Wandering Eyes

7th-SAR, $100K, Msw, 2yo, 5 1/2f, 3:54 p.m. ET. SAM'S ROCKET (American Pharoah) debuts for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott. The colt went for $115,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Fall Yearling Sale before going to Frank Fletcher for $925,000 as the second highest price during this year's OBS April Sale. Dam More Roses (Uncle Mo) was purchased by D.C. Goff for $475,000 at the 2021 Keeneland November Sale while Sam's Rocket–her only foal to date–was in utero. The first-time starter's stakes-winning second dam Flattermewithroses (Flatter) also produced two-time GII Santa Monica Stakes heroine Merneith (American Pharoah), who was a $2 million buy for Spendthrift Farm at the 2023 Fasig-Tipton November Sale. The pricey mare foaled a colt by Flightline Mar. 12. TJCIS PPS The post Saturday Insights: American Pharoah Colt Ready For Inaugural Launch At The Spa appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The Chehboub family's Haras de Beaumont has purchased a 50 per cent share in last weekend's G1 Prix Jean Prat winner Puchkine (Fr) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) from his owner-breeder Alain Jathiere. The three-year-old colt, trained by Jean-Claude Rouget, was unbeaten in three races as a juvenile and has now won five of his eight starts. He is likely to be seen next in the G1 Prix Maurice de Gheest in Deauville on August 4. Last year, the Haras de Beaumont team made a similar strategic mid-season purchase when buying into Serge Stempniak's Ace Impact (Ire) (Cracksman {GB}) following his victory in the G1 Prix du Jockey Club. He subsequently won the G2 Prix Guillaume d'Ornano and brought his unbeaten career to a close in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. Installed at Haras de Beaumont for the 2024 season, Ace Impact was the busiest freshman sire in France this year, having covered 183 mares. Nicolas de Watrigant, racing manager for Alain Jathiere, said of Puchkine, “He produced a remarkable performance last Sunday, finishing only 20/100ths of a second outside Too Darn Hot's race record. The offers for him, from both France and abroad, soon began to come in and, after reflecting on the matter, Alain Jathiere decided he wanted to enter into a partnership with the Chehboub family.” He continued, “He is delighted that his horse will therefore remain in France and that, in time, he will stand as a stallion at Haras de Beaumont.” A former TDN Rising Star, Puchkine is out of Vadyska (Ire) (So You Think {NZ}), an unraced half-sister to the Listed Diana-Trial winner Romina Power (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}), and descends from Meon Valley's celebrated foundation mare Reprocolor (GB) (Jimmy Reppin {GB}). Mathieu Alex, stud director at Haras de Beaumont, said, “When the time comes we will be extremely happy to welcome Puchkine to Haras de Beaumont. Our policy is to do our best to retire high-level performers in France. “Just recently in the Prix Jean Prat, Puchkine confirmed himself a top-class sprinter. Unbeaten at two and showing enormous speed, he boasts a wonderful profile for a stallion. Spoiler alert: Puchkine is a magnificent horse and by a top sire in Starspangledbanner.” He added, “We are delighted to enter into partnership with Monsieur Jathiere, who has been so successful and who, like Haras de Beaumont, will support him as a stallion.” Puchkine lands the Group 1 Prix Jean Prat at @fgdeauville for Ioritz Mendizabal and Jean-Claude Rouget! pic.twitter.com/GUYUNj0Ttq — At The Races (@AtTheRaces) July 7, 2024 The post Haras de Beaumont Buys Into Jean Prat Winner Puchkine appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

A share in Group 1 winner and sire Zarak (Fr) (Dubawi {Ire}) brought €710,000 from American chef and owner/breeder Bobby Flay during Arqana Online's Pop-Up Sale on Friday. A resident of The Aga Khan Studs' Haras de Bonneval, Zarak (lot 1) has produced a trio of top-flight winners led by G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains hero Metropolitan (Fr), G1 Prix Ganay victor Haya Zark (Fr), and G1 Grosser Preis von Baden scorer Zagrey (Fr). His worldwide stakes winners stand at 20. His 2024 fee was €60,000. Also selling on Friday was a share in first-season sire Hello Youmzain (Fr) (Kodiac {GB}) (lot 2), which was knocked down for €160,000 on the bid of an anonymous buyer. The young sire's best progeny so far is G2 Coventry Stakes runner-up Electrolyte (Ire). He stood for €22,500 at Haras d'Etreham this term. The post Bobby Flay Buys Zarak Share For €710,000 On Arqana Online appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Romantic Warrior (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}), winner of five Group 1 races in three different jurisdictions in 2023-2024, was named Hong Kong's Horse of the Year during a black-tie ceremony held Friday evening in the Grand Ballroom of the Rosewood Hotel in Hong Kong. The human connections of the champion 4-year-old and two-time champion middle distance horse–owner Peter Lau and trainer Danny Shum–made the G1 W S Cox Plate their early-season objective and the 300,000gns Tattersalls October graduate was a sound fourth in the G1 Turnbull Stakes at Flemington before willing himself to the wire to just touch off Mr Brightside (NZ) (Bullbars {Aus}) in Australia's weight-for-age championship at Moonee Valley in late October. His battling qualities were on full display in his next three runs at Sha Tin, each over his pet distance of 2000 metres. Just able to hold off a resurgent Luxembourg (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) in defence of his title in the G1 Longines Hong Kong Cup in December, he defeated fellow Hong Kong Derby hero Voyage Bubble (Aus) (Deep Field {Aus}) to take out the G1 Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup in February and overcame dreadful underfoot conditions and a torrid trip to best Prognosis (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) for an unprecedented third straight success in the G1 FWD QE II Cup in late April. Despite a demanding campaign, Romantic Warrior pressed on to the G1 Yasuda Kinen at Tokyo June 2, defeating G1 Longines Hong Kong Mile third and G1 Dubai Turf runner-up Namur (Jpn) (Harbinger {GB}) by a half-length. His five Group 1 wins in a single season is a record for a Hong Kong horse. Romantic Warrior, who was sold to Lau for HK$4.8 million at the Hong Kong International Sale in 2021, was also named champion middle-distance horse for the third straight season and is within shouting distance of becoming the richest horse in Hong Kong history. That record is currently held by Golden Sixty (Aus) (Medaglia d'Oro), the three-time defending Horse of the Year, whose breathtaking victory off an April layoff in the Hong Kong Mile was deemed enough to earn him champion miler honours for the fourth consecutive year. He failed to handle the easy ground in the G1 FWD Champions Mile in April, but remains in training with an eye on a fourth Hong Kong Mile in December. California Spangle (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) was named champion sprinter after belying odds of 10-1 to win the G1 Queen's Silver Jubilee Stakes (1400m) before getting the better of Godolphin's Star of Mystery (GB) (Kodiac {GB}) to give Hong Kong another victory on foreign soil in the G1 Al Quoz Sprint at Meydan in March. California Spangle, an €150,000 Goffs Orby yearling, is trained by Tony Cruz, who also conditions Five G Patch (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), the season's champion stayer on the strength of runner-up efforts in the G3 Queen Mother Memorial Cup Handicap and behind Rebel's Romance (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) in the G1 Standard Chartered Champions and Chater Cup, both over the 2400 metres. Pierre Ng is involved in a pitched battle for champion trainer with his former boss Francis Lui, and Galaxy Patch (Aus) (Wandjina {Aus}) was a major contributing force to the second-season conditioner's success. A cracking runner-up in the Queen's Silver Jubilee, he was audaciously handed a BMW Hong Kong Derby (2000m) entry and all but won it, missing by a neck behind former Ballydoyle runner Massive Sovereign (Ire) (No Nay Never). Galaxy Patch's versatility was on full display in winning the G3 Lion Rock Trophy Handicap (1600m) June 2 and the G3 Premier Plate Handicap over 1800 metres June 23. The David Hayes-trained Ka Ying Rising (NZ) (Shamexpress {NZ}) was named champion griffin and most improved horse, with five wins and two seconds from seven starts, including a victory in the G3 Sha Tin Vase Handicap June 2. During the season he rose from the debut mark of 52 to 111. The season's Champion Trainer, Champion Jockey, Tony Cruz Award, Most Popular Jockey and Most Popular Horse will be announced at the conclusion of Sunday's 88th and final fixture this season at Sha Tin. ROMANTIC WARRIOR IS HORSE OF THE YEAR! 2023 G1 W.S Cox Plate 2023 G1 @LONGINES Hong Kong Cup 2024 G1 @Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup 2024 G1 FWD QEII Cup 2024 G1 Yasuda Kinen#SeasonFinale | #HKracing | #競馬 pic.twitter.com/YQOOrahzCk — HKJC Racing (@HKJC_Racing) July 12, 2024 The post Globetrotting Romantic Warrior Crowned Hong Kong Horse of the Year appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Classic heroine Elmalka (GB) (Kingman {GB}) is targeting the 10-furlong G1 Nassau Stakes at Goodwood next month, according to trainer Roger Varian. Third in the G3 Dubai Duty Free Stakes in April, the bay delivered in the G1 QIPCO 1000 Guineas in May, before running on to be fourth in the G1 Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot behind Friday's G1 Falmouth Stakes victress Porta Fortuna (Ire) (Caravaggio). “She's great and she is going to go to Goodwood for the Nassau Stakes,” said the Newmarket handler of the Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum-owned filly. “I think the step up in trip will suit her and she didn't disgrace herself at Ascot, I was very pleased with her run. “She was a bit slow away and didn't get the track position. For me it was a run that showed the Guineas was no fluke, it showed she is a top filly. “She didn't quite get the run of the race at Ascot but I think she is ready for a step up in trip now.” The post Classic Heroine Elmalka Returns In Nassau, ‘Ready for Step Up in Trip’, Per Varian appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

With her second ride on the July 11 card at Woodbine, Emma-Jayne Wilson passed Julie Krone's all-time earnings record of $90,126,584 for a female jockey. Wilson finished racing July 11 with career earnings of US$90,153,109.View the full article

Hudson River Farms' newly-minted grade 1-winner L'Imperator will look to earn his second consecutive top-level victory over jumps in the $150,000 A.P. Smithwick Memorial (NSA-G1) at Saratoga Race Course.View the full article

Trainer Charlie Appleby, who entered this winning at a 37% clip lifetime with his North American starters and 8-for-27 this year, will send out Godolphin's Star of Mystery in the Quick Call July 14 at Saratoga Race Course.View the full article

Baroness Dido Harding has succeeded Sandy Dudgeon as one senior steward of The Jockey Club (TJC). Her term will last for five years. A member of TJC since 2004 and part of the Board of Stewards since 2017, Harding will chair TJC's main board, and will serve as a senior steward with The Lord Grimthorpe as her deputy senior steward. Also on the board of stewards are stewards William Rucker, William Sporborg, Tim Syder, Sam Waley-Cohen, Lady Carolyn Warren, and William Wyatt. The 56-year-old was previously a racecourse committee member at TJC's Cheltenham Racecourse and a director of Racecourse Holdings Trust, which was later renamed Jockey Club Racecourses. An amateur jockey in the 1980s and 1990s, Harding eventually rode 25 winners. Her Cool Dawn (Ire) (Over The River {Fr}) won the 1998 G1 Cheltenham Gold Cup. She also had a 25-year career in business and the public sector, and has been a member of the House of Lords since 2014. Upon beginning her role, Harding said, “The role of the Board of Stewards is to be both support and challenge to The Jockey Club's leadership team, to protect and champion the organisation and our sport and to ensure we all live up to our mission to further the long term good of racing. “Sandy has led The Jockey Club as senior steward through some extraordinary and unprecedented times over the last five years. He will be a very difficult act to follow and it is a huge honour and privilege to succeed him. “There is no doubt that our sport continues to face some significant challenges. The impact of the pandemic and inflation on the cost of living is creating issues for every sports and entertainment business, and we are no different. Changing attitudes to animal welfare, the role of horses in modern life and our increasingly urban society, not to mention how technology is changing how all of us spend our leisure time, mean that it has never been more important that we listen to and learn from all those who come racing and contribute to or follow the sport.” The Jockey Club group chief executive Nevin Truesdale will be leaving his role potentially by the end of the year, and he has asked the Board of Stewards to begin the process of finding his successor. The news was announced earlier this year. Harding added, “While my immediate priority is to oversee the recruitment of a new chief executive, my primary focus over the coming years is to encourage all of us at The Jockey Club to deliver the best experiences for and act in the best interests of those who love our sport and the millions of people who visit us at our various locations every year, whether as fans, trainers, jockeys, owners or breeders. “People from all backgrounds and walks of life have enjoyed a great day out watching horses race for hundreds of years and all across the world. British racing, with our incredible diversity of racecourses, history and heritage has been at the forefront of the sport for all that time and I am utterly convinced that our future is a positive one. “The Jockey Club stages events that capture the hearts and minds of the nation, runs venues that are important contributors to our local communities and we all care passionately about what we do. It's so important, therefore, that our roles on racecourses, at our training centres, The National Stud and in the many support functions is focused on delivering the best possible experiences for all.” The post Baroness Dido Harding’s Tenure as Senior Steward of The Jockey Club Begins appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Juddmonte's €530,000 Goffs November foal Field Of Gold (Ire) (Kingman {GB}–Princess De Lune {Ire}, by Shamardal) was compromised by inexperience when a debut third at Doncaster last month and overpowered one dozen rivals to earn a 'TDN Rising Star' over the same seven-furlong distance in Thursday's £21,000 Weatherbys British EBF Maiden Stakes at Newmarket. The well-backed 9-4 favourite broke smartly from the centre stall and was under a firm grip racing in a prominent fifth until tanking forward to draw alongside the front rank with three furlongs remaining. Emerging out of the dip with a commanding advantage, the March-foaled grey engaged turbo on the climb and thundered home under mild rousting to easily outclass Starzintheireyes (GB) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) by an impressive 3 1/4 lengths. He becomes the second Rising Star in two days, and 34th overall, for his sire. This race used to be known as the Strutt & Parker Maiden, which carried major significance and saw Alhaarth (Ire) and Mark Of Esteem (Ire) meet for the first time in 1995. It was won in 1996 by Bahhare, in 2001 by Dubai Destination and in 2007 by Rio De La Plata. Field Of Gold is the third straight Rising Star to emerge from it after Arabic Legend (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) and stablemate Epictetus (Ire) (Kingman {GB}). Field Of Gold is the latest of three foals, all winners, produced by a winning full-sister to dual Group 2 winner and multiple Group 1-placed sire Puissance De Lune (Ire) (Shamardal) and G2 Middleton Stakes victrix Queen Power (Ire) (Shamardal). The March-foaled grey's dam Princess De Lune (Ire) (Shamardal) is also kin to G1 Prix d'Ispahan hero Zabeel Prince (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) and to the dam of G1 Moyglare Stud Stakes and G1 Coronation Stakes heroine Rizeena (Ire) (Iffraaj {GB}) and the dual Group-winning GI Just A Game Stakes and GI Diana Stakes runner-up Summer Romance (Ire) (Kingman {GB}). The latter is another of the sire's Rising Stars. Field Of Gold's third dam Serena's Sister (Rahy) is a full-sister to multiple Grade I-winning matriarch and US champion Serena's Song. The winner is kin to Listed Rosemary Stakes victor Zanbaq (Ire) (Oasis Dream {GB}). 5th-Newmarket, £21,000, Mdn, 7-12, 2yo, c/g, 7fT, 1:25.54, gd. FIELD OF GOLD (IRE), c, 2, by Kingman (GB) 1st Dam: Princess De Lune (Ire), by Shamardal 2nd Dam: Princess Serena, by Unbridled's Song 3rd Dam: Serena's Sister, by Rahy Sales history: €530,000 Wlg '22 GOFNOV. Lifetime Record: 2-1-0-1, £12,085. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. O-Juddmonte; B-Roundhill Stud (IRE); T-John & Thady Gosden; J-Kieran Shoemark. Whoosh A dominant display by #GoffsGrad Field Of Gold who strides clear to win stylishly on his second start for John & Thady Gosden & @JuddmonteFarms 2YO c. by Kingman was bred & sold by Roundhill Stud to Juddmonte Farms for €530,000 at #GoffsNovember. pic.twitter.com/dLYJSXjVt7 — Goffs (@Goffs1866) July 12, 2024 The post €530,000 Kingman Colt Powers to TDN Rising Stardom at Newmarket appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The upcoming Asian Racing Conference at Sapporo on Aug. 28-30 will feature Japanese industry members' views on the future of racing in Japan. The business programme will consist of nine sessions, and there will also be three dedicated sharing sessions. Opening speeches will be delivered by Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, ARF chairman and Masayoshi Yoshida, president and CEO of the Japan Racing Association (JRA). Officials from the JRA, National Association of Racing in Japan, Mitsubishi Research Institute, Inc., Shadai Farm, Northern Farm, and Big Red Farm, will be sharing their insights during the business portion. Jockeys Yutaka Take and Christophe Lemaire will also share their insights on Aug. 28, with breeder Kenichiro Michima and trainer Yoshita Yahagi speaking the day after. The Asian Racing Federation (ARF)'s vice chairman Masayuki Goto will deliver the keynote speech on Aug. 30. There will also be a regional tour on Sept. 1, with trips to Shadai Stallion Station, Northern Farm, and the Northern Horse Park. For more information on the ARC, please visit the ARC website. The post Asian Racing Conference to Feature Japanese Perspective appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Eight-time Group One winner picks up top award as Golden Sixty’s thrilling Hong Kong Mile victory earns him Champion Miler titleView the full article

Carlos Rosas is running out of fingers to count on as he rattles off the names of Breeders' Cup champions he has sat on over the years. As an exercise rider for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen for the past two decades, Rosas has played a role in developing an impressive list of superstars. There's 2014 Distaff winner Untapable and 2011 Juvenile Fillies heroine My Miss Aurelia, plus Breeders' Cup runner-ups Midnight Bisou and Tapiture. The list goes on from there. Curlin was one of his earliest claim to fames. He rode the 2007 Classic winner for the majority of his career. “Curlin was a little funny sometimes, a little difficult,” Rosas recalled. “He looked easy, but sometimes he was not. You didn't want to pick a fight with him. You better learn to get along with him and go with him.” Then there was 2017 Classic winner Gun Runner. He rode the eventual champ back when the colt was just an unraced 2-year-old. “When he came from the farm, I was the first one to get on him,” Rosas explained. “We stepped onto the track and it was a totally different story. Steve knew what kind of horse he was already but I galloped the horse a mile and when I pulled up, I told him that this horse was the real deal, that he would end up being a champion.” Carlos Rosas and Cogburn this week at Saratoga | Sarah Andrew One of the latest Asmussen trainees that Rosas predicts also has the potential to be a champion someday is the brilliant turf sprinter Cogburn (Not This Time). The 5-year-old won this year's GI Jaipur Stakes at Saratoga in a sizzling course record time, completing the 5 ½ furlong contest in :59.80. Cogburn never really showed that he could be a top-tier racehorse when he competed on the dirt at two and three, but the Asmussen team saw a glimpse of his true talent last year when he switched over to the turf and got his first graded score in the GIII Troy Stakes. Rosas had worked Cogburn a few times over the past few years, but he became the sprinter's regular rider at the start of 2024. “When they brought him back we were down in New Orleans,” Rosas said. “He was just totally different than before. We started working him and I mean, he was lights out. Steve came to watch and he always asks me how they feel. Unbelievable, I told him. He was training like a champ.” Cogburn earned the chance to cement champion status with his win in the Jaipur, a 'Win and You're In' qualifier for the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint at Del Mar on November 2. Rosas was not able to watch Cogburn's hair-raising performance on Belmont weekend in person as he stayed behind at Churchill Downs throughout the remainder of the summer meet there. Just recently, Rosas arrived in Saratoga and was reunited with Cogburn. On July 5, the pair put in Cogburn's first work back since the Jaipur, breezing three furlongs over the turf training track. “He's a fun horse to ride, but he's another one where you have to get along with him,” said Rosas. “The more you keep your hands down and go with him, the better.” Having ridden so many different horses over the years, Rosas understands that every horse is unique–in how they move, their mannerisms and quirks, how they respond to instruction–but the best riders can adjust their approach to each individual mount. Carlos Rosas and Curlin ahead of Curlin's win in the 2007 GI Breeders' Cup Classic at Monmouth Park | Sarah Andrew “You want to step onto the track and try to read his mind, try to communicate as much as you can with the horse,” Rosas explained. “Some horses, they make you work. When you get on the easy ones you're like, well this is fun. When you get on the difficult ones, that's when you put your hands and your whole body to work because there's a lot of power underneath you. Horses are very smart animals. If you miss something in the morning on the track or coming home, they won't. They're going to tell you and they're going to teach you. They'll teach you different things every day.” The path to where Rosas is today as one of Steve Asmussen's go-to exercise riders starts back in his homeland of Mexico. In 1993, he came to the U.S. looking for work. He wound up with a job on a farm in Texas doing landscaping and mowing grass. Every day as he trimmed the fence lines, he kept an eye on the horses grazing in the pastures beyond. One day he asked his boss about them. “Those are racehorses,” the boss said. “Do you like them?” “Like them?” responded Rosas. “I love them!” “Would you rather work with the horses or in the yard?” asked the boss. Rosas didn't hesitate before he responded enthusiastically. He wanted to work with the horses. Back in Mexico, Rosas had grown up working around cattle horses with his grandfather. These horses at the farm in Texas were different. They were bigger, shinier, and they certainly had a lot more energy than those tough old ranch ponies. Rosas worked with the Thoroughbreds on the farm for two years before moving to a training center to learn how to gallop. It was slow going at first. Rosas admitted that initially he was a bit intimidated by such powerful equine athletes and it didn't help when he had a bad fall early on where he broke his shoulder and fractured his collarbone. Despite all that, he loved the thrill of sitting astride those animals and as his riding skills developed, his confidence grew. Cogburn, Carlos Rosas and Scott Blasi at Saratoga | Sarah Andrew Eventually he started working at the racetrack in Houston. In 2003, Rosas found himself working for a trainer that he desperately wanted to get away from. He didn't like how the trainer was treating his horses. One morning, an assistant for Steve Asmussen asked if Rosas would want to be a freelance rider for their barn. “For Steve Asmussen?” Rosas replied. “Absolutely!” Rosas rode one horse for Asmussen's barn that day and all went well. The second day, he rode three horses. “Then on the third day the assistant said, 'Hey, can you hold a tough horse?' and I told him that I could try,” recalled Rosas. “One thing about me is I'm going to try my best. It doesn't matter what kind of horse you put me on. It can be a $5,000 claimer or a stakes horse. I'm always going to do my best. So the assistant said, 'I'm going to put you on this filly. She's a stakes winner, but she's a little difficult to gallop.' I don't know if the filly felt sorry for me, but she didn't do anything to me.” After a week, Rosas signed on as a full-time rider for Asmussen. He's been with the stable ever since, eventually moving north with Asmussen himself to ride in Kentucky and New York. “I've been working for Steve for 21 years now,” said Rosas. “He has been so great to me. Julie and the boys, they're like family to me. Steve is a real horseman. This guy is smart. When he tells you something, sometimes in the moment you're like, 'Why is he telling me this?' But after a while you realize that you were wrong and he was right. I have learned a lot from Steve.” Rosas's equine education doesn't stop once training hours have wrapped up. When he is based at Churchill Downs, he goes to work for the track veterinarian every day after morning training. He hauls equipment from the truck to the barn, jogs horses for the vet and helps with scopes after the races. The days are long, but the hours pass in a flash. Rosas wakes up at 4:15 every morning and usually does not have a moment to sit down before he gets home in the evening. “It's seven days a week,” explained Rosas. “This job is no days off. If you love it, you're going to do it. I'm not going to say that I don't complain, but it's hard to catch me in a bad mood.” After nearly 30 years of hard work and dedication to the Thoroughbred industry, Rosas shows no signs of slowing down. “I want to do this for as long as I can,” he reflected. “I just love racing and I love the horses. I don't want to do anything else. I'm going to keep doing it for…well I don't know for how long. For me, there's no point of retirement.” And every year, as the 2-year-olds are arriving at Asmussen's barn, Rosas gets to thinking. What future champion might he find himself riding next? The post Breeders’ Cup Connections: From Curlin to Cogburn, Rosas is the exercise rider to Champions appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

As admirably straightforward as she is classy, Steven Weston, Barry Fowler, Medallion Racing and Reeves Racing's G1 Coronation Stakes and G1 Cheveley Park Stakes heroine Porta Fortuna (Ire) (Caravaggio–Too Precious {Ire}, by Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}) took her latest task in her stride when dominating Friday's G1 Tattersalls Falmouth Stakes at Newmarket. Always travelling comfortably tracking the pace under Ryan Moore, the Donnacha O'Brien-trained 10-11 favourite was left in front approaching the two-furlong pole and despite drifting right when in the clear was able to open up a 3 3/4-length winning margin over Jabaara (Ire) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}), who finished a head clear of the dead-heating Rogue Millennium (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) and A Lilac Rolla (Ire) (Harry Angel {Ire}). “She seemed very impressive and Ryan said she has such a good temperament–she pings the gates and then she relaxes,” the winning trainer said. “You can make the running with her or sit out the back, as she is so easy. She probably wants quick ground, but has decent form on slower ground anywhere from six furlongs to a mile–she is just so uncomplicated.” “She had been working well since Royal Ascot and everything went very smooth. The Coronation looked like a strong race, as all the best 3-year-olds were there and it's nice to now see her go and prove herself against older horses,” he added. “Coming here today, we thought we'd probably give her a break before coming back for the Matron Stakes on Irish Champions Weekend in September. We could then look at going to the Sun Chariot before going to America.” “It would probably be the [Breeders' Cup] Mile against the boys, which will be tough but all of her owners are American, so it would be nice for them, it's always been the plan. They are a fantastic group of owners and so easy to train for –I am delighted for them and deeply privileged to train for them. This filly means a lot. To have one like her who is so easy to train and always brings her A game is a dream.” Things may not have been ideal for Porta Fortuna here, being stranded without cover from the outset and not able to enjoy having a target for longer as she had at Royal Ascot, so this was a clear case of the winner being in different territory. “She's a great filly and she has always shown plenty, she's an Albany winner and a Cheveley Park winner who ran very well at the Breeders' Cup after that,” Moore said. “She ran well in the Guineas and then went and won the Coronation this year, she's never run a bad race.” “She's straightforward, I was fast out of the gates, we weren't going mad but it was the perfect race really. She's very uncomplicated and when you couple that with her ability, it makes things easy. The way she's handled her contemporaries and the older fillies here, she'd have no trouble mixing with the boys.” Jabaara proved more than capable at this level, having won two listed prizes in the manner of a filly going places and trainer Roger Varian said of her, “She ran great, I'm thrilled with her. We sort of rolled the dice, she'd won two listed races and I just thought this race always has a small field and if we could be third, it would be worth running. She's ended up second, so we're delighted. She got the mile, but I think she's better at seven–over seven, she has a high cruising speed and her guts and determination ground out second. As long as she comes out of it okay, we'd love to go to Goodwood for the [G3] Oak Tree and then see after that, as she's had a busy summer. Maybe the Foret.” Different class Porta Fortuna runs out a smart winner of the G1 @Tattersalls1766 Falmouth Stakes under Ryan Moore @NewmarketRace pic.twitter.com/PE2eTOq7g7 — Racing TV (@RacingTV) July 12, 2024 Pedigree Notes Porta Fortuna is the first foal out of Too Precious, a full-sister to the G2 P.J. O'Shea Stakes winner and G1 Australian Cup and G1 Doomben Cup runner-up Numerian (Ire) and the G3 Prix Francois Boutin-placed Montesilvano (Ire). The third dam Kantikoy (GB) (Alzao) is kin to the G3 St Simon Stakes scorer Kithanga (Ire) (Darshaan {GB}), in turn the dam of Sadler's Wells' G1 St Leger-winning sire Milan (GB). His half-sister Koora (GB) (Pivotal {GB}) emulated her dam's success in the St Simon before producing the G2 Queen's Vase S. winner Kemari (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}). Also related to the Derby and Irish Derby hero and prolific sire Kahyasi (Ire) and the G1 Yorkshire Oaks heroine Key Change (Ire) (Darshaan {GB}), Too Precious's once-raced 2-year-old filly Sorella Carina (Ire) (Ten Sovereigns {Ire}) was a 400,000gns purchase by Avenue Bloodstock, Medallion and M V Magnier at the Tattersalls Book 1 Sale. She also has a yearling filly by Sottsass (Fr). Friday, Newmarket, Britain TATTERSALLS FALMOUTH STAKES-G1, £275,000, Newmarket, 7-12, 3yo/up, f/m, 8fT, 1:37.68, gd. 1–PORTA FORTUNA (IRE), 126, f, 3, by Caravaggio 1st Dam: Too Precious (Ire), by Holy Roman Emperor (Ire) 2nd Dam: Delicate Charm (Ire), by High Chaparral (Ire) 3rd Dam: Kantikoy (GB), by Alzao O-Medallion/S Weston/B Fowler/Reeves T'Bs; B-Whisperview Trading Ltd (IRE); T-Donnacha O'Brien; J-Ryan Moore. £155,953. Lifetime Record: GSW & MG1SP-Ire, GISP-US, 10-6-3-1, $1,386,120. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. 2–Jabaara (Ire), 126, f, 3, Exceed And Excel (Aus)–Baheeja (GB), by Dubawi (Ire). 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE, 1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. O-Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum; B-Godolphin (IRE); T-Roger Varian. £59,125. (DH) 3–A Lilac Rolla (Ire), 126, f, 3, Harry Angel (Ire)–Mejala (Ire), by Red Ransom. (€40,000 Ylg '22 TATIRY). O-Mutual Admiration Society Partnership; B-John Cullinan (IRE); T-Paddy Twomey. £29,590. (DH) 3–Rogue Millennium (Ire), 135, m, 5, Dubawi (Ire)–Hawaafez (GB) (GSW-Eng, $111,512), by Nayef. (35,000gns 2yo '21 TATMA; 1,650,000gns HRA '23 TATMA). O-Mr S Heider; B-Shadwell Estate Company Limited (IRE); T-Joseph O'Brien. £29,590. Margins: 3 3/4, HD, DHT. Odds: 0.91, 18.00, 4.50 & 9.00. Also Ran: Sirona (Ger), Magical Sunset (Ire), Running Lion (GB). The post Caravaggio’s Porta Fortuna Too Good in the Falmouth appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA) and the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC) have formalised their longstanding collaboration by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). ILAC administers a global multilateral mutual recognition arrangement among accreditation bodies responsible for accreditation of conformity assessment bodies, including testing laboratories. The IFHA aims to promote all facets of thoroughbred racing at the international level; protect the welfare of the equine and human athletes involved in the sport; and protect and grow its global social and economic significance for current and future generations. Great consistency across horse racing laboratories has been achieved through the use of ILAC's G-7 document Accreditation Requirements and Operating Criteria for Horseracing Laboratories for more than 30 years. The aim is for the MoU to be extended to: related activities such as education regarding accreditation of horse racing laboratories and sharing of experience among assessors involved in the assessment of horse racing laboratories when applicable; the facilitation of interlaboratory comparisons/Proficiency Testing programs; encouraging the development of reference materials for drugs; and continual updates for the accreditation community regarding changes to the allowed limits/thresholds of prohibited substances as defined by the IFHA. For more information, please view the MoU here, or visit the IFHA website. The post ILAC and IFHA Sign Memorandum of Understanding appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. 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. To follow are the horses entered for Saturday at Saratoga and Ellis: Saturday, July 13, 2024 Saratoga 1, $80k, 2yo, f, (R), 5 1/2f, 12:35 p.m. ET Horse (Sire), Sale, Price ($) Amore Sofia (Central Banker), OBSMAR, 30,000 C-Tom McCrocklin, agent; B-BloodstockAdvisors.com, J Taisey, Agt. – Hibuscus Gerlin's Empire (Classic Empire), OBSMAR, 50,000 C-Thorostock LLC, agent; B-Gervais Racing Ellis 5, $71k, 2yo, f, 5 1/2fT, 2:53 p.m. ET Presha (Omaha Beach)-AE, OBSAPR, 390,000 C-JVC Training & Sales, agent; B-Woodford Thoroughbreds Saratoga 7, $100k, 2yo, 5 1/2f, 3:54 p.m. ET Moment's Notice (More Than Ready), OBSAPR, 300,000 C-Randy Miles, agent; B-West Point TBs, L E B, agent Sam's Rocket (American Pharoah), OBSAPR, 925,000 C-DeMeric Sales, agent; B-Donato Lanni, agt for Frank Fletcher Tough Catch (Complexity), OBSAPR, 280,000 C-Longoria Training & Sales; B-Michael Kares & S O K Racing Saratoga 11, Sanford S.-GIII, $175k, 2yo, 6f, 6:17 p.m. ET Mo Plex (Complexity), OBSAPR, 45,000 C-Hoppel LLC, agent; B-JCE Racing, Legion Bloodstock, agent Soontobeking (King for a Day), OBSMAR, 80,000 C-S G V Thoroughbreds (S Venosa), agent; B-J U Racing Stables Three Echoes (Echo Town), OBSMAR, 130,000 C-deMeric Sales, agent; B-L & N Racing LLC The post Summer Breezes, Sponsored By OBS: July 13, 2024 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

In this continuing series, we take a look ahead at US-bred and/or conceived runners entered for the upcoming weekend at the tracks on the Japan Racing Association circuit, with a focus on pedigree and/or performance in the sales ring. Here are the horses of interest for this Sunday running at Fukushima Racecourse: Sunday, July 14, 2024 5th-FKS, ¥13,720,000 ($87k), Newcomers, 2yo, f, 1800mT COSMO QUEEN BEE (JPN) (f, 2, McKinzie–Baruta {Brz}, by Crimson Tide {Ire}), a $70,000 in-utero purchase by Big Red Farm at the 2021 Keeneland November Sale, is out of a dual Group 1-placed mare in Brazil who was campaigned by Stud RDI and later won the 2015 GIII Senator Ken Maddy Stakes while under the care of Richard Mandella. The Apr. 21 foal is a half-sister to Yuino Zapper (Ghostzapper), a three-time winner in Japan. B-Big Red Farm The post McKinzie Represented By First JRA Starter at Fukushima appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Fasig-Tipton has catalogued 300 entries for its New York Bred Yearlings sale, scheduled for Sunday and Monday, Aug. 11 and 12, in the Humphrey S. Finney Pavilion in Saratoga Springs, New York, the auction company said in a release early Friday. The Sunday session will begin at 7 p.m. ET, and the Monday session will begin at noon ET. “This sale annually showcases the best of the New York-bred yearling crop,” said Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning. “The New York-bred program grows stronger every year, and in 2024 over $65 million will be distributed in purse money, incentives, and awards. There has never been a better time to own a New York-bred.” This year's catalogue cover features Therapist (Freud), winner of last year's GI United Nations Stakes. The back cover features 2023 New York bred champions Dr Ardito (Liam's Map), Silver Skillet (Liam's Map), Cara's Time (Not This Time) and The Wine Steward (Vino Rosso), all four of which are sale graduates. The catalogue may now be viewed online and will also be available in the Equineline sales catalogue app. Print versions are also out. The post Fasig-Tipton’s New York Bred Yearlings Catalogue Now Available appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Shaikh Duaij Al Khalifa's Arabian Dusk (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}–Lady Macduff {Ire}, by Iffraaj {GB}), who hit the board in last month's Listed Empress Stakes, entered Friday's G2 Duchess of Cambridge Stakes at Newmarket with maiden status intact and made the breakthrough with a gritty performance in the six-furlong heat. The 525,000gns Craven Breeze-Up acquisition was sharply into stride from the stands' side stall and raced in a prominent third through halfway. Bustled along to launch her challenge passing the quarter-mile pole, the 12-1 chance gained an edge entering the final furlong and was ridden out up the hill to prevail by 3/4-of-a-length from Mountain Breeze (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}). Ballydoyle's 15-8 favourite Heavens Gate (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}) was up front throughout and finished another 3/4-of-a-lengh adrift in third. “She came from the breeze-up sales, we picked her out as she looked a nice filly, and has just done everything right,” revealed trainer Simon Crisford. “She was always quite green and it has taken her a couple races to learn how to really race properly. Katie Walsh consigned her and she is one of the best ladies in the world. She always produces great stock and this filly was an obvious one for Shaikh Duaij to try to buy. He is absolutely thrilled. I'm not sure the [G1 1000] Guineas will be the right trip for her, but she certainly wasn't stopping at the end of the race today. In fact, she was looking for a bit of company and I think she would have gone again if she had been challenged in the last 50 yards. I think we'll stick to this trip for the moment and maybe look at the [G2] Lowther at York and [G1] Cheveley Park [at the Rowley Mile venue] and see what we are like over the winter. The reality is she came here today as a maiden and, now she has won that race, we know she has a lot of ability with a great temperament. There is every reason to think she can keep advancing as the season progresses.” Winning rider Harry Davies added, “I have always been very confident in this filly's ability. She has always showed us plenty, but has been very raw mentally. The last couple of times she has had excuses as she's been surrounded by horses and run a little bit green. Today, I've just been able to sit up there with Ryan [Moore aboard Heavens Gate] and been taken into the race. I was confident she'd run well although winning was another question. She has still shown a little bit of greenness when she hit the front, but she is a lovely filly.” Pedigree Notes Arabian Dusk, the seventh of eight foals, is one of five scorers and the leading performer produced by a multiple-winning daughter of Tamora (GB) (Dr Fong), herself a winning half-sister to G1 Prix de l'Abbaye heroine Gilt Edge Girl (GB) (Monsieur Bond {Ire}) and G2 Flying Childers Stakes winner Godfrey Street (GB) (Compton Place {GB}). Gilt Edge Girl, in turn, is the dam of Listed Prix Servanne victor Time's Arrow (Ire) (Redoute's Choice {Aus}). The April-foaled bay, whose fourth dam is stakes-winning G1 Irish 1000 Guineas and G1 Moyglare Stud Stakes placegetter Tarwiya (Ire) (Dominion {GB}), is half to a yearling filly by Due Diligence. Nice way to break the maiden Arabian Dusk lands the G2 @bet365 Duchess Of Cambridge Stakes, providing @gainsboroughHQ a quickfire double pic.twitter.com/jLRxaK1c1E — Racing TV (@RacingTV) July 12, 2024 The post 525,000gns Havana Grey Filly Sheds Maiden Status in the Duchess Of Cambridge appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

In her second race on the July 11 card at Woodbine, Emma-Jayne Wilson passed Julie Krone's all-time earnings record of $90,126,584 for a female jockey. Wilson finished racing July 11 with career earnings of US$90,153,109.View the full article

When Carlo Vaccarezza suddenly lost his assistant trainer in June, he knew he not only needed to fill the position quickly, but with a top person; someone experienced enough to take the reins while Vaccarrezza deals with the myriad other businesses with which he is involved. As luck would have it, Michael Dilger was thinking about making a move back to the States after some time spent at home in Ireland, and the pair quickly agreed to work together. Now, Dilger is at Ellis Park where he supervises the training of the dozen or so horses Vaccarrezza has there, along with the help of Vaccarrezza's son, Nick. We sat down with the pair to discuss Dilger's background and the goals for their new partnership. SF: Michael, you were in the very first graduating class of the (then) Darley Flying Start, is that right? MD: That's right. I was in the inaugural class 20 years ago. When I finished the two years of the course in 2005, I took a job with Todd Pletcher, and I was there for seven years, until the end of 2012. In 2013, I started training on my own, predominantly in Florida and New York. I took a break during Covid, and I most recently had spent some time at home in Ireland, but the itch to come back to America was there. So I came back in late May, and was on the lookout for a job. And everybody that called Carlo and told him that I was available also called me and told me it would be a good place to land. SF: Where did you grow up? MD: I grew up in Mullingar, in Ireland. Prior to the Flying Start, my grandfather and uncle were both National Hunt jockeys, and my grandmother was a veterinarian, so my parents are both involved in horses. And prior to the Flying Start, I had completed degrees in international business and Japanese. That was a big part of getting selected for the course, I think. SF: Any relation to Gerry Dilger? MD: Gerry was my godfather. Gerry and my dad are cousins. And right before he first came to America, my parents asked him to be my godfather. CV: Michael was also involved got involved with Eion Harty, and he also worked for John Gosden. MD: While we were on the Flying Start course, we had three externships that were very, very educational. And the first one was with Eion Harty out in California. And then the second one was with Gai Waterhouse in Australia. And then the last one was with John Gosden while he was still training at Manton. So those were definitely some of the highlights of being on the Flying Start course. SF: If those were your three externships, you obviously always knew you wanted to train. MD: Absolutely, yes. When I came over-and it's ironic how things go–when I was still in the course and they were helping us get placements, they had approached Kiaran McLaughlin about my going to work for him. And at the time, Kiaran didn't have a spot, but through Gerry and Mike Ryan, they said, `if you're not going here, you should definitely go to Todd Pletcher.' So they put me in touch with Todd at that time. It's a great organization to work for, and he's a great example for anybody who wants to be in the game. SF: Carlo, can you talk a little bit about how you run your operation? How many horses do you have now, and why is it important to have someone with the knowledge and background that Michael has? Michael Dilger and Nick Vaccarezza | courtesy Michael Dilger CV: It's very important and I'm very, very lucky to have Michael joining the group, number one. Number two, we just ended a phenomenal meet at Churchill Down. We hit 30% on the win total, and a little over 80% in the top three. So it was a phenomenal number percentage-wise to hit 30% at that very prestigious meet, and Churchill is huge. We have 18 horses altogether. Out of 18 horses, 11 are two-year-olds, and I don't try to push the babies, especially the ones I buy in the June and the April sales. I leave them in Ocala for an extra couple, two, three months. A few days ago, we just shipped 10 horses to Ellis Park. So we have 10 at Ellis, and we have horses on different farms here in Lexington, with Hll 'n' Dale, and Morning Line, and in Ocala at Top Line with Jimbo Gladwell. We have now probably another dozen horses. Michael works with the help of my son, Nicholas. Nick is only 24 years old, but he's a seasoned person. He worked for Chad Brown for three years, he worked for me, and he did a stint with Richard Dutrow. And I can see the chemistry between Michael and Nicholas, that they get along very well. Nicholas is a very passionate young man. He'd been in the industry since the day he was born and he needed, basically, an older brother, and so Michael can grab him by the hand and say, `Listen, Nick, you're doing this right. You're doing this wrong.' And I couldn't find any better person than Michael. Michael is very soft-spoken. He's a tremendous horseman, and he's very passionate, as Nick is. And I think they're going to be a good team. I would like to spend a lot of time in my barn, but between the three restaurants (Frank and Dino's, Shun Lee, and Damiano, I don't always have the time. So having Michael there is a blessing in the sky. Michael's addition to the barn is a phenomenal one. I hope that there are people who believe in us. I'm not looking to have 100 horses, but we'd love to have around 36. SF: Michael, what has it been like to be back? MD: it's been great. I've really enjoyed being back at the racetrack, and enjoyed training the horses and being around the horses, and am looking forward to having some runners. The post Michael Dilger Joins Vaccarezza Stable appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The Darley stallions Victor Ludorum (GB) and Cloth Of Stars (Ire) will be standing at Haras d'Etreham and Haras de Montaigu respectively from 2025. Darley's French-based sires have long stood at Julian Ince's Haras du Logis in Louvieres en Auge, Normandy, but Ince has decided to concentrate his business on his own broodmare band and boarding mares for clients after more than a quarter of a century in the stallion game. He said, “Firstly, I would like to thank Sheikh Mohammed and the Darley team for all the help and support they have given my family and me over the years. “I've been thinking about this for over a year and I want to have more time to concentrate on being here at the farm and looking after our clients and friends who have been here for many years with us. It's a full-time job just doing that and we have wonderful land here which produces good horses.” Ince continued, “I've been in the stallion business for 26 years and I am not saying I'll never stand stallions again but, rather than spending six months of the year working with the stallions and trying to sell nominations, I can concentrate focus on the other side of the business and hopefully have more time to go racing with friends and clients.” The 2020 Poule d'Essai des Poulains winner Victor Ludorum has his first yearlings for sale this season, with 11 catalogued for the first European yearling sale at Arqana in August. He will join Nicolas de Chambure's roster at Etreham and will stand alongside Persian King (Ire), City Light (Fr), Hello Youmzain (Fr), Almanzor (Fr) and Onesto (Ire). Fellow Group 1 winner Cloth Of Stars joins six other stallions at the Forien family's Haras de Montaigu, including Dabirsim (Fr) and popular National Hunt sire No Risk At All (Fr). Sam Bullard, Godolphin director and Darley's director of stallions, said, “We are very excited to enter into new partnerships with Haras d'Etreham and Haras de Montaigu and look forward to enjoying many more successes with these stallions in the coming years. “France is an important region within the thoroughbred breeding and racing industry and we hope to continue the many fruitful relationships we have established with French breeders over the years. “We have enjoyed a long and successful association with Haras du Logis and would like to thank the entire team, particularly Julian Ince, for all their help and support over the years.” The post Darley’s French Stallions on the Move appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The 25-year-old will be the first woman on the roster in seven years after the licensing committee’s decisionView the full article

He becomes only the second rider to collect the accolade while spending at least some of the campaign as an apprenticeView the full article

Owner Tony Ottobre has clarified star mare Pride Of Jenni’s spring campaign. Ottobre said Pride Of Jenni’s two grand finals would be the King Charles III Stakes at Randwick before backing up into the Cox Plate. Where Pride Of Jenni resumes is still a little bit up in the air. “The Memsie is her first race at the moment. There’s always the possibility she may be ready early in her prep and in good order and we look to get her to the races earlier,” Ottobre said. “She may even go to the Winx. If she is up and going, you race her earlier, so it gives you a little bit extra time for the next race, but it’s all up to Ciaron, he knows her better than anyone. “Of course there’s the King Charles. She’s a 1600m specialist. It’s why I prefer it over the 2000m. “The 2000m to me, even though she has won a great one, has also been beaten in one by a short half-head. So, it’s a 50-50. “With a 1600m race she’s virtually a 10/10 and nothing can keep up with her.” Ottobre said the stable had completed genetic testing on Pride Of Jenni to hone in on her best distance. “It came back from Ireland, that’s where they do it, and she travels from 1400m to 2200m,” he said. “Say she is 2200m, that means she has the stamina for that distance. But if you sprint her for 1600m, it’s all about how long she can sustain the sprint?” Ottobre said there had been discussions about potentially nominating Pride Of Jenni for the Melbourne Cup, but that was now not being considered. “We’d had a few drinks (after winning a race) we were excited, (and we discussed) is it possible to win a Melbourne Cup?” Ottobre said. “Ciaron Maher is a great thinker. He thinks outside the square, that’s what makes him a great trainer. And it went from there. “(We said) throw a nom in and if you think she can do it we will have a look at it. This was back in April when it was spoken about. “So that’s where it ended. Trainers throw noms in for everything. You can’t enter the race unless you have a nomination. “I can guarantee you she won’t be racing in the Melbourne Cup.” View the full article