Wandering Eyes

Big Brown is the fifth Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner to be retired to Old Friends. Old Friends will be hosting Big Brown's Barn Bash Oct. 18. There will be a lot of fun activities and a chance to meet the guest of honor, Big Brown.View the full article

The $600,000 Alcibiades Stakes (G1), offering the winner a spot in the Nov. 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) thanks to the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series, features a rematch of the top finishers in Saratoga's Spinaway Stakes (G1).View the full article

Japan's top two older dirt horses, Ushba Tesoro (Jpn) (Orfevre {Jpn}) and Derma Sotogake (Jpn) (Mind Your Biscuits), were on trial for the GI Breeders' Cup Classic last Wednesday, finishing second and fifth, respectively, in the Listed Nippon TV Hai at Funabashi Race Track. The country's most-accomplished 3-year-old is Forever Young (Jpn) (Real Steel {Jpn}), who preps for a likely appearance at Del Mar in just over four weeks' time in Wednesday's final leg of the Japanese dirt Triple Crown, the $828,597 Listed Japan Dirt Classic at Ohi Racecourse. A two-time listed winner as a juvenile, the son of GII Santa Ynez Stakes heroine Forever Darling (Congrats) resumed from a two-month freshening in the G3 Saudi Derby over a one-turn mile, and he looked destined for defeat before grabbing future GI Woody Stephens Stakes hero Book'em Danno (Bucchero) on the wire, with recent GII Gallant Bob Stakes winner Bentornato (Valiant Minister) well back in third. The bay overcame a torrid trip to take out the G2 UAE Derby Mar. 30 and when last seen, came to win the GI Kentucky Derby, but was bothered through most of the deciding stages by Sierra Leone (Gun Runner) and was forced to settle for third in that blanket finish. The Japan Dirt Classic will mark Forever Young's first try going right-handed since winning the Listed JBC Nisai Stakes last fall and he'll break from the rail beneath Ryusei Sakai. While Forever Young has been on holiday since the rigors of his spring preparation, Ramjet (Jpn) (Majestic Warrior) has quietly been building a reputation of his own and could challenge Forever Young for favoritism on Wednesday. An allowance winner over 1400 meters to close out his freshman season, the North Hills homebred followed suit in a mile race at Tokyo ahead of a 2 1/2-length success over Satono Epic (Jpn) (Kitasan Black {Jpn}) and Mikki Flight (Jpn) (Drefong) in the G3 Unicorn Stakes (1900m) in late April. Ramjet was last seen defeating Satono Epic in the Tokyo Derby (allowance) over Wednesday's course and distance June 5. Ramjet is the mount of Kosei Miura. The Japan Dirt Classic jumps at 7:05 a.m. ET Wednesday morning. Click here for the full field. おはようございまスパーダ 明日のJDC、注目はフォーエバーヤングとラムジェットの激突 週末の毎日王冠や京都大賞典よりも大注目のカード！！ 馬券的にはつまらん！仕方ない！ でも追い切りは見てみよう！！ 前走サンライズジパングに差されて敗北。… pic.twitter.com/KS1iXb68O2 — 鶏肉 (@y_toriniku) September 30, 2024 The post Forever Young Faces Stern Challenge In Japan Dirt Classic appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The National Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association (NHBPA) on Monday urged the United States Supreme Court not to grant the stay of an unconstitutionality mandate that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit is waiting to issue regarding the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA). That mandate, stemming from a July 5 unconstitutionality opinion on HISA by the Fifth Circuit, was administratively stayed by the Supreme Court on Sept. 23. The HISA Authority had requested a stay on Sept. 19 pending the filing and disposition of its broader petition for a writ of certiorari that the Authority will be seeking to get the Supreme Court to take the underlying case. The NHBPA actually agrees with the Authority that the Supreme Court should take on the case. But it further advocated in its Sept. 30 filing that if the Supreme Court grants the question concerning the delegation of executive powers, it should also “grant a second question presented to resolve the confusion among the circuits on private delegates' exercise of legislative powers as well.” Three federal appeals courts (the Fifth, Sixth and Eighth Circuits) have already opined in three different lawsuits that HISA's rulemaking provisions are constitutional. Only the Fifth Circuit has opined that HISA's enforcement mechanisms are unconstitutional. The administrative stay that the Supreme Court put into effect one week ago is a type of stay used to freeze legal proceedings until a court can more fully consider and then rule on a party's more detailed request for expedited relief. An administrative stay is not the same thing as a court issuing an injunction or making a ruling in an overall case. “The Fifth Circuit correctly concluded that level of private delegation violates Article II [of the U.S. Constitution],” the NHBPA's Sept. 30 filing stated. “When asked to review this decision en banc, not a single judge requested a poll,” the NHBPA filing continued. “And the Fifth Circuit also rejected a request to stay the mandate. Now, the Authority comes to this Court and asks permission to continue trampling on the Horsemen's constitutional rights while the [Supreme] Court considers this case. “While the case deserves this Court's consideration, the Authority fails to justify its demand for a stay for the mandate,” the NHBPA filing stated. “Most obviously, that demand is premature: the Authority's imagined harms all stem from hypothetical injunctive relief that has not been granted-or even sought,” the NHBPA filing stated. Back on Sept. 19, the HISA Authority had explained its reasoning for wanting the Fifth Circuit mandate stay. “Three federal courts (including the Sixth Circuit) have now resolved materially identical challenges to the amended Act and reached the same conclusion: HISA is constitutional,” the Authority's Sept. 19 filing stated. “But the Fifth Circuit recently contradicted that consensus, holding that HISA's enforcement provisions facially violate the private-nondelegation doctrine…The Fifth Circuit's outlier decision should not be permitted to trample other courts' considered judgments pending disposition of the Authority's forthcoming petition for a writ of certiorari. The NHBPA disagreed in its Sept. 30 filing: “A stay is unwarranted in any event. The Horsemen won [in the Fifth Circuit] for a good reason-what the Authority is doing here is unconstitutional. And letting the Authority exercise government enforcement power irreparably harms the Horsemen's constitutional rights. “The Authority hardly tries to identify any irreparable harms facing itself, instead painting a generalized and unjustified picture of chaos if regulation returns to the states, which had regulated horseracing for over a century,” the NHBPA filing stated. The post NHBPA Urges Supreme Court Not to Issue Stay of Fifth Circuit HISA Unconstitutionality Mandate appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

By Brigette Solomon Two “Tuesday Finals” will highlight action at Cambridge tonight. The Garrards Horse & Hound Tuesday Trotters Final Handicap Trot and the Dunstan Horsefeeds Tuesday Pacers Final Mobile Pace are eligible to horses that have had at least two starts at Cambridge since August 1. Both races have stakes of $12,500 and are rating penalty free to the winner. Palmerston North based trainer Stephen Doody has two runners contesting the Trotters Final with Sweet Olivia driven by Todd Mitchell, and Johnny Who driven by junior driver Crystal Hackett. Both horses present as good winning chances tonight, though their handicaps make it tricky. “They’ve been going really well and hopefully they can carry on with it tonight,” says Doody, “Sweet Olivia starts off 20 metres and Johnny Who is off 30 metres which does mean it will be a bit harder for them tonight.” “I’m hoping Johnny Who steps away quickly and doesn’t muck around at the start which he can do occasionally.” Johnny Who was a last start winner here on September 17 when he ran down a fresh Joca’s Hill over the 2200 metre trip. The start prior he finished second behind stablemate Sweet Olivia who has won back to back races. Her most recent win was on September 10 over 2700 metres when she led for the majority of the race to bravely hold off the challenge by Johnny Who. “Both horses have been good since their last starts and are working as well as they had been when they won,” says Doody. The Dunstan Horsefeeds Tuesday Pacers Final Mobile Pace is a sprint trip over 1700 metres and features four last start winners including the Tuesday specialist Red Rackham (7) trained by Cambridge local Arna Donnelly and driven this week by junior driver Harrison Orange. The Vincent gelding who is a last start winner, has had four wins and a second from his five starts at Cambridge over the past eight weeks. “He’s been good since his last race but I would have liked him to have a run last week and unfortunately that race didn’t get off the ground,” says Donnelly, “he has had plenty of racing though and will give a good account of himself although the draw is a bit tricky tonight.” Alongside Red Rackham, Donnelly also has Bad Medicine (8) driven by Kate Coppins and Rough And Ready (9) driven by Crystal Hackett entered in the race. “Despite Bad Medicine’s form line, he has been racing really well,” says Donnelly “he’s in the same boat as Red Rackham though in that the draw over 1700 metres makes things a bit tricky tonight.” A winner of eight races, the Bettor’s Delight gelding’s last start was at Alexandra Park in a race taken out by class mare Mantra Blue who flew the last 800 metres in 54.8 seconds and the last 400 metres in 26.8 seconds. Rough And Ready’s most recent racing has also been at Alexandra Park, finishing fifth on September 21 with the race being taken out by Jeremiah. “Rough And Ready has also been going some great races and pulled up well from his last race,” says Donnelly, “he’s the only horse on the second row tonight so Crystal (Hackett) has a few options with what she wants to do with him in the race and I think he’ll go a tidy race tonight.” Racing action gets underway tonight with race one at 4.29pm. Today’s Cambridge meeting kick starts a busy week of racing right around the country, with Addington on Thursday, Wyndham and Auckland on Friday before Sunday’s meeting on the grass at Methven. View the full article

In response to the requests of industry stakeholders, the Racing Medication and Testing Consortium's Scientific Advisory Committee has developed a withdrawal guidance for two substances, dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and pentosan polysulfate (Zycosan).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. Tuesday's Observations features the Goffs Orby Book 1 topper for her debut. 15.40 Cork, Mdn, €18,000, 2yo, f, 8fT MINNIE HAUK (IRE) (Frankel {GB}) made a splash at last year's Goffs Orby Book 1 when topping the charts when selling to M V Magnier for €1.85million and makes her keenly-anticipated debut for Aidan O'Brien in the maiden won last year by the subsequent Oaks heroine Ezeliya (Fr) (Dubawi {Ire}). She is out of the Juddmonte mare Multilingual (GB) (Dansili {GB}), a half-sister to the operation's luminary Kingman (GB) and full-sister to the G3 Hampton Court Stakes winner Remote (GB) and could easily be the type add to eventually the stable's remarkable haul of black-type wins with their juvenile fillies so far this term. She is joined by the stable's similarly-unraced Win Me Over (Ire) (Kingman {GB}), a full-sister to the mil supremo Palace Pier (GB). The post Frankel’s Orby Topper Debut for Ballydoyle appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

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Kentucky Derby (G1) third-place finisher Forever Young will prep for his return to America in the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) in the Japan Dirt Classic Oct. 2 at Oi Racecourse.View the full article

Jockey Wesley Ho picked up his 1,000th win Sept. 29 while rallying from the back of the pack aboard Bigdaddysboy in the sixth race at Laurel Park.View the full article

Keeneland's 2024 Fall Meet will stand out in track history for being the most lucrative racing season with 22 stakes worth a record $9.85 million.View the full article

TIMONIUM, MD – The Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Fall Yearling Sale, featuring a slimmed-down catalogue this year, has its one-session run Tuesday at the Maryland State Fairgrounds in Timonium. Bidding on the first of 284 catalogued yearlings begins at 11 a.m. Activity on a drizzly and overcast day at the state fairgrounds was steady Monday and consignors are expecting the action to heat up heading into sale time Tuesday. “We have had good activity,” said consignor Bill Reightler. “Yesterday, I thought we were a little busier than normal, with all-shows, and we have more of them today. We are starting to see more of the local trainers coming in and we will probably have more local trainers come in tomorrow.” Consignor Clovis Crane was expecting to see plenty of activity at the barns Tuesday. “I feel like people come late to this sale all the time,” Crane said. “The consignors start to get nervous, but it's a smaller sale. It doesn't take as long to get through, so a lot of people come late. Right now, it's midday Monday and it's pretty steady. Traffic picked up and I think people got done with their training and they are coming in. And tomorrow I think it will be all-day busy.” The Midlantic Fall sale has been held over two days–with an abbreviated first session, followed by a full day of sales–in recent years, but as the size of the catalogue continued to shrink, the auction will be held in just one session this year. The 284 yearling catalogued in 2024 is down from 412 a year ago and 526 the year before. “We have fewer people breeding horses right now,” Reightler said of the smaller numbers. “And we have virtual sales that are competing with the live sales. My numbers are down about 20% as far as what we usually offer for this sale. One thing you can expect is change, but there is no problem yet. You probably have to work a little harder if you are tailoring your horse for the market. You are going to be fine, but you have to work pretty hard on the selection of your stallions and assessing the horses you are bringing to the market. I have horses here that a couple breeders thought would sell better here than in Kentucky. Frankly, that always works because if you have a nice yearling by a Kentucky sire, a national sire, you're already in the top 10% or 20% of the horses.” Crane admitted the smaller catalogue may dissuade some buyers from attending, but the success of the sale's graduates should make the auction a must-attend for local buyers. “The reality of it is, it is going to hold some buyers back from coming, but this has gotten to be a great regional sale,” Crane said. “There are so many good horses who have come out of this sale, that people in the region have to come. We have a bunch of PA-bred, PA-sired horses and those horses are running for huge money. So the trainers and the owners who run in the Midlantic need to be here.” Following record-setting yearling sales in New York and Kentucky, consignor Chris Gracie expects plenty of buyers who still have orders to fill to be shopping in Maryland. “A lot of people came up here who couldn't get horses bought in September,” Gracie said. “People still need horses. Hopefully, we brought them the right ones.” A total of 290 yearlings sold at the Midlantic Fall sale in 2023 for a gross of $7,082,000. The average was $24,421 and the median was $12,000. Twelve horses brought six figures at the auction, led by a $205,000 son of Nyquist who returned to the sales ring to sell for $550,000 at this year's OBS April sale. The post Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Fall Yearling Sale Tuesday appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance will be onsite at Woodbine Racetrack for the fourth annual Woodbine Aftercare Day on Saturday, Oct. 5. Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance, which will present the GII Nearctic Stakes, will make the presentation to the winning connections, offering a Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance branded blanket and gift bag. Additionally, Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance will present Best Turned-Out Horse Awards, sponsored by Josham Farms Limited, for all stakes races on Saturday. Winners of the awards will receive a gift bag featuring Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance-branded merchandise and a cash prize. Throughout the day, jockeys and valets will have the chance to donate a portion of their race earnings to Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance for any races ridden on Woodbine Aftercare Day. “Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance is extremely thankful to Woodbine Racetrack for their contribution and commitment to accredited aftercare,” said Stacie Clark-Rogers, Operations Consultant, Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance. “This day is dedicated to promoting and celebrating the Thoroughbred, both on and off the racetrack, and presenting the Best Turned Out Horse awards is a wonderful way to highlight that.” Woodbine Racetrack will also make a donation to TAA during the event. “Woodbine Racetrack is honored to host Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance for Woodbine Aftercare Day,” said Martha Wakely, Thoroughbred Racing Operations, Woodbine Entertainment. “We have a strong community of accredited aftercare supporters here at Woodbine, and this event is a wonderful opportunity to highlight the incredible work being done for Thoroughbreds both on and off the track.” The post TAA Onsite for Woodbine Aftercare Day Oct. 5 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The hunt for the next Bay City Roller (Ire) (New Bay {GB}) is on at this year's Goffs Orby Sale, with Henry Beeby saying that he is convinced the sales house has never assembled such a strong group of yearlings to be offered at Ireland's premier yearling sale this week. Trained by George Scott, Bay City Roller stretched his unbeaten record to three in the G2 Champagne Stakes at Doncaster, and his connections harbour genuine Classic aspirations heading into the winter. Stakes winners Beechwood (Ire) (Le Havre {Ire}), She's Quality (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}), One Look (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}), Apples And Bananas (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB})–who added to his tally in the Goffs Million on Saturday–along with German St Leger scorer Prydwen (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) have flown the flag for the Orby Sale this season but Beeby says he is convinced that the quality on offer throughout the whole this week eclipses all previous sales here. He said, “I think we have a higher concentration of the elite horses from Ireland this year. The easiest way I can provide evidence of that is, last year we catalogued four Frankels, whereas this year we have eight. Sadly, a couple have had to be withdrawn but that could happen to any horse.” He added, “So we have the horses and these horses attract the people. But after that, we put the icing on the cake, which is the bonuses. Maybe the cherry on that icing is how we look after all of the people who come here. We've got everything in place and there is a wonderful selection of horses on offer.” It was bloodstock agent Billy Jackson-Stops who sourced Bay City Roller on behalf of loyal client and trainer George Scott. The colt won on debut for effervescent and passionate owner Clive Washbourne, before being snapped up by Victorious Racing, for whom he remained unbeaten with a victory at Chelmsford followed up by the Champagne Stakes success. Jackson-Stops is no stranger to buying top-class animals. During his time working for The Rogues Gallery, he sourced Royal Ascot winner Rogue Millennium (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), who fetched many multiples of an initial 35,000gns outlay when knocked down for 1.65 million gns at the Tattersalls December Mares Sale last year. Group class sprinter Rogue Lightning (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) also put the agent in lights when selling to Wathnan Racing for £1 million but Bay City Roller was arguably one of the most important horses that Jackson-Stops sourced at the time given his lofty price tag. He recalled, “Bay City Roller was the most expensive yearling that I had ever bought up until last year. We had mostly been buying cheaper horses up until that point and, for him to work out as well as he has, it definitely gives you more confidence in your strategy.” He added, “Clive Washbourn had said to George that, if he ever found something that he really liked at the sales, that he should let him know. Funnily enough, I was looking at what turned out to be Bay City Roller at Goffs last year when George rang me and said, 'by the way, if you find something that might suit Clive, we should put it to him.' I told him that I was literally looking at the horse who could do the job. He was one of the best horses I saw at the sale and thought he would be an ideal candidate. Clive is such a sports fan and is actually the dream person to work with. Such a purist. He just loves the game and is quite fun in that you never know what is going to happen with him. It keeps you on your toes!” It was Jackson-Stops who sourced Prydwen from the Orby in 2019 for €30,000, and the admirable stayer sugarcoated what turned out to be a memorable weekend for the Scott stable when landing the German St Leger just 24 hours after Bay City Roller's triumph at Doncaster. Scott and Jackson-Stops are not the only overseas buyers alive to the riches that can be sourced at Goffs, with British-based trainers leading home a one-two in the Goffs 500 on Saturday. In that case, it was the Ralph Beckett-trained Bolo Neighs (Ire) (Coulsty {Ire}) who beat Ed Walker's Mollie Foster (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}). The Goffs Million was a bit more parochial, with Joseph O'Brien's Apples And Bananas fending off his father's Antelope Canyon (Ire) (No Nay Never) in a race that attracted just 14 runners. That sort of a turnout was rightly deemed to be disappointing by the sales company given the level of prize-money that was on offer down to 10th spot, which is why some tweaks are being made with regards to next year's offerings. Beeby explained, “The number of runners in the race itself was disappointing. We have already tweaked things for next year and we won't be having the Goffs 500 race. What we're going to do instead is take that €500,000 and put it in bonuses in England. So we will have €1 million worth of bonuses next year, half of which will be in England. That decision was the result of British buyers, agents and trainers providing us with feedback and us taking that feedback on board. Things like the Goffs Two Million Series, if you don't take feedback on board and let them evolve, then they can become stagnated. We're trying to look at ways we can tweak and hopefully improve the series. The Goffs Million is brilliant because it's Europe's richest two-year-old race and provides a wonderful focal point on the eve of the sale with prize-money down to 10th place. “But it's the bonuses that have really added a new dimension to the whole thing. A €50,000 bonus attached to the two-year-old races really is fantastic and they have been won by horses who cost as low as €5,000 right up to €375,000, so it appeals to all agents. The bonuses have been dispersed throughout all types of races as well as racetracks so we really are trying to appeal to everybody. Having the bonuses in England next year will really capture the imagination and has definitely driven a number of buyers here this week who really want to be involved.” He added, “It hasn't escaped our notice and it is arguably ironic that, when you go into any Goffs sale, the marketing from the other sales companies always ramps up. I have heard more about bonuses in other places in recent days purely because our bonuses are really catching people's imagination. There isn't another sale anywhere in the northern hemisphere where the horses catalogued can win €2 million. There just isn't. That is one of the USPs of Orby and it gives people an extra incentive.” So what are the expectations heading into Orby Book 1 and 2 this week? There has been a notable tightening of the belts at the European yearling sales this year but that doesn't necessarily correlate to a lowering of expectations, according to the Goffs chief. He revealed, “We looked at Arqana, which is probably the closest comparable to Orby Book 1, and there certainly seemed to be a tightening of the market. The stats at our Doncaster Premier Yearling Sale weren't quite on a par on last year but it was still a tremendous sale. We felt it was as strong as any sale this year. I don't think there is a lowering of expectations but there is an acceptance that the market has tightened and become more black and white. If you have the right type of horse, you are going to get well-rewarded. But it is very black and white. It isn't as grey as it used to be. In the Orby Sale, you have to have the right type of horse because there are premier yearling sales still to come. So we accept that. Sending a well-bred horse who doesn't quite match up physically and taking a bit of a punt is not going to work in the Orby Sale. The horse has to look the part as well as everything else. That's the great challenge with assembling horses for this sale.” If there is one area that Goffs are keen to improve upon this week, it's Book 2 of the Orby Sale. The figures posted during the two-day session 12 months ago fell way below what was expected and Beeby has outlined measures taken by the sales company to drive interest in Book 2 this week. He said, “We were very disappointed with Orby Book 2 last year. We have incentified with ITM for buyers to stick around for Book 2 this year. Jack Davison came to Orby Book 2 last year and, along with Barry Lynch, gave €5,000 for Lightning Bear (Ire) (Kuroshio {Aus}). He has won €100,000 with that horse. He won a €50,000 bonus at Down Royal and finished third in the Goffs 500 at the Curragh over the weekend. If that doesn't demonstrate why you should shop from start to finish at Goffs this week, I don't know what will. Those Book 2 horses have the same access to the bonuses on offer as the Book 1 horses so there's no reason why people shouldn't shop throughout the week.” The Orby Sale, which features a host of horses by some of the world's best sires, including Frankel, Dubawi, Kingman, Sea The Stars, Night Of Thunder-and a Blue Point (Ire) half-brother to Bay City Roller–and more, gets underway on Tuesday at 10am. The post Beeby: ‘We’ve Assembled The Highest Concentration Of Quality Irish Yearlings’ appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Catesby W. Clay, who ran Runnymede Farm in Paris, Kentucky, for more than six decades in what is now a four-generation family operation that dates to 1867, died peacefully in his sleep Sept. 29 at age 101. The Blood-Horse first reported Catesby Clay's passing, citing confirmation from his son, Brutus Clay III, who is Runnymede's chief executive officer. Brutus Clay told the Blood-Horse that his father, the farm's chairman emeritus, died in the same home and in a room beneath the one in which he was born more than a century ago. As TDN's Chris McGrath wrote in a 2023 profile of the Clays, “The history of this family is a prism for the history of Kentucky; and much the same might be said of Runnymede, as a bedrock of the evolving American Thoroughbred.” After the Civil War, Col. Ezekiel “Zeke” Clay was gifted the family property by his father, and he named his new estate Runnymede after the site in England where the Magna Carta was signed. A decade later, Zeke Clay began breeding Thoroughbreds, and Runnymede's early equine standouts included Hanover, Agile, Ben Brush, Buddhist and Sir Dixon. His grandson, Catesby Clay, a graduate of Georgetown University's School of Diplomacy, took over the farm's operations in the 1950s. According to a profile on Runnymede's website, during his tenure as Runnymede's president, Catesby Clay enhanced the farm's tradition of breeding top Thoroughbred racehorses. Individually and in partnerships, Runnymede has bred more than 50 stakes winners, including 20 graded winners, five Grade I winners and a champion and earner of more than $8-million. Under Catesby Clay's leadership, the farm's breeding success was extended internationally, beginning in Europe in the 1970s with Full Extent, and eventually to Japan, where Agnes Digital reigned as champion in 2001. Catesby Clay's many industry posts included appointments to Kentucky Horse Racing Commission and to the board of directors of Churchill Downs, which he served for more than 40 years. Clay was also associated with the Kentucky River Coal Co. for over 50 years, where he served as president and chairman of the board. His numerous honors in the energy industry included induction into the Kentucky Coal Hall of Fame. According to the Blood-Horse, Clay is survived by his wife, eight children, and 15 grandchildren. Visitation will be Oct. 3 from 4-7 p.m. at the Runnymede House with a funeral Mass scheduled at 10 a.m. Oct. 4 at the Church of the Annunciation in Paris. The post Runnymede Farm’s Catesby Clay Dies at 101 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 Safety Authority (HISA) has established a Veterinary Advisory Committee that will be made up of regulatory and private practice racetrack veterinarians from around the nation. The committee will provide feedback to HISA's executive team and standing committees on the implementation and evolution of HISA's regulations and protocols related to veterinary care, medication, racetrack safety, equine research and other relevant issues. “I look forward to the essential perspectives the HISA Veterinary Advisory Committee will bring as we continue to evolve and fulfill our mandate,” said HISA CEO Lisa Lazarus. “The veterinarians who care for equine athletes day in and day out are critical to our collective efforts to surround horses with an ecosystem of care, and their on-the-ground insights will make us smarter and more effective.” “By integrating the expertise of veterinarians across the country, we aim to continue developing and refining best practices that prioritize the health and well-being of equine athletes,” added Dr. Jennifer Durenberger, HISA Director of Equine Safety and Welfare. “Our goal is to ensure that every decision we make is grounded in science and reflects the latest feedback from the veterinarians who work with these remarkable horses every day.” HISA is currently seeking qualified veterinarians to serve on the Veterinary Advisory Committee. The committee will consist of both regulatory and attending veterinarians from diverse professional backgrounds and geographies, ensuring a broad representation of perspectives. The group will be expected to meet monthly to provide feedback to HISA's leadership. Interested candidates are invited to submit an application (available HERE) to Dr. Shari Silverman at shari.silverman@hisaus.org with the subject line “VAC Application” by Oct. 25. The post HISA Launches Veterinary Advisory Committee appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

In response to the requests of industry stakeholders, the Racing Medication and Testing Consortium's Scientific Advisory Committee has developed a withdrawal guidance for two substances, dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and pentosan polysulfate (Zycosan).View the full article

The Racing Medication and Testing Consortium's (RMTC) Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC) has developed a withdrawal guidance for two additional substances, Dimethyl Sulfoxide (DMSO) and Pentosan (Zycosan) following an analysis of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority's (HISA) Anti-Doping and Medication Control (ADMC) screening limits and detection times. “The intention is for the RMTC to provide the industry with scientifically derived information to aid attending veterinarians and horsemen in making medication decisions and to avoid preventable errors and promote compliance with HISA's regulations”, said Dr. Michael Hardy, Executive Director, “The RMTC has been providing such guidance to the racing industry since the inception of its Scientific Advisory Committee and remains committed to providing relevant scientific information to the racing industry going forward.” Following review of all available data, given a dose of 70 mL of 90% DMSO in 500 mL LRS IV single administration, the SAC recommends a withdrawal guidance of 120 hours with the understanding that the recommendation only applies to the FDA approved medical-grade product (e.g., RIMSO-50). For Pentosan (Zycosan), given a dose of 3 mg/kg IM once weekly for four (4) weeks, the SAC recommends a Restricted Administration Time (RAT) of 48-hours. Additionally, RMTC's SAC reviewed its withdrawal guidance of dantrolene. Previously, the SAC provided withdrawal guidance of 96 hours for dantrolene, based on the administration data of both FDA approved capsules and compounded paste dosing forms. Further review of administration data of FDA approved capsules, in both blood and urine, supports a 48-hour detection time. As a result of the potential variables associated with use of compounded substances, given a 500 mg oral dose once daily for three (3) days, using the agreed-upon methodology, RMTC's SAC recommends a withdrawal time of 72 hours. The recommendation, which only applies to the FDA approved capsules, does not apply to compounded products. Further, there are risks associated with use of compounded products as drug concentrations in a formulation may differ from that declared on the product label, and from batch to batch for a single product. There is no reliable withdrawal guidance for the use of any compounded product. The RMTC Withdrawal Guidance is subject to change. As new research becomes available for each medication, the RMTC may extend or decrease the time listed in the Withdrawal Guidance. Any subsequent change in this information based upon new research will be provided upon review by the Scientific Advisory Committee and approval by the RMTC Board. The complete Withdrawal Guidance of HISA's ADMC Detection Times document reflects these updates. The post RMTC Releases Updated Withdrawal Guidance Advisory of HISA’s ADMC Detection Times appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

In a time where racing partnerships and syndicates are only growing in popularity, pushing for a transformation from “sport of kings” to expanded opportunities for racehorse ownership at a fraction of the cost, Morning Line Club (MLC) aims to push the envelope even further. Taking a unique approach to bring new people into the sport, MLC is the world's first horse racing club to develop a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) compliant marketplace for trading shares of Thoroughbred racehorses globally. Simply put, the platform will function like the largely popular user-friendly investing app Robinhood, but instead of trading shares of stock, MLC members will be able to trade shares in horses. “Our vision is to create a new alternative asset class focused on Thoroughbred racehorses. Instead of merely wagering on a two-minute race, with us you're investing in the career of a horse. This allows you to participate in profits from both racing and future breeding opportunities as well” said Joel Funk, CEO and co-founder of MLC. The idea to combine advanced technology with the experience of horse racing was the brainchild of Funk, a transactional corporate attorney based in Chicago, Illinois, whose love for the sport and appreciation for Flightline (Tapit) piqued his interest in getting involved with racing partnerships. After extensive research into a variety of syndicate and partnership opportunities, Funk's eagerness evolved into a passion to improve the traditional model altogether. “I realized that in order to turn my vision into reality, I had to partner with someone deeply entrenched in the racing world, someone with the contacts and relationships to help bring my idea to life,” said Funk. That's when a friend of a client connected Funk with Tom Taaffe. With a 27-year training career highlighted by the brilliant Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Kicking King (Old Vic), Taaffe retired from training in 2021 and has since expanded his involvement in sales and breeding, including a role as the International Client Relations Consultant at Goffs. An initial introduction between Funk and Taaffe led to more in-depth conversations and brainstorming sessions, with Taaffe soon signing on as the Co-Founder and COO of MLC while working with Funk to turn his idea into a fully-fledged reality. Working alongside Radhika Clark, MLC's Director of Operations, who boasts an extensive background as a Thoroughbred bloodstock consultant, the MLC team officially launched their club in early September, nearly three years after the organization was founded. How Does It All Work and How Does One Get Involved? It all begins with a participant purchasing an 'entry fee,' which starts at $1,000. Each entry entitles the participant to receive at least two racing shares and two breeding shares in each horse in the specific portfolio open at the time. Unlike traditional syndicates, where a participant buys a percentage of a share in a particular racehorse, MLC members will have access to an entire portfolio that will consist of approximately 50 horses. “With this approach, they can invest – not just for a day – but in the career of 50 horses. This creates a continuous cycle where the investment can keep going round and around, allowing for progression into the breeding shed and back again. Plus, investors can exit at any time (subject to security regulations), and they can jump off the bandwagon by trading their shares whenever they choose,” said Taaffe. A racing share is a fungible token that provides a participant an investment opportunity in the profits generated by a particular horse, while a breeding share is a fungible token that provides an investment opportunity if said horse is retained as a broodmare or moves on to a career at stud. “We stand out from other syndicates because we don't apply any markup on the horses we purchase. When you invest your $1,000, that's your full capital requirement–no maintenance fees next year or the year after. That's it, you're done,” said Taaffe. “We return 80 percent of the purse money back to the shareholders based on their entry fee to encourage ongoing trading. You can reinvest in the secondary marketplace and cash out. There's liquidity, and that's never happened before either.” Participants holding racing shares will receive collectively 80 percent of the purse money, minus any fees paid to jockeys, trainers and others by MLC. Meanwhile, those holding a breeding share, if and when a horse reaches that point, will receive collectively 50 percent of the breeding profits. Along with receiving two racing shares and two breeding shares, participants will receive 20,000 points for every entry fee purchased. Participants will earn points for every dollar spent and earned on the platform. All points collected will unlock exclusive rewards based on the level status achieved, with levels ranging from Bronze (20,000 points) to Diamond (3,000,000 points). The higher the level, the more perks and benefits the participant will receive, with opportunities ranging from invitations to trackside events, paddock passes, participation in winner's circle photos, box seats, jockey and trainer visits, special offers from MLC's brand partners, and more. Secondary Marketplace Arguably the most unique aspect of MLC is the secondary marketplace, similar to a stock market for Thoroughbred racehorses, which will be the world's first SEC compliant marketplace for buying, selling and trading shares in racehorses. All transactions are handled on Liquidity.io's (Liquidity) end to end capital markets infrastructure. Liquidity's infrastructure uses a blockchain alternative trading system (ATS), a regulated trading marketplace that matches buy and sell orders of securities and then uses Liquidity Transfer Agency to bridge the transactions to Avalanche's C-Chain. “If you like a horse or want to increase your stake in a particular horse, you can trade your shares on our ATS. This secondary marketplace allows you to trade with market makers and other community members. The value of the individual shares is not determined by us but rather by the community,” said Funk. “I believe the share values will fluctuate based on the horse's performance on the track, much like stocks. It's truly like a stock market for horse racing, infused with the excitement and on-track experiences that racing has to offer.” MLC participants will be able to trade away shares or buy more shares in a specific horse depending on their personal preference. “The really interesting part about Morning Line Club is that we aren't actually a syndicate, but instead, we are syndicate adjacent with the ability to allow our userbase the opportunity to trade out of horses by using our secondary platform,” said Clark. “In my experience with syndicates, when a horse isn't doing well or someone is unhappy with the placement of the horse, they are indebted due to having direct equity in the horse. “The way we have structured ourselves will allow more flexibility and giving users more control over their experience in the club.” For now, MLC requires participants to complete and submit a subscription agreement that attests to the participant's status as an “accredited investor,” pursuant to a RegD 506(c) under the Securities Act of 1933 and for the avoidance of doubt. “Our platform allows individuals to invest in this market with far less risk than if they were to go directly to a sale and purchase a yearling for instance,” said Funk. “We are structured similar to a private equity fund. Just like a limited partner you make an initial investment – our minimum is $1,000 – into the club. As the managers of the club, we then deploy that capital into a diversified portfolio of horses, aiming to enhance your overall return on investment. However, unlike a private equity fund, once you invest, you maintain control over your own portfolio.” Participants will be able to track their investment's performance and explore secondary market trading opportunities, while benefiting from regular updates on earnings and dividend distributions through profit sharing. Building The Portfolio The first portfolio that will be offered to investors will contain up to 50 horses, with the majority expected to be horses of racing age that are already at the track. “We're buying horses that are currently racing – typically 10, 20, 30, or even 40 percent stakes – so our investors can experience instant action. In addition, we're also investing in a select few yearlings to diversify our initial club, though these will take some time to reach the track,” said Funk. “To clarify our financial structure, 80 percent of the invested funds are dedicated to the horses. Specifically, 60 percent is allocated for purchasing the horses, while an additional 20 percent is set aside in a reserve specifically for their ongoing care and maintenance. We manage all related fees and expenses.” A portfolio containing up to 50 horses guarantees a continuous stream of racing action for participants to tune in to and experience alongside fellow MLC members. “If we have around 50 horses on the platform, that translates to approximately 300 to 350 races a year in which our investors can participate. With our platform, participants can maintain a balanced perspective, as there will always be a steady stream of upcoming events to keep them engaged and informed,” said Funk. Earlier this month, MLC had their first runner in the form of Brendan Walsh-trained 2-year-old filly Love Tempo (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}), owned in partnership with Magic Cap Stables, Karl Keegan, and Hayden Racing. Making her third career start going a mile and one sixteenth on the turf at Saratoga, she finished fourth in a Sept. 1 maiden special weight. “One thing you learn in racing is to be patient. And that's why having 49 other horses is so beneficial; if one horse requires special attention, the others can continue to perform and carry the load,” said Taaffe. Setting A Standard For The Future The goal of MLC's unique approach is to combine advanced technology with classic racing traditions, not only with a one-of-a-kind secondary marketplace, but also with a variety of benefits offered by brand partners and promoted by celebrity brand ambassadors. “Our aim is to attract exceptional brand partners, including hotels, airlines, and food and beverage companies. We've even lined up some celebrity chefs to enhance the hospitality experience which is a big component of what Morning Line Club is as well. While we focus heavily on the technology and the trading platform, we also plan to roll out the red carpet for our investors and participants with exclusive events, private dinners and more,” said Funk. Funk, Taaffe, and Clark all believe MLC has something to offer any kind of person, from those already involved in racing to people who have been trying to find a way in, or anyone that's a sports fan and also enjoys dabbling in trading within a groundbreaking alternative asset class. “We have a concept that we're excited to share not just in the United States but globally. Our focus is on trading rather than betting, and we see significant potential for this model to thrive in markets like China and Middle East where betting is illegal. This is not a bet but rather an investment in a security. “We want to connect with an audience around the world,” said Taaffe. “We want to make this a fun game for people, like Esports and Fantasy Football, only it's real racing, real people, real money, and a real experience.” To learn more about the Morning Line Club, click here. The post A New Dawn: Morning Line Club Develops World’s First Marketplace For Trading Shares in Racehorses appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Keeneland's 2024 Fall Meet will stand out in track history for being the most lucrative racing season with 22 stakes worth a record $9.85 million.View the full article

John Kimmel had $25,000, and wanted an Exclusive Native filly. But he had to pass up his first choice, at Fasig-Tipton in 1978, after she went to $32,000. She turned out to be Genuine Risk. A first experience to put most people off, right? Kimmel gives a wry chuckle and shakes his head. “I'd have been ruined,” he says. “I was a sophomore in vet school. Can you imagine? I'd have been wrecked.” As it was, he had proved his eye. He continued absorbing the bittersweet lessons routinely dispensed by Thoroughbreds; continued, very often, also to see his judgement ultimately vindicated by others–notably with Thunder Gulch, who began his career in his care. His latest contribution to another barn, however, was made entirely by design. For Kimmel was wearing a different hat, as bloodstock agent, when imploring Sean Flanagan to buy a son of McKinzie at OBS back in April. That colt, under the care of Chad Brown, has turned into GI Hopeful- winning 'TDN Rising Star' Chancer McPatrick. For here is a man of many parts: trainer, agent, veterinarian, outdoorsman, dad; a man with the kind of hinterland that leaves him uncomplaining of his lot in the era of the supertrainer. The profession has changed enormously since he started out, in 1987. Kimmel is not interested in becoming a chief executive or delegator, with barns in different time zones. He wants two things: to know his horses inside out; but also to retain due perspective on that obsession, the kind you can always renew by riding surf or powder snow. “I won seven training titles in New York,” he reminds us. “But when I did all that, it was with 44 horses. That was all you got. Woody Stevens, Sid Watters, P.G. Johnson, Allen Jerkens, those guys all had 44. I mean, that's hands-on training. You can't do that with 200, 400 horses: I don't give a damn who you are, there's no way you can do the exact same job. Basically, you have to rely on people that may or may not be as good as you. But for me, having a veterinary background, I can determine when things are in incipient stages. We can stop them now and not wait till the groom says, 'Wow this tendon, or this suspensory, is big…' That's if he could recognize it at all.” The most he ever reached was 120. Today he must settle for barely a couple of dozen. Kimmel emphasizes his respect for those supervising more industrial operations, but doesn't envy them. “It's a management skill, it's unbelievable,” he says. “But when I had more horses, I didn't enjoy it as much. There are other things that I enjoy in my life. I have kids. I'm an avid tennis player. You have 200 head of horses, you don't have a life. You have nothing but phones ringing, set lists, owners. I mean, come on. You don't think people get sour just doing that every day? Maybe that's why I'm not resentful. I don't really want to carry all that.” It was the pioneer supertrainer, Lukas, who took over Thunder Gulch after his sale to Michael Tabor. Kimmel bought him as a 2-year-old for $125,000 (after he RNA'd for $120,000 at the Keeneland April Sale), but then his majority client's partners never came through. Pinhooker Ken Ellenberg, left holding 40%, told Kimmel to get started with the horse and meanwhile find someone to buy him out. “But when I take the horse to Saratoga, he can't go a half in :50,” Kimmel recalls. “I just want to be able to tell the prospective purchaser that at least the horse can run–and I can't. But then I take him to the gate for the first time, and I'm shocked. He went like 1:01, a really big improvement. Went down to Belmont, worked him out the gate a second time: 59-and-change.” They could sell him now, no problem. But having waited this long, Ellenberg said they might as well let it roll. They almost repented, when the horses had a nightmare trip when third on Belmont debut, but then he won his maiden, finished well for second in the GII Cowdin Stakes, and was sold outright for $475,000. “Todd Pletcher was Lukas's assistant at the time, and I told him, 'Put a set of blinkers on this horse, he just looks at everything,'” Kimmel recalls. “And he just woke up. When he won, my 8-year-old comes up and goes, 'Oh, hey, that's a smart dad. Nobody sells Kentucky Derby winners.' But it did a lot for me, as far as people recognizing that I know what I'm doing when I represent people at the sales.” Yes, he does–above all at the juvenile old sales, where he found Grade I winners like Twist Afleet ($70,000) and Premium Tap (bought for $60,000, sold on for $5.7m!); or others he picked out for his father Caesar, like Flat Fleet Feet ($32,000, sold for $2.3 million) and Fabulously Fast ($87,000, sold for $1.7 million). Caesar! What a name, and what a guy! And as for Caesar's dad, Manny: that was where the Kimmels' Turf story began, Manny making a book at Saratoga and renting a house on Union Avenue. “My dad was 15, had no license,” Kimmel explains. “But my grandfather would tell him, 'Caesar, drop me at the front gate, take the car over to the Gideon Putnam and pick me up after the last.' And that's how they spent the four weeks. Manny was a great numbers guy. He made, like, $3,000 to $5,000 a day, huge numbers in the early '40s.” When the war came, Caesar joined the Marines, got posted to what was left of Pearl Harbor. On his return, he tried various jobs until Manny gave him a break. “The story that is that this guy lost a parking lot to Manny, playing craps, on Kinney Street in Newark,” Kimmel explains. “So my grandfather gave that to my dad, to start the business that became Kinney Parking. And it grew and grew, they had parking in Manhattan, at Yankee Stadium, at JFK.” Caesar played up the winnings, hooking up with partners from other businesses until they together took over the movie and record company Warner Brothers, creating Warner Communications. “Their business was phenomenal,” Kimmel says. “They had Crosby, Stills and Nash; The Rolling Stones; Led Zeppelin. They signed all those guys. And their movie business, too: 'The Exorcist', 'Woodstock', so many good movies.” Caesar owned a farm in Kentucky with Dr. Edwin W. Thomas, where they stood Our Native (third in Secretariat's Derby). “And when I graduated vet school, in 1980, he wanted me to just go over there and put a shingle out,” Kimmel recalls. “And I said, 'Look, I can't just come to Kentucky and single-handedly start practice. So I went down to Florida instead, and really that was the start of everything.” His first mentor was Dr. Melbourne B. Teigland of Teigland, Franklin and Brokken. “He was a great man to work under,” Kimmel says. “They gave you a truck, gave you the drugs, and they gave you a long leash. Out you went into the field and you learned as you went. If you got in trouble, you could always get somebody on the radio to come over and help.” After three years he went out on his own, but soon found racetrack practice too routine. Almost everything could be left to an assistant: shots, vaccinations, worming, the occasional X-ray or scope. So he started pinhooking yearlings, as a sideline, and bought a couple of mares. And finally a partnership with Dennis Drazin prompted a first experiment with training. He had never even been an assistant trainer. What he'd done instead, however, was way better: he'd worked for a bunch of different trainers every week. “And I thought to myself, if I can't do better than they're doing it, then I should hang it up,” he admits. “There were a lot of guys I worked with, for years and years, that just didn't really have the grasp of horsemanship that I thought they'd need, to be good in their trade.” All the way through, his own brand of horsemanship proved equally tailored to the sales ring and the racetrack. He bought a Deputy Minister filly at Keeneland in 1997, for Robert Waxman, and trained her to win the GII Demoiselle Stakes and miss her Grade I by a head. Better Than Honour subsequently proved one of the most important and valuable mares of the modern era. But the logical junction between his different skills, at the sales and on the racetrack, has always been the juvenile auctions-where he reckons to have found a dozen Grade I winners. Chancer McPatrick | Sarah Andrew “I've been an advocate of the 2-year-old market for a long time,” he says. “They show you that they can handle the intensity of what they're being asked to do. They show a degree of athleticism beyond just watching them walk. You can actually listen to their respiratory tract. Then add all the other technologies out there, the ultrasounds and radiographs and cardiac evaluations. You get so much more information about a horse's ability to succeed on the racetrack.” Long before anyone else he was timing gallop-outs. In the old days, they would breeze in pairs. Now, of course, they go much faster–not without price, as Kimmel concedes. “They get pressed pretty damned hard,” he acknowledges. “And that certainly contributes to a high attrition rate. Horses do show the consequences of being asked to do something that they'll probably never do again. But the ones that do hold up, that jump through all those hoops and barrels, you have to say they can handle what's asked of them when racing. “So you've got to know who you're dealing with. Consignors that I'm familiar with, they're going to tell you the story: if they've had issues, if they've had to do any inter-articular work just to get them there. Things that you'd like to know before you jump in on one.” One smaller consignor whose work he respects is Saul Marquez of Caliente Thoroughbreds. And it was in his draft at OBS that Kimmel and colleague Nick Sallusto found Chancer McPatrick, who is targeting the GI Champagne Stakes on Saturday. “The horse had so much class about him,” he remembers. “And his breeze was phenomenal. He worked in :21 flat. And he went out the next eighth in :11.44. So that means he went :32-and-two. And the next one, he shaded :45; and five-eighths, :59. So when you clock hundreds of horses, and you see one do something like that…” He was going to take a bit of buying. But Flanagan was due a change of luck after being thwarted only at $1.3 million for a son of Flatter in the same ring the previous month. Would the funds even have been made available for this one, had he managed to land the Flatter colt? “Good question!” exclaims Kimmel. “We'd loved that colt. But every time we bid, the other guy came right back. So we're really looking for a high-end colt, at that point, and wondering would we ever get one.” But Flanagan was game and this time saw off all competition at $725,000. They gave the horse a month, sent him to Brown. Whenever Kimmel saw his fellow trainer, he'd ask how the McKinzie colt was doing. “Nice horse,” Brown would say with a shrug. But when they got to Saratoga and Kimmel asked again, Brown said: “I'd give 30 horses for this one.” Kimmel only glimpsed the horse working once at the Spa, and gleaned little. “With Chad, everything works in hand, in company, :49,” Kimmel marvels. “It's incredible to watch. They'll have six sets of twos, and they're not even done with the first hitting the wire when the second are already starting. I don't know how they do it. Me, I like to watch everything: the gallop out, how they pull up. But he's done a great job with the horse.” On his debut, they had an early fright. For a second Kimmel thought he might even have taken a bad step. “Maybe the kickback hit him in the face,” Kimmel speculates. “Head goes up in the air, he loses his action behind, he's last. Well, this is not going to be good. So anyway, he gets himself together, and here he comes at the half-mile pole. Turning for home, he's still four, five lengths behind, and he's wide–but he's picking them off, his stride is super long, and within the last 1/16th, he makes up three lengths and draws off, like, wow.” (video). But then look who's waiting for him in the Hopeful, odds-on after an eight-length romp on debut: the Flatter colt, since registered as Ferocious, a 'Rising Star' like Chancer McPatrick. “And when that other horse came into the paddock, we see again that he's a very impressive physical specimen,” Kimmel recalls. “And then our horse gets hit coming out of the gate, the jock has to readjust his left iron, and he's last again. And taking a tremendous amount of dirt, going down the back side.” But once again he started picking off horses. “So here he comes rolling,” Kimmel continues. “It looks like he's going to run right by Ferocious. But Irad pulled to the outside and they re-engaged, had a good run all the way to the wire (video). They said that he lost a shoe, he's certainly a very formidable horse, and I think they're going to meet up again.” The meeting is on hold until the Breeders' Cup at the earliest, as Ferocious goes in this Saturday's GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity at Keeneland. Kimmel stresses the value of his association with Sallusto. “I've known Nick for a long time,” he says. “There's not too many people I have worked with that have very similar perspectives on evaluating horseflesh. He has a training center in Ocala, and prepares those horses well. His knowledge and mine mesh pretty well. I think we've actually learned things from each other that open up our perspective about what we can accept in a horse.” The key to Kimmel's own outlook is that he can conflate so many different roles. How many trainers do their own scoping? How many can chart different physiological outcomes from training their horses the same way in different environments, on different surfaces? (Not many horse people, moreover, have spouses with such an intimate grasp of the animal, either: Kimmel's wife Dr. Jenifer Garber is also a veterinarian, deployed by one of the industry's elite programs for ultrasound monitoring of the young Thoroughbred in training.) After decades pairing up sales ring principles to racetrack practice, it's not as though Chancer McPatrick is some flash in the pan. Lurking in his own barn, for instance, Kimmel has a Champagne Stakes rival for that colt in Vekoma Rides (Vekoma), found for $150,000 at OBS June and brilliant on his debut; while Grace and Grit (Munnings), another to win her sole start, heads for the postponed GII Miss Grillo Stakes. “My horse numbers are not what they used to be,” Kimmel accepts. “The business model of a small stable is very tough. Many of my people have been with me 30 years. They feel comfortable, and they do a good job. I don't really want to tell them they got to go find work somewhere else. But there'll come a day when the rewards are not worth the aggravation and losses. “I made my whole reputation buying and developing horses. Probably nobody knows my story all that well, but I like to think I'm an honest guy and I like to represent people that appreciate what you bring to the table. There's plenty of people that are misrepresented in this game. So if I can help somebody that would appreciate that direction, I'm their guy.” Ultimately, talking over the old times just reminds him how lucky we all are to eke out a living with these animals. “When you look back on it, it went by real fast,” he says. “And I really wouldn't change all that much.” The post Trainer, Agent, Vet: Kimmel A Horseman Without Limits appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The unbeaten Lake Victoria (Ire) is now Timeform's highest-rated two-year-old filly in Europe, it was announced on Monday. The daughter of Frankel (GB) earned a Timeform rating of 119p for her impressive success in Saturday's G1 Cheveley Park Stakes at Newmarket when beating Daylight (Fr) (Earthlight {Ire}) by three lengths. G1 Phoenix Stakes winner Babouche (GB) (Kodiac {GB}), who finished only fourth at Newmarket, remains the best of the rest in this division with a rating of 113. Incidentally, Hooray (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) was the last filly to be awarded a higher rating after winning the Cheveley Park. She was rated 121 after her four-and-a-half-length victory in 2010. The highest-rated two-year-old in training after Saturday's action at Newmarket is Godolphin's Shadow Of Light (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), who is now on a figure of 120 after winning the G1 Middle Park Stakes by four lengths. However, Shadow Of Light is likely to face competition from The Lion In Winter (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), who is due to make his next appearance in the G1 Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket on Saturday, October 12. The Lion In Winter has had his rating adjusted to 119p (from 115p) after the form of his G3 Acomb Stakes win received a couple of boosts last week, first from Thursday's G3 Tattersalls Stakes winner The Waco Kid (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}) and then from Saturday's G2 Royal Lodge Stakes scorer Wimbledon Hawkeye (GB) (Kameko). Timeform handicapper Simon Baker said, “Lake Victoria is improving by the run and put up one of the best Cheveley Park performances in recent memory as she extended her unbeaten record to four. Her new rating of 119p puts her 6lb ahead of Babouche among the juvenile fillies and her physique, pedigree and demeanour suggest she's got all the tools to go on and make an even better three-year-old. “It was perhaps a little bit more of a surprise to see Shadow Of Light win by even further 35 minutes later, but he'd been progressing very well himself and a rating of 120 marks him down as a better-than-average Middle Park winner. “He has likewise moved to the top of his division, though he's only 1lb ahead of The Lion In Winter, whose win in an exceptionally strong renewal of the Acomb at York in August received yet another boost courtesy of Wimbledon Hawkeye's authoritative success in the Royal Lodge.” The post Lake Victoria and Shadow Of Light Top Timeform’s Juvenile Rankings appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The Industry Induction Programme, which will set a consistent standard for introducing new stable staff to horse racing, has been launched by Horse Racing Ireland's equuip and the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board (IHRB) as announced via release Monday. The new online course will set a minimum standard of education for all new entrants into the industry and ties in with the continuing professional development and educations objectives of HRI's equuip and the IHRB. It will be mandatory for new recruits, and is a general introduction to the industry with topics covering health and safety, equine safety and care, and race days practices and procedures. The content on the website is available to all stable staff who wish to make use of the training and other resources provided. New recruits signing on with a trainer will need to self-register for the course here and must be completes within 30 days of registrations as a stable employee with the IHRB. The website is laptop, tablet, and mobile compatible and there are options translation options for those whose first language is not English. “We at the ISSA [Irish Stable Staff Association] welcome this new initiative brought in by the IHRB and HRI equuip,” said Ger Flynn of ISSA. “This can only be a positive step going forward for professional stable staff and help align us with other industries. The education part is welcome and is key to getting new employees into the workforce.” The post HRI Launches Industry Induction Programme for New Stable Staff appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Thirteen broodmares, in foal to the likes of Good Magic, Life Is Good and Not This Time, and a pair of broodmare prospects will be catalogued as part of the Complete Dispersal of Breeding Stock for prominent Thoroughbred owner, breeder and executive Stuart S. Janney III at the upcoming Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale in Lexington. The sale begins Tuesday, Nov. 5 and runs nine sessions through Wednesday, Nov. 13. Claiborne Farm will handle the consignment for its long-time client. Janney, who serves as chairman of The Jockey Club, was introduced to racing through his parents Stuart and Barbara, who bred and raced the legendary and beloved Ruffian, a member of racing's Hall of Fame who was foaled at Claiborne and who has since been returned to her birthplace. The elder Janneys were also represented by the likes of Icecapade and Private Terms. The Janney Family has boarded mares at Claiborne for many years. In partnership with Phipps Stable, Stuart Janney III campaigned 2013 GI Kentucky Derby winner Orb (Malibu Moon) and his other top horses include Ironicus, Data Link, Hit It Rich, On Leave Hymn Book and Air Support. “The relationship between the Janney family and Claiborne goes back even before the days of Ruffian,” said Claiborne Farm's Seth Hancock. “No one has shown more energy, passion and love for the game than Stuart.” Three of the Janney mares will be consigned in Book One of the November Sale on Nov. 5: The stakes-winning and multiple graded-placed In A Hurry (Blame) in foal to Claiborne's War Front; Mata Mua (Arch), the dam of Grade III winner Scarlett Sky (Sky Mesa), whose current weanling is a colt by Not This Time and who sells in foal to Life Is Good; Secure Connection (Data Link), a half-sister to Scarlett Sky and carrying a foal by Not This Time The Nov. 6 session includes the following Janney horses: The winning and stakes-placed Gun Boat (War Front), a daughter of Grade III winner Onus (Blame) offered as a broodmare prospect; Hold Harmless (Blame), the dam of Limited Liability (Lemon Drop Kid), recent winner of the Nashville Gold Cup and seven times placed at the graded level; Grade III winner My Impression (Sky Mesa) carrying to Candy Ride (Arg); MGSW On Leave (War Front), a half-sister to no fewer than four graded stakes winner and selling in foal to Street Sense; Onus in foal to Violence; Pruning (Uncle Mo), a half-sister to Onus pregnant to Good Magic Additional Janney mares in the catalog are in foal to Maclean's Music, Munnings, Silver State and War of Will. The second broodmare prospect is Take a Break, a 4-year-old winning filly by Quality Road out of On Leave. “Stuart Janney and his horses have long represented quality and class, and Keeneland is honored to present this dispersal at the November Sale,” Keeneland Vice President of Sales Tony Lacy said. “Mr. Janney has developed these bloodlines for generations and these families will be highly prized by breeders and owners.” The November Sale catalog will be available online Tuesday. Print catalogs will be mailed Oct. 11. The post Janney Dispersal To Highlight Keeneland November Sale appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Big Brown is the fifth Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner to be retired to Old Friends. Old Friends will be hosting Big Brown's Barn Bash on Oct. 18. There will be a lot of fun activities and a chance to meet the guest of honor, Big Brown.View the full article