Wandering Eyes

Staton Flurry wanted to park that trophy on his shelf. He wanted to win the Oaklawn Park owner's title so badly he could taste it. The hometown product who calls Hot Springs his backyard and sports that wide grin, knew the race was going to be a good old-fashioned Arkansas throwdown. Flurry sweated it, stayed up late strategizing and for months did everything humanly within the rules to secure the prize. Let's put it this way, if he had a jockey's license he might have donned his distinctive black and white silks with the giant snowflake imprinted on them and attempted to ride some winners himself. Not really, but it makes for a good yarn. It was not easy, but Flurry accomplished what he set out to do, collected 26 wins throughout the meet and hoisted the crystal vase in the Larry Snyder winner's circle amid a cheering crowd, which included some of his closest friends. “We got off to such a bad start two years ago, I think I went one for 31 starting out,” said Flurry. “When you fall behind too soon it's tough, but we were able to rally. I think I ended up fourth in the standings and missed it by five or six wins. Last year, I was like it's now or never because I was putting a lot of pressure on myself. It's stressful doing a title run, I can tell you that.” The Hot Springs native, who operates a cluster of parking lots in and around the track, elevated his status on the racing scene a few years back with the likes of MGSW Mr. Misunderstood (Archarcharch) and MSW Interstatedaydream (Classic Empire), who were both tutored under trainer Brad Cox. Staton Flurry with Florent Geroux after a Mr. Misunderstood win | Coady Photography As most know, Flurry initially partnered with Qatar Racing to campaign MGISW Shedaresthedevil (Daredevil) before adding Mandy Pope's Whisper Hill Farm. Pope then bought out her partners with a $5 million bid during Keeneland November. The relationship with Cox started in 2013 when the two of them used to spend time mining the claiming ranks. Flurry has branched out to other conditioners since then such as Cipriano Contreras, Kevin Martin and Dan Ward, but continues to be loyal to Cox. “Kevin is one of my closest friends and he's the one who introduced me to Brad,” said Flurry. “He thought this was the next big up-and-coming guy that I should be with and he was right. But I am going to continue to use other trainers too and spread the wealth a bit.” With some more complicated bookkeeping ahead, the Oaklawn meet opened last December with Flurry Racing Stable changing its tactics. The decision was an easy one: go after the owner's title. How to unfurl a strategy amid competition that is so fierce with loads of big outfits in the mix is the hard part. The purse structure is like a Godzilla magnet and you throw in the claiming game–where there is a whole lot of shaking going on–and the racing office hums like a Bitcoin mining operation. The issues are evident. If owners enter too many of their horses in lower level claiming events seeking wins, they can easily lose good stock and deplete their numbers. The reverse is, if you choose to stay away from these races your outfit could be missing out on wins, which is how you compete for the title. “We came in and we wanted to be aggressive,” said Flurry. “Whether we did it the right way, the wrong way, I think it was the only way to do it. I know there were some we probably dropped a little too far on, but when you're only given a certain number of races in the condition book where your horse fits, then sometimes you got to run them whenever you can. If you wait for a higher-priced race, then there's no telling when that moment will come up. Lot of factors at stake.” Flurry says it all comes down to timing. A horse might be ready to run after a string of solid works, but then the weather might go to pieces. January in Hot Springs can produce icicles as big as Bowie knives and conditions dictate terms. As the Oaklawn meet goes on, the claiming races take on even more value, especially since the allowance and optional claimers draw like stakes. “One horse we entered 13 times and finally said this race is going, let's be in there,” he said. “It was about half of what we paid for them, but she won, she got claimed, and we still made a profit. That's the good thing about Oaklawn, you can do that, still make a profit. It's not the most ideal thing that I want to do or really any horseman wants to do, but okay it's kind of the hand you're dealt.” Sprinting towards the endgame, the race began to tighten as Flurry was taken on by Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen, who is a juggernaut. When you operate a business like the parking lots, there is no place to hide from folks. They pat you on the back about the wins, but they also bring up the losses. There is no escape. Carbone at Oaklawn | Coady Media “We started out the meet super strong,” Flurry said. “We had an eight to ten race lead, then at one point with less than a month to go, Steve [Asmussen] and I were tied. I didn't want to be the guy that led the entire time, then lose it right there at the end. I put a lot of pressure and stress on myself. Honestly, it was more of a relief or more vindication than excitement.” After securing the top prize, Flurry Racing is content to scale back its operation this time around as the new meet opened last Friday. The lineup includes some budding juveniles and prospects like 'TDN Rising Star' Carbone (Mitole), a 3-year-old homebred who has the potential to make his mark sprinting under Asmussen. “I'm in a partnership in Carbone with Bill and Corinne Heiligbrodt and I've really enjoyed getting to know Steve [Asmussen] and working with him. I've got some decent 2-year-olds that we think have potential, so I'm excited to see what they turn into. I've had several people the last few years ask me to partner with them. We will bring some new owners into the game and this will be their first opportunity to own a horse.” Now that the daily pressure is less so, the owner with the snowflake silks is enjoying what is to come now that he has parked that elusive trophy. As Staton Flurry will tell you, pulling off that feat at your hometown track is no small task because a trip to the winner's circle should never be taken for granted. The post After Parking Owner’s Title, Flurry Relaxed As Oaklawn Opens appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

I got into racing via horses who had nothing to do with racing, as it is for many people with no family ties to rely on. Horses were a side hobby for me due to competitive swimming taking up enormous amounts of my time (a contentious topic in my house when I entered those famously stable teenage years) and my introduction to Thoroughbreds was, ironically, thanks to a mistake on my part. I had asked my instructor once what the fastest horse in the world was, as someone had erroneously told me it was the Morgan, and after she got done laughing at us, she cleared up any misconceptions on who in fact carried that crown. We'd only ever ridden or worked schoolmasters with traces of famous Thoroughbred stallions in their pedigrees, and to that point they'd been the fanciest creature my young eyes had ever seen. When I asked if she'd ever consider having a pure-bred in her program, she quickly declined the suggestion. From there, the internet was my best friend. The more I saw, the more fascinated I became, and the wilder the dreams became of riding a fancy former racehorse. My first experience with them in action was through my TV screen, however, thanks largely to either TVG or HRTV (whoever carried the most Florida racing at the time). The winner was a grey, it was on the main track. That's all I remember of it now. I wish I could recall their name because I'd love to know how they did after retirement. By my high school years, I'd experienced Barbaro, Zenyatta, Rachel Alexandra, and Goldikova, and I was watching the races every afternoon when I got home from school. Swimming became an annoying side thing I entertained because of the 'sunk cost' fallacy, to my parents' great disappointment, but they eventually accepted that my heart had gone to something else. Still, I had no clue that I would end up working in the industry. I knew I wanted to study something revolving around horses, but the finer details were not my strong point. What came after was largely an afterthought. For all its talk as being a changing point for others, university didn't change much for me. And boy did I try to find other interesting things to pursue outside of racing. Considering my job(s), the effort was an abject failure. My major step into the industry came by way of an internship with the syndicate Pocket Aces Racing, and they haven't gotten tired of me, yet. Then came quick stints in other positions around Kentucky farms, and here I am today, taking up space in one of the industry's major publications. Do I wish I'd taken a less roundabout path? Sure. In the end though, I don't know if I would be willing to change anything to do that, so I'll take what I've been dealt. It's been an interesting ride to get here. The post How I Got Hooked On Racing: TDN Staff Writer Patrycja Szpyra appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

There is no little poignancy in the timing of Acclamation (GB) making his permanent exit from the stage just as his most celebrated offspring, Dark Angel (Ire), stands on the cusp of being crowned champion sire in Britain and Ireland. As the mares sale got underway at Tattersalls last Monday, the news filtered through that Acclamation, who had been officially retired only a matter of weeks beforehand, had died at the age of 25. His passing, though at a good age and with his legacy already assured, will leave a void at Rathbarry Stud where he stood for 21 consecutive seasons. Paul Cashman, whose late father Liam bought Acclamation to stand at Rathbarry, said, “Back in those days, those type of sires could get going a bit easier. Would they get going now? That's the question we have to ask ourselves. With everything having become so polarised you nearly want a Group 1-winning horse now to catch people's eyes, but back in those days, and we're talking 20-odd years ago, more horses got a chance. “You were buying the horse, the individual and the race record and taking a punt that it would work. As we've all seen, that outcross has really worked. It has clicked with a lot of the lines that are there now. Not too many horses can be a sire of sires, and now he is coming through as a broodmare sire – he's doing it every which way.” By Royal Applause (GB), his is the branch of the Northern Dancer line primarily associated with speed, through the champion two-year-old Try My Best. He in turn sired the Queen Anne Stakes winner Waajib (Ire), whose two Group 1 winners were the six-furlong specialist Royal Applause and, at the other end of the spectrum, the Adelaide Cup winner Apache King (Aus). Acclamation's dam, Princess Athena (Ire) (Ahonoora {GB}), was, like Royal Applause, both fast and precocious, winning the Queen Mary Stakes for David Elsworth. She was unfortunate not to also become the dam of a Royal Ascot winner when Acclamation ran into the Aussie monster of a sprinter that was Choisir (Aus) when second in the King's Stand Stakes back in 2003. By then he was already a multiple winner, and he would go on to finish third behind Oasis Dream (GB) and The Tatling (Ire) in that year's Nunthorpe Stakes before landing consecutive wins in the Starlit and Diadem Stakes. Acclamation made his final appearance on the track in the Hong Kong Sprint at Sha Tin during the international meeting which, only this weekend, featured his highest-rated son, the Hong Kong champion Romantic Warrior (Ire), who became the first horse to secure three victories in the Hong Kong Cup. Bred in Ireland by Corduff Stud and Timothy Rooney, Romantic Warrior is something of an outlier in Acclamation's portfolio in that ten of his group wins have come over ten furlongs. As versatile and durable as he is talented, however, the six-year-old has also won over six, seven and eight furlongs. Romantic Warrior's own legacy will be as one of the best Hong Kong-trained horses of the modern era, who has represented the island with honour in winning Australia's Cox Plate and the Yasuda Kinen in Japan. Closer to home, it is Acclamation's stallion sons who have cemented his own position in the pantheon of influential sires. Furthermore, the day after Acclamation's death was announced, two of his granddaughters, Vertical Blue (Ire) and Believing (Ire), both by Mehmas (Ire), sold for 3.2 million and 3 million gns respectively at Tattersalls, following the previous year's December Mares Sale when another granddaughter, 1,000 Guineas winner Cachet (Ire), by Aclaim (Ire), fetched 2.2 million gns. And it is one of Acclamation's own daughters, the late Marsha (Ire), who still holds the filly/mare sale record in Europe having fetched 6 million gns back in 2017. Along with Mehmas and Aclaim, Acclamation's sons Equiano (Fr), Attendu (Fr), Expert Eye (GB), Lilbourne Lad (Ire), Bouttemont (Fr), Johnny Barnes (Ire) and Harbour Watch (Ire) have all ended up at stud, but it is far and away Dark Angel who has made the greatest impression in this role to date. Mehmas, bred on the same cross with Machiavellian, may yet challenge for that accolade, but it was Dark Angel, from Acclamation's debut crop, who first put his sire's name in lights. There arguably could not be a more admirable conduit for this line than Yeomanstown Stud's grey, winner of the Middle Park and Mill Reef Stakes in his sole season of racing. That branch line has a decent chance of continuing a good while yet. This year's champion miler Charyn (Ire) is the latest to join the stallion ranks, at Sumbe, where he will stand alongside another of Dark Angel's sons, Angel Bleu (Fr) and his grandson Golden Horde (Ire). Darley has Harry Angel (Ire) and another son, Raging Bull (Fr), is at Gainesway in Kentucky. Other stallions to be carrying Acclamation's line at stud include Pyledriver (GB), in some ways the unlikeliest of middle-distance heroes but a hero nonetheless. By the short-lived Harbour Watch, his superb record included the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, Coronation Cup, Hardwicke Stakes, King Edward VII Stakes and the Great Voltigeur. It will be intriguing to see how he fares at the Beeches Stud in Coolmore's National Hunt division, where he covered 109 mares this year. It could perhaps be argued that Acclamation has a stronger record through his male progeny, but two of his seven Group 1 winners to date are female, with Makarova (GB) having recently emulated Marsha in winning the Prix de l'Abbaye at Longchamp's Arc meeting. Money maker! Romantic Warrior banks HK$22.4m with victory to leapfrog Golden Sixty (HK$167.17m) as horse racing's world record earner (HK$177.32m)… @LONGINES | @mcacajamez | #HKIR pic.twitter.com/I8UBh4yt4M — HKJC Racing (@HKJC_Racing) December 8, 2024 It will be interesting to see how My Sister Nat (Fr), the Grade III-winning half-sister to Sottsass (Fr), Shin Emperor (Fr) and Sistercharlie (Ire) fares as a broodmare for Peter Brant's White Birch Farm, while Croom House Stud's Sweepstake (Ire), a stakes winner from Acclamation's first crop, is already well established in this role as the dam of the Australia (GB) brothers Broome (Ire) and Point Lonsdale (Ire) as well as Diego Velazquez (Ire) (Frankel {GB}). The Commonwealth Cup winner Eqtidaar (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) was another Group 1 winner out of an Acclamation mare. His half-brother Massaat (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) narrowly missed out on that accolade when second in the 2,000 Guineas to Galileo Gold (Ire), which he followed up by winning the G2 Hungerford Stakes. With 24 foals reported on the ground this year, Acclamation covered 16 mares in his final active season this spring. There are then still a number of chances for his record to be enhanced further. That it is so impressive in the first place owes a lot to the temperament he imparted, according to Cashman. He said, “As we've just seen with Romantic Warrior flying the flag again at the weekend, it just shows you what Acclamation's offspring are like: they are honest, they are tough and they want to win. A horse's temperament is half the battle and that's what he put into his horses. They are very honest and game horses, that shone through, and breeders bought into it.” Cashman continued, “Gay [O'Callaghan, Yeomanstown Stud] broke the mould when he bought Dark Angel as a two-year-old to stand at stud. That wasn't being done at the time and it was half frowned upon, but you could see what Gay was getting at because Dark Angel was a very good two-year-old but there wasn't the racing programme then and you had to have an above-average three-year-old to go up against the older sprinters because they were so battle-hardened. “That Machiavellian line [with Acclamation] really clicked for Gay and then for Tony and Roger [O'Callaghan, Tally-Ho Stud] with Mehmas, it's the same thing as well. They are so tough and honest, and Mehmas this year has broken the record for the most number of two-year-old winners in a season. “As my father said at the time, Acclamation was very good to us and to a lot of people. He was good for young mares to get them up and running with winners on the board, and to kick on to another level. He was a very commercial horse for a lot of people.” Jockey James McDonald said of Romantic Warrior on Sunday as his earnings were boosted to just shy of £18 million to become the highest-earning racehorse of all time, “He's the best, forget the rest.” For just that one horse alone, Acclamation would have earned a place in the history books, but we will remember the rest, too, especially those whose sons and daughters continue to add to what is already an unforgettable legacy. The post Farewell to a Stallion Thoroughly Deserving of Acclaim appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The GIII General George Stakes and GIII Barbara Fritchie Stakes highlight a 25-strong stakes schedule worth a combined $2.6 million for the winter/spring meet at Laurel Park. The seven-furlong events are part of a Feb. 15 card that also includes the John B. Campbell Stakes and Nellie Morse Stakes, each carrying a $100,000 purse. Three-year-old males and females feature on programs scheduled for Feb. 22, with the one-mile Miracle Wood Stakes for sophomore boys and the seven-furlong Wide Country Stakes for the girls. Those two events serve as lead-up races for the Private Terms Stakes at a mile and a sixteenth for the colts and geldings and the Beyond The Wire Stakes for 3-year-old fillies. In turn, those two contests serve as the middle legs of series that concludes with the Apr. 19 Federico Tesio Stakes and the Weber City Miss Stakes, each offering the winner berths in the GI Preakness Stakes and GII Black-Eyed Susan Stakes, respectively, as part of the 'Preakness Preview' day. The Laurel Park winter-spring meet will be the first presented by the new TMJC, a nonprofit entity under the auspices of the state's Maryland Thoroughbred Racetrack Operating Authority (MTROA). The MTROA will take control of day-to-day racing in Maryland on Jan. 1. The new TMJC has increased the purse of both the Federico Tesio and Weber City Miss by $25,000. Those races will now be worth $150,000 each. “We look forward to building a new era in Maryland racing,” said Bill Knauf, President and General Manager of TMJC. “The General George and Barbara Fritchie are historically important races, and our Preakness Preview Day will be a showcase event for 3-year-olds.” The post General George, Fritchie Highlight Laurel Winter/Sprint Stakes appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Dr. Mark Dedomenico, who reached racing's heights on the track as an owner of 2010 champion filly Blind Luck and off the track with the Pegasus Training and Rehabilitation Center near his Redmond, Wash. home, died Dec. 7. He was 87.View the full article

A 1/50th share in the Aga Khan Studs stallion Zarak (Fr) has been added to the Arqana December Online Sale. A breeding right to Haras de Bouquetot's Thunder Moon (Ire) has also been catalogued, as has a 1/40th share in National Hunt sire Castle Du Berlais (Fr). The auction takes place on Tuesday, December 17 from 3pm to 5pm, French time, with all 12 lots being shares or breeding rights in French-based stallions, including Hello Youmzain (Fr). The post Zarak Share the Highlight of Next Arqana Online Sale appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

New investors at the elite level of our sport are clearly being well briefed in the odds they need to overcome. But if nobody can have failed to notice one operation pronouncing itself “Resolute,” only gradually are people becoming as aware of another that had already been branded as “Determined.” As we'll see, a certain staunchness is not only innate to Matt Dorman of Determined Stud but has also been fortified by experience, some of it as challenging as life can throw at us. The upshot is a conspicuous sense of purpose, whether in business or beyond. Dorman could scarcely have started more modestly on the Turf, with a marginal stake in a $5,000 claimer with Phil Schoenthal in Maryland some 15 years ago. By the time he sold his business in 2020, however, he could execute an exponential leap long planned for his program, assembling as many as 20 broodmares that fall. Those and subsequent investments–including several in partnership with existing Bluegrass powerhouses–are gradually beginning to cycle through to wider attention. For instance, a Curlin colt co-bred with John Sikura of Hill 'n' Dale was sold to Coolmore for $1.3 million at the September Sale. At the same auction, Dorman played up some of those winnings on a 410,000gns Twirling Candy filly for his racing division. Partnership interests on the track meanwhile include a piece of champion juvenile elect Citizen Bull (Into Mischief), and similar involvement in fellow Keeneland graduate Getaway Car (Curlin). (These two, 1-2 in the GI American Pharoah Stakes, proceeded to run 1-4 at the Breeders' Cup.) “There's a lot of action now,” Dorman acknowledges. “When we sold the company, it had a very big tax bill. And, right or wrong, the horse business is a great way to optimize your tax situation. Instead of doing it over three or five years, it made sense to do it in one or two. We bought a bunch of runners, hoping to improve their pages. But we also bought broodmares that we knew we could sell weanlings out of, so that we could get cashflow going in one year. At the end of the day, I'm a cash guy. Cash-on-cash return is important. Obviously it doesn't always work out, but you just have to deal with the highs and lows the same.” Dorman admits that it was difficult diverting from an initial commitment to his native state, albeit a few appropriate mares remain there. “We're hardcore Maryland, born and raised,” he says. “Originally I was going to build out everything there. But once I started ramping up, and got more experience, I realized how often these broodmares need the clinic–and that 30 minutes could decide everything. You can't buy four or five $800,000 mares and then run out of time because the clinic isn't close enough. Or you can, but it's not my kind of business plan. It was a great property, I loved it up there, but it didn't make sense.” By that stage, Dorman had already hit it off with Sikura and benefited from his counsel, reliably as sage as it is direct, as he scouted and passed up various Kentucky farms. Finally he found one, off Mt. Horeb Pike, that satisfied every specification. “Unfortunately Ed Hudon had passed away, but he'd done a great job with Sierra Farm,” Dorman explains. “And it was turnkey: 200-plus acres, barns, staff, everything. Compared to what I would've had to do in Maryland, it was a no-brainer.” Dorman had been introduced to Sikura by one of their mutual trainers over dinner. He remembers explaining what he was trying to do and Sikura just giving him a look. “You don't have any stallion shares,” he said. “You'll go broke on stud fees.” “I don't like to go broke on anything,” Dorman replied. “But how the hell do I get in? I'm from Maryland, up against all these Kentucky folks that have been around for generations. New money is always treated different.” But Dorman, within that category, was himself different. “I knew that when the self-made folks come in and want immediate change, that never ends well,” he reflects now. “So I've tried to take a longer-term approach.” Sikura said he'd look into what he had: maybe he could sell Dorman a share or two. Later that same night, he texted the names of two stallions and what the number would be. “I stayed up all night, built out a new spreadsheet, figured out a couple of assumptions,” Dorman recalls. “Some people answered calls in the middle of the night and at the end I'm like, 'This makes sense.' And then the tax consequences made it easier, too. So next morning I walked in the cafeteria, saw John, stuck out my hand and said, 'It's a deal.' And he's like, 'What are you talking about?' 'I'll buy those shares.' And ever since we've had a great relationship. John has an incredible eye and I have a moderate checkbook. It's a good combination.” As the program has matured, Dorman has also forged ties with Lane's End and Gainesway. Relationships, and doing his own due diligence, remain as key now as they have been throughout his business career. “I was always my own CFO,” he says. “When we brought in private equity, I did the deal. And I always drove sales.” All that said, the fundamental spur to the business he established was strictly personal. In 1996, one of Dorman's sisters was murdered by a man who had been released from a psychiatric hospital without the safety net of community care. In the hope of sparing other families such trauma, Dorman started developing an electronic health record for behavioral and mental health. “So, yes, we were mission-based,” he says. “I told my two remaining sisters, and my parents who were alive at the time, that we would not be saying anything for 10 years. But after that time we were like, 'Maybe there's value to the story.' That's when we started talking about it. But it's tough. We lost a baby sister that night. I was working for a little tech company at the time, Lockheed Martin, so knew a little bit about technology, and was just amazed that there was no follow-up after he was discharged. I have a nephew who doesn't have his mom. I saw what he went through, what my parents went through. There's a lot of things that are avoidable thanks to technology. So I thought maybe we can have some good come out of this.” Having started in a townhouse basement, Credible Behavioral Health expanded across 38 states and took Dorman somewhere he had never envisaged. A portion of the proceeds, along with an ongoing percentage of his successor enterprise, is devoted to a mental health foundation, while Dorman's wife runs the largest mental health and rape crisis center on the eastern shore of Maryland. Strictly in terms of the way the business thrived, however, can Dorman apply any lessons to the notoriously unpredictable world of bloodstock? “When you're building a software company, and trying to create stability, the concept of recurring revenue is big,” he explains. “When we're buying mares, looking for quality pages, we work on the principle of getting two live foals out of three– and that if one of those two can be a really good one, better again. “But also just thinking long-term. A lot of people are very focused on short-term trading. I understand that, if you're in sales, and you're a certain kind of farm. I think it's because we've more of a long-term vision that all of a sudden it's now getting real busy. And for both that recurring revenue, and having that vision, quality partnerships are big.” But internal relationships are equally important. The Kentucky farm is run by an “awesome” third-generation horseman in Scott Mallory; David Ingordo has become invaluable to the team; while 15 horses in training are divided between Mike Trombetta and Cherie DeVaux. One of the most cherished horses from the early days, developed by Schoenthal, was a $20,000 yearling that the novice Dorman insisted on buying in 2012. Sonny Inspired (Artie Schiller) won a bunch of stakes and nearly $650,000. Sonny Inspired | Maryland Jockey Club “Sonny's at the farm, just living the life,” Dorman says. “He's a great character, phenomenal with kids. When horses arrive on lay-up, he takes them in his paddock and tells them how they, too, can end up in retirement here. He was named for my father, whose gang nickname, growing up in Brooklyn, was Sonny.” Arthur Dorman was plainly the source of his son's inborn determination, besides also being his route into racing. “He was an eye doctor and served in the Merchant Marines and the U.S. Army during World War II,” Dorman recalls. “He was also a state senator for the first 37 years of my life. And in Maryland, politics and racing go hand-in-hand. He was very close with [Laurel supremo] Frank De Francis, we used to go to the track all the time and I just really enjoyed it. From right back then, in my goal book, it was like, 'When I hit this amount, I want to build out a racing stable.'” The turning point was the 2006 GI Kentucky Oaks. “We'd lost all our money,” he recalls with a chuckle. “I had 300 bucks left. And I put it all on Lemons Forever, who was the longest shot. And there we were, standing on our chairs, screaming as she turned for home. She paid a ton and I'm like, 'How's this work?' “I got more into reading the Form, and what struck me was the money people were paying for horses. The business model of getting people liquored up and excited, getting them betting? That's great, I respect the tracks for that. But the real business model is breeding. And when I started looking into it, I saw that it was great to have a racing stable, but what you really wanted was the broodmares. And that's a long game. You got to last the course. But it's a wonderful game if you can.” Now a family man himself, with four teenage sons, Dorman will always have a corrective whenever the vagaries of the Thoroughbred test that staunchness. Indeed, some of his horses are named in unobtrusive honor of the sister he lost. “She was very different than the rest of us, but she just had bad luck,” he reflects. “The rest of us are just very fortunate. We work hard, yes, but basically we're fortunate. Anyway hopefully we've made some good come out of it.” To have prospered via such tragedy naturally gives rise to complex emotions. But strictly in terms of discovering where his business skills could thrive, Dorman admits that selling the company left a different kind of void. “I failed miserably at being retired,” he says wryly. “Anybody will tell you that. And so I started another software company last year, this time an electronic health record in physical therapy. That's really important, too, especially to veterans.” In the end, everything Dorman does will always have a family inspiration behind it: whether a single night of tragedy, or the broader legacy of a patriarch who had always led by example. “My father was self-made and, unlike a lot of politicians, he was home every night,” Dorman says. “He was a doctor first and a legislator second. And very independent. That was back in the 'machine' days, but he did the right thing even when it would cost him. He was phenomenal. Didn't say a whole lot, but when he did, it meant plenty. And it was him that taught me you can do whatever you want. You just need a vision, to stay true to your word, and treat people how you want to be treated. If you can do all that, life gets easy.” The post Dorman ‘Determined’ To Play The Long Game appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

My Denysse, a 35-1 longshot, won the My Dear Girl Division of the FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes Nov. 30 for trainer, owner, and breeder Ruben Sierra. The Venezuelan moved to the United States when he was 17, and now owns a farm near Ocala, Fla.View the full article

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Pair clash with strong books at the city circuit’s nine-race card on Wednesday.View the full article

The Racing Integrity Board (RIB) has completed its review of the animal welfare audit program. Following valuable feedback from industry stakeholders we are introducing a revised system of steward’s inspections. This change underscores our commitment to addressing industry concerns and establishes an inspection model that emphasises practicality, enhances collaboration, and ensures a balanced and effective approach to compliance monitoring. At the same time, it reinforces our legislative responsibility to uphold high standards of animal welfare. By transitioning from the formal audit program to this more streamlined and cooperative process, we aim to maintain consistent standards, minimise disruption, and strengthen our partnership with the industry. Key Features of the New Approach Inspections · Stewards will conduct inspections both with or without prior notice to ensure standards are consistently met. · Inspections will be conducted respectfully, with discretion applied when key individuals, such as trainers or senior staff, are unavailable. In such cases, the inspection may be postponed. Practical and Efficient Process · The new inspections are distinct from previous audits, focusing on practical, targeted checks using a revised checklist. · This approach ensures efficiency while maintaining compliance with critical welfare and integrity standards. Focus Areas for Inspections · Maintenance of treatment records and medication practices. · Compliance of tack and equipment. · Verification of stable records in the code database (traceability). · Visual health and welfare assessments of animals. Collaborative Engagement · Stewards will work closely with trainers to address any areas needing attention, emphasising resolution and improvement over penalties. · The inspections are designed to minimise disruption to stable routines while maintaining a high standard of integrity. A Commitment to Continuous Improvement We recognise the value of open communication and ongoing dialogue with industry stakeholders. Your feedback is crucial to refining this process, and we encourage you to share your thoughts on how these inspections are implemented. Thank you for your cooperation as we implement these changes. If you have any questions or require further information, please contact the RIB at nick.ydgren@rib.org.nz. View the full article

The Kiwi challenge to win the Australasian Young Drivers Championships (AYDC) starts at Menangle in Sydney tomorrow (Tuesday). Crystal Hackett (above), Sam Thornley (below) and Kerryn Tomlinson will compete against Australia’s top talent over nine heats, with the opening two heats both over a mile, at 5.12pm and 6.22pm. All three will debut brand new driving suits for the occasion. For Hackett it’s her third AYDC while Thornley’s last appearance was in 2022 when he was leading for much of the championships, only to finish second. This will be Tomlinson’s first championships, though she did qualify in 2020 only for the event to be cancelled because of the pandemic. She is vying to follow in the footsteps of her sister Sheree, who won the AYDC in 2018. Representing New South Wales, Joshua Gallagher is the defending champion after winning last year’s championships in Queensland. The drivers competing in the 2024 Australasian Young Drivers Championship (in alphabetical order) : Corey Johnson (South Australia) Crystal Hackett (New Zealand) Ewa Justice (Victoria) Jacob Duggan (Tasmania) Josh Gallagher (New South Wales) Kerryn Tomlinson (New Zealand) Kyle Symington (Western Australia) Sam Thornley (New Zealand) Taleah McMullen (Queensland) Will Rixon (New South Wales) Tuesday night drives : Race 4 (Heat 1) – 5.12pm 1609m 2 Double Said – Sam Thornley 4 Specialize Lou – Crystal Hackett 11 Fiftyshades Cresco – Kerryn Tomlinson Race 6 (Heat 2) – 6.22pm 1609m 1 Silver Mystique – Kerryn Tomlinson 7 Cabana – Crystal Hackett 9 Our Chiquitita – Sam Thornley Schedule : Tuesday (Dec 10) – Menangle (2 Heats) Wednesday (Dec 11) – Bathurst (2 Heats) Thursday (Dec 12) – Penrith (2 Heats) Friday (Dec 13) – Newcastle (2 Heats) Saturday (Dec 14) – Menangle (1 Heat) – ID24 Finals night. We will have regular updates on hrnz.co.nz and across our social media channels. View the full article

Quality mare About Time returned to the winner’s circle at Ellerslie on Saturday and her trainer Lance Noble is hoping to continue that trend on Thursday with a trio of runners. A four-year-old owned and bred by Brendan and Jo Lindsay of Cambridge Stud, About Time performed well in her three-year-old term, placing in the Listed Trevor and Corallie Memorial 3YO (1500m), before taking out the Gr.2 Sir Patrick Hogan Stakes (2000m). After working through the distances this prep, she finally struck her favoured middle-distance trip in the Dunstan Horsefeeds Stayers Championship Qualifier (2100m) and in the hands of Warren Kennedy, she found a comfortable position midfield. Kennedy eased off the fence turning for home and pinning her ears back, the mare found plenty in the straight to run down Final Return by a head. Noble was pleased with the performance, while praising the efforts of the starting crew at Ellerslie who kept the mare calm prior to the jump. “It was a good win, she’s just a handful at the starting gates which is a bit of a concern,” he said. “The guys at the starting gates do a fantastic job with her. “It was her first time back over ground this prep and she won nicely, so hopefully we can push on to the Dunstan Stayers Final on Boxing Day.” The daughter of American Pharoah is set to take her place in the Dunstan Horsefeeds Stayers Championship Final (2400m) at the course in three weeks’ time, while the Gr.3 Queen Elizabeth II Cup (2400m) is also a possibility on New Year’s Day. “The Cup is more of an option at this stage, we’ll probably run her in the Dunstan, and if she came through it well, we might consider backing her up and she has backed up well before,” Noble said. “She does get in well in the Dunstan, so we’ll probably just target that.” The Cambridge Stud contingent will head back to the northern headquarters on Thursday with a trio of three-year-old fillies, including impressive last-start winner First Dance. At her third race-day appearance last time out, the Zousain filly made light work of her maiden rivals, and remaining at the 1200m distance, she could earn herself a black-type opportunity in the Cambridge Stud 1200. “Her last start was a very good run, she had a second then got a strong win at Ellerslie,” Noble said. “We gave her a couple of weeks off after that and she’s come back really nice and bright, she may need the run on Thursday but I think she’ll go pretty well, and there are some nice races over Christmas and New Years back at Ellerslie. “At the moment, I think the 1200 suits her, and if she went really well, we may look at the Auckland Guineas (Gr.2, 1400m) on Boxing Day.” Love Symbol and Venetian have both been nominated for the Entain/NZB Insurance Pearl Series (1400m) and the Barfoot And Thompson (1400m), the latter in their own age group. Love Symbol has recorded two placings in her last two starts, with the step-up in distance expected to suit the daughter of Savabeel. “She’s been a bit of a work in progress, she’s wanted to over-race and do a few things wrong, but with a bit of practice, I think she’s learned what to do,” Noble said. “She’s put a couple of nice races together, so hopefully with the extra distance, she can go pretty close. “Venetian has had a few runs, she’s not big and robust at the moment, but I think she’ll run well. “We’ll give her a little spell after this meeting on Thursday.” View the full article

Shaun and Emma Clotworthy will plot a path towards the $1.25 million Gr.1 Trackside New Zealand Derby (2400m) with their promising three-year-old Interplanetary, who put his staying prowess on display at Te Aroha on Sunday. A son of Time Test, Interplanetary finished fourth in the Listed Champagne Stakes (1600m) as a juvenile and had been building into favourable distances this campaign, culminating in a narrow second behind Sweet But Psycho at the course on November 27. Returning to Te Aroha, the colt started a $2.20 favourite under Craig Grylls in the Bayleys Country 2200, easing back early to find the rail in the back-half of the field. The pressure came on at the 600m and Interplanetary was near-last turning for home, but Grylls hugged the rail and set out after Geetee Forty, who he caught with plenty left in store to win by 1 – ½ lengths. “He did it nicely, it wasn’t an overly strong field, but the manner in which he finished the race off made us happy,” Shaun Clotworthy said. “He’s an out and out stayer, his goal is to head towards the Derby and he’ll eat up the 2400m no problem. He’s a good tough horse, and being a colt, he eats up and thrives on work. We’re happy with him staying as a colt at the moment. “He’ll probably go to the paddock and have a break for a couple of weeks and we’ll map a plan through some of the Guineas races and into the Derby.” A $60,000 purchase by co-owner Leighton Howl at the 2023 Karaka Yearling Sales, Interplanetary is out of a Galileo mare Sirani, who won on three occasions over ground. On Saturday at Ellerslie, the Clotworthy’s stable star Malt Time lost no admirers with a solid performance in the Gr.3 Concorde Stakes (1200m), finishing less than two lengths off Babylon Berlin in fifth. “That’s what we expected from her and she was good,” Clotworthy said. “It was basically a Group One sprinting field and she didn’t disgrace herself, she wasn’t far off them. “We were using that as a bit of a trial for her next race, so we’re happy with that.” Already a seven-race winner and multiple-Group One placegetter, Malt Time will be looking to add another feature victory to her record in her final racing preparation, having scanned in foal in Cambridge Stud’s young sire Hello Youmzain. The daughter of Adelaide holds an early nomination for the Gr.1 Harcourts Thorndon Mile (1600m) on January 11, but she may be saved for a tilt at the $600,000 fillies and mares feature on Karaka Millions Night. “She’ll probably go to Ellerslie on Boxing Day first, then on to the Thorndon Mile or Westbury Classic (Gr.2, 1400m), we’re not quite sure yet,” Clotworthy said. “It was always the plan (to get her in foal this year), Bill and Carrie (Borrie, owners) sent her to Hello Youmzain and she’s positive. I think she can race through to mid-March, so we’ll take it race-by-race and see how she goes in the next couple.” View the full article

David Hayes will set his elite speedster for the Centenary Sprint Cup before making a call on the Classic Mile.View the full article

What Hamilton Races Where Hamilton Racing Club – Henty Hwy (Cavendish Rd), Hamilton VIC 3300 When Tuesday, December 10, 2024 First Race 1:30pm AEDT Visit Dabble A new week of racing in Victoria is set to get underway at Hamilton Racing Club on Tuesday afternoon, where a competitive eight-race meeting is scheduled. Clear skies in the leadup to the meeting and on raceday should mean that the Good 4 track rating at the time of acceptances should remain throughout the day. The rail remains in its true position, with action set to commence at 1:30pm AEDT. Best Bet at Hamilton: Chimed Chimed has put together two consecutive wins before finishing fourth at Moonee Valley over 2040m when beaten less than a half-length. The six-year-old gelding was forced to travel wide for the first half of the race and continually overraced, so he did well to be fighting out the finish. This is a bit easier, and considering he is already a Hamilton 2200m winner in his career, Chimed looms as the one to beat in the second leg of the quaddie. Best Bet Race 6 – #1 Chimed (8) 6yo Gelding | T: Symon Wilde | J: Will Gordon (60.5kg) Bet with Neds Next Best at Hamilton: Tower Of Tuscany If his first two runs of the campaign are anything to go, Tower Of Tuscany is sure to appreciate the step up to 1600m third-up. The four-year-old gelding found his rivals a bit too sharp over 1400m in a much tougher maiden than this at Ballarat but looks to have found the right race to break maiden ranks in. Teo Nugent will look to find cover midfield, and if Tower Of Tuscany can have a back to follow into the race, he should be able to overhaul his rivals in the closing stages. Next Best Race 4 – #8 Tower Of Tuscany (12) 4yo Gelding | T: Mark & Levi Kavanagh | J: Teo Nugent (59.5kg) Bet with BlondeBet Best Value at Hamilton: Wichitall Wichitall is never beaten far in his races and looks a great each-way play with Picklebet in the Hamilton finale. The four-year-old gelding is a natural frontrunner and drawn barrier one under Jake Noonan, shapes as the leader in a race that lacks many speed influences. The slight concern is he is yet to run a drum through four runs at 1400m, but with an uncontested lead and a cheap sectional or two, Wichitall can give plenty of cheek out in front at a nice price. Best Value Race 8 – #8 Wichitall (1) 5yo Gelding | T: Symon Wilde | J: Jake Noonan (60.5kg) Bet with Picklebet Tuesday quaddie tips for Hamilton Hamilton quadrella selections Tuesday, December 10, 2024 1-2-4-7-8-9 1-2 1-3-10-12 5-8-10-11-12 | Copy this bet straight to your betslip Horse racing tips View the full article

Race 2 JOIN TAB RACING CLUB 2100m CAN’T KACH ME (W Pinn) – Te Akau Racing Manager Mr. R Trumper advised Stewards, the stable was satisfied with the post-race condition of the mare, and it is their intention to continue on with CAN’T KACH ME’S current preparation. R Trumper further advised that in their opinion the mare may not have been suited to the synthetic track conditions and will now go back to being nominated for grass track racing. The post Canterbury Jockey Club @ Riccarton Park, Friday 6 December 2024 appeared first on RIB. View the full article

Race 4 MCDONALD REAL ESTATE MAIDEN 1200m TAMDIU (M McNab) – Stable representative Mr. R Mildon reported to Stewards, that on Monday 9 December, TAMDIU, underwent a veterinary examination with no abnormalities being detected and it is the stables intention to carry on with the mare’s current preparation. Race 7 HTL GROUP INSURANCE AND INVESTMENTS 1400m ZANTABULOUS (M McNab) – Te Akau Racing Manager Mr. R Trumper advised Stewards, ZANTABULOUS underwent a veterinary examination with no abnormalities being detected, however, the mare will undergo an exercising ECG examination later this week. Stewards will follow up on the completion of the examination. The post Taranaki TRI @ New Plymouth Raceway, Thursday 5 December 2024 appeared first on RIB. View the full article

Race 2 ARAWA PARK HOTEL MAIDEN 1230m CARAMEL SAUCE (W Pinn) – Co-trainer Mr. A Scott reported to Stewards, that on Thursday 5 December, CARAMEL SAUCE, underwent a veterinary examination which revealed the filly showing signs of being shin sore. A Scott further advised the filly has now been sent for a brief spell. The post Racing Rotorua @ Arawa Park, Wednesday 4 December 2024 appeared first on RIB. View the full article

Race 3 UZA BUS TWO YEAR OLD 1100m FURY OF FLIGHT (W Pinn) – Te Akau Racing Manager Mr R Trumper reported to Stewards, that on Saturday 7 December, FURY OF FLIGHT underwent a dynamic endoscopic examination which showed abnormalities with the colt. R Trumper further advised FURY OF FLIGHT, will undergo a wind operation early this week and then be sent for a spell. The post Levin Racing Club @ Otaki, Thursday 28 November 2024 appeared first on RIB. View the full article

Nadal. (Photo by George Sal/Racing Photos) The Supernova (1400m) at Pakenham on December 21 is next for Nadal, but connections are already setting their sights on Group 1 sprints in 2025. The Ciaron Maher-trained sprinter demolished his rivals in last month’s The Meteorite (1200m), and while he is set to target both of Southside Racing’s $1 million slot races, assistant trainer Jack Turnbull revealed that the Group 1 Oakleigh Plate (1100m) at Caulfield on February 22 has been chosen as the four-year-old gelding’s first major sprint target for 2025. “It’s 62 days to the Oakleigh Plate after The Supernova. He can have a couple of weeks out in the paddock and he’s not going to lose fitness and he’ll be ready to go,” Turnbull told Racing.com. “Ciaron and I have said for a fair while he’s the best handicap sprinter we have this spring. “He’s always threatened to do what he did at Cranbourne, but until they do it, it’s only hearsay.” Turnbull added that Nadal’s combination of speed and maturity had helped bring everything together. “He’s a fast horse, but he’s better as a gelding. “He had time off because he had soft knees and it all came together at once.” Horse racing news View the full article

Rustic Steel. Photo: Bradleyphotos.com.au Rustic Steel will return to what is arguably his favourite distance as he aims to give his trainer, Kris Lees, back-to-back victories in Saturday’s Group 2 The Ingham (1600m). The seven-year-old has won half of his six starts over a mile, and Lees expects him to relish the Randwick journey following a solid fifth behind Briasa in The Hunter (1300m) last month. That performance came just nine days after Rustic Steel claimed the Listed Ladies Day Cup (1500m) at Hawkesbury, with Lees admitting that the distance drop dulled the gelding’s finishing sprint. “He still ran well, but it was always a risk coming back in trip with a quick turnaround,” the trainer said. “He will head to The Ingham and he’ll run well. It has been the logical target for him this time in.” Rustic Steel finished 2.9 lengths behind stablemate Loch Eagle in the corresponding race last year, and he is proven over the Randwick mile, having won the 2022 Big Dance (1600m). While The Ingham will mark his first start in almost a month, Rustic Steel has remained in top condition with a recent barrier trial win on Newcastle’s Beaumont track and will be partnered by Josh Parr, who also rode him to victory at Hawkesbury. Horse racing news View the full article

The 2023 Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) winner breezed Dec. 8 at Gulfstream Park.View the full article

The year's final Australian group 1 proved another feather in the cap of trainer Ciaron Maher after Light Infantry Man defied a wide gate to seize an elusive elite-level victory in the $1.5 million Northerly Stakes (G1) going 1,800 meters at Ascot.View the full article