Wandering Eyes

Grade 1 winner Rattle N Roll is back in action at Churchill Downs Sept. 28 in the $500,000 Lukas Classic Stakes (G2), his first start since finishing four in the same race one year ago.View the full article

Grade 1 winner Rattle N Roll is back in action at Churchill Downs Sept. 28 in the $500,000 Lukas Classic Stakes (G2), his first start since finishing four in the same race one year ago.View the full article

After Next (Not This Time) romped in Saturday's GIII Greenwood Cup at Parx, trainer Chief Stipe Cowans said Sunday he will consider both the GI Breeders' Cup Classic and the GI Breeders' Cup Turf for the marathon specialist's next start. “We're going to get the horse home,” Cowans said. “He's on his way back right now from Philadelphia to Kentucky. We will let him get back to his routine and get through the first breeze, which will take place 15 to 17 days from now. From there, we'll see how the horse is and make a plan, whatever that is.” Since winning the 2022 Cape Henlopen S. at Delaware Park, a 1 5/8-mile race that came off the turf, Next has proven to be nearly unbeatable in dirt races run at 1 1/2 miles or longer. He won the 1 1/2-mile Greenwood Cup by 10 lengths and it was his seventh straight win. He won the seven races by an average margin of 13.39 lengths. Through most of the winning streak, Cowans said he was not eager to start the 6-year-old gelding in shorter but tougher races like the GI Jockey Club Gold Cup. But he may no longer have that option as the Greenwood Cup was the last dirt stakes race on the 2024 calendar run at 1 1/2 miles or longer. The Breeders' Cup Classic is run at a 1 1/4 miles, a distance that may be too short for Next. The Turf is run at 1 1/2 miles, but Next's best races have been on the dirt. He has a record of 3-0-0 in seven tries on the turf, and none of the turf wins came in stakes races. “I'm taking the Breeders' Cup very seriously,” Cowans said. “I'm going to let the horse tell me what to do with him and see how it goes over the next couple of weeks. Once we breeze him, we'll know more. The horse will determine things. If he shows us he wants to go to the Breeders' Cup, we will go. If not, we will move on to something else.” The Turf or the Classic? “I don't know which way we would go,” Cowans said. “My gut tells me I'd rather run in the Turf because of the distance. There are some other people that have a say. We'll kick it down the road until it's time to make a decision.” Next, who paid $2.10 to win, ran his typical race Saturday. He stalked the early pace, took over when ready and then drew clear from his overmatched opponents. “The race played just as I thought it would,” Cowans said. “He broke from the outside post. There would be a little bit of speed that would go and he was able to sit off of them. When he gets into his rhythm he just kind of attacks the competition as he needs to. I'm super excited about this horse and am so glad I am a part of this. It's something special.” This was Next's second straight win in the Greenwood Cup. In 2023, he won the race by 25 lengths. Cowans claimed the horse from Wesley Ward for $62,500 on April 16, 2022. The post Connections Will Consider Both Breeders’ Cup Classic and Turf for Marathon Specialist Next appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Talented import Buckaroo showed he is going to be a force to be reckoned with this spring when demolishing his rivals in the Underwood Stakes (G1) at Caulfield Sept. 21.View the full article

Rebel's Romance regained the Preis von Europa (G1) at Cologne by narrowly holding off Straight to triumph for the sixth time at group 1/grade 1 level.View the full article

Earning his first group tally earlier this March, 3-year-old Meisho Tabaru (Jpn) (Gold Ship {Jpn}) went to the front and never looked back while adding his second career group score in Sunday's G2 Kobe Shimbun Hai (Japanese St. Leger Trial at Chukyo. Striding purposefully to the front soon after the start, the free-wheeling 5-1 chance held a clear advantage down the backstretch and through the far turn. Still in front by open lengths straightening for home, Meisho Tabaru started to feel the effects of his early efforts as June Take (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}) broke clear from the pack and bore down on the pacesetter down the stretch, however, the frontrunner had just enough left in the tank to fend off the G2 Kyoto Shimbun Hai victor by a half-length at the wire. Shonan la Punta (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}) was a clear third. The winner of one of three starts at two, recorded in a 2000-meter test at Hanshin in December, the Meisho Tabaru won the 1800-meter Tsubaki Sho at Kyoto in February before adding a victory in Mar. 23 G3 Mainichi Hai over the soft turf. Most recently, he was a well-beaten 17th while stepping into Group 1 company for the Apr. 14 Satsuki Sho at Nakayama. Pedigree Notes: By Japanese champion 3-year-old and Classic winner Gold Ship, Meisho Tabaru is out of Meisho Tsubakuro, a half-sister to Group 2 scorer Meisho Kamaku (Jpn) (Grass Wonder). The 10-year-old daughter of French Deputy is responsible for three foals, all of them winners, with Meisho Tabaru standing out as the most accomplished. Sunday, Chukyo, Japan KOBE SHIMBUN HAI-G2, ¥105,020,000, Chukyo, 9-22, 3yo, 2200mT, 2:11.80, gd. 1–MEISHO TABARU (JPN), 126, c, 3, Gold Ship (Jpn) 1st Dam: Meisho Tsubakuro (Jpn), by French Deputy 2nd Dam: Dancing Happiness (Jpn), by Dance in the Dark (Jpn) 3rd Dam: Meisho Sachikaze (Jpn), by Crystal Glitters O-Yoshio Matsumoto; B-Mishima Bokujo (Jpn); T-Mamoru Ishibashi; J-Suguru Hamanaka; ¥55,064,000. Lifetime Record: 7-4-0-0, ¥114,481,000. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. 2–June Take (Jpn), 126, c, 3, Kizuna (Jpn)–Admire Sabrina (Jpn), by Symboli Kris S. O-Jun Yoshikawa; B-Hidaka Farm (Jpn); ¥22,304,000. 3–Shonan la Punta (Jpn), 126, c, 3, Kizuna (Jpn)–Furia Azteca (Arz), by Zensational. (¥94,000,000 Ylg '22 JRHAJUL). O-Tetsuhide Kunimoto; B-Shadai Farm (Jpn); ¥14,152,000. Margins: HF, 2, 1 3/4. Odds: 5.40, 5.90, 8.20. Also ran: All Saints (Jpn), Meliorem (Jpn), Byzantine Dream (Jpn), Baddeleyte (Jpn), Yamanin Stellata (Jpn), Willem (Jpn), Mr G T (Jpn), West Now (Jpn), Trust Boss (Jpn), Go Johnny Go (Jpn), Integrate (Jpn). Scratched: Submariner (Jpn). Click for the JRA chart & video. The post Gold Ship’s Meisho Tabaru Wires Kobe Shimbun Hai appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

After a horse named Causes Trouble (Creative Cause) broke down in the Aug. 24 Parx Dash at Parx Race Course and had to be euthanized, a video circulated that showed that the turf course was in abysmal condition. The video showed that there were numerous holes in the turf course and that the grass itself looked like something you might see in a vacant lot. Just without the broken bottles. There were as many weeds as there were blades of grass. “It's always been known as a bad course, but if I knew it was that bad, I never would have put my horse on that surface,” John Fanelli, the co-owner of Creative Cause, said. “I was really upset about the condition of the course and when I saw it myself, I was in shock.” At the time Parx did the right thing and announced that turf racing had been halted pending a review of the turf course. HISA/HIWU was called in to investigate. To the surprise of many, it gave the course a passing grade, finding the holes had been filled, and some problems with the irrigation. Parx was given the green light to resume turf racing, which it did with the Monday, Sept. 16 card. Two turf races were run, one on the 16th and the other in the 17th, without incident. They couldn't even get to three in a row when it comes to safety. The Sept. 21 card featuring the GI Pennsylvania Derby and the GI Cotillion S., included two grass races, the Alphabet Soup S. for Pennsylvania-breds and the GIII Turf Monster S. The first of the two was the Alphabet Soup, run as the third race. Tragically, it was here that another horse broke down. Over the span of just four turf races, two horses died. A few strides into the race, the naked eye told you there was something wrong. The field was kicking up clouds of dirt and not grass. Then it happened. Midway down the backstretch, a horse named Freedom Eagle (Hoppertunity) broke down, and, according to a source, had to be euthanized. The race was won by the Tim Wooley-trained Crisper (Tapiture). This time it was Wooley that provided evidence that the turf course was an accident waiting to happen. He tweeted, on X, a picture of the turf course that showed that it was primarily a mixture of dirt and weeds. I'm very thankful that our horse won and came home safe but this is what we ran on today at Parx. These tracks need to do better considering the purse money available today. pic.twitter.com/DnS3TIeMri — Tim Woolley (@timwoolleyracin) September 21, 2024 “I'm very thankful that our horse won and came home safe, but this is what we ran on today at Parx,” he tweeted. “These tracks need to do better considering the purse money available.” Shortly thereafter, Parx announced that the Turf Monster would be run on the dirt. “Management moved Saturday's GIII Turf Monster Stakes from the turf course to the main track out of an abundance of caution,” read a brief press release sent out by track officials. It was a day in which this racetrack should have enjoyed its finest hour. The grizzly bear (a.k.a. Thorpedo Anna (Fast Anna) scored a narrow, but game victory in the Cotillion. One race later, the youngest 89 year-old on the planet, D. Wayne Lukas, won the Pennsylvania Derby with GI Preakness S. winner Seize The Grey (Arrogate). It's always a great story whenever Lukas wins a big stakes. But after another horse died on the Parx turf course, it was hard to enjoy anything. Pennsylvania Thoroughbred Horsemen's President Bob Hutt was highly critical of Parx management following the Aug. 24 breakdown. He said the reason why the course is in such poor shape is that management refuses to spend the money it would take to repair it. He contends that all that really matters to Parx management is the casino. “[PARX COO] Joe Wilson, who the casino put in to feed us bread and water, is not cooperative and doesn't spend money on anything,” Hutt said. “The turf course had been a problem for 10 years. I call it durf, D-U-R-F. I sent a polite email to Joe Wilson asking him to not have any further turf racing because it's dangerous to the horses that are entrusted to our care and the jockeys. I begged him to stop. He didn't answer me. He never does.” (That's par for the course. Wilson does not talk to the media. I have called him over the years at least 25 times and he has yet to return a phone call or answer an email). The TDN reached out to HISA for comment on the Parx situation and was told by spokesperson Mandy Minger that they would withhold comment until Monday. Considering the time of year, it would seem highly unlikely that they will run any more turf races in 2024. At some point, though they have to deal with this, and the only two solutions are that they spend the money needed to fix the course or they simply stop using it for good. If they want to continue, status quo, with the turf course then HISA needs to step in and be a lot more forceful this time. The right answer would be to tell them the course cannot be used until the problems are fixed. This wasn't the only thing that Parx management seemed overwhelmed by. They dragged the races out to the point that the 14th and final race was run at 7:19 PM ET, 39 minutes after the scheduled post time. Sunset Saturday in Philadelphia was at 6:59 and the race was run as darkness was descending on Bensalem, Pennsylvania. There were some delays during the running of the card, but it apparently never dawned on anyone that they needed to start running the races more quickly. The Pennsylvania Derby was run 48 minutes after the Cotillion and there were 58 minutes between the running of the GII Gallant Bob S. and the Cotillion. Why? Parx, and the sport, need to do better. Lukas Deserves Credit for Sticking with Torres It came as a surprise when Wayne Lukas named Jaime Torres to ride Seize the Grey in the GII Pat Day Mile. He not only won that day, but came back to win the Preakness. But things went south in a hurry after that. Seize the Grey was a badly beaten seventh in the GI Belmont S. and a bad fourth in the GII Jim Dandy S. At that point most trainers would have made a switch to a more accomplished jockey than Torres, who has been riding only since 2022. But Lukas stood by the young jockey. “After we lost in the Jim Dandy, I had seven agents call me and say 'You're not going to put Jaime Torrres back on, are you?'” Lukas said. “He's a really, smart, classy young guy who has great hands and a lot of trainers overlook that. He gets a horse to relax very well. He is too tall. I wish he could shrink by a foot. When I first started riding him, I told him I probably wouldn't give him many mounts because he was too tall and I could only ride him on big horses. Yet, I've been so impressed with how he has handled himself. He's handled himself very well and he's appreciative of what we have done for him. I just like the guy a lot.” The post The Week in Review: Parx Didn’t Close Down its Turf Course and a Horse Paid the Price appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

With the Angels (Omaha Beach) earned a 'TDN Rising Star' tag with her 11 1/2-length maiden romp at Saratoga going six furlongs Aug. 22. Hammered down to 1-9 in her stakes debut with one extra furlong to race Sunday, the $350,000 OBS April grad struck the front shortly after the break and showed the way ahead of Valtellina (Complexity) through fractions of :23.40 and :47.17. Given her head off the far turn, With the Angels responded well to a shake of the reins and opened up under a hand ride to come home with authority by nearly double digits. “She was fit and ready to roll [after her debut], I knew when we ran her at Saratoga that it wasn't a prep, she was going to show up and she was brilliant,” said winning trainer Linda Rice. “She was brilliant in the morning and I had no reservations that it wouldn't turn out well. She certainly delivered.” Of the upcoming GI Frizette Stakes, Rice said: “Obviously we could've passed today and gone straight to the Frizette. The door is open for the Frizette. We are just going to see how she comes out of it, if she's eating well, if she's sharp, that type of thing. We are going to consider the Frizette, but if we decide to back up and go to the Maid of the Mist that is an option as well.” The 10th stakes winner for Omaha Beach, With the Angels has a weanling half-brother by Twirling Candy while Sister Margaret is due to Street Sense for next year. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV. WITH THE ANGELS, 2YO daughter of @spendthriftfarm stallion Omaha Beach, wins the Joseph A. Gimma Stakes impressively under @jose93_ortiz for @LindaRiceRacing! pic.twitter.com/aeZdDm3YEt — NYRA () (@TheNYRA) September 22, 2024 JOSEPH A. GIMMA S., $121,250, Belmont The Big A, 9-22, (S), 2yo, f, 7f, 1:24.04, ft. 1–WITH THE ANGELS, 120, f, 2, by Omaha Beach 1st Dam: Sister Margaret, by Pulpit 2nd Dam: Dance Gal Dance, by Disco Rico 3rd Dam: Dr Margaret, by Dr. Blum ($65,000 Ylg '23 SARAUG; $350,000 2yo '24 OBSAPR). 1ST BLACK TYPE WIN. O-Winning Move Stable, John C. Oxley, Lady Sheila Stable, Rideau Racers LLC and Sanford H. Robbins LLC; B-Joseph DeRico (NY); T-Linda Rice; J-Jose L. Ortiz. $68,750. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, $118,250. 2–Valtellina, 120, f, 2, Complexity–Take Charge Sue, by Take Charge Indy. ($67,000 Ylg '23 SARAUG). 1ST BLACK TYPE. O-Pavilion Racing; B-Thorostock, LLC (NY); T-Raymond Handal. $25,000. 3–Carmen's Candy Jar, 120, f, 2, Vino Rosso–No Mo Shopping, by Uncle Mo. ($37,000 RNA Ylg '23 KEESEP). O/B-Repole Stable, Inc. (NY); T-Todd A. Pletcher. $15,000. Margins: 9 3/4, 1, 4 1/4. Odds: 0.10, 8.00, 7.70. Also Ran: Trail of Gold, She's Our Tiz. The post ‘TDN Rising Star’ With The Angels Clearly Best In Stakes Debut appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Tattersalls Ireland has rightly earned a reputation as being a place where the younger brigade can prosper and Conor Mahon could well be the latest to play a star role at the September Yearling Sale this week. Under his own Archersgrove Bloodstock, one of the newest consignments on the sales circuit, the 30-year-old will offer a Space Blues (Ire) filly and a Make Believe (GB) colt who were purchased as foals for €26,000 and €10,000 respectively. Archersgrove Bloodstock is already up and running for the year. A combined £46,000 was netted at the Goffs Premier Yearling Sale on colts by Earthlight (Ire) and Dark Angel (Ire) and a filly by Acclamation (GB). Nothing to pop the champagne about just yet, but that has been very much the theme of the year thus far for pinhookers young and old, and better is expected from the three-pronged pinhooking team of Mahon and the Irish National Stud's Conor Hyland and Stan Begley at Fairyhouse this week. “Along with Conor and Stan, I have been pinhooking for the past three years and had always consigned the yearlings through other people but, with the way things worked out this year, we said why not be on the door ourselves this week and build relationships with people,” Mahon said. “This year has been a good learning experience to say the least! It's very much been sink or swim at the yearling sales in Britain so far and hopefully that will change this week. It's not a case of just turning up and selling your horses–there's a bit more work involved in getting people down to look at your horses and it has been tough work at times.” Luckily Mahon is not afraid of hard work. A full-time pharmacist, the Kilkenny native spends his days off either working the sales or tending to the yearlings at home at the team's base in Kildare. However, if it hadn't been for a moment of enlightenment at Tattersalls a few years ago, Mahon's working life would have revolved solely around horses. He explained, “I came to a crossroads about three or four years ago. I had planned on working full-time in this industry, but I had a moment of realisation at Book 1 that convinced me to go down another path. A lot of the big vendors–Chasemore Farm, Cheveley Pak, Hascombe and Valiant, Staffordstown and Croom House Studs–have incomes and therefore some security outside of the industry. Because of that, they can afford to take bigger risks when it comes to sourcing horses. I just felt that I was in a fortunate position to be able to gain employment outside of the industry which has allowed me to pinhook horses on the side and, thankfully, both things seem to be complimenting each other at the moment at least.” He added, “After qualifying in pharmacy, I wanted to have a proper crack at working in this industry and I was given the opportunity to work for BBA Ireland. It was unfortunate timing as, not long after taking up the role, Covid hit and I suppose things grinded to a halt on the trading front so I decided to do the Irish National Stud course. I met some great people on that course–friends for life–and, in actual fact, that's where I met Stan and Conor.” Begley, who is the assistant breeding manager at the Irish National Stud, and Hyland, who fulfills the role as nominations manager there, do a lot of the practical work with the yearlings on a daily basis. With both men usually required at sales by the stud, as they are this week, it's Mahon who is on the door with the Space Blues and the Make Believe. Explaining how the operation works, he said, “We all muck in together. John Heffernan, who is a neighbour of Conor's, has kindly allowed us the use of his yard this year on the proviso that we prep some of his yearlings for the sales. That has been a big help to us. Credit to Stan and Conor, they have done a lot of the hands-on work with the horses but, the beauty of the role that I am in at the moment means that I can pick and choose what days I work purely around the sales.” The Space Blues and the Make Believe very much fit the Archersgrove brief. Along with Begley and Hyland, Mahon strives to source horses that are bred to stay seven furlongs or more and, in the case of the Space Blues filly, the three men achieved what every pinhooker strives for with the half-sister [Convo (Ire) (Kodiac {GB})] achieving black-type since her purchase. Mahon said, “We try to buy horses that have resale value and aim to buy horses who are bred to run over seven furlongs plus. The Space Blues and the Make Believe fit that bill. We really wanted the Make Believe because the sire is one who lands on a lot of people's lists and comes within budget for a lot of yearling buyers. Physically, he was a forward foal and we just liked him a lot. “There's a bit of a funny story behind the Space Blues in that we liked her a lot and were bidding on her in the ring but she went beyond budget. When she didn't sell, we decided that we didn't want to leave her behind and bought her outside of the ring for. Thankfully, there has been a very good pedigree update with her half-sister [Convo] getting black-type for Amy Murphy so we're quietly optimistic.” He added, “At the moment, the focus is purely on consigning our own horses and there is no real push to get outside clients. In terms of building our own brand, we'd definitely like to build it and grow the quality of the operation every year. It's a bit of a cliche but the three of us just want to produce nice racehorses.” The post ‘We Want To Produce Nice Horses’ – Mahon Set For Debut Tattersalls Ireland Draft appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

If the first half of the Flat season is for graduation ceremonies, this is the bit where Masters and PhDs are handed out. To see Ryan Moore sit so beautifully on City Of Troy – and this year's best horse race round Southwell so fluidly – was to feel a surge of anticipation greater than before his seasonal reappearance for the 2,000 Guineas. We all love spring and the history-laden game of labelling three-year-olds 'Classic' winners. But sorry, late summer and autumn is when we really get ready to rumble. Economics, Calandagan, Sosie, Look De Vega, Japan's Shin Emperor and of course City Of Troy all face defining tests. As the old joke goes, if you designed a British racing calendar from scratch you wouldn't start from here. It remains a heresy to challenge the positioning of the Classics in racing's ancient cycle. Yet an impresario observing racing from the outside would view the Guineas, Derby and Oaks as private parties, prematurely held. A “disrupter” might be tempted to flip the calendar – and plonk the Classics in the second-half. I can hear the howls from here – many from the grave. The Classics date back to the 18th Century and are the sport's foundation stones. But York in August, Newmarket's big late-season showdowns, the Arc, Breeders' Cup, Japan Cup and Champions Day at Ascot (which, many argue, falls too late) are Flat racing's true box office. They are inter-generational and shape our recollections of the year. Traditionally in elite sport the climax comes at the end, not the beginning. Yet the first wave of coronations – for Newmarket and Epsom Classic winners – is overtaken by more universal anointments at the business end. To move the Classics by more than a week or two would send bloodstock valuations haywire and traditionalists into apoplexy. But let's face it: unless the early Classic winners are exceptional, as, say, Frankel was in the 2,000 Guineas, those contests are a fading memory by the time the stalls slam open for the Arc or Breeders' Cup. Globalisation was bound to eat away at the sanctity of the Guineas, Derby, Oaks and St Leger, as has today's preoccupation with speed over stamina. Over the last three seasons William Haggas has trained two outstanding horses who never went near a Classic. One, Baaeed, was the highest-rated horse in Europe since Frankel, with six Group 1 wins, five over a mile, and the sixth over the 10 furlongs of the Juddmonte International – his grandest victory. The other, Economics, was taken out of the Derby before his six-length win in the Dante Stakes – just about the best Derby trial. Haggas had already decided that Economics needed to be handled patiently. “It's a shame these races come up so quickly and he just needs some more time, that's my view,” Haggas said at York. Criticised at the time for turning his back on Epsom, Haggas has since been vindicated. Economics has won the Prix Guillaume d'Ornano and the Irish Champion Stakes. He's now on track for a showdown with Calandagan in Ascot's Champion Stakes. If he wins that too, no breeder will mark him down as the horse who said no to the Derby; only as a late-maturing 10-furlong star who embellished his status by staying in his lane. Frankel won the 2,000 Guineas in revolutionary style, but weirdly that romp is not the first thing you think of when recalling his career. It's the pulsating later wins against older horses and his triumphant step up to 10 furlongs that pop up first in the memory. The defence of the Classics are that they are stepping stones, properly arranged, over centuries. The problem is, today's racing industry has many other routes, alternative temptations. A Guineas, Derby or Oaks winner is guaranteed historical permanence – but not always the immortality bestowed by multiple triumphs across age ranges, seasons and race distances. City Of Troy's last mission couldn't be more compelling. His brief is to land one of the few big trophies to have eluded Aidan O'Brien and Coolmore's aim. In a throwback to an age when the great Flat racers were folk heroes, more than a thousand turned out at Southwell on Friday to see him grab the Tapeta surface in a trial to replicate – as far as possible, in Nottinghamshire – the pizzaz of California on Breeders' Cup day. Much of this may not feel new, but I sense a shift, borne of global change, and logic. Owners and trainers are likely to think it more and more acceptable to regard the Classics as glittering targets but not the whole point of it all. There will be no moral obligation to try to win the Derby when so much lustre can be loaded onto a horse later in the season, in the big box office phase we're entering now. A comparison with the somewhat diminished FA Cup lurks in my mind, but that might be overstating it. The lure of the Classics will endure. Their status as the pinnacle of Flat racing feels slightly less secure. Four of the five are over by the first week of June. Things change – even the most sacred ones. Autumn brings a vast harvest of delights. Enjoy the feast. The post Heresy, Maybe, but Autumn’s Defining Tests Outdo the Classics appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View 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. Monday's Observations features the first foal out of a high-class racemare. 15.18 Leicester, Debutantes, £15,000, 2yo, 7fT ELARAK (GB) (Kingman {GB}) is the first foal out of Shadwell's triple group 3 winner Tantheem (GB) (Teofilo {Ire}) who is also a half-sister to this month's G2 Champagne Stakes runner-up Monumental (Ire) also by Kingman and who hails from the family of the G1 Irish Derby hero Santiago (Ire) (Authorized {Ire}) and his talented 3-year-old half-brother Grosvenor Square (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). Charlie Hills has charge of the homebred colt, whose rivals include a pair of Godolphin representatives including the John and Thady Gosden-trained Palmarian (GB) (Kingman {GB}), a half-brother to the G1 Jebel Hatta winner Blair House (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}). The post Shadwell Unveil Kingman Blueblood at Leicester appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Despite the absence of the King George hero Goliath (Ger) (Adlerflug {Ger}) in Sunday's G1 Mehl-Mulhens-Stiftung Preis von Europa, the Cologne feature held up well with the two domestic Classic winners bidding to deny Rebel's Romance (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}–Minidress {GB}, by Street Cry {Ire}) a second edition of the prestigious mile-and-a-half contest. In the event, Godolphin's high-class stalwart was able to ward off all challenges and reproduce his 2022 success for a sixth win at the top level. Last seen finishing best of those who raced near the hot pace in an attritional renewal of the King George in July, the veteran of the Breeders' Cup Turf and Dubai Sheema Classic was settled in fourth early by William Buick cruising along in waiting for the sprint to commence. Committed two out, the 3-5 favourite gained the edge soon after as the 22-1 shot Straight (Ger) (Zarak {Fr}) emerged to threaten the upset. Perhaps idling in front, the homebred refused to let that outsider get closer than a neck in a pulsating finale, with Lordano (Ger) (Adlerflug {Ger}) 2 3/4 lengths away in third as the G1 Deutsches Derby hero Palladium (Ger) (Gleneagles {Ire}) and G1 Preis der Diana heroine Erle (Ger) (Reliable Man {GB}) failed to get involved. “He's a real international superstar and everything was good for him today–the track was in good condition and today he showed what a tough horse he is,” Buick said. “It's never easy coming here, we respect the local horses and it's great to be back to win this again. He is probably better off a stronger pace, as he gets in his comfort zone but he knows how to win and always finds a way. He's an admirable horse, a great horse.” Charlie Appleby added, “I think he will come forward for this, as we just eased off slightly after Ascot. We don't leave horses too short for group 1 races, but he wasn't quite as fit as he was heading into his last run. He is entitled to come on for this and we can look forward to the Breeders' Cup Turf.” REBEL'S ROMANCE takes the G1 Mehl-Mülhens-Stiftung – 62. Preis von Europa pic.twitter.com/ei9nzWxPTQ — Deutscher Galopp (@DeutscherGalopp) September 22, 2024 Pedigree Notes Rebel' Romance is out of the Listed Height of Fashion Stakes runner-up Minidress, who is also responsible for the stable's GI Manhattan Stakes and G1 Jebel Hatta winner and GI Sword Dancer Stakes runner-up Measured Time (GB) (Frankel {GB}). A full-sister to the G3 Nad Al Sheba Trophy winner Volcanic Sky (GB), she is a daughter of the G3 Musidora Stakes winner and G1 Yorkshire Oaks runner-up Short Skirt (GB) (Diktat {GB}) who was also third in the G1 Oaks. Short Skirt is a half to the G2 Prix de Pomone winner and dual group 1-placed Whitewater Affair (GB) (Machiavellian), in turn the dam of the triple group 1-winning Japanese champion Victoire Pisa (Jpn) (Neo Universe {Jpn}) and the G1 Yasuda Kinen scorer Asakusa Den'en (GB) (Singspiel {Ire}). The prized third dam Much Too Risky (GB) (Bustino {GB}) is also the ancestress of another Japanese champion in the G1 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies winner Robe Tissage (Jpn) (War Emblem), as well as the G3 Round Tower Stakes-winning sire Cappella Sansevero (GB) (Showcasing {GB}). Minidress's yearling is a full-brother to Rebel's Romance. Sunday, Cologne, Germany MEHL-MULHENS-STIFTUNG – 62ND PREIS VON EUROPA-G1, €155,000, Cologne, 9-22, 3yo/up, 12fT, 2:25.91, g/s. 1–REBEL'S ROMANCE (IRE), 132, g, 6, by Dubawi (Ire) 1st Dam: Minidress (GB) (SP-Eng), by Street Cry (Ire) 2nd Dam: Short Skirt (GB), by Diktat (GB) 3rd Dam: Much Too Risky (GB), by Bustino (GB) O/B-Godolphin; T-Charlie Appleby; J-William Buick. €100,000. Lifetime Record: GISW-US, G1SW-UAE & HK, GSW & G1SP-Eng, GSW-Qat, 21-14-0-1, £7,127,084. *1/2 to Measured Time (GB) (Frankel {GB}), GISW-US, G1SW-UAE, SP-Eng, $1,429,650. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. 2–Straight (Ger), 132, c, 4, Zarak (Fr)–Seductive (Ger), by Henrythenavigator. O/B-Gestut Karlshof (GER); T-Marian Falk Weissmeier. €30,000. 3–Lordano (Ger), 132, g, 5, Adlerflug (Ger)–Labrice (GB), by Dubawi (Ire). 1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. O/B-Gestut Ittlingen (GER); T-Marcel Weiss. €15,000. Margins: NK, 2 3/4, HF. Odds: 0.60, 21.80, 4.10. Also Ran: Trevaunance (Ire), Erle (Ger), Palladium (Ger). The post Second Preis Von Europa For Rebel’s Romance appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Stylish Secret (NZ) (Sweet Orange) has landed a second city win, taking out the Victoria Derby Preview at Flemington. Trainer Mick Nolan has been around racehorses the majority of his life. He has had a couple of stints as a trainer while also working as foreman, come assistant trainer, for some of the biggest stables in Australia. Nolan is a realist and doesn’t want to start dreaming big, despite Stylish Secret taking out the Victoria Derby Preview (1800m) at Flemington on Sunday. Ridden by Luke Nolen, Stylish Secret ($5.50) scored a short neck win from Kingofwallstreet ($31) with Politely Dun ($7) the same margin away third. Nolan said he would celebrate Sunday’s victory before deciding where to head with Stylish Secret. “He is the toughest little horse and the smartest little horse that I have had to do with in all my life,” Nolan said. “This is his first prep. He’s 15.2 hands high, weighs 420 kilos and he’s at his fifth start. It’s amazing what he has done. “Jeff Hogg is in him, and he used to captain Richmond. I told them (all the owners) early on that he (Stylish Secret) reminds me of Tommy Hafey, he’s just so tough.” Nolan said Stylish Secret showed him signs early on in his preparation that he was something special. Stylish Secret was produced at the jump-outs after being in his stable for four weeks and was at the races two weeks later. The three-year-old broke through for his maiden win at Sandown last month before finishing second behind Evaporate at Moonee Valley on September 7. “I was going to spell him after Sandown. I was going to spell him after Moonee Valley, but I let him out in his paddock, and he nearly kicked my head off,” Nolen said. “We’ll let him tell us what we do, but I tell you what will be happening, we’ll be having a beer.” Nolen said Stylish Secret was there to be beaten during the run but produced a fight like a good horse. “I still think he will be a better horse in the autumn,” Nolen said. “He was there to be beaten today, but he kept on digging in.” View the full article

Hurry Curry (NZ) (Ocean Park) has stamped her Spring Carnival credentials with victory in the Crown Oaks Preview at Flemington. Trainer Danny O’Brien has his eyes fixed on the Spring staying three-year-old filly races after Hurry Curry opened her city account at Flemington. Hurry Curry took out the Crown Oaks Preview (1800m) on Sunday to give O’Brien and the filly’s connections hope for a feature race win during the Melbourne Spring Carnival. O’Brien is already planning to step Hurry Curry up to 2000m for her next outing in the Gr.3 Ethereal Stakes at Caulfield on October 19. And depending on the filly’s performance in that race, Hurry Curry would then press on to the Gr.2 Wakeful Stakes (2000m) at Flemington on November 2 and potentially the Crown Oaks (2500m) at Flemington on November 7. Ridden by Jye McNeil, Hurry Curry ($3.80) scored by 1-½ lengths from Inevitable Truth ($21) with Our Paramour ($3.60) a short-head away third. O’Brien said Hurry Curry was always going to be a filly that would appreciate stretching out in trip and enjoyed Sunday’s 1800m journey at only her third race start. “The first time at 1200 metres, was very much an education run and the second start at Bairnsdale she won very convincingly,” O’Brien said. “She was having her third start today and she’s probably won quite soft again. “It’s promising signs and she’s a filly that will get better again in the autumn, but we’ll give her a chance to push on into the spring now. “She probably won’t run again for four weeks. She’ll go to the race on Caulfield Cup Day and then onto the Wakeful and the Oaks if everything is going well. “She’s a typical middle-distance horse and the first time you get a good look at them is in a mile maiden, that’s when they’re suited, so if they can handle that, then you can step up the pressure and the distance. “She looks like she is going to appreciate 2000 metres and further and that’s the thing with the Derby and the Oaks, they’re early in their three-year-old season and it’s always a test how quickly they can get to that sort of distance. “She looks that sort of horse.” View the full article

Three-time Horse of the Year is honoured at a special ceremony, with fans flocking to see him parade at Sha Tin on Sunday.View the full article

Legendary trainer and Australian jockey land another feature triumph in first Group race of the season.View the full article

Apprentice breaks through with her 12th ride in the city, leading throughout aboard Douglas Whyte’s Cheval Valiant.View the full article

Jarrod Todd, Darwin’s premier jockey, celebrates one of his three wins at Fannie Bay on Saturday aboard the Gary Clarke-trained Change Is Coming. Picture: Caroline Camilleri (Fotofinish Racepix) There’s no stopping trainer Gary Clarke and jockey Jarrod Todd as they combined for a winning treble at Darwin on Saturday. The pair celebrated success with Shakattak ($2.70), Change Is Coming ($3.10 fav) and Extreme Emotion ($3.40 fav). First up, Extreme Emotion settled second behind runaway leader Ariarne ($4.20) over 1300m before bridging the gap and hitting the front at the 100m to seal victory by 1.7 lengths. For the daughter of Extreme Choice, it was her first win since April. Shakattak won in similar fashion over 1200m when he held down second place at the 700m with Lisa Whittle’s Expert Witness ($15) three lengths clear. The son of Shalaa caught Expert Witness at the 200m, but in the end he only had half a length to spare as Jason Manning’s Bon’s Pride ($5) and Clarke’s Seguso ($5.50) powered home. The victory handed Shakattak a third straight triumph, dating back to the $40,000 Dabble Cup (1300m) during the Darwin Cup Carnival in July. Change Is Coming made amends after being rolled as a short-priced favourite on Darwin Cup Day when controlling proceedings over 1100m, winning by 2.8 lengths. Despite chewing up petrol early in the peace, the son of Capitalist was too good, with Angela Forster’s Zoumist ($5) and Cole’s Tricky Mikki ($18) filling the minor placings. It’s early days in the 2024/25 Top End and Country premiership, but who would bet against Clarke and Todd from topping the charts for a 13th and sixth straight year? Clarke (9 wins) leads Phil Cole (5) and Neil Dyer (5) after six meetings, while Todd (7) leads Stan Tsaikos (4) and Adam Nicholls (4). Dyer had success on Saturday with Yaki Ishi ($2.40 fav), while Tom Logan’s Scudetto ($4) provided respite for the bookies. Horse racing news View the full article

What Warrnambool Races Where Warrnambool Racing Club – 2-64 Grafton Rd, Warrnambool VIC 3280 When Monday, September 23, 2024 First Race 1:30pm AEST Visit Dabble The Warrnambool Racing Club is the destination for a bumper eight-race meeting on Monday, September 23. With rain falling leading into the meeting, the Soft 7 track rating is likely to only downgrade, while the rail comes out 5m the entire circuit. The Warrnambool races are set to commence at 1:30pm AEST. Best Bet at Warrnambool: Cherokee Brave Cherokee Brave caught the eye when hitting the line nicely at Geelong when resuming from a spell finishing second, beaten a length. The four-year-old gelding has seemingly found the right race to bring up a second career win in, with this 1700m event likely to suit those runners coming from the rear of the field. Billy Egan will look to have the son of Saxon Warrior in clear air approaching the home turn, and if he replicates the same finish that he put forward last time out, Cherokee Brave should be winning. Best Bet Race 5 – #4 Cherokee Brave (12) 4yo Gelding | T: Danny O’Brien | J: Billy Egan (60.5kg) +280 with PlayUp Next Best at Warrnambool: Capulet Resuming from a spell, the Tony & Calvin McEvoy-trained Capulet returns to the track for the first time in six months under raceday conditions. The four-year-old mare has three jumpouts under her belt in the lead-up to this BM58, so she should be raring to go first-up from a spell. Sarah Field, who claims 3kg will likely roll forward on the Extreme Choice mare from barrier 10, and if the pair can land outside the lead, Capulet can pinch a break on the home turn, over main rival Active Duty, who will be stuck on the fence looking for an out. Next Best Race 6 – #2 Capulet (10) 4yo Mare | T: Tony & Calvin McEvoy | J: Sarah Field (a3) (62kg) +450 with Dabble Best Value at Warrnambool: Zena Boy Zena Boy was a smart Mornington winner when resuming from a five-month spell, and in BM64 company presents as great each-way value with horse racing bookmakers. The four-year-old gelding is drawn in barrier two, and with all the speed drawn out wide, maps to get a beautiful run in transit just off the pace. If the likes of Rivkin and Call To Glory chop each other up out in front, Zena Boy will only need a gap in the home straight to be overhauling his rivals. Best Value Race 8 – #5 Zena Boy (2) 4yo Gelding | T: Jason Warren | J: Billy Egan (59.5kg) +900 with Picklebet Monday quaddie tips for Warrnambool races Warrnambool quadrella selections Monday, September 23, 2024 4-6 1-2 1-2-3-9-10 1-2-3-5-6 | Copy this bet straight to your betslip Horse racing tips View the full article

Guy Heveldt, Emily Bosson and Jayne Ivil review the G3 Metric Mile, return to racing at Ellerslie including Orchestral’s first up performance and chat to Andrew Forsman after the win of Positivity. Weigh In, September 22 (youtube.com) View the full article

Lee Callaway has been involved with The Good Shepherd (NZ) (Power) throughout his career and was thrilled to pick up a first success training the gelding at Oamaru on Sunday. Based at Waikouaiti, Callaway balances his race riding engagements with training a small team of horses, which as of June this year, includes The Good Shepherd. Formerly trained by his owner Stephen Blair-Edie, the seven-year-old was transferred into Callaway’s care when he stepped away from training, with the pair recording 21 wins as a trainer-jockey combination. “Steve has been a good friend of mine for a while, he’s given me the opportunity to ride quite a few winners for him over the years,” Callaway said. “I broke in this horse for him as a yearling, so he turned around recently and asked if I’d like to train the horse for him. “He’s awesome to have around the stables, he’s lovely to deal with.” The son of Power had been strong in his first-up effort for Callaway back in June, but since then, had been less effective on heavier surfaces, making Sunday’s Soft 5 an appeal for the open sprint contest. Jumping from barrier four, Callaway showed plenty of intent early aboard The Good Shepherd and found himself in a comfortable position trailing Miss Harley Quinn, who sat outside of the leader in La Bella Nera. Looming closer on the turn, The Good Shepherd lifted strongly down the home straight and powered clear in the final bounds, finishing 1 ¼ lengths ahead of second-placegetter Street Fightin Man. Callaway was pleased with the performance, indicating the switch back to a better surface had benefitted his charge. “He jumped out well, got on the pace and we let one come around us, so we ended up with a nice sit with a bit of cover,” he said. “As we were turning in for home, I asked him to come off and he found a gear, he’s run home really well. “I’m not that confident he’s liking heavy tracks at the moment, his first-up run wasn’t really too heavy when he ran second, then from there, he’s been a bit disappointing in them. “Today, we had a little bit of give in the track and he just seemed to be a better horse for that.” From 44 starts, The Good Shepherd has won seven races, with a further 11 minor placings and over $150,000 in stakes to his credit. Callaway acknowledged the challenges of juggling both professions, but finds a significant thrill when being able to steer home his own horses on race-day. “I’ve always liked the training side of racing and I have five horses in the stables, it’s a great feeling to be able to train and ride them,” he said. “It does make it a bit difficult at times when you’re away riding and things like that, but I have amazing support from my lovely wife Michaela and my daughter, they help me when I’m away. “It’s really good to be doing both.” Earlier in the meeting, Callaway also guided the Nikki White-trained Stop Yelling to score in the Gore Elite Plumbing (1400m). View the full article

Cody Cole had been quietly confident heading into Saturday’s Pilet Contracting LTD / Pioneer Seeds 2YO 800 with Landlock (Merchant Navy), and the debutant duly delivered in an exciting juvenile contest at Wanganui. The first of three wins on the card for jockey Kelly Myers, Landlock entered the race without an official trial and was slightly reserved leaving the barriers, but showed plenty of early clip to get on terms with race-favourite Princess Elsa ($3.30) before the home turn. The pair went head-to-head in the straight and the filly looked like she may be on the front foot at the 150m, before Landlock fought back and found enough in the final strides to score by just a nose. Cole, who trains the son of Merchant Navy out of Matamata, was pleased to see his work in training transfer to race-day in such impressive fashion. “It was a really good effort, he hasn’t done a lot or had a trial, so he was very professional,” Cole said. “Ability probably took him a fair way there yesterday as well, he wasn’t screwed down to win a half-mile race for sure. “We just took him along quietly and every time we asked him to quicken up his work or step up, he’s done that. On Tuesday morning, we galloped him on the grass with an older horse and he worked really well, good enough to probably win if he did everything right. “He did exactly that, so it’s lucky it worked out and Kelly rode him well.” Purchased for $20,000 out of Woburn Farm’s Book 2 draft at the Karaka Yearling Sales in January, Landlock is eligible for the $1m Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m) early next year, a race Cole will plan around over the coming months. “He’s a Karaka Million-nominated horse and eligible, so hopefully he can work his way to there,” Cole said. “We’ve got plenty of time up our sleeve and he’s got plenty of improvement and figuring out what he’s really doing between now and then. “We’ll give him a little break to get over this, how long that’s going to be, I’m not sure. He’s had a big long trip down there and he’s a tired wee fella today, so he can have a break before we work out where we go from here.” Bred by Katom, Landlock is the fourth foal out of Blue Blue Sky, a Lonhro mare who produced Listed juvenile winner Bright Blue Sky. “He was well-related and just a neat little type, he looked like he wouldn’t take too long to get up and going and we wanted to find a horse that we could do that with,” Cole said. “We wanted to get him out there quickly for the owners and he’s done exactly that, so it’s worked out very well.” View the full article

Kelvin Tyler’s mare Albatross (NZ) (Sacred Falls) continued her purple patch of form at Oamaru on Sunday, scoring a decisive victory in the Thomas Green (1600m) to open Gore Racing Club’s meeting. The daughter of Sacred Falls had been successful in the heavy track conditions at Wingatui a fortnight ago, and reuniting with winning rider Denby-Rose Tait who claimed three kilograms, she looked a strong hope to go back-to-back. Jumping the second-favourite ($3.10) behind Sacred Dream ($2.10) in a compact field of five, Albatross was away positively and took up her position outside leader Powerful Moss as they rolled along the back stretch. Turning for home, Tait pressed the button on Albatross and she strode to the lead with ease, powering clear of the field in the closing stages to claim the Rating 79 contest by three-quarters of a length to Vague. Riverton-based Tyler had been wary of the improved Soft 5 track for the six-year-old, but a positive game-plan in the running ensured she was on the front foot. “It was a small field and quite a winnable race for her, but my concern had been the better track,” he said. “Coming back to a mile on a better track, I wanted Denby to put the pressure on at the 800 and make it a grind home, not a sprint home. “She’s ridden her really well and has been on her a few times, so she knows what she’s capable of. “She (Albatross) has won nicely, she had a few issues over the last wee while, and since we’ve sorted that out, she’s been running well and is going really well at the moment. “There are some nice races coming up for her and we’ll probably have to come back to 1400 being out of that grade now, so we’ll keep her fresh and look for the right tracks for her.” Bred by Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Maktoum, Albatross has won six of her 28 race-day starts and over $85,000 in stakes earnings for an ownership group which includes her trainer. Tyler had watched Sunday’s race from the North Island, where his in-form galloper Master Marko (NZ) (Contributer) may have earned himself a place in next Saturday’s Gr.1 Arrowfield Stud Plate (1600m) at Hastings. Master Marko had won back-to-back contests at Riccarton Park earlier in his preparation, and continued that form with a solid performance into third behind Jay Bee Gee in the Gr.3 Metric Mile (1600m) at Wanganui on Saturday. “He ran well yesterday, he really struggled in the deep track,” Tyler said. “We’re hoping he’ll get into the Group One next week at Hastings, he’ll definitely go there if he does because he’s come through it well and ate his dinner last night. “There’s forecasted to be a bit of rain around during the week, so hopefully we’ll be able to catch it.” View the full article

Soul of and Angel responded well to shortening up to seven furlongs and won the $210,000 Princess Rooney Invitational Stakes (G3) Sept. 21 at Gulfstream Park, earning a fees-paid berth in the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint (G1).View the full article

Although it wasn't as easy as her three other grade 1 victories this year, Thorpedo Anna's class came through with a narrow score in the $1 million Cotillion Stakes (G1) Sept. 21 at Parx Racing.View the full article