Wandering Eyes

IMAGE What 2024 Everest Where Royal Randwick Racecourse – Sydney, NSW When Saturday, October 19, 2024 Prizemoney $20,000,000 Distance 1200m Status Group 1 Conditions Weight For Age 2023 Winner Think About It (5) | Trainer: Joseph Pride | Jockey: Sam Clipperton (5kg) Visit Dabble The richest race on turf has arrived, with the eighth renewal of the $20 million Everest (1200m). An even field of 12 has been assembled to climb the mountain by slot holders, and for the first time ever, Group 1 status is up for grabs in Australia’s marquee sprinting feature. Last year’s runner-up I Wish I Win has been the long-standing $5.00 favourite with horse racing bookmakers for the event, with the Peter Moody & Katherine Coleman-trained gelding one of the first confirmed runners and will represent Trackside Media. The pair of Joliestar and Growing Empire share the second line of betting at $6.00, while Bella Nipotina ($8.00) is the big drifter after drawing barrier 12. Godolphin will be represented by Traffic Warden ($8.00), while double figure odds available for every other runner, including 2022 Everest winner Giga Kick at $11.00. The logical on-speed influence will come in the form of the Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott-trained Storm Boy, with the three-year-old attempting to utilize the lightweight and press to the lead from barrier five. Growing Empire (7) is drawn to his outside and should slide across to sit on his outside, leaving James McDonald to gain the economical run from the one-one aboard Joliestar (4). I Am Me (1) can kick up to hold a position from the inside draw, while the likes of Traffic Warden (2), Stefi Magnetica (6) and Giga Kick (3) should make up the mid-field contingent. The 2024 Everest is set to get underway at 4:15pm AEST on Saturday, October 19. Keep reading for HorseBetting’s full runner-by-runner preview and $100 betting strategy for the 2024 Everest. 1. I Wish I Win (9) 6yo Gelding | T: Peter Moody & Katherine Coleman | J: Luke Nolen (58.5kg) There are two camps regarding this year’s favourite I Wish I Win. You either believe he’s ready to peak and pounce on his rivals to go one better in this year’s Everest, or he’s not going as well as last year. Based on his first two runs of the campaign, the jury is out for the son of Savabeel, despite rattling off some strong closing sectionals in the Group 1 Manikato Stakes (1200m) on September 27. Barrier nine is a positive, and getting back to Randwick should be ideal; however, the six-year-old will need to be swooping over the top of some handy types from the rear of the field, and the $5.00 currently available seems too short given the task he’ll be set. 2. Giga Kick (3) 5yo Gelding | T: Clayton Douglas | J: Mark Zahra (58.5kg) The 2022 Everest winner Giga Kick should be primed for a third-up peak after a lengthy break due to injury. The gelding by Scissor Kick was only moderate through the line in a slowly run edition of the Group 2 Premiere Stakes (1200m) at this course and distance on October 5 and was beaten handsomely by the likes of Mazu and Bella Nipotina. He gets every chance for redemption from barrier three and Mark Zahra in the saddle, however, Giga Kick simply hasn’t shown enough in his two prior performances to suggest he a major player in this year’s Everest. 3. Private Eye (10) 7yo Gelding | T: Joseph Pride | J: Jay Ford (58.5kg) The Joseph Pride-trained Private Eye just continues to be plagued by bad barriers in these big races. The seven-year-old is flying into this year’s Everest and was one of the best from the beaten brigade behind I Am Me in The Shorts (1100m) at Randwick on September 21 after racing wide without cover throughout. Jay Ford will have no choice but to drag back from barrier 10 to ensure that doesn’t happen again, but if the breaks do fall his way, watch for Prviate Eye to be flashing home down the centre of the course at juicy odds with horse betting sites. 4. Bella Nipotina (12) 7yo Mare | T: Ciaron Maher | J: Craig Williams (56.5kg) Is there a more consistent mare in the nation than Bella Nipotina? The first of three Ciaron Maher-trained gallopers continues to show up in these big weight-for-age features, including a runner-up effort in this year’s Group 1 TJ Smith Stakes (1200m) before claiming multiple Group 1’s in Queensland through the winter months. She never runs a bad race, and although barrier 12 is the major knock against her chances, Bella Nipotina must be considered a winning hope in the 2024 Everest. 5. I Am Me (1) 6yo Mare | T: Ciaron Maher | J: Nash Rawiller (56.5kg) I Am Me hasn’t put a foot wrong winning both the traditional lead-ups heading into the Everest. She had everything in her favour on both occasions, however, stalking her rivals from barrier two to claim the Group 3 Concorde Stakes (1000m) and The Shorts in back-to-back starts. She gets map favours once again from barrier one this time around, but with this field possessing much more depth, and the 1200m a query amongst most pundits, I Am Me should be labelled a top five chance at best. 6. Stefi Magnetica (6) 4yo Mare | T: Bjorn Baker | J: Zac Lloyd (56.5kg) We’re going to learn a lot about some of these younger horses in this year’s Everest, and that includes the Bjorn Baker-trained Stefi Magnetica. She announced herself as a mare on the rise with an impressive victory in the Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) at Eagle Farm on June 15 before returning with a blistering turn-of-speed to finish runner-up in the Group 2 Shorts, gaining her spot into the $20 million feature. Does she have the class to feature in this only second-up into the campaign? At the each-way odds, punters should be happy to find out. 7. Sunshine In Paris (8) 5yo Mare | T: Annabel Neasham & Rob Archibald | J: Tommy Berry (56.5kg) Is Sunshine In Paris the forgotten horse in this year’s Everest? The daughter of Invader couldn’t have been more impressive dispatching her rivals in the Group 2 Sheraco Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill on September 14, with the immediate plans to head here with a month between runs. She’s dynamic, versatile, and handles all conditions. If Tommy Berry can slot in from barrier eight, Sunshine In Paris bobbing up in the finish wouldn’t come as any shock. 8. Joliestar (4) 4yo Mare | T: Chris Waller | J: James McDonald (56.5kg) You only need to trust the first-up display by Joliestar in the Group 3 Show County Quality (1200m) at this track and trip to grasp her chances in the $20 million feature. While beaten convincingly second-up in the Sheraco, nothing went to plan for the daughter of Zoustar, ridden negatively towards the rear of the field and racing wide without cover throughout. James McDonald gets legged aboard to continue his association with this untapped four-year-old, and with Joliestar yet to be defeated at the Randwick 1200m, this could be the day McDonald chalks up his 100th Group 1 win. 9. Growing Empire (7) 3yo Colt | T: Ciaron Maher | J: Kerrin McEvoy (53kg) Growing Empire is the first of four very intriguing three-year-olds engaged in the 2024 Everest. The argument can be made the son of Zoustar should be undefeated heading into this, only being narrowly defeated twice in his six-start career, including his latest effort in the Manikato Stakes at Moonee Valley on September 27 when getting nosed out by Southport Tycoon. Kerrin McEvoy knows a thing or two about winning an Everest, boasting three wins across the seven editions, and provided he can get across from gate seven, he could easily be adding a fourth to his trophy cabinet. Recommended! The Better Bettors! Australian-owned and operated bookmaker! Join MarantelliBet 18+ Gamble Responsibly. THINK. IS THIS A BET YOU REALLY WANT TO PLACE? 10. Traffic Warden (2) 3yo Colt | T: James Cummings | J: Jamie Kah (53kg) Traffic Warden brings a very similar profile into this as the 2019 Everest winner Yes Yes Yes. They both finished runner-up in the Group 1 Golden Rose (1400m) before dropping back in trip, the major difference being Traffic Warden claimed the Group 2 Run To The Rose (1200m) the start prior. Jamie Kah has never missed the frame when being legged aboard the progressive three-year-old, and with barrier two allowing her to land in the ideal stalking position throughout, punters can expect Traffic Warden to be fighting out the finish at a good price with horse racing bookmakers. 11. Storm Boy (5) 3yo Colt | T: Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | J: Brenton Avdulla (53kg) Storm Boy is in a very similar position to Traffic Warden, both coming through the traditional three-year-old form-lines. The Justify colt was only beaten a combined two lengths across those performances and didn’t shirk the task leading out at genuine clip in the Run To The Rose and Golden Rose respectively. He should get a picnic up on speed with a lack of temp engaged in this year’s Everest, however, he does have a nasty habit of missing the start, and if he does that here, it could put the end to his winning chances. 12. Lady Of Camelot (11) 3yo Filly | T: Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | J: Rachel King (51kg) Lady Of Camelot is the rank outsider, and you’d have to say for good reason. The Group 1 Golden Slipper (1200m) just hasn’t come up this preparation, and while you can make some minor excuses for her poor performances, it’s hard to justify having her in-and-around your numbers. Her best chance is to attempt leading and throw a spanner into the works on the speed map, however, with the likely instructions to drag back from stall 11, Lady Of Camelot will have a hard time rounding up this lot. 13. Overpass (E1) (TBC) 6yo Gelding | T: Bjorn Baker | J: TBC (58.5kg) If there was a scratching leading into the Everest, slot holders should be more than happy to take on Overpass. The son of Vancouver has been trialling like a bomb heading into his first-up assignment and boasts a formidable fresh record of seven starts for three wins and three more minor placings. He would be another obvious pacemaker in this field, and if he were to get into this, Overpass would give a bold sight. 14. Think About It (E2) (TBC) 6yo Gelding | T: Joseph Pride | J: TBC (58.5kg) It’s quite remarkable we don’t have last year’s Everest winner in the final field of 12. Regardless, if the Joseph Pride-trained gelding did get a late call up, he wouldn’t be out of place amongst a field like this. He was terrific through the line from an unwinnable position in the Premiere Stakes a fortnight ago, and if he can bounce of that second-up into the campaign, Think About It would have claims if he’s a late inclusion. 15. Southport Tycoon (E3) (TBC) 4yo Horse | T: Ciaron Maher | J: TBC (58.5kg) If I Wish I Win is considered a genuine chance, Southport Tycoon would logically come into calculations provided he gains a start. The multiple Group 1 winner was sensational in the Manikato, closing off with the fastest closing splits of the entire meeting at Moonee Valley on September 27. If he doesn’t get a spot in here, watch out for him in the $2 million Sydney Stakes earlier on the Randwick program. 16. Mazu (E4) (TBC) 6yo Gelding | T: Joseph Pride | J: (TBC) (58.5kg) Mazu would be the least likely to line up of the fourth emergencies, especially if the rain doesn’t come on the day. He’s been better on top of the ground of late, however, his best form is still on rain-affected going. Could he figure in a race like this if he gets a start? Unlikely. 2024 Everest selections & best bets Selections: 8 JOLIESTAR 10 TRAFFIC WARDEN 6 STEFI MAGNETICA 9 GROWING EMPIRE $100 betting strategy $50 Win Joliestar (#8) @ +500 with Neds $30 Win Traffic Warden (#10) @ +800 with Playup $20 Win Stefi Magnetica (#6) @ +1400 with Picklebet Horse racing tips View the full article

Trainer Chris Waller says Buckaroo is primed and ready for a Caulfied Cup tilt on Saturday. (Photo by Brett Holburt/Racing Photos) Champion trainer Chris Waller says Buckaroo has “great lead-up form” and is primed for a strong strong assault on the Caulfield Cup on Saturday. Fresh off a second in the Group 1 Turnbull Stakes, Buckaroo is the $4.40 favourite to win the Caulfield Cup, ahead of Eliyass ($7) and Zardozi ($7.50). While Waller acknowledged winning a Caulfield Cup is tough, he said Buckaroo had surprised even him with his impressive form. “He’s got great lead-up form, which makes the job a bit easier, it’s just about maintenance and he’s maintained well,” Waller said. “The way he got around here winning the Underwood was pretty good, I thought at the 500m he looked like the winner but I didn’t expect him to power on and keep running like he did.” Buckaroo received barrier eight for the Caulfield Cup and immediately shortened from $5 into $4.60 with several notable racing bookmakers. Waller will also have Land Legend in the Caulfield Cup, with the $8 chance easing in betting, after he received barrier one on Tuesday. “He worked very well, I think he’s come on well since his Metropolitan win,” Waller said. “He was only third-up and he’s quite a gross horse and I thought he looked fitter today in the parade ring here and worked accordingly. “He worked well, recovered well, I think he’s on an upward plane.” Buckaroo has been partnered by champion jockey Joao Moreira in his last two starts and he will again take the ride in the Caulfield Cup. Hong Kong-based Zac Purton has the plumb ride on Land Legend, but will be attempting to defy 83 years of history by winning from barrier 1. Waller’s third runner in the Caulfield Cup is Valiant King, with the five-year-old one to watch, with a potential Melbourne Cup run on his radar. Horse racing news View the full article

Local trainers Brian and Shane Anderton hold a strong hand heading into Wingatui’s Friday meeting, headlined by Group Three winner Burgie (NZ) (Ghibellines). The six-year-old mare is set for a date with White Robe Lodge resident stallion Ancient Spirit this spring and her trainers are hoping there is a win or two left in the daughter of Ghibellines before she retires to the broodmare paddock. Bred by Brian Anderton and his late wife Lorraine, Burgie is raced by the respected horseman with BJ’s Southern Syndicate, and has gone onto win four of her 28 starts, including the Gr.3 South Island Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1600m), Listed Warstep Stakes (2000m) and $100,000 ODT Southern Mile Final (1600m), and more than $230,000 in prizemoney. She will kick-off her final campaign at Wingatui on Friday in the KB Contractor Open (1400m), and her trainers are hoping for a good showing ahead of a possible trip north to Riccarton next month for the New Zealand Cup Carnival. “She has done a fair bit of work, so she is ready for her run,” Shane Anderton said. “It is probably going to be a bit short, but she usually goes pretty well fresh. “She is getting served this time round, so it is all going to work around that. Hopefully we will get up to Cup Week and find a race for her up there. It depends when we serve her, but something like the White Robe (Gr.3, 1600m) would be a nice race for her.” Lightly-raced mare Lined Satin is another who will be first-up in the Nellies Restaurant & Bar Maiden (1500m). The five-year-old mare was runner-up in her sole start to date over 1400m at the Dunedin track in April, and Anderton is confident of another bold showing. “She went a good race last season first-up,” he said. “She has done a lot of work, so we are hoping for a nice run. It just all depends on what the track is going to be like. It is Heavy at the moment, but there is nothing we can do about that.” Stablemates Cee Are El and Our Approval both take last start winning results into Friday, with the pair tackling the White Robe Lodge (2200m) and Otago Painting Solutions (1600m) respectively. “Cee Are El has been pretty consistent since she has come down,” Anderton said. “She has been served too and while the tracks still have a bit of give in them, she will carry on for a bit longer. “Our Approval has done well. We are stepping him up to a mile on Friday. I am not too sure how he will go on the wet ground. He won on a Good4 at Oamaru, but the family have gone well on the wet so hopefully he should be right in it.” The stable will also line-up Chupalla and Mabel in the Grand Casino Maiden (1200m), and Haggle in the Positive Signs + Print (1200m). View the full article

A filly from the first crop of multiple Grade I winner Cyberknife (Gun Runner) (hip 301) topped the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Fall Mixed Sale when selling for a record-tying $230,000 in upstate New York Tuesday. The weanling, out of D'Fashion (D'wildcat), is a half-sister to stakes winner and graded-placed Strategic Dreams (Archarcharch). She was consigned by Gracie Bloodstock on behalf of her breeder, Dr. Jerry Bilinski's Waldorf Farm and was purchased by Diamond I. “We always liked the filly,” said consignor Chris Gracie. “I saw her over the summer and worked with Stuart Morris and Dr. Bilinksi and we all thought she was a really nice filly from the beginning. She was prepped over there at Dr. Bilinski's farm and they did a really great job. She looked great when she got here and I think people responded to her as soon as they saw her.” Waldorf Farm purchased D'Fashion, in foal to Game Winner, for $75,000 at the 2022 Keeneland November sale. The mare's Game Winner colt sold for $180,000 at last year's Fasig-Tipton November sale and resold for $450,000 at last month's Keeneland September sale. D'Fashion was bred back to Taiba, another son of Gun Runner, this year. The sale topper was one of eight to bring six figures during the one-session auction. Nine reached that mark a year ago. Six of the six-figure weanlings were by first-crop sires, with Early Voting, Jack Christopher, and Corniche joining Cyberknife with a weanling each to sell for over $100,000. Drain the Clock had a pair pass that threshold. “I think the first-year sires are always appealing to people,” Gracie said. “But Cyberknife himself is making nice babies. They are very well-balanced with beautiful top lines. And she was a really good representation of the stallion.” During the one-session auction, 148 horses sold for $3,939,500. The average was $26,618 and the median was $15,000–both down slightly from 2023 figures which saw 157 head gross $4,597,200 for an average of $29,282 and a median of $20,000. From a catalogue of 315, 250 horses went through the ring with 102 failing to meet their reserves for a buy-back rate of 40.8%. It was 35.6% a year ago. “I think the top end of the weanling market here was strong,” Gracie said. “I think people were having a hard time buying some of these horses. So, as a whole, I thought it was pretty good. It's the way this market is up here. It is a great place to buy babies. Everyone comes here to shop New York-breds and you saw all of the people you'd expect to be here.” The unraced Fast and Hard (Hard Spun) (hip 9) was the sale's top-priced broodmare. In foal to Arabian Lion, the 5-year-old was consigned by Sequel New York, as agent for Lakland Estate Dispersal and sold for $55,000 to SLB Stables BBC, LLC. The post Cyberknife Filly Tops Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Mixed Sale appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The 2024 racing season at Hastings Racecourse wrapped up Oct. 13 with average wagering per race increasing 7.8%. Total wagering for the season of $21,531,203 showed a 4% decline from last year, primarily due to one fewer racing day and 36 fewer races in 2024. “We were quite pleased with some of the increases and progress we saw this year,” said Dawn Lupul, Manager of Racing and Communications at BC Racebook. “We made some changes to the schedule with the addition of Friday nights and were on FanDuel TV on a regular basis this year, providing additional access to the core horse racing and sporting fans. We are so thankful to the fans for another great season.” Amadeo Perez secured the leading jockey title with 62 wins, while Steve Henson won the leading trainer title with 51 wins. Hastings will kick off the 2025 season in the spring. The post Average Wagering per Race Up as Hastings Closes for Season appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Spendthrift Farm's unstoppable Into Mischief, the five-time leading sire who is on target for a sixth consecutive title in 2024, will again lead the farm's stallion roster for the upcoming breeding season. He will stand the 2025 season for $250,000 stands and nurses, the same fee he held in 2024. With more than two months remaining in 2024, Into Mischief's current earnings of $29,720,854 have already surpassed his previous record of $28,122,550, set in 2022. His five Grade I winners in 2024 include Dubai World Cup winner Laurel River, as well as Leslie's Rose, Citizen Bull, Gina Romantica, and Newgate in the U.S. “Into Mischief continues to push into uncharted territory in the long and rich history of stallions in this industry,” said Spendthrift General Manager Ned Toffey. “He's not only on track to claim his sixth consecutive champion General Sire title, but he's also reinforcing that high level of success on the racetrack while maintaining remarkable results at the sales. Of his five Grade I winners in 2024, four are new Grade I winners this year, bringing his career total to 22. He's truly a once-in-a-generation sire.” Spendthrift will stand 28 stallions in addition to Into Mischief, including three new stallions for the upcoming breeding season. GI Belmont Stakes and GI Haskell Stakes winner Dornoch was retired at the end of September following a training setback; GI Stephen Foster Stakes winner Kingsbarns was retired in August; and breeding rights to GI Preakness Stakes and GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational winner National Treasure were acquired by Spendthrift early this year. Dornoch, a son of Good Magic and a full-brother to GI Kentucky Derby winner Mage, will stand for $40,000, while Kingsbarns, by Uncle Mo, will stand for $20,000. National Treasure, who is a son of Quality Road and is pointing to the GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile Nov. 2, will have his introductory fee announced after the Breeders' Cup. One other stallion on the Spendthrift roster has a fee yet to be determined and that is Vekoma, who is currently poised in second by progeny earnings on North America's freshman sire list. Among his crop-leading 25 winners and four black-type winners is undefeated GSW Jonathan's Way, who is targeting the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Nov. 1. “At Spendthrift, we've expanded both the quality and number of our stallions, allowing us to offer the most diverse roster we've ever had,” said Toffey. “Our goal has long been to provide the best opportunities for breeders at all levels, and we're more confident than ever that breeders can trust in the quality and value we deliver across the board.” The entire Spendthrift roster, with fees, appears below. For more information, contact the farm at 859-294-0030 or SpendthriftFarm.com. Into Mischief–$250,000 Forte–$45,000 Dornoch (NEW)–$40,000 Jackie's Warrior–$35,000 Omaha Beach–$35,000 Bolt d'Oro–$30,000 Taiba–$30,000 Authentic–$25,000 Yaupon–$25,000 Arabian Lion–$20,000 Cyberknife–$20,000 Kingsbarns (NEW)–$20,000 Maximus Mischief–$20,000 Thousand Words–$12,500 Vino Rosso–$12,500 Goldencents–$10,000 Mitole–$10,000 Mo Donegal–$10,000 Zandon–$10,000 Cross Traffic–$7,500 Greatest Honour–$7,500 Jimmy Creed–$7,500 Basin–$5,000* By My Standards–$5,000* Known Agenda–$5,000* Rock Your World–$5,000* Temple City–$5,000 National Treasure (NEW)–TBD Vekoma–TBD *Stallions participating in Spendthrift's Safe Bet Program The post Into Mischief Anchors Spendthrift’s 2025 Stallion Roster appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Maiden Watch: Oct. 7-Oct. 13View the full article

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Trainer Clayton Douglas admitted at last night’s Everest barrier draw that his star gelding Giga Kick “is on the comeback trail” but believes his horse can win the $20 million sprint again. View the full article

Alex Elliott lauded Tattersalls for its “hold my beer” flex during Book 1 and 2 of the October Yearling Sale after the leading bloodstock agent signed for the 600,000gns Too Darn Hot (GB) joint-top lot on Tuesday for Amo Racing and Al Shaqab from Appletree Stud. One of the stories to emerge from Park Paddocks throughout Book 1 and 2 has been the strength of Amo and Al Shaqab while Elliott, who has now become something of a super agent, revealed that the figures floating around the ring over the past 10 days or so have even exceeded his loftiest expectations for the sales. “These horses, I've never seen anything like it,” he said. “It's a bit like being back in the States. I thought Saratoga was the strongest yearling sale that I have ever been to but step aside. Tatts has almost gone, 'hold my beer.' I never thought it would be this strong.” The knock-on effect of such trade means that not every one of Elliott's buyers are enjoying as much luck. Valmont, for example, who up until these past couple of weeks would have been viewed as Elliott's biggest-spending ownership vehicle, has struggled at times. He continued, “It's great when you've got a team of super powers teaming up together. That's great. But I also have a lot of clients who are very frustrated because they've had to put a bit of a lid on. For example, Valmont has to value them correctly. But isn't it [the market] great?” The Too Darn Hot homebred of Paul Dunkley's Apple Tree Stud hails from Galileo (Ire) mare Lola Paige (Ire) and Elliott had to see off some serious opposition to secure the joint sale-topper. Interestingly, the agent revealed that there may be some repercussions if the newly-formed partnership between Amo and Al Shaqab don't come up with a good one on the racetrack following the record amount spent in the sales ring. “Beautiful filly by Too Darn Hot, who is doing it all over the world and is out of a Galileo mare,” Elliott continued. “She's for Amo and Al Shaqab–we're buying a lot of horses. Some heads could roll next year if these don't work out! I don't know who is going to train her but Kia [Joorabchian] and the Al Shaqab guys were very strong. It was a very strong price but we had to bid against David Ingordo, Newtown Anner, Ger Lyons, Lady Bamford and more.” Apple Tree Stud is the Cheltenham-based farm managed by former National Hunt jockey Robert 'Choc' Thornton, who enjoyed his fair share of success at the Festival and will forever be associated with brilliant Champion Chaser Voy Pour Ustedes and Stayers' Hurdle hero My Way De Solzen. You would think a man who has had the Cheltenham Festival crowd in the palm of his hand and experienced that roar that comes with guiding a short-priced favourite to victory at the meeting wouldn't be reduced to tears after a horse makes a pretty penny in the ring. Well, you'd have thought wrong as Thornton struggled to fight back the tears when searching for the right words to sum up the achievements of the stud. “She's been a queen the whole way through,” he said of the Too Darn Hot filly. Asked how the feeling compared to winning big races on the track, he added, “It doesn't. It's completely different. There's way more emotion involved, as you can see!” There proved to be some high drama late in the session as Jane Mangan, bidding on behalf of The Thoroughbred Racing Corporation, landed the joint-top lot, a 600,000gns Sea The Stars (Ire) filly, who was offered by Philip Stauffenberg. Mangan commented, “The stallion is alright isn't he? We have been trying to buy the right type of filly for the last two weeks and we got two last week. This filly stood out. I thought she is the best filly in this book. She comes from a great farm, she is just very easy on the eye, there is no mystery here. She is the first foal out of a Siyouni (Fr) mare and we are very happy to get her.” All of the key figures were up again at Tattersalls on day two of Book 2. Despite a maginally smaller offering [1%], turnover climbed 36% to 24,639,000gns while the clearance rate stood at a massive 91%. The median was up 14% to 75,000gns while the average was up 31% to 115,136gns. Godolphin Going Big On Sea The Stars The 550,000gns that Anthony Stroud spent on Folland-Bowen Bloodstock's Sea The Stars (Ire) colt elevated the agent's total spend on the progeny of the stallion on behalf of Godolpin to 3.5 million gns throughout Book 1 and 2. That result represented the best in the ring for couple Natalie Folland and Matt Bowen while Fiona Marner, who bred the colt alongside the Kitcarina Partnership and Sunderland Holdings, was in attendance at Tattersalls for the big result. “I bought her in training from Andre Fabre and then sent her to Andrew Balding and she did win a race,” reported Marner of Windmill Stud. “We sent her to Sea The Stars for her first cover, a foal share kindly arranged by the late John Clarke, and went back to the sire again and produced this colt.” She added, “He foaled with me and spent his time with us until going to Natalie and Matt to prep. They are based at Fonthill Stud and it is such a lovely farm-beautiful land. This colt has always been just such a lovely individual and I am so pleased for Natalie and Matt. It is so nice to see young people getting on.” Stroud has been by far the busiest buyer at Book 1 and 2 and, by close of play on Tuesday, had spent over 7 million gns. Speaking about lot 859, he said, “Sea The Stars speaks for himself and this is a powerful, strong horse. He's a very good mover, comes from a very good farm and the pedigree goes back very well. It's so important to try and get these horses that can stay a mile and a half. We've bought a number of horses but we could do with more of that type, and he fitted that criteria. Sea The Stars was a top-class racehorse and is a top-class stallion.” Expensive Sea The Stars Filly On Her Way To Paddy Twomey They weren't the only big results for Sea The Stars on the day as Jason Kelly signed for a filly by the stallion on behalf of Paddy Twomey for 525,000gns. Consigned by Harry Dutfield, lot 927 is out of Group 2-placed Farhh (GB) mare Makawee (Ire) and from the family of Prince Of Arran (GB) (Shirocco {Ger}). Kelly said, “Sea The Stars speaks for himself and this filly was bred by the Turnbull family, who I have history with myself. I know the broodmare and she was a tough mare–hopefully Farhh will be a good broodmare stallion. She's just a stunning filly and has a lot of class about her. She will go to Paddy Twomey for an existing client of his.” Talking points It really has been a week to remember for John Foley of Ballyvolane Stud. Just 24 hours after turning his €28,000 pinhook by Gleneagles (Ire) into 280,000gns, Foley watched on as his homebred Acclamation (GB) filly was knocked down to Henry Lascelles. “It is unbelievable,” Foley said. “I have to give my sister Adelaide and her husband Padraig Doran all the credit as they bought the mare. This filly is a beauty and we were hoping she might make 80,000gns to 100,000gns, but she has been so popular. This is a result that doesn't happen very often. The mare has a very nice Blue Point foal on the ground, and he is a fine foal, he will be kept to sell as a yearling. The mare lives at Knocktartan House and when we wean the foal it comes to me.” It was a remarkable day for Acclamation. Following on from Foley's big result, Billy Jackson-Stops and George Scott went to 500,000gns to secure a colt by the stallion from Rathbarry Stud. Just one horse surpassed the 500,000gns mark during Book 2 last year, a supplemented Dubawi (Ire) filly who ended up being the only horse that Godolphin bought throughout the entire week at 725,000gns. At the end of Tuesday's trade, there had been eight yearlings to make half a million or more, while Godolphin has spent 2,350,000gns on four yearlings so far this week. That tells quite the story of how strong Book 2 has been. One of the six horses to make 500,000gns or more was Ballylinch Stud's Camelot (GB) filly out of multiple Listed winner Fort Del Oro to MV Magnier at exactly that figure. The sale sugar-coated what has been a memorable time at Park Paddocks for Ballylinch Stud, and the outfit's John O'Connor commented, “We were pretty confident she would sell well. She is a beautiful filly with the best combination of Camelot and Lope De Vega. The mare was very quick–she has already bred a good one, so the pedigree is stacking up for everyone. Then her physique, her temperament and her ability to show is just exceptional. Most of the big operations were interested in her.” It has been a good sales season for Derpark Stud who, following on from a strong Orby Book 1, sold a Dark Angel (Ire) filly for 450,000gns to Oliver St Lawrence. The sale justified Deerpark's initial outlay of 230,000gns on the dam, Listed winner Havre De Paix (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}), at the Tattersalls December Sale in 2018. Deerpark's Peter Fagan said, “It is great for the farm. Dark Angel is a wonderful sire and a great broodmare sire, too. The filly has not put a foot wrong here and behaved so well all week. I just breeze into Tattersalls for the sale so all the credit goes to the farm, to my father and mother, farm manager Patrick Kirwan, and Rachel Harvey who has done a fantastic job this year.” Buy of the day Breeze-up consignors have largely found it hard to get in on the action at Tattersalls these past couple of weeks but you'd have to think that Mark Grant managed to add a particularly decent arrow to his bow for next year in the shape of lot 714, a 135,000gns Too Darn Hot (GB) colt consigned by Watership Down Stud. Out of black-type Dansili (GB) mare Earring, the Too Darn Hot colt is just the type that could rock into big money at the Craven Breeze-Up Sale in the spring. You'd imagine that Grant, the man who breezed multiple Group 1-winning sprinter Bradsell, would also have the option of Arqana for his new recruit. He looks well bought and is by the stallion who can seemingly do no wrong right now. Golden touch James Daly's €25,000 purchase of the Camelot (GB) colt foal out of the 1,000 Guineas runner-up Lightning Thunder (GB) (Dutch Art {GB}) at the Goffs November Sale was looking like a decent bit of business by Tuesday afternoon. The half-brother to maiden winner Hippodrome (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) from the family of G3 Sagaro Stakes winner Sweet Selection (GB) (Stimulation {GB}) walked out of the Tattersalls ring with a 110,000gns price tag on his head having been sold to Flyingbolt Bloodstock. Thought of the day It seems as though every breeze-up handler either side of the Irish Sea is down on numbers this year. And that's not from a want of trying. Five or six handlers revealed how they have been blown out of the water at Tattersalls over the past 10 days or so. Those who did some shopping at the earlier sales and in America will be quite smug with themselves right now. The post Alex Elliott Lauds Tattersalls For “Hold My Beer” Flex During Bountiful Book 2 Sale appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

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Enticed (Medaglia d'Oro–It's Tricky, by Mineshaft) will be relocated to stand at Mountain Springs Farm in Pennsylvania for the 2025 season, according to a farm release posted on X Tuesday. “With his impressive pedigree and striking presence, Enticed has already garnered attention from breeders and enthusiasts alike,” reads a farm release. “As he embarks on this new chapter in Pennsylvania, we are committed to providing him with the best environment to continue his legacy and support the breeding community.” Trained by Kiaran McLaughlin on behalf of Godolphin, Enticed made seven career starts, winning three times, highlighted by the GII Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes at Churchill Downs as a juvenile and the GIII Gotham Stakes at three. He also finished runner up in the GII Wood Memorial and third in the GI Champagne Stakes before retiring with $595,680 in earnings. The 9-year-old stallion is out of the Godolphin-raced It's Tricky, whose wins include the GI TVG Coaching Club American Oaks, GI Ogden Phipps and GI TVG Acorn. Out of Grade III scorer Catboat (Tale of the Cat), It's Tricky is also responsible for graded placed Enliven (Ghostzapper). The post GSW Enticed to Stand in Pennsylvania in 2025 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Egoli, an 8-year-old daughter of Quality Road, led the Broodmare Division of the 2024 Retired Racehorse Project (RRP) Thoroughbred Makeover, held last week at the Kentucky Horse Park. Co-sponsored by Claiborne Farm and Lane's End Farm, the Broodmare Division returned for its second official year, offering $10,000 in prize money and showcasing the post-breeding potential of mares. Egoli dominated in barrel racing, where she not only claimed first place among broodmares but also posted the fastest time of any competitor–retired racehorses included. “Egoli's success at the 2024 Makeover demonstrates the vast, untapped potential broodmares possess beyond the breeding shed,” said Kyle Rothfus, President and Co-Founder of Mareworthy Charities. “We're proud to be part of this movement, showcasing how mares can thrive in second or even third careers.” For more on Egoli's standout performance and the growing recognition of broodmares, click here. The post Egoli Leads Broodmare Division of the 2024 RRP Thoroughbred Makeover appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

I thoroughly applaud the position of Arion Pedigrees, reported in TDN Europe (The Thoroughbred Report), October 15, opting to wait for review and rating from the appropriate authorities before accepting, in the pedigrees it produces, the Group (Grade) One status claimed by Racing Australia for The Everest and the All-Star Mile. For a commercial company to take this stand, when it would have been so easy to enhance a race-record or a sales pedigree by simply adding G1 to the race title, shows courage and integrity. These two stakes are very important races and if they maintain their present status, most probably will ultimately be awarded the Group 1 designation. But the process followed internationally and imposed on record-keepers must be the arbiter of the black-type system. Arion Pedigrees does not necessarily earn credit for following the rules, but it definitely deserves much more for not allowing standards to slide. Whether it was a slip of the pen or a deliberate sleight, I was disheartened that the USA was not included with the UK and France as being “trusted” to police black-type standards. As publishers of nearly all US sales catalogues, Fasig-Tipton, Keeneland and Ocala Breeders' Sales, all member of the Society of International Thoroughbred Auctioneers (SITA), in my time were very actively involved in the annual review of North American black-type. So were the racing secretaries of our principal racetracks. The overall authority is in the hands of the Thoroughbred Owners' and Breeders' Association (TOBA), which under its past chairmen and sub-committees, studiously examined, then downgraded and elevated black-type according to the quality of the horses which participated and the levels of minimum purses. The recommendations coming from these in-depth deliberations are then submitted promptly to similar committees representing the international racing community and, invariably, are accepted and incorporated into black-type qualifications. I hope that leaving us out of the “trusted” jurisdictions by Arion Pedigrees was an innocent omission and not a more troubling suggestion that the USA is thought by some to be lax in keeping its house in order. The post Letter To The Editor: Policing Black-Type Standards appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

By Dave Di Somma Harness News Desk It’s been a decent wait between wins and Auckland trainer Steve Cornwall rates Sassy Star’s victory at Cambridge Raceway as “one of his most satisfying yet.” Sassy Star and James Stormont thwarted So Mystifying by a nose to win the Racing, Resilience and Rural Women 15 October Mobile Trot on October 8. It was her eighth start for Cornwall after she’d been trucked north earlier this year after doing all her early racing, including having four wins, for Ashburton trainers Brent and Tim White. Her ability has never been questioned, but her temperament has been flighty (to be kind). “She’s a lovely horse to have around,” since Cornwall, “but she can be a bit antsy and single-minded.” “She’s had more than 50 starts and 40 gallops!” Cornwall encouraged co-breeder-owners Dave and Gay Luke to send her to him for “a change of environment.” “It was a challenge but we weren’t going to let her beat us.’ While he does his fast work at the nearby Pukekohe track, Cornwall also does a lot of what he calls “paddock training”. “I’ve got a wee jog track at home and I do a lot of strong work here – I just bowl around three miles in 10 minutes and have her off the side of the truck. Who am I to argue? If it rains I just put the window up.” The approach seems to be working. It was Sassy Star’s first win at start number eight for Cornwall. It was also her first win in 25 starts since August 2023, and her fifth overall in 51 starts. “I know it was just a minor race at a minor meeting but it was one of the most satisfying I’ve had.” And that’s because of the time and effort involved. Cornwall, an accountant at Woodlands says his wife Steffi, driver James Stormont, Dave and Clare McGowan and farrier Amanda Kiddie have all played their part in getting the horse’s mind and body race ready. It was also Cornwall’s first training success since Enable Me won at Alexandra Park in 2018 – though that was completely different. “It was a walkover, she was the only horse in a Breeders Crown heat but the stipes made me race!” “She kept trotting and we got five grand.” Other horses Cornwall’s campaigned with success include Starza Rising, Star Filly, Mob Star and Sassy Star’s dam My Mums Astar. “The Star horses were all bred by Dave and Gay Luke. Sassy Star’s win was my 10th for the Lukes.” View the full article

The U.S. Jockey Club will recognise the new Group 1 races The Everest and the All-Star Mile after they were promoted by Racing Australia recently, a Jockey Club spokesperson confirmed to TDN Europe on Tuesday. “We will treat the Everest and the All Star Mile as Group 1 races,” the spokesperson said. “They have been approved for Group 1 status by the Asian Pattern Committee which satisfies the requirements for Part I countries in Australasia.” The news emerged on Monday that Arion Pedigrees will refuse Group 1 recognition of the two races until formal ratification is received from international authorities. The pedigree database has made it clear that it won't be rushed into recognising races that, in its view, have not yet gone through the appropriate global processes. The post American Jockey Club To Recognise The Everest And All-Star Mile As Group 1s appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The New York Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association Scholarship Fund distributed $183,000 to 36 students for the 2024-25 academic year. “It's heartwarming to see what an impact we can have on the lives of young people,” said NYTHA President Tina Marie Bond. “Education has long been the springboard to a successful future. Some of our graduates have become veterinarians, others work in medicine, and one has even become a pilot with JetBlue. NYTHA Scholarships are available to backstretch workers or their direct dependants. Established in 2008, the Fund has assisted nearly 700 students in that timeframe while allocating $2.9 million to their higher education pursuits. In addition to granting scholarships, NYTHA provides applicants with one-on-one sessions with financial aid consultants. The consultants assist students in exploring additional academic funding options, and sourced nearly $300,000 in other grants to help cover the ever-rising costs of higher education. One of the scholarship recipients, Matthew Fuertes, is currently pursuing a graduate degree in Aerospace Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology. “Thanks to NYTHA's assistance, I have been able to afford essential items like transportation, food, supplies, and many other necessities as I go through college…As a first-generation student from a low-income immigrant family, I will be the first in my family to achieve a PhD, and this would not have been possible without NYTHA's support.” Another student, Jocelin Narciso Molina, is on her way to earning a Master's in Social Work at Stony Brook University. “As the child of immigrants who have worked tirelessly as hotwalkers on the backstretch at Belmont, I have seen firsthand the impact of NYTHA's generosity on families like mine,” she said. Dionne Johnson, NYTHA's Business Manager, has helped steward the program since its inception. “Over the years, this has been such a meaningful part of my work here at NYTHA,” she said. “We get to know the families and understand how significant a college degree can be. These families are the backbone of New York racing, and our mission is to support the people and families that dedicate their lives to caring for the horses.” The post NYTHA Scholarship Fund Announces Distribution for 2024-25 Academic Year appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Stretching out to 1 5/16 miles proved successful for Neecie Marie in the Sept. 7 Ladies Marathon Stakes (G3T) at Kentucky Downs. Now, the 4-year-old filly stretches out further to 1 1/2 miles in the $300,000 Dowager Stakes (G3T) at Keeneland Oct. 20.View the full article

Out of her sire's first crop, Huracan Boricua was bred by Machmer Hall and Kevin and Victoria Duffy. She is owned by ERV Enterprises and trained by Eduardo Falcon.View the full article

An overflow field of 12 race seven furlongs at Keeneland Oct. 19 in the $300,000 Perryville Stakes (G3), led by Book'em Danno and including Kentucky Derby (G1) alums West Saratoga and Epic Ride.View the full article

Emery and My Mane Squeeze—second and third in the Aug. 3 Test (G1) at Saratoga Race Course—headline a field of 10 that will travel seven furlongs at Keeneland Oct. 19 in the $350,000 Raven Run Stakes (G2).View the full article

Due to cases of Equine Infectious Anemia and other equine health issues prevalent in the region, Zia Park, after consultations with state and national equine health officials, has announced new requirements for entry into its barn area.View the full article

When he succumbed to colic in October 2011, aged just 14, there was a poignant sense that Bernstein had never quite lived up to his glamorous billing. He was a celebrity even as an embryo, carried through the Keeneland ring at the 1996 November Sale by a $1.9 million mare-La Affirmed (Affirmed), the second most expensive broodmare auctioned in America that year-as a full sibling to two graded stakes winners by Storm Cat. On his safe delivery, his dam's purchasers at Brushwood Farm sent Bernstein back the following November to defray much of that investment as much the priciest weanling of his crop, at $925,000. (Brushwood would go on to make a terrific bargain of La Affirmed, though rising 14 at the time of her purchase. One of her later Storm Cat yearlings, in fact, would bring $5.5 million on his own.) Bernstein looked worth every cent when blitzing his pursuers in his first two starts for Ballydoyle. But he emptied quickly when stepped up in class and distance on soft ground next time and finished stone last when resurfacing in the G1 2,000 Guineas the following spring. His remaining four starts, spread between five and nine furlongs, suggested him to have become a real puzzle. While he did manage to win a couple of times, it was pretty hard work despite an ease in grade, and he had meanwhile been thoroughly eclipsed at Ballydoyle by another son of Storm Cat in Giant's Causeway. (The latter's dam, incidentally, had been the only broodmare to make more than La Affirmed at an American auction in 1996.) Bernstein was duly sold back to his native state to start a stud career at Buck Pond Farm. But an anti-climactic career on European grass made it tough to compete with other sons of Storm Cat that had made their reputations locally, and his first three Kentucky crops (at a fee between $10,000 and $7,500) aggregated to no more than 109 live foals. Nonetheless his first juveniles included a graded stakes winner, and sufficient glimpses of further promise to earn a transfer for 2005 to Castleton Lyons at a time when that farm had high ambition for its stallion roster. (Malibu Moon, for one, had arrived from Maryland not long before.) From his new base Bernstein produced a couple of domestic Grade I winners, Dream Empress and Miss World, plus Goshawk Ken in Japan, but none of those really consolidated. It was only in Argentina, where his shuttle crops had produced a series of champions, that his premature loss could be grieved as depriving breeders of an important influence. As so often happens, however, Bernstein had already planted the seeds of his redemption. His final crop, comprising 80 live foals, turned out to contain a colt and filly that would between them transform his legacy. On the racetrack, they won consecutive runnings of the GI Breeders' Cup Mile-and now, following a remarkable few days either side of the Atlantic, they have suddenly raised our debt to their sire to fresh heights. First came the poignant success at Newmarket of Delacroix (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), the final foal out of Bernstein's outstanding miler Tepin-just six days after his 3-year-old half-sister Grateful (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) had won the G1 Prix de Royallieu. Then, a few hours later at Keeneland, She Feels Pretty became the second Grade I winner by his standout male heir, Karakontie (Jpn), in the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup. We'll give each due consideration shortly, but for now let's just remind ourselves of their shared inheritance. For Bernstein represents one of the cornerstone formulas of the modern American breed, his fourth dam Busanda having branded one of several key lines (such as those associated with Striking and Searching) tracing to the combination of War Admiral with daughters of La Troienne (Fr). In drawing on the constitution and stamina she had shown on the track (if only when in the mood), Busanda's principal bequest was the legendary distaff influence Buckpasser. But it is her daughter by Nasrullah, a modest runner named Finance, who demands our attention here. After some early struggles in the breeding shed, failing to produce a live foal in five attempts, Finance eventually produced three moderate sons and, with what proved to be her final chance, a daughter by Round Table. This was La Mesa, whose own limitations as a racehorse would be effaced by several daughters that became good winners and/or producers from Harbor View Farm, notably champion juvenile filly Outstandingly (Exclusive Native) and La Affirmed herself. In addition to Bernstein, La Affirmed produced Classic-placed Della Francesca (Danzig); Emmaus (Silver Deputy), the dam of Wiseman's Ferry; plus those two other graded stakes winners by Storm Cat, Country Cat and Caress. The latter has particularly assisted the family, as dam of one stalwart Kentucky stallion Sky Mesa (Pulpit) and second dam of a younger gun in Maxfield (Street Sense). Obviously, the dams of Tepin and Karakontie brought plenty to the equation themselves, especially the latter as a granddaughter of the mighty Miesque; and, as we'll see in a moment, She Feels Pretty comes from a remarkable line of her own. Nonetheless it's gratifying to see that the real Bernstein was the one who disappeared after his first couple of starts, and that his posthumous rehabilitation remains ongoing. A Pretty Amazing Family The first thing to say about Karakontie's big Keeneland winner is that Lael Stables were “witty and bright” in evoking “I Feel Pretty”-the West Side Story song written by Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim-for a filly by a son of Bernstein out of a mare named Summer Sweet. More pertinently, perhaps, She Feels Pretty had a significant head start in life, raised as she was on Stone Farm for breeders Payson Stud. She duly made more than all but one of Karakontie's fifth-crop yearlings in 2022, bringing $240,000 as Hip 2466 at the September Sale. Karakontie at Gainesway | Sarah Andrew As we all know, it's tough to stand a turf horse in the Bluegrass. But Antony Beck and his team at Gainesway understand not only that every roster benefits from balance, but also that someday commercial breeders must finally recall how their more enlightened predecessors grasped the transferability of sheer class. Karakontie has perhaps the most cosmopolitan pedigree in Kentucky. As intimated above, his granddam shares with Kingmambo and East of The Moon the honor of having been suckled by Miesque; his own mother was by Sunday Silence, himself raised at Stone Farm and later the transformer of the Japanese breed and, of course, Bernstein extends a branch of the international Storm Cat sire-line. All this told in the acceleration that secured Karakontie a juvenile Group 1 and mile Classic in France, before a dashing win on a faster surface at the Breeders' Cup. The breeders of She Feels Pretty appear to have prized the formula that produced Karakontie's dam, Sun Is Up (Jpn): she was by a son of Halo (Sunday Silence, as noted) out of a Woodman mare; and so, too, was Summer Sweet's sire More Than Ready (who was by Southern Halo). Underpinning that symmetry, moreover, is a bottom line that reconciles the Niarchos family's work with Miesque to one of the earlier endeavors of their program's founder. For it was Stavros Niarchos who acquired the sixth dam of She Feels Pretty, G1 1,000 Guineas runner-up Konafa, for $625,000 at the Keeneland November Sale of 1980. She was by Damascus out of Royal Statute (Northern Dancer), the E.P. Taylor mare who subsequently tied together the pedigrees of Pour Moi (Ire), Lammtarra and Golden Sixty among many others. The Mr. Prospector filly Konafa was carrying at the time was named Proskona by Niarchos, and went on to win a couple of Group races in Europe. Konafa's next foal was Korveya (Riverman), later sold to British breeder Gerald Leigh after failing to reach her reserve at $700,000 at the 1989 Keeneland November Sale. It would turn out that Korveya already had two colts on the ground who would each win the G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains for Niarchos: her yearling by Woodman became Hector Protector; and her Procida weanling, Shanghai. Leigh himself proceeded to breed another Classic winner from Korveya, in Hector Protector's brother Bosra Sham, and had unsurprisingly returned the mare to Woodman to sell her (albeit to partners already in the mare) for a record-equalling $7 million back at Keeneland in 1998, when she was already 16. Unsurprisingly Leigh formed quite an attachment to this family! He had also ended up buying Proskona, and later went back to Niarchos for Proskona's granddaughter Summer Sonnet (GB) (Baillamont). From the latter he bred a top-class colt in Act One (GB) (In The Wings {GB}), only ever beaten by one horse, Sulamani (Ire), in what proved his swansong in the G1 Prix du Jockey-Club. Leigh died soon after, the bulk of his equine program being sold off to Sheikh Mohammed in a colossal private deal. Prior to Act One, Summer Sonnet had produced a couple of useful fillies by Caerleon: Summer Symphony (Ire), a Group 1 runner-up at two, and stakes winner Summer Solstice (Ire), who was astutely included among the stock retained by Leigh's daughter Sarah. Summer Solstice produced two stakes-winning sons plus a daughter, Summer Solo (Arch), who won her first three and ran third in the GI Belmont Oaks on her only other start. After Sarah Leigh's death in 2015, Virginia Kraft Payson recognized the quality condensed in this remnant of the line. When Summer Solo went under the hammer at the 2016 January Sale, in a part dispersal of Sarah Leigh's estate, the Payson Stud team duly paid $700,000 to top the auction. Moreover they also paid the next highest price of the sale, $550,000, for Summer Solo's half-sister by More Than Ready, who had just turned two. Summer Solo has since produced a couple of useful fillies in GII Demoiselle Stakes runner-up Maedean (Tapit) and GIII Selene Stakes winner Solo Album (Curlin). The More Than Ready filly, for her part, took 11 attempts to break her maiden (on dirt) before later adding a Belmont allowance on grass. But she is Summer Sweet, and She Feels Pretty is only her second foal. Full marks to Karakontie, for his contribution. He has maintained a very healthy ratio of stakes action, relative to his opportunities, throughout his stud career. Given the quality of his blood, indeed, it would be marvelous to see him find a male heir. For now, his three principal achievers remain female: Spendarella, his first Grade I winner in the Del Mar Oaks last year; multiple graded stakes winner and millionaire Princess Grace; and now She Feels Pretty. Nonetheless we must cede the principal laurels for last Saturday to the winner's maternal line. That's because, incredibly, it had actually claimed the same race last year, as well: Proskona, as noted the fifth dam of She Feels Pretty, is also the third dam of Mawj (Ire) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}), who in 2023 followed up her G1 1,000 Guineas success in the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup. Mawj, of course, is half-sister to Modern Games (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}). Some family, however, when two even Classic winners out of the same mare must be counted old news! Consecutive winners of this cherished prize, however, represents a fresh and pretty remarkable distinction. Tepin's Parting Flourish Much like her sire, meanwhile, Tepin has quickly magnified her legacy after a tragically premature exit. Her loss last year must have shattered her owners at Coolmore, who had paid $8 million for the champion racemare carrying a first foal by Curlin at Fasig-Tipton in November 2017. Any kind of silver lining was hard to find: her first two foals failed to make the track, and none was registered for 2020. Perhaps the next one, Grateful (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), was named for the fact that Tepin was at least producing daughters that might yet replicate her prowess. But she finished down the field in her only juvenile start, by which stage her owners must have felt thankful only for the smallest mercies. Tepin at Saratoga in 2016 | Horsephotos Things feel very different now. Grateful herself, for a start, has repeatedly regrouped whenever she has had reverse, startlingly so as her stamina was drawn out. If that suggests a greater inheritance from her sire, so be it. She now hastens to the paddocks, where she will not lack suitors eligible to supply some extra dash. But the big news meanwhile is that Dubawi appears to have given Tepin's final foal, and only son, rather more of those attributes that might entitle him to diffuse her legacy with a stud career. Green on debut, Delacroix made all over seven furlongs on fast ground next time. And while he still looked raw when promoted to Group company, closing late, he looked a lot more professional last weekend, dragging another smart prospect well clear. To be fair, the seeding of his maternal family has been entrusted to speed brands: Bernstein himself, obviously, in the case of the dam; while Tepin was out of a mare by another Ballydoyle sprinter in Stravinsky. The latter did not last the course, in time moved on to Japan, but his footprint in Europe was certainly all speed: think Soldier's Tale, Balmont, Benbaun (Ire). His daughter Life Happened, famously found for just $4,500 by Machmer Hall before producing Tepin (as well as Into Mischief's early star Vyjack), was unraced but her dam Round It Off (by Moccasin's son Apalachee) had been stakes-placed over five furlongs of turf. Round It Off additionally produced dual graded stakes winner Disco Rico (Citidancer) to be champion Maryland-bred sprinter of 2001. And her own dam was a graded stakes-placed (6f) daughter of the hardy Maryland mare Turn Capp (Turn to Reason), whose 20-for-44 career featured three minor stakes including at six furlongs. Turn Capp also features in the pedigree of that fast horse Smoke Glacken, as third dam. None of this, naturally, will have been lost on the Coolmore team, who went all-in for Tepin after identifying speed-packing mares as the ideal complement to Galileo. But it may turn out that switching her to their former antagonists' top gun Dubawi-who has always imparted far more zest than his dour maternal seeding might suggest-has redeemed Tepin's sadly abbreviated contribution to their program. The post Breeding Digest: East and West Sides to Bernstein Story appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Tickets are on sale now for the Irish Equine Veterinary Association (IEVA) Conference 2024, which takes place at Lyrath Estate Hotel, Kilkenny from November 7-9. To purchase tickets for the conference, featuring a programme of lectures, presentations, workshops and wetlabs, visit www.irisheva.ie. Participants also have the opportunity to sponsor an equine veterinary student to attend this year's conference in the second year of the IEVA's Future Proof Campaign. By sponsoring, equine veterinary industry stakeholders will be facilitating students to attend the conference and hear from the many speakers, as well as giving them the opportunity to meet potential mentors, employers and colleagues. The cost per student is €250 with no cap on the number of students that participants can sponsor. Sponsored students will get access to two full days of lectures, a ticket for the gala dinner and hotel accommodation. Students in their from fourth and final year at any university are able to apply by emailing Kerry Ryan at kerryryanevents@gmail.com. The deadline for sponsoring is Friday, November 1. The post Tickets Available for IEVA Conference 2024 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article