as Vice President of Business Development at Monmouth Park and is a graduate of Tufts University and the University of Arizona's racetrack industry program. Knauf sat down recently with the TDN to discuss his role at the Maryland tracks and his vision for the future. TDN: Maryland racing has a lot of problems and challenges that need to be overcome going forward. But that also means you have the chance to be at the forefront of a renaissance in Maryland. How exciting is that? BK: I am incredibly excited. For a racetrack operator to be able to build a racetrack or to be involved with building a new racetrack at Pimlico is incredible. It's a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Maryland racing has such great history. I grew up in upstate New York but I paid attention to Maryland racing and the Preakness was something I always paid attention to. I loved the race and I loved the history. Managing a Triple Crown race is a dream come true, as well. Everything combined made this an incredible opportunity that I could not turn down. TDN: One of the biggest changes going forward is that the Maryland tracks will not go head-to-head with Colonial Downs when that track is running. Was it difficult to get your horsemen to agree to that? BK: The horsemen here have been great. Some of those talks about taking off when Colonial is running started before I got here. Everybody is really on board with making the circuit work for everyone. The horsemen are completely in sync with us when it comes to reducing days and finding what the right amount of days is. Every year we are going to learn something. The horsemen are aligned with us. It's something I am familiar with from working at Monmouth because the horsemen there leased the racetrack. When we decided we had to reduce days it was natural to look at that July, August period because that's when Colonial ramps up and they wanted to run more days. The conversation between their horsemen and our horsemen was open and productive. I think this will be a great thing for the industry. TDN: The Stronach Group cut purses going into 2024. Can you maintain the current purse levels or will further cuts take place? BK: We will maintain them to start. Hopefully, we will turn around the wagering trend that has been happening in Maryland. We're going to do some things differently. We're going to do some marketing things differently. Stronach had three tracks and they went at it from a corporate standpoint. We will be more focused on on-site attendance. We will be trying to get people to come out to the track. We will look at what we can offer from a wagering standpoint. An example might be to focus on our 12 percent Pick 5 takeout. I think that's something that's been overshadowed but it is great for the bettors. I think our marketing plan moving forward will reflect that. Hopefully, we can turn things around and increase purses. But the purses starting the new year will be very comparable to what they were in 2024. TDN: Clearly The Stronach Group was losing money operating these racetracks, otherwise they wouldn't have wanted to get out. Since the new entity is a non-profit there should be less pressure to turn a profit. That said, no one wants to lose money. How do make these racetracks profitable? BK: There are a lot of changes operationally that we will look at. One, there have been two tracks and we will be going to one. That's a big plus. We will consolidate to one operation. We'll be at Laurel for the next two years and then in 2027 we will swing over to Pimlico and have just one racetrack. Albeit, we will also be adding a training center in that time frame. I think the consolidation will certainly help us to control costs. When you are losing money and you want to turn it around, that's not something that can be done immediately. You start with the little things. At Monmouth we were constantly working on new ways to generate revenue. You can only control costs so much. You have to run racing and be cognizant of track safety. That's not an area where we would ever cut corners. The answer then is to grow revenue. Whether it's sports wagering, an ADW platform, fixed odds, all these ancillary items can add up to additional revenue. That's how you do it, you claw your way back. TDN: Next to Kentucky, Maryland might be the most passionate state in the country when it comes to its love of horses and racing. Have you sensed that, how important horse racing is to the general populous of the state? BK: Absolutely. One of the things I will never forget is after I got the job and made my first road trip to Maryland I had to stop at one of the rest stops. As soon as I walked in I saw on the wall a huge mural of Thoroughbreds. The only other one they had was of a crab. Crabs and horses. That really hit home, that this is a horse state. Now that I have been here a couple of months I have had conversations not just with the horsemen but with the breeders. I am thoroughly impressed by how much passion there is in this state for the horse. You can feel it. There is a great history here. There is nobody in this state that doesn't want racing to succeed. It feels great because I know there aren't a lot of states out there that show the same sentiment. As we hopefully turn the racing around we hope that will spur on all the other components of the industry, including the breeding industry. We're going to have a new training center and that might attract new outfits into the state. I think the next two or three years will mark a reinvigoration of racing in this state. TDN: You don't have slots or a casino, but at the same time the casino industry contributes to the purse account. The Stronach Group let the horsemen know they needed help and were hoping to get a slice of the casino revenue for themselves. Where do things stand with that? As the new operators, will you be looking to get some of that casino money? BK: No. We're not going to get any of the slot money. That is earmarked just for purses. In the bill, the horseman will have certain obligations after 2027 if the non-profit cannot remain profitable. If we show a deficit the horsemen will have to assist us with that deficit. TDN: The spacing of the Preakness has been a hot button issue for years. The Stronach Group came out publicly to express its desire to have more spacing between the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness. Fortunately or unfortunately, that never went anywhere. Will the new Maryland Jockey Club campaign for there to be more time between the Triple Crown races? BK: I haven't had any conversations on this subject yet. When I was at Monmouth, I certainly heard a lot of chatter about the spacing of the races. We have not had any discussions concerning the spacing of the races. I am sure we will at some point. But I have no idea where that will go. TDN: What changes can we expect when it comes to the wagering menu? BK: Looking at their wagering menu since I've been here I think it's pretty solid. They have rolling multi-race wagers, which I think is important. I love the 12 percent Pick 5. That was one of my favorite bets at Monmouth and we made it a key focus. For me, I love those type of bets because once you've handicapped five races you are more prone to bet on the races individually. Maybe down the line and when I have a better feel for things, we might look at guaranteed pools on certain days. I mentioned fixed odds. I think we will look at implementing fixed odds wagering here. I am very familiar with it from my time at Monmouth. While it didn't really take off as of yet at Monmouth that has been because there has not been enough content as there could be in terms of tracks they can take. The players at Monmouth who were betting it loved the fact that they had the opportunity to lock in their prices and their bets weren't susceptible to any late odds drops. TDN: You had a long run at Monmouth, one of the nicest tracks in the country. How bittersweet was it to have to leave there? BK: It really is. Great reflection was due because I started there at ground zero as a marketing assistant 26 years ago. I was so lucky to have such great people to learn from, starting with marketing. I worked with Bobby Kulina for a long time and also for Dennis Drazin and Bill Anderson. I had the primary responsibility of running the Breeders' Cup in 2007. A lot of memories have come flooding back. At the same time, I was extremely confident that this was the right move at the right time. As I learned more about what is going to happen here this just wasn't something I could turn down. Monmouth will always hold a special place in my heart. Now that we're not running in July and August I can hopefully get down there some next summer. TDN: I would imagine some people currently working at Laurel and Pimlico are nervous about their futures because a new management team is coming in. Do you anticipate a lot of personnel changes? BK: We have actually carried over everybody from the existing Maryland Jockey Club over to 2025. We are going to roll with that. I am fortunate that the executive staff that I am working with here has many, many years of experience and are well respected around the industry. I didn't know any of them prior to getting here but I feel that since we all lived at racetracks all of our professional lives the transition has gone incredibly well. They've been unbelievable to work with. I feel right at home and I know there is a great team here. We will reshape the ideas of the new Maryland Jockey Club. Sometimes, there may have been different policies under the old administration. We will have a little more flexibility to try things out. The post A Q&A With Bill Knauf appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Spendthrift Farm LLC's Tuscan Sky (Vino Rosso) was among several horses Saturday morning tuning up for Pegasus World Cup Preview card held next Saturday at Gulfstream Park. Trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, the 3-year-old breezed a half-mile at Palm Beach Downs in preparation for the GIII Harlan's Holiday Stakes, a prep for the $3 million GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational Jan. 25 at Gulfstream. Tuscan Sky, who is coming off a runner-up finish in the Discovery Stakes at Aqueduct Nov. 3, turned in the fastest clocking (:47.89) at the distance (1/24). He worked in company and finished on even terms with Spendthrift Farm LLC's Major Dude (Bolt d'Oro), an entrant for Saturday's GII Fort Lauderdale Stakes, a prep for the GI Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational. “Major Dude and Tuscan Sky breezed together. Both went well and both have been training well,” Pletcher said. Wathnan Racing's Tumbarumba (Oscar Performance), who is coming off a fourth-place finish in the GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile at Del Mar, breezed an easy five furlongs in 1:02.75 (9/12) for the Harlan's Holiday at Palm Meadows. Others slated to run in the Harlan's Holiday include: Saffie Joseph Jr.-trained Digital Ops (Nyquist); Bill Mott-trained Rocket Can (Into Mischief), who captured the GIII Holy Bull and finished second in the GII Fountain of Youth at Gulfstream last year; and Bobby Dibona-trained Steal Sunshine (Constitution), the winner of the 2023 GII Gulfstream Park Mile. Whisper Hill Farm's Grand Sonata (Medaglia d'Oro) also represented Pletcher on the Palm Beach Downs worktab while preparing for a scheduled start in the Fort Lauderdale. The 5-year-old, who most recently finished off the board in the GI Breeders' Cup Turf, was timed in :49.91 (8/24) for a leisurely half mile. Grand Sonata captured the GII Turf Cup Stakes at Kentucky Downs prior to the Breeders' Cup. Pletcher's fellow Hall of Famers Mark Casse and Shug McGaughey will also be involved in the Fort Lauderdale. Casse-trained Win for the Money (Mohaymen), who finished off the board in the GI Breeders' Cup Mile after capturing the GI Woodbine Mile, and McGaughey-trained Fort Washington (War Front), who captured the GIII Monmouth Stakes, are entered to start. Emmanuel (More Than Ready), a former Pletcher trainee now conditioned by Michael Maker, is also entered in the Fort Lauderdale. Pletcher was also pleased Saturday with Team Valor International LLC's Bless My Stars (Saf) (Gimmethegreenlight {Aus}), who is scheduled to make her U.S, debut in Saturday's Suwannee River Stakes, a mile turf stakes for fillies and mares that will serve as a prep for the GII Pegasus World Cup Filly & Mare Turf. The South African-bred 5-year-old mare, who is Group 1-placed and a Group 2 winner, breezed a half mile in :49.89 (6/24) at Palm Beach Downs. “We've been getting her acclimated and she's settled in well,” Pletcher said. The post Runners Get Final Works Before Pegasus Preview Day appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Valene Farms' Smoken Wicked became the first stakes winner for first-crop stallion Bobby's Wicked One in scoring a two-length victory over Hay Jude in the $100,000 Louisiana Champions Day Juvenile Stakes Dec. 14 at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots.View the full article

For the second year in a row Saratoga Race Course's Oklahoma dirt training track has maintained a gold standard for equine safety.View the full article

Set-Hut's Touchuponastar became a millionaire and a consecutive three-time Louisiana Champions Day Classic Stakes winner with an effortless front-running victory in the $150,000 state-bred race Dec. 14 at Fair Grounds. View the full article

Vassimo (c, 2, Nyquist–Bsharpsonata, by Pulpit) worked four furlongs in :49 3/5 (12/25) out of the gate at Palm Beach Downs Dec. 6 and was off at odds of 2-1 in his debut run for Todd Pletcher at Gulfstream Park Saturday. Drawn widest of all in post nine going a one-turn mile, he stalked the leaders in a three-wide third through an opening quarter in :24.11. The bay hit the gas to take a narrow advantage on the far turn and was quickly joined by the slightly favored fellow firster Rapture (Uncle Mo) as they approached the top of the stretch. Rapture made a bold bid nearing the eighth pole, but Vassimo was still going strong, and turned that foe back to win by a length. Bsharpsonata, also responsible for a yearling colt by Silver State, was bred to Epicenter for 2025. The half-sister to GII Sanford Stakes winner and Bashford Manor Stakes winner Backtalk (Smarty Jones) brought $375,000 from Sierra Farm in foal to American Pharoah at the 2016 KEENOV sale. Sales history: $120,000 yrl '23 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0. O-Team Penney Racing; B-Sierra Farm (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher. Vassimo scores his first career win in the 9th race, @iradortiz gets his third victory today! #GulfstreamPark #ChampionshipMeet pic.twitter.com/EdinZlkvO4 — Gulfstream Park (@GulfstreamPark) December 14, 2024 The post Nyquist Juvenile Vassimo Digs Down Gamely on Debut at Gulfstream appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Sacrosanct (Honest Mischief) maintained his flawless record by the closest margin of his career when winning the New York Stallion Series Great White Way Stakes. A winner at first-asking Aug. 21 at Saratoga, he parlayed that unveiling into a 12-length tour-de-force in the Sept. 22 New York-bred restricted Bertram F. Bongard Stakes and secured his third victory in a row last out Oct. 27 at this venue in the Sleepy Hollow Stakes. Stalking the early pace and pressing from the outside behind :22.30 and :45.01 early splits, he made his move on the turn to take a narrow advantage nearing the quarter pole as that frontrunner threw out a white flag. Bracing for the oncoming challenge of National Identity (Solomini), the pair locked horns to the wire where Sacrosanct got the best of the photo. Smilensaycheese (Solomini) held on to third. “They set an honest pace. He broke maybe a step slow–waiting down there [inside] for everyone to load–but Manny [Franco] gave him a really good head's up ride to tip him to the outside of the pacesetter,” said Dustin Dugas, Brad Cox's assistant trainer. “They were setting an honest pace and when the runner-up came up to him, he really dug in. I was really happy with the horse.” Manny Franco, who rode the horse since his debut at Saratoga, was thrilled with the progression he's seen since then, adding, “This is a nice horse, since the beginning when I got on him in Saratoga. We knew we had a great New York-bred, so he didn't disappoint.” Sacrosanct is the most recent to the races for Vibrato, whose second foal Navit (Lord Nelson) earned black-type in Puerto Rico, and her first North American Listed winner. Their dam has two colts in the wings–a yearling Instagrand and a 2024 Honest Mischief. She was bred back to the latter for 2025. Vibrato is a daughter of multiple Listed winner Cuff Me (Officer), who earned both of her stakes win on the New York circuit. The heavy favorite #2 SACROSANCT ($3.10) is now a perfect 4 for 4 in his career as he dug in and showed all heart fighting back on the inside to win the $500,000 NYSS Great White Way at Aqueduct. @jockeyfranco was in the irons for @bradcoxracing. Watch more on @FanDuelTV. pic.twitter.com/xHLwZMME5f — FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) December 14, 2024 NEW YORK STALLION SERIES S., $500,000, Aqueduct, 12-14, (C), 2yo, 7f, 1:24.10, ft. 1–SACROSANCT, 122, c, 2, by Honest Mischief 1st Dam: Vibrato, by Unbridled's Song 2nd Dam: Cuff Me, by Officer 3rd Dam: She'sgotgoldfever, by Gold Fever ($260,000 2yo '24 EASMAY). O-Lady Sheila Stable, Net Birdie, LLC and Schwing Thoroughbreds; B-Burleson Farms, Mckenzie Bloodstock, & Sequel Thoroughbreds (NY); T-Brad H. Cox; J-Manuel Franco. $275,000. Lifetime Record: 4-4-0-0, $503,250. 2–National Identity, 120, c, 2, Solomini–Cheyenne Autumn, by Indian Charlie. ($150,000 Ylg '23 SARAUG). 1ST BLACK TYPE. O-Reeves Thoroughbred Racing; B-Hunter Valley Farm (NY); T-Danny Gargan. $100,000. 3–Smilensaycheese, 120, c, 2, Solomini–Picture Day, by Include. ($50,000 Ylg '23 SARAUG). 1ST BLACK TYPE. O-Paradise Farms Corp., David Staudacher, Carlesimo, Angelo and JP Racing Stable; B-McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds, LLC & Greenleaf Farm, LLC (NY); T-Michael J. Maker. $60,000. Margins: HD, 2 3/4, 5. Odds: 0.55, 17.10, 28.25. Also Ran: Soontobeking, Twohonestmischief, Buttah, Bold Fortune, Missing Rocks. Scratched: Friend Ofthe Devil, Man in Finance. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV. The post Honest Mischief’s Sacrosanct Still Perfect After Game NYSS Great White Way Effort appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Kiwi driver Sam Thornley had the perfect finale in clinching the Australasian Young Drivers’ Championships (AYDC) in Sydney last night. Driving in the first race on Inter Dominion Finals night at Menangle, Thornley teamed up with top Kiwi pacer Tact McLeod in the ninth and final heat of the championships and they left nothing to chance by leading throughout to win easily. It is Thornley’s first win in the championships, though he had finished second previously, and he became the sixth Kiwi to win the championships in the last 12 years. It means a lot,” said Thornley post race, “a lot of it came down to the horses and the draws.” “It was all good.” Thornley went to the top of the New South Wales-based championships with a win and a second placing at Bathurst on night two, and he was never headed. He ended up with 93 points, 27 clear of his nearest rival. Final standings (after 9 heats) : Sam Thornley (New Zealand) 93 Will Rixon (New South Wales) 66 Ewa Justice (Victoria) 63 Jacob Duggan (Tasmania) 62 Taleah McMullen (Queensland) 56 Kerryn Tomlinson (New Zealand) 55 Josh Gallagher (New South Wales) 53 Corey Johnson (South Australia) 49 Kyle Symington (Western Australia) 47 Crystal Hackett (New Zealand) 42 “It was great to share a win like that with Sam,” Tact McLeod’s trainer Mark Jones said. “What a way for him to finish the series and a great way for us to get this Aussie campaign underway with the horse.” Tact McLeod was a late entry for the Inter Dominion itself, but an untimely hoof abscess forced him out just days before it started. “He was pretty close tonight, but will definitely benefit from it because he hadn’t trialled,” Jones said. “He’ll go straight down to Anthony (Butt) and Sonya (Smith) for three or four races in Victoria. “The Bendigo Cup is on January 4 and then there’s Shepparton, Ballarat and Hunter Cups after that. I’ll let them decide. “He’s shown he’s got the makings of a nice horse and now he just needs experience in these better races, which he’ll get in Victoria.” Tact McLeod blasted straight to the front and rolled along for a 1min50.4sec mile, winning by 7.9m. Thornley meanwhile heads home with the junior drivers’ premiership set for a thrilling finish. He leads with 60 wins in 2024, with Carter Dalgety on 58 and Wilson House on 57. While he’s away both his rivals will be in action on the grass at Rangiora today. View the full article

By Mike Love Harness racing returns to the grass at Rangiora today with an entertaining 10-race programme set to get underway at 12:32pm. Headlining the card is the $25,000 New World Rangiora Summer Cup. Favourite for the race Audacity will look to keep his perfect Rangiora grass track record as he aims for more country cups glory. He’s won two from two on the grass at Rangiora and three from seven overall in 2024. McQueens Valley trainer Steve Harding is confident of a forward showing by his upcoming stable star. “He likes the track so hopefully he can keep that record intact,” said trainer Steve Harding. Having just his 13th career start today, Audacity is looking to back up his dominant Akaroa Cup win on November 30. “He’s come through that run really well. He had the toughest run and was too good.” Ross Cameron will pilot the five-year-old gelding by Sir Lincoln whose main job will be getting him away. “As long as he steps. That’s been his problem at the moment but he’s stepped alright the last couple of starts, so fingers crossed.” “Ross has done a really good job with him. Teaching him how to race, he’s really starting to come to it.” Audacity is the current favourite ($2.45FF) and will need to come off a 10 metre unruly handicap. Xlendi ($3.50FF) looks a big danger starting off the front for trainer Bob Butt and may look to dominate early with manners. Arguably the value will come with last week’s Geraldine Cup winner Bryce’s Meddle ($14.00FF) starting off 20 metres, while the Laurence Hanrahan pair Tanzania ($13.00FF) and Woodbine Rocks ($11.00FF) look value each way. Cameron trains and drives Lonnekers ($7.50FF) in Race 3, the Peter Bagrie Memorial who will be having his third race day start, and he will also drive Jose Quivera in Race 10, the Balcairn Stockfoods mobile pace. Another feature event on the programme is Race 9, the $20,000 North Canterbury Trotting Handicap over the 2600m which the current favourite is Masterly at $3.70FF for trainer Paul Nairn with Bob Butt to drive. View the full article

If it's Louisiana Champions Day, that means it's Touchuponastar (Star Guitar) day and the 5-year-old did not disappoint in winning the Champions Day Classic for the third consecutive season. Drawn widest while facing four others, the gelding poked his head in front with a circuit to travel and lobbed them along through a half-mile in :49.48 while tracked along by Benoit (Closing Argument). Held together on the turn by Tim Thornton, he remained under a double hammerlock while opening at will into the final furlong and cruised home untouched. The paid workout–his 10th added-money success–took his career earnings past the $1-million threshold. After making this contest his sixth victory from seven outings last season, Touchuponastar had added another pair of restricted stakes wins this season while finishing runner-up in the local GII New Orleans Classic in March and was just touched off in the GIII Steve Sexton Mile in May. In his lone try since, Touchuponastar was third in defense of his title in the Nov. 8 Delta Mile Stakes. From the family of sires Sky Mesa and Bernstein, Touchuponastar has a yearling full-brother, a weanling half-sister by Maxfield–both foaled in Louisiana–and his dam was most recently covered by Flightline. Click for the Equibase.com chart. LOUISIANA CHAMPIONS DAY CLASSIC S., $150,000, Fair Grounds, 12-14, (S), 3yo/up, 1 1/8m, 1:50.93, ft. 1–TOUCHUPONASTAR, 124, g, 5, Star Guitar–Touch Magic (SW & GSP, $243,871), by Lion Heart. ($15,000 Ylg '20 TTAYHR). O-Set-Hut LLC; B-Coteau Grove Farms LLC (LA); T-Jeff Delhomme; J-Timothy Thornton. $90,000. Lifetime Record: MGSP, 19-13-4-2, $1,022,900. 2–Benoit, 120, g, 4, Closing Argument–Katiebarthedoor, by English Channel. O-Stacey Moak; B-Joseph Tosterud (LA); T-Joe O Duhon. $30,000. 3–Cosmic Train, 124, g, 5, Klimt–Cosmic Emergency, by Any Given Saturday. ($55,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP; $19,000 RNA 2yo '21 OBSAPR). O-Delanie J Calais Jr; B-Coteau Grove Farms LLC (LA); T-Jerry Delhomme. $16,500. Margins: 5 1/4, 8HF, 1. Odds: 0.20, 19.50, 4.10. Also Ran: Tdzshininluckystar, Allnight Moonlight. Congrats to @CoteauGrove the Delhommes and Timmy T on this amazing horse! 3 Champions Day Classics in a row!! @louisianabred @StarGuitarLA @LAHorseReporter https://t.co/yJfQzwLEXs — Andrew Cary (@CaryBloodstock) December 14, 2024 The post Touchuponastar Wins Third Straight LA Champions Day Classic, Now a Millionaire appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The final legal case arising out of Medina Spirit's disqualification from the 2021 Kentucky Derby (G1) likely has finished out of the money with the dismissal of a damages lawsuit brought by a group of bettors.View the full article

There are six horse racing meetings set for Australia on Sunday, December 15. Our racing analysts here at horsebetting.com.au have found you the best bets and the quaddie numbers for Bendigo, Nowra & Sha Tin (HK). Sunday’s Free Horse Racing Tips – December 15, 2024 Bendigo Racing Tips Nowra Racing Tips Sha Tin (HK) Racing Tips As always, there are plenty of promotions available for Australian racing fans. Check out all the top online bookmakers to see what daily promotions they have. If you are looking for a new bookmaker for the horse racing taking place on December 15, 2024 check out our guide to the best online racing betting sites. Neds Code GETON 1 Take It To The Neds Level Neds Only orange bookie! Check Out Neds Review 18+ Gamble Responsibly. What are you really gambling with? Set a deposit limit today. “GETON is not a bonus code. Neds does not offer bonus codes in Australia and this referral code does not grant access to offers. Full terms. BlondeBet Signup Code GETON 2 Punters Prefer Blondes BlondeBet Blonde Boosts – Elevate your prices! Join BlondeBet Review 18+ Gamble Responsibly. WHAT ARE YOU REALLY GAMBLING WITH? full terms. 3 Next Gen Racing Betting pickleBet Top 4 Betting. Extra Place. Every Race. Join Picklebet Review 18+ Gamble Responsibly. What are you really gambling with? Full terms. Recommended! 4 It Pays To Play PlayUp Aussie-owned horse racing specialists! Check Out PlayUp Review 18+ Gamble Responsibly. Imagine what you could be buying instead. Full terms. Dabble Signup Code AUSRACING 5 Say Hey to the social bet! Dabble You Better Believe It Join Dabble Review 18+ Gamble Responsibly. THINK. IS THIS A BET YOU REALLY WANT TO PLACE? Full terms. Bet365 Signup Code GETON 6 Never Ordinary Bet365 World Favourite! Visit Bet365 Review 18+ Gamble Responsibly. GETON is not a bonus code. bet365 does not offer bonus codes in Australia and this referral code does not grant access to offers. What’s gambling really costing you? Full terms. Horse racing tips View the full article

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6th-OP, $110K, Msw, 2yo, f, 6f, 3:50 p.m. ET. AVERY'S MISCHIEF (Curlin) makes the races for Stonestreet and trainer Steve Asmussen. The homebred is the first foal for GI Humana Distaff Stakes heroine Mia Mischief (Into Mischief), who the farm made the fourth highest return–at $2.4 million–when they bid successfully during the 2019 Fasig-Tipton November Sale. Earning over $1.2 million on the racetrack, this dam certainly took to Oaklawn's course, as she netted a pair of black-types there and never finished worse than second over six attempts. Also set for her first start is Barbie's Dream (Authentic), who was bred by H. Allen Poindexter and will carry his colors. The John Ortiz trainee is out of SP Kid Majic (Lemon Drop Kid), who is responsible for 10 foals, seven to race and four winners. Among them is dual Canadian champion Miss Mischief (Into Mischief), SP Mind Out (Tapit) and the unraced dam of MGISP Rowayton (Into Mischief). Kid Majic's half-siblings include GISW J P's Gusto (Successful Appeal) and the dam of champion older dirt female Letruska (Super Saver). Barbie's Dream claims among her extended female family members champion 3-year-old filly Proud Spell (Proud Citizen). TJCIS PPS The post Sunday Insight: GISW Mia Mischief’s First Foal Warmed Up For Unveiling In Hot Springs appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Oscar Performance (Kitten's Joy) was an outstanding turf horse, winning four Grade I's on the grass. And he's been a quality stallion, with his progeny headlined by the likes of Grade I winner Trikari and four other graded winners. Like most horses labeled `turf sires,' Oscar Performance, who stands at Mill Ridge Farm, was always going to be up against it in a country where breeders and buyers aren't necessarily looking for grass horses. European buyers don't need to buy horses by American turf stallions when they have so many top sires of their own. Oscar Performance has done well enough that his stud fee has been raised to $45,000, but it was always going to take something special to happen for him to get into the upper tier of the stallion ranks. Maybe that is going to happen after all. When Erika Endive won a Dec. 8 maiden race at Kyoto in Japan, she became the fourth Oscar Performance to win over there and kept her stallion's record perfect. Only four Oscar Performances have run in Japan and all four have won. “To have Oscar Performances at 4-for-4 in a country that has some of the best turf racing in the world is beyond any sort of dream,” said Mill Ridge's general manager Price Bell. That doesn't mean that Japanese buyers are going to converge in large number at 2025 sales to buy sons or daughters of Oscar Performance, but it probably means they will at least take a second look at the catalogue page when coming across and Oscar Performance. That can only help. “The game has become so international,” Bell said. “Especially in the stallion game that we're trying to play we need as many markets as possible ready to buy up these horses. The Japanese have had tremendous success with American horses. If Oscar Performance can get known there and prosper there our commercial breeders will have a significant opportunity. We need to have as many markets and outlets as possible for them.” The other winners by Oscar Performance in in Japan are Your Destiny, a winner of five races, Oscar Brave, who also broke his maiden at Kyoyo, and Meiner Vision (JPN), a two-time winner from 15 starts. It's likely that Erika Endive will be the best of the bunch. Bell's father Headley bought her dam, Going Day (Daylami (Ire}) in 2004 for client George Strawbridge. Initially, she didn't have a lot of success as a broodmare and Strawbridge was ready to move on. He placed her in the 2014 Keeneland November sale and Headley Bell bought her for himself for $85,000. “Dad knew the mare, loved her as a foal and always loved the family,” Bell said. “When she became available, he wanted to take a shot. The family just blossomed but until Erika Endive came along you can't say that Going Day was a very good investment.” The Bell family, Headley, Price and Price's mother Nancy, bred the horse and sold her at the 2023 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale for $235,000 . The buyer was George T. Racing. According to Equibase, the filly is now owned by Masashiro Miki. “We had another filly ready to go to Saratoga but she needed a little bit more time,” Bell said. “At the last minute we switched that filly with this filly and took her to Saratoga. We hoped to get $70,000 or $80,000 for her. People might ask why would you take a horse to Saratoga and just get $70,000 or $80,000?” They got quite a bit more, but the bigger surprise was that she was bought by Japanese interests. “The Japanese are huge supporters of Keeneland and huge supporters of OBS, but hadn't really participated in the Saratoga sale,” Bell said. “Fasig-Tipton did a really big push to get a lot of Japanese to come. At this sale there were Japanese everywhere. Yet, this was the only horse they bought. It seems they like to experience something first and then participate more in follow-up years. I believe that will be the case.” None of which means that the Mill Ridge team is content with Oscar Performance being labeled a turf sire. Red Carpet Ready (Oscar Performance) won three graded stakes on the dirt. Tumbarumba (Oscar Performance) was fourth in the GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile and won the GIII Fred Hooper S. this year on the dirt for Wathnan Racing. “I thought Tumbarumba's run in the Dirt Mile was out of sight,” Bell said. “He was fourth in the Dirt Mile and not by a lot. He ran really well from an outside draw. He was bought by Wathnan Racing to win big races and I thought he justified that acquisition. If he goes on to win a big race that could be really interesting.” They'd like nothing more than for an Oscar Performance to win a Grade I race on the dirt. In the meantime, it's encouraging to see his horses do well on the turf. And the success in Japan has certainly raised his profile internationally. “The American turf sire is still an underdog,” Bell said. “It's not like Oscar Performance monopolizes the turf sire rankings because U.S. buyers have the opportunity to go buy European sired horses and win turf races over here. But to have Oscar Performance punching in at the global turf sire level, that's a whole new opportunity and a new market for commercial breeders breeding to Oscar Performance. To be 4-for-4 in Japan is incredible.” The post Another Winner in Japan for Oscar Performance appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The final legal case arising out of Medina Spirit's disqualification from the 2021 Kentucky Derby (G1) likely has finished out of the money with the dismissal of a damages lawsuit brought by a group of bettors.View the full article

Coal Battle won the war against 2-1 wagering favorite Speed King down the stretch, defeating him by a half-length to win the $300,000 Remington Springboard Mile Stakes Dec. 13.View the full article

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Sam Agars CIRCUIT JOLLY - R4 (6) Had trouble with a mark on the track but the switch to 1,000m should do the trick Jay Rooney FLYING LUCK - R5 (4) Looks well placed to continue top form since going into blinkers Jack Dawling MICKLEY - R10 (3) Caught the eye on his local debut and looks suited up to the mile Phillip Woo YODA'S CHOICE - R2 (3) Racing well at this level and can deliver a belated win with Purton on board Shannon (Vincent Wong) CAP FERRAT - R10 (1) Australian import has trialled well and should go close on his debut Racing Post Online CIRCUIT JOLLY - R4 (6) Knocking on the door and should get all the favours under Zac Purton Tom Wood CIRCUIT JOLLY - R4 (6) Should have one if not two wins on the board, can break through hereView the full article

Within The Law (Aus) (Lucky Vega {Ire}) gained her second stakes victory in the 1000-metre R. Listed Inglis Nursery at Randwick on Saturday. Trained by Bjorn Baker, the daughter of Contract Signed (Aus) (Dundeel {NZ}) quickened up nicely in the final stages and held off Cobra Club (Aus) (Cool Aza Beel {NZ}) by just under a half-length (video). “It has been a good week, and a great job by Bjorn and Darby [Racing] and the team to find these races,” Baker's racing manager Luke Hilton said. Owner Darby Racing Syndications also own runner-up Cobra Club, who is trained by Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott. Former Darby Racing runner She Will Reign (Aus) (Manhattan Ran {Aus}) used the Inglis Nursery as a springboard to win the G1 Golden Slipper in 2017. “We sent her to Melbourne the first time and had to travel, and she got away with it down there and did a really good job. She has done nothing but improve since she has come home. That was a really tough win today because she is not very big, but she showed a lot of heart.” “We'll have to have a good think about it [the Golden Slipper],” Hilton said of the filly, who won the Listed Inglis Banner on debut at Flemington Nov. 9. “The world is her oyster at the moment. She is still improving all the time and she is such an honest filly. She handles everything and has been so professional. “She is not one who stands out at home, but she has taken everything we have thrown at her.” Bred by Yulong Investments, who offered her at the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale, the bay was purchased by Darby Racing for A$30,000. The placed Contract Signed has a yearling colt by Tagaloa (Aus), and was bred back to Lucky Vega. Third dam So Gorgeous (Aus) (Brief Truce) was a four-time group winner in Australia, and foaled Group 1 winner Sterling City (Aus) (Nadeem {Aus}) and G2 Tulloch Stakes hero Tipungwuti (Aus) (Fusaichi Pegasus). Yulong's Lucky Vega, who stands at the Irish National Stud in the Northern Hemisphere and shuttles to Yulong in Australia, has his first Southern Hemisphere runners this year. The G1 Phoenix Stakes hero has been represented by two winners from three to race, with Vega For Luck (NZ) already listed-placed in New Zealand. The post Lucky Vega’s Within The Law Moves Into Golden Slipper Contention appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

If you don't know the name, chances are that you will recognise the face. And if all else fails, you'll definitely spot the jackets. There is no mistaking those jackets. Through his association with marketing maestro Jack Cantillon, John Bourke has become one of the most recognisable faces on the sales circuit, be it in the illuminous yellow for Far Above (Ire) or the fluorescent green of Bouttemont (Ire). But there's more strings to Bourke's bow than dealing with cheaper stallions, as he proved at Goffs when selling Stakes-producing mare Ambiguous (GB) in foal to Mehmas (Ire) for a cool €230,000. That transaction, which was carried out under the banner of his family's Lackagh Spring Stud, represented a €222,000 jump from the €8,000 that the Godolphin Flying Start graduate parted with to secure Ambiguous from Godolphin at the same November Breeding Stock Sale at Goffs just three years previously. Unsurprisingly, a certain Mr Cantillon had a role to play in Bourke bagging what was then a barren mare with no major upside. However, the emergence of Marine Wave (Ire) (Harry Angel {Ire}) as a bona fide Listed performer in the pedigree led to Amo Racing swooping for the 12-year-old mare through Alex Elliott at Goffs last month. Bourke, 30, reflected, “It's actually only now that, when I click on the sales result that it hits home what actually happened. Those results don't come along too often so it hasn't really sunk in. It's actually a funny story as to how I got her in the first place. I left the Flying Start in 2020 and went gung-ho buying mares with a couple of good friends but we didn't have any great luck. So the following year, I was adamant that I wouldn't buy a barren mare. I wanted a nice mare with a good cover that could help get the farm at home off the ground.” Jack Cantillon and John Bourke | ITM He continued, “I remember underbidding One Spirit (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) at €20,000. Her Earthlight (Ire) foal went on to make a lot of money the following year and her daughter One For Bobby (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) won a Group 3 race as well. So that was one that got away. Then we underbid another mare in foal to Blue Point (Ire) and that foal made a lot of money as well. “It looked like we weren't going to get anything at that stage. But I can remember being familiar with Ambiguous because she was actually booked to visit Far Above. That was when she was under the Rabbah banner but, needless to say, she didn't end up going to Far Above and ended up being in the sale. I can remember Jack coming to me and telling me that I simply had to buy Ambiguous.” Cantillon is nothing if not persuasive. But there was another larger-than-life stallion man involved in providing Bourke with the courage to abandon his one simple criteria when it came to sourcing a mare. “I can remember Bernard Condron was auctioneering and, because she was a barren mare, I was getting watery at around seven grand. Micheál Orlandi was sitting in front of us and Jack grabbed my iPad, ran down to him, and asked for a free nomination to Kuroshio (Aus) if I bought the mare. In fairness to Micheál, he took the iPad and wrote, 'one free nom to Kuroshio' on it so I went once more and got her bought at eight grand. “A good friend of mine, bloodstock agent Nico Archdale, was standing beside me at the time. He'd never been involved in a mare before but, I turned to him and said, 'you're the luckiest man in the world, you may take a leg,' and he did. Meanwhile, Eoin Fives [Ballylinch Stud] came sprinting over to us from the other side of the sales complex asking could he take a leg as well so it was divided up there and then.” Contrary to how the story goes, this wasn't a case of a few guys standing at the roulette wheel hoping that lady luck would look favourably on them. There was a certain level of calculated risk involved here. Ambiguous may have been barren but she had produced foals previously and boasted a strong pedigree being a sister to five 100-plus rated runners, including Group 1 winners Alpha Delphini (GB) (Captain Gerrard {Ire}) and Tangerine Trees (GB) (Mind Games {GB}). On top of that, her Kuroshio half-sister Jurius (GB) was not too bad, either, given she scored at Group 2 level, making that mating with the Starfield Stud resident a no-brainer at the time. But it was the little known Harry Angel filly, that would later be known as the Listed-winning Marine Wave, who would do the most for the pedigree. And, in many ways, the Richard Fahey-trained four-year-old put Bourke and his partners in Ambiguous in a position where there was little choice but to sell. He explained, “On the Darley notes, you could see that her Harry Angel was coming along and all of the gradings were good. That gave me a little bit more confidence. Meta Osborne was very good as well. We had a 20-minute conversation about getting the mare in foal on the day that I bought her and she gave me some brilliant advice. “But we could never have expected Marine Wave to come out and do what she did. I actually went up to Richard Fahey at the Premier Yearling Sale at Goffs this year to track how she was getting on and he turned to me and said, 'I think you know more about this filly than I do!' I've been following Marine Wave from the very start and remember thinking that it could be potentially life-changing if she could pick up black-type.” Marine Wave did exactly that by placing in four Listed contests for Fahey. But it was at Pontefract in August, when she ran out a cosy winner of the Flying Fillies' Stakes over 6f, where she notched that all-important black-type success. “The big day came at Pontefract,” Bourke remembers. “That was wild. I was actually going to the day two session of a friend's wedding and we were sitting down having a warm-up pint watching the race on my phone. My whole body started shaking when she crossed the line! A few of the lads that were there didn't quite understand what was going on. I had to explain to them how big it was. Not even 30 seconds after she crossed the line, we had an offer in for Ambiguous. It really was a dream result.” He added, “I've always been told that the first money you're offered is the best money. I actually learned the hard way to always accept the first offer you get. We had a horse in training a few years ago and she finished fourth behind Love (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in a fillies' maiden at the Curragh. The offers started to come in but we got a bit cocky and thought we could double our money if she won a maiden. What happened? We ended up getting her claimed for eight grand at Fairyhouse two years later. “So that was always in the back of my mind but I knew how important that Listed race was in the pedigree. I also knew how hard it would be for me to find a mare like Ambiguous again. I spoke to Roger O'Callaghan one day and, for any young person in the industry, he's just a brilliant person to give advice. He actually told me not to sell the mare, that I would find it very difficult to replace her. “But he told me that, if I really did want to sell her, I should sell her off the back of people seeing the Minzaal (Ire) colt foal out of her because he was so nice. Unfortunately, the Minzaal had a drop in his foot just a few days before the sale, but I have to say, Goffs did a wonderful job with the mare. She had 50-plus shows and all the right people looked at her. Not in our wildest dreams did we think we'd get €230,000 for her.” The sale of Ambiguous provided Bourke with something of a tonic after what he openly admits to being one of the most difficult years of his life following the death of close friends Ed Prendergast and Michael Byrne. Both men, who were deeply involved in racing and bloodstock, died separately in tragic circumstances. Bourke said, “They were very close friends of mine so Ambiguous selling provided us all with a bit of a lift at the end of what was a very tough 2024. I had been trading away in mares with Ed since the early days and he had a big part to play in the whole thing.” Bourke is a man who wears many hats [or even jackets!]. Along with dabbling in breeze-up horses, foal pinhooks, working part-time with Syndicates.Racing and breeding from his own mares, he is studying for his Masters in Sports Management at the University College Dublin. He keeps an open mind with regards to the future but safe to say that his family-run Lackagh Spring Stud is gaining as much recognition as he is. “After I came off the Flying Start, Covid hit. I had a few jobs lined up abroad at the time but obviously they didn't happen,” he explains. “I remember saying at the time, 'do you know what, let's try and get our home place up and running.' We've gradually improved the facilities at home. My Dad has been talking about retiring for a while now but I don't think he ever truly believed that what happened at Goffs was really possible. I think the sale of Ambiguous might get him over the line to retire and, if he does, please God he can come home and help me.” The post ‘It Hasn’t Sunk In’ – Meet The Young Breeder Who Turned 8k Into 230k At Goffs appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The Grant and Alana Williams-trained Western Empire has powered to victory in the A$1.5 million Gr.3 Gold Rush (1400m) at Ascot in Perth on Saturday. Ridden by Billy Egan, who was called off the bench when regular rider Willie Pike became unavailable earlier in the week, Western Empire travelled wide with cover throughout but unleashed a devastating turn of foot to defeat Magnificent Andy and favourite Super Smink. It was shades of Western Empire’s best as the now seven-year-old son of Iffraaj returned to the form that had seen him dominate Perth racing as a younger horse. The son of Iffraaj won seven of his first 12 starts in 2020 and 2021, including a stunning four-length romp in the Gr.1 Railway Stakes (1600m) and victory in the Gr.2 WA Derby (2400m). Western Empire was trained through those glory days by Grant and Alana Williams for leviathan Perth owner Bob Peters. The gelding subsequently had two campaigns in Victoria, finishing fifth in the Gr.1 Memsie Stakes (1400m) and Gr.1 Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m) for Danny O’Brien and finishing outside the placings in five appearances for John Leek Jr. The Williams team jumped at the opportunity when Western Empire was placed on an Inglis Digital Sale last October, purchasing him for A$150,000 and bringing him back to their Karnup stable. Having campaigned over shorter distances this preparation including a last-start ninth to Overpass in the Gr.1 Winterbottom Stakes (1200m), all looked on track for the grand final effort in the Gold Rush. But when Willie Pike had a tumble from an e-scooter on Monday and as a result, broke his wrist, the cat was really put amongst the pigeons as the Williams scrambled for a replacement rider before eventually calling on Victorian Billy Egan, who they had never met previously. “Everyone close to me knows I threw the teddy out of the cot on Monday and Tuesday. It is lucky Alana is the solid part between the two of us because she takes the emotion out of it,” Grant Williams said. “The Gold Rush has been our goal all along but he was working that good before the Winterbottom, we thought we were a chance to win it, and obviously we weren’t. “It has been a hectic week. A lot of people over East said this guy is a ripper. He is Paddy Payne’s main rider and he is one of the hardest markers. “He is a champion bloke they said and my first impressions when we met before the first were really good.” Egan, who had never previously ridden in Perth, was pleased he had a few sighters on some stablemates. “It has been a pretty good week. I found out on Monday night in Melbourne that I was going to ride the horse, so I’ve had the week to prepare and I have been looking forward to it all week,” he said. “First time riding here and I’ve had a great experience and even better, I’ve ridden a winner. “I needed to get a feel for the track and a feel for the surroundings.” Bred in New Zealand by Peters Investments, Western Empire is by former Haunui Farm shuttle stallion Iffraaj and is out of Gr.2 Perth Cup (2400m) winner Western Jewel. The gelding has now won in excess of A$2.7 million in prizemoney with 10 wins from a 28-start career. View the full article