Wandering Eyes

The stars of racing took centre stage as the Longines International Jockeys’ Championship and Hong Kong International Races highlighted a huge month. The Post analyses the jockeys and trainers who had a month to remember or one to forget, as well as the most outstanding victory and winning ride. Who’s hot? While big names like Zac Purton (nine wins), Hugh Bowman (seven) and James McDonald (seven) had productive months, there were a couple of mid-table jockeys who struck form despite limited...View the full article

La Crique (NZ) (Vadamos), arguably the most consistent horse in Australasian racing, has been retired. The dual Group One winner has been hampered with foot issues over the last couple of years, with a decision made on Monday morning to bring the curtain down on her racing career following her fourth placed run in the Gr.1 Zabeel Classic (2000m) at Ellerslie on Boxing Day. “She is still putting in some terrific races and even on Boxing Day she ran a terrific race,” said Katrina Alexander, who trained the seven-year-old mare in partnership with her husband Simon. “However, she hasn’t pulled up from that as well as we would have hoped so we x-rayed her foot this (Monday) morning, the same foot that has caused her problems for the last two years, and she has degeneration of the foot tissue inside the hoof capsule. “I have been waiting for a sign for her to tell me that this (racing) just isn’t possible anymore, so it was a really easy decision in the end.” La Crique flashed onto the scene as a three-year-old, winning five and placing in three of her eight starts that season, including taking out the Gr.2 Avondale Guineas (2100m) and Gr.3 Desert Gold Stakes (1600m), and she was a beaten short-priced favourite when runner-up to Asterix (NZ) (Tavistock) in the Gr.1 New Zealand Derby (2400m). She got her Group One redemption seven months later in the Gr.1 Arrowfield Stud Plate (1600m) before heading across the Tasman where she ran fourth in the Gr.1 Empire Rose Stakes (1600m) at Flemington. She added a further two Group One placings to her record later that season before foot issues, resulting from an abscess, led to ongoing problems for the mare. The Alexanders’ hard work behind the scenes led to La Crique returning to career-best form, with the mare going on to win the Gr.1 Otaki-Maori WFA Classic (1600m) and Gr.2 Auckland Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1400m) before posting six consecutive Group One second placings. Alexander has a particularly close affinity with La Crique, riding her in all her work, which she said has helped her monitor her soundness issues. “She has never in her career put in a bad race for any unknown reason. She is an incredibly tough horse that just races through a pain barrier that a lot of horses would give up on,” she said. “Behind the scenes you are constantly working at things. I ride her pretty much every day and I have done so for the last six years. I do that so I have an understanding of what I am asking her to do and her reaction to that. “I had a feeling going into Boxing Day that we probably weren’t as good as where we would want to be and she has still run a blinder of a race, albeit a strangely run race. She has finished on incredibly strong and pulled a shoe in the running, which has probably added to our problem this morning.” La Crique has had plenty of highlights throughout her career, but one race that particularly stands out for Alexander is her first stakes victory, the Desert Gold Stakes, which she won by an eye-catching 4-1/2 lengths. “The thrill of her Desert Gold win, and how convincing that was is one that comes to mind,” she said. “We go back and look at photos of that and seeing her at full stretch is just as impressive live as it is in the photos. You get a true understanding of her stride length and the mechanics of her. “She was so convincing in that age group, and she did bring that forward, but some of those tough battles have also been admirable, and I am very proud of her for putting up a fight like she did and making some of those races exceptionally good races to watch.” Bred and raced by John and Jan Cassin, La Crique will be retained by the couple as they look to breed their next star. “The Cassins have always shown an interest to retain her to breed from,” Alexander said. “They enjoy their breeding and they obviously bred her, and we have a sister there as well. “She will most definitely, at this stage, be retained by them. The luxury of having her retire at this time of year, they don’t have to make any quick decisions on that. It came as a bit of a surprise to them this morning when we broke the news of our findings. We have also known that this was probably going to be her final preparation. “She now has a good amount of time to letdown, have a good rest in the paddock and she should hit the breeding season fairly early. It will be interesting to see who she goes to, I wouldn’t want to be making that decision myself.” While sad to be farewelling her stable star, Alexander said they have a few exciting prospects in the barn they are looking forward to, including last Friday’s Stella Artois 1500 Championship Final (1500m) winner Rise Companions (Capitalist) and impressive debut winner Aksil (NZ) (Ace High). “We have got a couple of really exciting horses, with Aksil and Rise Companions,” she said. “We have been extremely fortunate in our careers that we have always seemed to have had a good horse coming through. We are not a big team, but we always seem to get one at the right time. Hopefully either of those two horses can continue.” Three-year-old gelding Aksil will resume in the New World Mount Maunganui 1400 at Tauranga on Friday where he will carry the colours of OTI Racing after the syndicator recently purchased into the horse. Aksil was eye-catching when winning on debut at Taupo in October before running eighth at Ellerslie last month behind subsequent Group One performer Affirmative Action (Yes Yes Yes), and Alexander said he can be forgiven for that run. “He had a bit of time in the paddock and is a horse that has continued to grow and develop, and we do really feel like he needs more time yet,” she said. “However, we will continue to lightly race him. “He has just had an ownership change, with OTI buying 50 percent, so that is exciting to have them onboard, and he will stay in New Zealand. “It will be nice to see him do a good job at Tauranga. I am a little bit concerned about the weather as to how much rain they get there because we have opted to kick him off over 1400m. Hopefully we have pulled the right rein there, but we will just have to keep an eye on the forecast. “We will give him a short prep again now and just see where he gets to.” Alexander is also excited about the prospects of four-year-old mare Prominere (NZ) (Ardrossan), who will resume in the Saddlery Warehouse Cambridge 1100 at Te Aroha on Saturday following an 18-month hiatus from racing. The daughter of Ardrossan has had just the one start to date, finishing seventh in the Listed Castletown Stakes (1200m) as a late two-year-old, and the Alexanders have given her plenty of time to develop. “She is quite an exciting horse,” Alexander said. “She is a big, masculine, strong filly. She showed us a lot as a two-year-old and then we have had to put her aside, she is a very big horse. The dam was a big mare too and took time. “We have just had to look after her a little bit. She had a lovely trial the other day at Avondale and we will keep her to the shorter distances. “She won’t mind a little cut in the track if that is what happens during the week. She won a trial at Te Rapa as a two-year-old on a Heavy track. “She is quite exciting going forward, I have got a lot of time for the horse, and I think she could be another nice horse for the Cassins.” View the full article

A picket fence preparation can continue for Grid Girl (NZ) (Time Test) at Flemington as the mare has her first attempt at black type status in the Listed Kensington Stakes (1400m) on New Year’s Eve. The Victoria Racing Club has made the switch from the traditional New Year’s Day fixture to a twilight card the day before and it is hoped that more than 10,000 will tick through the turnstiles to set a new precedent for highlight days of racing over the summer. Grid Girl is ready to line up in the 1400-metre feature after three wins in succession in as many runs this preparation with higher aims at Flemington later on should the five-year-old be able to keep raising the bar. Jd Hayes has the expectation that she can. “She’s gone to another level,” Hayes said. “She’s really come of age and she’s racing well, honest and consistent, and I can’t see why she can measure up at black type level.” Grid Girl made the trip to Rosehill and won, albeit narrowly, in benchmark 94 company on December 7 and notched a Racing and Sports ratings figure of 106 and etched herself in stakes company on that basis. “She used to do a fair bit wrong and I think it has all come with racing and age,” Hayes added. “She used to be quite keen in her races and she seems to have dropped that habit and it has culminated with her being able to finish a lot more strongly. “She is probably similar to what Marble Arch did at the same age,” he added of the now six-year-old who took out the Gr.2 Blamey Stakes (1600m) at Flemington in March. “Her win in Sydney was dominant in that she was in for a dogfight and didn’t give up.” Grid Girl has drawn barrier one in the field of nine while the Lindsay Park team also have Run Harry Run (Written Tycoon) and Roll On High (Shamus Award) engaged in the Kensington Stakes. Grid Girl was bred by Guy Lowry and is out of the five-time-winning Savabeel mare Chic. Lowry initially trained Grid Girl for two starts from his Hastings stable in the spring of 2023, placing on both occasions before being purchased privately by clients of the Lindsay Park stable. View the full article

Gifted four-year-old She’s A Dealer is in the right order to make a successful challenge for higher honours on New Year’s Day. The Roger James and Robert Wellwood-trained mare is unbeaten this preparation and will bid for a hat-trick of wins when she steps out in the Gr.2 Rich Hill Mile (1600m) at Ellerslie. The daughter of Ace High has won four of her seven starts and finished a gallant fifth in last season’s Gr.1 Queensland Oaks (2200m) at Eagle Farm. “Her work has been terrific and this race comes up at the right time, conditions suit and it’s an appropriate race for her,” Wellwood said. She’s A Dealer was bred by race sponsor Rich Hill Stud, who race her with Mark Neill, Richard Kidd, Ian Hart and Peter Merton. She enjoyed a decent break following her Australian venture and was a dominant resuming winner over 1400m at Ellerslie before she again trounced her Rating 75 rivals over 1500m at Te Rapa. “She’s very exciting and has been great in her last two starts and it would be nice to see her add black type to her record,” Wellwood said. The stable will also be double handed in the Gr.2 Sir Patrick Hogan Stakes (2000m) with Dance The Night and Della Ricci to be ideally suited by a rise in trip. The former broke her maiden in fine style at Pukekohe before the Almanzor filly came from well back to finish fifth in the Gr.2 Eight Carat Classic (1600m) on Boxing Day. “Her run the other day pointed toward New Year’s Day and she’s come through the race very well,” Wellwood said. Ocean Park’s daughter Della Ricci showed good improvement on her debut sixth at New Plymouth when a luckless last-start third over a mile at Matamata. “She will have blinkers going on and it will suit her down to the ground going 2000m,” Wellwood said. Young stablemates Incandescent and Spellbound are acceptors in the Gr.2 SkyCity Eclipse Stakes (1200m), but a trip south is also in the mix. “We could also look at Wellington (Listed JR & N Berkett Wellesley Stakes, 1100m), we’re very happy with both of them,” Wellwood said. Incandescent made the perfect start to his career at Ellerslie last month with a commanding performance to score over 1100m while Spellbound has already been black type placed when third in the Listed Challenge Stakes (1100m). Meanwhile, the stable has Road To Paris in the Eagle Technology (1600m) on New Year’s Day, but Trentham on Saturday is the preferred destination. “Ideally, he will go to the Levin Classic (Gr.2, 1400m) with Ellerslie a back-up in case he didn’t get in at Wellington,” Wellwood said. “Obviously, he didn’t get any points last time with Masa (Hashizume) coming off and if he gets in the Classic, that’s where he will head.” The Circus Maximus gelding had the Gr.3 Wellington Stakes (1600m) at his mercy last time out at Otaki before he veered out sharply close to home and dislodged his rider. View the full article

A perfect draw in barrier one has added to David Hayes’ confidence in Tomodachi Kokoroe handling a rare rise in distance in Thursday’s Group Three Chinese Club Challenge Cup (1,400m) at Sha Tin. In the midst of a breakout campaign crowned by his Group Two Premier Bowl (1,200m) victory in October, the seven-year-old steps up beyond 1,200m for just the fourth time in Hong Kong. He was beaten narrowly in second at the course and distance of Thursday’s race in 2024 before failing over 1,650m at...View the full article

New York-bred Usha put on a dazzling performance in the $300,000 La Brea Stakes (G1) Dec. 28 at Santa Anita Park. The 3-year-old daughter of Tiz the Law kicked away to win by 5 1/4 lengths in the 7-furlong race.View the full article

The largest opening day since 2016 and the largest Sunday opener this century kicked off a postponed Santa Anita Park Classic Meet in a big way Dec. 28.View the full article

After Antonio Fresu was injured, Kazushi Kimura picked up the mount on Ambaya for trainer Jonathan Thomas and won with the filly, who was making her graded stakes debut.View the full article

It was a big day of racing, and the fans brought the energy, with 41,962 people packing the California track for the postponed opening day of Santa Anita's Classic Meet to make it the largest Sunday opener since 1999, the track announced via press release. The final fan tally was the largest since 2016, and the eighth Sunday opener in the venue's 90+ years also brought noteworthy numbers in the all-sources and on-track handles. The total all-sources mutuel handle was more than $18.2 million, marking the eighth time in the last nine years that the opening day handle topped $18 million. On track handle was up 2.55% over last year. While opening day traditionally falls on Dec. 26, this season was pushed back 48 hours when the weather deteriorated and the track took six inches of rain over a four-day period. The last time it was postponed was in 2019, when 35,085 came for the seasonal kick-off. Trainer Bob Baffert enjoyed a banner afternoon Sunday when taking home two Grade I wins in the Malibu and La Brea Stakes as well as taking the top spots in the GII Laffit Pincay Jr. Stakes when Breeders' Cup champion Nysos (Nyquist) denied his stablemate in the shadow of the wire. Pincay, who celebrates his 79th birthday Monday, Dec. 29, was on hand to present the trophy. “We appreciate everyone who had to adjust their schedule for the weather, and we are so thankful to everyone who worked so hard to make opening day a success,” said Nate Newby, Santa Anita Park's SVP & general manager. “It was important to stay on the turf course to present the best racing program possible for the owners, trainers, jockeys and horseplayers. Opening day is very important to create momentum for the season, and today's large crowd provided terrific energy. It was a nice reminder of why Santa Anita remains 'The Great RIP.'” Santa Anita Park first opened on Christmas Day, 1934, less than 12 months after the newly formed California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) granted the Los Angeles Turf Club a permit to build the racetrack, with the guarantee that it would be in operation by the end of that year. Since 1949, Santa Anita's opening day has been Dec. 26, with few exceptions. The season continues through mid-June. The post Santa Anita’s Classic Meet Begins with Largest Opening Day Crowd Since 2016, Largest Sunday Opener This Century appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Her owners made a special trip out to Santa Anita Park for the GI American Oaks and Ambaya (Ghostzapper) made sure they'd go home with the hardware. The chestnut held all potential challengers at bay late to score her first elite-level win in the nightcap of the record Classic Meet opening card. The Jonathan Thomas-trainee spent most of her season on the board, running second or third three times after breaking her maiden at first asking June 12 at Horseshoe Indianapolis. Her placings included a third in the Christiana Stakes at Delaware Park in late September. She shipped to California two back Oct. 30 to take on optional claimers at Del Mar, and missed to familiar face Ribbons (Liams Map) on the wire by the slimmest of margins. After a rough start left her as the caboose in her most recent jump Nov. 24 at that venue, she closed furiously in the lane to run fourth against allowance optional claimers. Supported here to the tune of 12-1 odds, Ambaya set up in fifth along the fence as Ribbons stepped out from the far outside gate to lead the procession through an opening quarter in :23.55 and a half in :48.30. Facing pressure as they swung through the far turn, that long-time leader eventually yielded after six panels in 1:13.55 and the running began as the field entered the homestretch with no overwhelming leader. Locked onto Cliffs (Omaha Beach) as that one fought to hold off the Thomas stablemate Will Then (War of Will), Ambaya overhauled that pair inside the final furlong and kept them to within a half-length on the line. Cliffs managed to keep second over Will Then in third. Owner/breeder George Strawbridge claimed two of the top three spots with his fillies running first and third. AMBAYA ($27.40) bursts though rivals to take the $300,000 American Oaks (G1) at @santaanitapark. @kazushi0096 gave a flawless ride for trainer @ThomasStables. Racing returns to the great RIP TOMORROW! Makes sure to tune in to FanDuel TV! pic.twitter.com/WYRjiNh7a2 — FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) December 29, 2025 Pedigree Notes: Ambaya is the third winner from as many to the races for her dam Kundray, but is by far the most accomplished of the trio as the first Grade I winner for the mare. The victress has a yearling filly by Liam's Map to her credit as the last registered. She was sent to Gamble's Exchange for 2026 after she did not catch in her 2025 trip to Collusion Illusion. Sunday, Santa Anita Park AMERICAN OAKS PRESENTED BY CYGAMES-GI, $303,000, Santa Anita, 12-28, 3yo, f, 1 1/4mT, 2:01.02, gd. 1–AMBAYA, 124, f, 3, by Ghostzapper 1st Dam: Kundray, by Distorted Humor 2nd Dam: J'ray, by Distant View 3rd Dam: Bubbling Heights (Fr), by Darshaan (GB) 1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN, 1ST GRADE I WIN. O-Augustin Stables; B-George Strawbridge (KY); T-Jonathan Thomas; J-Kazushi Kimura. $180,000. Lifetime Record: 6-2-2-1, $245,960. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus* Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. 2–Cliffs, 124, f, 3, by Omaha Beach 1st Dam: Perfect View, by Arch 2nd Dam: Visual Mind, by Kingmambo 3rd Dam: Visions of Clarity (Ire), by Sadler's Wells 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE, 1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. ($60,000 RNA Wlg '22 KEENOV; $77,000 Ylg '23 KEEJAN; $175,000 Ylg '23 FTSAUG; $430,000 2yo '24 OBSAPR). O-Lael Stables; B-Four Pillars Holdings LLC (KY); T-Cherie DeVaux. $60,000. 3–Will Then, 124, f, 3, by War of Will 1st Dam: Remember Then, by Pulpit 2nd Dam: Owsley, by Harlan 3rd Dam: Insipid, by Sham 1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. O-Augustin Stables; B-George Strawbridge (KY); T-Jonathan Thomas. $36,000. Margins: HF, NK, 1 1/4. Odds: 12.70, 2.80, 3.50. Also Ran: Take A Breath (GB), Resolve, Totally Justified, A Thousand Miles, Ribbons, As Catch Can, Slick (Ire), Atsila (Ire). Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV. The post Ghostzapper’s Ambaya Lifts Late, Holds Them All Off to Win American Oaks appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

In an epic stretch battle, Nysos surged forward at just the right time to defeat Nevada Beach in the Laffit Pincay Jr. Stakes (G2) at Santa Anita Park Dec. 28.View the full article

Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert's goal for Goal Oriented had been a grade 1 win all season, and that goal was achieved in the final days of his 3-year-old season as he won the $300,000 Malibu Stakes (G1) at Santa Anita Park Dec. 28.View the full article

Goal Oriented (Not This Time) notched a Grade I feather to his 2025 cap, but also further gilded a fabulous year for his sire, as he strolled home powerfully to take the GI Malibu Stakes at Santa Anita on opening day. The 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' burst onto the scene Apr. 6 at this venue in a maiden special that yielded next out winners, and eventual stakes horses, namely MSW Train the Trainer (Dialed In) and SP Varney (Vekoma) while Concord Bridge (Medaglia d'Oro) and Day and Age (Omaha Beach) both returned to break their maidens next out. From there he picked up another victory against optional claimers at Churchill Downs and was sent to Pimlico for the infamously rough running of the GI Preakness Stakes in mid-May. Running third in both the GI Haskell Stakes and GI Pennsylvania Derby July 19 and Sept. 20, respectively, he was last seen running sixth at the World Championships in the GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile behind GISW NYsos (Nyquist). That stablemate returned earlier on the card to once again run another fellow Baffert-trainee into submission in the GII Laffit Pincay Jr. Stakes. Goal Oriented, racing with blinkers off and the even-money favorite, was content to watch the race unfold behind eager leaders as they sailed through an opening quarter in :21.87 and a half in :44.30. He improved his position from the overland route as Modus Bestia (Maclean's Music) faded to his inside after being the first to the front up the backstretch. Goal Oriented was the looming danger as they swung for home, and entered the lane with a full head of steam, inhaling Midland Money (Shancelot) and Madaket Road (Quality Road) as that pair battled from the inside. The eventual winner was never threatened on the far outside as he hit the wire much the best. Midland Money fought on for second while Speedy Wilson (Tough Sunday) picked up the pieces for third. The final time was 1:20.97. Baffert claimed three of the top four spots. There was drama before the race when Cornucopian (Into Mischief) was scratched in the paddock after rearing in the saddling area and going to his hind quarters, an automatic scratch from the race. The connections reported in the post-race interview that the horse was doing fine and back in his stall. Pedigree Notes: Goal Oriented is the first black-type runner for his dam, and her most accomplished as the lone Grade I winner. The aforementioned mare, Bizzy Caroline, was herself a multiple graded winner on the track, but had yet to produce offspring that emulated her successes. Of her nine foals, eight made it to the races, and four got their pictures taken. One of her placed daughters, Tenacious Jewel (Medaglia d'Oro) is now a winner producer herself while a second has placed offspring. Goal Oriented is the most recent to the races as the mare was barren in 2023 and lost her 2024 Oscar Performance. She does claim a 2025 weanling colt by Up to the Mark as the most recent on record. Bizzy Caroline hails from a noteworthy family in her own right as the half-sister to champion Lady Eli (Divine Park), the dam of 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' Dr. Agne (Into Mischief). Another half-sibling, French winner Sacred Caroline (Blame), remained in Europe after her racing career and produced MGSW & G1SP-Eng Sacred (GB) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}). This is the extended female family of MGISW Spiced Perfection (Smiling Tiger) and Canadian champion Spring In the Air (Spring at Last). GOAL ACHIEVED! GOAL ORIENTED ($4.20) blew by the field and took home the $300,000 Malibu Stakes (G1) at @santaanitapark. @JRosarioJockey was on board for trainer @BobBaffert. @TomRyanKY @MadaketStables @StarlightRacing @StonestreetFarm pic.twitter.com/qq6M64I1c0 — FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) December 29, 2025 Sunday, Santa Anita Park MALIBU S.-GI, $301,000, Santa Anita, 12-28, 3yo, 7f, 1:20.97, ft. 1–GOAL ORIENTED, 120, c, 3, by Not This Time 1st Dam: Bizzy Caroline (MGSW, $347,935), by Afleet Alex 2nd Dam: Sacre Coeur, by Saint Ballado 3rd Dam: Kazadancoa (Fr), by Green Dancer 1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN, 1ST GRADE I WIN. 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard'. ($425,000 Ylg '23 KEESEP). O-SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, Stonestreet Stables LLC, Bashor, Dianne, Determined Stables, Masterson, Robert E., Ryan, Tom J., Waves Edge Capital LLC and Donovan, Catherine; B-Runnymede Farm LLC & CWC Investment 2, LLC (KY); T-Bob Baffert; J-Joel Rosario. $180,000. Lifetime Record: 7-3-0-2, $624,460. Werk Nick Rating: B. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. 2–Midland Money, 120, c, 3, Shancelot–Magnolias in Bloom, by Flatter. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE, 1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. ($40,000 Wlg '22 KEENOV; $130,000 Ylg '23 KEESEP; $650,000 2yo '24 OBSMAR). O-CSLR Racing Partners LLC; B-Memory Lane Racing, LLC (KY); T-Bob Baffert. $60,000. 3–Speedy Wilson, 120, c, 3, Tough Sunday–Queenofhercastle, by Ministers Wild Cat. 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE, 1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. O/B-Nick Alexander (CA); T-Philip D'Amato. $36,000. Margins: 1, 3 1/4, 1. Odds: 1.10, 4.00, 13.10. Also Ran: Madaket Road, Smooth Cruisein, Berlin Wall, Modus Bestia. Scratched: Barnes, Cornucopian, Spenard. Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV. The post Goal Oriented Sensational in Malibu, Scores First Elite Level Victory appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk Ashburton trainer Laurence Hanrahan lines up two good chances on what will be a huge meeting at Motukarara today. The 13 race programme gets underway just before noon with big open fields the order of the day. The day’s feature is the Paul Renwick Joinery Motukarara Christmas Cup (4.03pm) where the Hanrahan-trained Tanzania will be one of many chances. The Rock N Roll Heaven five-year-old won the race last year and is going into today’s contest in good form with two seconds in his last two starts behind the likes of It’s Tough and The Lazarus Effect. “He’s led out and trailed the last runs he’s had but he won’t get that today,” says Hanrahan. At $9.50 and $3.30, Tanzania will start off 10 metres for driver John Morrison. “There are just so many chances in races like these but he seems well and is in with a chance,” says Hanrahan. Audacity is currently the $5 favourite with Kiss The Girls next at $6. In the very next race, the Liquorland Prebbleton Mobile Pace (4.37pm) Hanrahan’s other runner on the day Mighty Flying Lou is a $2.90 favourite for driver Gerard O’Reilly. The Sweet Lou four-year-old has had two seconds and a third in his last three starts and has drawn well at five today. “He’s racing very well and deserves to be the favourite,” says Hanrahan. He has three placings from three starts on the grass. “The track will be in great condition I’m sure,” says Hanrahan, “and with 13 races it will their biggest day of the year.” The day will again see the country’s top junior drivers Wilson House and Carter Dalgety battle it out. With just two days left in the season, one win separates them at the top of the premiership with House on 91 wins and Dalgety on 90. Both have busy days ahead of them with House having 11 drives altogether, 10 for his father Michael. He is currently the more favoured of the pair to win the premiership at $1.70 with Dalgety at $2. Among their duals today will be the Famous Grouse Hotel Junior Drivers Race at 2.25pm. Dalgety will drive $3.60 favourite Henry Winkler. To see today’s fields click here View the full article

Ashburton trainers Bevan and Robyn Wilson will head south to Kurow’s iconic meeting on Tuesday where they will have a two-pronged attack in the West Coast Steeplechaser Kurow Cup (1400m). Seven-win gelding Royal Valour will head into the race second-up after a disappointing first-up performance where he was slow away at Cromwell last month and he was playing catch-up throughout. The Wilsons are putting that run behind them and they are hopeful of an improved showing this week. “It (last start) was pretty disappointing, he just didn’t want to go,” Bevan Wilson said. “He didn’t miss the jump, he just didn’t want to go, and he has done that before unfortunately. Hopefully we will get going a bit better this time.” While hopeful of a better start, Wilson holds reserved expectations heading into Tuesday, believing his charge will need the run. “He is probably just going to need a bit more racing,” he said. “It took him a while to get going last year and he doesn’t seem to be as effective on the country tracks for some reason, but we need to get going and it isn’t a bad opportunity. A bit of sting out of the ground will certainly help him as well.” Royal Valour will be joined in the race by stablemate Victorian Charm, who won two trials last month before he contracted a virus. “We had a bit of a setback, a wee virus, after his last trial,” Wilson said. “Although he hasn’t missed too much work, we did have to back off a little bit. That is a little bit of a concern, but up until then we were really pleased with how he was coming up. “We are hoping he will go a good race, but we realise he will probably need the run.” The Wilsons have yet to finalise a summer campaign for each of their geldings, but a tilt at the Gr.3 White Robe Lodge Weight-For-Age (1600m) at Wingatui in February could be on the cards for Royal Valour. “We are not thinking too far ahead, we are just going to see how they go,” Wilson said. “Winter is more their time of year but we didn’t want to be putting them out for long periods of time either. “I would like to think Royal Valour might be able to go to the White Robe, that would be the A plan. He will just have to put his hand up, that’s all.” View the full article

Making her Grade I debut and just her second start in stakes company, Usha (Tiz the Law) dazzled through the final two furlongs to romp home in the GI La Brea Stakes at Santa Anita Sunday, giving her sire his first Grade I winner. A highly-touted debut runner during the Del Mar summer in 2024, the $600,000 OBS April grad has the unfortunate luck of running behind several classier stablemates including the likes of GISW Tenma (Nyquist) and GSW Non Compliant (Tiz the Law). Being a New York-bred, Usha then made a trip to her home state where she again ran second facing fellow state-breds at Aqueduct in late Oct. 2024. From there, it was back to California and back to the drawing board for Bob Baffert who gave the filly a nine-month layoff leading into her 3-year-old campaign where something finally clicked. Her first start of the year at Del Mar, she put up a 95 Beyer Speed Figure in an 11 1/2-length blowout July 25 and backed that up with a 5 1/4-length score in allowance company going 6 1/2 furlongs Sept. 5. From there, she returned East where she faded from the front in the seven-furlong GII Lexus Raven Run Stakes at Keeneland Oct. 18 in what was her most recent start. The shortest price of three Bob Baffert-trained entries, the 5-1 shot wasn't quick enough for the early lead Sunday and soon got shuffled back to seventh as stablemate Silent Law (Tiz the Law) dueled up front outside Artisma (Munnings). That pair kept things bunched up towards the front through fractions of :21.85 and :44.43 while Usha was still boxed in behind a wall of runners in need of racing room midway around the far turn. Having to split runners just outside of the quarter pole but with plenty of horse to do so, Juan Hernandez found the seam he needed and Usha exploded free at the top of the stretch. Race favorite and 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' Formula Rossa (Vekoma) was rolling down the outside to pick up second late to deny Simply Joking (Practical Joke) the placing but they were both far back of the winner as Usha strolled home on top in a brilliant performance. The f inal time for the seven furlongs was 1:21.68. “Usha showed up today,” Baffert said. “I shipped her to Kentucky for her last race and she lost it in the paddock. She came back here and that worked well. Juan knows her really well, I didn't have to say anything to him. We expected this when I shipped her to Kentucky, and didn't win a race, but today she showed up.” “She is really good…she can be a little nervous and leaves some of the race in the post parade but today she was really calm,” added Hernandez. “[Baffert assistant Jimmy Barnes] and the guys in the barn did a really good job with her and kept her calm. It worked out really well.” Pedigree Note: Usha is the first Grade I winner for Coolmore's second-crop sire Tiz the Law who has been knocking on the door with four Grade II winners from his first crop. First dam Animal Appeal, stakes-placed at Saratoga in the Smart N Fancy Stakes in her own racing career, has produced three foals from as many to race and most recently sold for just $9,000 at the Fasig-Tipton New York Saratoga Fall Mixed Sale to Rachid Brothers in 2023. Usha, picked up for $600,000 at OBS April by the Three Amigos, is far and away her most talented offspring though she does have winners by both Blame and Twirling Candy as well. Animal Appeal, who was exported to Saudi Arabia soon after selling, has a Solomini yearling filly still to represent her. Sunday, Santa Anita LA BREA S. PRESENTED BY DON JULIO-GI, $302,500, Santa Anita, 12-28, 3yo, f, 7f, 1:21.68, ft. 1–USHA, 120, f, 3, by Tiz the Law 1st Dam: Animal Appeal (SP, $220,298), by Leroidesanimaux (Brz) 2nd Dam: Appealing Card, by Valid Appeal 3rd Dam: What a Card, by Wig Out 1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN, 1ST GRADE I WIN. ($30,000 Ylg '23 SARAUG; $600,000 2yo '24 OBSAPR). O-Michael E. Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman; B-Esler & Raine (NY); T-Bob Baffert; J-Juan J. Hernandez. $180,000. Lifetime Record: 8-3-2-2, $328,350. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. 2–Formula Rossa, 120, f, 3, by Vekoma 1st Dam: Fay Na Na, by Majestic Warrior 2nd Dam: She's Roughin It, by Forest Camp 3rd Dam: Guinevere K, by Gone West 'TDN Rising Star'. 1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. ($130,000 Ylg '23 KEEJAN; $270,000 Ylg '23 FTKOCT). O-Muir Hut Stables LLC; B-Greathouse Equine, LLC & Glencrest Farm, LLC (KY); T-Mark Glatt. $60,000. 3–Simply Joking, 120, f, 3, by Practical Joke 1st Dam: Imply (MSW, $772,728), by E Dubai 2nd Dam: Allude, by Orientate 3rd Dam: Ed's Holy Cow, by Bet Big 1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. ($65,000 Ylg '23 KEESEP). O-Berkels0813 LLC, CMNWLTH LLC, Grantley Acres and Ryan Conner; B-Barlar, LLC (PA); T-Michael W. McCarthy. $36,000. Margins: 5 1/4, NK, 3 1/4. Odds: 5.60, 2.00, 16.90. Also Ran: Brilliantly, Her Laugh, So There She Was, Silent Law, Artisma, Five G, Schilflied. Scratched: Magnificat. Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV. USHA ($13.80) splits rivals under the guidance of jockey @JJHernandezS19 and prevails in the $300,000 La Brea (G1) at @SantaAnitaPark. The 3YO filly by @CoolmoreAmerica's Tiz The Law is trained by @BobBaffert and owned by Pegram, Watson or Weitman. pic.twitter.com/VkgDgDWf1p — FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) December 28, 2025 The post Tiz The Law’s Usha Dazzles In La Brea appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Alberto Delgado, who earned Eclipse Award honors as the champion apprentice jockey in 1982, announced his retirement after the second race Dec. 28 at Laurel Park.View the full article

Nysos (c, 4, Nyquist–Zetta Z, by Bernardini), last-out winner of the GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile, outbattled stablemate Nevada Beach (Omaha Beach) to cap his year with a dramatic victory in the GII Laffit Pincay, Jr. Stakes on Santa Anita's delayed opening-day card Sunday. Sent off the 1-5 favorite, Nysos was a little flat-footed at the break, but recovered quickly to track pacesetting Vodka Vodka (Stay Thirsty) from the rail, with Nevada Beach just to his outside. The two stablemates tipped out and turned for home in tandem and went eyeball to eyeball down the lane, with Nysos just outgutting Nevada Beach on the line. Nysos who had raced for the Chus' Baoma Corp. through the Breeders' Cup, added Coolmore partners Michael Tabor and John Magnier to the ownership line for this effort. Winner of the GII Robert B. Lewis Stakes in his only sophomore start, Nysos suffered his lone defeat to date when returning with a narrow runner-up effort behind Mindframe in the May 3 GI Churchill Downs Stakes. He returned to the winner's circle with a 5 1/2-length victory in the May 31 GIII Triple Bend Stakes and added a win in the GII San Diego Handicap July 26 before just edging stablemate Citizen Bull to win the Breeders' Cup Mile at Del Mar Nov. 1. Lifetime Record: 8-7-1-0. O-Baoma Corp., Magnier and Tabor. B-Susie Atkins (Ky). T-Bob Baffert. @BobBaffert stablemates battle down the @santaanitapark stretch! NYSOS ($2.40) noses out Nevada Beach in the $200,000 Laffit Pincay Jr Stakes (G2). Flavien Prat was aboard the son of @DarleyAmerica's Nyquist for @BaomaCorp, Mrs. John Magnier, Derrick Smith, & Michael Tabor. pic.twitter.com/rg6ReRotBY — FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) December 28, 2025 Sunday, Santa Anita LAFFIT PINCAY, JR. S.-GII, $200,500, Santa Anita, 12-28, 3yo/up, 1 1/16m, 1:42.36, ft. 1–NYSOS, 125, c, 4, by Nyquist 1st Dam: Zetta Z, by Bernardini 2nd Dam: Seresa's Spirit, by Rahy 3rd Dam: Unbridled Elaine, by Unbridled's Song 'TDN Rising Star'. ($130,000 Wlg '21 KEENOV; $150,000 Ylg '22 FTKOCT; $550,000 2yo '23 OBSAPR). O-Baoma Corp., Magnier, Lessee, Mrs. John, Smith, Lessee, Derrick and Tabor, Lessee, Michael B.; B-Atkins Susie (KY); T-Bob Baffert; J-Flavien Prat. $120,000. Lifetime Record: GISW, 8-7-1-0, $1,238,500. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus* Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. 2–Nevada Beach, 123, c, 3, Omaha Beach–Morrow Cove, by Yes It's True. ($260,000 Ylg '23 KEESEP). O-Michael E. Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman; B-Paul Tackett Revocable Trust, Phil Tackett Estate & Christy Tackett (KY); T-Bob Baffert. $40,000. 3–Bartholdy, 121, g, 4, Mendelssohn–Blazen Betsy, by Speightstown. ($120,000 Ylg '22 FTKOCT; $300,000 2yo '23 OBSAPR). O-John R. Haagsma, Steve R. Knapp and Robert John Vanderdussen; B-Robert Slack & Dan Walters (KY); T-Steve R. Knapp. $24,000. Margins: HD, 4 1/4, 2 3/4. Odds: 0.20, 4.60, 23.80. Also Ran: Vodka Vodka, Cornishman, Indispensable. Scratched: British Isles. Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV. The post Nysos Edges Nevada Beach to Win Laffit Pincay Stakes appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Waymark (Liam's Map) made his debut a winning one as he ran to his 3-2 odds here. At the bell as a blitz for the top spot ensued, the colt watched from the outside up the backstretch. The 2-year-old flexed his muscles with a four-wide move around the far turn and picked up fellow 'Insight' runner High Camp (Instagrand). Blazing down the lane, Waymark aimed for the wire and scored, but High Camp put in a game effort with some late speed of his own. Autobahn (Nyquist), another 'Insight' horse, was fifth. The winner is a half-brother to Caddo River (Hard Spun), SW & GISP, $838,116. Shortleaf-owned Pangburn, who the farm acquired as a summer yearling from Fasig-Tipton for $130,000 in 2013 and is a half-sister to GSW Eres Tu (Malibu Moon), is also responsible for a yearling colt by Good Magic and a weanling filly by Hard Spun. She visited Charlatan for next spring. 7th-Gulfstream, $40,000, Msw, 12-28, 2yo, 6f, 1:10.87, ft, 1 1/2 lengths. WAYMARK, c, 2, Liam's Map–Pangburn {SW & MGSP, $338,480}, by Congrats Sales History: $700,000 Ylg '24 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $24,000. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV. O-Windancer Farm; B-Shortleaf Stable (KY); T-Brad H. Cox. WAYMARK ($5.00) wins on debut at @GulfstreamPark with @Tyler_Gaff in the saddle for @bradcoxracing. The 2YO son of @LanesEndFarms' Liam's Map and half brother to Caddo River is owned by Windancer Farm. pic.twitter.com/PjndUQFcfS — FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) December 28, 2025 The post Liam’s Map Colt Waymark Off The Mark At Gulfstream On Sunday appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Champion jockey Alberto Delgado, whose Eclipse Award came in 1982 when he was crowned the Champion Apprentice Jockey, has retired from racing. “It's been coming for a long time,” Delgado said. “Over the years, I retired, but never because I wanted to. [It was] because of injuries, concussions. At some point, I was heavy, so I had to retire and get everything straight. Last year, I kept telling myself this would be my last year, and I had to build myself up for it. I still love it, but at some point you've got to step down. You can't keep this madness going.” The announcement came shortly after Sunday's second race at Laurel Park. Delgado, a second-generation jockey from Carolina, Puerto Rico, won 245 races during his Eclipse Award-winning season. That year, on Aug. 16, he rode five consecutive winners at Delaware, then drove to Timonium, where he swept the late daily double. Delgado surpassed the 200-win mark in each of the next four years. In 1995, he finished second in the GI Preakness Stakes aboard Oliver's Twist (Horatius) four weeks after he and the colt won the GIII Federico Tesio Stakes. More recently, during a stint in Southern California in 2013, Delgado rode eventual two-time Horse of the Year California Chrome in five of his first six starts. The Listed Graduation Stakes at Hollywood Park was part of that stretch. He would later be replaced by Victor Espinoza ahead of the Triple Crown bid. “I worked him for the first time, and I knew he was a super horse,” Delgado said. “I told the owner as soon as I broke his maiden that this horse would win the Derby the next year. He was something amazing.” Delgado retires with a record of 2,951 wins in 25,534 rides and career earnings of $42,072,982. He earned 115 stakes wins, including 10 graded triumphs, and captured five Maryland Million races. He reports that his next plan is to move into training horses. “This morning [Sunday], when I woke up, I was tearing up,” Delgado said. “It's funny. I've always made fun of these athletes when they retire. You see the speech, and they're crying. I'm like 'Ah, what a sissy, I can't believe he's crying'. Now, I'm in those shoes, and I know how they feel. It's tough. It's something you've done all your life. All my generation. I was like the Last of the Mohicans. I've got to step aside, and let them do their thing.” The post Champion Jockey Alberto Delgado Calls It a Career after Laurel Park’s Second Race appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Undefeated GII Saratoga Special victor Ewing (Knicks Go) tallied his first workout Sunday morning at Oaklawn Park since arriving at the venue last Monday. Out to work four furlongs on the main track with Prairie Meadows and Will Rogers Downs riding champion Kylee Jordan in the irons, the grey went over a fast track during the 15-minute workers-only session immediately after the renovation break. Working in company with MGSP Classic Car Wash (Noble Bird), the half-mile was clocked in :47.40 and equaled the fastest time of the morning. Ewing's workmate came in at :49.20 (32/119) at the distance. “A group in front of him broke off and he kind of just wanted to go with them,” said assistant trainer Caden Arthur, who oversees Casse's Oaklawn division. “He's a racehorse. He wanted to pass them. He wanted to be in front and he did that with ease. Kylee was just trying to take it easy with him and she did a good job trying to manage that. He looked great going by.” Casse has indicated that Ewing could make a 3-year-old debut in January before bridging into a Kentucky Derby points race. The grey is unraced since his sensational Saratoga Special victory in August and was being pointed to the GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity at Keeneland back in October before being scratched out in favor of a freshening. The post ‘Rising Star’ Ewing Records First Work at Oaklawn Park appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Peter Alafonginis, owner, Northern Tier Farm I foresee only approximately five major tracks open in the USA and a few smaller one-mile tracks for the second-tier horse. They will have, dirt, grass and synthetic surfaces at each of the major venues. And their lesser counterparts will hopefully have a combination of surfaces as well. Steeplechase venues will grow in number and quality, incorporating a country-club environment with clubhouse and parimutuel betting. These facilities will combine other aspects of the Thoroughbreds' life after racing. Equitation, shows, hunt events, even polo on the same ground. Hotel, eateries, a golf course as well in these more rural locations. Betting will expand as will the technology on the horse and jockey, documenting the well being and the race live from each entrant. Like other sports, people can pick their favorite and be a part of that classic horse's experience as say a fan of an NFL team. Most gambling on daily races will be done remotely. Only weekend racing seeing any major attendance and that might be seasonal rather than year-round as well. Horses need a rest, too! It is a bright future and it will require development of fan bases across the country rather than a reliance of slots for purse money. The post Racing in 2036: Peter Alafonginis appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Motorious, winner of the 2024 Joe Hernandez Stakes (G2T), will try to add a second victory in the race Dec. 29 at Santa Anita Park.View the full article

Over the last few weeks, the TDN has asked “racing's best and brightest” to give predictions regarding what the state of the sport will be ten years from now. Considering that most of the responses came from industry insiders who derive their living from the sport and cannot afford for things to worsen, the responses were not that surprising. Many projected a rosy future for the sport. The same sport that has many problems, some of them that will be very difficult to solve. What was lacking in the series was the perspective of a gambler. That was solved when horseplayer Mark Stanton joined the party and gave his opinions about the future of the industry from the perspective of a gambler. It needs to be noted that Stanton complained on X that the series had yet to include any horseplayers. To the TDN's credit, the publication reached out to Stanton and asked him to contribute. While Stanton was careful to acknowledge that there are some signs that racing will make meaningful and positive changes within the next 10 years, he was rightfully concerned that the next 10 years will see a further erosion of handle because retail players will continue to leave the sport. He wrote: “Retail gamblers on racing go away in the U.S. as they are completely ignored and priced out from large takeouts and other things to make wagers on. The large retail bettors that probably make up 50% of the retail wagering, start telling the smaller ones, “If I can't survive on rebates of being a 'high roller,' you have no shot.” Truer words have never been spoken…or written. The elephant in the room, and the one that was ignored by the majority of people who wrote in to voice their opinions about racing's future, is CAW play. For reasons that I will get to, racing can and will survive the CAW menace, but the continued dominance of the betting pools by a small group of high-rollers who receive exorbitant rebates is going to continue to decimate betting handle, which can only mean purse cuts and the likelihood that even more racetracks will close. In 2003, with simulcasting booming and ADWs just coming on the scene, total handle in the U.S. peaked at $15.18 billion. In 2024, the figure was $11.26 billion. On the surface, that's a decrease of about $4 billion. The cumulative rate of inflation from 2003 to present has been 76.2 percent, meaning that, if handle had kept up with inflation, the 2024 number should be about $26.75 billion. Instead, when inflation is added in, handle has dropped by nearly 57 percent over the last 21 years. From 2015 to 2018, there were actually minor increases in handle. In 2021, year-over-year handle rose by 11.8 percent, but that was an outlier considering the 2021 numbers were going up against Covid-affected numbers in 2020. Since handle has fallen every year. Through the first three quarters of 2025, handle is down by 2.11 percent. And where would handle be without the billions being pumped into the system by the CAW players. Some have estimated that those players account for about 30 to 35 percent of all dollars wagered in the U.S. If they weren't contributing so much money into the pools, it's almost unmanageable how far handle would have fallen. And that's the problem: this is not sustainable. The retail player, whether they bet $2 a race or $2,000 a race, is being forced out of the game by the CAW players, who have such an edge that they have effectively driven up the takeout rate for everyone else. Most horseplayers expect to lose and play the game because they love it and love the mental challenge that handicapping presents. But neither do they expect to get buried, and that's what is happening. “Retail gamblers on racing go away in the U.S. as they are completely ignored and priced out from large takeouts and other things to make wagers on,” Stanton wrote. While some racing associations, particularly NYRA, have taken small steps to keep the CAW players in check, this is a problem for which there is no solution. The tracks cannot do without the betting handle that comes in from CAW players, even if it means that accepting CAW money is driving the everyday customer out of the game. They have painted themselves into the proverbial corner. To further complicate matters, NYRA, The Stronach Group and Churchill Downs all have ownership stakes in betting platforms used by CAW players. They are likely to continue to cater to those players, even when they know the effect that has on their retail customers. Between now and 2036, the problem is only going to worsen. With the minnows leaving the game, the sharks will be left to feast on the other sharks. Sooner or later, the smallest and least successful CAW players will also be driven out of the market. Then what? We will be left with CAW players facing off against other CAW players. There will always be some regular bettors left, but they will surely be betting less and may focus primarily on racing's biggest events and meets, Del Mar, Saratoga, the Triple Crown, the Breeders' Cup. There's no way around this. Handle is going to continue to plummet and will reach alarmingly low numbers by 2036. That's going to mean smaller purses, even smaller foal crops and fewer racetracks. Here's still another problem: Horseplayers are an aging group, with many of them falling in love with the sport and the gambling game years ago when everything was so much simpler and the savvy bettor actually had a chance of making some money. As these players are dying off, they are not being replaced. For the twenty-somethings who have the gambling gene, it's all about sports betting, which is spreading like wild fire. With high takeouts and a serious learning curve and without fixed odds, racing will never be able to compete with sports betting, especially when it comes to younger gamblers. According to the American Gaming Association, Americans legally bet a total of $149.90 billion on sports in 2024. That's a far cry from the $11.2 billion bet on racing in 2024. The good news is that handle really doesn't matter the way it used to. With the major exception being California, racing in nearly every state is heavily subsidized by revenues from casinos and slot machines. The poster child for this is Parx, where it is estimated that revenue from slot machines accounts for nearly 90 percent of all money that goes into the purse fund. While the level of betting at the Kentucky tracks is still healthy, they would not be having $100,000 maiden special weight races at Turfway Park without the considerable amount of money that flows in from Historical Horse Racing machines. Kentucky has nothing to worry about. In a state where horse racing and breeding is a huge economic force, the HHR subsidies are going nowhere. But what about other states? Is it only a matter of time before some state governments come to the conclusion that there are better ways to spend the casino money than on horse racing. Lowering property races? Making tuition costs more affordable for students who stay in-state to go to college? Raising the salaries of policemen and firemen? Etc., etc. So, as not to be a total Debby Downer, there are things to look forward to over the next 10 years. The Triple Crown, particularly the GI Kentucky Derby, and the Breeders' Cup, have never been more popular. Young people love to get dressed up and party at these events (though there's no indication that they bet or will become regular fans). Racing in Kentucky is thriving. The same can be said for Oaklawn Park. The sport has done a much better job of keeping horses out of the slaughter pipeline. (Though it still has a lot of work to do). Maybe this will be the era where racing finds a way to form a marriage with sports betting and the Gen-Z sports player can make a parlay wager on the Kentucky Derby and the Knicks at minus 3 1/2 points? In one form or another, the sport will survive, and not just through 2036, but for years to come. But, slots subsidies or no slots subsidies, the very backbone of this sport has always been pari-mutuel handle. And, largely due to the CAW factor, handle is sure to keep falling. Looking ahead, that is racing's biggest problem, and I only wish there was a viable, obvious solution. There is not. The post Week in Review: Racing in 2036 – The Declining Handle is the Biggest Threat appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Museum Mile capped a busy and successful 3-year-old season with a victory over older foes in the Arima Kinen (G1T) Dec. 28 at Nakayama Racecourse.View the full article