Wandering Eyes

Coming into the GI Pennsylvania Derby, Puca (Big Brown) may already have been the most valuable broodmare on the planet. But in the 1:48.03 it took to contest that race, she became worth even more. Baeza (McKinzie) won and is now the third son in a row out of Puca to capture a Grade I race. Puca's owner is John Stewart's Resolute Racing, who announced in August that Puca will be sold at this November's Fasig-Tipton “Night of the Stars” sale. As much as he'd like to keep Puca, he said she will not be pulled from the sale. “I go into the whole thing with a lot of reservation, just because she's the type of mare that literally loves on you when you go up to her,” Stewart said. “I am very attached to her. But at the same time as a business person, with what just happened with Baeza, there's probably not a better investment that I've made in the industry so far. I love her. I love all the horses on my farm. At the same time, when you make a good investment you have to capitalize on it. Still, It's going to be hard to sell her.” Stewart bought Puca in 2023 at the Keeneland November Sale for $2.9 million. She had originally RNA'd, but Stewart picked her up post sale. She had already made her mark as a broodmare as her second foal, Mage (Good Magic) won the 2023 GI Kentucky Derby. Stewart could not have known how much more there was to come. Her third foal was Dornoch (Good Magic), who won the 2024 GI Belmont Stakes and the 2024 GI Haskell Stakes, increasing Puca's value. Dornoch and Mage have both retired to stud. That left Baeza to be the flag bearer. He had lost four straight, three times to Sovereignty (Into Mischief) and once to Journalism (Curlin). But he never missed by much and made the sport's two best 3-year-olds fight to get the victory. Baeza's win in the Pennsylvania Derby gave Puca three straight Grade I winners, two of them Classic winners. Puca at Resolute | Sarah Andrew Stewart said he used AI to look up other dams who have had three straight Grade I winners and said he could only find four worldwide. “She is such a classy horse. She's fantastic,” Stewart said. “The money we make from this will be reinvested in the future of the farm. You look at what Curlin did for Hill 'n' Dale and what Sadler's Wells did for Coolmore. I'm just fortunate enough that I hit the lottery. That was the first year I bought any horses when I bought her and she RNA'd. There are a lot of people in the industry that should have known a lot better than me. They didn't pick her up when they could have bought her.” What is Puca worth now? A lot more than $2.9 million. Stewart said he plans to put a $5 million reserve on her. She will not be in foal at the time of the sale. She was bred this year to Into Mischief, but the superstar match did not produce a live foal. “She's empty right now, so if I were to keep her and breed her I wouldn't see any incremental income for two years,” Stewart said. “A lot can happen as we just saw with Wootton Bassett. She's 13 and if I kept her and bred her one more time then I'd be selling her as a 16-year-old after she had the baby. You have to look at those things. At the end of the day we are definitely sellers.” Though Puca may soon belong to someone other than Stewart, he owns her next two foals after Baeza. She has a yearling colt and a weanling filly, both by Good Magic which makes them full-siblings to Mage and Dornoch. “I own both of them, but we haven't named them yet,” he said. “The colt is the one we did the MyRacehorse collaboration with. I own 75% of the horse and the MyRacehorse people own 25%. So I own and control him. The filly, we won't take partners on her and she will not be sold. She's at the farm and we own 100% of here. That's one of the reasons that we look to sell Puca because we have this filly. She's a healthy mare and definitely done some special things.” The post Stewart Is Sticking To His Guns, Puca Will Be Sold appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

FAIRYHOUSE, IRELAND – Breeder Barry Judge enjoyed his greatest day in the bloodstock business at what proved to be a record-breaking September Yearling Sale at Tattersalls Ireland when his Starman filly went to breeze-up handlers Jim McCartan and Willie Browne [JB Bloodstock] for €105,000. The Thursday crowd was notably up on previous years and the Starman filly led the way on what proved to be the strongest-ever edition of Part 2 of this sale. Turnover climbed by 51% to €1,871,800 despite the fact that the catalogue had been trimmed back by 44% to just 145 horses. There were sharp rises across the board with the median climbing a massive 150% to €10,000 and the average by 112% to €14,074. The clearance rate rested at 92%, which was up 28% on last year. Judge was one of the main beneficiaries from the record-breaking trade that saw over €20 million fly through the air at Fairyhouse over the past few days. Judge commented, “This is the best result we've had in the ring. We sold a Space Blues filly here yesterday [Lot 428] for €45,000 and we've had good results in the past, but this is the first time we've had a six-figure sale.” He added, “We bought the dam, Bella Caelia, for 7,000gns at the Tattersalls July Sale, she's by Showcasing and from a really fast family so I thought she'd make a nice broodmare.” McCartan had to hold off a host of breeze-up buyers on the Starman filly, including Tom Whitehead of Powerstown Stud, who underbid the top lot. “We saw her a couple of days ago and she was our pick of the Starmans,” McCartan said of the filly from the family of the two-time Group 1 winner Twilight Son. “We wanted to buy one by the sire, he looks like he could be an exceptional stallion. She is a lovely athletic and strong individual and could be one for the Tattersalls Craven Sale. We have bought three this week – it has been an expensive sale!” The post More Records Broken At Part 2 Of The Tattersalls Ireland Yearling Sale appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

3rd-SA, 60k, Msw, 2yo, f, 6fT, 5:01 p.m. ET Randall Lowe homebred Essential Lady (Essential Quality), a half-sister to two-time Breeders' Cup winner and young Coolmore stallion Golden Pal (Uncle Mo), debuts for Tim Yakteen sprinting over the Santa Anita lawn. Her talented dam Lady Shipman (Midshipman) was a GSW and narrow runner-up in the 2015 GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint at Keeneland. Lady Shipman's yearling colt by Flightline brought $1.5 million from Resolute Bloodstock at the recently concluded Keeneland September sale. The field of eight also includes Ramayana (Uncle Mo), a daughter of MGISW Miss Temple City (Temple City), who debuts for Hall of Famer Richard Mandella; and 8-5 morning-line favorite and third-time starter Umbralle (Into Mischief), a daughter of two-time champion Unique Bella (Tapit). TJCIS PPS The post Friday’s Racing Insights: Half-Sister to Golden Pal Debuts Sprinting Over Santa Anita Grass appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The Ciaron Maher team is set for another high-profile weekend across Sydney and Melbourne, headlined by Godolphin rising 3-year-old Tempted, who bids to become the first filly to capture Golden Rose Stakes (G1) glory since Forensics in 2008. View the full article

Friday, Newmarket, post time: 15:00, THE BOYLE SPORTS DAILY RACING REWARDS JOEL STAKES-G2, £125,000, 3yo/up, 8fT Field: Flight Plan (GB) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}), Prague (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), Victory Dance (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), Detain (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), Opera Ballo (Ire) (Ghaiyyath {Ire}), Snow Master (GB) (Ardad {Ire}), Zeus Olympios (GB) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}). TDN Analysis: With only one blot on his copybook, Godolphin's Opera Ballo remains an exciting prospect at this trip and beyond and the Listed Heron Stakes and Listed Sir Henry Cecil Stakes winner will be a warm order to continue his trajectory here. He faces another unexposed three-year-old in the unbeaten G3 Superior Mile winner Zeus Olympios, with the pair some way ahead of the rest in terms of x-factor if not ratings. [Tom Frary]. Friday, Newmarket, post time: 14:25, THE BOYLE SPORTS HOME OF EARLY PAYOUT ROCKFEL STAKES-G2, £100,000, 2yo, f, 7fT Field: Awaken (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}), Ice Sovereigns (Ire) (Ten Sovereigns {Ire}), Mandarin Spirit (Ire) (Ghaiyyath {Ire}), Moon Target (GB) (Cracksman {GB}), Nandita (Ire) (Blue Point {Ire}), Samra Green (Ire) (Saxon Warrior {Jpn}), Sukanya (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}), The Prettiest Star (GB) (Starman {GB}), Touleen (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), Zanthos (Fr) (Sioux Nation). TDN Analysis: The way that Shadwell's exciting Touleen dealt with fellow TDN Rising Star Zanthos at Leicester suggests she heads the pecking order here, with the pair dominating the market. David Ward's homebred The Prettiest Star is one of a clutch of maiden and novice winners adding the kind of intrigue you would expect of a Guineas pointer and she looked a smart prospect at Nottingham on debut. Having won her first two starts in the manner of a genuine Classic prospect and finished a close second to the subsequent Moyglare winner in the Prestige, Moon Target couldn't have been more disappointing in the May Hill and it is interesting that Sir Mark Prescott has her out again so soon fitted with cheekpieces for the first time. [Tom Frary]. Friday, Newmarket, post time: 13:50, THE PRINCESS ROYAL STAKES-G3, £85,000, 3yo/up, f/m, 12fT Field: Ambiente Amigo (GB) (Postponed {Ire}), Chorus (GB) (Kingman {GB}), Jane Temple (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}), Karmology (GB) (Golden Horn {GB}), Miss Justice (GB) (Justify), Favorite Memory (GB) (Frankel {GB}), Little Dorrit (GB) (Camelot {GB}), Revoir (GB) (Study Of Man {Ire}), Silent Love (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), Spirited Style (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), Understudy (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}). TDN Analysis: As in the Joel, the three-year-olds look the ones to focus on here with William Buick opting for the Listed Aphrodite Stakes winner Spirited Style over the Listed Chalice Stakes winner Silent Love. The former has not been seen finishing down the field in the Preis der Diana and the stable jockey is obviously keen to dismiss that. Of the older brigade, Miss Justice has the most appeal and the Listed Upavon Stakes scorer could be a typical improver for the Gosdens now that she has found the winning groove. [Tom Frary]. Saturday, Newmarket, post time: 15:00, THE TATTERSALLS MIDDLE PARK STAKES-G1, £291,580, 2yo, c, 6fT Field: Brussels (GB) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), Coppull (GB) (Bated Breath {GB}), First Approach (Ire) (No Nay Never), Five Ways (GB) (Kameko), Havana Hurricane (GB) (Havana Gold {Ire}), Hilitany (GB) (Ubettabelieveit (Ire), Kansas (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), The Publican's Son (Beau Liam), Wise Approach (Ire) Mehmas {Ire}). TDN Analysis: Gstaad's absence has taken something away from this Middle Park, where Godolphin's Morny third Wise Approach sets the standard as he bids to emulate his half-brother Perfect Power who took this in 2021. The Richmond winner Coppull was too free in that Deauville feature, so expect a more measured ride but he has questions to answer now. Still a maiden, The Publican's Son is the second favourite in the betting having finished runner-up on his sole start to Mission Central in the Round Tower but he has improvement to find to trouble the market-leader along with the impressive Windsor novice winner Hilitany and Sirenia scorer Five Ways. [Tom Frary]. Saturday, Newmarket, post time: 14:25, THE TATTERSALLS SCEPTRE SESSIONS CHEVELEY PARK STAKES-G1, £275,000, 2yo, f, 6fT Field: American Queen (Ire) (Havana Grey {GB}), Anthelia (Ire) (Supremacy {Ire}), Beautify (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), Fitzella (GB) (Too Darn Hot {GB}), Golden Palace (GB) (Palace Pier {GB}), Havana Anna (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}), Orion's Belt (Ire) (Starman {GB}), Royal Fixation (GB) (Palace Pier {GB}), True Love (Ire) (No Nay Never). TDN Analysis: Good luck to anybody who can guess who comes out on top from the Lowther winner Royal Fixation, the Queen Mary and Railway winner and Phoenix Stakes runner-up True Love and the Airlie Stud Stakes winner and Moyglare runner-up Beautify. That isn't even accounting for the Lowther runner-up America Queen, who was probably still a work in progress at York, and the Princess Margaret winner Fitzella and even the ultra-game Dick Poole scorer Anthelia whose innate toughness will take her far. In all probability, Beautify will be the one given how she dealt with her genuine top-drawer peers Venetian Sun and Composing last time despite finding Precise too strong. Last year's winner Lake Victoria came from that seven-furlong contest and history could repeat. [Tom Frary]. Saturday, Newmarket, post time: 13:50, THE TATTERSALLS ONLINE ROYAL LODGE STAKES-G2, £133,750, 2yo, c/g, 8fT Field: Action (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), Ancient Egypt (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), Bow Echo (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}), Daytona (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), Humidity (GB) (Ulysses {Ire}), Lord Britain (GB) (Universal {Ire}), Pacific Avenue (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), Tailgunner Joe (Knicks Go). TDN Analysis: TDN Rising Star Bow Echo will be a warm order for this Classic pointer, given how he went through the Ascendant at Haydock last time, but there is the small matter of Ballydoyle's Action laying in wait and that half-brother to Lambourn can surely only get better with time and experience. Other TDN Rising Stars are Godolphin's Pacific Avenue, who has something to prove after his Solario fourth and will need his run timed much better here, and Amo's unbeaten Ancient Egypt who gives all the right vibes despite lacking experience. Ballydoyle have won this with second-strings in the past and Daytona can be written off by nobody. [Tom Frary]. Saturday, Curragh, post time: 14:35, QATAR RACING & EQUESTRIAN CLUB BERESFORD STAKES-G2, €72,000, 2yo, 8fT Field: Al Haarith (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), Geryon (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), Hawk Mountain (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), Port Of Spain (Ire) (St Mark's Basilica {Fr}), Shaihaan (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}). TDN Analysis: This is another contest almost dominated by the O'Briens, with the outlier being Geryon who shades favouritism having been second in the Futurity here last month. For those thinking Derby 2026, the performances of Ballydoyle's maiden winners Hawk Mountain and Port Of Spain will come under close scrutiny with the former the first-string having dominated over course and distance last month. [Tom Frary]. Click here for the complete fields. The post Black-Type Analysis: Opera Ballo Eyeing Joel Target, as Middle Park and Cheveley Park Each Boast Nine Runners appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

To honor John Harris' legacy, Santa Anita Park will host the John C. Harris Stakes Sept. 27. For 3-year-old fillies at about 6 1/2 furlongs on Santa Anita's unique hillside turf course, the race was previously named the Unzip Me Stakes.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. Friday's Observations features a high-priced sale graduate in the Amo colours. 4.00 Haydock, Novice, 2yo, 6f 212yT POKER (IRE) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) debuts nearly a year after making headlines at Tattersalls October Book 1 when selling for 4.3million gns, a record price for a colt offered at the sale. Out of Park Bloom (Galileo), a full-sister to the Oaks heroine Was, Amo Racing's Karl Burke-trained relative of New Approach encounters eight peers including Victorious Forever's Windsor third Gaurdman (Blue Point), the €900,000 Arqana May Breeze-Up purchase from the Roger Varian stable. 4.10 Newmarket, Mdn, 2yo, c/g, 7fT ENOCH (IRE) (Frankel {GB}) is a significant newcomer for the George Strawbridge-Gosdens axis as a half-brother to Wootton Bassett's Prix du Jockey Club, Champion and Irish Champion-winning sire Almanzor. Among his peers is Shadwell's similarly-unraced Adamlyi (GB) (Kingman {GB}), a William Haggas-trained son of the dual South African Group 1 winner Majmu (Redoute's Choice) responsible for the G2 Huxley Stakes runner-up Mujtaba. 5.45 Dundalk, Mdn, 2yo, f, 7fT TOGETHER NOW (Dubawi {Ire}) is a big newcomer for Ballydoyle, as a half-sister to the brilliant Derby, Eclipse and Juddmonte International hero City Of Troy and four other Stakes performers out of the Fillies' Mile heroine Together Forever (Galileo). Interestingly, Wayne Lordan is on the stable's Institute (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), a daughter of the Queen Mary winner and Nunthorpe runner-up Acapulco (Scat Daddy). 6.00 Newcastle, Novice, 2yo, f, 6fT CREATIVE QUEEN (Mitole) is another runner on the day who made a stir at the Arqana May Breeze-Up when selling for €800,000. Wathnan Racing's William Haggas-trained half-sister to the Norfolk winner and Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint runner-up Valiant Force (Malibu Moon) encounters the Hayses' fellow newcomer Akademy Lady (Ire) (No Nay Never), an Oliver Cole-trained daughter of the Coronation Stakes third Irish History (Dubawi) from the family of Salsabil and Marju. The post Amo’s 4.3 Million Gns Poker Set For Haydock Debut appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

In this continuing series, we take a look ahead at US-bred and/or conceived runners entered for the upcoming weekend at the tracks on the Japan Racing Association circuit, with a focus on pedigree and/or performance in the sales ring. Here are the horses of interest for this weekend running at Nakayama and Hanshin Racecourses: Saturday, September 27, 2025 4th-NKY, ¥14,250,000 ($95k), Newcomers, 2yo, 1800m FINGER (JPN) (c, 2, Gun Runner–Estilo Talentoso, by Maclean's Music) is the first foal from his dam, a $15,000 OBS June purchase back in 2019 who punched well above her weight as a seven-furlong specialist, winning the GIII Bed o' Roses Stakes while placing in the GI Madison Stakes and GI Derby City Distaff Stakes. Estilo Talentoso was knocked down to J S Company for $600,000 at the 2021 Fasig-Tipton November Sale and was covered by this leading stallion prior to being exported. Keita Tosaki has the riding assignment. O-M's Racing; B-Masahiko Sugino; T-Hiroyasu Tanaka 5th-NKY, ¥14,500,000 ($95k), Newcomers, 2yo, 1600mT JASPER MERCHE (f, 2, Charlatan–Nickel, by Unbridled's Song) was bought back on a bid of $95,000 at last year's Keeneland September Sale and that proved a wise decision after the Apr. 11 foal changed hands for $200,000 following a :10 flat breeze at this year's OBS April Sale. A half-sister to MSP Eyes On the King (Street Sense), the bay looks to become a fifth winner for her dam, a half-sister to GII Matron Stakes winner Doremifasollatido (Bernstein); and to GSW turf mare Fortunate Damsel (Runaway Groom). O-Kazuo Kato; B-Rigney Racing LLC (KY); T-Hideyuki Mori Sunday, September 28, 2025 2nd-HSN, ¥10,600,000 ($71k), Maiden, 2yo, 1400mT MITILINI (JPN) (f, 2, Tapit–Midnight Bisou, by Midnight Lute) turned in a debut effort that was full of promise, finishing a good second going this distance at Niigata Aug. 16. The bay filly is one of two to race out of the 2019 Eclipse Award-winning older female and five-time Grade I winner, who was hammered down to Katsumi Yoshida for a sales-topping $5.5 million at the 2022 Keeneland November Sale. She had previously fetched $5 million at Fasig-Tipton November in 2020. O-Sunday Racing Co Ltd; B-Northern Racing; T-Tomokazu Takano 4th-HSN, ¥14,250,000 ($95k), Newcomers, 2yo, 1800m MUTEKI SHACHO (c, 2, Beau Liam–Mistress of Evil, by Frosted), whose dam was acquired for $26,000 with this colt in utero at the 2023 OBS January Sale, returned a healthy sum on that investment when selling for $130,000 at last year's Fasig-Tipton July Sale in Kentucky. The Apr. 15 foal was another OBSAPR purchase for this trainer, hammering for $250,000 after drilling an eighth of a mile in :10 flat. Out of a half-sister to MSW & GSP Opus Forty Two (Mendelssohn), the bay hails from the deeper female family of GSW Heart Ashley, the dam of dual Japanese group winner Fiano Romano (Aus) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}). O-Miki House HK Service Co Ltd; B-Exhale Enterprises LLC (KY); T-Hideyuki Mori The post US-Conceived Gun Runner Colt Goes Long On Dirt on Debut appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Group 1 winner Lead Artist has been retired and will stand at Juddmonte's Banstead Manor Stud next year. The homebred son of Dubawi won the G1 Lockinge Stakes at Newbury in May. From the same family as Dansili, the John and Thady Gosden trainee broke his maiden over a mile at York at three, with additional victories in the G3 Thoroughbred Stakes and the G3 Darley Stakes that year. His Lockinge victory was the highlight of his four starts this term and his record stands at 11-4-3-1 and $713,878 in earnings. He is the first foal out of the G2 Prix Sandringham winner Obligate (Frankel), who placed third in the G1 Prix Rothschild. While his great granddam is the influential matriarch Hasili (Kahyasi). Juddmonte UK general manager Simon Mockridge said, “Lead Artist represents a fantastic opportunity to further strengthen our stallion roster. The extremely talented Group 1-winning son of Dubawi is a product of Juddmonte's most prolific family, that of blue hen mare Hasili, herself dam of five individual Group 1 winners as well as the influential stallion, Dansili. “Lead Artist is an outstanding physical with great balance, strength and movement all attributes which will appeal to the commercial breeder.” John Gosden said, “Lead Artist is a very powerful and well-balanced miler from a superb family.” Lead Artist will be available to breeders for viewing over the course of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sales. Please contact the nominations team to arrange an appointment. A fee will be announced later. The post Lockinge Hero Lead Artist Retired To Juddmonte’s Banstead Manor Stud appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Sanwa, the dam of G1 Deutsches Derby hero and Group 1 sire Sea The Moon, was euthanised due to laminitis in England. She was 21. Concurrently, her Cracksman filly foal broke a leg in a paddock accident and died. Gestut Gorlsdorf's owner Heike Bischoff-Lafrentz said, “Sea The Moon's little Cracksman sister broke her leg yesterday in the paddock and could not be saved. With a heavy heart, we decided to also relieve mama Sanwa of her laminitis, so that she could accompany her daughter over the Rainbow Bridge.” The daughter of Monsun is credited with 10 foals, four of them winners. Besides the Classic exploits of Sea The Moon, Sanwa produced the stakes-placed Sansiwa to the cover of Dansili, as well as Listed Prix Joubert heroine and G3 Prix Minerve third Sea The Sky (Sea The Stars), a full-sister to Sea The Moon. Another Sea The Stars daughter, Sea The Sun, is the dam of Listed Prix Solitude winner Golden Lyra (Lope De Vega). Added Heike's husband Niko Lafrentz, “Sanwa and her son Sea The Moon turned our breeding lives upside down. We will miss her forever. It's wonderful that she lives on in so many Moonie children and grandchildren.” The post Sanwa, The Dam Of Sea The Moon, Euthanised At 21 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Continuing his education at Newmarket on Thursday, Godolphin's Distant Storm (Night Of Thunder) put a defeat in the Acomb behind him with a powerful display in the feature G3 Tattersalls Stakes. Too free when third in that York contest last month, the €1.9million Arqana May Breeze Up topper who had beaten the subsequent Futurity winner Constitution River on debut at the July Festival was anchored in rear early. Set alight by William Buick heading to the downhill section, the 6-5 favourite brushed his rivals aside to register a 4 3/4-length success from Commander's Intent (Victor Ludorum). Taking performance Distant Storm dazzles in the G3 @Tattersalls1766 Stakes @NewmarketRace @godolphin pic.twitter.com/IVXuMjlEIJ — Racing TV (@RacingTV) September 25, 2025 The post Godolphin’s Arqana Sensation Distant Storm Blitzes Newmarket Rivals appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Group winner Oceans Four is the latest wildcard for the Arqana Arc Sale on Saturday, October 4. Set to sell as lot 19, the G3 Prix des Chenes hero is trained by Brian Meehan for Family Amusements & DBS Partners. A winner at second asking, the son of Zoustar was third in the G3 Solario Stakes prior to his Chenes tally. He is a grandson of group winner Savanne (Rock Of Gibraltar) from the family of multiple group winner Sevenna's Knight (Camelot) and the talented trio of Sevenna (Galileo), Sevenna Star (Redoute's Choice), and Scatina (Samum). Meehan said, “Oceans Four is a very progressive horse, improving with every run. He has a bright future ahead of him and will stay a mile and a quarter going forward. I was particularly impressed by his performance at Chantilly, where he won despite there not being a very fast pace. He's a very classy horse.” Bred by Paul Frampton and Widden Stud, the gelding was picked out for £82,000 by Sam Sangster Bloodstock at the Goffs UK Premier Yearling Sale. To view the full Arc Sale catalogue, please visit the Arqana website. The post Group Winner Oceans Four Added To Arqana Arc Sale appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

A max field of 30 juveniles will contest the Goffs Million at The Curragh on Saturday. The seven-furlong affair, worth €1 million, will pay prize-money down to the 10th-place finisher and is only open to graduates of the 2024 Goffs Orby Sale. The 2025 edition of the sale begins its four-day run on Monday, September 29. Won by Apples And Bananas (Wootton Bassett) for trainer Joseph O'Brien in 2024, the race features a quintet of O'Brien runners this year anchored by G2 Prix Robert Papin heroine Green Sense (Starman). He ran third in the G1 Phoenix Stakes last time. O'Brien said, “She's been a star for us so far this year. Anthony Bromley and Simon Munir picked her out in the Orby Sale last year and figured we'd give the Million as good a shot as we can. She's in really good nick, stepping up to seven furlongs for the first time which is a little bit of a question mark, but she's probably the most proven animal in the race and a real contender to hopefully get a good chunk of the prize-money.” G2 Debutante Stakes heroine Composing (Wootton Bassett) opposes from Joseph's father Aidan's yard. She ran fourth in the G1 National Stakes. The British challenge features €5,000 Orby Book 2 grad Homestrait (Coulsty) for Brian Ellison. Already a recipient of a Goffs €50,000 bonus earlier this summer, the filly has never been worse than second in seven starts. Ellison said, “She's a lovely, tough filly and very game. This is a tough ask against some strong, well-bred types, but we'll do our best.” Other Goffs Millions entrants include Johnny Murtagh's Take Charge Star (Starspangledbanner), and Red Earth (No Nay Never) for Fozzy Stack. Henry Beeby, Goffs Group chief executive, said, “The Goffs Million is the richest juvenile race in Europe and a perfect showcase for the Orby Sale. Last year's race was a tremendous advertisement for the sale, and this year promises to be even more competitive with leading contenders from both Ireland and the UK. The success of the Goffs Two Million Series, with €1 million of €50,000 bonus races across Ireland and the UK, has added huge momentum and shows the tangible rewards available to Orby buyers. We now look forward to welcoming buyers from around the world to Kildare Paddocks for this year's Orby Sale.” The post Max Field Drawn For Saturday’s Goffs Million appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Ken Wilkins has been named Director of Stallion Operations for Gary Broad's Walmac Farm, the farm announced Wednesday. Wilkins previously served as stallion director at Spendthrift Farm and has held similar positions with Adena Springs and Vinery. He is also a past president of the Kentucky Thoroughbred Farm Managers' Club. “We're thrilled to welcome Ken, who has vast knowledge and experience in the stallion market,” said Broad. “We're confident he'll help build on the strong foundation we have here as we look to a bright future and expanding our stallion roster.” Upon his appointment, Wilkins expressed enthusiasm about joining the historic operation. “I am excited and honored to step into this role at Walmac and eager to add another successful chapter to its storied past,” said Wilkins. “We will immediately seek to expand the roster with exciting young stallion prospects. I am also eager to see the progeny of the current stallions develop as we have weanlings, yearlings, and 2-year-olds–anything could happen!” Walmac currently stands four young stallions–Core Beliefs, who is represented by his first crop to the races this year, Fulsome, Pappacap, and Pinehurst. For more information about Walmac's stallions, contact Ken Wilkins at (859) 699-4887, by email, or visit the farm site here. The post Ken Wilkins Named Director Of Stallion Operations At Walmac Farm appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

1,601 yearlings are set to go through the ring for next month's Fasig-Tipton Kentucky October Yearlings Sale, to be held on October 20-23, in Lexington, Kentucky. The four continuous sessions, conducted Monday-Thursday, will begin each day at 10 am. “Kentucky October is one of the most important yearling sales in the nation,” said Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning. “The quality on offer continues to rise each year, as evidenced by the sire power and strength of pedigree in this year's catalogue.” Sires represented by multiple yearlings include Constitution, Candy Ride (Arg), Curlin, Flightline, Gun Runner, Justify, Quality Road, Into Mischief, Not This Time, Nyquist, Practical Joke, Tapit, Twirling Candy, and Uncle Mo. “The sale's honor roll of graduates grew in 2024, with Thorpedo Anna named Horse of the Year and Champion Three-Year-Old Filly, and Soul of an Angel named Eclipse Champion Female Sprinter,” Browning noted. “Their wins in the Breeders' Cup Distaff and Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint, respectively, were remarkably the fourth and fifth Breeders' Cup wins for October grads in the last three years.” The list of recent graded stakes winning graduates is even more extensive. “The sale has produced 17 graded stakes winners so far in 2025, including several household names like Chunk of Gold, 'TDN Rising Star' Nysos, Fondly, Margie's Intention, May Day Ready, Swift Delivery, The Queens M G, Thought Process, and 'Rising Star' Tip Top Thomas,” noted Browning. “Two new graded stakes winners in the past couple of weeks–Taken by the Wind and Ready for Candy–show that there are plenty more in the pipeline.” The catalogue may now be viewed online, and will also be available via the equineline sales catalogue app. Print catalogues will be available on-site in Lexington. Online bidding and phone bidding services will be available. The post Fasig-Tipton Catalogues 1,601 Hips For Kentucky October Yearling Sale appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Full Serrano is making only his second start of 2025 in the Goodwood at Santa Anita, with an eye toward another appearance in the Breeders' Cup.View the full article

Friday's GII Beldame Stakes at Aqueduct drew a compact field of five led by the wide-drawn Randomized (Nyquist) who looks to get back on track after a less-than stellar finish, winding up sixth and well beaten behind Horse of the Year Thorpedo Anna (Fast Anna) as the early speed in the GI Personal Ensign at the Spa Aug. 23. Dangerous on the front if left alone however, the Klaravich Stables-owned 5-year-old will try and repeat the effort that saw her wire the GIII Molly Pitcher Stakes two back July 19 where she finished three lengths ahead of Majestic Oops (Majestic Harbor) who lines up just to her inside Friday. The 5-year-old Dan Ward runner cut back to seven furlongs in style last out when third at long odds in the GI Ballerina Stakes Aug. 23. “The Molly Pitcher was a tough test, a half-million dollar race against some Grade I-winning horses, and she ran really well,” Ward said. “We were going to wait out the time until the Beldame, but the Ballerina was right in the middle and she got a good race that served its purpose. It was seven-eighths, between races, with five weeks until the Beldame.” By all accounts, Majestic Oops seems to be thriving in the Autumn weather of New York. “She wasn't bothered by hot weather, but I think now that it is cooler outside, she's doing better,” Ward added. “She comes off the track bouncing, jumping, all of that. I think cooler weather will help her form, her numbers have been going up and we got a good sprint prep right in the middle now.” Mark Hennig and owner Lewis Lee bring in Gun Song (Gun Runner), a 4-year-old who is still looking for her first win of 2025 having run second in the Obeah Stakes at Delaware and fourth most recently in the GII Shuvee Stakes at Saratoga July 18. “She's doing super,” Hennig said. “After that race at Saratoga, we figured we would regroup and point to a race in September. We are giving her a shot. Let's see if she can earn her way somewhere. At a mile and an eighth, you know she can lay fairly close.” The field's sole 3-year-old Margie's Intention (Honor A.P.) exits Grade I company having run third to Nitrogen (Medaglia d'Oro) in the GI Alabama going 1 1/4 miles Aug. 16 for Brad Cox. Her last win came on Preakness weekend in the GII Black Eyed Susan Stakes at Pimlico May 16. The post Friday’s Beldame Runs Through Randomized appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Stella Thayer, the president of Tampa Bay Downs and the President of the National Museum of Racing from 2005 through 2014, came across a book of historical European racetracks during her travels. Sensing that there was a void in the U.S. where no such book existed, she set out to create one. The timing was perfect as 2025 coincided with the 75-year anniversary of the museum's founding. Brien Bouyea, Communications Director of the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame, and renowned racing writer Jay Hovdey were given the assignment. Considering that the book is 440 pages long, weighs 8 1/2 pounds and includes 66 chapters, each one dedicated to a track or a racing circuit, this must have been a mammoth project. To help, Bouyea, the Editor-in-Chief, and Hovdey, hired dozens of racing writers and assigned them a chapter or two to complete. The end result was a book that the racing industry should consider a welcome addition to its historical archives. The book is comprehensive, thorough and well-written, covering everything from tracks that ran before the Civil War to tracks that are still operating today. The book also includes, along with the tens of thousands of words (and maybe more), a collection of photographs that bring so many memories back to life. As much as you may think you know about horse racing, you will learn a lot. Did you know that in 1936 at Bay Meadows, jockey Ralph Neves was declared dead after a spill due to heart failure? But the track physician, who had come to the hospital, administered a shot of adrenaline to the jockey's heart. Neves was not only alive but returned to the track and asked to ride the rest of his mounts that day. The stewards wouldn't allow that, but allowed Neves to ride the next day. Have you ever heard of Benning Racetrack, which opened in 1890 in Washington D.C., and turned into a place to be and to be seen in the nation's capital? Along the way there were a few problems. Workmen discovered numerous skeletons buried beneath the grandstand. It appeared that the property Benning sat on was once a cemetery for enslaved people. Then there was Theodore Roosevelt's daughter Alice. She liked to play the ponies and was spending time at the track, much to the displeasure of her father. There were reports that Roosevelt sent her away to live in New York so she couldn't go to the track any longer. But she soon resurfaced at the Benning betting windows. Long before Richard Duchossois arrived on the scene at Arlington, the track was run by Marge Everett. In 1962, Everett created the Arlington Washington Futurity for 2-year-olds at seven furlongs. With its series of eligibility payments added to the $150,000 purse the race was worth $357,250, making it the richest event in thoroughbred history. Arlington was also home to the sport's first $1 million race, the 1981 Arlington Million, won by the great John Henry. Those who have fond memories of the now defunct Massachusetts fair circuit will enjoy the chapter written by Lynne Snierson which covers seven different fair tracks. The fairs are best remembered for the chicanery and race fixing that the bettors actually seemed to have no problem putting up with. “There are so many crooked things going on, it was ridiculous,” Robert Temple wrote in the Boston Herald American. “But the people don't mind. 'I don't care that it is crooked. Just tell me who's going to win the race.' That's what everyone said and that is the way it was.” The book covers a wide range of tracks, from the smallest, most obscure tracks in the country, to the giants, Keeneland, Saratoga, Santa Anita. It was John Morrisey, a bare-knuckle boxing champion whose nickname was Old Smoke, who brought racing to Saratoga, despite that fact that the Civil War was raging. Spirit of the Times said of the initial meeting that it “laid the foundation or a great fashionable meeting at the Springs and added “the formation of a competent club, and further proceedings would seem to be a matter of course.” Racing at Keeneland | Coady Media Saratoga would thrive, attracting the best horses and jockeys in the sport. Only 47, Morrisey died in 1878 Things took a turn in the wrong direction, when, after Morrisey's death, the track was run by Gottfried “Dutch Fred” Waldbaum, whose background included ties to outlaw tracks and brothels in New Jersey. Purses declined sharply under his stewardship and many top stables abandoned Saratoga. Things got so bad under Waldbaum that Saratoga did not race in 1896. Saratoga needed a savior and found one in William Collins Whitney. He was committed to restoring Saratoga's past glory and spared no expense in undertaking a program of capital improvements. Anti-gambling forces were successful in their efforts to close the track in 1911 and 1912. Saratoga was back in 1913. In 1955, the Saratoga Association was replaced by the Greater New York Association, which later became the New York Racing Association. What followed was decades of prosperity, with Saratoga once again able to attract the very best jockeys and horses in the game. American Pharoah, Buckpasser, Kelso, Native Dancer, Affirmed, Alydar, Secretariat, Go For Wand, Holy Bull and Personal Ensign were among the dozens of Hall of Fame horses that won at Saratoga during the modern era. Saratoga would only became more popular over the years and has reached a point where more than 1 million fans make their way through the turnstiles each year. There is a bittersweet aspect to the book, as well, a constant reminder of the way racing used to be. Jammed grandstands, people lined up ten deep on the apron, great horses running 25 times or more a year. It serves as a reminder that, well, racing used to be more fun. The book covers numerous tracks that met their demise well before it was time for them to go. There is Atlantic City Race Course. It opened in 1946 to a crowd estimated to be 25,000. Investors in the track included Bob Hope, Frank Sinatra and Grace Kelly. Race trains carried horseplayers from Philadelphia and New York. On Labor Day 1953, the track set a new attendance record of 33,404. The signature race of the meet was the United Nations Handicap, which attracted such horses as Round Table, Mongo, Dr. Fager and Fort Marcy. Atlantic City was the first track to offer simulcasting, with patrons having the choice of betting on the live action or the races taking place at the Meadowlands. But Atlantic City Race Course's days were numbered the minute casino gambling was legalized in Atlantic City. It also had a hard time competing with other tracks in the Mid-Atlantic region that had extended their meets to overlap with Atlantic City's. The last regular meeting took place in 1997. For the next 18 years it held short meets, normally three or four days, which was necessary in order for them to have a license to import simulcast signals from other tracks. In 2015, it was announced that the track was closing for good. Then there's Calder, which opened in 1971. Sharing the Florida racing dates with Hialeah and Gulfstream, Calder lacked the charm and beauty of its racetrack neighbors. It was a blue collar racetrack that operated during under the scorching summertime sun in South Florida. Churchill Downs would take ownership of Calder and it soon became apparent that casino wagering was more important to that company than horse racing was. Just shy of its 50th anniversary, Calder held its last day of live racing on Nov. 28, 2020. Churchill had found a loophole in the law that allowed it to maintain its casino license if it offered any form of pari-mutuel wagering. Racing was out, replaced by low budget jai alai. It seems that for every Oaklawn Park, Saratoga, Keeneland, Churchill and Del Mar, all of whom are thriving, there are five tracks that couldn't make it in the current gambling market, which began to change when lotteries began to pop up all over the map in the sixties. In “The Racetracks of America, you'll read about the sad stories that are Ak-Sar-Ben, Bowie, Detroit Race Course, Garden State, Hialeah, Rockingham Park, Suffolk Downs and more. The book is for racing fans, in particular those who are interested in the history of the sport. You'll no doubt enjoy it. Just don't drop it on your foot. The post Book Review: The Racetracks Of America: From The Pre-Civil War Days To The Present appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

A new industry-wide plan to shape British racing's sustainable future was unveiled by the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) on Thursday. Supported by the Racing Foundation and developed by the BHA, the new environmental plan is part of racing's wider industry strategy work to secure a sustainable future for our horses, people, businesses and communities. Implemented over an initial five-year period, the delivery of the strategy will be rooted in science and take an evidence-based approach, so that meaningful progress is made in four key areas: Reducing carbon emissions – through racing's direct operations – like energy use, buildings and agronomy – the wider supply chain, and by supporting more sustainable methods of transport for customers and participants. Work is underway to establish British racing's carbon footprint and expand the use of the Stud Farm carbon calculator. Preserving water availability – from ground conditions to cooling horses, racing is reliant on water. With less predictable rainfall patterns, efficient water storage and use is more critical than ever. A water impact study will assess the scale of the challenge and how racing can improve resilience. Protecting nature and ecosystems – with thousands of acres of land, racing and breeding is uniquely placed to contribute to the restoration, regeneration and protection of the nation's habitat and species. Utilising existing land management expertise, the industry can support increased biodiversity and help capture and store carbon dioxide. Minimising waste – by adopting a whole life cycle approach. More sustainable sourcing of essential materials and products – from feed and bedding to infrastructure and agronomy – can help reduce waste and pollution. Where viable sustainable options don't yet exist, we will engage with supply chains to identify areas for progress. Katie Carr, BHA head of environmental sustainability, said, “The success of British racing and breeding is intrinsically linked to the health of our natural environment. It's therefore essential for the breeding, training and racing of thoroughbred horses that we all do what we can to protect it. “We've already seen the effects of climate change on our sport. Weather related disruptions have become more frequent and severe, with flooding and drought impacting fixtures and water availability. We face a broad range of environment risks, which could have a real impact on business operations, horse welfare and supply chain security. “But our relationship with the environment is also an asset. We are custodians of extensive green spaces. We are experts in land and animal management. Our training centres, breeding operations and racecourses are embedded in rural communities. There is already really good practice across the industry, including innovative approaches to water storage and reducing emissions. “This is what this strategy is all about: how we harness this knowledge and expertise to mitigate risks, identify opportunities and make a positive and lasting difference. By doing so, we can help safeguard our environment, strengthen our resilience and sustain our sport for generations to come.” The post Environmental Strategy For British Racing Unveiled By BHA appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

One regrettable development of the last few years has been the discontinuation of Timeform's Racehorses annuals, which are as vital and as vivid a history lesson one could find on this sport. Geoff Greetham, who died last week at the age of 79, had an enormous influence on the annuals, both for the Flat and National Hunt. There can be no finer tribute to this much revered writer and editor than the fact that his words will remain in print on the shelves of many racing fans for years to come, and will continue to inform us of the traits and achievements of the best – and the worst – horses in training during the course of the 97 editions over which he presided. In the few days before Greetham died, the essays on Spindrifter, Provideo and Timeless Times had provided invaluable research for an interview with those horses' trainers, Sir Mark Prescott and Bill O'Gorman. While objective in its appraisal, the writing deftly brought to life the results of these marvellous two-year-olds, evoking a sense of the enjoyment they had brought to the racegoers of the day. “Spindrifter's versatility knows few bounds,” wrote the essayist of the son of Sandford Lad, who was bred by famed Irish trainer Joe Crowley and raced for Grahame Waters, who made a point of attending every one of his horse's 16 races during 1980. We'll let that great raconteur Sir Mark Prescott take up the story from here. “Mr Waters had a caravan park in Jaywick Lane, which is regularly voted the worst place in Britain to live,” he says. “He'd been in the Coldstream Guards and he'd started with nothing, and he worked like hell and he built this car park and then he built a golf course, and so on. “The thrill of owning Spindrifter never left him. Mrs Waters said that years later she'd find him in the morning watching his 14 wins. He went everywhere the horse ran. He never missed a race, and it was just the most wonderful journey he had. “At the beginning he said, 'Oh, it mustn't run on October, whenever it is, my daughter's getting married.' And that was the key day it had to run, so they put the wedding back and watched the horse.” Spindrifter's racing career began at Hamilton, just weeks after the start of the 1980 turf season. As he notched win after win – his first 10 victories being consecutive – Prescott started to plot his course towards taking the juvenile record of Nagwa, who, in 1975, had won 13 races for Barry Hills. He says, “One of the extraordinary things about Spindrifter was that his mother and Nagwa's mother, when he was trying to beat Nagwa's record, they were in the same field in Kilkenny together. And they were both bred by Joe Crowley, who became Aidan O'Brien's father-in-law, and who was a genius in his own right. Fantastic. “Joe's breeding policy was absolutely a dash of this and a dash of that. Any new stallion that was struggling, he'd ask [their owners], and he'd say, 'I've got 10 mares. I'll send you all 10. What price do I get?' And that was it. There was absolutely no research into anything. And he bred all those good horses.” Spindrifter's latent talent became apparent to his trainer even before he'd been put through any searching gallops at home. “We had a very large German girl called Gabrielle,” he recalls. “She was very gingery and of ample proportion, and she used to ride him. He was a very good ride and we went a bit quicker one day up Warren Hill and he just glided up there with her. “You'd have been a blind man not to work out that he must not be too bad to lug Gabrielle up there with such elan. He'd never worked, but I did begin to think he must be a fair horse.” Spindrifter's record-equalling feat – which was prevented from being record-breaking when he was denied victory in his final juvenile start at Stockton by a member of Bill O'Gorman's stable – was secure only for four years. O'Gorman again played the villain – certainly from Prescott's perspective – when unleashing Provideo to equal The Bard's 19th Century record of 16 wins during the season of 1984. Timeform had something to say about this, however, as one of The Bard's wins 99 years earlier had been a walkover. “All things considered we believe Provideo did more to enrich the season than any other horse and for this reason we gave him our vote in the poll for the Horse of the Year which he won comfortably with seventeen votes from Teenoso with six and El Gran Senor with five,” stated the essay on O'Gorman's stable star. High praise indeed. “Mr Foustok bred him and he was pivotal to the horse's success because when we had the odd hiccup, he just used to say, 'Do you think the horse is all right?' And you'd carry on, which most people wouldn't have done; they'd start panicking,” O'Gorman says. Six years later, the master horseman O'Gorman did it again with Timeless Times, a son of Timeless Moment who had been bought inexpensively at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale. The colt took well to his new surroundings in Newmarket to win 16 times as a juvenile, that feat achieved by September 4 of 1990. The star two-year-olds had differing personalities, as O'Gorman recalls. “Timeless Times was just like a dog but Provideo was a horrible horse, and he was very coarse in his wind. He only ever got one day off after a race and if he went a week without doing a bit [of work], you could hear him.” Neither Timeless Times nor Provideo added to their records at three. The former stood at Norton Grove Stud in Yorkshire, while Provideo was exported to stand in Tasmania. Spindrifter won early the next season and Prescott says that he found him to be as willing in his training as had been the previous year before fate intervened. “Spindrifter broke his leg the next year,” he says. “He got kicked setting off on the Summer Gallop by a horse called Carpet General. “I was waiting for them at the Links Gap and, as Bill knows, you can't quite see them set off. And they never came, and they never came, and they never came. “This is an awful thing to say, but I remember thinking, I hope it's Spindrifter that comes. Because you knew something had gone wrong, they took so long. And it was Carpet General who came on his own. And there were no mobile phones or all of that, so I trudged across the Heath and when I got to that corner by the Summer Canter, I could see Spindrifter standing there. Poor Mr Waters.” Prescott continued, “Spindrifter won first time up as a three-year-old. Then he was third at York in a big handicap, carrying a huge weight. And then he broke his leg, that was it. But he was as good at three as he was at two.” Both trainers rue the changes to the modern-day racing programme, in which fewer conditions races make it nigh-on impossible for such a feat to be repeated. “Bill messed it up by doing it twice,” says Prescott with a grin. “We were going along jolly nicely until Bill came along.” O'Gorman concurs. “That's what happened. There were peevish voices behind the scenes. I still think it was a mistake for the programme because now, those big races at this time of year, the form is all hearsay. And he says this is the best horse he's ever had, blah blah blah, but if the horse has won six races and runs in there and gets beaten, then we can assume it isn't a mistake, but that doesn't happen now.” Forty-five years on from Spindrifter's annus mirabilis, it is plain that his exploits still mean an awful lot to his trainer despite some major wins for Prescott's Heath House Stables since those days. “I think it was the most exciting few months I've had as a trainer until Alpinista, I suppose,” he says. “And it did me so much good because I'd trained 10 years without ever doing very well or anything unusual happening, and you're sort of plodding along and then this horse came and suddenly you were doing something unusual, and I'm very grateful. “And of course having the excitement of a pretty substantial bet in those days, from which I was able to break out from being, financially, every day worrying about it, suddenly I wasn't worried. So the debt I owed him and Mr Waters. “And what's quite interesting about Spindrifter is that eventually Mr Waters bought a half-sister from Joe Crowley and she had a daughter that produced Masafi, and he won seven races at six different courses in 17 days, which is staggering.” Such feats of training from both men should indeed be commemorated and celebrated. In 1990, Timeform went as far as suggesting that, if British racing had a Hall of Fame, Bill O'Gorman would be an automatic qualifier as an inductee. It does now have a Hall of Fame and that sentence still holds true, for O'Gorman, as well as for Prescott. Their three representatives may not be remembered as champions but they each played their part in producing a significant amount of fun, both for their owners and for the race-going public. And that, as much as anything, it what horseracing is all about. https://www.thoroughbreddailynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Gorman-Prescott-Mix_mixdown_v3.mp3 For the full interview with Bill O'Gorman and Sir Mark Prescott, please click here to listen to the TDN Conversations podcast, presented by Saracen Horse Feeds. The post Remembering the Epic Juvenile Seasons of Spindrifter, Provideo and Timeless Times appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Patriot Spirit, bred in Kentucky by Blue Heaven Farm, may not be as well known as some of his eight Vosburgh Stakes (G3) opponents, but he enters with all cylinders clicking in search of his first graded stakes win. View the full article

Kiwis all over the country are being encouraged to get behind the “Backing Blair” campaign at this November’s World Driving Championship. Seven-time New Zealand champion Blair Orange will be carrying the harness racing hopes of a nation when he wears the Silver Fern from November 2-11. And now fans can show their true colours. A line of Backing Blair merchandise has been designed specially for the WDC and a range of socks, beer coolers, caps, sunglasses and flags will be available for people to purchase. The merch will feature Orange’s campaign logo and his nickname The Postman (because he always delivers). The “Backing Blair” campaign will be launched on Harness Million night at Addington on Friday, October 10 and the man himself will be there in the Backing Blair Fanzone on the Spectators’ front lawn for anyone wanting photos and signatures. There will be spot prizes, draws, and giveaways throughout the evening. Fans can also leave him a personal good luck note in the Fan Mailbox. The messages will be delivered directly to him as he prepares to take on nine of the world’s best drivers at Kaikoura, Cambridge, Winton and Addington. This is the first time New Zealand has been the sole host of the WDC and with the home country having a great record in the event there is no better time to Back Blair. The Backing Blair merchandise is available now to pre-order on wdc25.nz Event : The Backing Blair campaign launch Where ” Spectators’ Front Lawn, Addington When : from 5pm – Friday October 10 View the full article

What Manikato Stakes Night 2025 Where Moonee Valley Racecourse – Gate 2 Feehan Ave, Moonee Ponds VIC 3039 When Saturday, September 26, 2025 First Race 6:15pm AEST Visit Dabble The Group 1 Manikato Stakes (1200m) headlines proceedings on a stacked eight-race program at Moonee Valley this Friday night, marking the eve before AFL Grand Final Day. With showers forecast on Friday, the track is expected to remain a Soft 5 throughout the program, and with the rail in its true position, there shouldn’t be too many excuses for fancied runners. Below are HorseBetting.com.au’s free tips for Manikato Stakes Night 2025, which is set to commence at 6:15pm AEST. Manikato Stakes Tip: Skybird Skybird was a horror watch for her backers in the Group 1 Moir Stakes (1000m) fresh, running up plenty of backsides and never seeing daylight. She did well to only be beaten 2.27 lengths, and with clear air at the right time, there is no doubt she would have finished closer. She draws in barrier six, so with a bit of luck John Allen can stay one off the rail this time around. With a strong turn of foot and the ability to handle rain-affected ground, Skybird looks over the odds with horse racing bookmakers in the 2025 Manikato Stakes. Manikato Stakes Race 7 – #8 Skybird (6) 5yo Mare | T: Mitchell Freedman | J: John Allen (56.5kg) Stutt Stakes Tip: Vinrock Vinrock is arguably the best three-year-old in Victoria, and he gets his chance to flex his muscles in the 2025 Stutt Stakes (1600m). The three-year-old colt bounced back from a below-average first-up run with a dominant win in the Listed Exford Plate (1400m). He meets a similar field to what he disposed of last time, and as long as Mark Zahra can get across from barrier eight, Vinrock should prove too hard to gun down. Stutt Stakes Race 4 – #1 Vinrock (8) 3yo Colt | T: Matt Laurie | J: Mark Zahra (57kg) Feehan Stakes Tip: Treasurethe Moment Treasurethe Moment gets a chance to bring up a 10th straight win when she lines up in the 2025 Feehan Stakes. She draws barrier one and will no doubt be the one chasing tearaway leader Pride Of Jenni for most of the race, but she has the ability to absorb that hot pressure — much like she did first-up when winning the Group 1 Memsie Stakes (1400m). This will be her first go at Moonee Valley, but she simply should be too good for her rivals once again. Feehan Stakes Race 6 – #6 Treasurethe Moment (1) 4yo Mare | T: Matt Laurie | J: Mark Zahra (56.5kg) Stocks Stakes Tip: Splash Back Splash Black was hitting the line with intent in the Group 2 Let’s Elope Stakes (1400m) when beaten less than a length by the classy Lazzura last time out. She gave the eventual winner too much of a start from the rear of the field but showed enough to suggest she was worth following. She steps up to the 1500m for the first time in her career in the 2025 Stocks Stakes, and with a genuine tempo expected, the race should set up perfectly for Splash Back to build through the gears and blouse her rivals late. McKenzie Stakes Race 8 – #9 Splash Back (2) 6yo Mare | T: Grahame Begg | J: Jordan Childs (55kg) Best Bet at Moonee Valley: Esha Esha was slow away in the Group 1 Moir Stakes last time out and had to burn too many carrots to be up on a hot speed. Stepping back in grade in the Group 3 Scarborough Stakes (1200m), she should be too speedy for this lot. The three-year-old filly was a dominant Moonee Valley 1000m winner fresh, and from barrier six on Friday, Mark Zahra will look to dominate proceedings once again. If Esha can handle the step up to 1200m, she should simply be too slick. Best Bet Race 5 – #7 Esha (6) 3yo Filly | T: Shane Nichols & Hayden Black | J: Mark Zahra (56kg) Manikato Stakes Night quaddie tips for Moonee Valley Moonee Valley quadrella selections Friday, September 26, 2025 7-9 6 2-5-6-8-9 4-5-7-9 Horse racing tips View the full article

Andrea Atzeni is looking forward to hopping back on promising pair Johannes Brahms and Blazing Wukong as he eyes another fruitful afternoon at Sha Tin on Sunday. The 34-year-old has enjoyed a good start to the campaign, slamming in a double at Sha Tin on the third meeting of the season and partnering Mojave Desert to success at last weekend’s rain-shortened meeting. Sunday is set to be another big day for the Sardinian, who has a strong book of eight rides that includes the Pierre Ng...View the full article

The Sha Tin and Happy Valley racetracks have come through Super Typhoon Ragasa in good shape and officials are confident the Sha Tin turf will be ready to withstand this Sunday’s feature meeting. Just days after two races were lost because of a waterlogged section of the track on the home turn, Sha Tin – like the rest of Hong Kong – was pummelled with wind and rain on Wednesday. “There’s no issue with anything – horses no issues, stables no issues and training is open as normal this morning...View the full article