Wandering Eyes

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

The Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) at Saratoga Race Course is not the only $1 million race across North America Sept. 1. Down at Kentucky Downs, 2-year-olds race for up to that amount in the Juvenile Sprint Stakes if bred in Kentucky.View the full article

Motorious, an assertive winner of last year's Green Flash Handicap (G3T), returns to defend his title in the five-furlong turf sprint Aug. 31 at Del Mar.View the full article

Quietside and Bellacose, two impressive winners from earlier in the meet, seek their first graded wins. View the full article

Lammas, a multiple stakes winner in Northern California, will take on Southern California competition in the Del Mar Mile Stakes (G2T).View the full article

With Adare Manor scratched from the Pacific Classic Stakes (G1), Dr. Venkman will likely be favored in the $1 million race.View the full article

1st-Saratoga, $100,000, Msw, 8-30, 2yo, 5 1/2fT, 1:02.73, fm, 1 3/4 lengths. GATE TO WIRE (c, 2, Munnings–Sansibar Jewel, by Street Cry {Ire}) didn't make his name into a game plan, but showed enough early foot to comfortably track the leading flight of runners from third. Inching forward as the left the backstretch, the 9-5 favorite was rolling into the lead entering the homestretch and put 1 3/4 lengths on Jack's Promise (Promises Fulfilled) by the time they hit the wire. The son of Munnings came into this unveiling with back-to-back bullet works over the main track, those Aug. 23 and Aug. 17 four furlong moves in :47.13 and :47.00, respectively, ending up faster than a combined 262 other workers. 'Insights' runner Code of Justice (Into Mischief) faded to fifth after leading early on. GATE TO WIRE, the 2YO son of @coolmoreamerica stallion Munnings, breaks his maiden in the opener under @iradortiz for trainer @PletcherRacing. pic.twitter.com/ltT8a8tr7G — NYRA () (@TheNYRA) August 30, 2024 The victor is the first winner from three of racing age for his dam, who has not produced any offspring since Gate to Wire. Sansibar Jewel was bred to Essential Quality for 2025. Sales history: $95,000 Ylg '23 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $55,000. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV. O-Donegal Racing; B-Moyglare Stud Farm, Ltd. (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher. The post Munnings’s Gate to Wire Bests Saratoga Foes appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

One of the season's more exciting 2-year-old prospects, Juddmonte's TDN Rising Star Field Of Gold (Ire) bids to emulate his sire Kingman (GB) on Saturday as he looks for a first pattern-race success in the feature G3 Solario Stakes at Sandown. Kept back for this seven-furlong staging post by John and Thady Gosden since his impressive success in a Newmarket novice at the July Festival, the grey meets some other fascinating types in Jeff Smith's clear-cut Salisbury novice winner Royal Playwright (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), an Andrew Balding-trained son of his G1 Juddmonte International heroine Arabian Queen (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), and Valmont, Ballylinch and Ecurie des Charmes's Leicester novice scorer Matauri Bay (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) from Ralph Beckett's talented crop of juveniles. Ballydoyle Juveniles Out In Force… In The Curragh's G3 Newtownanner Stud Irish EBF Stakes, Ballydoyle put forward the Goodwood maiden winner Dreamy (Ire) (American Pharoah), while the card's G3 Heider Family Stables Round Tower Stakes sees the stable's impressive course-and-distance maiden winner Ides Of March (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) also occupy favouritism. Aidan O'Brien sends a rare runner to Craon for the Listed Criterium de L'Ouest Haras de Bouquetot, with the Killarney winner Lambourn (Ire) (Australia {GB}) flying the flag under Christophe Soumillon. The post Field Of Gold Sits Solario Test appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-bred horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Saturday's Observations features a son of Dubawi (Ire). 13.45 Curragh, Mdn, €20,000, 2yo, c/g, 8fT ACAPULCO BAY (IRE) (Dubawi {Ire}) caught the eye when second behind fellow Ballydoyle trainee and TDN Rising Star Delacroix (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) over seven furlongs here three weeks ago and is bred to appreciate this extra distance being out of a group-placed full-sister to Magic Wand (Ire). Also connected to the G1 Irish Oaks heroine Chicquita (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}) whose daughter of Dubawi Emily Dickinson (Ire) proved a classy stayer for this stable, he is joined by stablemate Genealogy (GB) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), a 400,000gns Tattersalls October Book 1 purchase whose G3 Princess Margaret Stakes-placed dam Musical Art (Ire) (Dutch Art {GB}) is related to the brilliant Finsceal Beo (Ire) (Mr. Greeley). The post Dubawi’s Acapulco Bay Returns To The Curragh appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

“Please, please don't make me cry,” says Gerald Mosse as he is asked to recall his final day in the saddle at Chantilly on Bastille Day. “When you compete with all the riders, it's like we are a big family,” he continues, remembering the guard of honour from his fellow jockeys as he walked out to take that one last ride for his long-term supporter the Aga Khan. “We take a risk all together, we travel all together, and when they make something like they did to say goodbye, it was pretty emotional. I received from all my colleagues and family and trainers so much support that it became tough to say 'okay, it's enough.' But I made up my mind; it's done.” That was then. Now, as we speak, Mosse is in Deauville, and instead of being sequestered in the weighing-room at the racecourse next door, he is at the Arqana sales grounds on the hunt for horses to train rather than ride. “The good thing is I'm looking forward to the next part of my career,” says the 57-year-old. “So I don't try to think too much about what was, or the happiness to be able to ride worldwide. I have so many things in my mind. I'm already on the next page.” It is a blank page for now, but not for long. September 1 is the date on which the next chapter of the glorious racing saga of the Marseille-born Mosse will start to be written. The 41 years to have gone before include tales of Hong Kong, Melbourne, Newmarket and of course his home country, and it is back in Chantilly where stage two begins. The boxes at his stables alongside the famous gallops of Les Aigles have been repaired and refurbished through the summer. Ecurie Mosse – formally known as the Manor des Sangliers – will soon be open for business. “I decided to start on September 1 because with all the sales it's difficult to start and then not be there. So I decided to come here, having had good communication with all the owners, because there is a concentration of owners coming from all over the world for the sales. “Of course, I'm lucky to know a lot of people in the business. I used to travel, I used to compete at different tracks worldwide. And I decided to make a turn in my career at a time when I can keep my name in a good spot. It's a business and people can forget you quite quickly.” Despite Mosse's consternation, it is unlikely that his name will be forgotten any time soon. The winner of 62 Group 1 races in his home country and more than 90 worldwide, he has also notched major wins in Hong Kong, where he spent several stints with the HKJC, Britain, Germany, Italy, Dubai, Canada, and in Australia's most famous race, the Melbourne Cup, aboard Americain in 2010. That horse's trainer, Alain de Royer Dupre, supplied many of Mosse's big winners, particularly during the former jockey's eight-year retainer for the Aga Khan, and he remains an ally even after his own retirement in 2021. “Experience is something that you can't buy,” Mosse says. “I've been all over the world to ride and I've been next to the top trainers. I will just try to follow what I have seen, what I learned. Mr Dupre is very close to me. When he retired he told me then that he would be very pleased to come to help me. So if I have a man like that next to me, I will feel a little bit more secure from the beginning.” He continues, “So I think now everything's in place. The one thing I don't know is what the reaction of the people will be. Even if I was [a] professional rider, it doesn't mean that I'm going to be a good trainer. So I am just trying to show people that this is my passion, this is what I love to do and this is probably one of things that I know how to do properly. It's not completely new. And all the owners know me, so I guess they feel a bit more comfortable than [dealing with] someone they have never seen.” Those famous white gloves may no longer be seen on the racecourse but that does not mean that Mosse will not be putting his expertise to good use on a daily basis. “I need to ride horses,” he says. “That's what I miss and I will ride out in my stable because this is what I love and I have always been close to them, but I don't miss [race-riding] at all so far because my head is already focused and looking forward to the new chapter.” That includes the most pressing next step of recruiting horses to fill those boxes. The focus initially will be on horses in training to give the new trainer some ammunition while the yearlings are being broken in and learning their trade. And if he could have a fantasy pick of just one of those top horses he has ridden to include in his own stable? “When you are able to ride many champions, it's difficult to choose, but one who would come to my mind is Ashkalani,” he says. “He was a superstar who could come from last to first in five strides, and not many horse are able to do that. “But of course there's Arazi, Americain, Priolo… It's difficult for me to say one. But at least I know how good a feeling it is to be sitting on a horse like that. And I will try to build a few young horses to that level to be able to put one of my colleagues on board and enjoy the ride.” The post ‘I’m Already On The Next Page’: September Heralds New Career For Mosse appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

A hearing at City Hall in Lexington, Kentucky is scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 26 at 1:30 p.m. ET. in order to solicit comments from the public concerning the expansion of industrial-scale solar development in the county, the Fayette Alliance said in their monthly newsletter on Friday. After the public event, a future vote by the LFUCG Urban County Council will take place on the Zoning Ordinance Text Amendment proposed by the solar development company Silicon Ranch. The Fayette Alliance recently released their official position statement regarding the development of these facilities and they said in that release that they “emphatically support the Planning Staff's recommendation of prohibiting solar facilities in Agricultural zones.” Click here to read the statement or here to watch a short video. The post Industrial Solar Development Scheduled For Lexington Public Hearing Sept. 26 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Mujtaba (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) (lot 150A) and Mina Rashid (GB) (Almanzor {Fr}) (lot 150B) have both been added to the Tattersalls September Sale as wildcards, the sales company announced on Friday. The sale, which takes place on Tuesday, Sept. 10, features 242 lots comprised of horses and fillies in/out of training and broodmares. Rated 109 by Timeform, Mujtaba will be consigned by William Haggas's Somerville Lodge on behalf of Shadwell Estate Company. Second in the Listed Festival Stakes at Goodwood to G2 Hardwicke Stakes hero Isle Of Jura (GB) (New Approach {Ire}), the gelding was also second in the G2 Huxley Stakes at Chester earlier in his career. The Kingsclere Stables of Andrew Balding will offer Mina Rashid, who is rated 89 by Timeform. The maiden winner is out of a sister to multiple group winner Lord Admiral (El Prado {Ire}), and to Lynnwood Chase (Horse Chestnut {SAf}), the dam of Star Catcher (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), Cannock Chase (Lemon Drop Kid), and Pisco Sour (Lemon Drop Kid), a Classic winner, a Group 1 scorer, and successful twice at group level, respectively. The post Pair Of Wildcards Join Tattersalls September Sale appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

GI Jockey Club Gold Cup Stakes contender Arthur's Ride (Tapit) is all business when he goes out to train in the morning. Coming back to the barn afterwards? Well, that's a different story. Damian Hinds has been assigned to Arthur's Ride as the 4-year-old colt's exercise rider throughout this year's Saratoga meet. He has grown accustomed to the GI Whitney winner's daily antics over the Oklahoma track when they start heading back to the Bill Mott barn after training. “He's a good horse to gallop, quiet and nice, but to take him home after you finish training, that's where you have to stay on,” explained Hinds with a good-natured grin. “He has some jumps and some bucks. It's not like he's doing anything bad, he's just enjoying himself and playing.” Arthur's Ride's horseplay may seem charming from afar, but being the one in the saddle takes a unique skill set. Luckily, Hinds is the perfect match for the boisterous colt. When he's not riding for Mott in the summer, the 43-year-old spends the rest of the year in Ocala, Florida helping train 2-year-olds for Eddie Woods. Working with rambunctious babies has prepared Hinds for any toddlerish tendencies 'Arthur' may show off. “You have to think quickly and pay attention to what he's doing,” said Hinds. “You know when a horse is going to do something by their ears. You can't just ride him loose because he will do something. It's the same with breaking babies. You have to prepare for whatever they're going to do.” Hinds has been riding racehorses for 26 years. Originally from Jamaica, the horseman fell in love with the sport when his uncle took him to the races as a child. At age 17, he started riding for various trainers in Jamaica. When trainer Paul Fung moved his operation to Canada, Hinds came along with him. Eventually, Hinds wound up in Florida working for Eddie Woods and his passion for racing continued to grow. “One time I broke my leg and somebody told me, 'Don't quit. These horses will show you something,'” he recalled. “So I've always been around horses since then. I never quit.” Last year, Woods introduced Hinds to Bill Mott. They worked out a system where Hinds would spend his summer in Saratoga and stay with the Mott team through the Breeders' Cup before returning to Ocala in time for the busy season of 2-year-old training over the winter. At first, Hinds was uncertain about the new job. Moving away from his home and his wife for almost five months was going to be a big adjustment. On his first day in Saratoga last summer, Hinds was wandering the outskirts of Mott's stable area wondering who to talk to so he could get started. That's when he met Erma Scott, a beloved member of Mott's stable for the past 40 years. Scott went with him that afternoon to help get his licensing in order and she instantly put him at ease. The pair formed a fast friendship that day and have been inseparable since. Damian Hinds and Erma Scott with Arthur's Ride | Sara Gordon “Whatever she says, listen to her,” Hinds said with a laugh. “She's there for the horses, too. She gives them their carrots, their massages, she does it all. She took me in and said, 'This is my son.'” “I don't know what it was about him,” said Scott, who is currently nominated for a Dedication to Racing Award through the Thoroughbred Industry Employee Awards. “He has started calling me mama, so I like that. Everybody keeps asking me why I like Damian so much. I tell them because he's nice and he can ride.” During his first season with Mott, Hinds worked with many of the barn's best trainees. He rode Just FYI (Justify), who won the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, and spent the later part of the summer and the fall aboard Horse of the Year and GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile victor Cody's Wish (Curlin). Damian Hinds aboard Cody's Wish in September, 2023 | Sarah Andrew “Cody's Wish was something special,” he said. “He was a real nice horse going to the track and coming back. He had his days where he would pull very hard. If you knew what you were doing, you'd be fine.” Hinds said that Cody's Wish, a two-time Breeders' Cup champion, is without a doubt the best horse he has ever sat on. Arthur's Ride is a close second. Attention has grown on the eye-catching gray ever since his breakout victory in the Whitney, a 'Win and You're In' qualifier for the GI Breeders' Cup Classic at Del Mar on Nov. 2. “There is always pressure riding those kinds of horses,” Hinds admitted. “You feel it because a lot of people are watching. You have to be on the right lead all the time and do the right things. You never know if somebody maybe has a camera on you.” Both Hinds and Scott have a soft spot for Arthur's Ride. Scott met the Glassman Racing-campaigned colt when he was just a 2-year-old learning the ropes of the racetrack at Payson Park. Erma Scott calls Arthur's Ride “the Carrot Man” | Sara Gordon “He ran a couple of times [in Saratoga] and was second and then he took a break,” she recalled. “We got him back this year and he has been doing great. He's like a little baby, but we love him. He likes to play. He likes to eat his carrots. If I call him, he looks up at me. He's special.” This weekend Arthur's Ride will take on another Challenge Series race in Sunday's Jockey Club Gold Cup. The 4-year-old already has an automatic Breeders' Cup entry with his Whitney victory, but another dominating win would seal the colt's spot as a top contender in this year's Classic. Hinds is hopeful that come November, he might be able to check the Breeders' Cup Classic off a growing list of races that his mounts have claimed. Even though being away from home for months on ends comes with its challenges, Hinds said the experience is all worth it when he gets to have a hand in campaigning stars like Arthur's Ride. “I could say that I get to get on some of the best horses in the country and I wouldn't be lying,” he said. “It has paid off.” The post Breeders’ Cup Connections: Damian Hinds the Perfect Fit for Arthur’s Ride appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

According to trainer Bob Baffert, MGISW Adare Manor (Uncle Mo) has been scratched from the GI FanDuel Racing Pacific Classic Stakes, where she was slated to face the boys on Saturday at the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club. The story was first reported by the Daily Racing Form. When reached for comment, Baffert told the TDN, “Adare Manor is out of the Pacific Classic. She tied up a little after he gallop yesterday and was still a little tight this morning. I don't feel she's a hundred percent. She can't be off her game even a little bit tomorrow, so we're going to sit this one out.” Owned by Michael Lund Petersen, the 5-year-old was last seen winning for the second year in a row the GI Clement L. Hirsch Stakes at the seaside oval Aug. 3. Before that, the Baffert trainee's year began with a runner-up finish in the GI Beholder Stakes at Santa Anita Mar. 9. The $375,000 OBS June grad then won the GI Apple Blossom Handicap at Oaklawn Park Apr. 13 and over a month later captured the GII Santa Margarita Stakes in Arcadia. This story will be updated when more information becomes available. The post Adare Manor Out Of The Pacific Classic, Not 100% Says Baffert appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Sir Michael Stoute trainee Jonquil (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}–Jovial {GB}, by Dubawi {Ire}) overcame all manner of traffic problems to attain 'TDN Rising Star' status in Friday's Sri Lanka Jewel Of Asia British EBF Maiden Stakes at Sandown. Ryan Moore's mount was well away to race in a close-up third for most of this debut. Caught in a pocket along the far-side rail in the straight, the 11-4 joint-favourite was hampered when attempting to move forward approaching the final furlong and quickened smartly once into the clear to edge Centigrade (Ire) (Too Darn Hot {GB}) by a short-head, and value for much more, in the dying strides of the seven-furlong contest. Jonquil becomes the 16th Rising Star for Lope De Vega, whose roll of honour includes the multiple Group 1-placed Beauvatier (Fr). “With it being his first time at the races, we'd have preferred it to be a little bit smoother,” commented assistant trainer James Savage. “Ryan [Moore] said the tempo wasn't that fast and they all came into the race looking for room. He had to show a good bit of grit to get out of there and the way he picked up was very impressive. He's got the right mentality and did everything right. He changes gear, he quickens well and he has the right attitude for a racehorse. Obviously, there's stamina in the pedigree and there's a bit of speed on the dam's side. Hopefully, he's got a nice future.” Jonquil, half to a weanling filly by Wootton Bassett (GB), is the first of two foals produced by a dual stakes-placed daughter of the multiple Group-placed Listed Cecil Frail Stakes and Listed Dick Poole Fillies' Stakes victrix Joyeuse (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}), herself a half-sister to Frankel (GB) (Galileo {Ire}). Siblings of his dam Jovial (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) include G2 Mill Reef Stakes victor Array (Ire) (No Nay Never), the dual Group 1-placed Maximal (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) and G1 Coronation Stakes third Jovial (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}). Jonquil (Lope De Vega) overcomes trouble in running to land the Sri Lanka, Jewel Of Asia @BritishEBF Maiden Stakes for Sir Michael Stoute & Ryan Moore pic.twitter.com/dph5rmpLzf — Sandown Park (@Sandownpark) August 30, 2024 The post Juddmonte Newcomer Jonquil Overcomes Traffic Problems, Attains TDN Rising Star Status at Sandown appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

In this continuing series, we take a look ahead at US-bred and/or conceived runners entered for the upcoming weekend at the tracks on the Japan Racing Association circuit, with a focus on pedigree and/or performance in the sales ring. Here are the horses of interest for this weekend running at Chukyo and Sapporo Racecourses: Saturday, August 31, 2024 6th-CKO, ¥13,720,000 ($94k), Newcomers, 2yo, 1400m YUTO THE YUTO (c, 2, Preservationist–Officer Leah, by Officer) is set to become the first Japanese starter for his young sire, who has accounted for 41 winners from his first two crops, including this year's GIII Peter Pan Stakes hero Antiquarian and five juvenile scorers from 10 starters in 2024. Hailing from the family of MSW Spanish Glitter (Glitterman), Yuto the Yuto is a three-time OBS graduate, having first sold for $15,000 at OBS January, for $30,000 at the auction house's October Yearling Sale and for $80,000 after breezing a furlong in :10 1/5 at OBS March this spring. Leading jockey Yuga Kawada sees fit to ride. B-Bruno F De Julio & Ed Barker (KY) 11th-SAP, Sapporo Nisai S.-G3, ¥59.2m ($407k), 2yo, 1800mT MATENRO SON (c, 2, Into Mischief–Miss Panthere {Jpn}), by Daiwa Major {Jpn}) hesitated at the break of his Aug. 11 unveiling over this course and distance and was forced to sit a wide, no-cover trip from well off the speed, but overcame it all to graduate by four lengths (see below, SC 9). With that victory, the homebred became the first winner for his dam, thrice successful at group level in Japan and whose subsequent produce include two progeny of Horses of the Year–a yearling colt by Authentic and a filly foal by Flightline. B-Chiyono Terada (KY) Sunday, September 1, 2024 11th-CKO, Kokura Nisai S.-G3, ¥59.2m ($407k), 2yo, 1200mT JASPER DIVINE (c, 2, Frosted–Rocket Reload, by Reload) cost owner Kazuo Kato $255,000 at this year's OBS March Sale, and the colt made an immediate down payment on that investment when wiring a 1400-meter event for newcomers at Niigata on July 27 (see below, SC 1). These are the same connections as fellow OBS purchase Jasper Krone (Frosted), who won back-to-back Group 3 contests over this track and trip just last summer. B-Denny Andrews (KY) The post US-Bred Juveniles Aim For Group Glory in Japan appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article