Wandering Eyes

The Virginia Racing Commission has appointed Waqas Ahmed to serve as its executive secretary, effective Aug. 10, the commission said in a Wednesday press release. Most recently, Ahmed served as the deputy executive director of the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission (KHRC). In that role, he carried out several strategic initiatives, including the launch and implementation of sports wagering. Prior to that, Ahmed served as the KHRC's director of pari-mutuel wagering and compliance, and oversaw the launch of several tracks, historical horse racing facilities as well as advance deposit account wagering providers. “We are pleased to welcome Mr. Ahmed to the Virginia Racing Commission,” said Commission Chair Stephanie Nixon. “His vast experience will continue to promote, sustain, grow and control a native horse racing industry. On behalf of the entire commission we look forward to working with Mr. Ahmed for many years to come.” “I am honored to join the Virginia Racing Commission as Executive Secretary,” said Ahmed. “Virginia's horse racing industry boasts a proud history and plays a significant role in the Commonwealth.” The post Virginia Racing Commission Appoints Ahmed To Executive Secretary Post appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Notable Speech bounced back to form to land the Sussex Stakes (G1) July 31 under William Buick in emphatic fashion as favorite Henry Longfellow weakened to finish fourth.View the full article

Monmouth Park will host a $500 onsite and online handicapping contest on Saturday, Aug. 3, with two NHC seats, two BCBC spots and cash available for contestants, the track said in a release Wednesday. Online options to participate are TVG, 4NJBETS and Xpressbet. Onsite registration will be from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. ET on Saturday on the first floor of the Clubhouse. For TVG and 4NJBets online player registration ends at 3 p.m. ET on Friday. Xpressbet players can register through 12:50 p.m. ET on Saturday. There is a non-refundable entry fee of $250 and a tournament bankroll of $250 for wagering on races from Monmouth Park and Saratoga. Contestants must wager on a minimum of five (5) Monmouth Park races at $50 each race. The wagering format is win, place, show, exacta and daily double. Based on 150 entries the prize pool will consist of two NHC seats, two BCBC seats and $10,000 cash. The top four finishers, in order, will choose between an NHC and a BCBC seat. Cash prizes will be awarded to the top 10 finishers. For more information contact Brian Skirka at bskirka@monmouthpark.com or by calling (732) 571-6595. The post Monmouth To Host $500 Handicapping Contest Saturday appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Breeder and owner John C. Oxley has been selected by the Thoroughbred Club of America (TCA) as the 2024 Honor Guest, the organization said in a Wednesday press release. Oxley will receive the award at the TCA's 93rd Testimonial Dinner, which will be held at Keeneland on Friday, Nov. 15. “The Thoroughbred Club of America is delighted to name John C. Oxley as its 2024 Honor Guest”, said Club President Charlie Boden. “Mr. Oxley is a true horseman whose equestrian exploits in the saddle are well documented and only eclipsed by his accomplishments as the owner of a Kentucky Derby, Kentucky Oaks, and multiple Breeders' Cup winners. His generous contributions throughout his life of his time and his money put him on a short list of Thoroughbred horse racing's greatest benefactors”. The post Oxley Named As The ’24 Honor Guest By Thoroughbred Club of America appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Elinor Wolf is joining the team of Starlight Racing and StarLadies Racing as their new director of marketing, partner relations and recruiting, the syndicates said in a release on Wednesday. Wolf has spent the past few years studying abroad and working. During that time she completed the Irish National Stud Course in 2021, graduated from the Godolphin Flying Start Program last year, and for the past six months ran Thoroughbred Country in Ireland. “I am thrilled to be relocating to the U.S. and joining Starlight Racing and StarLadies Racing full-time,” said Wolf. “Reuniting with my family and preparing for the exciting times ahead–such as Justify's Hall of Fame induction, National Treasure's highly-anticipated run in the Whitney, and the upcoming yearling sales–is a true honor. Starlight and StarLadies have a remarkable track record, and I am eager to contribute to their continued success as we are now welcoming new partners on this exciting journey.” “We are thrilled to have Elinor joining us full-time in the U.S.,” said Jack Wolf, Co-Founder of Starlight Racing. “While Starlight and StarLadies are known for being exclusive groups, which might give the impression that we aren't open to new partners, that's not the case. We are actively welcoming new partners, and Elinor is leading that initiative. Her blend of youth, experience, and enthusiasm for the horses is something the entire industry will benefit from.” The post Elinor Wolf Joins Starlight And StarLadies As Marketing Director appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The big surprise about the $1 million Whitney Stakes (G1) is not who showed up. It's how many showed up.View the full article

Heroic Move, trainer Robertino Diodoro's highest-earning active runner, is among the entries who are eyeing a return to the winner's circle. He finished sixth in the Cornhusker Handicap (G3) last time out.View the full article

It's been a magical year for jockey Brian Hernandez, Jr., who rides the best 3-year-old filly in the country in Thorpedo Anna (Fast Anna) and one of the best 3-year-old males in Mystik Dan (Goldencents). For the veteran rider that has meant wins in the GI Kentucky Oaks, the GI Kentucky Derby, the GI Acorn S. and the GI Coaching Club American Oaks. Thorpedo Anna will take on the boys in her next scheduled start, the GI DraftKings Travers S. Appearing on the TDN Writers' Room Podcast, presented by Keeneland, Hernandez said his good fortune has yet to sink in. He was this week's Green Group Guest of the Week. “It's still surreal,” the 38-year-old jockey said. “I don't think it's ever going to sink in. I've talked to other jockeys that have won the Derby before and they say that, no, it doesn't ever sink in. Then you're sitting somewhere by yourself and you're like, 'man, wow, we really won the Kentucky Derby.' It's a life goal achievement.” Can he add a Travers win onto his growing list of 2024 accomplishments? “It's going to be another tough goal for her,” he said. “But at the same time, she's done everything we've asked of her so far. So, we're going to go into the Travers thinking she's the best 3-year-old in the country right now. We'll be very hopeful and excited. It's one of those situations where, when you get a great filly like she happens to be, that you have to go ahead and give her the test. She's dominated the fillies so far. So you have to kind of up the game on her. Just let her show how good she really is.” Hernandez has won all the aforementioned races for trainer Kenny McPeek, who rides him whenever he can. McPeek's confidence in Hernandez has clearly given him a big boost to his career. “My relationship with Kenny has to go back to a guy that hasn't gotten a whole lot of credit so far. It's my agent, Frank Bernis,” Hernandez said. “He and Kenny work so well together that he does all the entries for Kenny. He's doing all the entries right now for Kenny at Saratoga and Ellis, and he's handling all this business. They just work so well together. And then I've been fortunate enough to have Kenny in my corner. It helps in my situation where I know I'm going out there that I am riding these good horses and these better races. I don't have to worry about getting taken off.” In our breeding spotlight section, we took a look at the WinStar stallion Nashville (Speightstown). Elsewhere on the podcast, which is also sponsored by the Pennsylvania Horse Breeders' Association, West Point Thoroughbreds, WinStar, XBTV.com, Stonestreet Farm and the KTOB, the team of Randy Moss, Zoe Cadman and Bill Finley reviewed last weekend's racing action, including the win in the GII Jim Dandy by Fierceness (City of Light) and the feel-good story of The Chosen Vron (Vronsky) winning the GI Bing Crosby for the second straight year. We also previewed the huge Saturday card at Saratoga, which includes three Grade I races. To watch the Writers' Room, click here. To view the show as a podcast, click here. The post Brian Hernandez Jr. Joins TDN Writers’ Room Podcast appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Unbeaten in two starts in this country as a 3-year-old last season, Godolphin's Eternal Hope (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) makes a belated seasonal debut in Thursday's $250,000 GII Glens Falls Stakes at Saratoga. A stakes winner going 12 furlongs over the Lingfield all-weather last May and third in the G2 Prix Alec Head, the homebred was the even-money pick for the GIII Jockey Club Oaks Invitational Stakes at Aqueduct last September and was a long way out of her ground before a late flourish saw her score by a neck. She backed up that performance with a half-length success in the GII Sands Point Stakes downstate the following month, but the hurdles here are not insignificant given the layoff and the presence of some talented turf distaffers. “She hasn't been seen since her American starts last year, but her preparation has gone well,” said trainer Charlie Appleby, fresh off a bounce-back victory in Wednesday's G1 Sussex Stakes at Goodwood with Notable Speech (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}). “We feel that, at that trip, she's a filly we saw who can get to a good level in America. We're looking forward to getting her back out. There will be a bit of improvement for the run, but she goes there in great shape.” McKulick (GB) (Frankel {GB}) upset heavily favored War Like Goddess (English Channel) in this event 12 months ago and added this year's GIII Orchid Stakes over the winter at Gulfstream Park. Fourth as the 3-4 favorite behind her front-running stablemate Royalty Interest (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}) in the GIII Sheepshead Bay Stakes at the Big A May 3, the Klaravich runner exits an even fifth to Didia (Arg) (Orpen) in the GI New York Stakes over an insufficient 9 1/2 furlongs June 7. Chop Chop (City of Light) hasn't missed the exacta in six outings this term and defeated Atomic Blonde (Ger) (The Grey Gatsby {Ire}) in the Apr. 26 GIII Bewitch Stakes at Keeneland before the latter turned the tables in the Keertana Stakes at Churchill May 25. The 4-year-old was a latest runner-up to the aforementioned War Like Goddess in the GIII Robert G. Dick Memorial Stakes at Delaware July 7. The post Eternal Hope Returns To Action In Glens Falls appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Like stablemate Henry Longfellow (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), there is a sense that Ballydoyle's Opera Singer (Justify) is only just beginning to get her season underway as she steps up to a mile and a quarter for the first time in Thursday's G1 Qatar Nassau Stakes at Goodwood. Reportedly ring-rusty when third in the G1 Irish 1,000 Guineas at The Curragh and looking in need of further than a mile when runner-up in Royal Ascot's G1 Coronation Stakes, last year's impressive G1 Prix Marcel Boussac heroine has the opportunity to truly express herself once again. “Obviously she is stepping up to a mile and a quarter from a mile for the first time and we think that is going to be really interesting,” Aidan O'Brien said. “We were delighted with her at Ascot, really. That was just her second run and, to be honest, we couldn't believe how well she'd run first time in the Irish Guineas, given the setback she had in the spring. We thought her Ascot run was very good and obviously the form has been franked as Donnacha's filly came out and won the Falmouth at the July meeting. She's an exceptional filly, so she lost little in defeat.” What Next For Emily Upjohn? While this trip could bring out the best in Opera Singer, it may be that she is simply not as good as the seasoned Emily Upjohn (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) whose fortunes it is fair to say have been mixed since storming on to the scene early in her 3-year-old career. Brilliant despite being narrowly denied in the 2022 Oaks and in capturing the G1 Coronation Cup last term, she is unbeatable when things fall right but has yet to convince this trip is her thing and needs to race with more restraint than when suffering another reversal in the G1 Pretty Polly Stakes. While the winner of that Curragh contest, Bluestocking (GB) (Camelot {GB}), has thoroughly franked the form in the King George and the third Content (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) was probably the moral winner of the Irish Oaks in the interim, the Gosdens' mare showed a tendency to overdo it there once again and a similar tendency on this tricky circuit could compromise her. “She wasn't entered originally, because the plan was to go for the Pretty Polly and then maybe go on to Ascot for the King George, but we decided after the Curragh to stay at a mile and a quarter and go against the fillies again, then step her back up to a mile and a half again in the Yorkshire Oaks,” John Gosden explained. “She's a top-of-the-ground filly and she ran a great race at the Curragh, but that rain came and she's not happy on it. She's won on it, but it's not her best surface. All being well, she'll run a big one.” Plenty To Offer… The Nassau has drawn the G1 Prix de Diane winner every year since 2019, with two completing the double and it falls to Sparkling Plenty (Fr) (Kingman {GB}) to attempt the feat this time. Now part-owned by Al Shaqab Racing, Jean Pierre Dubois's homebred needs to improve on that but showed dramatic acceleration which will serve her well in this affair. Interestingly, despite the speed advantage of the Patrice Cottier-trained Chantilly Classic heroine, Al Shaqab have supplemented the Ralph Beckett-trained Doha (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) as a possible pacemaker. More To Come From Elmalka? Like Opera Singer moved up from a mile for the first time, Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum's G1 1,000 Guineas heroine Elmalka (GB) (Kingman {GB}) has strong claims as a daughter of the middle-distance star Nahrain (GB) (Selkirk). Fourth in the Coronation, trainer Roger Varian thinks the step up in trip will bring about further improvement from the homebred who remains dangerously unexposed. “We're looking forward to running Elmalka, she's really well and she looks like she is ready to step up to 10 furlongs,” he said. “It will give us some direction for the autumn and we entered her for the Prix de la Opera this week and she will probably have an entry back at a mile in the Sun Chariot. She's in great form and has done nothing wrong all year, even her run at Ascot was a great run under the circumstances, so we're very excited to run her. It looks a strong race but we decided to get her out again.” Strikin Impression… To say that Thursday is a big day in the life of Hamad Al-Jehani is an understatement, with the Qatari-based trainer preparing to saddle Wathnan Racing's acquisition The Strikin Viking (Ire) (Inns Of Court {Ire}) in the G2 Richmond Stakes. Off the mark in a warm contest at York in mid-June, he was second to Ballydoyle's Henri Matisse (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) in The Curragh's G2 Railway Stakes later that month so has the previous required to make an impact. “He's a big, imposing colt and it's not just about this year with him,” Richard Brown said. “He was on our radar after he won at York and I thought he was impressive at the Curragh. He's a thoroughly likeable colt with a big engine and he gave James a great feel last week. We're looking forward to running him in Wathnan's colours for Hamad.” Further pattern-race form is provided by Teme Valley Racing's Andrew Balding-trained maiden Tropical Storm (GB) (Eqtidaar {Ire}) who chased home Wathnan's Shareholder (Not This Time) in Royal Ascot's G2 Norfolk Stakes, while the Eve Johnson Houghton-trained Billboard Star (GB) (Advertise {GB}) was second to the Norfolk fourth Whistlejacket (Ire) (No Nay Never) in Newmarket's G2 July Stakes. There is added intrigue in the presence of Eleanora Kennedy's Fairyhouse maiden winner Black Forza, a son of first-season sire Complexity whose son Mo Plex flew his flag at Saratoga earlier this month. Teme Valley 's racing manager Richard Ryan said of the former, “It was a great run in the Norfolk and he was caught a little wide on the wing and was a bit lonely, but he put his head down and kept on it really well. Oisin [Murphy] has ridden him on two occasions and on both occasions fed back to us he was keen to ride him over six furlongs, so it looked a logical race for him based on rider comments and he's trained really well leading up to it. He's got a very good mind, he's strong and has an admirable attitude and hopefully those attributes will be useful at Goodwood.” Johnson Houghton said of Billboard Star, “He's a lovely horse and it wasn't a surprise he ran really well in the July Stakes. I think he'll go close in the Richmond. He's run at Goodwood before, so we know he handles the track and we're very hopeful.” Gordon Test For Jan Brueghel With an eye on the St Leger, Thursday's G3 Gordon Stakes offers the chance to further assess the merit of Ballydoyle's TDN Rising Star Jan Brueghel (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) who followed an eight-length debut win at The Curragh in May with a defeat of his elders in that track's G3 International Stakes. Up from a mile and a quarter for the first time, the full-brother to Sovereign (Ire) should be more at home tackling this 12-furlong trip with Aidan O'Brien stating after his last outing that he is viewed as a staying type. He faces Australian Bloodstock Stable's recent purchase Sayedaty Sadaty (Ire) (Anodin {Ire}), who is out for the first time since finishing fifth in the Derby. The post ‘It’s Going To Be Really Interesting’: O’Brien Keen To Stretch Out Opera Singer In Nassau appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The Texas Thoroughbred Association has catalogued 207 yearlings for the Texas Summer Yearling Sale beginning at 10 a.m. CT Aug. 26 at the sales pavilion on the grounds of Lone Star Park, the organization said in a Wednesday release. The sale, which includes 91 Louisiana-bred yearlings, along with 48 Texas-breds, 32 Arkansas-breds and 18 Oklahoma-breds will also include a special dispersal of horses consigned by CS Sales, agent for Three Feathers Farm. The dispersal, which includes weanlings and broodmares, brings the total number of horses entered in the sale to 217. “I'm pleased with both the quantity and quality of the yearlings in this year's catalogue,” said TTA Sales Director Foster Bridewell. “We came down a bit in the total number compared to last year's near-record entries, but we really have some quality individuals in this offering and the entire region is well represented.” The TTA will once again host its pre-sale party Aug. 25 in the Alysheba Room at Lone Star Park starting at 5:30 p.m. CT. All buyers, consignors and horsemen are welcome to attend. Click here to access the online catalogue and for more details. The post Catalogue Out For Aug. 26 Texas Yearling Sale At Lone Star Park appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The New York Gaming Commission (NYGC) has released its 2023 report regarding the high rate of fatalities upstate last year. Between May 26, 2023 and September 4, 2023, there were 17 equine fatalities at Saratoga Race Course, which again put the track's Thoroughbred safety record under scrutiny. Several suggestions were made by the NYGC, none more surprising than the recommendation that NYRA should install a synthetic track at Saratoga. With the Spa already having two turf courses and main dirt course, it remains to been seen if there's any room to fit in still another course. “The degree of inclement weather during the 2023 Saratoga Race Meet had a profound negative impact upon the safety of racehorses and confounded the ability of NYRA to complete its full racing program,” the report read. “Sixty-five surface changes during the 2023 Saratoga Meet disrupted much of the turf racing schedule. In many cases field size was severely compromised as the result of these surface changes with commensurate decrease in handle. Despite the use of extraordinary efforts and use of best practice racetrack surface management, it was extremely difficult to maintain safe and consistent racing surfaces. The report went on to state, “The total number of fatalities at Saratoga was not out of the ordinary. What was out of the ordinary was how many broke down in races.” New York Equine Medical Director Scott Palmer noted that the total number of equine fatalities during the 2023 Saratoga Meet was similar or less than that of meets in the previous five years. However, the number of racing fatalities during the 2023 Meet was three-times greater than the number of racing fatalities during the 2022 Meet. The 179-page report also suggested that NYRA should support and participate in research efforts to critically evaluate current best practices to achieve improved consistency of the moisture content of the racing surface and to eliminate excessive moisture. The proposal aims to develop a “smart” watering truck that would measure moisture in the track surface and apply water to those areas in need of water and not in areas that did not need additional water, using control technologies, GPS data fusion and system integration The commission would like to see NYRA test horses pre-race more than they do now. Their recommendation is that NYRA passes a house rule that all horses must be examined by their attending veterinarian between 72 and 24 hours of a race. Among the other points included in the report are the increased use of wearable biometric sensors to minimize the incidence of equine fatalities going forward. The NYGC report suggests that if these recommendations are followed there will be tangible results, including reduction of equine fatalities; fewer surface changes during the Saratoga meet; increased overall handle at Saratoga; improved attendance at Saratoga and improved public perception of Thoroughbred racing. As has been the case when there is a rash of breakdowns followed by a study, investigators could not come up with the source of the breakdowns. But they believed that an exceptionally wet meet played a part. “The most obvious environmental variable of the 2023 Saratoga Race Meet was the unprecedented amount of rainfall that occurred during July and August. Although the fact of relentless rainfall was not in dispute, the actual significance of this unusual weather event was among the primary focuses of this review,” the report read. The post NY Gaming Commission Suggests That Saratoga Should Have Synthetic Course appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The New York Racing Association and TwinSpires announced July 31 that a contractual impasse between the duo has resulted in the elimination of all NYRA content from TwinSpires, effective immediately. View the full article

The Godolphin European fleet has been stronger than ever this year, as evidenced by their six stateside graded stakes wins in the last four months. Eternal Hope will look to continue that momentum in the Aug. 1 Glens Falls Stakes (G2T) at Saratoga.View the full article

Some of the most highly anticipated races during the summer racing season are the 'baby' races during the boutique meetings at Saratoga and Del Mar and at Ellis Park, which attract its fair share of high-priced offspring from a variety of top national outfits. Summer Breezes highlights debuting 2-year-olds at those meetings that have been sourced at the breeze-up sales earlier in the year, with links to their under-tack previews. Here are the horses entered for Thursday at Saratoga and Del Mar: Thursday, August 1, 2024 Saratoga 6, $90k, 2yo, (S), 1 1/16mT, 4:02 p.m. ET Horse (Sire), Sale, Price ($), Breeze High Water Mark (Solomini), OBSMAR, 60,000, :10 2/5 C-New Horizons Bloodstock, agent; B-SJB Stable Trust Del Mar 1, $75k, 2yo, f, 5fT, 5:00 p.m. ET Madonna of Loreto (Caravaggio), FTMMAY, 175,000, :10 1/5 C-Scanlon Training & Sales, agent; B-LRF Racing, John Dowd, agt Twirling Light (Twirling Candy)-AE, OBSMAR, 600,000, :10 C-Eddie Woods, agent; B-Jet Horse LLC, Peter Miller, agent The post Summer Breezes, Sponsored By OBS: August 1, 2024 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Goodwood, UK — In a near-repeat performance of last year, a Mick Appleby-trained 'Big' horse by a first-season sire, running in the red and blue silks of Roger and Rachael Teasdale's RP Racing Ltd, scorched to success in the G3 Molecomb Stakes. What came next for Big Evs (Ire) (Blue Point {Ire}) was several victories moving up through the grades and rounding off his juvenile season in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint. It is a pretty safe bet that with each new victory came larger and larger offers from stallion studs. The phone is probably already starting to ring for his successor, Big Mojo (Ire) (Mohaather {GB}), too. Big Evs, who runs in Friday's G2 King George Qatar Stakes has been strongly linked of late to the name of Tally-Ho Stud, one of the best in the business for getting fast young stallions off to a speedy start in their second career. Sensibly, his owner is preferring to focus on the racing season and would not be drawn as to the eventual location for Big Evs once his racing days are over. “We're talking to a few people about that and they're one of [the studs]. They're great people there but nothing has been decided yet,” said Paul Teasdale. “Realistically he could have four more runs this year and we're looking forward to that.” He continued, “Now we'll have the same situation again but it's a nice problem to have and we're just delighted to have won this race two years running.” A maiden coming into Goodwood, Big Mojo had finished runner-up at Beverley on his racecourse debut earlier this month and he holds an entry for the G2 Gimcrack Stakes at York, which is run on the same day as the G1 Nunthorpe, in which Big Evs could also reappear. Conor Quirke bought Big Mojo for the Teasdales at the Tattersalls December Yearling Sale for 175,000gns from the draft of his co-breeder Ringfort Stud. The owner said, “Conor buys all our horses and he's bought another good one here. We bought him just after the Breeders' Cup. We are in racing to race and win and that's what we want to do. We are not in this to buy horses and sell them. We bought four two-year-olds at the end of last year and three of them are fantastically talented. The fourth we haven't really tried yet. “Big Mojo is bred for six furlongs, so the Gimcrack Stakes will be the perfect race for him. We attended the Gimcrack dinner last year and have had a long-standing joke that I would like my wife to do the speech.” That joke looks a little more serious now, as does the current form of Mick Appleby, who had the first and third in the Molecomb, with Mr Lightside (Ire) (Earthlight {Ire}) finishing just a head behind the runner-up Aesterius (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}). He also enjoyed a double on Tuesday – at Goodwood and Beverley. Appleby said of his Molecomb duo, “They could both go to America for the Breeders' Cup but Big Mojo will go to the Gimcrack first.” It was a good day to be called Appleby. After Mick came Charlie with his returning Guineas hero Notable Speech (GB), who gave a welcome boost to the Classic form with his rousing victory in the G1 Qatar Sussex Stakes. He too nominated the Breeders' Cup at Del Mar as a suitable end-of-season for the Dubawi (Ire) colt, and he knows a thing or two about winning the Breeders' Cup Mile. Appleby has landed it for Godolphin for the last three years running with Space Blues (Ire), Modern Games (Ire) and Master Of The Seas (Ire) – all three of whom are also by Dubawi. May the fourth be with him. The post Big Wins…Big Offers appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

New York Racing Association content is no longer available on TwinSpires due to an ongoing contractual dispute between NYRA and the advance deposit wagering platform owned and operated by Churchill Downs, Inc., according to a NYRA release. “Pending a contractual resolution between the two parties, pari-mutuel wagering, live video and race replays from the summer meet at Saratoga Race Course will be unavailable to TwinSpires customers,” the release said. “NYRA is seeking financial terms from TwinSpires similar to those currently in place with all national advance deposit wagering platforms offering NYRA content. “In its role as a not-for-profit corporation franchised by New York State, NYRA's mission is to conduct world-class racing for the benefit of the state's economy while growing the sport and creating opportunities for horsemen and breeders to compete for robust purses throughout the year. To fulfill those goals, NYRA will continue negotiations with TwinSpires to increase funds flowing to the sport and its stakeholders in New York.” In its own statement in response to the impasse, Churchill Downs' CEO Bill Carstanjen said, “Following NYRA's disturbing recent pattern of demanding significant new economics from ADWs for no additional value in return, NYRA has elected to terminate TwinSpires's access to its Saratoga signal today. While we hope to resolve this dispute quickly and amicably, make no mistake that we will continue to advocate for and invest in our customers and this industry. NYRA's reckless pattern reflects an increasingly misguided understanding of how to best serve the racing industry in New York. Their actions are bad for horse racing and negatively impact our fans.” After a brief impasse between NYRA and FanDuel/TVG in early July, a new contract was reached in time for that platform to offer pari-mutuel wagering on opening day of the Saratoga meet. The post NYRA Content No Longer Available on TwinSpires appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

A total of 54 juveniles remain in the running for the €300,000 Irish EBF Ballyhane Stakes at Naas set for Monday, Aug. 5. This is the fifth edition of the lucrative prize, and nine challengers hail from British yards. Hugo Palmer, who won the race last year, brings classy Chester scorer The Flying Seagull (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) across the Irish Sea. “The Irish EBF Ballyhane Stakes is a race we were keen to support having won it last year with Golden Trick (Ire) (Galileo Gold {GB}) and it is a great initiative of Joe Foley's so we are looking forward to returning,” Palmer said on Wednesday. “We did have quite a large number of entries in the race but we have whittled it down to The Flying Seagull and we are hoping he can run well. “We were delighted with his win at Chester and then things just went a bit awkwardly for him back at Chester last time out. I thought he probably should have won that day but didn't jump well and things just didn't go right so he will have to put that behind him but we are looking forward to going back to Naas.” Of the 54 horses aiming to scoop the Ballyhane, 19 have already visited the winner's circle, among them course-and-distance winners Amazing Athena (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}) and Shiota (Ire) (Tamayuz {GB}) for Johnny Murtagh and Joe Murphy, respectively. Aidan O'Brien won the first edition of the Ballyhane, and he currently has Heavens Gate (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}) and Right And True (Ire) (Arizona {Ire}) signed on. His son, Joseph, also sports a victory in the fledgling showpiece and has left in And So To Bed (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}), Elzem (Ire) (Elzaam {Aus}), Midnight Strike (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) and Pompano Beach (Ire) (Ten Sovereigns {Ire}). Joe Foley, owner of Ballyhane Stud, said, “It is phenomenal to have 54 horses still in contention at the five-day entry stage and with nine of them UK based it shows how this race continues to capture the attention of owners and trainers from both sides of the Irish Sea. “A full field of 24 of these horses will get the chance to race next Monday and with prize-money down to 12th place, half of the field will come away with money ranging from €150,000 to €4,000. This shows how a valuable race like the €300,000 Irish EBF Ballyhane Stakes is such a centrepiece for connections of two year olds to target each year.” The day's card will begin at 2:20 p.m. local time. For the current entry list, please visit the Naas Racecourse website. The post Latest Ballyhane Stakes Entries Revealed appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Putting his G1 St James's Palace Stakes flop firmly behind him, Godolphin's Notable Speech (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}–Swift Rose {Ire}, by Invincible Spirit {Ire}) rattled home in style to dominate Wednesday's G1 Qatar Sussex Stakes at Goodwood. On the limit in William Buick's hands following the pace set by Henry Longfellow (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), the Charlie Appleby-trained G1 2,000 Guineas hero was able to relax once placed in a pocket behind that 11-10 favourite and Sonny Liston (Ire) (Lawman {Fr}). Seizing the advantage up the inside with 150 yards remaining, the 3-1 second favourite surged clear for a 1 1/2-length success from the closer Maljoom (Ire) (Caravaggio), with last year's runner-up Facteur Cheval (Ire) (Ribchester {Ire}) a neck behind in third and Henry Longfellow paying for his early exertions in fourth. Back to his BEST 𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐞𝐜𝐡 shows a sparkling turn of foot to win the @Qatar_Racing Sussex Stakes in decisive fashion.@WilliamBuickX | @godolphin | @Goodwood_Races pic.twitter.com/YORGSzvJ87 — Racing TV (@RacingTV) July 31, 2024 The post Sussex Glory For Dubawi’s Notable Speech appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

When he came to Europe, and rode them all to sleep, everyone said that Steve Cauthen had a clock in his head. If a Swiss watchmaker wanted to check his work, he could just ask Cauthen to go five-eighths in a minute flat. But all that precision seemingly ran askew when it came to counting his years, each of which might have compressed a decade. As Laz Barrera said, when the press asked him about keeping “The Kid” on his Derby horse: “Stevie Cauthen doesn't come from this planet. He's a 100-year-old man in an 18-year-old body.” By the following summer, mind you, Barrera had taken him off their Triple Crown winner: another year, another decade of experience. Already Cauthen had sampled highs and lows that would have felt extreme in the longest journey to the Hall of Fame-eligibility for which would prove the only way Time could hobble him to crawl along with the crowd. Sure enough, though only 34 on his eventual induction, he was already into a second year of retirement. For Cauthen had done something that people always talk about doing, but never quite manage. He had quit at the top. The same composure that suppressed all immaturity, when denied anything resembling a conventional boyhood, had proved no less effective against those frailties that tend to menace the other end of a career. The 30th anniversary of his Hall of Fame induction finds a boyishly familiar figure, a happy counterpoint to his precocious maturity. Cauthen welcomes TDN to a farm that might share description with its proprietor as modest, neat and ever grounded in this hard-working recess of Kentucky, an hour or so north of the manicured Bluegrass nurseries. From these gentle hills, too, might Cauthen have borrowed the dry undulations introduced to that familiar low drawl by a ready chuckle or some colorful reinforcement of language. In other words, you'd know him anywhere–much as did Affirmed. “I don't know that when I went and petted him on the nose, he said, 'Oh, here's Steve',” Cauthen says. “But when I was on his back, yes, he knew it was me. We just related. We had a rapport. It was really cool. If you're a jockey, this is like the best thing you can ever get.” Try to take us into his head, then. For instance: do you think Affirmed knew who Alydar was, as well? “Oh, I do, yeah.” Like, even eyeing him across the parade ring, before the race? “I don't know about that. But when they hooked, definitely. 'Oh, not that ****er again. He's a tough one, time to dig in.'” Certainly you'll never get closer to what separates a champion from the herd than asking a horseman whose empathy so elevated him from his own competition that he rode a bewildering 487 winners in 1977, his first full year. So, yes, take us into their heads: what does a champion feel about other horses? “Confidence,” Cauthen replies immediately. Simply because they can trust their mechanics? Or are they drawing on something more elemental, something we might call desire or arrogance? “A lot of it's within,” Cauthen explains. “Horses are like people, right? You got good ones, bad ones; smart ones, dumb ones. And you got some that want to compete, and others that don't. Some of the smart ones are so smart that they realize, 'I don't have to do that, screw those guys.' “When you talk about the best horse I ever rode, Affirmed, first of all you're talking about ability. He had gears, he could switch on and off. I could creep up and then get him to shut off again. But what he really had was heart. It was boring to him just to win for fun, like he was doing in the Derby: I had to keep him going, because I knew Alydar would be coming and he could pull up in the stride or two when he thought he'd done his job.” But that same asset, confidence, is also the key differential for the jockey–and it's a double-edged sword. On the one hand, there was the unprecedented rise. From River Downs to Chicago to Churchill, he proved an immediate match for the colony veterans; then he beat Cordero on his debut mount in New York. One week at Aqueduct, he rode 23 winners. Even his first setback, a fall at Belmont, saw him compressing time as usual: the doctors said three months, Cauthen was back in one. His comeback ride, aptly named Little Miracle, was his first for Barrera. So when Cordero got off that horse's half-brother in the Sanford Stakes at Saratoga, and Pincay stayed in California, Barrera turned to The Kid. They won–Cauthen is still tickled that Cordero was second–and proceeded to the Hopeful where this horse Alydar came alongside, and Cauthen discovered something new about what a Thoroughbred could do. “You don't know where all this is going to lead you,” Cauthen reflects. “It's like, maybe it'll be good, maybe it won't. All I'm doing is living my life and trying to keep it all down. Because my parents had taught me well.” Which proved just as well, once the blade of confidence was reversed. Within months of the Triple Crown, The Kid was a bust. He broke a knee, his agent had a heart attack. Somehow everything that had been so easy now became proportionately difficult. “Confidence is huge in any sport, and life in general,” Cauthen remarks. “And it's easily lost. I had Laz's horses, but they really weren't in form yet. And literally not one trainer out there was willing to help me, except for Jack Van Berg who had a bunch of claiming horses. So one thing built on another. Definitely I lost confidence. Never the willingness to try. But I just didn't know what the hell I was doing wrong.” And presumably that communicates itself to your horse, and becomes a self-fulfilling spiral? “I'm sure it does, yeah,” he agrees. “Should I wait, should I go? Before, everything felt natural. You didn't even think about it, you just did it. And when you get like that, everybody else loses confidence. And then you're really screwed.” To the extent that, yes, they even took him off Affirmed. “I remember when I got beat by Seattle Slew in the Marlboro Cup,” he says. “Basically a great 4-year-old is always going to beat the 3-year-old, right? The next year Affirmed beat Spectacular Bid, the year after that Spectacular Bid blew everybody away. But anyway I heard it through the grapevine: 'Mrs. Wolfson thinks they put something in your drink!' Like I was drugged or something. Like I'd done something terribly wrong.” To Cauthen, the horse just hadn't retrieved his form yet. But then of course he bounced back the first time Pincay rode him. “It's life,” Cauthen says. “Swings and roundabouts. You just carry on. I wasn't too worried. But yeah, it was one of the great lessons I learned about human nature: people can be cruel, don't expect too much from most of them. All these guys that had been kissing my ass, begging me for time–and now they were all burying me. That's their job, I guess. If they don't do it, they get fired. So they want a salacious story about this guy who's washed up at 18. But Laffit came out to New York one summer, rode 220 horses, and won two races. And nobody said a freaking word! Deep down, I understood it. But still, it stung. You could tell some of those guys had enjoyed the twist.” At one stage Cauthen went 110 rides without a winner. “You do want to pull your hair out,” he says. “But I never gave up–and the horse that broke the streak was for Laz. He'd already dumped me from Affirmed. But Aaron Jones took me fishing up in Oregon, and I think he must have said, 'Laz, at least offer him the ride.' It was no special horse, but he won. Though they damn near disqualified me! I just wanted to get on some good horses again. And I knew that eventually, somehow, I would.” Sure enough, next thing he knew, he was having dinner with Robert Sangster and accepting a job in Britain. He was still growing: 5'1″ at 17, 5'5 1/2″ at 20. And if the trajectory of his weight made Europe appealing, so did the chance of a reset. Because by now he really must have felt like that 100-year-old teenager. So what a blessing, arriving in Britain, to find a mentor as redoubtable as Barry Hills. At 42, the trainer was old enough to be a father figure; but young enough, too, to empathize with his protege and share the good things in life. “Barry and Penny took me in like family,” Cauthen enthuses. “They were huge in my life. We made a great start, but then the horses got a virus. And after a while I was like, 'Okay, screw it, let's just have fun.' Nobody was giving me any outside mounts, but I wasn't too worried. I was enjoying a little bit of a rest, breathing for a change. Because for the past three years, I had been like Michael Jackson. I literally didn't have a second to myself. “Barry was such a trier, one of those who made it on their own. Built himself up from nothing, and I was the same sort of deal. So I could really relate to him, as opposed to some of those high-and-mighty types handed everything on a plate. And in the end he said, 'What the hell are you doing? Get off that golf course and get your ass going.' He just motivated me. 'Hey, let's do this, let's rev it up.'” They did so to such effect that when Lester Piggott left Henry Cecil, it was Cauthen who got the call. “It was the hardest thing I ever did, leaving Barry,” Cauthen confesses. “I think he understood. Penny had a hard time with it, for a while, just because they had been so caring with me. But I won four Classics the first year I went to Henry. So really after a short while, we were cool. That's why I respect Barry so much. You know when somebody's in your corner: even if it's maybe hurting them a little, they're still rooting for you.” That partnership with Cecil defined an era of the European Turf. Its definitive moment perhaps came when Cauthen sent Slip Anchor into Tattenham Corner 10 lengths clear in the 1985 Derby. Everyone knew–the crowd, the other jockeys–that he had yet again roped the dopes. Much like Tod Sloan at the turn of the century, he was introducing a whole new dimension to the British scene. There were times he pulled up and looked over his shoulder, thinking, “You muppets, how could you let me do that?” “Sometimes I even knew beforehand that it was probably going to happen,” he says. “Because I knew that I could pace this horse and that nobody was going to screw with me.” When he rode Slip Anchor into the winner's circle at Epsom, Cecil patted him on the leg and said, “Well done, old fruit.” A one-off, Cecil: an inscrutable blend of frivolity and genius. But Cauthen got on his wavelength. “A little eccentric, sure, but a very intelligent guy,” Cauthen ponders. “Always thinking. You'd be sitting with him and could tell his mind was elsewhere, trying to figure what some horse was trying to tell him. He was so good at knowing when they were ready to step up, or needed to get some confidence back. Of course he had good horses, but he knew pretty quick which were which, and placed them so well. “And he had a great team. They were all characters, these guys sitting round the breakfast table. There's nothing better. Because if you're not part of a team, really you're not going to get very far with anything in life.” Of course, Cauthen himself brought much to the equation. That clock in the head was no less useful on the gallops, and arguably he created the parameters for what became the Frankie Dettori era. Cauthen remembers giving the young Italian lifts to the races, trying to take a nap against a torrent of questions. “The mornings are a big part of it,” Cauthen agrees. “Being able to get off a horse and say, 'Okay, he's ready.' Or not. Because you can feel it. If you know what you're doing, know how fast you're going, it doesn't matter if you're working with another good horse or a donkey.” More than some of his generation, he is complimentary about current riders: admires the Ortiz brothers, Saez, Rosario. But how about those of his own day? “Cordero was the guy,” he replies. “He was really pretty on a horse, and strong. But he was messing with everybody, mentally. You always felt like he was riding the whole field. We were good friends, but in a race he was a nemesis. If he could win by five, he'd beat you a neck–and then go see the owner of your horse!” All along, however, Cauthen's biggest adversary was his own body. “I was never built to be a jockey, really,” he admits. “I was always skinny and long-armed, and it was obvious I was going to grow. I knew when I started that my time was probably limited. So if I got offered California on Sunday, hell yeah, I was going. Same when I was in Europe, I'd go to Paris Sundays. I'd go six months without a day off.” He wonders whether he might have hung in there another year or two, had he known that Godolphin was round the corner. But Amy was expecting their first daughter, and already the last couple of years he had been asking himself by midsummer whether he would see it out. “Because with weight,” he says, “it's more what it does to your head than your body.” But the great thing is that the urgency imposed on his career had been anticipated by its runaway inception. As can also be seen in his siblings, themselves so esteemed in our community, he had the best of starts via nature and nurture alike. Even as a toddler he would lie down with horses in the field. “I always tried to think a horse,” he says. “Tried to get a horse to do what you wanted without making him, getting him to want it for himself.” And until the shackles of weight closed, he could elude even those of Time itself. “I had nothing like a normal childhood,” he reflects. “I realized that myself. With somebody my own age, I didn't know what to say. We had nothing in common. So it was weird. But like everything, it all pans out. You start to realize what's what.” So if his flesh ultimately conspired against him, he remained ever comfortable in his own skin. And that has sustained his fulfilment in the decades since, away from the limelight: with his family, his mares and yearlings, his clients at Dixiana Farm. “It's nice to feel like you're back in the game,” he says. “As breeder or owner, it's only the odd horse, but at least you're talking to your trainer and you're involved. And that's what I always felt I was good at. I was a team guy, good at thinking stuff through. The sad thing, when you quit, is that you know you'll never be as good at anything else in your life. But I've always loved what I do, and I still love it today.” The post Steve Cauthen: Looking Back at ‘The Kid’ with the Man appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

A total of 480 yearlings have been catalogued for the Goffs Orby Book 2 Sale which runs from Thursday, Oct. 3 to Friday, Oct. 4. The entire catalogue is eligible for next season's Goffs Two Million Series, which carries a minimum prize fund of €2 million exclusive to Orby Book 1 and Book 2 graduates. Alongside the Goffs Million race of €1 million, as part of the Two Million Series all Orby Book 2 yearlings can also qualify for the Goffs One Million Bonus Race Series which will see €1-million worth of €50,000 bonuses paid to the winners of 20 juvenile races in Ireland and the UK–double the number of 2024. A variety of sires are represented at the two-day stand, including Australia (GB), Blue Point (Ire), Calyx (GB), Camelot (GB), Dark Angel (Ire), Earthlight (Ire), Gleneagles (Ire), Hello Youmzain (Fr), Mehmas (Ire), New Bay (GB), Night of Thunder (GB), Showcasing (GB), Starspangledbanner (Aus), Teofilo (Ire) and Too Darn Hot (GB). Among the lots of note are: lot 723, a New Bay half-brother to Group 2 winner Ebiyza (Ire) (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}); a Starman (GB) (lot 833) half-brother to Group 3 winner and Group 1-placed Hamza (Ire) (Amadeus Wolf {GB}); lot 853, a Mohaather (GB) half-brother to Group 2 winner and Group 1-placed Red Tea (GB) (Sakhee); lot 903, a Ghaiyyath (Ire) filly out of Group 3 winner Obama Rule (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}) who is a half-sister to Group 2 winner Insinuendo (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}), who placed in the G1 British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes; and an Invincible Army (Ire) half-sister (lot 966) to group winners Amade (Ire) (Casamento {Ire}) and Nakuti (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}). Goffs Group chief executive Henry Beeby said, “Ireland's National Yearling Sales week concludes with two days of Orby Book 2 and we are delighted to present a catalogue that looks set to provide even more of the quality and value that buyers have come to expect. As with Orby Book 1 we have listened to feedback and taken prevailing market conditions into account. The result is that we worked with breeders to deliver a more concise catalogue this year despite being offered more yearlings. “A consistently strong source of two-year-old winners in Ireland and the UK, as well as international success that included stakes winners in the US, UK and France this season, the increased opportunities to win in the Goffs Two Million Series and in particular the €50,000 Bonuses make Orby Book 2 simply unmissable. “We will be meeting new and existing clients on our many market visits across the UK, Europe and the US over the next two months and, together with Irish Thoroughbred Marketing, look forward to welcoming the world to Kildare Paddocks on the first week of October.” The post “Quality And Value” As Orby Book 2 Catalogue Unveiled By Goffs appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The RP Racing-Michael Appleby axis annexed last year's edition of Goodwood's G3 Jaeger-Lecoultre Molecomb Stakes, with GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint hero Big Evs (Ire) (Blue Point {Ire}), and connections struck again as the maiden Big Mojo (Ire) (Mohaather {GB}–Jm Jackson {Ire}, by No Nay Never) edged a three-way thriller in this year's renewal of the five-furlong dash. The 175,000gns Tattersalls December foal, who posted a debut second going five furlongs at Beverley earlier in the month, raced off the tempo in rear through the early stages. Making a smooth transition into contention once past halfway, the 25-1 outsider came under pressure to launch his bid entering the final furlong and kept on in resolute fashion to prevail by 3/4-of-a-length and a head from Aesterius (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}) and stablemate Mr Lightside (Ire) (Earthlight {Ire}), becoming the second black-type winner for his freshman sire (by Showcasing {GB}). Appleby strikes AGAIN @MickApplebyUK won the Molecamb Stakes with Big Evs 12 months ago and he's gone and repeated the trick with 25-1 chance Big Mojo! @Qatar_Racing | @Goodwood_Races pic.twitter.com/pdiARNTdhD — Racing TV (@RacingTV) July 31, 2024 The post Second Stakes Winner for Mohaather as Bij Mojo Edges Molecomb Thriller appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Goodwood Racecourse and Qatar have extended their partnership in a multi-year agreement that will begin in 2025. Currently, the 10-year sponsorship between the course and Qatar Racing & Equestrian Club runs through 2024. The new partnership will be between Goodwood and Visit Qatar as the main event sponsor. Visit Qatar will be the main sponsor of the meeting, and will also sponsor the feature race each day during the iconic five-day stand. The legacy of the Qatar International Stakes for purebred Arabians will be preserved, and it serves as the first leg of the Doha Triple Crown. The Duke of Richmond, chairman of Goodwood Racecourse, said, “I would like to take this opportunity to thank Qatar Racing & Equestrian Club for their enormous contribution to the Qatar Goodwood Festival and to British horseracing. We are thrilled to announce our partnership with Visit Qatar and we are very much looking forward to working with them to continue to take our iconic raceweek to a new level.” His Excellency Mr. Saad bin Ali Al Kharji, chair of Board of Directors of Visit Qatar, said, “Building on the legacy of the Qatar Racing & Equestrian Club, we are pleased to announce the renewal of a multi-year partnership with Goodwood Racecourse. This milestone reflects our dedication to continue showcasing Qatar's vibrant culture and distinctive offerings to a global audience. We look forward to the opportunities this partnership will bring, further solidifying Qatar's positioning in the international sporting world.” The post Goodwood Racecourse And Qatar Extend Their Partnership appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Shadwell's homebred Listed Cathedral Stakes victrix and G3 Summer Stakes sixth Raqiya (Ire) (Blue Point {Ire}–Rihaam {Ire}, by Dansili {GB}) flashed past the post a head adrift of Jabaara (Ire) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}) in Wednesday's G3 Visit Qatar Oak Tree Stakes at Goodwood, but was awarded the seven-furlong distaffers' heat in the stewards' room after that rival was deemed to have caused interference in the closing stages. The Owen Burrows trainee, sent postward as a 7-1 chance, found a smooth rhythm along the fence in a handy third through halfway. Responding to pressure inside the final quarter-mile, she was forced to angle off the rail as Jabaara cut across her path with 100 yards remaining and lunged late to finish a head shy of that subsequently demoted rival. First past the post but hold your bets! Jabaara wins the Group 2 Oak Tree Stakes but she caused interference and Raqiya backers might yet get paid out.@Qatar_Racing | @Goodwood_Races pic.twitter.com/bAxseaUVgZ — Racing TV (@RacingTV) July 31, 2024 The post Blue Point’s Raqiya Awarded Oak Tree Stakes in the Stewards’ Room, Jabaara Demoted appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Darley's Too Darn Hot (GB) has been crowned as the Champion Australian First Season Sire by earnings, becoming the first British-bred stallion to achieve that feat. Too Darn Hot was represented by 12 individual winners of 18 races from 41 runners. His progeny earned a total of A$4,151,305, with his standout performer, Broadsiding (Aus), contributing A$1,944,675. Broadsiding's victories included the G1 Champagne Stakes and G1 J J Atkins, while Arabian Summer (Aus) was another flagbearer for Too Darn Hot as the winner of the Listed Magic Millions National 2YO Classic, the Ballarat Magic Millions 2YO Classic and the Gold Pearl on the Gold Coast. Too Darn Hot will not be returning to Darley's New South Wales base for the upcoming breeding season, though he will be available to cover on Southern Hemisphere time at Dalham Hall Stud in Newmarket for £50,000. Tassort (Aus), who sired the Group 1 winner Manaal (Aus), was runner-up to Too Darn Hot with A$2,159,935 in prize-money, while Pierata (Aus) rounded out the top three with A$1,917,525. Meanwhile, Yarraman Park Stud's I Am Invincible (Aus) has been crowned the Champion Australian General Sire for the third time. I Am Invincible was represented by 175 individual winners of 290 races from 375 runners during the latest season, with 15 individual stakes winners across 29 stakes races. In total, his progeny amassed A$32,117,645 in prize-money. Finishing behind I Am Invincible on the Leading Australian General Sires table were Widden Stud's Zoustar (Aus) (A$23,955,179) and Coolmore's So You Think (NZ) (A$21,265,152). The post Too Darn Hot Named Champion Australian First-Season Sire appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article