Wandering Eyes

Recommendation ridden by Blake Shinn wins the Vale Black Caviar at Caulfield. (Photo by George Sal/Racing Photos) Recommendation ($2) brought up a hat-trick of Group 3 wins at Caulfield on Saturday afternoon when Blake Shinn piloted the Ciaron Maher-trained gelding to victory in the Vale Black Caviar. The race named in honour of the late great Black Caviar is registered as The Heath 1100 Stakes, and it is also the first time that Maher has won the race with any of his runners. With two of the key market chances, Chain Of Lightning and Arkansaw Kid, withdrawn earlier in the day, the race was left as a match race between Recommendation and Kallos ($2.50), and they didn’t disappoint. Shinn took the son of Shalaa to the front of the field and sat on the girth of Acromantula ($34), while Jamie Kah on the Godolphin galloper followed the eventual winner every step of the way. However, as the field turned for home, Shinn pushed the button on his five-year-old gelding, and he quickly put a margin on the second favourite. In the final 100m, Recommendation held a margin, and the runner-up couldn’t bridge the gap, going down by just under a length, with Nettuno ($9.50) running home into third place. 2024 Heath 1100 replay – Recommendation Ciaron Maher was on course to speak about Recommendation and the victory. “He was very confident, Blake (Shinn), he rode the horse very confidently, he’s just found his sweet spot here, Caulfield 1100 (metres),” Maher said. “We knew Kallos would be very hard to beat, he’s got a great fresh record and he executed it perfectly, Blake. “They’ve got a great affiliation, he gave him a perfect run… he controlled the race, great effort by him, great effort by the team, Jack (Turnbull) at Cranbourne is managing him very well. “He just seems to bounce off the bend and bridles up, we’ll have a look at Flemington and see how he goes, he certainly seems to have gone to another level, we’ll pick our way through.” Blake Shinn also spoke about the win post-race. “I still had to ride my own race, I just had to ensure that I didn’t put too much pressure into the race early because I knew Kallos, I’ve won on him before, he’s got an amazing turn of foot,” Shinn said. “He met us better at the weights when they met in the Oakleigh Plate, I knew if he went quick early and were vulnerable late he’d be coming over the top of me so I didn’t lead on him today. “There was that quick horse (Acromantula) inside of me, I thought if it jumped it’d lead so I just rode our own race and made it a race from the top of the straight. “Geez he was brave, at the two hundred when he got challenged I loved his tenacity. “1100 is really his wheelhouse, he’s hard fit, I just love him. “I love how far he’s developed this prep, full credit to Ciaron and the team and more importantly the horse.” Horse racing news View the full article

Snitzel colt To Bravery Born completes a comfortable victory in the first two-year-old race of the season. Photo: Peter Rubery (Race Images Palmerston North) The familiar tangerine and blue colours of Te Akau Racing were back to doing what they do best when To Bravery Born took out the traditional opening two-year-old race of the season at Wanganui on Saturday. Despite there being only four runners to face the starter, the Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson-prepared son of Snitzel showed he has what it takes to feature later in the season with a professional performance in downing race favourite Toretto by a comfortable two-length margin. Rider Opie Bosson never panicked when his mount was slightly tardy at the start and then hampered by Toretto and Bordeaux Belle as he looked to find a handy position. Angled three-wide around the home bend To Bravery Born quickly established his dominance and had things well under control as he eased down close to the finish line to provide a pretty picture for owners, the Te Akau Secret Identity Racing Partnership. Co-trainer Mark Walker had plenty of praise for the performance. “I remember when Dave (Ellis) bought him as a yearling, we looked at each other and couldn’t believe that he only made $200,000, and were quite perplexed at the time as to why, but it was late in the day and there was torrential rain,” Walker said. “For a Snitzel colt he was great value, and it was exciting to see him win the way he did on his debut outing. “He broke in well, has always been a very forward type, and the way he relaxed and went to the line today, really uncontested, suggests he has a nice future.” Bosson was suitably impressed by his mount given he didn’t have things go all his own way during the race. “He travelled fairly, although the horses inside me ran us out really wide at the start, but he got into a nice rhythm,” Bosson said. “Once I stoked him up before the turn he stretched out nicely and did it pretty easily in the end. “He’s got the ability there and a few gears left so the further he goes the better.” Te Akau Racing have built a strong record in the race with Group 2 Eclipse Stakes (1200m) winner Bellatrix Star securing victory last year, while Rubicon Crossing won in 2022 before being twice stakes placed and in 2019 Cool Aza Beel scored prior to also taking out the Karaka Million 2YO (1200m) for the stable, along with the Group 1 Sistema Stakes (1200m) of that year. Horse racing news View the full article

It doesn't take long for the Kentucky Downs meeting to hit full gear, as Saturday's program features three graded contests, including the GIII DK Horse Nashville Derby Invitational Stakes, with prize money that could reach $3.1 million. The purse remains intact should one of the 10 Kentucky-breds–eight in the main body of the field and two also-eligibles–is home first over the mile and five-sixteenths journey along the Kentucky/Tennessee border. The four foreign raiders are ineligible for the KTDF money, but the base purse of $2.5 million already makes it one of the richest Derbies in the world. The European invader with the best form in the book is King Power's Bellum Justum (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) for trainer Andrew Balding. A 375,000gns Tattersalls October yearling, the bay colt was a maiden winner from four juvenile appearance, accounting for future G1 Commonwealth Cup hero Inisherin (GB) (Shamardal) going a mile at Newmarket in September. After landing the Listed Blue Riband Trial on seasonal return at Epsom Apr. 23, he was seventh to City of Troy (Justify) in the June 1 G1 Derby, but has since finished third in the G3 Hampton Court Stakes at Royal Ascot June 20 and just missed when last seen in the G3 Gordon Stakes at Goodwood Aug. 1. Cugino (Twirling Candy) heads up the home defense, having made all the running to defeat Lagynos (Kantharos) in the June 1 Audubon Stakes at Churchill Downs. The latter, a consistent sort for Steve Asmussen, was subsequently an even fourth in the June 29 American Derby and was just nabbed on the line by Neat (Constitution) in the GII Hall of Fame Stakes at Saratoga Aug. 2. Carson's Run (Cupid), victorious in last year's GI Summer Stakes, enters the Nashville Derby off victories in the June 23 Tale of the Cat Stakes and a late-running tally in the GI Saratoga Derby Invitational Aug. 11. Navy Seal (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) could be one for the bottom of vertical wagers. A maiden winner and fifth in the G2 UAE Derby for Coolmore and Aidan O'Brien, the regally bred bay was purchased by Jim and Fitri Hay and was moved the barn of Wesley Ward. Third in an off-turf allowance at Canterbury June 22, he was just beaten in Saratoga allowance company by Friday's GIII Saranac Stakes winner West Hollywood (Uncle Mo) over a mile and a sixteenth July 27 and could improve for this step up in trip. His dam Athena (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) won the 2018 GI Belmont Oaks going 10 panels. Carson's Run | Sarah Andrew The fairer sex features in the afternoon's other marquee races, each of which carries prize money of $1.5 million for Kentucky-breds. Secret Money (Good Samaritan) is an 8-1 chance in the GII Ladies' Turf Sprint, having defeated Danse Macabre (Army Mule) and Bling (American Pharoah) in last year's age-restricted GIII Music City Stakes. California shipper Ruby Nell (Bolt' d'Oro), front-running winner of Santa Anita's GII Buena Vista Stakes going a mile back in March, cuts back to a sprint for the first time since winning the Unzip Me Stakes last October. Mission of Joy (Kitten's Joy) gets some class relief in the GIII Ladies' Turf Stakes, as she cuts back to a mile off a sixth in the GI Diana Stakes, where she was beaten three lengths by the repeating Whitebeam (GB) (Caravaggio). Implicated (Connect) is perfect in two starts since switching to the Chad Brown barn, an easy allowance win at Churchill May 12 followed by a 1 3/4-length victory in the GII Nassau Stakes at Woodbine. Behind in second was Fev Rover (Ire) (Gutaifan {Ire}), who just failed in her repeat bid in the GII Beverly D. Stakes Aug. 11. Pacific Classic One Of Three BC Qualifiers at Del Mar The Friday scratching of Adare Manor (Uncle Mo) leaves a maximum field of eight for Saturday's GI FanDuel Pacific Classic at Del Mar, with a berth in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic over the same course and distance on Nov. 2 at stake. Dr. Venkman (Ghostzapper) was the 5-2 morning-line second choice behind the mare and looks to be the chief beneficiary of Adare Manor's absence. Having debuted just this time last year with a pair of victories, the bay was second in the Oct. 21 Perryville Stakes and resumed with a runner-up effort in the GII Triple Bend Stakes June 1. Bred top and bottom to handle a route of ground, Dr. Venkman took over at about the midway stage of the GII San Diego Handicap and carried Antonio Fresu to a one-length victory over Katonah (Klimt). Dr. Venkman | Benoit Dr. Venkman could face some pressure from Reincarnate (Good Magic) in his first try at the mile and a quarter. A two-time Grade III winner at three, the $775,000 KEESEP yearling is winless in four starts this year, but has run well in his two tries at Saturday's trip. Third to Newgate (Into Mischief) in the GI Santa Anita Handicap Mar. 3, he set the pace before weakening late to be runner-up in the GI Gold Cup at Santa Anita May 27. He exits a distant second in the 12-furlong GIII Cougar II Stakes July 25. Middle-distance turf males compete for a 'Win and You're In' ticket to the GI Breeders' Cup Turf in the GII Del Mar Handicap earlier on the program. Gold Phoenix (Ire) (Belardo {Ire}) is the two-time defending champion of the 11-furlong heat and was just up in the 1 1/4-mile GII Charlie Whittingham Stakes May 4 ahead of a somewhat troubled seventh in the July 28 GII Eddie Read Stakes over a nine-furlong trip that is short of his best. Rockemperor (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}) is as reliable as they come, even if it's been over two years since he last saluted. Sixth to Gold Phoenix in the Whittingham, he led late but was chinned on the wire in the 14-furlong GIII San Juan Capistrano Stakes June 16 and may want that sort of trip to bring out his best. Balnikhov (Ire) (Adaay {Ire}) ran on for third in the Read and will try this distance for the first time, while an interesting new shooter is El Encinal (Arg) (Il Campione {Chi}), last seen winning the G1 GP Carlos Pellegrini at San Isidro last December. Motorious (GB) (Muhaarar {GB}) is back to defend his title and shoulders top weight of 123 pounds in the GIII Green Flash Handicap, which offers the winner a fees-paid berth into the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint over the same course and trip in a little more than two months. Beaten a length and a half into fifth as the favorite in last year's Turf Sprint at Santa Anita, the bay was a rough-trip seventh to Cogburn (Not This Time) in the GII Turf Sprint at Churchill May 4 and fourth in a six-furlong allowance in Arcadia June 16. Cal-bred Connie Swingle (Grazen) represents a real danger if building on a smooth success (99 Beyer) in the July 27 Daisycutter Handicap, her first start in 21 months. No Nay Hudson (Ire) (No Nay Never), winner of the William Walker Stakes last season at three, raids from Saratoga for Wesley Ward off a one-length fifth with trouble in a July 28 allowance. War Like Goddess Tough To Deny in Flower Bowl George Krikorian's 7-year-old nails-tough mare War Like Goddess (English Channel) does not appear to have lost her zest for racing and continues a march towards a fourth consecutive appearance at the Breeders' Cup as the 7-5 morning-line favorite in the GII Flower Bowl Stakes, a 'Win and You're In' qualifier for the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf. War Like Goddess was a fractionally unlucky third as the public choice in the 2021 renewal at the seaside oval. Seventh against the boys in last year's GI Breeders' Cup Turf, the bay has just two runs under her belt this season, a pace-compromised third in the GI New York Stakes here June 8, but she bounced back to return a relatively generous $4 to her backers in the mile and three-eighths GIII R. G. Dick Memorial Stakes at Delaware July 7. War Like Goddess | Sarah Andrew Parnac (Fr) (Zarak {Fr}) made every yard of the running last year, controlling a soft pace before easily holding off McKulick (GB) (Frankel {GB}) by 1 1/4 lengths. The two met again in the GII Glens Falls Stakes Aug 1, with McKulick turning the tables by 2 1/4 lengths, as favored Eternal Hope (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) could do no better than fourth in her first start of the season. The Queens M G (Thousand Words) seems to have righted the ship in her last couple of starts and looms the one to beat in the GI Spinaway Stakes. Inexplicably down the field in the June 6 Astoria Stakes, the dark bay filly lit up the tote to the tune of $91 in the opening day Schulyerville Stakes July 11 and followed suit–albeit at much skinnier odds–in the GIII Adirondack Stakes last time Aug. 4. The waters are deeper Saturday, as the competition includes Quietside (Malibu Moon), who was named a 'TDN Rising Star' at first asking for a towering 6 1/4-length debut success Aug. 4, and Godolphin first-time starter winners Pondering (Hard Spun) and Immersive (Nyquist). In the GIII Prioress Stakes, the first of the day's three graded events on closing weekend at the Spa, Rigney Racing's 'TDN Rising Star' Two Sharp (Twirling Candy) figures a handful off an 11 1/4-length graduation going 6 1/2 panels Aug. 2. Brightwork (Outwork) was to have made her 3-year-old debut in the GI Test Stakes but lost her footing in the paddock and was forced to scratch. She is an obvious threat from the outside stall. The post Nashville Derby A Very Rich And ‘Grand Ole’ Showdown appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. — George Krikorian's dependable War Like Goddess (English Channel) will make her age-matching seventh career start at Saratoga Saturday in the GII $500,000 Flower Bowl. War Like Goddess has never been worse than third at Saratoga Race Course. The turf distance specialist won the 1 3/8-mile Flower Bowl in 2021, its last year as a Grade I, and was second by a neck in 2022. Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott did not run her in the race last year. The Flower Bowl will be her third start this season. She was third by 3 1/4 lengths in the GI New York on June 7 that was part of the Belmont Stakes at Saratoga meet. Exactly one month later, she won the GIII Robert G. Dick Memorial Stakes at Delaware Park. “We're well aware of the fact that she's getting a little older,” Mott said. “One day they eventually tire out, but she seems to be doing well at the moment. She's coming off of a good race, and she's going into this race seemingly quite good. There's other younger fillies in there that I'm sure are doing well, but we're still trying to compete.” On the advice of bloodstock agent Donato Lanni, Krikorian purchased War Like Goddess for $30,000 in June 2019 of the OBS 2-Year-Olds and Horses of Racing Age sale. In two previous trips to auction she sold for $1,200 as a weanling and was an RNA as a yearling when bidding stopped at $1,000. In a 2022 TDN story, Krikorian noted that he was not responsible for the filly's distinctive name. “I bought her with that name and I told Donato 'I don't like that name,'” Krikorian said. “I didn't see the horse then because he was in Florida and I was out here in California when he called me about the horse. I didn't get to see her for maybe four months or five months later. When I saw her, I looked at her and I said, 'Hey, we don't need to change her name. She's beautiful. She is a War Like Goddess.'” In her 20-race career she has proved to be a top-notch runner and a fabulous bargain with earnings of $2,775,184 from a record of 12-2-3. She has three Grade I wins, two of them over males in the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic. Mott has tried her twice against males in the GI Breeders' Cup Turf at 1 1/2 miles and she was a rallying third by three lengths in 2022. She has at least one win in each of her five seasons of competition. “The target this year would be the Breeders' Cup, the Filly and Mare Turf, because it's at a mile and three eighths this year at Del Mar,” Mott said. “The last two years, it's been odd distances. It's been a mile and three-sixteenths, which is a little short for her. We feel the mile and three-eighths might suit her a little better.” In her lone appearance in the Filly and Mare Turf in 2021 at Del Mar, she made the lead in the stretch but was caught and was third by a half-length. At 1 3/8 miles, War Like Goddess is 4-1-1 from six starts. Pyrenees Will Try to Continue Ascent in Gold Cup It's fair to say that Pyrenees (Into Mischief) has been a project for trainer Cherie DeVaux and owner-breeder Blue Heaven Farm that is turning into a success story. He enters the GI Jockey Club Gold Cup Sunday on an upswing with four wins and a second in his last five starts. Pyrenees Thursday morning at the Spa | Sarah Andrew DeVaux said the colt was a bit slow to develop, but after his career was interrupted has grown into a legitimate stakes horse. In his last two starts he won the GIII Pimlico Special and was second by 2 1/2 lengths to the now-retired Kingsbarns (Uncle Mo) in the GI Stephen Foster on June 29. “I just think it was time and maturity,” DeVaux said. “He had a really significant injury that caused him to be off for a year. When he came back from that, he was a completely different horse. Physically, he's always been slight and a bit feminine, but mentally, he really matured.” DeVaux said Pyrenees suffered the leg injury early in 2023 and it kept him away from racing until mid-December, when he broke his maiden at Fair Grounds. Though he was by top sire Into Mischief, early on DeVaux and her staff did not see him developing into a stakes-caliber runner. “It would be hard to justify saying that the way he trained, in the way he was running,” she said. “It's not because it was lack of talent. He just wasn't putting it out there on the track. You could tell that there was more in there, and he just wasn't putting it out. We had tried blinkers and were going to run him in blinkers, but then when he hurt himself, we just kind of regrouped with him.” By year's end, Pyrenees was a different horse. “When he came back, he was breezing much better, a lot more focused,” DeVaux said. “He was so aloof as a 2-year-old. That's the only word I can use for him.” Following the maiden-breaker, Pyrenees took the next steps on his climb with an allowance victory in late January and a three-length score at Keeneland on Apr. 12 over a sloppy track. He edged Kingsbarns in the GIII Pimlico Special, giving DeVaux her third stakes win on the program that day. While it was an important victory for the colt in his first stakes try, DeVaux said the turning point had already occurred. “I would say Maryland kind of just solidified that we were on the right track with him,” she said. “I was really impressed with his race at Keeneland. Then again, he followed it up with the Stephen Foster where then you're stepping up into Grade I company. It was a tough race, and he was there. I just think it actually might have been just a touch too short for him.” DeVaux said the decision was made to bypass the GI Whitney and point Pyrenees for the 1 1/4-mile Gold Cup. “He had done a lot in a short amount of time,” she said. “At some point we had the discussion that if he is going to make it to the Breeders' Cup, he's going to need a little break. Not a break from training, but just a break in racing. We decided that was probably the best opportunity after the Stephen Foster to just give him a little time for his next race.” Summer Holiday is Over for White Abarrio White Abarrio (Race Day)'s break from training and a vacation on a farm has ended and he has returned to the care of trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr. at Saratoga Race Course. “He's back here,” Joseph said. “He's back training. He's back galloping.” White Abarrio on Friday | Sarah Andrew White Abarrio's owners moved him from Abarrio's barn to Richard Dutrow, Jr.'s stable in May 2023. He went on to finish third in the GI Met Mile then won the GI Whitney Stable and the GI Breeders' Cup Classic. This year he was 10th in the G1 Saudi Cup. After finishing fifth in the Met Mile run at Saratoga, he was sent back Joseph, who decided he needed a break. “It was just give him a change-of-mind piece and see if he could drop himself down and relax,” Joseph said. “And he did. It just felt like he had nervous energy. He just wouldn't let himself down and was anxious, anxious, anxious.” Joseph said the goal is to prepare the 5-year-old for the GI Pegasus World Cup on Jan. 25 at Gulfstream Park. “That's kind of where he needs to get to and everything's kind of working backwards from there,” Joseph said. “How we get there, we don't know yet. There's possibilities. He could run in October, November, if everything went right, but we don't want to set a date and have to be changing. He's going to tell us. After a couple breezes, then we'll be able to come up with a formal plan.” Joseph said White Abarrio would remain at Saratoga for a while after the meet ends on Monday. The post Saratoga Notebook, Presented by NYRA Bets: Saratoga-Loving War Like Goddess Returns to Flower Bowl appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

It had been more than a year since Saratoga Race Course witnessed what happened in the Aug. 30 Saranac Stakes (G3T).View the full article

2nd-SAR, $100k, Msw, 2yo, 1 1/16mT, 12:37p.m. ET Breaking from the rail for owner/breeder St. Elias Stable is COMPLEX AGENDA (Quality Road), who brings with him a loaded pedigree and a bullet work over the grass at Saratoga. Said move was three works back over the training track Aug. 2, where he went seven panels with the dogs up in 1:29 flat (1/4). His dam, GSW Nonna Mela (Arch), won the GII Adirondack and ran second in the GII Prioress Stakes. That mare is a half-sister to multiple Listed winner, Graded-placed Nonna Madeline (Candy Ride {Arg}). To his outside is the pinhooking success story made of dreams, namely Executive (Constitution). The colt was a $100,000 purchase at KEEJAN by Jim Fitzgerald as an agent, and would return to the Keeneland auction house in September to see the hammer fall for $900,000, going the way of Pin Oak Stud. He hails from the female line of MGISW Liam's Map (Unbridled's Song) and GSW & GISP Not This Time (Giant's Causeway). Also debuting here are a pair of European acquisitions in Repole Stables runner Battle Drum (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}), a 360,000 ARQMAY pick up this year, and Klaravich Stables's Early Adopter (GB) (Lope de Vega {Ire}), secured as a yearling for 170,000gns at TATOCT. The former claims German Highweight mare G1SW-Ger India (Ger) (Adlerflug {Ger}) as family while the latter is out of a Group 1-placed mare and is a half-brother to the dam of G1 Kennedy Oaks winner Zardozi (Aus) (Kingman {GB}). Early Adopter boasts dual Grade I-winner Program Trading (GB) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) as a relative. TJCIS PPs 6th-SAR, $100k, Msw, 2yo, f, 5 1/2fT, 2:47p.m. ET Debuting for Bregman Family Racing LLC, LAURICE (Bolt d'Oro) will go to post here for trainer George Weaver with Junior Alvarado in the irons. From the family of champion juvenile colt MGISW Shared Belief (Candy Ride {Arg}), the filly was a $460,000 purchase at this year's OBS April sale and had gone through the Keeneland sales pavilion on two occasions before that, selling for $75,000 at KEENOV as a weanling and then for $80,000 as a yearling at KEESEP. She's been working religiously on both surfaces, and is 7-2 on the morning line for this debut. TJCIS PPs 8th-SAR, $100k, Msw, 2yo, 7f, 3:55p.m. ET In what is shaping up to be an expensive maiden special race, GUNS LOADED (Gun Runner) leads the charge as the priciest of the bunch. A son of multiple graded-placed Sky My Sky (Bernardini), he hals from the female line of Media Nox (GB) (Lycius), who in addition to her racing prowess, found acclaim as the dam of G1 Prix de Diane Hermes-French Oaks and G1 NetJets Prix du Moulin de Longchamp victress Nebraska Tornado (Storm Cat). Most recently, the female family enjoyed success at the highest levels in Europe by way of multiple Group 1 winner Westover (GB) (Frankel {GB}). Sold for a princely sum of $800,000 at KEESEP, Guns Loaded will race for the partnership of Morplay Racing LLC, Joey Platts, and Lady Sheila Stable. To his inside debuts Well Suited (Uncle Mo) for owner and breeder Godolphin. Hailing from the immediate family of Scat Daddy, he's out of SW & MGSP Classic Fit (Bernardini), who in turn is out of a half-sister to the late, great sire. TJCIS PPs 1st-DMR, $75k, Msw, 2yo, f, 6f, 4:30p.m. ET On the rail and debuting for Richard Mandella, GRACE BY FAITH (Authentic) leads a competitive field in this Del Mar opener. A three-quarter sister to MGSW General Jim (Into Mischief), she was an $800,000 purchase from KEESEP last year by Spendthrift Farm, which stands her sire, and has been given a 10-1 morning line shot. To the outside of that one is Margarita Girl (Twirling Candy), a $575,000 OBSMAR purchase back in March by Saints or Sinners, and now races for them in partnership with Rancho Temescal Thoroughbred Partners. Mark Glatt's charge hails from the female line of Tempo West, herself responsible for multiple European Highweight, multiple Group 1 winner and GI Breeders' Cup Classic runner-up Declaration of War (War Front) and his full-brother MGSW & MGISP War Correspondent. She also produced French Listed winner, multiple Graded-placed Vertiformer (Dynaformer). This is the female family of GI Belmont Stakes hero Union Rags (Dixie Union). TJCIS PPs The post Aug. 31 Insights: Coast to Coast Debuts for Well-Meant Maidens appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit (HIWU) has granted a temporary stay of enforcement to connections in six pending total carbon dioxide (TCO2) cases, all of which are out of Pennsylvania. In total, 11 of the 14 pending and resolved TCO2-related cases reported since the advent of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) have concerned horses that ran in Pennsylvania. Of the three other TCO2-related cases, one ran in California and two were out of Ohio. When asked about the reason behind the temporary stay of enforcement, HIWU spokesperson Alexa Ravit wrote in an email that the agency continuously reviews all adverse analytical findings, “and is currently conducting a review of TCO2 analysis at the Pennsylvania Equine Toxicology and Research Laboratory (PETRL).” The PETRL, affiliated with the University of Pennsylvania, analyzed all samples collected for TCO2 testing within the state. Five of the 11 Pennsylvania-related cases concerned horses that ran at Penn National, five ran at Parx Racing, and one ran at Presque Isle Downs. “We cannot comment on the details of the review at this time, but if anything is found that affects the outcomes of the pending cases, that will be made public when the cases are resolved,” Ravit added. High total carbon dioxide (TCO2) levels could be an indication of bicarbonate loading–otherwise known as “milk-shaking”–which can neutralize the build-up of lactic acid in muscles, thereby helping the horse's performance. TCO2 is also naturally occurring in a horse's system. According to HISA's rules, the alkalization or use or administration of an alkalizing agent is prohibited on race day, and a TCO2 blood threshold in excess of 37 millimoles per litre (mmol) is reportedly evidence of “international administration.” Eight of the 14 cases have already been resolved. The trainer in each of the cases was issued a 30-day suspension and a $2,500 fine. This includes Salvador Naranjo, whose trainee Fever tested positive for TCO2 after running at Los Alamitos on Dec. 9 last year. According to Ravit, HIWU issued a temporary stay in the enforcement of that case due to the, at the time, pending federal intra-articular injection rule changes. “The affected Covered Person had penalty points from an intra-articular injection violation that were revoked (and the stay on the case lifted) upon implementation of the new HISA Racetrack Safety Program rules,” Ravit explained. In Naranjo's case, the sample was analyzed by the Kenneth L. Maddy Equine Analytical Chemistry Laboratory at UC Davis. Trainer Carlos Lopez was similarly issued a 30-day suspension and $2,500 fine due to two of his trainees testing positive for TCO2 after running at Belterra Park on Aug. 10 last year. Those samples were sent to the Ohio Department of Agriculture's Analytical Toxicology Laboratory. According to Richard Hackerman, who represents one of the trainers with two pending TCO2 cases, he finds it “extraordinarily unlikely that there's a rash of milk-shaking going on in Pennsylvania and virtually nowhere else in the country.” HIWU does not collect B samples when conducting TCO2 testing. However, trainers can request in advance the collection of a duplicate sample. In Pennsylvania, the duplicate samples go to PETRL, as per HISA's rules. “The official Sample and any duplicate Sample shall be analyzed by the same Laboratory. If the Agency, in its discretion, determines that the duplicate Sample cannot be analyzed within 5 days after the Sample is collected, the findings of the official Sample shall be final,” the HISA rules state. This is not the first time questions have been raised about testing procedures at laboratories contracted for use by HIWU. At the end of last year, the TDN reported on testing uniformity difficulties arising from different testing equipment, testing methodologies and sets of staff interpreting the results between the then-six laboratories contracted for use by HIWU. Internal reviews of the laboratories had uncovered different limits of detection in blood for the diabetes drug Metformin and for benzoylecgonine (BZE), a metabolite of cocaine. In light of the review, HIWU explained that it had subsequently harmonized its “testing sensitivity” in blood across the six labs for these two substances, and that it would repeat the harmonization process for other drugs, including banned substances. Earlier this year, HIWU severed its contract with the University of Kentucky's Equine Analytical Chemistry Laboratory due to questions raised about the lab's performance, and about “personnel” matters related to the former lab director, Scott Stanley. The Racing Medication and Testing Consortium (RMTC) also suspended its accreditation of the UK Lab. Investigations into these matters at the UK Lab are still ongoing. According to Ravit, there is no deadline for the stay to be lifted in the pending TCO2 cases while HIWU continues its review. The post HIWU Stays Enforcement of Pending TCO2 Cases, Conducting Review of Pennsylvania Lab appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Stronach Stables's Macho Uno, Eclipse Award-winning champion juvenile and whose progeny include GI Breeders' Cup Classic winner Mucho Macho Man, was euthanized at the age of 26 due to liver complications at his home at Adena South Aug. 30, according to a Friday press release from 1/ST Racing. A son of Horse of the Year Holy Bull bred by Adena and a half-brother to Breeders' Cup Classic winner Awesome Again, Macho Uno won on debut at Saratoga for trainer Joe Orseno in July 2000. After he was third in the GI Hopeful Stakes, Macho Uno won the GI Grey Breeders' Cup at Woodbine. The colt would follow that up with a score over future Hall of Famer Point Given in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile. Macho Uno's 3-year-old campaign was delayed until July due to an ankle injury. Once his season began, the grey won the GIII Pennsylvania Derby and was fourth in the Breeders' Cup Classic. The colt returned the next year with a victory in the GII Massachusetts Handicap and he was fourth in the GI Whitney Handicap before ending his racing career with a fifth-place finish in the Breeders' Cup Classic at Arlington. At stud, along with siring Mucho Macho Man–himself the sire of GISW Mucho Gusto–Macho Uno claims Grade I winners Macho Again, Private Zone, Tolomeo and V I P Zone. The stallion was represented by 17 crops prior to being pensioned to Adena South in 2020. The post Pensioned Sire Macho Uno Succumbs To Liver Complications appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The popular program designed to attract horses from outside California, will be back in effect for the track’s autumn meet. Eligible horses will receive $4,000 guaranteed for their first start at Santa Anita.View the full article

Evvie Jets runs in the Kentucky Downs Ladies Turf (G3T) Aug. 31, and it will be an emotional day. Michael Amendola said late father left him, his sister Jennifer, and his mother Shelia a half dozen horses. Evvie Jets is the last one running.View the full article

Santa Anita will once again implement the “Ship and Win” program for the 2024 Autumn Meet, which kicks off Friday, Sept. 27. The incentive program is designed to attract horses from outside California. Horses from out of state who made only one start at the Del Mar Summer Meet will remain eligible for Santa Anita's Ship and Win purse bonus provided they did not make an additional start elsewhere. Eligible horses will receive $4,000 guaranteed for their first start at Santa Anita, as well additional bonus money in excess of listed purses. “The Ship and Win program is now well known throughout the country and it should continue to attract a significant numbers of horses,” said Santa Anita Director of Racing and Racing Secretary Jason Egan. “We have a great facility at which to race and train with the best turf racing in America at this time of the year, which provides tremendous incentives for those considering stabling here in Southern California year-round.” Santa Anita will inaugurate the California Crown at the meet on Saturday, Sept. 28. The post Santa Anita’s ‘Ship and Win’ Program is Back appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Therapeutic Horses of Saratoga (THS), a 501c3 nonprofit which utilizes retired racehorses in therapeutic programs promoting the mental health and well-being of New York residents, will be unveiling a new state-of-the-art indoor arena and group therapy space Sept. 4 at its Saratoga Springs facility. Local officials and members of congress will attend the ribbon cutting. “We are thrilled to unveil our new indoor arena, which represents a significant step forward in our mission to support mental health in our community,” said Dr. Erin C. Sisk, founder of THS. “With this facility, we can now offer our services year-round, ensuring that more individuals and families can benefit from the healing power of equine-assisted psychotherapy.” The new arena was constructed with the grant funding awarded to THS through DASNY, New York State's capital project development authority, through the Nonprofit Infrastructure Capital Investment Program (NICIP). The post New Indoor Arena and Therapy Space for Therapeutic Horses of Saratoga appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Picklebet is igniting excitement among horse racing enthusiasts with its exciting 25% Boosted Winnings promotion for today’s Rosehill & Doomben races. This thrilling offer allows punters to amplify their potential winnings by a quarter, adding an extra layer of excitement to the already exhilarating action on the track. With Picklebet’s innovative promotion, bettors have the opportunity to maximise their returns while experiencing the thrill of backing their favourite runners at Rosehill and Doomben on August 31, 2024. 25% Boosted Winnings – Rosehill & Doomben Paid in Bonus Cash. First Fixed Win Cash Bet. Max Bonus $250. Picklebet T&Cs apply. Login to PickleBet to Claim Promo This promotion excludes punters from NSW and SA. Max winnings of $250. First fixed win bet only. Paid in Bonus Cash. Must use available balance. See Picklebet website for full terms & conditions. Picklebet.com are one of the new bookmakers making a splash on the horse racing scene and with inviting promotions like the one they are offering at Rosehill and Doomben, they will continue to make an impact in Australia. Horse racing promotions View the full article

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Godolphin repeated their feat of five years ago when signing for the €850,000 top lot at Friday's BBAG September Yearling Sale, surpassing the previous record fee of €820,000 they paid for a Sea The Stars (Ire) filly in 2019. It's a record that had been shared since 2020 when Dietrich and Annabel von Boetticher's Gestut Ammerland also forked out €820,000 for a full-sister to the 11-length Deutsches Derby winner and sire Sea The Moon (Ger), but now there is a new outright leader in the shape of the colt who went through the ring on Friday as lot 67. Named Del Maro (Ger), he too has a Classic pedigree fully befitting of the highest-priced horse in the sale's history. A son of the 2,000 Guineas and Derby winner Camelot (GB), Del Maro was offered by Gestut Brummerhof and is out of their homebred Preis der Diana scorer Diamanta (Ger) (Maxios {GB}), a half-sister to the Listed winner and Group 2 Oleander-Rennen third Diamantis (Ger) (Golden Horn {GB}). His second dam is the G3 Preis der Winterkonigin runner-up Diamantgottin (Ger) (Fantastic Light). Diamanta's first foal, the Dubawi (Ire) filly Diya (Ger), who failed to find a buyer when offered at this sale in 2022, has also proved herself a talented performer in the familiar yellow and black silks of her owner-breeder. Although well beaten in the Preis der Diana when last seen, she'd earned her place in that field with a comfortable victory in the Listed Diana Trial the previous month. Anthony Stroud struck the winning bid on behalf of Godolphin, who will be hoping for better luck with this colt than they had with their €820,000 purchase in 2019. The filly, later named Annie d'Autriche (Ger), never made it to the racecourse, whereas the Sea The Moon sibling, named Sea The Sky (Ger) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), showed a high level of form in France for Andre Fabre, winning at Listed level and finishing third in the G3 Prix Minerve. Incidentally, Sea The Sky later found her way into the hands of the Godolphin team as well when bought for €1.25 million at Arqana last December. Of the 210 lots offered, 153 sold at a clearance rate of 73%, down 2% on last year. The average also fell by 2% to €48,552, while the median was consistent with 12 months ago at €48,745. The aggregate spend was €7,428,500, down 8% on last year's figure. Soldier Hollow Gone But Not Forgotten Anthony Stroud also signed for lot 113, a Teofilo (Ire) colt who fetched €150,000, on behalf of Godolphin, but he was forced to settle for the role of underbidder when it came to the sale's other standout result. The Soldier Hollow (GB) colt in question, or lot 52, was offered by breeder Helmut von Finck of Gestut Park Wiedingen, the owner of the former German champion sire who died in May this year. Soldier Hollow is perhaps best known as the sire of the Deutsches Derby winners Pastorius (Ger) and Weltstar (Ger), while daughter Tamfana (Ger), who was purchased for €20,000 at this sale in 2022, has finished fourth in the 1,000 Guineas and third in the Prix de Diane this year. This colt is out of the winning Shirocco (Ger) mare Wamika (Ger), who has already produced three black-type winners by Soldier Hollow, including the G3 Preis der Winterkonigin scorer Whispering Angel (Ger). She in turn is the dam of the G3 Bavarian Classic winner Wilko (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}). The second dam, Wakytara (Ger) (Danehill), has also produced a multiple Group winner by Soldier Hollow in the shape of Wai Key Star (Ger), something which was identified by Alex Elliott as one of the reasons why he refused to be beaten on lot 52. “He was just a very, very classy individual,” he summed up after securing the colt for €320,000. “The mare hasn't missed to Soldier Hollow and even the second dam didn't miss to Soldier Hollow, so it's obviously blood that works. “If he can run as well as he looks, then I'm sure we're going to be okay, even with such a hefty price tag on him. He'll go to Ralph Beckett. It's a sale that has been good to us and, hopefully, this is another horse who can add to that.” Elliott bought three yearlings in total for an aggregate of €460,000, with the others including lot 73, a colt by Too Darn Hot (GB) who sold for €110,000. Another Classic Coup for Liberty Racing? Eckhard Sauren was another of the sale's most prolific buyers with his five purchases–headed by Gestut Gorlsdorf's Kingman (GB) filly [lot 155] who fetched €200,000–coming to an aggregate of €629,000. Sauren also bought a colt by first-season sire Japan (GB) out of the aforementioned Whispering Angel for €120,000. Of the 24 yearlings by Japan offered, 14 sold for a total of €717,000 and an average of €51,214. The dual Group 1 winner stood his first season at Gestut Etzean in 2022 at a fee of €11,000. The HFTB Racing Agency was busy on behalf of Darius Racing, picking up six yearlings for an aggregate of €380,000, while the Liberty Racing team, led by Lars-Wilhelm Baumgarten, were back for more, little wonder given the significant success they've enjoyed with their recruits from this sale in recent years. As if buying last year's Deutsches Derby hero Fantastic Moon (Ger) (Sea The Moon {Ger}) here for the bargain sum of €49,000 wasn't enough, the team then repeated the dose at Hamburg in July with Palladium (Ger) (Gleneagles {Ire}), a colt they'd bought from this sale for €80,000 in 2022. Fantastic Moon, who is back in Group 1 action in Saturday's Grosser Preis von Baden, came from the Stauffenberg draft in 2021 and Liberty Racing returned to that source this year with their €140,000 purchase of lot 107, a Teofilo (Ire) colt out of the G2 Cape Verdi runner-up Asoof (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}). Lot 65, Liberty Racing's most expensive buy at €200,000, also had something in common with one of their Classic victors as a son of Gleneagles. Offered by Gestut Park Wiedingen, the colt is a half-brother to the G3 Preis der Winterkonigin winner Dhaba (Ger) (Areion {Ger}), who is in turn the dam of the three black-type performers, headed by the Listed scorer and G2 German 1,000 Guineas third Dishina (Ger) (Soldier Hollow {GB}). All told, the team responsible for the last two winners of the Deutsches Derby added six yearlings to their ranks for a total of €527,000. Lope De Vega's Big Year Shows No Signs of Slowing Down Lope De Vega (Ire) continues to lead the race to be crowned champion sire in Europe in 2024 and his popularity was reflected at the recent Arqana August Sale where a filly by the Ballylinch Stud stallion commanded one of the top prices at €1 million. That filly was consigned by Ballylinch, but roles were reversed in Baden-Baden on Friday as the team behind Lope De Vega turned buyers with the €190,000 purchase of lot 78, a filly out of the Listed-placed Lips Eagle (Ger) (Gleneagles {Ire}). Lips Eagle herself is a half-sister to the G1 Grosser Dallmayr-Preis – Bayerisches Zuchtrennen and G2 German 2,000 Guineas winner Lucky Lion (GB), while the second dam, Lips Arrow (Ger) (Big Shuffle), won two Listed races and was Group 3-placed on two other occasions. “It's been a huge year for the stallion,” said Lizzy Sainty, the French representative for Ballylinch, after securing the only Lope De Vega yearling in the catalogue. “She's a lovely filly. She was really typical of her sire with a lovely walk and she obviously comes from a really top class nursery in Etzean. They do a brilliant job. “She'll come home to Ireland and John [O'Connor, managing director of Ballylinch] will make a decision on her future later.” Sainty also confirmed that Prix du Jockey Club hero Look De Vega (Fr) is on track for his two big autumn targets, with the G2 Prix Niel set to be used as a stepping stone to the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe for which he heads the ante-post betting. It was announced in July that Ballylinch had snapped up a majority share in the exciting stallion prospect, in association with Al Shaqab Racing. He will retire to Ballylinch at the end of his racing career to stand alongside his world-famous sire. The post Godolphin Strike For €850K Record-Breaking Camelot Colt At BBAG appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Pegasus Stakes winner Salute the Stars (Candy Ride {Arg}) was an RNA in the inaugural auction from BidXSell, a company that aims to change the way people buy and sell horses online by charging a $500 fixed fee as a commission. The four-year-old colt is owned by Gary and Mary West. “This was a successful sale any way you look at it,” said Saeed Almaddah, President and CEO of Silk Road LLC, which developed the platform. “First, Salute the Stars was a great horse to debut the site with. He is a talented, classy horse with a market value that brought thousands to the site from all over the world. The horse was digitally pulled out of the stall over 2,000 times. Secondly, and most importantly, we showed the thoroughbred industry worldwide that our auction platform unleashes the power of the digital auction market directly into the hands of the stakeholders at a significantly lower cost. The seller of Salute the Stars was exceptionally pleased with the unique visibility the BidXSell platform offers. Sellers know exactly who has interest in their horse, mirroring the physical sale structure of knowing how many times and to whom a horse has been shown and vetted. The seller knows the region of the world most interested in the horse, how to adjust the reserve, and is ultimately in full command of the outcome. The emergence of BidXSell creates a new era in which consignors, breeders, farms, and agents are no longer held hostage by auction houses in the digital marketplace.” The company said that it would announce future U.S. sales. The post Salute the Stars RNAs in Inaugural BidXSell Sale appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Wildcard Top Man Tom (Ire) (Ask {GB}) (lot 46) claimed the top podium at the ThoroughBid August Sale on Thursday. Consigned by Ben Pauling Racing, the 5-year-old gelding was knocked down for £13,500 to Dave Armstrong. The bay is out of Miss Your Top (Ire) (Luso {GB}), a half-sister to Grade 3 chase winner Little Josh (Ire) (Pasternak {GB}). Just behind the topper was El Fabienne (Fr) (Spanish Moon), with Another Partnership signing for the Willie Mullins-consigned mare. Sold as lot 34 for £12,000, the brown mare is a daughter of Silver Bell (Fr) (Silver Cross {Fr}), herself a full-sister to listed hurdle winners and graded-placed Tommy Silver (Fr) and Cross In Hand (Fr), as well as a half-sister to El Fabiolo (Fr) (Spanish Moon), who won a trio of Grade 1 chases. Overall, of the 48 lots offered, 28 sold (58%) for a gross of £121,900. The average was £4,353 and the median was £3,500. The post Ask Gelding Tops ThoroughBid August Sale appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

As renovations continue at Belmont Park, The New York Racing Association (NYRA) divulged a plan July 1 to conduct approximately three months of winter racing annually at Belmont exclusively on an all-weather surface. A one-mile Tapeta track is currently under construction at Belmont, while the facility is scheduled to reopen in 2026. Lisa Lazarus, the CEO of the Horseracing Integrity & Safety Authority (HISA) provided a letter Friday to NYRA in support of the decision. The letter appears in full below. To Whom it May Concern: The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA), was established in 2020 following the enactment of the bipartisan federal Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act. HISA's mission is to implement a national, uniform set of integrity and safety rules that are applied consistently to every Thoroughbred racing participant and racetrack facility. As a point of emphasis, HISA works diligently–day in and out–to minimize the risk of horses sustaining injuries associated with horseracing. The New York Racing Association (NYRA) has been working closely and collaboratively with HISA since its formation and has always been in full compliance with its safety and integrity regulations. As HISA's CEO, I write to express my support for NYRA's decision to install an all-weather surface track at the new Belmont Park to be the exclusive surface for winter racing. Since 2009, The Jockey Club has maintained an Equine Injury Database that tracks fatalities by state, racetrack, and surface. An analysis of the data collected demonstrates that the dirt tracks with the greatest risk of high injury rates are based in a highly variable climate with high utilization (year-round racing). As Belmont is located in a highly variable climate and will support year-round racing, it meets the precise criteria for benefiting from an all-weather track. It is imperative, both ethically and to preserve horseracing's social license, that horse welfare is always prioritized when making business decisions. Declining to install an all-weather track, under these unique circumstances, would result in NYRA missing an opportunity to substantially minimize the risk of horses being injured because of an inconsistent dirt surface that is difficult to maintain in the winter at a racetrack that will be utilized year-round. Further, the data collected around the currently operating all-weather tracks strongly suggests that any concerns about a detrimental effect on field size and betting are misplaced. Thank you for considering these important safety concerns as you evaluate these issues. Respectfully submitted, Lisa Lazarus Chief Executive Officer Horseracing Integrity & Safety Authority The post HISA Pens Letter in Support of NYRA Synthetic Decision for Belmont Winter Racing appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

In the GIII Saranac Stakes for 3-year-olds over the grass at Saratoga on Friday afternoon, West Hollywood (Uncle Mo) was the winner, but the race was marred by the first racing fatality of the summer season as The Big Torpedo (Big Brown) had to euthanized on the track, according to details provided by a release from NYRA. Owned by Thomas Albrecht, Vincent Fusaro and James Klein, The Big Torpedo (#5) sustained a catastrophic injury to his left front leg in the stretch run of Race 6. Despite the immediate response of on-site veterinarians, the Thomas Morley trainee was humanely euthanized due to the severity of the injury. The chestnut colt is the only horse to sustain a catastrophic injury during racing at the 2024 summer meet at Saratoga Race Course, which opened July 11 and has featured 2,879 horses starting in 369 races to date. As for The Big Torpedo's jockey Eric Cancel who was unseated, he was not injured. In the statement, NYRA also said that the incident caused #3 Take Me To Church (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}) to alter course unseating Javier Castellano, who is being transported to Albany Medical Center for further evaluation. Castellano is awake and alert. It went on to state that the Brad Cox trainee, who sustained minor cuts and scrapes, was apprehended by the outrider and returned to the barn area via equine ambulance. Flurry Racing's Staton Flurry said in a post on X about his colt, “Take Me To Church is back at the barn with a few scrapes but seems okay. My thoughts and prayers are with Javier Castellano and the Morley barn.” By winning the Saranac, West Hollywood's Flavien Prat set the Saratoga meet record with his 16th stakes victory. Since this was his 12th graded win, he ties the mark set by Joel Rosario in 2022. Friday, Saratoga SARANAC S.-GIII, $162,750, Saratoga, 8-30, 3yo, 1 1/16mT, 1:40.89, fm. 1–WEST HOLLYWOOD, 118, c, 3, by Uncle Mo 1st Dam: White Hot (Ire), by Galileo (Ire) 2nd Dam: Gwynn (Ire), by Darshaan (GB) 3rd Dam: Victoress, by Conquistador Cielo 1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($775,000 RNA Ylg '22 KEESEP). O-Qatar Racing; B-B. Flay Thoroughbreds (KY); T-Brad H. Cox; J-Flavien Prat. $96,250. Lifetime Record: 5-3-1-0, $251,794. *1/2 to Pizza Bianca (Fastnet Rock {Aus}), GISW-USA, GISP-Can, $792,947. Werk Nick Rating: D. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. 2–Yo Daddy, 118, c, 3, Yoshida (Jpn)–Elle Stormin', by Tale of the Cat. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($29,000 RNA 2yo '23 OBSOPN). O-Winning Move Stable; B-Big Chief Racing LLC & Rocker O Ranch LLC (KY); T-Linda Rice. $35,000. 3–The Process, 118, c, 3, More Than Ready–Eblouissante, by Bernardini. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($375,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP). O-Belladonna Racing, LLC, Twin Brook Stables, Nice Guys Stables, West Point Thoroughbreds, Iapetus Racing, Hornstock, Runnels Racing, Perrine Time Thoroughbreds, RTR Stables, Peppermint Stables, Manganaro Bloodstock, Ingordo and Lucky Hat Racing LLC; B-Summer Wind Equine LLC (KY); T-Cherie DeVaux. $21,000. Margins: 5HF, 2 3/4, 2 1/4. Odds: 1.35, 5.30, 6.70. Also Ran: Villain, Take Me To Church (Ire), The Big Torpedo. Scratched: Proprietary Trade. Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV. Take Me To Church is back at the barn with a few scrapes but seems ok. My thoughts and prayers are with Javier Castellano and the Morley barn. pic.twitter.com/jd2i2SSnmc — Staton Flurry (@StatonFlurry) August 30, 2024 The post First Racing Fatality Of Saratoga Season Mars Saranac Stakes appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Bob Baffert-trained graded stakes winners Muth, Imagination, and Wynstock lead seven horses entered to race in the Sept. 1 Shared Belief Stakes at Del Mar.View the full article

With Adare Manor scratched from the Pacific Classic Stakes (G1), Dr. Venkman is now favored at 8-5 on the revised morning line for the $1 million race.View the full article

Flaxman Stables homebred and multiple group winner Passenger (Ulysses {Ire}) is recovering well from surgery and has started his rehabilitation, according to Niarchos family racing manager Alan Cooper. A winner of three of his six starts, the G2 Huxley Stakes and G3 Winter Hill Stakes hero, who placed in the G2 Dante Stakes last year, sustained a condylar fracture when third to Alflaila (GB) (Dark Angel {Ire}) in the G2 York Stakes on July 27. The Sir Michael Stoute trainee has since undergone surgery to repair the injury. Cooper said, “He's come out of his surgery in good shape and is starting his rehab programme. That will take a bit of time but hopefully we will have him back next year. “He had some screws put in the cannon bone to consolidate it and is now out of the clinic and starting his rehab. “It's still early days yet, but the hope is we can get him back–and of course he will be carefully monitored along the way by the veterinary surgeons.” The post Passenger Recovering From Surgery, Carries Positive Prognosis Into 2025 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

As expected, undefeated Group 1 winner Babouche (GB) (Kodiac {GB}) is targeting the G1 Cheveley Park Stakes, with Ger Lyons stablemate Red Letter (GB) (Frankel {GB}) set to resurface on Irish Champions Weekend, according to Juddmonte's European racing manager Barry Mahon. Three-for-three in her young career, the daughter of Pavlosk (Arch) won her Cork debut, before claiming the G3 Anglesey Stakes a month later and the G1 Phoenix Stakes earlier this month. Twice-raced Curragh maiden winner Red Letter will resume in either the Listed Ingabelle Stakes or the G1 Moyglare Stud Stakes in mid-September. “We've discussed it with the owners and they're keen to go to the Cheveley Park with Babouche, so that's good,” confirmed Juddmonte's European racing manager Barry Mahon. “All being well, Red Letter will run on Champions Weekend. Whether that will be in the Ingabelle on the Saturday or the Moyglare on the Sunday, we'll see how she's working and decide closer to the time. “Obviously, the form of Babouche's last run looks solid. I don't have all the times but I believe she broke some sort of record on the day and when they do that, it has to be a good performance.” Mahon also offered an update on Revoke (GB) (Blue Point {Ire}), who won at Naas on Aug. 25 and is also bound for a black-type engagement. She drubbed her foes by 4 3/4 lengths over good to yielding ground. “Ger has a lovely team in fairness to him and Revoke looks a smart filly,” he added. “She's not over-big, but she'd been showing plenty at home and she's quick. “Hopefully we'll be able to kick on and head into stakes company for her next start. Where that will be, we'll have to wait and see, but she's a nice filly to have. “She was good over six furlongs the other day and could even drop back to five, as she's very speedy. She'll slot into a stakes race somewhere and we'll go a bit slower with her.” The post Lyons And Juddmonte Aim To Keep Babouche And Red Letter Separate, As They Make Group 1 Plans appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

In a cozy, bedded down stall that resides within the inner courtyard of Atlanta Hall Farm's indoor track, you'll find Grade I winner and Grade I sire Cupid (Tapit), the first stallion to stand at the historic farm that encompasses 400 acres in Monkton, Md. With the ease at which Cupid strolls beside Garrett Murray, stallion manager and co-owner of the farm, as he mills around during a grazing session, or nickers to 13-year-old Genevieve, Murray's daughter, as she strides over with a carrot in hand, it's hard to believe the stallion only made the move to Maryland last fall. It was a plan set in motion by Sugar Mills Stables' Tony Mills, based in Lexington, Ky., who purchased Cupid from Coolmore last September. The deal was finalized just days before Carson's Run (Cupid) collected his first career Grade I victory as a 2-year-old in the GI Summer Stakes at Woodbine on Sept. 16, 2023. It was within that week that Murray got a call from a couple of Lexington contacts. “We were training horses, the phone rang, and they said, 'Hey Gary, somebody threw your name in the hat. Would you be interested in having a conversation with the guy who just bought Cupid? I said, 'Sure.' The guy didn't know me, I didn't know him, but I went to Lexington. I met Tony, his wife, the team, and we just hit it off,” said Murray. “I told him about the farm and what we thought we could do with him. It happened very quickly, it's a bit of a blur, we had lots to do and we did it. We shook on it, so we have a great friendship [more so than anything], and I've enjoyed Tony because he just leaves me to do my thing.” Carson's Run | Sarah Andrew Standing Cupid at Atlanta Hall has brought things full circle for Murray, a native of Wexford, Ireland, who first came to Central Kentucky to work for legendary horseman Robert Courtney Sr. at his Crestfield Farm in 1998. After returning home to continue his studies in equine science at the University of Limerick, he made his way back to the Bluegrass to work at Juddmonte. “I was more into the training than the broodmares so I was put in the training barn and we had [Grade I winner] Aptitude, Flute had won the [GI Kentucky] Oaks, so right there I was around these amazing horses that were on Derby trails, Grade I winners. Juddmonte had just started the association with Bobby Frankel so it was that brilliant generation of magnificent fillies like [Grade I winner] Tates Creek. I was lucky to be there for that,” he said. From there he moved on to Castleton Lyons where his first introduction to working with stallions came in the form of caring for Malibu Moon (A.P. Indy). “I was a kid on the farm who was told, 'You're going to need to look after this stallion.' Little did I know how much of a handful [he was]. He was a big, hardy horse but he was very fair. A beautiful horse, great stallion,” said Murray. “It was great to be there for that, to launch a stallion, because here I am 20 years later trying to do the same thing.” Murray continued to garner plenty of experience while in Kentucky, eventually making the transition to Coolmore's Ashford Stud as he joined the team to learn more about yearlings and the sales, before moving into the office to sell stallion nominations. It was around that time he met Elizabeth Voss, daughter of renowned steeplechase trainer Tom Voss, who had worked her way up from intern to director of sales at Three Chimneys Farm. The pair married in 2010 after moving back to Voss's family's farm, Atlanta Hall, in Maryland and began assisting Voss's father in training steeplechase horses. Cupid with Garrett Murray | Sara Gordon But tragedy struck in 2014 when Tom Voss died suddenly of an apparent heart attack at 63, leaving the farm and the business to the young couple, who were raising two young children–their daughter Genevieve and son Thomas–at the time. “Listen, we just went to work. We continued what her dad was doing, which was training steeplechase horses, and that's what we did. I think in the first two years after he passed, we had five Grade I wins with three different horses in New York, so we hit the ground running. We had a great rider, a good team, we inherited some of Tom's staff,” said Murray. “We were young, we were hungry. But life goes on and things change, the sport is cyclic. We are lucky enough to have always had a relationship with the Merck family's The Fields Stable who continues to support our racing and breeding operation.” Following in the footsteps of her father, who was post-humously inducted into the National Museum of Racing's Hall of Fame in 2017, Voss sent out Makari (Makbul) to win the 2014 GI A. P. Smithwick Memorial Steeplechase Stakes; Bob Le Beau (Big Bad Bob) to win the 2015 New York Turf Writers Cup Handicap, GI Lonesome Glory Hurdle Handicap, and 2016 A. P. Smithwick Memorial Steeplechase; Portrade (Trade Fair) to win the 2016 New York Turf Writers Cup Handicap, and also had a graded stakes winner on the flat: Renown (Champs Elysees) in the 2016 GIII Sycamore Stakes. “Then Covid came, it hurt business really, and things got quieter. But the silver lining was with the kids, we had more time with them, so that's not a bad thing,” Murray said. “The stallion thing always made sense to me; it was just a matter of timing.” Cue the phone call about Cupid. Making the trip from Maryland to Kentucky himself, Murray picked Cupid up from Ashford, where he'd stood since 2018. Looking back on Cupid's first season standing in the Mid-Atlantic region, for a fee of $8,000 with a stands and nurses guarantee this year, Murray remarked that the 11-year-old stallion covered nearly 55 mares. “We bred most of our mares and partners' mares to Cupid obviously, and Tony bred his share. Cupid bred 53 or 54 mares which is not a terrible number in a regional market,” he said. “He brought a good flow of mares to the place, which was good experience for me. The crew learned a lot. We did more right than we did wrong so it was a successful breeding season. I think he ended up with 85 percent of his mares in foal, so he did his job. Now we've got to build on that in the coming years. It will be nice to have representation of Cupid in Maryland.” Sterling Silver | Sarah Andrew Currently ranked among the top five on the 2024 Leading Fourth-Crop Sires in North America list, Cupid has received a huge boost from the success of Carson's Run and Sterling Silver (Cupid) at Saratoga this summer. Already a multiple stakes winner and graded stakes-placed, the Bill Mott-trained Sterling Silver returned to her winning ways in the Aug. 7 Johnston Mile Handicap–for New York-bred fillies and mares 3-years-old and up–as she pulled away to win by 9 3/4 lengths. Four days later, Grade I winner Carson's Run delivered a remarkable last-to-first performance to win the Aug. 11 GI Saratoga Derby Invitational Stakes by 3/4 of length for trainer Christophe Clement. It was quite the thrill for Murray who, along with his family and friends, were in town to witness both stellar performances by Cupid progeny. “That was great because everybody got to experience a Cupid winning in Saratoga. Good time, good race [for Sterling Silver]. And then of course Carson's Run was meant to be running Saturday, we were hanging around for Carson, and it got pushed back to Sunday. I was under pressure to go home, but we had to make it happen, which we did. It was great, just an unbelievable experience for the kids especially,” said Murray. “That in a nutshell is really what's best about Cupid. A five-year-old mare, Sterling Silver, going a mile on the dirt on Wednesday and [then Carson's Run], a 3-year-old, going a mile and three-sixteenths on the grass [on Sunday].” Cupid with Garrett Murray and Genevieve Murray | Sara Gordon Carson's Run returns Saturday, Aug. 31 as the headliner amongst a full field of 12 in the $3.1 million GIII Nashville Derby Invitational at Kentucky Downs. For Murray and Mills, Carson's Run served as a lot of the initial inspiration when making the decision to stand Cupid and ultimately, exemplifies what they're hoping to achieve with the Maryland-sired crops to come. “To get through the season and a couple weeks later go to Saratoga, that's where you want to win, you know? Just for it to happen in those few days was really magic. And then we're looking forward to what's left for Carson and others, and there's 2-year-olds running, which are fun,” said Murray. “If you look in our kitchen there's a whiteboard with 'Cupid Runners' on it, [Genevieve] likes to [keep track]. I don't care if it's Prairie Meadows or wherever, as long as there's runners out there.” But Cupid isn't the only one who's received a boost. His arrival has been an exciting new venture for the entire family, marking a continued devotion to extending the legacy established generations back by the Voss family. “It's been a really good heartbeat for the farm. We knew we'd have to go down a different direction, which we did. People have been doing it in Maryland for years and we're no different than them. We have great respect for everybody here, from Northview to Country Life [Farm],” said Murray. “We're a young family, we've got to keep it going for this next generation. It means a lot to us.” And though they were not at Ashford during the same time, there's something quite fitting about the connection between Cupid and Murray. Cupid with Garrett Murray and Genevieve Murray | Sara Gordon “I love it, I feel like I'm a child again. I feel like I'm 20 when I walk next to him, it gives you that rush. We all need a kick in life. I stopped smoking years ago, and I don't play golf, I don't have the time, but I love walking next to a stallion again,” said Murray. “It's very hard to criticize Cupid. Physically, he's magnificent. He's big, but not too big, he's perfectly correct. No conformation defects and that's great in a regional market where you need to have everything right. “I was back on the phone, going through charts in the winter, going racing again and I was getting out there selling. I enjoy bringing people back here. It's a very beautiful farm to show off. But like anything, it's the right partners, the right stallion, and I think he is the right stallion for the marketplace.” Amongst the hustle and bustle that normally ensues around the farm, from the steeplechase horses in training to the herd of breeding stock, or a spring season filled with point-to-point festivities and a fall season filled with racing and foxhunting, there's a soothing quiet to be found in the newly built stallion haven within the training track. But in that quietness that can be experienced on a mid-August afternoon at Atlanta Hall Farm, the sense of pride, dedication and hope for the future speaks volumes. “We're young, we have youth, we have the energy. We have a fifth-generation horse person right here [with Genevieve],” said Murray. “The farm is steeped in history and good horsemanship. I'd like to think we're continuing to keep things moving forward. It's not rocket science, we're keeping it simple, but it's been a lot of fun, you know?” The post Cupid The Newest Chapter In Storied History Of Atlanta Hall Farm appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Trainer Bob Baffert confirms that Adare Manor will not compete in the Pacific Classic (G1) after a minor tying up incident following her gallop Aug. 29. She could have become the second distaff winner of the Del Mar stakes, following Beholder.View the full article