Wandering Eyes

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

Museum Mile eased the pain of last year's agonising defeat for jockey Cristian Demuro when producing an irresistible late burst to win Sunday's Arima Kinen, the fan-voted 'Grand Prix' of Japan. Returning to Nakayama Racecourse, the scene of his Classic victory in April's Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2,000 Guineas), Museum Mile was settled towards the rear of the 16-strong field in the early stages. Shadowing Danon Decile (Epiphaneia) for much of the race, the son of Leontes swung wide around the final two corners and began to pick off his rivals one by one. Moving alongside Danon Decile with 100 metres to run, he proceeded to reel in longshot Cosmo Kuranda (Al Ain) to become only the fourth three-year-old winner of the Arima Kinen this century, emulating Deep Impact (2005), Vodka (2007) and Efforia (2021). The official winning margin at the line was a half-length, with Danon Decile finishing just a neck behind Cosmo Kuranda as he occupied the final podium position for the second consecutive year. The hard-luck story of the race was the defending champion, Regaleira, who did very well under the circumstances to be beaten just 1 1/4 lengths into fourth. The daughter of Suave Richard recorded an identical time to the winner for the final three furlongs, but simply had too much ground to make up following a sluggish exit from the stalls. “It was revenge from last year,” an elated Demuro said of his reversal in fortunes, having partnered Shahryar (Deep Impact) when he was beaten just a nose by Regaleira 12 months ago. “Last year, Regaleira cut my dream and, this year, I brought it back. I just followed Danon Decile all the way. He opened the way for us in the last stretch and, when we came outside, I knew we could beat him. The horse likes the Nakayama track, so it was a big advantage for us. I'm very happy to win the Arima Kinen on its 70th anniversary.” Proving well suited by the step up to 2,500 metres when winning the Arima Kinen, Museum Mile has been beaten just once in four career starts at Nakayama, with his other win coming in September's G2 Asahi Hai St Lite Kinen. Away from his favourite stomping ground, the Daisuke Takayanagi trainee was also third in last year's G1 Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes at Kyoto, while his first start against older horses resulted in a runner-up finish behind Masquerade Ball (Duramente) in last month's G1 Tenno Sho (Autumn) at Tokyo. Pedigree Notes Museum Mile features among a pair of top-level winners for Leontes, who is based at the Breeders Stallion Station in Hokkaido. The Japanese champion two-year-old colt of 2015, before posting one of his best efforts as a three-year-old when finishing fifth in the Satsuki Sho, Leontes is also responsible for last year's Tenno Sho (Spring) winner T O Royal. This colt is the first foal out of the Listed Sweet Pea Stakes second Museum Hill (Heart's Cry) who, in turn, is out of a half-sister to the G3 Keisei Hai Autumn Handicap hero King's Trail (Sunday Silence) and the Listed-placed Santa Fe Soleil (Agnes Tachyon). His third dam, the winning Northern Taste mare Santa Fe Trail, is a half-sister to Shinko Lovely (Caerleon), the one-time champion older mare in Japan. Museum Hill's second foal, Festival Hill (Saturnalia), looked a filly with Classic potential for 2026 when winning last month's G3 Fantasy Stakes at Kyoto. Sunday, Nakayama, Japan ARIMA KINEN (GRAND PRIX)-G1, ¥960,040,000, Nakayama, 12-28, 3yo/up, 2500mT, 2:31.50, fm. 1–MUSEUM MILE (JPN), 126, c, 3, by Leontes (Jpn) 1st Dam: Museum Hill (Jpn) (SP-Jpn, $772,865), by Heart's Cry (Jpn) 2nd Dam: Loretto Chapel (Jpn), by French Deputy 3rd Dam: Santa Fe Trail (Jpn), by Northern Taste O-Sunday Racing; B-Northern Farm; T-Daisuke Takayanagi; J-Cristian Demuro; ¥503,528,000. Lifetime Record: 10-5-2-1, ¥961,799,000. *1/2 to Festival Hill (Jpn) (Saturnalia {Jpn}), GSW-Jpn, $295,888. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. 2–Cosmo Kuranda (Jpn), 128, c, 4, Al Ain (Jpn)–Southern Speed (Aus), by Southern Image. O/B-Big Red Farm; ¥201,008,000. 3–Danon Decile (Jpn), 128, c, 4, Epiphaneia (Jpn)–Top Decile, by Congrats. (¥135,000,000 Ylg '22 JRHJUL). O-Danox Inc.; B-Shadai Farm; ¥130,540,000. Margins: HF, NK, HF. Odds: 2.80, 110.50, 2.80. Also Ran: Regaleira (Jpn), Sunrise Zipangu (Jpn), Tastiera (Jpn), Justin Palace (Jpn), Exicite Bio (Jpn), Meiner Emperor (Jpn), Chevalier Rose (Jpn), Admire Terra (Jpn), Elton Rose (Jpn), Meisho Tabaru (Jpn), Shin Emperor (Fr), Arata (Jpn), Mystery Way (Jpn). Click for the JRA chart & video. The post Demuro Gains Arima Kinen “Revenge” Aboard Dominant Museum Mile appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Leading commentator Jerry Hannon, widely regarded as the voice of Irish racing, is next in the hot seat. The Kerry native took over from Des Scahill in his role as the leading racecourse commentator in Ireland in 2008 and his voice has been associated with some of the best and most memorable races in the country in recent years. What is your defining memory of 2025? It's always special commentating at my local racecourse in Listowel and, for Eoin McCarthy to end the week as the leading trainer there, that was an achievement that stands out above all else for me in 2025. Is there a race or a commentary that sticks out above all else? Galopin Des Champs at Leopardstown. Racing fans have a deep appreciation for him so any one of his big-race wins at Leopardstown sticks out for different reasons. He spoils for choice. Tell us something that people don't know about Jerry Hannon? That joining the priesthood was a genuine CAO option for me after I completed the Leaving Certificate in 1998! You have one of the most recognisable voices in racing. But tell us this, how did you become a commentator in the first place? It became my party piece! I enjoyed impersonating commentators' calls on many of the big races when I was younger. Michael O'Hehir's Foinavon Grand National call from 1967 was a particular favourite. What keeps you awake at night? The thoughts of sitting on the M50 motorway the following morning! If you were not a racing commentator, what career path would you have taken? Forgetting the priesthood, becoming a TV newsreader was a fallback plan. Who has been your biggest inspiration/mentor? Pat Keane, who worked with the Irish Examiner, was always a wise counsel when I was starting out in the game. Your favourite racecourse/festival and why? It has to be Galway. The mixed cards at the Festival there provide an amazing atmosphere. It is the best commentary box in Ireland. Your go-to karaoke song? Being a big Liverpool fan, I'll have to go with You'll Never Walk Alone. And finally, a trade secret to end on; do commentators have favourites? Ie, is there one trainer or jockey you shout for a little louder than others? I am impartial in the main but I love seeing young people, especially the apprentice jockeys, enjoying success. The post In The Hot Seat: Jerry Hannon appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Bloodstock agent Jason Kelly reflects on a memorable year highlighted by Group 1 scorer Maranoa Charlie There will be people who won't want 2025 to end. Bloodstock agent Jason Kelly is one of those people. A slew of big-races success this year was highlighted by Maranoa Charlie (Wootton Bassett), an inspired mid-summer buy who delivered a breakthrough Group 1 victory for Bond Thoroughbreds in the Prix de la Foret before being snapped up by Tally-Ho Stud, where he will stand for an opening fee of €20,000 next year. There was also Group 3 glory for Bond's Black Caviar Gold while long-standing clients like Akela Thoroughbreds enjoyed a beano with some well-bred fillies trained by David O'Meara, with whom Kelly cut his teeth with and enjoys a close working relationship to this day. Put simply, there has been a lot to toot one's horn about, if one was that way inclined. But Kelly isn't. Instead, he prefers to let the horses do the talking. “I just try to get on with my work,” he says openly. “Even when the sales are on in Newmarket, I'd always stay away in Cambridge. I wouldn't be a massive talker. I don't hate it [speaking to the press] but sometimes I think a lot of it can be hot air. I mean, everyone likes the horse that they buy. We'll find out in six months' time if you were right or wrong so maybe it's better to let the horses do the talking sometimes.” Kelly revealed that, when striking a deal for Maranoa Charlie, he felt the three-year-old had the capabilities of winning a Group 1 within the next 18 months. To that extent, the Christopher Head-trained colt delivered his side of the bargain much earlier than expected when storming to that memorable triumph at ParisLongchamp. “Charlie Bond was looking to buy a high-end horse,” Kelly remembers about how Maranoa Charlie first appeared on his radar. “He had obviously invested a lot of money into the game and Maranoa Charlie had won his Group 3 and looked to be set up to run well in the Group 1 Prix Jean Prat so it was there in front of us really. You were buying into a horse who could potentially run in a Group 1 on his next start so it made a lot of sense. He is a horse who has always been blessed with a lot of natural speed. The only question was whether he would conserve enough energy to be able to finish off and win one of those Group 1s. Thankfully, it all came together when he showed his speed as well as how tough he can be when he won his Group 1 in the Prix de la Foret.” He added, “In fairness, we did think that he had stallion potential – he did win a Group 3 carrying a penalty before we bought him – but, for it to work out as it did, it was a dream. We were thinking of an 18-month plan in trying to gain that Group 1 success with him so it happened quicker than we imagined it could. He was obviously based with a fantastic trainer who could deliver the goods.” Maranoa Charlie | Scoop Dyga No trainer has played an integral role in Kelly's career than O'Meara. It was on Roger O'Callaghan's advice that Kelly, who abandoned a career in finance in favour of pursuing his passion within the bloodstock industry, gained some experience with the Irishman based in Yorkshire. That was in the summer of 2013 and the relationship has endured to this day, where Kelly remains a key cog in the wheel of the operation in his role as race planner and racing manager. He explained, “My granddad bred a few horses so I was always around them from a young age. Growing up in Kildare, it was either Gaelic Football or horses, and I suppose I gravitated a bit more towards the GAA. After I went to college in UCD, I got a job in finance but quickly learned that an office job wasn't for me. So I left that and went to America, where I worked with Archie St George before I came back to Ireland and spent some time with Tally-Ho Stud. It was actually Roger who put me in contact with David. I went there in 2013 and have been associated with him ever since. Roger was keen for me to go and get some experience in a racing yard – he thought I'd learn a lot doing that – so he introduced me to David on a Friday and I was working for him by the following Monday. I didn't go over there with any great plan but it is a place where you get back what you put in. I just worked as hard as I could and, like I said, David is the type of fella who will give you the opportunities to progress.” He added, “I always loved going to the sales but David preferred to be in the yard and to be working hands-on with the horses, so there was an opportunity there. In fairness, a trainer cannot do everything either. Between watching horses working in the morning, doing entries and meeting owners, there are only so many hours in the day so you need to be delegating.” Lord Glitters, who Kelly sourced in 2017 for €270,000, put the young bloodstock agent's name in lights with a string of high-profile victories, including the Group 1 Jebel Hatta in Meydan back in 2021. The gorgeous grey earned himself a loyal fan group and amassed over £2 million in prize-money before being retired in 2022. He will forever be remembered as the horse who put Kelly on the map, yet, a horse few will remember, First Bombardment, could be credited for getting the ball rolling on Kelly's career. He explained, “The first time David let me out at a sale, I came home with a horse called First Bombardment [from the yearling sales at £18,000]. He wasn't a superstar or anything but he was beaten just a short head in the Brocklesby. It wasn't a big order but everyone was happy with him. They can't all be Group 1 horses and, when you are spending 20 grand, you've got to be realistic – you're trying to find a fun horse that will get people racing.” Kelly was a major force at all of the European yearling sales this year with business being done on behalf of a range of different clients. Along with Bond Thoroughbreds, Akela Thoroughbreds, Brighton footballer Georginio Rutter and Jinky Farms, have also enjoyed a fruitful year and remain important clients going forward into 2026. He said, “Akela Thoroughbreds are big supporters. Nighteyes (Night Of Thunder) has been brilliant for them and Mark Markey of Akela Thoroughbreds keeps his mares in Ireland. They are actually building a farm on the Curragh and that will be amazing when it is built. They have some exciting mares to retire there – Obviously Nighteyes but also Tundra Rose (Tamayuz), who is a very quick filly and was third in the Listed Montrose Stakes at Newmarket last year. Akela Thoroughbreds have had horses like Epic Poet (Lope De Vega) and Get Shirty (Teofilo) in the past but they were horses-in-training purchases. It has become harder and harder to find those types of horses at the sales so we have changed tack and bought fillies with pedigrees and it seems to be going well. Nighteyes is obviously the flag-bearer given she was second in the Group 1 Flying Five Stakes. She actually fractured her fetlock in that race. Thankfully, she has completed her rehab and is out in the field, so the plan will be for her to visit Blue Point in the new year. “Another Night Of Thunder filly, Ryka, has improved a huge amount for David this year, culminating with an impressive performance to win a Listed race in France in October. She's only a three-year-old so we're hoping there might be even more improvement and she is a good advertisement for David's capabilities as a trainer given she has progressed through the ranks this season from a filly that was rated 77 to winning her Listed race. Hopefully she can pick up a Group race next year and then retire back to the stud.” He added, “Georginio Rutter and Jinky Farms have also done quite well this year. They bought Orion's Belt (Starman), who was second in the Dick Poole, and have a number of other nice horses in training. Georginio still has horses with David O'Meara but, when he transferred to Brighton and moved south, he wanted to be close to some horses there. So we teamed up with Ross Doyle and bought three yearlings and they've all worked out. It's a good partnership and hopefully they have a lot of luck going forward.” Kelly's outlook on the game is a refreshing one. Despite closing in on his most successful year as a bloodstock agent, he is not comfortable about hogging the limelight and prefers to emphasise the important role that owners play in the whole ecosystem. He concluded, “Good trainers make a massive difference and I have been fortunate to be able to buy for David, Paddy Twomey and Richard Hannon, so that has been a massive help. As a bloodstock agent, you are only as good as the orders that you have. There's no point being able to pick the horses if you are not able to buy them. Owners are everything and I am lucky to have some great people on board.” The post ‘For Maranoa Charlie To Work Out As Well As He Has Is A Dream’ appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

BloodHorse has reprised its online year-end survey to ask some of the sport's leading individuals for their opinions on pertinent issues facing the sport.View the full article

Timaru trainer Stephanie Faulkner has always dreamed of winning her home cup, and that turned into a reality at Phar Lap Raceway on Sunday courtesy of Shaking Stevens (NZ) (American Pharoah). The five-year-old gelding had an army of supporters on course, and the local crowd got right in behind the son of American Pharoah, backing him from $8 into a $3.20 favourite for the Craigmore Sustainable Holdings Timaru Cup (1600m). He rocketed out of the gates from his ace barrier and took an early lead under jockey Tina Comignaghi, but soon handed up to an improving Tumuch. Comignaghi put her charge to sleep in the trail before waking him up at the top of the straight when asking him to chase down the leader and he duly responded, slowly eating into Tumuch’s advantage before hitting the front and holding out a fast-finishing Sir Albert to win by a nose. Faulkner was rapt to finally get her hands on her home Cup. “It wasn’t in my wildest dreams that I would win the big race at Timaru, but we have done it,” she said. “I had a horse years ago, when I trained back in the nineties, called Petrify and he ran second, so it was great to win it today.” Faulkner was pleased with Shaking Stevens’ condition heading into the race and was quietly confident after he jumped away so well. “He won it at the start, he jumped out that well and she (Comignaghi) could dictate what she wanted to do then,” Faulkner said. “It was a nice, cool ride by Tina, and when the pace was slapped on she let them go and relaxed him, he is a pretty easy horse.” His large group of owners were trackside on Sunday, and they were in full voice as they cheered home their charge. “The guys that own this horse are so excited, I don’t think they will be sleeping tonight,” Faulkner said. “I don’t think they have seen so many people in the birdcage to get into the photo. All the owners were there with their kids and it was really cool. There were a lot of friends and family there today which made it even more special.” Bred and formerly raced by The Oaks Stud in Cambridge, Shaking Stevens had 14 starts for Cambridge trainer Stephen Marsh before being offered on gavelhouse.com earlier this year where he was purchased for $8,000. Faulkner has taken a patient approach with Shaking Stevens since he arrived in her care in March and he has turned a corner since she changed his shoeing at the start of spring and he has gone on to win four of his last five starts. “Before he started winning for us, he was hanging and carry on a little bit and doing a few things wrong,” Faulkner said. “He had a bit of trouble with his feet, so we got the shoes fixed up and balanced a bit better and got that all ironed out and he turned the corner after we gave him that treatment. “He is looking better-and-better. He looked magnificent out there today. He had a real glimmer and he walked out there like he owned the place.” While Shaking Stevens has been in work for a long time, Faulkner said he hasn’t been overtaxed and he benefited from a change of scenery a couple of weeks ago. “We have had him since March, so he has basically been in work since then,” Faulkner said. “A couple of weeks ago he had a week up at Brian Court’s place on the water walker, just for a change of scenery, and I think that really freshened him up after Cromwell (last-start win).” With Shaking Stevens’ $46,000 winning cheque in-hand, Faulkner is now eyeing loftier targets, and will likely press on to next months $350,000 Life Direct Remutaka Classic (2100m) at Trentham. “At the start of the season we planned to get him into the Remutaka Classic,” she said. “He will have a bit of weight to carry in that but there will be a couple of others on the same weight. “While you have got them in good form like him, you have got to have a crack.” View the full article

A barnstorming finish has delivered Te Akau Racing with a stunning late Christmas present as underrated galloper What You Wish For (NZ) (Embellish) came from last on the home bend to take out the Harcourts Taupo Cup (2000m) in front of a bumper holiday crowd. The Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson-prepared five-year-old had provided mixed results in the first four starts of his current campaign, with his most recent run seeing him finish midfield in the Gr.3 Manawatu Cup (2300m) at Trentham on 20 December. Walker and Bergerson gave him a couple of days to freshen up after the long float trip to their Matamata base and the son of Embellish looked a picture of health during his pre-start parade. With a number of runners keen on being near the pace in the feature event on the day, rider Wiremu Pinn was content to settle back near last on What You Wish For and was spotting pacemaker Knights Realm more than 10 lengths as the pressure was applied at the 800m. Pinn didn’t panic as he took his mount to the outside on the home bend and just as Knights Realm looked to have stolen the major spoils, What You Wish For stormed past him in the final 100m to claim a one length victory with ease. Bergerson was delighted to see his charge back in winning form with his last victory coming in the Listed Kaimai Stakes (2000m) back in February. “It was a really good effort today, although we were happy with him heading into Trentham, but he just fails to get past 2000m,” Bergerson said. “We gave him a light week, changed it up a little and kept him nice and fresh. “It was a good, patient ride by Billy (Pinn), but geez he sprinted well. “He just loves Taupo and he won like this first up last season, so we thought we would try our luck and come back again. “He has always been a talented galloper but just hasn’t had the rub of the green at times and is a good horse on his day. “We may freshen him up again and go to the Taranaki Cup (Gr.3, 1800m) or even defend his Kaimai Stakes (Listed, 2000m) title.” What You Wish For was offered by breeders Cambridge Stud in Book 1 of Karaka 2022, where David Ellis bought him for $60,000. He has now won five of his 24 starts and $284,465 in stakes. The Taupo Cup was also the final race in the Northern Cups Bonus Series, with Agera holding on to score a two-point victory over Just Charlie to take home the $50,000 winner takes all bonus. View the full article

Join Emily Murphy and Bruce Sherwin as they break down the action from the Boxing Day Races out of Ellerslie. Plus a look forward to some of the feature races upcoming including the Group 1 Telegraph Handicap at Trentham. Weigh In, December 28 View the full article

Matamata horseman Benji King had a day to remember at Ellerslie on Boxing Day. He started the day off well when his promising mare Mid Ocean (NZ) (Ocean Park) scored in the Horizon By SkyCity 1400 in the colours of her breeder and co-owner Henrietta, Dowager Duchess of Bedford, and two races later Well Written (Written Tycoon), who he purchased and sold as a younger horse, continued her unbeaten streak when taking out the Gr.2 Jimmy Schick Shaw’s Auckland Guineas (1400m) for trainer Stephen Marsh. “I was really thrilled,” King said. “It was a fantastic day for the entire team, for us especially and for my Dad (Nick King) and the farm (Brighthill Farm), both of those horses came off his farm. It was exciting. “Both of my brothers (Harry and Charlie) and my sister Soph were all back for Christmas, so it all worked out really well.” Mid Ocean had shown ability as a three-year-old last term when winning one and placing in two of her five starts, and competed in the Gr.1 New Zealand Oaks (2400m). “Heading into the Oaks we were always a little bit on the back foot,” King said. “It was pretty amazing to even get her there, it shows the ability that she has and the willingness to be a racehorse, that’s her biggest asset.” The daughter of Ocean Park was having her first run of the season at Ellerslie last Friday, and King admitted to being a relieved man when she was first past the post. “It was enjoyable and a slight relief because we have such a high opinion of her,” he said. “It was nice to see her match up to those decent horses on a big day like that. It gives us a bit of confidence now and we can look towards some nicer features.” King is now eyeing a return to Ellerslie with his mare next month. “At this stage, I am looking at Karaka Millions night in a fillies and mares 1400m (Jo Giles Stakes),” he said. An hour later, while still coming down from the high of training a winner on one of Ellerslie’s biggest days, King cheered home his former filly Well Written to win the Auckland Guineas. King purchased the daughter of Written Tycoon as a weanling out of Inglis’ Great Southern Sale for $35,000 on the advice of his brother Harry, who works for Yulong in Australia as their Sales and Nominations Manager. King wasn’t able to make it to the sale, so Harry sent through a short list and King said he was immediately taken by Well Written when seeing her photos and videos. “My brother Harry is based in Melbourne, so he floats a lot of horse’s profiles through,” King said. “We are always in the market to buy and sell. We didn’t make it to the foal sale, but Harry sent through a couple of pictures and videos of a handful (of weanlings), and she was one of them. “We didn’t think we would be anywhere near a chance on a Written Tycoon filly out of a nice mare, but she just had a couple of little imperfections and that is where we like to strike. She was a little bit lighter and a little bit small, but we felt like we could improve her and we bought her at a nice price.” While King bought Well Written as a racing prospect, life threw a few curve balls his way and he elected to offer her through Brighthill Farm’s 2024 New Zealand Bloodstock Online Yearling Sale draft where she was purchased by her trainer Stephen Marsh and his racing manager Dylan Johnson for $80,000. “We were buying to race a nice filly like her, but I had a bit of an accident, and we decided to sell,” he said. “But everyone has got a good bite of the bone.” Well Written has been a sensation since winning on debut at Ellerslie in September, going on to win the Gr.2 Soliloquy Stakes (1400m) and Gr.1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) before her Boxing Day triumph. While no longer in his care, King said he still feels very much a part of her journey. “We feel like we still played a big part because she was quite underdone when we got her,” he said. “She spent a lot of time at the stud and we made sure that she was well looked after. We feel like we are a big part of her career and where she has got to. “It is so nice to see a graduate go on and perform on the track.” In a full-circle moment, the King family still has a connection with the filly after Yulong Investments purchased into her prior to her NZ 1000 Guineas triumph, and Harry King, who works for the industry giant, was trackside to share in the celebrations on Boxing Day. “He (Harry) has got a big love for Written Tycoon, and he is very proud of Yulong and the job that he does there,” Benji King said. “He thought she was going to be a good buy and that has proven to be the case.” While the Kings have enjoyed the ride with Well Written, it is set to continue over the coming months, with the filly a short-priced favourite for both the TAB Karaka Millions 3YO (1600m) and $4 million NZB Kiwi (1500m), where she will represented Entain New Zealand’s TAB slot. King purchased Well Written under his Foxhill Thoroughbreds banner, a business he established with his partner Lena Jones shortly after the pandemic. It is primarily a pre-training and breaking-in business, while King has several racehorses in his care, and they also operate their own spelling property. King said Jones plays a key role in the business on top of being the primary carer for their children Annabelle and Gracie. “We have been on this property for a couple of years now. We do breaking, pre-training and we buy and sell horses. We have even bred a couple of mares. We are testing the waters and giving our clients plenty of options,” King said. “We have 10-acres and Lena runs that and all of the spellers, and that gives me a big break so I can focus on the training side of things. She is the one behind the scenes. She does all of the paperwork and accounts, which is a big part of the business.” The business has also diversified into breeze-up sales this year, with Foxhill Thoroughbreds offering their first draft at last month’s New Zealand Bloodstock Ready To Run Sale. King sold both of his two-year-olds and he was pleased with his debut effort. “We did our first ready-to-run draft this year and we had a bit of success,” he said. “Both horses breezed up nicely and sold really well.” Growing up on Brighthill Farm, King has always been involved in the breeding side of the industry, and that is where he spent most of his career until his interest was piqued in the racing side of the industry when he was working in Australia. “I have grown up on the stud side, that is where I have learned my trade,” he said. “That was enjoyable and I even bred a stakes winner early and I was right into the breeding. We were selling nice stock. “I went to Australia and I really found the passion that Australians had for racing was quite infectious. Once I got a taste for it, it was something that I really wanted to have a go at.” King dipped his toe in the racing water when returning to New Zealand where he began to work in the mornings at Te Akau for trainer Jamie Richards before he decided to head offshore to further his education. “I had to work hard to do it, I wasn’t a great rider,” he said. “I worked in the mornings at the stables to learn to ride for Jamie Richards. I went to Mark Todd’s in England to learn to ride and train. I felt if I could understand the riding it would help me a long way. “I tried to work as hard as I could at that. When I came back to New Zealand and was working for Dad, that was when I got the taste for the training side of the industry and I felt that if I worked for Jamie Richards at Te Akau, which I did for a few years in the mornings, I would learn a lot, which I did. I then ventured off and had a crack.” King is proud that he has taken the risk and pursued his passion for training, and he is now reaping the rewards with his fledgling business. “It has grown quite a bit and I have got some awesome people around me, it is a real team effort,” he said. “We are just trying to provide a good service for clients, whether that is a pinhook, a ready-to-run, a racehorse, or whatever it may be.” King, who is now in his fourth season of training, is excited about the prospects of his racing team, including Mid Ocean, and he highlighted three-year-old filly Burnerphone (NZ) (Microphone) as one to watch. “I really like a horse we have got called Burnerphone,” he said. “She has had two starts and she has won a couple of trials. She is just needing some time to strengthen, but she is the one we are looking forward to the most.” View the full article

Leading Queensland rider Angela Jones will make her New Zealand debut at Ellerslie on New Year’s Day where she will partner the Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott-prepared mare Smart Love (NZ) (Savabeel) in the Gr.2 Rich Hill Mile (1600m). The 24-year-old hoop created history at the conclusion of the 2024-25 racing season when becoming the first female rider to lift the Queensland metropolitan jockeys’ premiership, and she is currently one of the most sought after riders in Australia. Her connection to the O’Sullivan and Scott team began in April 2024 when her fiancée, Kyle Wilson-Taylor, partnered Waitak in the A$5m Quokka for the stable, with Jones in attendance at the Western Australia Carnival. “We first met Angela when she came to Perth with Kyle, who rode Waitak in the Quokka for us,” Scott said. “We spent plenty of time with her and she really impressed us. We have followed her riding since then, especially during the big Brisbane carnivals, and she really is a very accomplished jockey. “She has continued to grow in confidence and is just getting better and better. She won the Queensland Premiership last season, which is a very big achievement, and a reward for how well she is riding.” Scott is confident that Jones will suit Smart Love, who has looked an exceptional talent as she has made her way through the grades this season, and is keen to see her tackle the big guns in the prestigious Ellerslie feature. “Angela jumped at the chance to come over for the day and we think she will really suit our mare,” he said. “I also think she will definitely want to put a Group Two New Zealand win on her record as Kyle won the Wellington Guineas (Gr.2, 1400m) on Grail Seeker for the stable and she won’t want him having that on his own. “We have got her on two of our other runners on the day to help get a feel for the track, and being the professional she is I’m sure she will have done plenty of homework on those rides and the Ellerslie surface, which can trip a few up the first time they go there. “Smart Love worked with Checkmate, who is a race rival, on Saturday morning and we couldn’t be happier with how they both went. “We think they are both going to be very strong, lightweight chances so it is nice to go into a big raceday with genuine contenders in races like that.” Scott also reported that stable star Waitak (NZ) (Proisir) had pulled up well from his exertions in the Gr.1 Zabeel Classic (2000m) on Boxing Day where the rub of the green didn’t go his way when finishing towards the rear of the field “He (Waitak) pulled up good as gold after not having a lot of luck in running,” Scott said. “They weren’t going a gallop early on so he got a bit keen and when they sprinted he was left flat footed and plugged on well enough. “He can have a couple of days off and then we will get him ready for the Herbie Dyke Stakes (Gr.1, 2000m) at Te Rapa in February.” View the full article

Trainer Bob Baffert has entered five 3-year-olds in the 7-furlong Malibu Stakes (G1), headed by recent Perryville Stakes (G3) winner Barnes.View the full article

Montador, which in Portuguese means "assembler," put it all together in notching his first stakes win in the $98,000 Woodchopper Stakes Dec. 27 at Fair Ground Race Course & Slots.View the full article

Kentucky Derby (G1) and Belmont Stakes (G1) winner Sovereignty is preparing to compete as a 4-year-old, according to Godolphin USA director of bloodstock Michael Banahan.View the full article

A return on 13 days' rest and a stretch out from a sprint to a route proved insignificant obstacles for Counting Stars, who improved to 3-for-4 in romping in the $150,000 Year's End Stakes Dec. 27 at Oaklawn Park.View the full article

Securing his first stakes win, Knightsbridge's victory in the $150,000 Mr. Prospector Stakes (G3) at Gulfstream Park Dec. 27 announced him as a threat in future one-turn mile events.View the full article

Counting Stars (Honor A. P.) opened her account at first asking with a four-length success at Churchill Sept. 25, but could not repeat the dose at short odds when a distant fifth in the Oct. 24 Myrtlewood Stakes at Keeneland. The bay bounced back in no uncertain terms with a four-length tally in the Astral Spa Stakes here just 13 days back, but was a warm item to handle the quick turnaround and added real estate. Ridden for a bit of speed from her wide draw, Counting Stars was trapped out deep into the first turn and was content to punch the breeze while not far from the pace through the middle furlongs. Allowed to stride into the lead midway on the second bend, the bay filly quickened up nicely and ran away from her rivals in the short stretch to win convincingly. Paynterbynumbers is the dam of a yearling filly by Epicenter and was not covered for 2026. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV. YEAR'S END S., $150,000, Oaklawn, 12-27, 2yo, f, 1m, 1:38.68, ft. 1–COUNTING STARS, 122, f, 2, by Honor A. P. 1st Dam: Paynterbynumbers, by Paynter 2nd Dam: Ruth and Neva, by Cherokee Run 3rd Dam: Tap for Gold, by Pleasant Tap ($13,000 Ylg '24 KEESEP; $150,000 2yo '25 OBSAPR). O-West Point Thoroughbreds; B-HRH Prince Sultan Bin Mishal Al Saud (KY); T-Mark E Casse; J-Francisco Arrieta. $81,000. Lifetime Record: 4-3-0-0, $230,606. 2–Newtown Pike, 117, f, 2, McKinzie–Newellton, by Trappe Shot. 1ST BLACK TYPE. ($75,000 Ylg '24 KEESEP; $140,000 2yo '25 EASMAY). O-Choctaw Racing Stable; B-Curt Leake & Elm Tree Farm LLC (KY); T-Lindsay Schultz. $27,000. 3–Scot's Law, 117, f, 2, Tiz the Law–Bodebabe, by Bodemeister. 1ST BLACK TYPE. ($50,000 Ylg '24 KEESEP). O-Millard R Seldin Revocable Trust; B-Winchester Farm (KY); T-John Alexander Ortiz. $13,500. Margins: 6, 3/4, 3. Odds: 1.20, 18.60, 6.30. Also Ran: Paving, Authentic Cat, Copper Wind, Kaboom, Fizzy Lass, Sticker Shocked. #8 COUNTING STARS ($4.40) shone brightly in the $150,000 Year's End Stakes at @OaklawnRacing. The juvenile Honor A.P. (@LanesEndFarms) filly is now a two-time stakes winner. @jockeyfarrieta rode the @markecasse trainee for @westpointtbred. pic.twitter.com/bxndYO2hST — FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) December 27, 2025 The post Quickfire Stakes Double For Honor A. P.’s Counting Stars appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Horse of the Year candidate and MGISW Sovereignty (Into Mischief) will return to racing in 2026. The news was confirmed by Godolphin's Michael Banahan in an interview Saturday with FanDuel TV. Questioned about the stable's star runner, Banahan told FanDuel's Caton Bredar that Sovereignty was “doing great”. “He's up in Kentucky at the moment,” Banahan said. “He's at Keeneland. He's galloping–doing fine. We'll probably get him down here to Payson [Park] early in the new year and get him [trainer] Bill [Mott]. Hopefully we'll have as a good a year as last year.” As a 3-year-old, Sovereignty earned over $5.6m, beginning his season with a win in the GII Coolmore Fountain of Youth Stakes. After running second to Tappan Street (Into Mischief) in the GI Curlin Florida Derby in April, Sovereignty would go undefeated the rest of the year, winning the GI Kentucky Derby, the GI Belmont Stakes, the GII Jim Dandy Stakes and the GI DraftKings Travers Stakes. He was training up to a start in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic last month when an ill-timed fever forced his scratch in California. “We'll probably get him down here to Payson early in the new year.” @CBredar asked the question and @Godolphin's Michael Banahan gave the answer. SOVEREIGNTY will return in 2026! pic.twitter.com/lglkAlTw8h — FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) December 27, 2025 The post Sovereignty To Return In 2026 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article