Wandering Eyes

Glen Hill Farm's Ocean Club has encountered rough seas in four of her six starts this year, and with smooth sailing, the Curlin filly could anchor down her first graded victory in the Sept. 21 Noble Damsel Stakes (G3T).View the full article

Siena Farm and WinStar Farm's GISW Mullikin (Violence) will train up and point to the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint, according to trainer Rodolphe Brisset. The 4-year-old dark bay is 4-for-4 this year, including his biggest score to date last-out in the GI Forego Stakes at Saratoga Race Course Aug. 24. Since returning from upstate to Brisset's base at Keeneland, Mullikin had his first breeze back on Thursday morning, covering a half-mile in 49 flat. “He's doing very good. We are just going to go straight to the Breeders' Cup,” said Brisset. “I wanted to take my time and see how he was doing and if he needed an extra week before breezing. Looking at the past couple of winners, there's been a couple of different approaches in the last couple of years. “I decided we are going straight. It may be the best plan,” Brisset continued. The Forego triumph earned a career-best 105 Beyer Speed Figure and was his trainer's first Grade I win of his career. The post Mullikin To Point Towards Breeders’ Cup Sprint Confirms Brisset appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

It’s Friday night and the big guns, including Merlin, are back at Alexandra Park tonight while top trotting filly Empire City returns at Addington as she plots her way to THE ASCENT later in November. Merlin and strong Purdon/Phelan team fronting up at Alexandra Park By Michael Guerin Scott Phelan finds himself in the unusual position of holding the key to beating his favourite horse in tonight’s $40,000 IRT Spring Cup at Alexandra Park tonight (8.49pm). Phelan and senior training partner Barry Purdon have a huge team at tonight’s meeting as spring racing in the north steps up several notches, much of it aimed at the upcoming Harness Million and then IRT New Zealand Trotting Cup week in Christchurch. The stable has winning chances in all three major races tonight but it is the return of open class superstars Merlin, Mach Shard and Sooner The Better in the Spring Cup that creates most interest. They all had wonderful first halves of 2024, Merlin winning the $1million Race by Grins, Mach Shard causing two stunning upsets in the Taylor Mile and Messenger and Sooner The Better pushing Leap To Fame close when second in the Miracle Mile. It means the Purdon/Phelan stable go into the spring with the most powerful open class pacing team in the country, with Merlin the biggest of the big names. His racetrack performances have mirrored his physical development, the four-year-old turning into a beast and probably the best pacer in the country. But that far from guarantees him victory in his comeback race tonight as he and Mach Shard start on 20m handicaps while Sooner The Better, with Phelan driving, starts on the front line with some hard-running speedsters for company. Fresh up races for elite pacers are often fraught with danger for punters as few trainers want their horses having a gut buster to start a campaign. There is little doubt Merlin is the best horse in tonight’s race and give him the right drag into it over the last 800m and he might blow them away. But if the field gets into single file, a leader like Sooner The Better or Fernleigh Cash ticks them over at a steady rate and then powers home over the last 800m in 55 seconds, those coming wide and trying to make ground might be on a hiding to nothing. “That is why these are tricky races and to be honest I don’t think we should be asked to start horses off 20m handicaps fresh up,” says Phelan. “I am not saying either of them can’t win because we know how good Merlin is and Mach Shard has been working great and if they got dragged up into the one-one then they could win. “And Merlin is in the great position that if we go too slow he can come sit parked because he relaxes so well there, but it is still hard to win doing that. “So if I had to opt for one of our three it would be Sooner The Better only because of the 20m head start.” The stable won’t have things all their own way though with Fernleigh Cash a good beginner and race fit while Jolimont is on his way to open class and Lady Of The Light is a big, rolling mare who could be hard to get around if she finds the markers. Phelan says their unassuming filly Won And Only (R7, No.3) could take catching in tonight’s $107,000 Caduceus Club 2YO Classic, with her last-start win over many of these better than it looked as she burned through the hectic first half of the race yet still held out the swoopers. That Group 1, like the Woodlands Stud Sires’ Stakes 2YO Colts and Geldings Heat, are both big fields full of chances so sectionals and early pressure could be crucial factors. Earlier in the night the Purdon/Phelan stable has two high-class three-year-olds in the Auckland Co-op Taxis 300-3000 Northern Stakes and while Derby winner Cold Chisel is the more proven Bare Knuckle Up’s race fitness might give him and edge as the stable goes head to head with Arna Donnelly’s four reps. For all the class of those feature race contenders, Jeremiah (R2, No.6) is probably their best winning chance tonight, in the 100% Home Albany Extreme Mobile Pace, as he drops down in class. Empire City is on the ASCENT at Addington tonight By Michael Guerin Don’t let Empire City’s lack of trials put you off her in tonight’s $60,000 Macca Lodge Sires’ Stakes Classique at Addington (6.48pm). The high class three-year-old filly hasn’t been seen since Alexandra Park in May but trainer Phil Williamson says she is ready to go. The country’s highest-rated young trotter faces starting from the outside of the front line in the 1980m mobile, something which irks Williamson who doesn’t think group races for young trotters should have preferential draws. But he can’t control that. What he can control is how ready Empire City is and he says he devised a “meticulous plan” to have her fit. “We are lucky that we have horses she can work with at home to get her ready enough without trials,” says Williamson. “So I worked on that plan and believe me, she is good enough to work with any of my best trotters. “So she is ready. She is fit and I won’t be using that as an excuse.” Williamson says it is now up to Empire City to prove she is still the best three-year-old trotter in the country, a title which is no gimme as other smart youngsters start to emerge. “There are some really nice horses around and a filly in this race (Four Wise Women) who is unbeaten in three starts. “And then looking further down the track to the slot race we could have Keayang Zahara come over from Australia and she might be at another level.” The first ever $500,000 THE ASCENT slot race for the three-year-old trotters will be held at Addington on Show day, November 15, with the connections of boom Victorian filly Keayang Zahara indicating they could be keen on heading across the Tasman. The daughter of Volstead was stunning winning the $100,000 Group 1 Vicbred final for three-year-old trotting fillies at Melton on Saturday night. It was her sixth win from as many starts as she did all the work and cruised away to win by 13m in a stunning 1min56.8sec mile rate for 2240m. “So they will all have to keep improving, including our filly,” says Williamson. The best indication that Williamson thinks Empire City is ready for tonight’s challenge is that he would be comfortable if driver Ricky May chooses to go forward at the start, a nice change from the many trainers who like their horses driven conservatively to start their campaigns. Of course, with the lion’s share of $60,000 up for grabs and most inside her nowhere near Empire City’s class yet it would make sense to put most of them behind her before starting the last lap. Trotters also start the night with some exciting youngsters in the IRT Sires’ Stakes Prelude for the juveniles, where Habibti Pat has opened favourite up against Frazzled, who was really good in her comeback race last Friday. Frazzled’s pacing stablemate Got The Chocolates returns in the Woodlands Stud Sires’ Stakes Colts and Geldings Heat but faces last-start winners Party Central (1) and The Con Artist (9). View the full article

Unbeaten 'TDN Rising Star' Knightsbridge (c, 3, Nyquist–Tyburn Brook, by Bernardini), a jaw-dropping winner of his first two starts by a combined 19 1/2 lengths, has begun gearing up for a potential return to action this fall at Keeneland. The Godolphin homebred posted a double-digit victory going seven furlongs on debut at Churchill Downs Nov. 4, then fired fresh off the bench with another dominating decision in an optional claimer going a one-turn mile at Gulfstream Park last out Mar. 28. The latter performance earned him a 96 Beyer Speed Figure. Knightsbridge has posted three workouts at Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott's Saratoga base this summer, most recently breezing four furlongs in :49.77 (23/71) over the Oklahoma training track Sept. 15. “We're delighted that he's in full training and doing well,” Godolphin USA Director of Bloodstock Michael Banahan said. “Bill's very happy with him, slowly making progress. There was nothing structurally wrong–nothing surgical or anything–just a minor sort of juvenile-type issues and he just needed a little bit of time. We're hoping that if all goes well, maybe we can get a start into him in October towards the end of the Keeneland meet. If he makes it great, there's no real pressure. If he doesn't, he'll maybe have something a little bit later, Churchill in the fall or something like that.” Banahan added, “We're excited to get him back. He's a horse that we're all looking forward to seeing again.” Knightsbridge is a half-brother to young Darley stallion Speaker's Corner (Street Sense), winner of the 2022 GI Carter Handicap. Knightsbridge's second dam is GI Breeders' Cup Distaff heroine Round Pond (Awesome Again), who brought $5.75 million from Sheikh Mohammed's global operation at the 2007 Fasig-Tipton November sale. Knightsbridge's unraced dam is a half-sister to this summer's GI Jockey Club Gold Cup winner Highland Falls (Curlin) and G1 Al Maktoum Challenge Round 3 winner Long River (A.P. Indy). The Nyquist x Bernardini cross is also responsible for GISWs Gretzky the Great and Immersive and unbeaten 'Rising Star' and MGSW Nysos. #6 KNIGHTSBRIDGE ($2.20) wins impressively at Gulfstream Park with @JuniorandKellyA in the irons for trainer Bill Mott. The 3YO colt by @DarleyAmerica's Nyquist is owned and bred by @godolphin. pic.twitter.com/Pqg4Axbcfx — FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) March 28, 2024 The post Unbeaten ‘Rising Star’ Knightsbridge Aiming for a Fall Return appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Defence Missile (Ire) (Sottsass {Fr}) (lot 33), a half-brother to group winners Speak Of The Devil (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) and Morando (Fr) (Kendargent {Fr}), topped the Tattersalls Online September Sale for 41,000gns on Thursday. Consigned by Dullingham Park and purchased by Paul Corrigan, the bay placed in three starts this season and is out of the winner Moranda (Fr) (Indian Rocket {GB}). Paul Corrigan said of the 78-rated colt, “Sam [Haggas, bloodstock agent] said the time of his run at Salisbury was pretty quick so he could be rated higher than he is. I spoke to Eve, the trainer, and she didn't want to lose him and he looks like he'll be better as a 3-year-old from his pedigree. He'll go to Linda Perret and I'll try to get a run into him with cut in the ground in October, before gelding him and putting him away for the winter.” Mohammad Al Owaimar shelled out 35,000gns for Mighty Nebula (Ire) (Saxon Warrior {Jpn}) (lot 67) from Roger Varian's Carlburg Stables. A winner on the all-weather, he is a grandson of star racemare and blue hen Serena's Song (Rahy). Malbay Madness (Ire) (Wings Of Eagles {Fr}) (lot 65) also found a new home, selling from Friars Lough Stables to Alan Smith for 20,000gns. The sale's top-priced yearling was a daughter of Starman (GB) and Single Thought (GB) (Teofilo {Ire}) (lot 142), who was knocked down for 14,500 to Green Road Bloodstock from the draft of Riverside Bloodstock, Ltd. A total of 70 horses were marked as sold for a gross of 386,700gns. The average was 5,524gns and the median was 2,700gns. The post Sottsass Juvenile Colt Tops Tattersalls Online appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Having confessed my love for one dual Nunthorpe winner, Borderlescott (GB), in a TDN feature published during York's Ebor Festival, it now seems only fair to revisit the story of another, the force of nature that was Mecca's Angel (Ire), successful on the Knavesmire in 2015 and 2016 and now one of the most exciting young broodmares on the planet through the exploits of her daughters, Content (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Bedtime Story (Ire) (Frankel {GB}). For former owner David Metcalfe it's the story that just keeps on giving, even if his own direct involvement with the daughter of Dark Angel (Ire) came to an end when her private sale to Coolmore was announced on Tuesday, October 18, 2016. Fittingly, it was the same date on which she was bought by trainer Michael Dods for just 16,000gns at Book 2 of Tattersalls October Yearling Sale four years earlier. “Michael knows I like sprinters and he had an order from me for a nice filly,” Metcalfe says of that initial purchase. “I was flying back from somewhere and motoring down to Newmarket, but I wasn't going to be there in time to see her go through the ring. “I went to see her as soon as I got to the sales and there was no argument that I'd take her. I just loved the look of her. As for how much, they laugh about it because I said I only wanted to spend 15 grand, so Michael came in as a partner. But we got on very well and were pals, so that didn't bother me.” It didn't take long for that to prove money very well spent, but first the filly had to be given a name by Metcalfe–better known as 'Mecca' to those closest to him. “I used to go down to Shropshire and the Welsh Borders buying cattle,” he continues. “The people down there would ask me to ring them when my horses were running, but I knew I'd forget so I told them I'd do something better. “From then on I christened all of the horses 'Mecca's' something. Then if they looked on the index and saw a 'Mecca's' running, it was likely to be mine. We decided to do it with all of the horses and then we just kept it going because it was lucky.” Mecca's Angel, a daughter of the Atraf (GB) mare Folga (GB), a six-time winner over sprint trips for James Given, made her first racecourse appearance at Thirsk in May of her two-year-old season, by which stage Metcalfe already knew he had a proper horse on his hands. “She was that good I could see it for myself,” he replies when asked about the reports of her ability from Dods. “We saw it before she ever ran. I remember telling somebody at one market I was at that you want to watch this horse because she's like nothing I've ever had before. And she ended up winning by 12 lengths at Southwell as a two-year-old.” That Southwell demolition job was the second of Mecca's Angel's two wins as a juvenile when she was also runner-up in Listed races at York and Ayr. At three she was beaten just once in five starts, with Friday marking the 10-year anniversary of her first Group-race success in the G3 World Trophy at Newbury. Having been carefully managed in those early years, avoiding fast ground–“We had to protect her a bit because her joints weren't the best in the world,” says Metcalfe–Mecca's Angel was finally unleashed at the top table as a four-year-old when she contested the Nunthorpe for the first time. The result was an emphatic two-length defeat of Wesley Ward's two-year-old rocket Acapulco (Scat Daddy), while her success in 2016, when beating the G1 July Cup winner Limato (Ire) (Tagula {Ire}) by the same distance, was arguably better still, coming very close to breaking Dayjur's long-standing course record. “We definitely appreciated the second one a lot,” Metcalfe remembers. “I was on cloud nine–it's just something that you don't expect to happen. I'm pleased that we managed to do it. “A lot of people don't even get a winner and we've had a lot of success over the years. Now, thank god, she's breeding good ones for Coolmore. “We didn't want people to know what we got for her,” he adds of the decision to sell Mecca's Angel privately, at the end of a career in which she won 10 of her 20 starts and earned £679,941 in total prize-money. “We thought we probably could make more at the sales, but it wasn't about how much we got for her. She'd done us proud and we wanted her to go somewhere where we knew she'd be looked after well. We've been over to see her at Coolmore and it's like being at The Ritz.” Now the dam of three winners from as many runners, Mecca's Angel has certainly rewarded the five-star care given to her by the Coolmore team. Her three-year-old daughter Content was last seen making the breakthrough at the top level in the Yorkshire Oaks, at the scene of her dam's Nunthorpe heroics, while her two-year-old Bedtime Story was unbeaten in four starts–including a nine-length win in the Listed Chesham Stakes at Royal Ascot–before her odds-on defeat in Sunday's G1 Moyglare Stud Stakes at the Curragh. “I'm so pleased that she's got Content and Bedtime Story,” says Metcalfe, who still has three horses in training at the Dods yard near Darlington. “The more success they have, the happier I am for Coolmore and the team. “Content running was the reason we went to York [the day she won the Yorkshire Oaks], because we hadn't seen her in the flesh. And Bedtime Story looked out of the ordinary until her last run, but I read in the paper that the vet said she was lame after the race. They say she has a bit of Mecca's Angel's temperament. She likes to go fast and has to be anchored a bit. “It sent a cold shiver down my back when she won at Ascot. You'd think we had shares in her. We don't, but you feel involved even though you're on the sidelines because Mecca's Angel was ours once–she's always been my mare.” The post From Sprinting Sensation to Brilliant Broodmare for Mecca’s Angel appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Jockey Keith Asmussen is set for his return to the saddle Saturday afternoon at Churchill Downs following more than three months on the sidelines because of a fractured femur and broken ribs, the track said in a press release Thursday. The rider began getting back on horses in early August, and continued to regularly gallop and breeze horses for his father, Steve Asmussen. The native Texan is named aboard Payne (Paynter) in the third race on Saturday and Vittorio (Ghostzapper) in the ninth on Sunday. Asmussen's riding career began in 2020 and he's amassed 131 wins from 946 starts with $8.8 million in purse earnings. The post Injured Jockey Asmussen Set For Return At Churchill 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 Saturday running at Nakayama Racecourse: Saturday, September 21, 2024 9th-NKY, ¥30,400,000 ($213k), Allowance, 2yo, 1200mT ECORO SIEG (c, 2, Twirling Candy–Lily Pod, by Bernstein), whose Grade III-placed dam is also responsible for SP She's Got a Way (Tonalist), cost $95,000 at last year's Keeneland September sale and was knocked down to Hideyuki Mori on behalf of 'Ecoro' owner Mastatoshi Haramura for $250,000 at this year's OBS March Sale. The dark bay colt was all the rage at 2-5 for his 1200-meter debut at Niigata Aug. 17 and made light work of his rivals en route to a front-running, five-length success (see below, SC 4). Bred on a variant of the very successful cross of Candy Ride (Arg) over Storm Cat-line dams, Ecoro Sieg once again gets the services of Christophe Lemaire on Saturday. Ecoro Sieg's yearling half-sister by Connect sold for $9,000 at KEESEP on Wednesday. B-Caldara Farm Inc & William R Hilliard Jr (KY) The post Twirling Candy’s Ecoro Sieg Chasing Another ‘Victory’ in Japan appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The 4-year-old, owned by John Stewart's Resolute Racing and Gestut Schlenderhan's Baron Philip von Ullmann, was found to be suffering with a foot abscess the morning of Sept. 19 and will not travel to Germany. View the full article

The emotion in the winner's circle after Ramon Moya Jr. won the Pinot Grigio Handicap at Monmouth Park Sept. 15 aboard Bel Pensiero—and the absence of any dry eyes there—was 10 years in the making for the 36-year-old jockey.View the full article

The Challenge, presented by GaineswayView the full article

Jean-Louis Bouchard's Group 1 winner Feed The Flame (GB) (Kingman {GB}) has been retired for stallion duty trainer Pascal Bary confirmed to Paris Turf on Thursday. Stud plans are pending for the 4-year-old. Out of Knyazhna (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}), the bay was bred by Monceaux, Lordship Stud and Clear Light SAS. Offered by Monceaux during the 2021 Arqana August Yearling Sale, he brought €270,000 from SAS Larrieu Gerard. A winner of his first two starts last spring with the former effort good for 'TDN Rising Star' status, Feed The Flame was fourth in the G1 Prix du Jockey Club prior to winning the G1 Grand Prix de Paris last July. He was second in the G2 Prix Niel, prior to running eighth in the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. This term, he placed three times at the highest level–third-place finishes in the Prix Ganay, and Coronation Cup–and a runner-up effort in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud in June from six starts. Fourth in the G3 Prix Gontaut-Biron at Deauville in August, he was pulled up in the G2 Prix Foy won by Iresine (Fr) (Manduro {Ger}) on Sept. 15. His records stands at 12-3-2-2 and $746,820 in earnings. Feed The Flame is a half-brother to multiple group/graded winner Sacred Life (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}), third in both the GI Arlington Million Stakes and GI Maker's Mark Mile Stakes, as well as the multiple group placed Khagan (Ire) (Le Havre {Ire}). G1 St Leger hero and sire Rule Of Law (Kingmambo) is a member of this clan. The post Group 1 Winner Feed The Flame Retired appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The Jason Manning-trained Bon’s Pride, with Vanessa Arnott in the saddle, wins the $50,000 Magic Millions Top End Classic (1300m) at Fannie Bay on Darwin Cup Day on August 5. Picture: Darwin Turf Club It was only a few weeks ago that Darwin-based Jason Manning decided to retire the best horse he has ever trained, and naturally he was despondent. Noir De Rue, a 10-year-old gelding by Blackfriars, farewelled racing after eight years when he finished 10th in the Darwin Cup on August 5. Arriving from WA in 2021, Noir De Rue, in 76 career starts, raced 24 times for Manning for six wins and eight minor placings. The recent form of five-year-old gelding Bon’s Pride and five-year-old mare Royal Signal has certainly lifted Manning’s spirits with the pair in action on Saturday at Darwin Turf Club. When Noir De Rue made his final Fannie Bay appearance, Bon’s Pride and Royal Signal saluted on Cup Day. Bon’s Pride won the $50,000 Magic Millions Top End Classic (1300m), while Royal Signal won first up over 1200m (0-58) after arriving from Victoria. The stablemates, who will be ridden by Manning’s partner Vanessa Arnott this weekend, face stiff opposition over 1200m with Bon’s Pride and Royal Signal appearing at BM76 and Class 2 level. “It was four months planning for the Magic Millions with Bon’s Pride coming out of the Darwin Magic Millions Tried Horse Sale last year,” Manning said. “His two seconds before Cup Day were super – we thought he was a great chance and he delivered with 62kg. “He gets a 4.5kg drop in weight on Saturday and although up in grade he’s fit and well, I’m expecting another forward showing. “There’s only six runners, but it shapes as a competitive race and I think he’ll be hard to beat again. “He’s had a couple of weeks in the paddock to freshen up, he’s bouncing and ready to go again.” Ken King Thoroughbreds, based at Euroa, sent Royal Signal to the Top End after identifying her as a horse capable of having success on Cup Day. “Royal Signal delivered, which was a great result for everybody,” Manning said. “She performed creditably the other day when second over 1100m, which was an unsuitable distance. “She’s back to the 1200m and will probably be hard to beat against Class 2 opposition. “Yaki Ishi and Debating won’t be easy, they’re both last start winners.” Yaki Ishi was second in the Magic Millions behind Bon’s Pride and Debating was second behind Royal Signal on Cup Day. Meanwhile, Manning said that Noir De Rue has left him with a lifetime of memories. “It took probably two weeks after the Darwin Cup before we decided to retire him,” he said. “With his rating being so high there wasn’t a great deal of options in the off-season. “He did a fantastic job for us, he was ultra consistent. “He just got to a stage last preparation where he wasn’t too far off them, he just wasn’t winning. “He was sound and happy, he’s now at home on the farm happily retired.” Horse racing news View the full article

According to a press release issued by the U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Texas, Ron Paolucci, once among the winningest owners in the sport, has been sentenced to 52 months in prison and ordered to pay more than $38.9 million in restitution to the IRS. The story was first reported by the Blood-Horse. Paolucci, the 55-year-old co-founder of American Management Staffing (AMS), was charged by felony information in January 2023 and pleaded guilty a month later to conspiracy to defraud the United States and making and subscribing a false tax return. He was sentenced Monday by U.S. District Judge Sam A, Lindsay. The prosecution alleged that–over a seven-year period–Paolucci failed to turn over more than $13 million to the Treasury Department that came from withholdings he took from employees for taxes, Medicare and Social Security taxes. Paolucci's employees allegedly received false W-2 statements from Paolucci's companies that showed that taxes had been withheld from their pay and sent to the IRS. Instead, Paolucci pocketed the money. “We are proud to partner with IRS-CI on this important case,” said U.S. Attorney Leigha Simonton. “We stand ready to prosecute any employer who pockets employees' payroll taxes and those who otherwise refuse to meet their tax obligations.” According to court documents, AMS provided temporary staffing services to business clients. Paolucci was employed by AMS from approximately 2011 through 2020 and had control over the business's affairs, including, approving payments and controlling AMS bank accounts. “Nearly 70% of total U.S. revenues collected by the IRS are collected through employment taxes. When the employer withholds the payroll taxes but fails to pay the taxes over to the IRS, they may be criminally investigated and prosecuted for failing to withhold, collect, and pay over the tax. This was the case with Mr. Paolucci, his failure to remit withheld taxes is not only a breach of trust but a serious crime with severe consequences,” said Christopher J. Altemus Jr., special agent in charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Dallas Field Office. “In addition to failing to meet payroll tax obligations, Mr. Paolucci failed to report his personal compensation and was ordered to pay approximately $10 million in restitution for his personal tax obligations. Let this sentence serve as a stark reminder: tax compliance is not optional; it is the law.” In February 2023, Paolucci pled guilty to two counts of tax fraud and tax evasion in a federal court in Texas. He could have been sentenced to as many as eight years in prison. Paolucci's Loooch Racing Stables finished second nationally in wins in 2017 and 2018. The outfit operated from 2011 to 2018 and piled up hundreds of wins, many of them on the Ohio racing circuit. He had 160 victories in 2017 and 215 in 2018. Loooch won a total of 871 races. At times, Paolucci branched out and was a partner on a handful of top horses, among them Ria Antonia (Rockport Harbor), the winner via disqualification of the 2013 GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies. The post Former Owner Ron Paolucci Sentenced To 52 Months For Tax Fraud And Evasion appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Freehold Raceway, which has hosted harness racing on its New Jersey site since the 1830s, will cease operations Dec. 28, according to a story first reported Thursday by Stephen Edelson of the Asbury Park Press. The story quoted Freehold Borough Mayor Kevin Kane, who stated he learned of the closure after Freehold management told employees in an emergency meeting on the morning of Sept. 19. “We're blindsided here,” Kane told the Asbury Park Press. “We've had no contact with them about this.” The story reported that the track is owned by Pennwood, with stakes held by Penn Entertainment and Greenwood. Freehold is scheduled to run 33 more days of racing this year. Redevelopment plans for the property are not yet clear, according to the story. Edleson wrote that, “While all racetracks in the state have been eligible to open a sportsbook since sports betting was legalized in 2018, Freehold didn't open its sportsbook until late 2020. The track then closed the sportsbook last month as football season was about to begin.” The post Report: Freehold Raceway To Cease Operations appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

William Hill is the new sponsor for the G1 Futurity Trophy Stakes, the bookmaker announced on Thursday. The race will now be known as the William Hill Futurity Trophy Stakes, which will take place a Doncaster on Oct. 26. Previously sponsored by the bookmaker in 1976, the race headlines the two-day meeting, where eight additional races will also bear the William Hill name. There have also been five Classic winners produced from the previous seven renewals of the Futurity Trophy, and trainer Aidan O'Brien is currently after his 12th edition of the race. The current ante-post favourite, The Lion In Winter (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), is trained by O'Brien. Racing sponsorship manager for William Hill, Mark Walton, said, “We're delighted to become the sponsors of the G1 William Hill Futurity Trophy Stakes, strengthening our relationship with Arena Racing Company as the curtain falls on the 2024 Flat season. “It's fantastic to once again be associated with such a prestigious event, the final Group 1 of the British Flat campaign, made more special by the fact that William Hill were the sponsors of the race when it became the Futurity back in 1976. I'm tremendously excited to see which 2-year-old emerges as racing's next big star.” The post William Hill Returns As Futurity Trophy Sponsor appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Sacred Spirit (Ire) (Kingman {GB}), a winner of the Listed Grand Prix de Lyon, anchors a quintet of wildcards that were added to Arqana's Arc Sale on Thursday. Consigned as lot 15, the gelding was second in the G3 Prix de Reux and third in the G2 Grand Prix de Deauville and is rated 106. Joining the Andre Fabre-trained son of listed winner and Group 1 producer Sahrawi (Ger) (Pivotal {GB}) is lot 29, listed scorer Rosa Salvaje (Ire) (Maximum Security); multiple group-placed and 109-rated Supercooled (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) (lot 42); Listed Prix des Jouvenceaux et Jouvencelles heroine La Guapisima (Fr) (City Light {Fr}) (lot 43); and G3 Prix de Lutece runner-up Chartwell (Fr) (Churchill {Ire}) (lot 49). The sale will take place at Saint-Cloud on Saturday, Oct. 5. For the full catalogue, please visit the Arqana website. The post Listed Winner Sacred Spirit Leads Wildcards For Arqana’s Arc Sale appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Monmouth Park sits on 310 acres of land in Oceanport, NJ, but, as is the case with most tracks in a modern era where on-track crowds have dwindled, much of the property includes empty stands and parking lots. But that is about to change as real estate developer and horse owner Morris Bailey has unveiled plans to develop 80 acres of the property that will be used to for a 298-unit residential building, a 200-room hotel, a youth sports center and, perhaps, a concert venue. Dennis Drazin said it has yet to be determined when construction will begin, but there have been reports that it will start in the fall of 2025. “We are embarking on the next phase of a journey that began over a decade ago when we developed plans to reimagine and reinvent the Monmouth Park experience that has brought so much joy to generations of horse racing enthusiasts,” Bailey said. “We have always been staunch advocates for returning the area to its rightful place as the premier destination for horse racing and family entertainment while including important components that serve the community at large. After an intensive, complex and lengthy process, our plans will create a vibrant lifestyle destination for future generations and will put the racetrack on a trajectory for enormous growth.” The project actually began to take shape in 2012 when Bailey, the owner of Resorts Casino Hotel in Atlantic City, sought to buy Monmouth when the state of New Jersey put it up for sale. Ultimately, he could not work out a deal and the plans were put on hold as the New Jersey Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association took control of the track. Dennis Drazin, whose company, Darby Development, has assumed full custody of the property under a new 85-year lease agreement, said that Bailey had waited for the real estate market to change before launching the project. “At that point in time the economics just weren't there,” Drazin said. “But the real estate market has changed so much over the past several years. It has just exploded here in Monmouth County. The prices are unbelievable. If you would have told me 20 years ago that there were going to be multi-million-dollar condos in Long Branch, I never would have believed it. But that's the reality.” Dennis Drazin | EquiPhoto Darby Development and Bailey have worked out a revenue sharing agreement which equates to more purse money and the ability to address other racing-related expenses. The guarantee is that racing at Monmouth Park remains a viable business for years to come. “Monmouth Park Racetrack is an iconic New Jersey attraction,” Governor Phil Murphy said. “We are thrilled to see this project move forward, which will bolster the local economy and ensure that the area is a popular destination for years to come. Through this important development, the history and legacy of this racetrack will not only be solidified but expanded and enhanced so that more New Jerseyans can experience its excitement.” While Drazin has said that several additional projects, including the concert venue, are still being considered, the hotel and the residential building are seen as the most important facets on the project. The residential building will be built on the large parking lot across the street from the track, which, on most days, sits empty. Drazin said it will be 55-and-over residence so as not to overwhelm the local schools. It has yet to be decided where the hotel will be built. Drazin said that the concert venue and other “entertainment type projects” will also be considered. With Monmouth not receiving anything in the way of revenue from slot machines or casino gaming, Drazin and his team are always on the lookout for new sources of revenue. The state gives the track an annual subsidy of $10 million to go toward purses, but more money is needed for Monmouth to be able to improve its racing product and solidify its future. The new projects will help. “There's a requirement in the lease, basically a 50-50 split on the revenue,” Drazin said. “Thirty five percent of the total revenue will get spent on racetrack related expenses and 20 percent of that will go into the purse account. It's all positive. Morris has always had racing foremost in his vision.” Drazin said that the global sports and event architecture firm Populous has signed on to handle the project. Populous is the same firm that is behind the rebuilding of Belmont Park and Pimlico. “They are a top-flight, really great company,” Drazin said. “They created the vision.” Drazin said that the construction will not create any problems for on-track fans other than that Monmouth will need to find additional parking space for the late crowd that shows up each year for the running of the GI Haskell Stakes. The post With Plans To Build A Hotel, Residences And More, A New Look For Monmouth Park appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Andy Makiv has been appointed as Godolphin Australia's new managing director, it was announced on Thursday. Makiv joined Godolphin Australia in 2008 and was based in Victoria, first as nominations manager and then as general manager which saw him oversee the Carbine Lodge racing stable and Northwood Park. In 2021, he was appointed head of sales. The managing director role was vacated by Vin Cox, who moved over to run Yulong Stud at the end of last year. “I'm honoured to be part of such a dynamic organisation,” said Makiv. “I'm excited to continue working with our great people, elite bloodstock and world-class facilities as we pursue further success both on the track and with our stallion roster. “We have a great team at Godolphin. We have very experienced and dedicated stud managers, an experienced bloodstock manager and head trainer, as well as a great corporate team. A lot of our key senior people have been here a long time. It was essentially business as usual even without someone in that lead role.” He added, “Our business is the racing and stallion business and the team's success is shown through having colts like Traffic Warden and Broadsiding heading to Group 1 races this spring. “We also have a fantastic line up of stallions with Street Boss and Harry Angel having amazing springs, the first of the Bivouac progeny set to hit the racetrack, the first foals by Anamoe arriving, and Newmarket winner Cylinder new at stud in Victoria.” The post Andy Makiv Named as Managing Director of Godolphin Australia appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Applications are now open for the 2024 Keith and Faith Taylor Equine Scholarship, which supports the future of New Zealand’s breeders in travelling to Ireland and completing the world-renowned Irish National Stud Diploma Course. This scholarship offers an invaluable opportunity to undertake the internationally-recognised National Stud Diploma in Ireland with an all-expenses paid trip, open to any individual 30 years or under with an interest in furthering their career in the thoroughbred breeding industry. Initially funded by the Wellington branch of the New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders Association, the scholarship has been funded since 2006 by the K.I.A Charitable Trust and Trelawney Stud’s Taylor family, being renamed the Keith and Faith Taylor Family Equine Scholarship. Attendees of this course have gone on to careers in the breeding realm, and well as training in New Zealand, dating back to the first recipients of the scholarship, Grant Hunt and Russell Rogers. The successful candidate will be provided with a return economy airfare, fees for the National Stud Diploma course, accommodation and a cash advance to cover some personal expenses. The Process: Applicants must include a covering email and attached CV, to be emailed to nztba@nzthoroughbred.co.nz. Applications Close: Friday 11th October 2024 at 5.00pm View the full article

Suspended jockey, Jamie Kah. (Photo by Ross Holburt/Racing Photos) Jamie Kah will miss the Caulfield Guineas and Caulfield Cup meetings after being found guilty by the Victorian Racing Tribunal of not permitting Let’sfacethemusic every opportunity for a best placing in last month’s Group 3 McNeil Stakes at Caulfield. Racing Victoria stewards on Thursday called for the champion rider to be suspended for a period of not less than six weeks, but the VRT determined the breach of ARR 129 (2) was worthy of a three-week suspension. Kah’s ban begins from midnight on September 28 and goes through until Sunday, October 20, which is the day after Caulfield Cup Day. She had pleaded not guilty to the charge of not permitting Let’sfacethemusic every opportunity of a best placing in the McNeil Stakes after failing to take runs between the 175-metre mark and 100-metre mark and again near the 75-metre mark. VRT deputy chairperson Kathryn Kings handed down the verdict just before 3pm on Thursday, where she said the tribunal was satisfied Kah had not taken all permissible measures to obtain the best placing in the field. After a short break following penalty submissions, Kings said: “We are satisfied that between the 175-metre and 100-metre mark, there was a sufficient gap and opportunity for you to be able to ride your mount with sufficient vigour or purpose to improve your position. “We are satisfied that this ride did not involve a mere error of judgement on your part but when viewed objectively, the failure to take the run, which presented itself and was available to be taken for approximately eight strides, represented a breach of rule 129 (2) and was a departure from the standard of racing to be expected of a rider of your standing. “We acknowledge that the horse raced keenly at the early stages but during the relevant period the horse raced tractably. “Further, in relation to your ride in the last 75 metres of the race, we are satisfied you failed to ride out your mount with sufficient vigour when it was reasonable and permissible to do so. “While we acknowledge the evidence of the historical racing manners of each horse, we are satisfied that you did not use sufficient vigour or purpose, therefore not giving your horse every opportunity to obtain the best possible place in the field.” The hearing was adjourned for lunch at around 1:40pm after both RV stewards and Kah’s representative Matthew Stirling had completed submissions on the charge and when it returned, Kah was found guilty. Let’sfacethemusic ($8.50) ultimately finished fifth in the race, some 4.5 lengths from the winner. Corie Waller, who was acting chief steward on the day at Caulfield, told the tribunal that Kah’s ride was a culpable one under the rule as she did not give her horse every chance to obtain its best placing after failing to take the run in the home straight between Band Of Brothers and Stay Focussed. RV stewards last week issued Kah one charge under AR 129(2), which reads as follows: AR 129(2): A rider must take all reasonable and permissible measures throughout the race to ensure that the rider’s horse is given full opportunity to win or to obtain the best possible place in the field. Kah told the tribunal that although the vision of the race shows there appears to be a gap for her to take, she said she did not feel safe in doing so. “Out there, I didn’t feel like the gap was open,” she said. She said Let’sfacethemusic had proven difficult to ride and earlier in the race had locked its jaw, which meant she lost control for a short period. She conceded that her opinion that Let’sfacethemusic was a dangerous horse may have contributed to her not taking the run in question on the day. Waller said stewards believed Let’sfacethemusic had more to give in the race and said that despite Kah’s evidence, there was no sign in the replay of the race that the colt was difficult to ride and appeared ‘responsive to the actions of its rider’. He said stewards had estimated it was reasonable and safe for Kah to take the gap between the two leaders for a total of eight strides from about the 175-metre mark. Tthe eight strides amounted to about 56 metres or 15 per cent of the home straight at Caulfield, where stewards argued it was reasonable for Kah to take the run. Stirling said given the unruly manners of Let’sfacethemusic, the jockey simply did not feel confident to take the run given its racing manners and the strong wind at Caulfield on the day. According to Stirling, the horse was ‘literally dangerous’ in his racing manners and so it required due caution from Kah when considering taking the run. Kah told stewards that Let’sfacethemusic had locked its jaw during the race and had done so five days earlier when she rode the colt for the first time in a track gallop. She said a rider loses control over a horse that locks its jaw. Stirling said Kah had intimate knowledge of the ramifications of riding a horse that locks its jaw as that it what happened when she took a near-fatal fall at Flemington in 2023, which left her in a coma for six days and unable to ride again for six months. Stirling said an extremely windy day can have an effect on racehorses, who ‘hate’ such conditions, but it can also dull the hearing of jockeys. He said if any of the three horses involved had shifted a ‘quarter of a horse or half a horse, the jockey’s finished. They are in the ambulance’. “Who are the stewards to criticise Kah for that ride?” he said. “She was the one that spent a week in in ICU last year because of a horse locking its jaw. I think she knows the risks of riding a horse with those traits a little better than the stewards and, with respect, a little better than (the trainer) Mr Price.” Horse racing news View the full article

Goliath (Ger) (Adlerflug {Ger}) has been ruled out of Sunday's G1 Preis von Europa at Cologne due to a minor setback, it was announced on Thursday. Trained by Francis-Henri Graffard, Goliath has been off the track since his shock 25-1 victory in the G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot in July, with prominent American owner John Stewart subsequently purchasing a majority share in the four-year-old from Philip Baron von Ullmann. Goliath had been set for a rematch with King George third Rebel's Romance (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) in Cologne, but his connections will now have to consider other options as they plot a path to the G1 Japan Cup at Tokyo on Sunday, November 24. Von Ullmann told www.galopponline.de, “This morning I received a call from trainer Francis-Henri Graffard, who told me that Goliath had developed a small foot abscess after his final work. “It's nothing long-term, but safety comes first and we don't think it's right to let him run in Cologne if he's not at 100 per cent and is causing the horse additional discomfort. Animal welfare is always our top priority. “John and I were really looking forward to running in Cologne and he was planning to fly from America to Cologne, but that's horse racing. We're still aiming for the Japan Cup, but we'll have to see what the exact plan is now.” Graffard still hopes to give Goliath a prep run before his planned trip to Japan. “He has a foot abscess and was not 100 per cent, so we won't take any risks any with him,” said the trainer. “I'll have to look at the programme book and see. Hopefully, we'll have one run before he can go to Japan.” Graffard was able to provide a more positive update on star three-year-old Calandagan (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}), who is on course for a heavyweight clash with Economics (GB) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) in the G1 Champion Stakes at Ascot on Saturday, October 19. He was last seen filling the runner-up spot behind City Of Troy (Justify) in the G1 Juddmonte International at York. “Calandagan is in top form and training to go to Ascot,” Graffard added. The post Minor Setback Forces Goliath to Miss Sunday’s Preis von Europa appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Caspar Fownes, Jack Wong and Mark McNamara offer their unique perspectives on the most successful galloper Hong Kong has seen.View the full article

Superstar jockey Jamie Kah has been handed a three-week penalty after she was found guilty by the Victorian Racing Tribunal for failing to take all reasonable and permissible steps to improve her position on Let’sfacethemusic in the Group 3 McNeil Stakes last month. View the full article

Son of Epaulette ‘in very good form’ ahead of the Class Two Woodpecker Handicap (1,200m) at Sha Tin.View the full article