Wandering Eyes

A chance purchase at Karaka has proved to be an outstanding piece of business for Waikato breeders and owners Ross and Corrine Kearney. While wandering around the complex, a winning daughter of Conatus caught their attention and they followed through to secure Signorina for $6,000 out of Westbury Stud’s draft at New Zealand Bloodstock’s Broodmare Sale. She has proved to be a gem for the couple with Saturday’s Listed Armacup Stakes (1500m) winner Checkmate (NZ) (Mongolian Khan), who is raced under their Okaharau Station banner, her latest success story. “She’s been fantastic, it was a bit of a spur of the moment job,” Ross Kearney said. “We didn’t actually go to the sale to look at her but saw her being paraded and thought we like her and got her with a last bid, we had decided that was enough.” She was in foal to Swiss Ace and the result was Jodelin Gal, who won seven races and placed in the Gr.2 Foxbridge Plate (1200m) and the Listed Tauranga Classic (1400m), and is now in foal to Paddington. Signorina’s visit to Mongolian Khan then produced Bankers Choice, who won five of his first 10 starts from Stephen Marsh’s stable and culminating in success in the Gr.3 Thompson Handicap (1600m). He was subsequently sold to clients of Michael Moroney’s Flemington stable with the Kearneys remaining in the ownership group. “We’ve still got shares in him and (three-time winner) Grand Impact, Bankers Choice’s next race will be the Ballarat Cup (Listed, 2000m),” he said. His last win was in the 2022 edition of the race, and he’s also been a multiple stakes placegetter, including a third in the Gr.1 Toorak Handicap (1600m), since relocating across the Tasman. “He hasn’t been racing very well this spring, but in his last race at Moonee Valley he did look a bit sharper.” His brother Checkmate has posted consecutive wins following a debut second for trainers Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott to attract buyer interest. “At this stage he is looking good, we had a phone call before the race and they decided not to proceed,” Kearney said. “He’s coming home for a few days now to have a rest and put his feet up.” A slot in the $3.5 million NZB Kiwi (1500m) is likely to be the aim for Checkmate, who also has younger half-siblings coming through. “We’ve got an Ace High two-year-old in training, she’s with Janenne Dalley who generally breaks in our horses,” Kearney said. “The mare’s also got a Vadamos yearling who was a feisty wee boy, so he was gelded early and he’s still got some spirit. “She’s got a foal at foot, a filly by Staphanos, and she’ll be going to Turn Me Loose. We’ll only give her one chance because it’s getting quite late. “The only one who missed was by Time Test (Justadude), it didn’t work out for us and we sold him so hopefully he can go on and win a race somewhere else.” View the full article

The Maryland Jockey Club announces the retirement of Ken Brown, whose tenure as track superintendent has been marked by extraordinary contributions to Maryland racing.View the full article

Ken Brown, who held the position of Track Superintendent at the Maryland Jockey Club (MJC), officially retired from the organization Dec. 1. To ensure a smooth transition, Danny Finke has been appointed Interim Track Superintendent. With 40 years of experience on the MJC track crew, Finke has a deep knowledge of track maintenance making him an ideal choice to step into this interim role. “Ken Brown's leadership has been instrumental in navigating MJC through a challenging period and raising the standard of our racing surfaces,” said Mike Rogers, Acting President MJC. “As we prepare for his well-earned retirement, we are confident in Danny Finke's ability to lead during this transitional period. Danny's experience and dedication ensure that Maryland's racing operations remain strong and seamless.” The post Ken Brown Retires as MJC Track Superintendent, Danny Finke Named Interim appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

A dozen of the best jockeys from all corners of the globe–four based locally and eight from overseas–come together Wednesday evening at Hong Kong's iconic Happy Valley Racecourse for the Longines International Jockeys' Championship. Widely recognized as the premier contest of its kind, the IJC carries total prize money of HK$1 million, to be divided up three ways, with the winner taking home a checque for HK$600,000, while the second- and third-place finishers earn HK$250,000 and HK$150,000, respectively. Vincent Ho, best known for his association with the now retired three-time G1 Longines Hong Kong Mile hero Golden Sixty (Aus) (Medaglia d'Oro) found the podium in the IJC in 2018, 2019 and 2022 before just getting the better of Zac Purton– Hong Kong's perennial leading rider–in 2023. Ever humble, Ho is relishing another crack at displaying his talents on this stage. “Since I started my riding career, I always wanted to be one of the IJC participating jockeys and now I treasure every opportunity to be part of it and enjoying it,” he said. “All the participating jockeys are experienced world-class riders, on and off the track we have plenty of chances to share. This is really a golden chance to improve yourself.” Purton, who is within striking distance of breaking the all-time record for wins in Hong Kong currently held by Douglas Whyte, took out the IJC for the first time in 2017 before adding victories in 2020 and 2021. The Aussie's four rides on Wednesday each drew low gates, never a negative at Happy Valley, but Purton is downplaying his chances. “I would have preferred a bit more quality there,” Purton said. “I think I have my work cut out for me.” Among the overseas challenge are Hollie Doyle, who became the first female to win a leg of the IJC en route to finishing a joint-third in 2020, and Rachel King, English by birth and now a successful jockey in Sydney. “It's an honour to be selected,” says Doyle, who rode the 1000th winner of her career at Goodwood this past September. “The HKJC pick jockeys from the best around the world that they know will be competitive and serious in their attempt to win the trophy. It creates quite an intense atmosphere. “We all get on great,” she continued. “We know each other from travelling the world, but everyone is there for only one thing, and that is to win. It is the atmosphere it should be when you are riding at that level, competing for that amount of money. It's intense, and that's how I like it really.” Ryan Moore last won the IJC in 2010, following his three-way dead-heat the year prior, and makes the short trip down from Japan, where he rode Dura Erede (Jpn) to a close third in the G1 Champions Cup at the weekend. He, too, always looks forward to the IJC “Racing in Hong Kong is probably the most competitive in the world and I'm always delighted to take part when I'm asked,” he said. “You do always have a chance because [Happy Valley is] that sort of track and the horses are evenly matched. But there could just be a standout in one leg, one that's ahead of his mark, that's just the nature of racing.” Completing the 2024 IJC field are: William Buick representing Great Britain alongside Doyle; Mickael Barzalona (France); Colin Keane (Ireland); Yuga Kawada (Japan); James McDonald (New Zealand), Hugh Bowman and Karis Teetan (Hong Kong, China). The IJC is contested over four legs and points are awarded on a 12-6-4 basis. Wednesday's program kicks off at 6:30 p.m. HKT (10:30 a.m. BST, 5:30 a.m. US Eastern Time), with the first of the IJC legs set to jump at 8:10 p.m. Click here for the HKJC form guide. The post World’s Top Riders Converge On Happy Valley For Longines IJC appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Cem Sevim, a Turkish owner/breeder, is growing his international breeding and racing program with the acquisition of stallion prospect Beatbox, a graded stakes-winning son of Pioneerof the Nile and sibling to multiple grade 1 winner Guarana.View the full article

BH Interview: Tommy Wente of St. Simon PlaceView the full article

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-bred horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Tuesday's Observations features siblings to Group 1 winners and offspring of Group 1 winning mares. 14.30 Deauville, Mdn, €30,000, unraced 2yo, c/g, 9 1/2f (AWT) Alain and Gerard Wertheimer's KINDLEO (GB) (Frankel {GB}) is a Christophe Ferland-trained full-brother to last term's G1 Prix de la Foret heroine Kelina (GB). The April-foaled homebred bay, whose stakes-winning dam Incahoots (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) is out of Group 3-winning matriarch In Clover (GB) (Inchinor {GB}), is opposed by 11 in this newcomers' test. 15.05 Deauville, Mdn, €30,000, unraced 2yo, f, 9 1/2f (AWT) Christophe Ferland trainee ROOBA (IRE) (Dubawi {Ire}), another notable Wertheimer homebred, is a half-sister to three black-type performers headed by dual G1 Prix Royal-Oak hero Double Major (Ire) (Daiwa Major {Jpn}). She encounters 11 rivals in this debutantes' heat. 15.40 Deauville, Mdn, €30,000, 2yo, c/g, 7 1/2f (AWT) Godolphin's CUALIFICAR (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) is a son of G1 Oaks heroine Qualify (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) and thus kin to this year's G3 Jebel Ali Mile victor Swing Vote (GB) (Shamardal). Qualify, a 1.6-million guineas purchase at the 2015 Tattersalls December sale, was knocked down to Ballylinch for €650,000 at last month's Goffs November sale. The Andre Fabre nominee, one of 10 declarations, posted a promising close-up third in his Saint-Cloud debut last month. The post Full Brother to Group 1 Heroine Kelina in Line for Deauville Debut appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

On Saturday at Churchill Downs, 2-year-old Patch Adams (Into Mischief)–yes, as in the 1998 Robin Williams film where the best line might be, “Donner, party of 50!”–earned his very own 'Rising Star' on TDN's Walk of Fame. The colt turned in what Alan Carasso called “a jaw-dropping performance” as he broke his maiden by an eye-catching 10 1/2 lengths at second asking. The time over the fast main track was just 0.33 off the record held by MGISW Groupie Doll. Thoroughbred bloodlines can highlight connections to a rich past and a provide a link to a potentially bright future. It's what being a 'Rising Star' is all about. To quote Alanis Morissette's song, we could ask “isn't it ironic” that Patch Adams–owned by WinStar, CHC and Siena–is out of SW Well Humored (Distorted Humor), whose own dam Life Well Lived (Tiznow) is a full-sister to G1 Dubai World Cup hero Well Armed? Irony rises to periscope depth since the gelding who conquered the desert in 2009 just happens to be the subject of a new book entitled Well Armed, A Thoroughbred of Destiny by Jay Hovdey that was published last month by Johnsen Holdings. As we know, Thoroughbred biographies can provide insight into not only the athlete, but the people behind them. Hovdey, who has won more Eclipse writing awards than Carter's got pills, is at his best when it comes to creative angles. The author opens with a nameless screenwriter making a pitch to a Hollywood producer. It's like something out of Spielberg's The Fablemans (2022) and it works as an introduction into the world of Bill Casner who co-founded WinStar Farm alongside his friend Kenny Troutt. Casner is a larger-than-life personality who seemingly socked home run after home run from the offing. Hovdey's device takes us through his early life on the dirt track circuits of the Midwest as the Texan meets future wife Susan and applies elbow grease to make a life for his family. The blockbuster public listing of Excel Telecommunications in the late 1990s was a Count of Monte Cristo moment for Casner and Troutt, who turned their Thoroughbred dreams into a reality when they bought what would become WinStar in 2000. Well Armed won the 2009 Dubai World Cup | Horsephotos As Hovdey goes on to explain, the $150,000 purchase at the 2001 Keeneland November Sale of Well Dressed, who was in foal to Awesome Again, was a lynchpin moment. The book accentuates Casner's story with meaningful background into how Tiznow became a sire and the origins of the Dubai World Cup. Before Well Armed came into the world, the Casner Family's was absolutely shattered with the horrendous passing of their daughter Karri. The rising star was killed in a 2002 terrorist bombing while she was traveling in Bali. The son of Tiznow's foaling a year later on Karri's birthday provided the Casners with a salve and assisted at least in some measure with their grief. Like his screenwriter, Hovdey reminds us that trials and tribulations were to follow. During his 3-year-old season, Well Armed injured a knee in the G2 U.A.E. Derby. After shipping home for treatment, he accidently fractured his pelvis. Casner remained resolute that he could engineer a rehab program by having the horse swim laps at his Texas ranch. It worked and over a year later Well Armed returned to the racetrack. Enter trainer Eoin Harty and rider Aaron Gryder, who according to Hovdey had a 'reality' moment during a fishing trip in the Persian Gulf. The pair form the core of Well Armed's run through the 2009 Dubai World Cup. What many might not remember is that the gelding ran third to superstar Curlin the year prior. The monograph is chock full of Casner's sharp takes on everything from equine fiduciary responsibility to the debate over the sanctity of all-weather surface technology. Make no mistake, in Hovdey's hands Well Armed is the furthest thing from film noir. What we find here is the very marrow of our equine world. More in the spirit of Patch Adams, the book is once again a refreshing reminder of how a Thoroughbred can heal humans. Well Armed, A Thoroughbred of Destiny by Johnsen Holdings Publishing, 164 pages, photos, November 2024. The post Book Review: Hovdey’s Script Brings Well Armed Story To Bear appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Addington will run two contrasting meetings this week, with its First December Midweek meeting tomorrow ahead of Derby Race night on Friday. There’ll be eight races on Wednesday, starting at 5.19pm. Friday’s meeting, starting at 5.01pm, is highlighted by the Trotting and Pacing Derbies, as well as the inaugural running of the $200,000 Christian Cullen for the four-year-old pacers. The features of Auckland’s Friday meeting include the $40,000 Thames Goldfields Summer Cup where the likes of Sooner The Bettor and The Big Lebowski will battle it out, the $40,000 Caduceus Club Northern Breeders Stakes and the $40,000 Thames Members Handicap Trot. The grass track at Orari hosts the Geraldine Trotting Club meeting on Saturday with Forbury Park rounding out the harness racing week at Wingatui on Sunday. Addington’s last major meeting of the year By Michael Guerin The barrier draw luck was shared around for Addington’s last major meeting of the year this Friday night. While Nathan and Mark Purdon may have got it in the draw for the $200,000 Christian Cullen for the four-year-olds, they were on the receiving end in the other big boy’s pace for the night. New Zealand Cup runner-up Don’t Stop Dreaming gained what could be a crucial tactical advantage over arch-rival Merlin by drawing the ace in the first running of the Christian Cullen. While Merlin may have more natural gate speed from barrier 6, if he uses it he faces an early burn and more than than likely Don’t Stop Dreaming sitting on his back in the 2600m mobile, which has come on to the calendar as a Group 1. But in the $300,000 Garrards NZ Pacing Derby it is Merlin’s trainers Barry Purdon and Scott Phelan who appear to have got the better of the draws with Better Knuckle Up to start from barrier 3 (if the emergencies come out) while Chase A Dream for the other Purdons faces barrier 7. Unlike the Christian Cullen the Derby appears to have more chances because while last-start Velocity winner Better Knuckle Up is now assured of favouritism this is a crop that has never really worked itself out and this race could even decide three-year-old of the year. If Better Knuckle Up wins it he could be the unlikely late title claimer, Chase A Dream would have obvious claims if he won but if neither does the injured Cold Chisel could even win the title for his early season exploits. What is far less open is the $200,000 Garrards NZ Trotting Derby in which Keayang Zahara has drawn perfectly at barrier 4 and the best thing the TAB bookies could do to drive turnover might be to open a market on how much she wins by. Best guess, more than 3 lengths. Add in the Braxton Farriers Group 3 Worthy Queen Trot, in which Oscar Bonavena and Muscle Mountain back up from Methven but face 20m handicaps over 2000m and Addington rounds out two huge months of racing on a high. To see Friday night’s fields – for Addington click here For Auckland click here View the full article

Listed placed Blue Brother (Fr) (Intello {Ger}) has been sold to Wathnan Racing and will winter in Qatar for the growing international operation, as reported by Jour de Galop on Monday evening. According to the publication, Blue Brother has been listed as out of training on the France Galop website due to the pending export. When reached for comment, former owner/breeder Francis Teboul–operating under the Gemini Stud moniker–confirmed the sale. “With the colt, we had the ambition to race in Qatar during the winter because we were convinced that he would be capable of doing well there,” Teboul told Jour de Galop. “But in the meantime we received a purchase offer and we accepted it. Blue Brother will go to Qatar but he will now defend the colours of Wathnan Racing.” The Gianluca Bietolini-trainee has placed in five of seven lifetime starts, including most recently in the Listed Prix Tantieme where he was on the losing end of the bob on the line. He'd won a pair of handicaps in two prior outings before that effort. The post Blue Brother Sold to Wathnan Racing for Winter Qatar Campaign appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Kenny McPeek purchased the son of Connect at the 2020 Keeneland September Yearling Sale for $210,000. Rattle N Roll has earned more than $2.1 million, with his most recent victory coming Nov. 30 in the Clark Stakes (G2) at Churchill Downs. View the full article

When the TDN staff decided to make Patch Adams (Into Mischief) and Chasten (Into Mischief) 'TDN Rising Stars' after their maiden wins Saturday at Churchill Downs history was made by trainer Brad Cox. Never before has a trainer had two Rising Stars on the same day. Both were obvious choices. Patch Adams ran away from his competition to win by 10 lengths. Chasten, a winner by 1 ½ lengths, wasn't quite as impressive, but that she is half-sister to 2023 Older Filly & Mare Champion Idiomatic (Curlin) obviously swayed the TDN team. A horse is made a TDN Rising Star when he or she wins one of their first few starts, and is impressive enough that the TDN staff believes the horse will go on to be as graded stakes winner. Does that mean that Patch Adams and Chasten are both destined to become stars? Not necessarily. Basing a horses future off what is usually no more than one or two starts, is not easy. There are plenty of horses like Arrogate (Unbridled's Song). He lost in his first start and then ran in, and won, a pair of allowance races. He didn't have his coming out party until winning the 2016 GI Travers S. in his fifth lifetime start. Then there are horses like Pastor T (Into Mischief), who never ran again after breaking his maiden in his debut for Bob Baffert. I am not among the group that selects Rising Stars. But my colleagues continue to do a good job finding the stars of tomorrow. I did a complete review of every North American-based horse that received a Rising Star in 2023. Here is what I found: (*) There were 52 North American-based Rising Stars in 2023. Twenty of the 52 have so far won a graded stakes race in their career. An even more impressive stat: 12 horse became Grade I winners. If you include non-graded stakes, 26 Rising Stars have won stakes races. (*) Not too many future stars escaped the team. Carl Spackler (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}): Sierra Leone (Gun Runner); Fierceness (City of Light); Thorpedo Anna (Fast Anna); and Leslie's Rose (Into Mischief) were among the top horses tabbed. (*) Soon to be named Horse of the Year, Thorpedo Anna was the best Rising Star of 2023. The worst? Squire Creek (Uncle Mo) was last seen running in a $32,000 claimer at Aqueduct. Hey, nobody is perfect. (*) To the surprise of no one, Into Mischief (Harlan's Holiday) led all sires in 2023 when it comes to producing Rising Stars. He had five. Tapit (Pulpit), Gun Runner (Candy Ride (ARG) and Quality Road (Elusive Quality) were next with three each. (*) Surprise, surprise, the super trainers dominated. Todd Pletcher led all trainers with eight Rising Stars. Brad Cox and Bob Baffert were next with six each. The Cigar Mile Comes Up Strong After a few years in a row where the Cigar Mile field came up very light, it's good to see the race, which will be run Saturday at Aqueduct, rebound. In what should be a terrific betting race, 11 will go to the post in what is the last race that matters on the 2024 New York racing calendar. The pick here is 'TDN Rising Star' Locked (Gun Runner). The winner of last year's GI Breeders' Futurity, he was sidelined for nearly a year after finishing third in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile. He came back and romped in an Oct. 19 race at Aqueduct going seven furlongs, which should set him up perfectly for the $500,000 race. But don't rule out the Jersey-bred sensation Book 'em Danno, who had a tough trip when third in the GIII Perryville S. at Keeneland. For him, this will be a prep for the GI Saudi Cup. Guessing Games With Takeouts Why is the takeout information for each track so hard to find? Asking people to bet when they don't know what the takeout is would be like your local supermarket not telling you the price of eggs. You'll just have to guess. This is an easy problem to fix, and maybe HISA can help in the effort. There should be a website readily available to fans that lists all the takeouts on all the bets at every track. The Daily Racing Form and Equibase should also publish the takeout rates in their paper and programs. Price conscious fans should gravitate to the tracks that give them best deal, but no one is out there making that information readily available. The post Week In Review: Cox Unveils a Pair of ‘TDN Rising Stars’ on Same Day; Will They Live Up to the Hype? appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

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The group winner Caught U Looking (Ire) (Harzand {Ire}) (lot 1466) was the first filly or mare to make seven figures during the opening session of the Tattersalls December Mares Sale, when selling to Yulong signing as Willingham for 1,800,000gns online on Monday. Consigned by Tally-Ho Stud in Ireland, the G3 Park Stakes and Listed Bluebell Stakes heroine has also placed another two times at group level in her career. Will Walden was the underbidder on Monday, while Yuesheng Zhang's operation was bidding as Willingham both in person and online. Out of Wild Mix (GB) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) herself a half-sister to Exceed And Excel (Aus) stakes winners Double Or Bubble (Ire) and Mix And Mingle (Ire), Caught U Looking counts G2 King Edward VII Stakes hero High Accolade (GB) (Mark Of Esteem {Ire})) as a relative. The 3-year-old was bred by Kelly Equine Services, and was originally a €27,000 Goffs Autumn yearling when purchased by Peter Nolan and Noel Meade. “I'd say she did it herself because she behaved impeccably there for the past three days,” said Tally-Ho's Tony O'Callaghan. “We think there's a good bit of potential–there's more to come. That's why she made it. Credit to Peter Nolan, Peter Kelly and Noel Meade. She'd 12 vets and was very popular.” Yulong purchased Group 1 winner Via Sistina (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) for 2,700,000gns out of the 2023 edition of this sale. She is now a multiple top-level winner in Australia. Alastair Pim giving a masterclass in auctioneering yet again!! Caught U Looking sells for 1.8million gns. The G3 winner is by Harzand and was consigned by Tally-Ho Stud who owned her in partnership with Peter Kelly.#tattsdecember pic.twitter.com/490zIPGTBP — TDN (@theTDN) December 2, 2024 The post Caught U Looking Could Be The Next Via Sistina After Selling for 1.8m to Willingham At Tattersalls appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Del Mar concluded its 11th Bing Crosby fall race meet Dec. 1 with gains in all-sources handle and field size for the 14-day meeting.View the full article

Shadwell Stable's Muhimma, a dominant winner through two career starts, steps into stakes company for the first time Dec. 7 as she faces nine competitors in the $250,000 Demoiselle Stakes (G2) at Aqueduct Racetrack.View the full article

The Holiday Moneigh Auction, hosted by ReRun Thoroughbred Adoption and After the Finish Line's, has kicked off and will continue through Sunday, Dec. 8 at 6p PT/9p ET. To bid, visit www.ebay.com/str/rerunthoroughbred. A total of 19 original Moneighs painted by stallions, pony horses and a broodmare are up for bid. This includes Tom's d'Etat, Annapolis, Harley, Groupie Doll, Nyquist, Flightline, Curlin, Promises Fulfilled, War Front, Rip, Tapit, Mystic Guide, Good Magic, Audible, Honor Code, McKinzie, Charlatan, Maxfield and Little Mike. Moneighs are abstract artwork created by Thoroughbreds using their lips, muzzle, hoof, and/or whiskers. Moneigh is a registered trademark of ReRun, Inc., a 501(c)(3) non-profit that rehabilitates and retrains Off Track Thoroughbreds for adoption in New York. The original art by premier stallions and broodmares in Kentucky are auctioned or sold to benefit both organizations. “This new collaboration between charities means proceeds will help more Off Track Thoroughbreds in need. The Moneighs are back with a fresh new look and exciting new stallion, broodmare and pony horse artists for racing fans”, said Lisa Molloy, Executive Director of ReRun Thoroughbred Adoption. “Racing fans can bid on their favorite Thoroughbreds they once followed on the racetrack. Moneighs are a way to connect with the legends of horse racing,” said Dawn Mellen, President of After the Finish Line. To learn about our upcoming auctions and prints, follow Moneighs for ReRun on Facebook and eBay store, www.ebay.com/str/rerunthoroughbred. The post Holiday Moneigh Auction Runs Through Dec. 8 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The annual Toys for Tots donation drive at Aqueduct Racetrack will return Thursday, Dec. 5 and continue through Saturday, Dec. 7. Founded in 1947, the Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Foundation collects and distributes new, unwrapped toys to local children in need each holiday season. Fans can access donation boxes at Aqueduct, located at the Turf and Field entrance and the Clubhouse lobby by the escalator. “This partnership means more children and families throughout New York City and across Long Island will experience a joyful holiday season,” said Robert Hines, NYRA Manager of Community Affairs. “NYRA extends our thanks to the Marine Corps Reserve for their efforts, and to all those who support Toys for Tots.” In addition to the New York Racing Association, the Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Foundation is supported by generous contributions from the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association (NYTHA) and thoroughbred owner Harold Lerner. “NYTHA salutes the Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Foundation for all they do to support children in our communities,” said NYTHA President Tina Marie Bond. “New York's horsemen and women take pride in giving generously each and every year to ensure that children everywhere can enjoy the holidays.” For additional information about the Marine Corps Toys for Tots Foundation, or to donate today, visit www.toysfortots.org. The post Toys For Tots Donation Drive to Be Held Dec. 5-7 at Aqueduct appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

For the past two weeks, we have been telling you how some of racing's biggest names fell in love with the sport. Now it's our turn. Here are some of the stories behind the bylines you see every day in the TDN. Chris McGrath We all know how pedigrees can confound us. We spend more than we can afford on the best page we can, and end up trying to salvage something in a maiden claimer. And then the horse you put an immediate line through, when you first go through a catalogue, ends up winning a Grade I. Hang on, this series is titled “How I Fell Out Of Love With Racing”–right? The point is that there was nothing in my page to concern those raising me that I might be remotely vulnerable to a sport they would have viewed, had they ever given it a moment's attention, as fraught with moral and financial peril. A largely suburban upbringing in England had instead put me on an impeccably conventional path, one that I would actually follow through to university and the law degree that my parents fondly imagined would lead to an uneventfully lucrative career. By the time I obliged them by at least jumping through those preliminary hoops, however, the terrible seduction had begun. Sire and dam had first started scratching their heads, and going back through their own scrupulously unsporting pedigrees, when I became precociously obsessed, from the age of nine, with cricket–something equally baffling, no doubt, to any American reader. In those days, incredible as it will seem to young people, Britons had a choice of just three television stations. And one of those would broadcast every minute of every home Test Match. (Yes, those games scheduled over five days with zero guarantee of either side winning…) International cricket nowadays lurks behind a subscription paywall, and there are lessons for every sport in its resulting struggles to reach and inspire younger viewers. Back then, however, this tremendous shop window would only be open in the summer, and an idle English schoolboy in search of televised sport during the winter had to make do with a modest quota of soccer plus a few curiosities like snooker. (Quite a challenge, in an era when color television remained a luxury: one commentator famously said: “For those of you watching in black-and-white, the pink is next to the green….” Actually that wasn't as stupid as it sounds, but we're digressing enough already.) One of the sports that duly profited from great exposure in the early 1980s was horseracing. And I distinctly recall being vexed whenever some other sport was interrupted to show the 2.30 from Haydock. Gradually, however, I fell prey to a fateful combination of those adolescent trademarks, indolence and intrigue–especially, to start with, during the jumps season. Who were these eccentric characters in tweed coats, presenters and interviewees alike? And who, above all, were these astounding creatures whose bravery and beauty so obsessed them? Now I can't deny it: the glamor was certainly heightened by the fact that people appeared to be winning and losing giddy sums on how fast these semi-controllable animals managed to negotiate a series of obstacles. At a time of life when an evolving personality is anxious to decide what kind of image to project in life, gambling became a useful source of additional loucheness, an exotic variation on the three customary routes to disreputability: girls, cigarettes and ale. For the record, I never took to smoking; and I soon figured out, if rather too slowly, that I would need to discover a more reliable option than betting to salvage at least some portion of the comfortable income I was now determined to renounce, together with a career in law. (The girls and the ale, I stand by.) But the comical fact of the matter is that when See You Then won the second of his three Champion Hurdles, in 1986, I dared my first ever £5 wager; and that 12 months later, faithful to the same horse in the same race, I risked no less than £200. But it was watching that same 1986 Cheltenham Festival that I reached the single moment–indeed a single, fleeting image–that definitively hooked me on racing. I don't recall having any financial skin in the game for the Gold Cup, the steeplechase that crowns the meeting. But the narrative of the race, in both the build-up and its actual denouement, was unforgettably centered on the charismatic Irish mare, Dawn Run. She had been champion hurdler but remained inexperienced over fences, and her jumping was under such scrutiny that there had been a controversial change of jockey. Watching the grainy footage again today, you still can't see how she won. Through most of the final stages, having dropped out after an attacking ride, she looks irretrievably beaten. But then the enigmatic Wayward Lad started to hang in front, and Dawn Run kept up the gamest of gallops up the hill to pull it out of the fire. As she passed the post, the director took what for me became a life-changing decision, cutting to the crowd in front of the stands. That shot lasted barely a couple of seconds. In that fleeting moment, however, you saw a trilby hat flung so high into the air that it disappeared from the frame–and it never returned into view, because we were then taken instantly back to the horses pulling up. it gave a literally limitless quality to the joy consuming all those people. In that single, exuberant gesture, I sensed how this game could enliven and exalt the lives, however humdrum, of anyone prepared to yield to its mysteries. Thirty-eight years on, that trilby is still to come back down to earth. The post How I Got Hooked On Racing: Chris McGrath appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Dale Romans has been elected as the new president of the Kentucky HBPA, following the long tenure of fellow trainer Rick Hiles. Romans was voted president by the newly seated Kentucky HBPA board. The longest continuously serving board member, Romans has been on the HBPA board for most of his training career that began in 1986, with much of that as a vice president. Trainers' representative John Hancock and owners' representative Travis Foley are the new vice presidents, taking over for Romans and the late Frank Jones Jr. New Kentucky HBPA board members joining Hancock and Hiles as trainer representatives are Phil Bauer, Jordan Blair and Bret Calhoun, with Bill Morey an alternate board member. Newcomer Casey Klein joins Travis Foley and existing owner board members Buff Bradley and Mark Bacon, with a fifth owner representative to be named at the start of the year. “My goal, starting immediately, is to build on the foundation Rick Hiles and the previous Kentucky HBPA boards established,” said Romans. “I've got a bunch of ideas, but the first thing I'm going to do is listen to the horsemen. After a lot of hard work in conjunction with our racetracks and lawmakers, Kentucky is now the No. 1 racing circuit in America and the gold standard. That's not the end point but an ongoing challenge to find new ways to improve and grow to benefit racehorse owners and trainers, which in turn benefits the entire industry.” Alex Foley, the Kentucky HBPA's Executive Director, said the horsemen's organization is most appreciative of Hiles' “unwavering service and leadership. His tenure spanned years of significant change in the industry, during which he worked tirelessly to support Kentucky's racing community. “Rick has been an exceptional leader and advocate for horsemen, and we are deeply grateful for his dedication to our industry,” Alex Foley continued. “We're excited to welcome Dale Romans as our new president. His experience and passion for the sport will be invaluable as we navigate the future.” The post Dale Romans Elected As New Kentucky HBPA President appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Horseplayers have a shot at big prizes and prestige in the Turfway Park Handicapping Championship, set for Dec. 14 on TwinSpires.com.View the full article

This year's Breeders' Cup had a touch of deja vu all over again thanks to a series of veterinary scratches in the lead up to the event, some of which didn't exactly sit well with connections. The one that perhaps garnered the most attention is Californian flag-bearer The Chosen Vron's (Vronsky) removal from the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint on official veterinary advice. The horse's connections initially disputed the scratch, arguing he was 100% sound. It later transpired The Chosen Vron had a small ankle problem that necessitated a few months rest. The narrative surrounding The Chosen Vron's scratch was hardly an anomaly. As veterinary scrutiny of horses has increased in recent years, so too has concern amongst the individuals charged with overseeing the everyday health and welfare of the horse that their expert viewpoints and perspectives are being superseded by those with limited understanding of a particular galloper's peculiar way of going. Where heads butt, tempers fray. An anecdotal reading of events can be skewed one way or another. And so, what do the hard numbers tell us? Are scratched horses at a higher risk of facing extended periods of time off, for example? How long do they usually take to get back to the races? How many simply never race again? In summary, the available numbers show that scratched horses are notably more likely to face extended periods of time off than non-scratched horses. They typically take longer to get back on the work tab and to the races. A significant number simply never make it back. Indeed, in one dataset from the past five years, between one-quarter and approaching one-third of the scratched horses studied never made it back to race. In a comparable group of supposedly sound horses, this rate of attrition was in the low single digits. That said, the numbers show room for improvement to ensure sound and healthy horses aren't unnecessarily snagged in this safety net. They also identify a tantalizing window to screen horses with brewing problems early enough so that race-day lameness scratches become as low as possible. National Overview Since the advent of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act's (HISA) drug and medication control program, the racing fatality rate has headed noticeably downwards. In the second quarter of this year, for example, there were 0.76 fatalities per 1000 starts in jurisdictions that fall under the federal program's jurisdiction–a number nearly half the national average last year. As to what's primarily driving this downward trend, concrete answers are difficult to come by. Is it the tightened medication rules? Is it improving track maintenance protocols? Is it the post-entry screening protocols? Or is it increased veterinary scrutiny, with all HISA jurisdictions required to administer pre-race exams the morning of a race (something not always done at certain tracks)? Is it a combination of factors in equal parts? HISA doesn't maintain nationwide data about the time it takes for horses to return to the work-tab and races after a lameness scratch, as the agency doesn't always receive granular information as to the reasons behind each scratch. But it's currently working on a fix. In the meantime, regional datasets that tell similar tales make for fascinating reading. Santa Anita and Gulfstream Park Dionne Benson, 1/ST Racing's chief veterinary officer, has compiled five years of vet scratch data (spanning May 2019 to June 2024) for both Santa Anita and Gulfstream Park. Using the Equine Injury Database (EID), Benson zeroed in on horses that were scratched for unsoundness during a pre-race exam on the morning of the race, or for the same problem during the afternoon immediately before the race went off. She discarded all other reasons for a scratch like a spiked temperature or for rearing over in the gates. For every horse scratched, Benson randomly selected a horse that made a start in the intended race as a means of comparison. We'll call them the “cohort” group. In other words, a cohort of purportedly sound horses. In short, the scratched horses were significantly more likely never to race or work again than the supposedly sounder cohort group. Of those that did compete again, they also took much longer to get back to the races. When asked about the seemingly anomalous statistic out of Gulfstream Park–where 5% of the cohort group never raced again, while 8% never worked again–Benson explained that in Florida, the horses will often race back instead of working again. Churchill Downs Incorporated Will Farmer, Churchill Downs equine medical director, used the EID to screen scratched horses at CDI tracks in an identical fashion to Benson–in other words, he looked only for horses that were scratched for lameness the day of the race. As at Santa Anita and Gulfstream Park, Farmer's numbers show that a significant number of scratched horses never race or work again. They also take much longer than is typically the case to race again and to return to the work tab (using Benson's cohort group as a useful comparison). The State of Kentucky George Mundy is the interim equine medical director of the Kentucky Horse Racing and Gaming Corporation. Like others, he was mighty curious about what race-day scratches can tell us, and so, ran his own numbers. In one intriguing set of numbers, Mundy used data from HISA's “RegVet-Unsound” designation, which was introduced nationwide in July 2022. His analysis comprises an unnamed Kentucky track and Emerald Downs in Washington State. According to Mundy's statistical breakdown, the lameness veterinary scratches that show the quickest race return-rate are (in order of best to worst) the post parade scratch, then the morning exam, followed by the voided claim (where the claim is voided for lameness), and finally the after-race lameness exam. This sequence mirrors the 2022 findings out of Washington State. Looking once again at the unnamed Kentucky track in 2023 and 2024, 33% and 60% of the horses whose claims were voided for lameness didn't return to race within six months. In Washington State in 2022, 69% of the voided claim horses did not race within six months. It should be noted, however, that the overall numbers of voided claim horses were not large–seven and ten in Kentucky, and 16 in Washington State. Florida Mary Scollay was equine medical director of the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission when she ran ten years worth of vet scratch data out of Florida–Calder and Gulfstream Park to be exact, between 2000 and 2010. Like the others, Scollay looked specifically at horses scratched solely for lameness in the pre-race exam, the post parade or at the gate. As a means of comparison with the scratched horses, Scollay randomly selected two horses from each race the scratched horses intended to start in. We'll call them once again the cohort group. And once again, a significantly higher number of scratched horses never made it back to the races compared to the cohort group. For those that did race again, the scratched group also took far longer than the cohort group to return to competition. New York Racing Association Which bring us to 2018, with numbers that former NYRA steward Jennifer Durenberger ran. Once again, they comprise horses scratched for lameness on the day of the race. The information is broken into morning and afternoon scratches. It appears to match Mundy's findings in that horses scratched on a morning tend to find a slightly tougher route back to the races than horses scratched of an afternoon. Of the 125 morning scratches during that period, 18% never ran again. Of those that did compete again, 10% were either vanned off or returned lame when they next ran, while 34% had a six month or more layoff. The average return-to-race time was 89 days. Of the 51 afternoon scratches during that period, 16% never ran again. Of those that did compete again, 9% were either vanned off or returned lame when they next ran, while 33% had a six month or more layoff. The average return-to-race time was 94 days. The post In Numbers: Scratched Horses Significantly More Likely To Need Extended Rest appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Recently pensioned stallion Acclamation (GB) died over the weekend, Rathbarry Stud posted on X. The son of Royal Applause (GB) was 25. “It is with heavy hearts that we share the passing of Acclamation this weekend,” the stud said on X. “He leaves behind a legacy as a true legend of the Irish stallion ranks. He will be deeply missed by all at Rathbarry Stud but never forgotten.” The sire of successful stallions Dark Angel (Ire) and Mehmas (Ire) was a Group 2 winner himself. At stud, he has sired 68 stakes winners (32 group winners). Of his seven Group 1 winners, his best are current Hong Kong star Romantic Warrior (Ire) and Makarova (GB), who won the G1 Prix de l'Abbaye this autumn. His daughters are credited with 38 stakes winners (19 group) led by Group 1 winners Broome (Ire) (Australia {GB}) and Eqtidaar (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}). The post ‘A True Legend’–Rathbarry’s Acclamation Dies At 25 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Two-time Eclipse champion sprinter Goodnight Olive (Ghostzapper) will be covered by MGISW Seize the Grey (Arrogate) this upcoming breeding season. The announcement was made by Resolute Racing's John Stewart on the social media site X Sunday evening. Goodnight Olive, who won her final start in 2023 in the GI PNC Bank Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint, sold to Resolute for $6,000,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Night of the Stars sale shortly after. She was bred to Not This Time for her first cover due early next year. Seize the Grey retired to Gainesway last month with wins in the GI Preakness Stakes and the GI Pennsylvania Derby for MyRacehorse and trainer D. Wayne Lukas. He will stand his inaugural season at stud for a fee of $30,000. Responding to comments on the announcement, Stewart noted that he wanted to get access to the late Arrogate and that “Seize the Grey will be more valuable as a stallion. We need more Arrogate in our pedigrees.” He also noted that, while Into Mischief was a popular choice, “I am a big believer in the data for breeding and [Seize the Grey] stacks up strong for her.” The post Goodnight Olive To Visit Preakness Winner Seize The Grey For 2025 Cover appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article