Wandering Eyes

Voyage Bubble and Ka Ying Rising return from December glory in a Group 1 doubleheader at Sha Tin Racecourse in Hong Kong.View the full article

Multiple graded winners Newgrange (Violence) and Skippylongstocking (Exaggerator) each recorded their final works Friday in preparation for the 1 1/8-mile, $3-million, Jan. 25 GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational at Gulfstream Park. Newgrange, who was previously trained by Phil D'Amato and is now in the barn of Jose D'Angelo, breezed five furlongs in 1:01 at Palm Meadows. After winning the GII San Pasqual Stakes at Santa Anita last January, Newgrange hasn't raced since July. The five-time graded-winning millionaire's first Florida work came Jan. 8 at Palm Meadows, when he went a half-mile in :47. “He arrived to the barn in December,” said D'Angelo. “He got a little sick so that's why I had to wait a little bit to work the first time for us. The [last] workout was in company and was pretty good [with a] nice gallop out, so that's why today we worked him five furlongs just trying to get a little air for the race. He worked good. He started strong and closed, so that's what we were looking for today.” Seven-time graded winner Skippylongstocking also worked at Palm Meadows Friday, getting four furlongs in :49.35. His last start was a sixth in the GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile, a race in which he finished third in 2023. Trained by Saffie Joseph, Jr., Skippylongstocking will be making his third straight start in the Pegasus. The post Final Pegasus Works for Newgrange and Skippylongstocking appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

What Stewards’ Cup Day 2025 Where Sha Tin Racecourse – Tai Po Rd, Sha Tin District, Hong Kong When Sunday, January 19, 2025 First Race 12:30pm HKT (3:30pm AEDT) Visit Dabble Group 1 action returns to Sha Tin Racecourse on Sunday afternoon, with the Group 1 Stewards’ Cup (1600m) and Group 1 Centenary Sprint Cup (1200m) headlining a bumper 11-race program. The rail is in the A position throughout the entire circuit, and with no rainfall expected in the region, punters can expect pristine Good 4 conditions as we edge closer into the evening. The opening event is scheduled to get underway at 12:30pm HKT. Stewards’ Cup Tip: Galaxy Patch After a luckless performance in the Group 1 Hong Kong Mile (1600m) on December 8, Galaxy Patch gets his chance at redemption in the 2025 Stewards’ Cup. He got caught up in traffic at a crucial stage in his latest outing, only getting through his gears in the final furlong, while Voyage Bubble stayed out of trouble to boot clear by 1.3 lengths. Gate three should allow the newly appointed Blake Shinn to take much closer order this time around, and with the best turn-of-foot in this race, Galaxy Patch only needs to be within striking distance to claim his maiden Group 1 success. Stewards’ Cup Race 8 – #5 Galaxy Patch (3) 5yo Gelding | T: Pierre Ng | J: Blake Shinn (57kg) Bet with Neds Centenary Sprint Cup Tip: Ka Ying Rising Although the half-length victory of Ka Ying Rising in the Group 1 Hong Kong Sprint (1200m) doesn’t jump off the page, it was hard not to be impressed by his willingness to find the line. He kept surging under Zac Purton, with the son of Shamexpress fighting off a smart one in the form of Helios Express after doing a mountain of work in the middle stages. Expect Purton to be positive from the wide draw (8) and attempt to lead; however, if Magic Control or Victor The Winner want to press on with the job, Ka Ying Rising will have no issues stalking his rivals before exploding to claim back-to-back Group 1 victories. Centenary Sprint Cup Race 6 – #1 Ka Ying Rising (8) 4yo Gelding | T: David Hayes | J: Zac Purton (57kg) Bet with BlondeBet Best Bet at Sha Tin: Light Years Charm Light Years Charm appears set to peak heading into his third Hong Kong start after an eye-catching performance at this course and distance on January 5. The son of Rubick was forced to make inroads from the rear of the field on that occasion after being dragged back from gate 11, storming through the line as one of the widest gallopers turning for home. Zac Purton gets legged aboard for the first time, and with barrier one allowing him to take closer order, expect Light Years Charm to justify the short price with horse racing bookmakers. Best Bet Race 7 – #9 Light Years Charm (1) 4yo Gelding | T: David Eustace | J: Zac Purton (55kg) Bet with Picklebet Next Best at Sha Tin: Shamus Storm The David Hayes-trained Shamus Storm caught the eye debuting at this track and trip on December 29 and was clearly the best of the beaten brigade behind Endeared. He sat on the three-wide line with cover throughout first-up before powering down the centre of the course, only to find one better as the quinella pair pressed clear of their respective rivals. Andrea Atzeni should land near the one-one from stall three, and a repeat performance second-up should have Shamus Storm figuring in the finish once again. Next Best Race 5 – #6 Shamus Storm (3) 3yo Gelding | T: David Hayes | J: Andrea Atzeni (58kg) Bet with Dabble Best Value at Sha Tin: New Forest Formerly trained by Sara Ryan in Australia, New Forest gets set to make his Hong Kong debut for the Mark Newnham barn. The Justify gelding appears to have acclimatized well to his new surroundings, claiming victory in a recent barrier trial at Conghua on January 6 to build confidence heading into this first-up assignment. Lyle Hewitson takes the reins and will be looking to make every post a winner, and provided he can steal a moderate sectional in the middle stages, watch for New Forest to give a bold sight at the each-way price with Boombet. Best Value Race 9 – #10 New Forest (3) 4yo Gelding | T: Mark Newnham | J: Lyle Hewitson (54kg) Bet with Boombet Sunday quaddie tips for Sha Tin Sha Tin quadrella selections January 19, 2025 5-8 1-3-4-8-9-10-12 2-3-6-11-12 1-3-4-5-12-14 Horse racing tips View the full article

Explore a multitude of captivating racing promotions offered by horse racing bookmakers on Saturday, January 18. Immerse yourself in the thrill with generous bonus back offers, elevating your betting experience. Delve into these promotions from top-tier online bookmakers to maximise your betting opportunities. The top Australian racing promotions for January 18, 2025, include: Today’s best horse racing promotions Rosehill & Trentham Same Race Multi – 3+ Leg Bonus Back Place a 3+ leg Same Race Multi bet on any race at Rosehill or Trentham this Saturday and if 1 leg of your multi fails, get up to $50 back in Bonus Cash. Available from approximately 8:30am local track time on race day. Neds T&C’s Apply Login to Neds to Claim Promo Flemington & Rosehill R1-5 | Run 2nd or 3rd Bonus Back up to $25 Run 2nd or 3rd in Races 1-5 at Flemington & Rosehill on Saturday and receive a bonus back up to $25. PlayUp T&Cs apply. Login to PlayUp to Claim Promo 25% Boosted Winnings! – Flemington & Rosehill Get 25% Boosted Winnings paid in BONUS CASH. Fixed win only. First bet only. Cash bet only. Max Bonus $250. Picklebet T&Cs apply. Login to Picklebet to Claim Promo Rosehill Race 2 & 3 – Copy Any Bet AND If Your Horse Runs 2nd OR 3rd – Real Cash Back Up To $25 Max refund of $25 for your first copied bet only. Eligible customers only. Max refund of $25 if your first bet runs 2nd, 3rd of 4th on the above races on November 5. Available for the first copied win bet or the win portion of a win/place bet on the selected race. Eligible customers only. Login to Dabble to Claim Promo Saturday Bonus Back 2nd or 3rd in R1-5 at 2 Metro Meetings Flemington & Rosehill. Auto-applied in Bet Slip. Limits apply. Min 6 runners. Fixed odds only. T&C’s apply. Login to UniBet to Claim Promo Blonde Boosts! Elevate your prices! BlondeBet T&C’s Apply. Login to BlondeBet to Claim Promo Punters Toolbox! Supersized Saturday helps you Bet it Out with neds! Get MORE Price Boosts, MORE Bet Backs, MORE Fluc Ups, MORE Back Ups & MORE Extra Nudge tools! Available to use on ANY races of your choice. Neds T&C’s Apply. Login to Neds to Claim Promo Top 4 Betting. Extra Place. Every Race. Bet and win up to 4th place. Picklebet T&Cs apply. Login to Picklebet to Claim Promo Owners Bonus – Win a bet on your horse & receive an extra 15% of winnings in cash Account holder must be registered as an official owner of the nominated horse. Fixed odds only. PlayUp T&Cs Apply. Login to PlayUp to Claim Promo Odds Drift Protector If the price at the jump is bigger than the price that you took, we will pay you out at the bigger odds Eligible customers. T&C’s apply. Login to Bet365 to Claim Promo COPYCASH. GET COPIED. GET PAID – Get paid $0.10 every time someone uses copy bet to copy your bets Earn $0.10 per unique Copy Bet. Max $1000 per week. Copy Cash is real money into your account. Dabble T&Cs apply. Login to Dabble to Claim Promo Daily Multi Insurance Any race. Any runner. Any odds. Get a bonus back if your multi loses. Check your Vault for eligibility Login to UniBet to Claim Promo Best Tote and Starting Price Guarantees a dividend equal to the highest of the official win dividend paid by the three Australian TAB pools or the official starting price. Maximum stake: $2,000. 18+ Gamble Responsibly. Login to BoomBet to Claim Promo How does horsebetting.com.au source its racing bonus offers? HorseBetting.com.au meticulously assesses leading Australian horse racing bookmakers, revealing thoroughbred bonus promotions for January 18, 2025. These ongoing offers underscore the dedication of top horse racing bookmakers. In the realm of horse racing betting, when one bookmaker isn’t featuring a promotion, another is stepping up. Count on HorseBetting.com.au as your go-to source for daily rewarding horse racing bookmaker bonuses. Enhance your value with competitive odds and promotions tailored for existing customers. Easily access these offers by logging in to each online bookmaker’s platform. For valuable insights into races and horses to optimise your bonus bets, trust HorseBetting’s daily free racing tips. More horse racing promotions View the full article

A former president of the Louisiana HBPA charged in a broad-ranging federal indictment in connection with staged motor vehicle collisions was accused of colluding in the murder of a witness.View the full article

Due to forecasts of subfreezing temperatures early next week, Oaklawn Park and Mahoning Valley Race Course have canceled racing Jan. 20. View the full article

Weather woes continue to plague Oaklawn Park, which is cancelling the Monday, Jan. 20 card in advance due to the forecast of freezing temperatures, according to an update from officials at the Hot Springs track. The race card originally slated for Jan. 20–Martin Luther King, Jr. Day–has been rescheduled to Thursday, Jan. 23. A four-day racing weekend is anticipated at Oaklawn with the addition of Jan. 23, highlighted by the $1-million GIII Southwest Stakes for 3-year-olds going 1 1/16 miles on Jan. 25. Racing at Oaklawn was cancelled for most of Dec. 28 and for the entire weekend of Jan. 10-12 due to weather, while Jan. 30 has been added to the calendar to assist in making up lost days. The post Monday’s Holiday Card at Oaklawn Postponed in Advance appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

9th-Tampa Bay Downs, $32,000, Msw, 1-17, 3yo, f, 1mT, 1:36.74, fm, 4 1/4 lengths. BRILLANTE (FR) (f, 3, Persian King {Ire}–Baga {Fr}, by No Nay Never) made her American debut Friday after a pair of starts as a 2-year-old in her native France. Privately purchased and imported to the Chad Brown barn late last year, the 7-5 favorite spotted the field a step at the break and raced near the back of the field behind Mona L (Caravaggio) who set an opening half tempo of :48.33. Staying wide throughout, Brillante put in a bid around the far turn, picked up steady position into the lane and surged to the front at the eighth pole to graduate nicely by 4 1/4 lengths ahead of Mona L. From Persian King's first crop, Brillante is her dam's youngest reported offspring. Sales History: €30,000 Ylg '23 ARAV2. Lifetime Record: 3-1-1-0, $23,539. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV. O-Madaket Stables LLC, Michael Dubb, William J. Rucker and William Strauss; B-Mrs. Gilles Forien, Antoine Fontaine, Vasilios Govosdis & Gilles Forien (FR); T-Chad C. Brown. It was a stunning show from BRILLANTE (FR) ($4.80) in the finale at @TampaBayDownsFL. @scamachojr1 was up for trainer Chad Brown. The three-year-old filly is by @Haras_d_Etreham's Persian King (IRE). pic.twitter.com/L7I4lsswvG — FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) January 17, 2025 The post Persian King’s Brillante Graduates With Ease In American Debut appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

There are new names on the roll of honor for the Jan. 17 Cape Verdi Stakes (G2T) after Choisya upset favorite Romantic Style.View the full article

Built (Hard Spun), a 6 3/4-length, front-running winner over Magnitude (Not This Time) in the Gun Runner Stakes Dec. 21, has been tabbed as the 3-1 morning-line favorite for Saturday's GIII Lecomte Stakes at Fair Grounds. The Lecomte offers 42 points (20-10-6-4-2) on the road to the GI Kentucky Derby. The Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners colorbearer was able to dictate the pace through easy fractions of :24 3/5 and :49 1/5 and drew off impressively to earn a field-best 92 Beyer Speed Figure while facing just four rivals that day. Built drew post 13 for the Lecomte, and figures to face a much different pace scenario this time around. “If it was the Kentucky Derby, we'd be happy with that post,” trainer Wayne Catalano said. “We got a couple of easy breezes in just to keep him happy and get a little air in his lungs. We've got him fit and ready. The horse is training great. Licking his feed tub and training great. We're very happy with him.” The unbeaten Juddmonte homebred Disco Time (Not This Time) is likely to vie for favoritism after posting a pair of impressive victories at Churchill Downs, including an optional claimer going a one-turn mile Nov. 30. He makes his two-turn debut for trainer Brad Cox. Golden Afternoon (Goldencents) is an interesting wildcard. He made all three of his previous career starts on turf, including a runner-up finish in last year's GII Castle & Key Bourbon Stakes at Keeneland. The Lecomte program also prominently features the GIII Louisiana Stakes and Fasig-Tipton Silverbulletday Stakes, which offers 42 qualifying points (20-10-6-4-2) toward the GI Kentucky Oaks. The post Following Runaway Gun Runner Victory, Built Takes on Full Field in Lecomte appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in Saratoga Springs, New York, will hold its winter fundraiser, 'Countdown to the Triple Crown,' on Saturday, Feb. 1 from 5:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. ET, according to a press release from the repository on Friday. The Saturday evening event will feature dozens of silent auction items around the museum, a 50/50 raffle and the online auction bidding goes live at 12 p.m. ET that day. Tickets are $20.00 for members and $35.00 for the general public. Light fare and two drink tickets are included with the price. Click here to learn more about the online auction. The post National Museum Of Racing And Hall Of Fame Holds Winter Fundraiser On Saturday, Feb. 1 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Stephen Doody likes the idea of being back in the big time. And in Doo You Want Me he just might have the horse to take him there again. The big son of Captain Crunch has only just turned three but scored his first win away from home (Manawatu) when he came from a tricky position to win the strongest pacing race at Cambridge on Friday night. It was win number four, all in a row, from just eight starts for Doo You Want Me and he is clearly the real deal. After taking a while to learn his craft he won twice in lower grades at Palmerston North before his arrival moment came when beating some serious older horses like Rough And Ready, Beta Prepare and Warloch in the Palmerstonian last month, no small feat for a two-year-old. He showed that increased tractability again when coming from three back on the inner to win a heat of the Provincial Pace Series on Friday night and will return to Cambridge for the $35,000 final next Friday. Then Doody will start planning to get Doo You Want Me to Alexandra Park in March with the Northern Derby his first black type test. That is the plan,” says Doody. “It would be nice to have a Group 1 pacing horse again, I think the last one I had good enough to race in those races up there was Te Kawau.” Before that of course Doody was the man who put the early touches on 1990s heroine Blossom Lady and then Mister DG while he has had open class trotters like Braig, who won 18 races. Getting a serious Derby-type horse is not easy and it will not be an easy path to trod if last season’s star juvenile Marketplace comes back to his best. But Doody, who trains a team of 11 from his Manawatu base these days, says Doo You Want Me is likely to be hanging around. “The guys who own him paid something like $35,000 for him after he had been passed in at the yearling sales down south. “They have had some good offers for him but they are enjoying him and I think they will be keeping him.” Doody still does the majority of his training from home and brings the horses north each time, although Doo You Want Me will spend a few days with Mike Berger looking after him while Doody pops back down south for the Kapiti Coast meeting. Another horse already having tested her toe in the big time but likely to head back there was Friday night’s other major race winner One More Moment. The Zev Meredith-trained mare capped a magic five weeks by winning the $50,000 Dunstan Horsefeeds Breeders Stakes in a stirring battle with the equally in-form Belle Neige. The two have both excelled over the the last month and with the open class ranks small on numbers a mare like One More Moment wouldn’t look out of place in a Rowe Cup in the autumn if she keeps improving. View the full article

by Michael Guerin There may have been stranger debut victories than Manakau Blaze’s stunner at Blenheim on Friday. You will be hard pressed to find them. The seven-year-old trotting mare was having her first career start and went into it without a trial in eight months. Yet she won by a staggering 15 and a half lengths from trainer-driver Barry Ford, who just to add to the fun hadn’t driven a winner for four years and only three in the last 10 years. And yet this trainer-driver who rarely trains or drives and his mare who had never been to the races recorded one of the easiest wins in recent New Zealand harness racing history. Which raises the questions: How? Who? Why? “It is a funny story,” says Ford, who as you can probably guess also bred and owns Manakau Blaze. “She has always had ability and is a half sister to our good horse, Doctor Bones, who won nine races and ran second in the Jewels. “But every time I have taken her to the trials she has been lame afterwards. “It is nothing serious, nothing to do with ligaments or bone damage, so we think it is is in feet. “I got to the stage we even considered retiring her before we raced her but we have changed her work and now she pretty much just trots on he lead behind the other horses.” Believing in his breed and his mare Ford, whose age is an undisclosed number between 70 and 80, decided the best way to stop Manakau Blaze from getting tender after a trial was to just not trial. “So we found this race on the grass which we thought would help and just set her for this. “I was a bit worried when she drew barrier 1 because that can be hard for them in their first start.” Ford didn’t need to worry. His seven-year-old sweetheart was soon in front and a long way from home only she or trailer Go Home Denise could win but Denise rolled into a gallop when challenging at the 200m and Manakau Blaze raced clear to win by the massive margin. “It was a pretty fun ride,” smiles Ford. It was his 22nd career training win dating back to 1990 and his 14th in the sulky but if Manakau Blaze is proof of anything it is that Ford is a patient man. “So we won’t be backing her up on Sunday,” he told HRNZ. “She can get over this and there is a fillies and mares trot at Amberley [Rangiora, Feb 6] coming up she can have a go at.” That is only three weeks away, nothing when you have waited years for the moment Manakau Blaze and Barry Ford shared trotting down the Blenheim straight on Friday. By the way there were 11 other winners at Blenheim on Friday, all with their own stories. But Friday belonged to Barry and Blaze. View the full article

Due to the temperatures projected to be moving through the region in the coming week, Mahoning Valley Race Course has canceled its live racing programs originally scheduled for Jan. 20 and Jan. 21. View the full article

11th-GP, $94k, Msw, 3yo, 1 1/16mT, 5:18p.m. ET Unveiled to the far outside is $350,000 OBSAPR pick up NUK SOO KOW (McKinzie) for Hit The Bid Stable and trainer John Terranova. Out of a placed half-sister to GI Champagne Stakes runner-up Commandperformance (Union Rags), the colt hails from the female family of GSW Blind Date (Not for Love), dam of MSW Paulita (Scat Daddy). To the far outside and making a second jump for trainer Chad Brown is Constitution Road (Constitution). He overcame a rough trip on debut as a juvenile where he was jostled at the start, bumped in upper stretch, and then again near the sixteenth pole, but as green as he was, gamely got up for second behind a winner who enjoyed a perfect trip. A $300,000 KEESEP purchase and a half-brother to MGSW Miss Marissa (He's Had Enough), he's got first-time Lasix here for the 3-year-old bow. TJCIS PPs 9th-TAM, $53k, Msw, 3yo, 1mT, 4:15p.m. ET Breaking from the middle of a relatively experienced field of maidens is Godolphin's Twelve Treasures (Candy Ride {Arg}). Out of an unplaced daughter of GI Breeders' Cup Distaff victress Unbridled Elaine (Unbridled's Song), the chestnut is trained by Eoin Harty. His dam's half-siblings include MGSW Etched (Forestry); GSW-Eng, GSP-UAE Emotionless (Ire) (Shamardal); and GSW, GSP-UAE Out Of Bounds (Discreet Cat). Under that illustrious second dam is the extended female family of 'TDN Rising Star' MGSW Nysos (Nyquist). This is the immediate family of GISW & MGISP Glitter Woman (Glitterman) and her son GISW & MGISP Political Force (Unbridled's Song), and MGSW Lead Story (Editor's Note). TJCIS PPs 7th-FG, $60k, Msw, 3yo, 1 1/16m, 4:00p.m. ET Heading to post here for Brookdale Racing Inc., Hypnus (Into Mischief) looks to make a statement while in training with Ken McPeek. Out of GI Starlet Stakes victress Dream Tree (Uncle Mo), he is her second to the races behind the placed half-sister Wimberly (Curlin), who brought $700,000 as a yearling in 2022 through KEESEP. Another half-sister by Gun Runner went through that same ring in 2024 but was an RNA at $575,000. Dream Tree is herself a half-sister to SP O' Maggi (Paddy O'Prado) and to the winning dam of SP Experimental (Practical Joke). TJCIS PPs The post Jan. 18 Insights: Debuters Carry Colors for Noteworthy Female Families appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

There are 12 horse racing meetings set for Australia on Saturday, January 18. Our racing analysts here at horsebetting.com.au have found you the best bets and the quaddie numbers for Rosehill, Flemington, Eagle Farm, Ascot & Alice Springs. Saturday’s Free Horse Racing Tips – January 18, 2025 Rosehill Racing Tips Flemington Racing Tips Eagle Farm Racing Tips Ascot Racing Tips Alice Springs Racing Tips As always, there are plenty of promotions available for Australian racing fans. Check out all the top online bookmakers to see what daily promotions they have. If you are looking for a new bookmaker for the horse racing taking place on January 18, 2025 check out our guide to the best online racing betting sites. Neds Code GETON 1 Take It To The Neds Level Neds Only orange bookie! Check Out Neds Review 18+ Gamble Responsibly. What are you really gambling with? Set a deposit limit today. “GETON is not a bonus code. Neds does not offer bonus codes in Australia and this referral code does not grant access to offers. Full terms. BlondeBet Signup Code GETON 2 Punters Prefer Blondes BlondeBet Blonde Boosts – Elevate your prices! Join BlondeBet Review 18+ Gamble Responsibly. WHAT ARE YOU REALLY GAMBLING WITH? full terms. 3 Next Gen Racing Betting Picklebet Top 4 Betting. Extra Place. Every Race. Join Picklebet Review 18+ Gamble Responsibly. What are you really gambling with? Full terms. Recommended! 4 It Pays To Play PlayUp Aussie-owned horse racing specialists! Check Out PlayUp Review 18+ Gamble Responsibly. Imagine what you could be buying instead. Full terms. Dabble Signup Code AUSRACING 5 Say Hey to the social bet! Dabble You Better Believe It Join Dabble Review 18+ Gamble Responsibly. THINK. IS THIS A BET YOU REALLY WANT TO PLACE? Full terms. Bet365 Signup Code GETON 6 Never Ordinary Bet365 World Favourite! Visit Bet365 Review 18+ Gamble Responsibly. GETON is not a bonus code. bet365 does not offer bonus codes in Australia and this referral code does not grant access to offers. What’s gambling really costing you? Full terms. Horse racing tips View the full article

Santa Anita Park employees jumped in to serve food to Los Angeles County fire victims, and the racetrack donated its food originally slated for weekend racing to victims, backstretch workers, the National Guard, and firefighters.View the full article

Four-time group 1 winner Designs On Rome has died following a bout of colic at the age of 15.View the full article

The owner of Culworth Grounds Farm, home of young stallion El Caballo (GB), takes time out to face the TDN question master. You made the trip over for the Irish Stallion Trail. Where did you visit and what were your main takeouts from the trip? It was actually the first time that I had done the stallion trail, but I happened to be going home to visit my parents and thought I could double up. It was a great experience overall and a great opportunity to be able to see the stallions and the studs. I didn't only get to see stallions but also a few tours of stallion paddocks, covering sheds and stallion boxes. Always good to get ideas to take home to Culworth Grounds! Was there a surprise package of a stallion for you? The standout from the new horses that I saw was Look De Vega (Fr) for me. I thought he was a classy looking horse with great movement, and it will be very interesting to see his stock. How is your own boy, El Caballo, getting on? We are delighted with how El Caballo has got on. He got a solid book of mares last season covering 100 mares. We were very excited to welcome our first foal by him this week. He has matured into a lovely looking stallion, and we got some great feedback from breeders that saw him parading during the December Sales. He's the first stallion you have stood at Culworth Grounds. How have you enjoyed that experience? It has been a great experience standing a stallion. El Caballo himself is great in the covering shed so that has made things easy. I enjoy talking and meeting new people, so it has been fun talking to breeders and hearing about their mares. I also have a great team of partners in the horse who bring their different skills and opinions to the table so overall we hope that will all help on the journey to giving him the best chance of being a success. What were your highlights from 2024 and how did you find trade on the whole? It might be boring to say but El Caballo was definitely a highlight of 2024. It is one thing thinking that you would like to stand a stallion 'one day' but it was a great thing actually making it happen. We also had the first year with our homebred racing syndicate 'No Fun Winning Alone'. We had some first-time-out syndicate members who enjoyed experiencing racehorse ownership and the experience of owning a winning racehorse. What did you make of trade last year on the whole? Trade this year at the top end of the market was very strong and the bottom was very tricky. In days gone by a nice model of a horse could still sell well but fashion has really taken over with sire power being very important. It is a shame really because good horses can come from anywhere. It was a good year in terms of winners produced by the stud. Who are you looking forward to seeing most this year? We have had lots of winners on the track this year but the horse I am most looking forward to next year is Paborus (GB) (Recoletos {Fr}), trained by Ed Bethell. It looks like he will be targeted at black-type races. Hopes and ambitions for the year ahead? In terms of hopes and ambitions for 2025, it is always to produce and breed nice horses and hopefully one day a champion. We are lucky to have a great team of people at Culworth Grounds and we will continue to invest in the farm and the team. The post In the Hot Seat: Sophie Buckley appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Barry Irwin is the first person to admit that he wasn't a fan of digital sales when they first came on the scene about a decade ago. “I make my living buying and selling in the private marketplace, and when the digital sales first came around in Europe, I was very upset,” he said, adding that he thought that at the time, sales companies were promising owners unreasonable prices on their horses which made it harder to buy privately for an appropriate price. “I didn't like the fact that I had compete for horses,” he said. But 10 years on, he has become a fan, and is offering two racing or broodmare prospects at the Fasig-Tipton January digital sale, which runs until January 21. Hip number 6, Toeris (Tourist-Sutil {Brz}, by Redattore {Brz}), is bred and owned by Irwin in conjunction with Gary Barber. An earner of over $166,000, she was a winner at two and went on to be third in the GIII Jimmy Durante Stakes at Del Mar. Her dam, Sutil, was a Group 1 winner in Brazil going a mile and a quarter on the turf. “She hasn't had a top horse yet, but she's had three runners for us and they've all won, and earned well over $150,000 each. We have a five year-old named Juniperro Serra (Noble Mission {GB}) and he I think he will earn Black Type eventually. We have another half-sister named Jungle Cat (Animal Kingdom) who has won over $150,000. Toeris was given a break, but she's back in training so she's she can be a race horse or a broodmare.” Hip 12, By Any Other Name (Aus), Mendelssohn-Alexandra Rose {SAf}, by Caesour (SAf), is a half-sister to Grade I winner Oleksandra (Aus), who Irwin said is the only Australian-bred to come to America and win a Grade I race, which she did when defeating males in the Jaipur Stakes at Belmont. She also won two other graded stakes in America. By Any Other Name is a winner herself in Australia at three. “We started her off in Australia, let her break her maiden and then brought her here,” said Irwin. “She's had nothing but bad luck. We own the whole family, we have several sisters, and this filly doesn't really fit in our program right now. I think we're better off letting somebody else take a shot with her, and seeing if they could do better with us. She's sound, and Bill Mott likes her. We think she's got value as a broodmare. She probably can still run, but here it is the start of the breeding season. We don't want to breed her, but if somebody wants to buy her as a racehorse or breed her, here she is.” Despite his early misgivings, Irwin is now an active user of the digital sales. He sold Nadette (Fr) for $420,000 last summer at the Fasig-Tipton July Digital Sale. “I think Fasig Tipton does the best job (among the digital sales companies),” he said. “They're responsible. They treat both buyer and seller in the same equitable manner. The $420,000 for Nadette was a fair price for us, and a fair price for the buyer. From the perspective of my operation alone, (brick-and-mortar) sales are fixed dates and they're few and far between. If you have a horse who blossoms at a particular time of year, you want to put it in the best possible light. Having a digital sale every month is a fantastic opportunity, because you can take advantage of the form right then and there.” Team Valor has used digital sales as a way of reducing their overall numbers to fit with a somewhat revised model for their operation. At the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, he said, they had 165 horses, and they are now down to 75. He hired former attorney Fred Heyman, who previously managed Peter Angelos's racing operations, to one day take over the business. “About three or four years ago, we decided that we were only going to buy horses that we thought could be a graded stakes horse,” he said. “Once we had improved it and had our fun, we want to sell it and move on. Most of our horses are sourced in Europe, and not the United States. We buy them with the idea of starting them off there. If we think they'll do well here we will bring them here if not, we'll keep them there.” Irwin's daughter lives in Wales, and said his goal is to spend three to five months in Europe every year looking at horses. “When I'm trying to source horses, just trying to do it by video or digital or photographs or relying on somebody else's opinion is not what I want to do. I think I can do better if I'm there myself.” “I have become disenchanted with too many aspects of racing in America,” he said. “Fred loves it here, and he's more enthusiastic about the domestic scene that I am, so my answer to him is `God bless you.' You can run the American division. I'll run the European division. I'll find the horses, you can find some here but we'll still get most of them over there and that's that's the plan for the future.” The post Embracing Digital Sales, Team Valor Has Two On Offer at Fasig-Tipton January Digital appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The 2025 California Thoroughbred Breeders Association (CTBA) Winter Mixed Sale, which includes a special 22-horse dispersal from the farm of Donald Valpredo, will be held Tuesday, Jan. 21, at Noon PT in the Hines Pavilion at Fairplex, the organization said in a release on Friday. Valpredo, a California industry leader and former President of the CTBA, passed away in November. Handling the consignment will be Checkmate Thoroughbreds. Including the dispersal, there are 143 cataloged and supplemented broodmares, racing prospects, yearlings and 2-year-olds available in a sale that previously produced stakes winners like Bodacious (Smokem), Lord Prancealot (Sir Prancealot {Ire}) and Grade I-producing broodmares like Expo Gold (Johnannesburg), the dam of GI Preakness Stakes heroine Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil). For further information and to obtain credit, contact Loretta@ctba.com or call (626) 445-7800, ext: 227. The post CTBA Winter Mixed Sale Includes Valpredo Dispersal On Tuesday, Jan. 21 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Earlier this week, Peter Brant shared mating plans his top American mares and a select few European mares with the TDN. But with the number of mares he's sending to European stallions, we thought it merited a part two. Here, Brant shares insights on more of top mares. FIFTY FIVE, 11, Get Stormy-Soave, by Brahms; MORANDA (FR), 17, Indian Rocket (GB)-Spain, by Bering (GB) (dam of GIISW Speak of the Devil), QUIDURA (GB), 12, Dubawi (Ire)-Quetena (Ger), by Acatenango (Ger) (the GII Ballston Spa winner and GISP); THAIS (FR), 11, Rio de a Plata-Tianshan (Fr), by Lahint; AZAFATA (SPA), 16, Motivator (GB)-Anysheba, by Alysheba; SHELTER ISLAND (FR), 9, Le Havre (Ire)-Exit the Straight I(Ire), by Exit to Nowhere. All six will go to Paddington (GB). By my analysis, he lost a month and a half at stud in his first year. He was given a vaccine required in Ireland when they go to stud. He was given the vaccine at the appropriate time, but somehow or another, it stayed with him. He wasn't allowed to go to stud until he cleared quarantine, and he didn't clear for a month and a half. Once it was out of his system, he tested negative, but for the next 30 days his fertility was off, and then he came back and now he's normal. But in the very first group of mares he got, he got a small percentage into foal, and as the season went along, he started to stop his mares. He's at such a discount here at €25,000. He won four Group 1s at three in 63 days. He won some of the biggest races in Europe and he's super well-bred. He was supposed to go to stud at €55,000 and the word got out that he was not fertile. So in 2024, I sent mares to him that were a little later. I bred 10 mares to him to him and eight are in foal. I bred them late, and they shouldn't have all gotten in foal, so whatever was the problem early on had something to do with that shot. In New Zealand (this summer), he got 93 mares in foal, and he was only there for around two-and-a-half months. I thought that these mares suited him. Some of these will go to the States. TOINETTE, 10, Scat Daddy-I Bet Toni Knows, by Sun River. To be bred to Siyouni (Fr) Multiple graded stakes winner Toinette is going to Siyouni. I have a filly called Ultrafragola (Ire) out of Toinette who was a 'TDN Rising Star' in France. This mating is on that same cross, since she's by Sottsass (Fr), and he's by Siyouni. UNAIDED (GB), 16, Dansili (GB)-Wosaita (GB), by Generous (Ire). To be bred to City of Troy. Unaided, who is the dam of Uni (GB) (More Than Ready) (the 2019 U.S. Champion Turf Female), is going to City of Troy. They're both grass horses, the nick is very good and they suit each other physically. The post 2025 European Mating Plans: Peter Brant, Part II appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

6th-Meydan, Cocoa Beach S. (Cond.), AED400,000, NH/SH3yo, f, 1600m, 1:38.15, ft. QUEEN AZTECA (f, 3, Sharp Azteca–Princesa Helena, by Palace Malice) took advantage of a furious early gallop to storm clear late in this prep for the G3 UAE Oaks on Feb. 21. Void of early speed from the inside gate, the blinkered bay filly was content to race at the tail as Arigatou Gozaimazu (Honest Mischief) blazed a trail through the opening 400 metres in an unsustainable :21.54 while chased by favoured Flama Sunshine (Flameaway). Racing against the rail into the turn, Queen Azteca came around a rival with about three furlongs to race and leveled off beautifully in the straight, wresting command from the spent pacesetter inside the furlong before pulling away to score by eight lengths. Taswaheen (Mendelssohn) ran on for second ahead of Arigatou Gozaimazu in third. According to a post from Dubai aficionado Laura King, the victory was the second from 185 Dubai starters for this Swedish-based outfit. Fourth and sixth, respectively, in two tries on the grass to begin her career, Queen Azteca won her maiden on dirt debut at Jagersro last September and was runner-up to Flama Sunshine in a 1400-metre conditions test over this track Dec. 20. The winner is out of a daughter of the stakes-winning With Flying Colors (A.P. Indy), the dam of dual Grade III winner Teresa Z (Smart Strike) and granddam of MGSP Colorful Mischief (Into Mischief). The filly's third dam was four-time Grade I winner My Flag (Easy Goer), herself a daughter of undefeated champion Personal Ensign (Private Account). Princesa Helena is also responsible for the 2-year-old colt El Gady (Kantharos) that was purchased by Libyan interests for $12,000 at KEESEP last fall, a yearling full-brother to Queen Azteca and was most recently bred to Munnings. Sales history: $22,000 Ylg '23 KEESEP; 30,000gns 2yo '24 TATMAY. Lifetime Record: 5-2-1-0, $85,108. O-Glaesner Racing APS; B-Three Chimneys Farm LLC (KY); T-Niels Petersen. The post Queen Azteca Strikes For Sweden In UAE Oaks Prep appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

“Try something different, you know? Sometimes it's good for you.” Those are the words of jockey Jose Ortiz, currently in a race of his own atop the standings with 44 winners (through Thursday, Jan. 16) in his first winter riding at Fair Grounds. Jareth Loveberry is a distant second with 29 winners. A mainstay on the New York Racing Association circuit for more than a decade (he was leading rider there three times–2016, 2020 & 2021) and also a regular at Gulfstream Park's Championship Meet, the 31-year-old decided to shake things up last spring. “We made a family decision to move to Kentucky, and we started riding for different trainers there,” said Ortiz, who has three young children with his wife, former jockey Taylor Rice. “Some of those trainers go to Fair Grounds instead of Florida (in the winter) and that led to the decision to ride there. I can ride for the same people year-round. I discussed it with (agent) Steve (Rushing), and, at the end of the day, we both agreed Fair Grounds was the right place to winter.” Ortiz added, “I'm very happy down there. All the horsemen have embraced me with open arms.” The Ortiz family: Jose, Taylor, Leilani, Derek & Nikolai | Coglianese Have they ever. Ortiz is booked to ride in 11 of the 12 races on Saturday's stacked GIII Lecomte Stakes program, including the Steve Asmussen-trained Magnitude (Not This Time) in the main event. The Winchell Thoroughbreds colorbearer finished a distant second behind Lecomte 3-1 morning-line favorite Built (Hard Spun) in the Gun Runner Stakes Dec. 21. The Lecomte offers 20-10-6-4-2 points on the road to the GI Kentucky Derby. “These horses are just starting to develop, we'll see who's who,” Ortiz said of the deep 14-horse field. “It's a very exciting time of the year. This is one of the reasons I went to Fair Grounds. I think their Derby preps are very competitive. You can get nice 3-year-olds there, fillies and colts.” Cherie DeVaux will give Ortiz a leg up aboard C R K Stable's Skinner (Curlin) one race earlier in the GIII Louisiana Stakes. Skinner was transferred to DeVaux following a breakthrough victory for John Shirreffs in the GIII Native Diver Stakes at Del Mar Nov. 23. DeVaux and Ortiz teamed up for a win with More Than Looks (More Than Ready) in last year's GI Breeders' Cup Mile at Del Mar. “You know when they give you that feeling of a good horse. He gave me that (after working him),” Ortiz said. “He was very good in California and we know he has a ton of ability. It's first time for Cherie here and first time for me riding him, but we really like the horse. He's doing great and I'm very excited to be on him. He can be a very exciting older horse this year. Cherie has given me these type of opportunities to ride for her and I'm very thankful to be one of the main go-to guys.” Skinner | Benoit Other live mounts for Ortiz on the Lecomte undercard include: Gigante (Not This Time) (Colonel E.R. Bradley Stakes) (Asmussen); Nanda Dea (Arg) (Fortify) (Marie G. Krantz Memorial Stakes) (Ignacio Correas IV); Demolition Duke (Good Magic) (Duncan F. Kenner Stakes) (Brendan Walsh); and the promising 3-year-old maiden Cromwell (Quality Road) (maiden special weight) (DeVaux). Ortiz, the year-younger brother of leading rider Irad Ortiz, Jr., won the Eclipse Award for outstanding jockey in 2017. He rode 276 winners in 2024, good for $26,004,396 in earnings. The latter figure was fourth highest in the nation. The post ‘Trying Something Different,’ Jose Ortiz Dominating at Fair Grounds appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Stallion viewings have continued apace this week throughout Europe, with many breeders descending on Newmarket farms following the Irish Stallion Trail, while the Route des Etalons is currently underway in Normandy. There remains no official stallion trail in Britain despite there having been a number of calls over the years for an emulation of the popular incentive which began in France and was swiftly picked up by Irish Thoroughbred Marketing. There was apparently no appetite to get behind this in England, though many stallion studs in Newmarket open their doors through the December Sales and the Thoroughbred Breeders' Association (TBA) has up until this year organised the popular stallion parade staged at Tattersalls just before the start of the February Sale. The TBA has now ended its support of that but, fortunately for the many breeders and visitors who have enjoyed the parade over the years, the team at Tattersalls has decided to support it this year and will stage not just a stallion parade but also a showcase of retired racehorses immediately prior to the appearance of the stallions in the ring. Among the Retraining of Racehorses (RoR) parade will be the Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Native River (Ire), while trainer Amy Murphy will be riding her father Paul's former top jumper Kalashnikov (Ire), whom she trained to win eight races, including the G1 Manifesto Novices' Chase at Aintree. Also among the nine horses in the showcase is Barbers Shop (GB), now 23, and a multiple winner in his racing days over hurdles and fences for his owner-breeder Queen Elizabeth. The nine Flat stallions to be paraded from 11.30am include two of Britain's new recruits, Isaac Shelby (GB) and Bradsell (GB), with the latter being joined by his fellow National Stud residents Stradivarius (Ire) and Lope Y Fernandez (Ire). During a visit to the National Stud earlier this week it was reassuring to hear that Bradsell is being well received by breeders both in Britain and farther afield, with CEO Anna Kerr reporting that she hopes the sprinting star will be on course to cover a first book of around 130 mares. Kerr and her team are plainly already fond of the amiable Bradsell, who is now vying for attention with his immediate next-door neighbour and champion stayer Stradivarius (Ire). The duo has already been dubbed 'Brad and Strad'. There's plenty to look forward to at the Newmarket farm in 2025 with Lope Y Fernandez set to be represented by his first crop of two-year-olds. The same can be said for A'Ali (Ire), who will be joining his Newsells Park Stud mate Isaac Shelby on the trip from Royston to Newmarket for the Tattersalls stallion parade and will be jousting, metaphorically at least, in the first-season sires' table with Lope Y Fernandez and Ubettabelieveit (Ire), who will be joining the stallion parade from Mickey Stud. Chapel Stud's well-bred Bangkok (Ire) will also be on parade and is another stallion with first-crop runners in 2025. Sophie Buckley's team at Culworth Grounds will be hoping that El Caballo (GB), whose first foals are arriving imminently, can show similar prowess to Havana Grey (GB), who is, like El Caballo, by the late Havana Gold (GB). Breeders will have another chance to inspect El Caballo at Tattersalls, along with Caturra (Ire), who is also returning to the parade from Overbury Stud and completes the nine-strong line-up. The first few mixed sales of the year around Europe tend to be lower pressure than the yearling and foal sales later in the season and are generally convivial affairs just ahead of the covering season starting in earnest. It is therefore great to see Tattersalls making a real effort to turn the February Sale into quite an event alongside the two days of trade. The British EBF has got behind the initiative and will sponsor refreshments in the Lower Sale Ring Bar on the first morning of the sale, and there will be trade stands present, occupied by the British Racing School, RoR, the National Stud and the TBA's educational arm TB-Ed. Tattersalls sponsors a show series for retrained racehorses with finals this year set to take place at the Royal Highland Show in June, Hickstead's Derby meeting that same month, and the Jockey Club RoR National Championships at Aintree in August. Chairman Edmond Mahony said, “The Retraining of Racehorses charity is a vitally important asset to the British racing and bloodstock industries and we hope that the new RoR Showcase at Tattersalls will celebrate both the talents and successes of former racehorses in their second careers, in addition to increasing awareness of the crucial role played by RoR in ensuring their welfare. The Stallion Parade of young British-based sires has been a staple attraction at the Tattersalls February Sale for many years and alongside the exhibition displays of several key industry organisations, the day will provide an opportunity to showcase many important aspects of the bloodstock industry to breeders and racing and equestrian enthusiasts alike.” Hats off to Tattersalls for maintaining and expanding on this traditional curtain-up to the February Sale and, if previous years are anything to go by, it is advisable to arrive early to bag your spot in what is usually a packed sale ring. And, who knows, you may even pick up the dam of a future Classic winner at a bargain price, as Stuart McPhee did when purchasing Alianza (GB) from the Darley draft for 800gns ten years ago. She is now the dam of Poule d'Essai des Poulains winner Metropolitan (Fr), who is about to embark on his first season at Haras d'Etreham. The post Cheltenham Hero and Stallion Parade Enhance Tattersalls’ February Sale appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article