Wandering Eyes

You can say this much for John Stewart, he doesn't think small. Looking to build a stable that can compete at the highest level not only in the U.S. but all over the world, the owner will compete in Sunday's G1 Japan Cup with his newest acquisition, the gelding Goliath (Ger) (Adlerflug {(Ger)}. Stewart purchased a majority interest in Goliath after he won the G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Qipco Stakes at odds of 25-1. Since, he has won the G2 Prix du Conseil de Paris Stakes at ParisLongchamp Oct. 20 as a prep for the Japan Cup. “My goal is I want the best horses racing all over the world,” Stewart said by phone from Japan. Goliath was so dominant in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth that Stewart believes he should be considered among the best horses on the planet. “I saw him run in the King George, and before that he really wasn't on my radar,” Stewart said. “And me and [Director of Breeding for Stewart's Resolute Racing] Chelsey [Stone] are big fans of Auguste Rodin, who he beat. We had visited him at Coolmore and we knew he was going to be retiring. We plan to breed to him with some of our horses because 80% of our program is turf. We're big fans of Aidan O'Brien, and we are good friends with the Coolmore team.” All signs point to Goliath, who is four, running a big race in Japan, but he will again have to beat, among others, Auguste Rodin (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), whose wins include the 2023 GI Longines Breeders' Cup Turf and the 2024 G1 Prince of Wales Stakes for the Coolmore team. That's fine by Stewart, as he not only wants to win the biggest races in the world, but to beat the best horses across the planet. “I had fun with Coolmore,” Stewart said. “MV Magnier and I have become pretty good friends. They've sold me some great horses and when I bought this horse he asked 'where are you going to race him?' I said, I don't know, 'Where's Auguste Rodin going to race?' He said 'Why does that matter?' I said, 'Because that's where he is going to go race. I love those guys, but I want to beat them.” Stewart, who runs under the name of Resolute Racing, wants to take on all comers. “Think about it, in my first year I've had a horse in the Kentucky Derby,” he said. “I've had horses at Royal Ascot. I've had a horse in the Golden Slipper. I had a horse in the Everest and now I have a horse in the Japan Cup. It's fun. Who doesn't want to be in all those races?” When it comes to Goliath, he didn't have to be part of a bidding war that included the usual suspects. That's because Goliath is a gelding. While most owners who have the means to buy a horse of his caliber and looking ahead to when the horse can be retired to stud, Stewart doesn't think that way. Goliath | ScoopDyga “With the gelding, you don't have to buy a hundred percent of the horse,” Stewart said. “That's because there are no breeding rights. You just need to control the horse. You're going to see me do more of that.” Still, some wondered why anyone would pay a hefty sum for a gelding. “Remember, my operation is about breed to race,” Stewart said. “So I'm a firm believer that too many of our horses are being retired early.” After the purchase, Stewart could have gone in many different directions, including a start in the Breeders' Cup Turf at Del Mar. But he didn't believe that would be the best spot for his horse. “The reason we didn't go to Breeders Cup, the track is too tight,” he said. “It doesn't set up well for these foreign horses to come over and to run, especially the Europeans where the tracks are a lot wider and bigger and the turns are more sweeping. Trust me, I want to win the Breeders Cup and we finished third [in the GI Maker's Mark Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf] with Didia. To me, the ultimate races to win in the U.S. are the Derby and Breeders' Cup races. But with the track configurations it makes it tough for foreign horses. I'm a little frustrated that it's back-to-back at Del Mar.” Another race he wants to win is the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and he is hoping that French racing authorities change the rules so that geldings can compete. “If they want to say it's the best race in the world then geldings shouldn't be excluded,” he said. Stewart wants these races so badly that he often throws in incentives for the winning trainers and jockeys. He has promised jockey Christophe Soumillon and trainer Francis-Henri Graffard that he will buy them each a Porsche should Goliath win the Japan Cup. “I put out incentives for all of my jockeys and trainers,” Stewart said. “If you're a jockey for me and you win a Grade III, you get a $25,000 bonus. For a Grade II, you get $35,000, and for a Grade I you get $50,000. That all started in the New York Stakes with Didia. When Mike Repole and I kind of got into an argument, I told Jose [Ortiz] if he beat Repole, I'd give him a hundred grand. And so he did, and I gave him a hundred grand. I think aligning the incentives is really smart business.” Goliath | photo by Alan Crowhurst/Getty Images Stewart made his first big splash in racing when he spent lavishly at the 2023 November bloodstock sales. He was much quieter this time around. Why? “I had all these people saying I was broke,” he said. “People have no idea how much money I've spent in the industry in the last year. But they said John didn't show up, he must not have any money. Actually, I bought a business for $350 million in Germany during the sales. My private equity business is what affords me the opportunity to do all the stuff I'm doing in the horse industry. So I had to take care of that. I'm not the type of person that's going to have to send somebody else to the auction and buy all the horses because I'm involved in selecting the horses that we're buying. And so I've already got 53 yearlings for next year, and I bought a lot of mares as they were running this year, like Didia and others.” He wishes that more American owners thought the way he does. “In America, we're terrible about taking our best horses and going and racing them elsewhere,” Stewart said. “And that's something I want to do as I build my fan base in the US. I saw the Japan Cup as an opportunity to fast track that whole kind of agenda and create some excitement around this horse.” What's next for Goliath and Didia (Arg) (Orpen) or any of the other star horses he owns now or will in the future.? You can expect anything other than the ordinary. “There's an opportunity globally because I already have horses in Australia,” he said. “I bought some at Arqana and I'm going to have a few over in Europe. My goal is I want the best horses racing all over the world. I have some plans for Didia and when I'm ready to reveal that, I'll let you guys know, but it's going to shock everybody what my plans are for her. This is stuff that other people aren't doing. Because I'm the new guy, I can take more risks and chances even though people write me off. They say I don't know what I'm doing or I'm crazy or whatever. I know exactly what I'm doing.” Today @GraffardRacing and @CSoumillon stopped by @Porsche @PorscheJP to pick out their bonuses for winning the Japan Cup this weekend. Seems fitting they selected Porsche given GOLIATH's German origins. @horseracing_jpn @HR_Nation @WHR @horseracing_jp @jp_horseracing… pic.twitter.com/J3hjtwHpHd — Jstewartrr (@jstewartrr) November 21, 2024 The post Always Aiming High, John Stewart Ready To Tackle Japan Cup With Goliath appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Listed Prix Herod heroine Glamis Road (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) (lot 190) is one of two wildcards that were added to Arqana's Vente d'Elevage on Friday. The sale runs from Dec. 7 to Dec. 10 in Deauville. Offered by Baroda Stud, she was a winner in June on debut, and also ran fourth in the G3 Prix Miesque. The daughter of Pass The Moon (Ire) (Raven's Pass) is currently rated 100. This is the family of Grade I winners Vanlandingham (Cox's Ridge) and Funny Moon (Malibu Moon). Trainer Ollie Sangster said, “Glamis Road is improving and consistent, she showed her class in her best performance to date last time out when impressively winning the Prix Hérod. A mile won't be an issue and she's an exciting filly for next year to be targeting a Guineas trial in the spring.” The second new wildcard is the listed-placed Vasda (Ire) (Shalaa {Ire}) (lot 226), who is part of the Coulonces draft. Trained by Joseph O'Brien, she is rated 98 and is out of the stakes-placed Regina Mundi (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}). The 4-year-old filly is also a half-sister to five stakes horses, among them G3 Prix d'Aumale heroine Rocques (Fr) (Lawman {Fr}) and the listed winner Mea Domina (Fr) (Pivotal {GB}), who was also second in the G3 Gladness Stakes. The post Listed Winner Glamis Road And Vasda Join Arqana’s Vente d’Elevage As Wildcards appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

WinStar Farm is hoping to see plenty of activity come out of their stallion division in the near future. In 2025, the farm's flagbearer Constitution, currently ranked a top five general sire, will stand for a fee of $110,000 while his son and fellow WinStar resident Independence Hall will see his first 2-year-olds hit the racetrack. Also this coming year, Life Is Good and Nashville will be represented by their first crop of yearlings while Country Grammer and Two Phil's are expecting their first foals. Meanwhile, three new sires have been added to the farm's roster for 2025 with record-setting turf sprinter Cogburn (Not This Time), 2023 GI Champagne Stakes winner Timberlake (Into Mischief) and 'TDN Rising Star' Heartland (Justify). Fletcher Mauk of Small Batch Thoroughbreds was among the breeders that stopped in to check out the newcomers during the past few weeks of open houses at WinStar. “They're exciting stallion prospects,” Mauk said after inspecting the trio. “All three have good bone and nice feet. They were all accomplished as 2-year-olds, which I think is important for a lot of breeders to know that you have the opportunity to have something come running out of a mare. They're all three by very nice sire lines as well.” Four-time graded stakes winner Cogburn leads the charge of new recruits at WinStar with a $30,000 stud fee. He is one of six Grade I winners for Not This Time (featured in Saturday Sires here) and will be the first son of the fast-starting sire to stand at WinStar. WinStar's Liam O'Rourke reported that the multi-millionaire arrived at WinStar shortly after the Breeders' Cup and settled in immediately. “It's rare that you see a stallion come in and have as much composure and as much presence as he's had since the first day he came in,” he said. “He went up there, put his head down, walked like he'd been doing this for 10 years, stood up perfect and didn't move a hair. He's been incredibly well received, a beautiful horse who is going over very well with the breeding public.” Although Cogburn's biggest achievements came this year as a 5-year-old, including a record-setting GI Jaipur victory where he covered 5 ½ furlongs in 59:80 and another memorable win in the GII Turf Sprint Stakes at Kentucky Downs where he completed six furlongs on 1:07.68, O'Rourke said that breeders are also taking note of his earlier resume. The Steve Asmussen trainee broke his maiden by over four lengths on dirt as a juvenile and was runner-up in the GIII Chick Lang Stakes on the main track the following year before he eventually switched to turf. “He really excelled as a 2-year-old and showed a ton of ability on the dirt,” said O'Rourke. “When Steve moved him over to the turf, he definitely hit another level. Speed is speed. It's something that we've always been attracted to here at WinStar. We've had a lot of success with horses like Distorted Humor, Speightstown and More Than Ready who had that really elite speed.” Fletcher Mauk said that he has plans to send an American Pharoah mare to Cogburn that was twice stakes placed going over a mile on turf. “For me, the big thing is incorporating speed into that pedigree,” he said. “More than likely we'll end up with a turf horse just given her female side, but you don't know and that's what's exciting about a horse that has been able to run on every surface. Anything is possible and I don't even necessarily think that he is going to throw just speed given his sire. I think you could get any distance as well.” A 'TDN Rising Star' in his 9 1/4-length maiden win for WinStar and Siena Farm, Timberlake was runner-up in the GI Hopeful Stakes before soundly claiming the GI Champagne over a field that included future 2-year-old champion Fierceness (City of Light). “The Champagne places him as the only Grade I-winning 2-year-old by Into Mischief other than Practical Joke in Kentucky,” said O'Rourke. “We've gotten a great response from breeders on that. He was talented, very precocious, and just a big, strong, handsome horse that people are really falling in love with when they come out here.” Timberlake, winner of the GII Rebel Stakes this year as a 3-year-old, will stand for 20,000. After getting a look at the newcomer, Mauk said he believes the son of Into Mischief shows the potential to become a versatile sire. “I don't think he's necessarily your typically shaped 2-year-old graded stakes winner,” he explained. “To me he has a little bit more range in his body, a longer shoulder and maybe a more slope-y hip. The fact that he did win a very important race as a 2-year-old in the Champagne and then went on to win the Rebel I think is a good indication that you're not limited in your scope of exclusively being a sprinter or a 2-year-old horse.” Rounding out the trio, Heartland made only one career start, but the team at WinStar believes he has the resume to succeed in this next chapter. A homebred for WinStar and a half-brother to juvenile champion Classic Empire (Pioneerof the Nile), Heartland sold for $575,000 at the Keeneland September Sale, going to China Horse Club and Siena Farm with WinStar staying in for a piece. “He was at the head of the class among our 2-year-olds that year,” O'Rourke reported. “David Hanley, Elliott Walden and [trainer] Neil McLaughlin were gushing about this horse. He was our first 2-year-old that we sent on.” Making his debut for Bob Baffert at Del Mar last July, Heartland rated off the pace before picking off rivals around the turn and then opening up over future stakes winner Slider (Jimmy Creed) by two lengths, completing 5 ½ furlongs in 1:03.20 and earning a 90 Beyer Speed Figure. While Heartland was never able to make it back to the starting gate, the WinStar team is hoping he can make his mark as a sire. Standing for $10,000, Heartland will be the second son of Justify to stand in Kentucky after Spendthrift's Arabian Lion retired last year. “It's very intentional that he is here at WinStar,” said O'Rourke. “We are going to support him very strongly in his first several years at stud and we have some creative incentives for our breeders that we think make him a really good value proposition. Justify obviously is doing incredible things as a stallion and I think it's a great access point to Justify at that $10,000 level. He's got the pedigree to back it up being a half-brother to Classic Empire and by one of the most elite sires in the world, so we think he's got a big chance and we're getting some good support from breeders on him.” The post A Lot to Look Forward To for WinStar in 2025 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Last week, the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority announced that its Anti-Doping and Medication Control (ADMC) standing committee was replacing three outgoing members with new ones. Among them was David Ingordo, arguably the first hands-on horseman the group has seated. The committee is required by federal law to be composed of four independent members and three industry representatives. The committee plays a key role in advising and assisting HISA with the establishment of comprehensive rules and protocols for its ADMC Program, including the prohibited substances list, laboratory testing standards, and in- and out-of-competition testing programs. The daily operations of the ADMC Program are managed by the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit (HIWU), a subsidiary of Drug Free Sport International, which works to ensure horseracing is conducted in accordance with the ADMC Program. We talked to Ingordo how his years on HISA's horsemen's advisory committee shaped his view of the current rules, what he hopes to bring to the table as an active horseman. SF: When it's working at its best, how does the ADMC Standing Committee function? DI: The purpose of this committee is to recommend the anti-doping and medication rules to the HISA Board who then submit them to the FTC for approval. They also provide guidance on some of the more challenging issues that arise in connection with the enforcement of these rules under the ADMC program. Frankly, its function is a critically important one and it is a serious responsibility to be involved on this committee, making recommendations to HISA and fixing any of the problems with those rules and their enforcement. SF: Do you have monthly meetings? How does it work? DI: I haven't served on the committee yet and the appointment officially starts in January when we have our first meeting. As I understand, that's when we'll lay out the itinerary and the agenda for the year. I understand the expectations are for us to be active and proactive on getting policy right. SF: How many people are on the committee? DI: There is a total of seven members, four “independent,” from outside the industry and three “industry.” The Committee chairman must also sit on the HISA Board. Charles Scheeler is an independent and he is both the chairman of the HISA Board and the ADMC Committee. You have three industry members, who will now be Dr. Jeff Blea, myself, and veterinarian Dr. David Sykes. I had my first introductory conversation with Chairman Scheeler on Wednesday. I was impressed with him and energized by the thoughts that we shared for what he called “ADMC 2.0.” SF: Dr. Jeff Blea obviously works in the trenches, but you are probably the person with the most hands-on horse-training experience that the ADMC has ever had on board. Would you say that's true? And what have they been lacking in practical advice that you can bring? DI: I would like to discuss that. Jeff Blea, who is a world-class veterinarian, and remains on the committee, was quite hands-on before he became the Equine Medical Director for the state of California. I've worked with and respected Jeff since my teens, so I know him first as a practicing veterinarian. Just because he's gone over to the regulatory side doesn't mean he has forgotten how to work with horses and trainers or how racing works. I would contend that Jeff is still hands-on in his current role. His experience on the racetrack is on par with mine, but he is a veterinarian; I'm not. I would say the same about (outgoing member) Dr. (Lynn) Hovda, who is a very sharp person. Barry Irwin is the other outgoing committee member, and he would rightly argue that he has a lot of knowledge about all that is racing as well! To rephrase it that I'm a different type of hands-on appointment, I would say that is very true. I'm different than anyone on the Committee because I'm looking at the rules from a trainer, owner, gambler and even a Thoroughbred auction point of view. I'm not from a veterinary or a regulatory background. I'm coming to this appointment with what I see as a practical, common-sense way of dealing with the X's and O's of training and racing horses safely, because this is my livelihood. SF: Cherie DeVaux, your wife, is a trainer, and you work closely with her in various aspects of the business. How will you represent that viewpoint on this committee? DI: My wife is a horse trainer as are many of my family and friends, so I'm sure I will get a lot of their solicited and unsolicited viewpoints…like it or not! Joking aside, I have great respect for the job of a horse trainer. It is the toughest job in our industry, adding to everything that is the responsibility of the trainer: wins versus losses, the horse and employees, the bills and results of post-race testing. My goal is to listen, represent their viewpoint where pertinent, help improve what rules are already in place and fix those that need replacement. So not only for my wife, but for all the people who train–family, friend or otherwise–it's imperative we to get these rules and their enforcement right. SF: As a follow-up to that question, you've been on the HISA Horsemen's Advisory Committee for two years. What sort of things did you hear from horsemen there that you feel you can bring to this committee that will be helpful? DI: The words that many trainers and owners used when calling and discussing their issues and qualms with HISA were `common sense' and `practical.' I'm hopeful that I can help the ADMC committee and HISA by articulating and helping to understand what rules and regulations might make sense in theory but not in practice. Chairman Scheeler called it the “ADMC 2.0” in acknowledgement of that when we spoke on our call, knowing we need to iron out the issues with the rules that are currently in place that we are all aware of. That was exciting for me to hear and to be able to share with horsemen. SF: In terms of what you've heard from horsemen until this point, where have they been right in their objections and where do you think they've been wrong? DI: They've been right and effective in voicing their objections, pointing out the well-reported issues and helping develop practical solutions by working with HISA. Early on, they drew attention to how some racing jurisdictions were keeping to the old rules, not following the updated HISA rules. There are many great lobbyists inside the Horsemen's Advisory Group and within the broader industry who have done an excellent job communicating when they see a problem and articulating, “This is a problem that needs to be fixed and here is a solution that works for horsemen.” The wise horsemen have used their political clout, to the benefit of all horsemen, to get the ear of HISA and get problems identified and fixed quickly, faster than I have experienced pre-HISA. By working with HISA and through the process, horsemen in general have helped all the participants across the board. My personal experience is that HISA and Lisa Lazarus want to get it right and when you approach HISA professionally, you have a great chance of success getting substantial changes made. SF: And where have they been wrong? DI: I think a broad mistake that horsemen have made is not taking the time to understand HISA and to get a deeper understanding of what the facts are versus the fiction, not developing their own relationship and understanding of HISA. I do not think that horsemen as a group had a good understanding that most of these rules were in place pre-HISA and HIWU, but now they're being enforced more than they were previously. A lot of horsemen got bad professional advice on how to navigate the process to work with HISA. The professionals that are advising horsemen, they need to recalibrate how they work within the new regulatory framework. As is wont at the racetrack, rumors circulate, and horsemen often are getting HISA information from a slanted or wrong viewpoint or interpretation, often from trade organizations that are supposed to be there to help horsemen and advocate for them. Horsemen are getting their understanding of policy from second- or third-hand sources and often the truth is nowhere near what they are being told. Horsemen have been given the impression HISA is against them, and instead of seeking their own understanding and relationship with HISA, they accept what they are told via the rumor mill. It has happened to me so I understand how easy it is to not do your own homework on the subject. SF: You are known for being bluntly honest. You're a huge HISA supporter, but what have they done wrong? DI: You're right. I'm a huge HISA supporter because it's here, and if it's here, we should make a conscious effort to work with it. I didn't agree with the provisional suspensions. I think they were a mistake in how they were executed in the beginning. I don't think HISA understood exactly what happens on the backside as far as how horses are trained and all the interworking parts of a backstretch, the whole ecosystem. I don't think they understood the sport from the bottom to the top. I think they went in with good intentions, but I don't think they initially had enough information on how to build this out the right way. SF: Give me an example. DI: When HISA was created, they had people who were independent from the industry designing the program. And in theory, having people with no conflicts of interest and independent is a good idea because then you're not getting cronyism, you're not getting `well, my mother's mother's mother did it this way, so we've got to do it that way.' But the mistake was not having a good team of horsemen and industry participants advising from the beginning on these rules and being part of that conversation. They needed an experienced Horsemen's Advisory Board from day one. The way I understand it, USADA wrote a lot of these rules without industry input and Lisa and her team inherited them. The analogy I used was they built this beautiful building and then went and tried to put the foundation under it after it was built. And that just doesn't work from a building standpoint. I think the biggest mistake that HISA made in the beginning was not getting more hands-on active industry participants, whether they're trainers, vets, or owners. With that, I think HISA could have figured out some of the operational flaws before it was put into operation. SF: Do you think that the way the drugs of human abuse were treated was a mistake? DI: I think that HISA perhaps didn't know fully what we were dealing with on the backside. I would go as far as to say we all didn't fully know. How many meth positives were there before HISA? I don't remember it being such an issue, but I know people were abusing it before HISA. Maybe they weren't testing for that as much as they should? Maybe it wasn't in the budget of a racing jurisdiction to test for meth or Metformin? Maybe laboratories made judgement calls on what they through were trace amounts? I don't really know the answer, but I think it could have been handled differently. SF: I asked you what HISA did wrong. So tell me what they've done right. DI: I would say the number one achievement of HISA thus far is saving horses' lives. HISA has been a big part of bringing us back from the brink of that awful day at Saratoga in the not-too-distant past. It is important to remember that many of the rules were created pre-Lazarus coming on board, so addressing bad rules and being open to change is something that was much harder pre-HISA. HISA having an open door to horsemen to come in and debate and change bad policies and the willingness to listen and work with industry participants to find solutions. SF: Give me some examples of things that have been changed due to the ADMC. DI: The dropping of the provisional suspensions is huge. Improved communication and working with trainers on their positives over the course of the last year has greatly improved. HISA is making strides towards laboratory unification – testing for the same substances at the same level at all the labs, this has never been done before and it is now standard under HISA. SF: You have a lot on your plate already. How much time do you spend on this and why is it important—both to the industry, but also to you? DI: That I have a lot on my plate is an understatement! Kidding aside, it is important to understand that the people on the ADMC, or the HISA Safety Committee, or the Horsemen's Advisory Committee, are all doing a civic duty to horseracing by giving their time. Participating in the ADMC is one way I can give back to the industry on a subject matter that is critically important that we get right. I spend anywhere from one to three hours a day on HISA issues many days of the week. It's important to me because right now, as we're doing this interview, these are the rules that our game is to follow at a federal level. So, we need them to be the best, the fairest, the most accurate that they can be. It's important to me because people I care about all get up in the morning to play this game. I love racing and it's all I'm interested in doing. I do all the work I do to be able to watch horses compete at the track. It's a passion and if I can be part of a solution, to have this industry around for future generations and help other people enjoy it, then I've done my part. That's what I feel like the task at hand here is: getting this right so we can race horses safely and treat people fairly. SF: As an industry, do we have to get HISA right to survive? DI: Everyone has an opinion on what happened to get HISA here and I believe we had decades to get it right as an industry on our own, and we didn't. I respect that people have different opinions on how to do it, but we need to get HISA right. The country right now is divided politically, and our industry is divided on HISA. If we don't get racing right, and the numerous external forces get their way, we won't have anything to be fighting over, racing will be extinct. We all need to be statesmen and women and to reach across the proverbial aisle and work together. There has got to be give-and-take on both sides because the horsemen aren't 100% right and the regulatory agencies aren't 100% right. So, do I think we need HISA to survive at the end of the day? Yes. The post Q and A With New ADMC Committee Member David Ingordo appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Three of Europe's top 2400-metre gallopers face an 11-strong local challenge in Sunday's G1 Japan Cup, looking to snap an 18-year run of success for Japanese-based horses. While it has become next to impossible for the raiders to walk away with the Tokyo spoils, that was not always the case. In the first 17 renewals, horses from overseas prevailed on no fewer than a dozen occasions, including theretofore unprecedented consecutive winners for Sir Michael Stoute with Singspiel (Ire) and Pilsudski (Ire) in 1996 and 1997, respectively. But since that time, it has been an embarrassment of riches for the home team as the depth in quality of Japanese bloodstock has increased meteorically. Only Falbrav (Ire) in the shortened Japan Cup at Nakayama in 2002 and Alkaased in 2005 have since been able to solve the race for the raiders, while the likes of Deep Impact (Jpn), Epiphaneia (Jpn), Contrail (Jpn), Kitasan Black (Jpn) and the latter's son Equinox (Jpn) have been joined on the local honour roll by top females Gentildonna (Jpn), Vodka (Jpn) and two-time winner Almond Eye (Jpn). It has been an enigmatic version in 2024 of Auguste Rodin (Ire), who becomes the first foreign-based son of Deep Impact to contest a race on the JRA circuit. Never a factor at any point of the G1 Longines Dubai Sheema Classic on seasonal debut, he bounced back to prove best in the G1 Prince of Wales's Stakes at the Royal meeting and all seemed well in the world. Unable to match strides up the hill when fifth to Goliath (Ger) (Adlerflug {Ger}) in the G1 King George & Queen Elizabeth Stakes in July–a performance trainer Aidan O'Brien attributes to underfoot conditions that were easier than the listed good-to-firm–the 4-year-old was just beaten in the dying strides by the in-form Economics (GB) (Night of Thunder {Ire}) in the G1 Irish Champion Stakes Sept. 14. A victory on Sunday would be the cherry on top of a fantastic career. “We always dreamed that Auguste Rodin could finish off his career in Japan–obviously he's by one of the greatest stallions ever, Deep Impact, and his dam (three-time Group 1 winner Rhodendron {Ire}) is by Galileo (Ire), which is one of the greatest stallions ever in our part of the world,” O'Brien said earlier this week. “So, we always dreamed that he could be a horse for the Japan Cup. We know how difficult it is to win and how competitive it is and it's his third year in training and it's his last race. It was a dream that we could win the Japan Cup, we've tried it before, but no horse was as good as this horse.” Goliath was runner-up in the G2 Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot, and his King George was a bit Harbinger-esque, as he came to win it on the bridle at the furlong, pinched a break and had future G1 Prix de l'Arc de Troimphe winner Bluestocking (GB) (Camelot {GB}) in second and recent GI Breeders' Cup Turf hero Rebel's Romance (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) back in third. A majority interest was subsequently acquired by American John Stewart's Resolute Racing and he prepped for this with a soft success in the G2 Prix du Conseil in heavy ground at ParisLongchamp Oct. 20. Jockey Christophe Soumillon has his first ride in Japan in five years and is bullish on his chances. “I really think I ride the best horse in the race,” the Belgian said. “So, we're going to do our best on Sunday to realize everybody's dream. The team worked hard to bring him 100% fit and I think his owner wants to realize also something big, so we are all very confident.” Germany won the 1995 Japan Cup with the globetrotting Lando (Ger) and Fantastic Moon (Ger) (Sea The Moon {Ger}) will give it a go this weekend. Victorious in Group 2 company at Cologne in June, the bay filled the runner-up spot for the second straight season in the G1 Bayrisches Zuchtrennen July 28 ahead of an eye-catching defeat of Dubai Honour (GB) (Prince of Dubai {Aus}) in the Sept. 1 G1 Grosser Preis von Baden. His ninth in the Arc is arguably better than it looks, he travels kindly and has a smart turn of foot, and the Fuchu course may just suit him. The local charge is headed up by the likely favourite Do Deuce (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}), whose sire was just beaten in 2005. Last year's G1 Arima Kinen hero was bothered by a stricken horse when making a run in this year's G1 Dubai Turf and he likely did not get through the conditions when sixth to Blow The Horn (Jpn) (Epiphaneia {Jpn}) in the G1 Takarazuka Kinen in June, but whistled home impressively (final 600m in :32.5) to take out the G1 Tenno Sho (Autumn) over this track Oct. 27. Legendary jockey Yutaka Take looks for a fifth Japan Cup, and first since Kitasan Black in 2016. “I have ridden many excellent horses, and have had joyous moments and frustrating moments,” said Take. “Last year, due to injury, I couldn't ride Do Deuce in the Japan Cup, but this year I'm in all the way. This horse has at most two more starts and I want to ride in such a way that leaves no room for regrets.” Justin Palace (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), a Group 1 winner over 3200 metres, was also inconvenienced by the ground in the Takarazuka Kinen and–particularly when factoring in that he is a stayer–also finished well (:33 flat) in the Tenno Sho to be a close fourth. The extra 400 metres works in his favour here. Cervinia (Jpn) (Harbinger {GB}) disappointed in this year's G1 Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas), but bounced back to take the final two legs of the filly Triple Crown, the G1 Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks) May 19 and the Oct. 13 G1 Shuka Sho. Fellow Oaks winner Stars on Earth (Jpn) (Duramente {Jpn}) did not miss the top three in her first 12 starts, but makes her first start since an eighth to Rebel's Romance in the Sheema Classic. She returned from a similar absence to finish an excellent third behind Equinox here 12 months back. The post Capable European Trio Try To Snap Dubious Streak In Japan Cup appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

In honor of the 10th anniversary of Silver Charm's arrival, Old Friends is hosting a special event on Sunday, Dec. 1 so fans can celebrate the day with the 30-year-old who is currently the oldest living Kentucky Derby winner, the retirement home said in a release early Friday. Date: Sunday, December 1, 2024 Time: Noon-2:00 p.m. ET Where: Old Friends, 1841 Paynes Depot Road, Georgetown, Kentucky Admission: Free Another highlight will be Mike Middleton, who will be onsite to demonstrate the making of Raku Pottery using some of Silver Charm's hair in honor of the retired stallion's anniversary at Old Friends. The post Silver Charm Celebrates 10 years At Old Friends With Dec. 1 Event appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The Breed Smart Forum: Matings for Markets will take place on Thursday, Nov. 28 in the sales ring at Park Paddocks during the Tattersalls December Foal Sale, the Thoroughbred Breeders' Association (TBA) announced on Friday. Beginning at 5 p.m. and sponsored by Streets Bloodstock, the forum will feature panelists Richard Brown, William Haggas, Alice Thurtle, Patrick Diamond, Clive Webb-Carter and will be hosted by Sky Sports Racing's, Vanessa Ryle. Free to attend, the forum will look at matings and discuss key considerations when it comes to selecting a stallion, the importance of trends, data and statistics in that process, physical assessment; and breeding for the racetrack, as well as considering the potential commercial appeal of each horse in the sales ring. The panelists bring together a wealth of knowledge and expertise from statistical based analysis of pedigrees, finding value in stallion selection, considerations when entering into stallion agreements and the influence of trends. This will be followed by a Q&A session for attendees to get involved with. Claire Sheppard, CEO of the TBA said, “We are really pleased to be able to announce our Breed Smart Forum next Thursday at Tattersalls, with an expert panel assembled to discuss the subject of matings. “We are here to support not only our members but all breeders and help their breeding entities thrive and while there are plenty of challenges for the sector, we want to provide platforms such as this for industry professionals, new entrants and enthusiasts alike to exchange knowledge, ideas and importantly ask questions. Thanks must go to Streets Accountants for their support of this event, Tattersalls for providing the venue and all our panellists.” The post TBA Breed Smart Forum: Matings For Markets Set For Nov. 28 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

When Amplify Horse Racing was founded as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in 2020, our goal was to engage youth with the Thoroughbred industry. As 2024 draws to a close, I reflect with immense pride on how Amplify isn't just engaging youth with the Thoroughbred industry-we have become the national youth arm of the U.S. industry. By the end of the year, Amplify will have directly reached over 28,000 individuals through classroom lessons, events, interactive activations, and conference presentations. We recently wrapped up one of our busiest programming weekends of the year, hosting a “Thoroughbred Discovery Day” in Lexington for 4-H students from eight different states, conducting a multitude of behind-the-scenes industry visits for our 2024 mentee award winners, and capped it off with an end-of-year student networking event that fostered connections with industry professionals and got them thinking about careers in horse racing. And we're not done yet-one more high school career fair and a symposium presentation remain on the calendar. This year Amplify: Hosted student programming in Illinois, Kentucky, Maryland, and New York; Welcomed 20 mentees into our mentorship program, helping them forge meaningful paths into the industry; Presented to over 20 student groups, inspiring countless young minds to explore careers in our industry; Was represented at five conferences across five states, delivering impactful presentations at three; Participated in various high school career fairs in Lexington to introduce students to career opportunities in Thoroughbred racing; Launched a mentoring partnership with the Horse Racing Women's Summit; Hosted activations at BreyerFest, United States Pony Clubs Championships, and with the Eastern National 4-H Horse Roundup, directly connecting youth from around the country with the Thoroughbred industry. None of this would have been possible without the backing of key industry supporters, including Breeders' Cup, Churchill Downs, Godolphin, Keeneland, The Jockey Club, and nonprofit partners like Horse Country and the KEEP Foundation. These organizations have demonstrated a shared commitment to developing the next generation of horsemen and horsewomen. Amplify has positioned itself as the feeder program for our industry's workforce, ownership, and fan base. However, as an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit, we can only continue this vital work with sustained support from industry stakeholders. Looking ahead, Amplify aims to expand its presence to at least 10 states by 2028. To achieve this vision, we've launched the Amplify Impact Campaign to create more localized opportunities for youth to engage with the industry and access valuable resources. Campaign goals include enhancing educational programs through curriculum creation and implementation, the development of a mobile education unit to bring interactive equine educational experiences to communities nationwide, and expanding outreach by facilitating the development of regional chapters and partnerships. Amplify is proud to lead the way in connecting youth to horses by way of the Thoroughbred industry, through education, mentorship, and career pathways. Together, we can ensure a vibrant future for horse racing by investing in the next generation. I invite the entire Thoroughbred industry to join us in this mission to amplify horse racing's impact among youth. Annise Montplaisir Executive Director, Amplify Horse Racing The post Letter To The Editor: Amplify Has Become The National Youth Arm Of The U.S. Industry appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Oaks heroine Qualify (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) was the first mare to breach the €500,000 mark on Friday, when selling for €650,000 to Ballylinch Stud during the first day of the Goffs November Breeding Stock Sale. Consigned by Godolphin, lot 1158 is the dam of two winners, including G3 Jebel Ali Mile scorer Swing Vote (GB) (Shamardal). The extended family features G1 St Leger hero and sire Brian Boru (GB). The Whisperview Trading-bred mare is in foal to champion sire elect Dark Angel (Ire). 2015 Oaks winner Qualify is off to Ballylinch Stud after being bought for €650,000 @Goffs1866. She is in foal to Dark Angel and is the dam of a G3 winner. She was consigned by Godolphin. pic.twitter.com/7kieyV39Kf — TDN (@theTDN) November 22, 2024 The post Ballylinch Stud Pays €650,000 For Oaks Heroine Qualify In Foal To Dark Angel At Goffs appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

By Michael Guerin Sammy Kilgour got her first New Zealand win as a horse trainer when Loteria finally got things right at Alexandra Park on Friday night. But it might have felt more like her first win as a horse psychiatrist. Kilgour has spent much of her life in Australia but has lived on both sides of the Tasman since meeting her now fiancee Joshua Dickie. The pair trained winners in partnership in Australia but when Loteria overcame the unruly to easily leave maidens in the Classique Landscapers Trot it was Kilgour’s first in just her own right, albeit Dickie might have leant her a hand on the odd occasion. The daughter of Majestic Son has always shown ability but Kilgour says her issue has been her nerves so her trainer decided to make her confront them. “She gets really nervous around other horses so I have been making her spend as much time with other horses as possible,” explains Kilgour. “Her manners issues are all because of that, nothing to do with her attitude. “She actually has a lovely attitude which is why Josh and I love her so much, it was just a matter of getting her confidence up. “So to see her come out and win like that was an unbeatable feeling.” Kilgour works Loteria herself most mornings at Dickie’s father John’s property before heading to her day job alongside Joshua at Stonewall Stud. “We love it there and they are great people to work with.” Loteria was one of two horses the couple brought back from Victoria with them, the other being a son of Sweet Lou and the Kilgour-owned Miracle Mile winner Baby Bling, who is currently spelling. Loteria struggled with the standing starts when she first started racing in New Zealand so Kilgour is thrilled her main aim for the end of the season, the $100,000 Golden Gait Trot for three-year-olds on December is a mobile mile. But Kilgour and Dickie also have some even more long-term planning to do, as the couple are engaged but with no wedding date in sight. “We have both been so busy and the hardest part is finding time to go look at some venues. But we will get around to it,” she laughs. Kilgour’s first New Zealand training success was one of the highlights of a night that saw Sooner The Better back in the winner’s circle when he led throughout in the hands of Crystal Hackett after dropping a long way back in grade. And Faith In Manchester kept up her fine form with an almost all-the-way win in the main trot as she prepares for the new $100,000 Group 1 trot the Queen Of Diamonds in three weeks. While she has won three of her last four starts she will still be off the front in the new trot on December 13 so therefore very hard to beat. View the full article

France Galop and the American Racing Channel (ARC) have extended their partnership through 2027, the companies announced on Friday. ARC sponsors the G1 Prix Maurice de Gheest, which will carry prize-money of €380,000. On that same card, all of the remaining races will carry the ARC name, as well as the names of the South American Racing or Breeding Authorities. The partnership began in 2011, and allows French racegoers to wager on races in Latin America. These races are broadcast live on Equidia. Guillaume de Saint-Seine, president of France Galop, added, “We are absolutely delighted with the continuation of the partnership between L'ARC and France Galop. The renewal of this commitment illustrates the quality of the strong relationship between our two organisations. Every summer, this sponsorship agreement is highlighted during a race day at the Deauville meeting. What's more, the taking of bets in France on Latin American races allows us to expand the range of products available to racing enthusiasts, while ensuring an additional return that benefits all those involved in racing.” The post France Galop And American Racing Channel Extend Partnership For Three More Years appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

How did we get hooked on this sport? We all have stories about how our love affair developed and blossomed. The TDN will be reaching out to numerous notable people in the industry to get their stories to find out how they got hooked and stayed hooked on the sport. Dave Johnson, Racecaller & Radio Host My mom and dad and then my grandparents on both sides, they all went to Fairmount Park just for fun when I was growing up in St. Louis. Mostly it was just for holidays because Fairmount raced in the afternoon and so on holidays, they could go. We went as family. I'm looking at a picture right now of my grandmother, my grandfather, my aunt and my uncle at Fairmount Park. The picture has to be from the '40s, before I was born. They started taking me to the track when I was a young kid. As it turned out, I was a bit of a tout. My mom told me there was one holiday, I was about five, and we got a box for the afternoon. The guy in next box said, 'I don't know how you can beat the favorite in here? He has the best jockey and the track is fast.' My mom told me I piped up and said 'this horse has no shot.' When I was five or six years old, I was touting. On another occasion, my mother and I took the train from St. Louis to New Orleans to visit my father, who was in the Army at the time. I brought along some Racing Forms that I had collected. It was on that train ride that my mother taught me how to read the Form. I went to Catholic grade school and the principal called my dad and said, `Dave is not the sharpest knife in the drawer, but he's incredible when it comes to fractions. He's teaching the other kids about 3-5, 2 ½, 5-2.' I think I made my first daily double bet when I was 10 years old. Through my parents and my grandparents, I was hooked from the very start . That's really the best way to do it, go to track with family and friends. As for the announcing, I worked for a law firm in St. Louis and was hoping to become a lawyer. That's when Todd Creed the announcer at Fairmont Park got ill for a bit and I moved into the announcer's booth. We became friends and in 1966 he took the job at Ak-Sar-Ben and things opened up for me. I got the job at Cahokia first and then later at Fairmount. I became the announcer, so I left the law firm. So much for becoming a lawyer. Jerry Brown, Thoro-Graph I grew up in Greenwich village, which is not exactly a racing hot bed. When I was a kid the only page of the sports page that I did not read was the racing page. Baseball, football, basketball. I could tell you everyone's batting average but I had no idea about racing. A neighbor of mine, a kid I grew up with named Steve Jones, took me to the track three times and I was impressed with what was going on, but I didn't know anything. I was completely green. One day, I am sitting in the Blimpie Base across from where we played basketball. It was a place we'd go to when we cut school. They actually had a Racing Form sitting at the table by the window. I was trying to figure out how to read the speed ratings. A guy came in. I'm a teenager at this point and he's probably in his forties. He saw me reading the Racing Form and wanted to know if I wanted a job working for him in horse racing. Being the Village in the '70s, I assumed he was trying to pick me up. It was Len Ragozin. My father was literally ready to throw me out of the house if I didn't get a job. So I went to work for Ragozin. I went to work for him first as a clerk. My first day there, listening to the conversation between him and this crazy guy he had working for him, I realized that they knew much more than anybody else who was handicapping, betting or making picks. They were in a completely different league. At that point, all the information was on hand-written file cards. The numbers were color coded for distance. He first hired me as a clerk. When the entries came out, I had to pull that card on every horse. They weren't using computers back then. I went to work for him and I did well betting. Ragozin had his own stable at that point. I got the job managing the stable. We started with three horses and about $20,000. Four years later, we were third in the country in wins. At this point, there weren't even photocopies of the sheets. You had to be okayed by Ragozin to be allowed to used the sheets. If we wanted to go to the track, four or five us would get in a car together, get to the track and share the only copies of these sheets that there were. Ragozin was from the games world, and a lot of these guys were bridge, chess, backgammon players that were so good nobody would play them so they weren't able to make any money. In the first international scrabble tournament, five of the top 10 in the world came from Ragozin's office. They were a sophisticated crew, very smart people who were not part of the general culture. We were generally counter-culture. I liked being part of that. It wasn't so much cashing individual bets. What got me hooked is that we were winning and we knew what we were doing and other people didn't know what they were doing. That was cool and I liked it. I had a dad who was somewhat of an authoritarian. So I've always had a problem with authority. The idea of being my own boss appealed to me, not having to wear a tie appealed to me. The way I came into it, all these sorts of things appealed to me about racing. I could get up when I wanted, and dress how I wanted. Nobody could tell me what to do and that had a lot to do with it. Ragozin and I, to put it mildly, did not get along. When we would argue it would get so loud that the woman who was managing the office would lock herself in the bathroom. Eventually he created a situation where I had to leave. After taking a year off I set up my own shop and went into business against him. To share your own story of how you got hooked on racing, email suefinley@thetdn.com. The post How I Got Hooked on Racing: Dave Johnson, Jerry Brown appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Two more wildcards have joined the bumper Tattersalls December Mares Sale with listed winner Sakti (Ire) (Caravaggio) set to sell on Tuesday as lot 1771B and maiden winner Naughty Eyes (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}) catalogued as lot 1486D on Monday. Three-year-old Sakti, who will be consigned by Gove Stud, is trained by Ger Lyons was placed on all three starts at two, including finishing runner-up in the G2 Debutante and G3 Park Stakes. She won a Dundalk maiden in March before returning to stakes company, winning the listed Cooley Fillies & Mares Stakes over a mile on her most recent start as well as notching two other listed places. The juvenile Naughty Eyes has won her sole start for George Boughey in a Wolverhampton maiden over six furlongs in early November. She is out of an Exceed And Excel (Aus) half-sister to dual Group 1 winner Campanelle (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}). The post Sakti and Naughty Eyes Added to Tattersalls December appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

There are 13 horse racing meetings set for Australia on Saturday, November 23. Our racing analysts here at horsebetting.com.au have found you the best bets and the quaddie numbers for Ascot, Kembla Grange, Cranbourne & Alice Springs. Saturday’s Free Horse Racing Tips – November 23, 2024 Ascot Racing Tips Kembla Grange Racing Tips Cranbourne Racing Tips Alice Springs Racing Tips As always, there are plenty of promotions available for Australian racing fans. Check out all the top online bookmakers to see what daily promotions they have. If you are looking for a new bookmaker for the horse racing taking place on November 23, 2024 check out our guide to the best online racing betting sites. Neds Code GETON 1 Take It To The Neds Level Neds Only orange bookie! Check Out Neds Review 18+ Gamble Responsibly. What are you prepared to lose today? “GETON is not a bonus code. Neds does not offer bonus codes in Australia and this referral code does not grant access to offers. Full terms. BlondeBet Signup Code GETON 2 Punters Prefer Blondes BlondeBet Blonde Boosts – Elevate your prices! Join BlondeBet Review 18+ Gamble Responsibly. WHAT ARE YOU REALLY GAMBLING WITH? full terms. 3 It Pays To Play PlayUp Aussie-owned horse racing specialists! Check Out PlayUp Review 18+ Gamble Responsibly. Imagine what you could be buying instead. Full terms. Recommended! Dabble Signup Code AUSRACING 4 Say Hey to the social bet! Dabble You Better Believe It Join Dabble Review 18+ Gamble Responsibly. THINK. IS THIS A BET YOU REALLY WANT TO PLACE? Full terms. Bet365 Signup Code GETON 5 Never Ordinary Bet365 World Favourite! Visit Bet365 Review 18+ Gamble Responsibly. GETON is not a bonus code. bet365 does not offer bonus codes in Australia and this referral code does not grant access to offers. What’s gambling really costing you? Full terms. 6 Next Gen Racing Betting pickleBet Top 4 Betting. Extra Place. Every Race. Join Picklebet Review 18+ Gamble Responsibly. What are you really gambling with? Full terms. Horse racing tips View the full article

By Brigette Solomon A victory in the last race at Manawatu yesterday brought up significant milestones for both horse and driver. It was Wilson House’s 100th driving win, and Santanna Mach’s 20th. The victory was the 20-year-old House’s fourth of the day, also rounding out a training treble for his father, Canterbury-based trainer Michael House. “It was a good day and nice to get that win on Santanna Mach,” says House, “he’s a pretty cool old horse, I’ve had four wins on him now so he’s been pretty good to me.” The 10-year-old gelding started a $2.10 race favourite in the Christmas Function Book Now December 10 and 12 Mobile Pace. House drove conservatively off the mobile to sit four back the fence in the early stages. A tussle for the lead between The Elite Athlete and stable mate Morere resulted in a strong tempo with Morere eventually leading, and with just over a lap to run House elected to move forward to lead with little challenge. Over the final lap, Stealers Wheel would move to sit outside the leader applying pressure from the 400 metre mark to lead by a narrow margin until midway down the home straight. But Santanna Mach refused to lie down, picking himself up to battle on and out tough Stealers Wheel to win by a head. Today’s win brought the Santanna Blue Chip gelding’s lifetime earnings to just shy of $230,000 from his 20 wins and further 48 placings. “At ten, he is still racing well and is competitive as we saw today and Dad recently realised that Santanna Mach has raced at nearly every race course in New Zealand with the exception of Blenheim, Westport and Omakau, said House “w are going to try to get him to those tracks to race in the coming months which would make him possibly the only horse in New Zealand to have raced on every course.” House is having his best season yet driving 51 winners to date and is currently sitting second in the NZ Junior Driver’s Premiership, just four wins behind leader Sam Thornley. Carter Dalgety sits in third position with 49 wins. “There’s still a few weeks to go but hopefully it’s a good dog fight for the premiership right down to the line,” said House who next drives at Motukarara on Sunday. House’s other winners at Manawatu yesterday were Bigger The Bettor (R2), Gotta Elect Bill (R4) and Doctor Tim (R5). View the full article

A $20,000 bonus will be up for grabs when the first ever Group 1 The Christian Cullen is held at Addington Raceway on Friday, December 6. The $200,000 race for the 4YO pacers is a new addition to a jam-packed programme that also includes the Group 1 $300,000 Garrards New Zealand Pacing Derby and the Group 1 $200,000 NZ Trotting Derby. The bonus for The Christian Cullen will be paid to the first horse past the post who isn’t a previous Group 1 winner. The payment will be split, with $15,000 going to the owner, and $5000 to the trainer. In the case of a dead heat, the bonus will be split evenly, with $7500 to each owner/s and $2500 to each trainer. “The bonus is a way of adding more interest to what is already lining up to be a very good race,” says HRNZ’s Head of Racing and Wagering Matthew Peden. “It gives the race an extra sense of occasion and we think it will be very well-received.” Christian Cullen was chosen as the name for the new Group 1 after an on-line competition. As a four-year-old Christian Cullen was unbeatable. He won 12 from 12 including the 1998 New Zealand Cup, the Auckland Cup and the Miracle Mile. Harness racing’s pin up boy at the time, over all the Brian O’Meara-trained star won 22 from 31 starts and over $1.2m in stakes. View the full article

One of racing’s top young presenters, Brittany Graham, will join the Trackside team from early next year. Graham, widely regarded as one of the best and most respected harness racing presenters in the world, will further enhance the strong team of presenters and experts at Trackside. To read more click here View the full article

Pukekohe Park will host four feature races as part of its biggest meeting of the year on Saturday, and Cambridge trainers Ben and Ryan Foote will have well-credentialled runners in three of them. The father-son duo’s big black-type day kicks off with Vega For Luck in the Listed Counties Challenge Stakes (1100m), followed by Babylon Berlin in the Gr.3 Haunui Farm Counties Bowl (1100m) and The Odyssey in the Gr.3 TAB Counties Cup (2100m). Babylon Berlin is a deserved headliner for the Footes’ Pukekohe team, boasting nine wins from a 30-start career and more than $665,000 in stakes. The daughter of All Too Hard has been a multiple Group One placegetter and has previously finished third in the Counties Bowl in 2021 and second last year. Babylon Berlin has been through more than her share of issues in the 12 months since that last Counties Bowl placing, but the seven-year-old was back at her brilliant best with a dominant front-running win in the Listed Legacy Lodge Sprint (1200m) at Te Rapa on November 9. “That was good to see,” Ben Foote said. “She took a little while at the beginning of this preparation, but I think she’s coming up really well now. It’s nice to see her back in some of her good form again. “She’s had a pretty good couple of weeks since that Te Rapa win. She had a stone bruise after the race, but got over that quickly. It’s a tidy field on Saturday with some smart horses, some of them she hasn’t faced before, so it’s going to be interesting. But I couldn’t be happier with how she’s doing leading into the race.” The Counties Cup has been a long-range target for The Odyssey since his breakthrough campaign last summer, in which he won four times from seven starts including the inaugural $300,000 Remutaka Classic (2100m) at Trentham in January. The Odyssey has had five starts this spring, headed by a win over 2100m at Ellerslie on October 19. His other four appearances have produced two thirds and two fourths. “He’s always looked like a really nice horse for a race like the Counties Cup,” Foote said. “He’s been racing consistently well this time in and I’m super happy with the horse. I think he might take some beating.” Vega For Luck is one of the most experienced runners in Saturday’s two-year-old feature, having won on debut at Tauranga on October 5 before running third at Ellerslie three weeks later. He won a trial at Waipa on Monday. “He’s done a good job in those first two starts,” Foote said. “We planned to tip him out for a brief spell, but he made it pretty clear that he wanted to be back in work. He seems to just thrive on it. “Experience is always an asset in these early two-year-old races, so we think he’ll be quite a good chance this weekend. “It was a good trial the other day. We just sent him there to cruise around and have a bit of a day out, but he won his heat well and seemed to have plenty up his sleeve.” View the full article

Counties Cup Day has become a very familiar fixture for Sacred Satono, who will make his fourth appearance at the meeting when he defends his title in the Gr.3 Haunui Farm Counties Bowl (1100m) at Pukekohe on Saturday. The son of Satono Aladdin made his Counties Cup Day debut back in 2021, when the meeting was held at Te Rapa. He contested the Listed 2YO Stakes (1100m) and finished second behind Bright Blue Sky. Sacred Satono returned to the meeting as a three-year-old 12 months later, taking on older sprinters in the Counties Bowl and running a highly creditable second behind Letzbeglam. He went one better in the same race as a four-year-old last November, defeating Babylon Berlin and Romancing The Moon for a smart Counties Bowl victory. The Bruce Wallace and Grant Cooksley-trained Sacred Satono heads into his third Counties Bowl appearance on Saturday as a last-start Group One performer. He finished third in the Gr.1 Tarzino Trophy (1400m) at Hastings on September 7, beaten by a length and a quarter and a head by Grail Seeker and Faraglioni. “I thought he went really well in the Tarzino,” Cooksley said. “It was always the plan to freshen him up after that and go into the Counties Bowl without any runs in between, because there’s a bit of gap between the Tarzino and the big summer sprints. “Everything’s gone alright with him leading into this race on Saturday and I think he’s going into it in good shape. He’s drawn the outside gate, which makes it a bit harder, but he should be thereabouts.” Sacred Satono heads a team of four runners at Pukekohe on Saturday for Wallace and Cooksley, who also have Moving Melody in the Head To Trackside.co.nz (1400m), He’s Classic in the Franklin Long Roofing (1600m) and Son Of Sun in the HR Fisken & Sons (2100m). Son Of Sun is also entered for the Gr.3 TAB Counties Cup (2100m), but is third on the ballot. “Son Of Sun has won two of his last three and he goes alright,” Cooksley said. “He’s been doing well since his last win. He’s got a bit more weight in that Rating 75 race up on Saturday, going up to 60kg, but we can’t fault how he’s going.” Meanwhile, Cooksley reported that Trust In You has returned home after finishing 17th in the Gr.1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington on November 5. That brought an end to a solid spring campaign in Australia for the Sweynesse gelding, who had previously finished fourth in the Gr.1 Metropolitan Handicap (2400m) and the Gr.3 St Leger (2600m). “He’s back home now and is out spelling,” Cooksley said. “We’ll give him a couple more weeks out in the paddock, and then we might put him on the water walker and take it from there.” View the full article

Ryan Moore is looking forward to returning to Hong Kong. Photo: HKJC If you go back to 2006 when Ryan Moore made his International Jockeys’ Championship (IJC) debut, it was Olivier Peslier who took home the trophy ahead of Glen Boss and Andreas Suborics at the end of what was undoubtedly a good night for the visitors. Moore finished sixth on that occasion and, in a remarkable sequence, has contested every edition since with the exception of 2008. And off the back of another stellar year in which his 19 Group 1 winners have included a Derby Stakes (2400m), Eclipse Stakes (1990m) and International Stakes (2051m) treble with City Of Troy, Moore could yet be crowned World’s Best Jockey two days after the IJC if Auguste Rodin makes it 20 for the season in Sunday’s Group 1 Japan Cup (2400m). “I’ve always seen it as a privilege to be asked to ride in the LONGINES IJC and all the time I’m able to and I’m wanted, I’ll never say no,” says Moore. “If you don’t want to ride here, then I don’t know. It’s the best jockeys’ challenge and a great week, and I always like to hope I’ll be riding on the Sunday in the LONGINES HKIR races.” All that said, Moore’s run of appearances in this HK$1 million challenge includes wins in 2009 and 2010, as well as podium finishes on another four occasions, and speaks to a jockey who feels plenty of affinity with this unique city layout. “Racing in Hong Kong is probably the most competitive in the world and I’m always delighted to take part when I’m asked,” says Moore, who admits that the tight nature of the handicaps which make up the four legs of the IJC can be a double-edged sword. Asked if the open nature of the racing means he always approaches the evening believing he has a half a chance, Moore says: “Yeah, but you’ve also got half a chance of not doing very well. You might get a good horse and then get a bad draw. “There’s so many variables and you could get lucky on one that’s maybe not quite as good but who gets a nice run round and nick a win as well. “You do always have a chance because it’s 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.” While the IJC gives the Happy Valley fans the chance to see some of the world’s best fly in to face off, for Moore the standard is set by those jockeys who earn their living there every week of the season. Douglas Whyte was the Hong Kong maestro when Moore first began visiting, while he has since enjoyed measuring himself against Joao Moreira, Zac Purton and defending IJC champion Vincent Ho. “The riders in Hong Kong are top class and they always have been,” says Moore. “Zac looks to have started this season going probably as well as he’s ever done. He’s always very hard to beat, just as Joao and Douglas were. “Hughie (Bowman) and Vincent are the same, every one of them is very capable of getting the job done.” Moore will also be a major player during the biggest meeting of the year at Sha Tin on Sunday, December 8, which features the four Hong Kong International Races, worth HK$126 million. He came within a short head of landing the feature Group 1 Hong Kong Cup (2000m) 12 months ago with Luxembourg, only to become the latest to discover just how hard it is to get the better of the remarkable Romantic Warrior. Hong Kong’s reigning horse of the year has since recorded a second top-level success abroad in the Group 1 Yasuda Kinen (1600m) at Tokyo in June, and warmed up for his hat-trick bid in the Hong Kong Cup with a bloodless 4.25 length win in the Group 2 BOCHK Jockey Club Cup (2000m) on November 17. “(Trainer) Danny (Shum) has done a great job and I think James (McDonald) rides him beautifully,” says Moore. “He’s an uncomplicated horse who starts very well, they can position him wherever they want to. He doesn’t over-race, he relaxes. He’s very professional, he’s all business and has a great will to win. “He does everything right at the moment and that’s why he’s very hard to beat.” Reflecting on last year’s titanic Hong Kong Cup battle, Moore added: “I felt if I’d had another stride on Luxembourg, I was probably up. Any horse is beatable on the day but he’s going to be very hard to beat.” Turning to prospects for the Group 1 Hong Kong Sprint (1200m), Moore has been equally taken with the rise of David Hayes-trained Ka Ying Rising, who broke Sacred Kingdom’s track record for 1200m of 17 years by clocking 1:07.43 (0.07s faster) in the Group 2 Jockey Club Sprint on the same card last Sunday. “Similar comments apply to Ka Ying Rising, who was seriously impressive on Sunday,” says Moore. “He seems to just do everything correctly in the race; he gets out and puts himself where Zac wants to be. “When they’ve got that it’s a massive advantage but all the races on International day have usually got full fields and so you never know what can happen.” Horse racing news View the full article

The Beat and Vantage hope to offer the digital, dining and racing experience that the new generation wants.View the full article

Belclare winning the 2024 Group 2 Hot Danish Stakes. Photo: Bradleyphotos.com.au Nash Rawiller will step in for the suspended Tyler Schiller aboard Bjorn Baker’s promising mare Belclare in Saturday’s Group 1 Railway Stakes (1600m) at Ascot. The Kiwi import, aiming for her first Australian Group 1 triumph, has impressed the stable since arriving in Perth. “Tyler has done a great job on her. Unfortunately, he was suspended; otherwise, he probably would have been over there, but Nash is a pretty handy replacement,” said Baker’s racing manager, Luke Hilton. “He is very experienced, and he’s got a bit of an intimidation factor about him. He can be pretty smart when it comes to those outside draws. “He knows what to do and can be a bit unique with his approach sometimes, so we’ll give him the reins.” The seven-year-old mare has travelled west without issue and continues to progress ahead of the weekend. Having already notched two Group 1 victories in New Zealand over 1600 metres, Belclare is well-credentialed to add an Australian title to her record. “The timing was perfect for her after having those couple of 1400-metre runs here,” Hilton explained. “She had a gallop on Tuesday, and she ran the hands off the clock. She has just continued to improve and improve. We’re really happy with her—she hasn’t missed a beat since she got to Perth.” Horse racing news View the full article

A deep nine-race card, including two stakes, kicks off opening day, Nov. 22, of the 153rd season of racing at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots in New Orleans. View the full article

The National Thoroughbred Racing Association issued the following "What's Racing Through Washington" update Nov. 21.View the full article

Although the future of the Golden State Racing (GSR) meet at Pleasanton wasn't officially on Thursday's California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) agenda, the reverberations of dismal betting business through the first five weeks of operation at Northern California's new anchor track became the impassioned focal point of the Nov. 21 meeting. Citing concerns that the autumn Pleasanton meet isn't living up to the hope that the former fairs-season-only track might help fill the NorCal void that occurred when The Stronach Group (TSG) closed Golden Gate Fields back in June, Aidan Butler, president of TSG's 1/ST business, implored stakeholders to reconsider variations on North-and-South purse funding, shipping, and stabling ideas that TSG and the Thoroughbred Owners of California (TOC) first proposed a year ago in the belief that some form of a cooperative that didn't involve direct competition would be in the best long-term interests of the state's racing. Butler, who spoke extemporaneously and without a formal presentation, said he was trying to bring up ideas in an open forum because he's had enough of “looking at the abyss.” TSG also owns the financially struggling Santa Anita Park, which is set to open its winter/spring meet Dec. 26. Before Santa Anita's opening day next month, GSR will be back before the CHRB to seek dates for its 2025 season, which at times could end up running directly against Santa Anita and Del Mar Thoroughbred Club, like it's doing now. “We're all fighting for our survival at the moment, and it's a tough position,” Butler said. When the CHRB voted 6-0 back in March to approve a 2024 dates package that established Pleasanton as the new crux of a Northern California circuit, it faced a difficult decision in trying to balance the desires of NorCal horsemen and a coalition of statewide breeders (who stressed the need for a semi-permanent venue to complement the North's traditional summer fairs season) with those of SoCal racetrack operators and the TOC (who advocated an alternate plan to consolidate all of California's commercial-track racing in the South, with the North only remaining open for fairs). That TSG-led concept had focused on redirecting simulcast revenue from the Northern circuit to the Southern tracks. It was based on a premise that would have attempted to accommodate displaced Golden Gate outfits by creating more opportunities for lower-level horses to race at Los Alamitos Race Course, dropping the “claiming floors” at both Santa Anita and Del Mar, and establishing “relocation allowances” for stables that had to pack up and move while only short summer fairs meets were conducted in NorCal. On Thursday, Butler didn't delve into specifics, but he made a desperate call for reopening the North/South dialogue in light of how poorly the Pleasanton meet's betting is going. “No one wanted the Northern horsemen, the Northern horses, or anyone up there to be in any distress,” Butler said. “A horse in the North, and horsemen in the North, [are] as valuable as any horse or horseman in the South, regardless of the price tag.” Butler reminded commissioners that when the CHRB didn't vote to adopt aspects of the plan backed by TSG, the TOC and Del Mar, his organization “didn't push ahead” with opposing the Pleasanton concept. “We stayed out of the way,” he said. Now fast-forward eight months, and with Pleasanton off to a rocky start, Butler said, “we find ourselves in a strange position now where everybody's failing. Every one of us. There is no great story coming out of this [and] this thing's a disaster. I don't worry about it from the company standpoint, [but rather] I worry about it from the thousands of employees who I look at every morning and stare at in the face knowing that they know this is no good.” Even Larry Swartzlander, the executive director for the California Authority of Racing Fairs (CARF), who has been instrumental in turning the Pleasanton plan into reality, didn't dispute Butler's portrayal of how the new NorCal meet was hurting, business-wise. “To give you a perspective on the meet at this point, we're entering our sixth week,” Swartzlander said. “We're 30% down in commissions. We expected 10%. That's unacceptable. “We have the horses,” Swartzlander said, noting that average field size at Pleasanton this meet (6.51) is right about where Golden Gate's number was (6.50) for the early part of 2024. “The horsemen are totally behind us [about] racing in the North. They're happy. Everybody's relocated to the Pleasanton area. The backside, the grooms have RVs. It's a very joyous background. Everybody's positive,” Swartzlander said. “Yet the unfortunate side, as Aidan pointed out, is we're all losing money. The handle is not there,” Swartzlander said. Butler put it this way: “Twenty million dollars is being sucked up into the North. The betting is an unmitigated disaster. [Customers are] still betting in the North the same as they always did on the South. That is not going the other way around. No one in the South really cares for the product, unfortunately. It doesn't mean no one tried, it doesn't mean they [didn't pull] out every stop to have a successful meet. So we're left in a really strange position here. What can we do?” Butler answered his own rhetorical question by bringing up concepts he said could be on the table for renewed discussions. “We have the ability to card races for the Northern horsemen and horses,” Butler said. “Point one, no one wants to relocate. I don't blame you–I don't want to relocate either. But let's just look at the facts. If they don't want to relocate, an option is, well, to cover all transportation costs. Point two, that's great. But then if you pull the horses out of the North, you've ruined the summer [fairs] meet, [which] the state needs. “So we're in this very delicate situation. But there is a fix [and] there is an opportunity to build a plan that works,” Butler said. “It will be suicide if we compete,” Butler continued. “No one will win. No one's winning now. “So I would ask [if] the CHRB could speak with the powers that be in the North and bring everybody to the table in short order [and] see if there is something to be worked out,” Butler said. “Because my intent, come [Santa Anita's opening day] is not to continue this madness, and just to go forward with what I believe is best for my employees, my horsemen, and California racing.” CHRB chairman Gregory Ferraro, DVM, urged the North/South parties to take the next step and sit down to negotiate. “It needs to be said that if our efforts to sustain some sort of racing in Northern California [fail], we could very well take down the entire state of racing,” Ferraro said. “To try to come up with an alternate plan that has a better chance of being successful, I think it's in everyone's interest. We have a big enough problem with our purse structure as it is, let alone trying to compete against each other. So if you can make this work, all the more power to you. It gives the board another option to pursue,” Ferraro said. Back in March, when the commission greenlighted the Pleasanton meet, CHRB vice-chair Oscar Gonzales had said that even if the NorCal interests got what they wanted out of the vote, they, too, had to realize that SoCal does need some form of cooperation and financial help. He said at that time that the decision should be “an opportunity to reset [and] the start of mending fences.” On Thursday Gonzales said that even though he counts himself among the North's “bigger proponents,” he also believes California racing should now be thinking along the lines of one unified circuit, albeit one that doesn't just include summer fairs meetings in NorCal without an anchoring track to keep North viable the rest of the year. Commissioner Dennis Alfieri said that, “With ideas like this, [Butler is] thinking out of the box. We are very concerned. None of us want–the whole industry–we don't want to see the North fail. And with the horsemen here, [this] is their livelihood. But we also have to look at the reality and face the facts.” Commissioner Brenda Washington Davis said that, “I want to express appreciation for putting this idea out on the table, [but] I would just caution that [we] don't get too wedded to doing it one way, because the North may have some other ideas, and hopefully it will be a collaboration.” Prompted by the CHRB for his proposed timing on any North/South pow-wow, Butler said, “The holidays are all upon us and the North's [2025 dates] application is coming up in December. This needs to move quite quickly, [so] we can put a presentation together pretty quickly, circulate it, and then let's just get all on Zoom calls and let's just start to have a conversation if there is a reality here. I think there is. I think it saves us all a lot of gray hair, and maybe makes Christmas a lot more fun for the people who are genuinely worried about [the future].” Swartzlander, who told the commission that Butler had briefed him on Wednesday night about what TSG planned to propose at Thursday's CHRB meeting, said that he will be open to having discussions with Butler and other parties, because he believes that “something has to be done.” Yet Swartzlander also said that while he didn't want to “dampen” enthusiasm for the TSG-backed ideas, he made it clear that other concepts, like pursuing the legalization of historical horse racing or fantasy sports gaming, might be better ways to supplement purses at Pleasanton. “Is there a way to reorganize within the state of California, North and South? Sure,” Swartzlander said. “We race too much in the North. I'm sorry, we do. I'm not going to speak for the South. Is there a plan that we could come to that is not a total separation of racing to the South but a partial, so that we can both work together? We're certainly open to that.” Swartzlander said the CARF board meets Dec. 10 to discuss its position for 2025, and that the “door is open” to meet with stakeholders “to discuss this offline before we come to the CHRB.” But, Swartzlander cautioned, “We're pursuing a [Pleasanton] license for 2025. Money can be found, and that's my position.” Butler made a final plea for thinking about the whole-state future of California racing. “I'm not prepared not to fight at this point,” Butler said. “The game in this state deserves it. The game country-wide deserves it. I think all of us, if we just stop looking at what's going on today, and for the next meet, and look at the future, we're really in trouble.” The post Fearful of ‘Abyss’ Between Cali’s North/South Rift, Stronach Group’s Butler Renews Call for Negotiations appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article