Wandering Eyes

Illicit Dreams will resume a new campaign in the Shane Batten Electrical (1100m) at Ruakaka on Saturday. Photo: Race Images South Sharp local filly Illicit Dreams will aim to continue her strong fresh-up record when resuming in the Shane Batten Electrical (1100m) at Ruakaka on Saturday. The daughter of Vancouver has shown plenty of talent over the shorter distances in her career, with a victory in the Listed Champagne Stakes (1200m) and a second placing behind Viva Vienna in the Listed Canterbury Belle Stakes (1200m) to her name. Her most recent victory came at Greymouth in January over 1100m while based with co-trainer Krystal Williams in Burnham, and the filly was spelled after finishing seventh in the Listed Gore Guineas (1335m) later that month. Illicit Dreams returned to Ruakaka in the care of Williams’ training partner Ken Rae, who was pleased with her resuming trial where she finished third behind Group 1 winner Pier, who won convincingly at Te Aroha on Monday. “She ran third behind a Group One winner in her trial in a really heavy track, and we didn’t push her too hard to have a nice quiet run,” Rae said. “She’s 100 percent on track for Saturday, and I expect her to go very well. She’s got a good fresh-up record and track record. “I’ll get her out to 1400m, but I think as a four-year-old she’s going to have a decent win later on over shorter distances.” Rae is also looking forward to commencing the career of well-related three-year-old Dan Vegas, who lines up on debut alongside stablemates Tide And Time and Dancing Dream in the Marsden Metals Group (1400m). A son of Per Incanto, Dan Vegas is by Miss Bluebell, who is out of a half-sister to Vegas Showgirl, the dam of Winx. Miss Bluebell has already produced recent Australian Listed winner Gringotts and well-performed mare Millefiori, and Dan Vegas impressed with a comfortable trial win at Ruakaka last month. “His trial was very good, he beat the second horse by three lengths and I hadn’t expected him to win, he was only really there for education,” Rae said. “He might be stretched at the 1400 the first time, but we decided to go that distance on our home track instead of 1200 on a heavy track somewhere else. “I’ve had a lot to do with Dirk and Nicki from Totara Park Stud (co-owners and co-breeders), they’ve been very good clients of mine and they own one of the two-year-old’s, Vegas Queen, who is pretty smart.” A filly by Proisir, Vegas Queen is one of three juvenile representatives for the stable in the Storage Bream Bay (1200m) and was eye-catching in her trial behind race-rival Patsy’s Dream. “She’s a very talented filly, a lovely big type who ran second in her trial to Eamonn’s (Green) horse Patsy’s Dream,” Rae said. “She’ll probably be a back runner from that draw (14) and need a bit of luck, but she’s going to be a very nice filly progressing on.” Super Rosa has also been engaged, the Super Seth filly having had four starts including a second on-debut behind stablemate Redemption in the south last September, while Chicago Dream is awaiting a start off the ballot. “Super Rosa is progressing well and has the ring craft, the other two haven’t got that yet,” Rae said. The stable’s contingent also includes Heart Of Alladin and Mischief Managed in the Marsden Cove Dental (1600m), and Vent Divin in the Trigg Construction (1600m). Horse racing news View the full article

Shamus will contest the Bream Bay Sprint (1400m) on Saturday at Ruakaka. Photo: Peter Rubery (Race Images Palmerston North) The appeal of better track conditions at Ruakaka has Moira and Keiran Murdoch eyeing a series of races for their team in the coming months, including talented five-year-old Shamus. A winner of six races, including the Group 2 Wellington Guineas (1400m) under the care of Allan Sharrock, Shamus joined the Murdoch’s earlier this year for a change of scenery, notably with their use of Karioitahi Beach for training. In his first appearance for the stable over 1200m at Te Rapa, the son of Shamexpress pressed on well for fifth behind Turn The Ace and has been allocated the 60kg top-weight for the Bay Sprint (1400m) on Saturday. “It was a nice first effort for us at Te Rapa, we’re sort of feeling our way with him,” Moira Murdoch said. “He’s got a fair bit of weight to carry, but I’m happy with his work and condition coming into the race. “I did enter him in the sprinter’s final at Ruakaka, I don’t think he’s really a mudder so we thought that would probably be the best option for him.” The ITM/GIB Sprinter’s Final (1400m) has attracted some strong early nominations for the mid-July meeting, including Group 1 performing mare Malt Time, who is a key rival for Shamus in Saturday’s race. Joining Shamus on the journey north is Full Noise, a Turn Me Loose three-year-old contesting the Marsden Metals Group (1400m) at his second race-day appearance. The gelding finished fourth on debut at Te Rapa on May 18 and is a half-brother to Mihaul, who won five of his six starts for the Murdoch’s in a short career. “He was a little bit lost left-handed at Te Rapa, so we’ve gone back to right-handed which he has trialled and had jump-outs over,” she said. “He’s got not-to-bad a draw (6), Tayla Mitchell on, and the step-up in distance will definitely suit him.” The partnership entered the winner’s circle earlier in the week at Te Aroha with Flying Gib breaking maidens, and Murdoch has pencilled in a trip to Ruakaka for the El Roca filly in search of better ground. “I was a bit worried about her in the heavy conditions on Monday, so I’m pleased we are heading to Ruakaka for her next effort,” she said. “It usually affords a pretty good surface at this time of the year, it’s just a bit of a trek to get up there at the moment.” Horse racing news View the full article

It’s been a long road to get to Queensland with dual Group One winner La Crique (NZ) (Vadamos), but trainers Simon and Katrina Alexander are relieved they are finally there. The Te Awamutu conditioners have crossed the Tasman with their stable star, who will kick-off her Queensland campaign in Saturday’s A$500,000 Magic Millions National Classic (1600m) at Eagle Farm. The daughter of Vadamos had been hampered with foot issues, which the Alexanders believe they are now on top of, and they were pleased with her resuming runner-up performance behind Karman Line (NZ) (Myboycharlie) in the Gr.3 Rotorua Stakes (1400m) at Arawa Park last month. “I felt it was one of her strongest 1400m that she has run,” Katrina Alexander said. “It has never been her greatest distance, it has always been her fresh-up run and she has always kicked on second-up after that very well. That is our line of thought for what we are doing here.” Alexander has been pleased with how La Crique has settled into her new environment at Ian and Kerry Taplins property on the Sunshine Coast, and is confident of a good showing this weekend. “She flew over on the 25th (of May), so she has had a good time to settle in here. She is up on the Sunshine Coast staying with the Taplins, and they have been absolutely brilliant,” Alexander said. “We are really happy with how she has been since she has been here. It is nice to feel that you are progressing on, which is brilliant.” While La Crique has missed the early part of the Queensland carnival, Alexander is looking at the silver lining, with plenty of feature races still in their sights. “We missed the part of the carnival that we thought we would initially come over for,” Alexander said. “We have got everything right at home and she was in pretty good shape in not having done a lot during the season at home. “We thought that we would take on this end of the carnival with her instead and we are pleased with the decision to bring her over. Hopefully she can put two or three races together. “We thought she slotted quite nicely into that (Magic Millions National Classic) with the conditions and the distance against the fillies and mares, so that has worked out quite nicely. “We will just see how she comes through the race and see what options we have. We are toying with the idea of the Tatts Tiara (Gr.1, 1400m). We have got no end goal or end finish date at this point over here.” La Crique has had just the one prior start in Australia, when finishing fourth behind compatriot Icebath (NZ) (Sacred Falls) in the Gr.1 Empire Rose Stakes (1600m) at Flemington two years ago. As with her Flemington outing, La Crique will have the services of leading Sydney hoop James McDonald aboard this weekend. “It is great to have him (McDonald) onboard again,” Alexander said. “I am hoping he finds a horse that is better set for a race than last time, she didn’t travel that well last time, where this time has been completely different.” Meanwhile, Alexander was pleased earlier in the week to see stablemate Trouvaille (NZ) (Vadamos) breakthrough for his maiden win at just the third time of asking in the NZB National Weanling Sale 2024 (1400m) at Te Aroha on Monday. “He is a horse that we have always known was a nice galloper,” Alexander said. “Being a Vadamos, he has just taken that bit of extra time and he has really started to mature, both mentally and physically in the last little bit. “It was nice to get a win under his belt and we will pop him aside and let him develop a little bit more and hopefully we get a nice season as a four-year-old into him. I think he just needed that little bit of age on him.” View the full article

La Crique will commence her Queensland campaign at Eagle Farm on Saturday. Photo: Race Images It’s been a long road to get to Queensland with dual Group 1 winner La Crique, but trainers Simon and Katrina Alexander are relieved they are finally there. The Te Awamutu conditioners have crossed the Tasman with their stable star, who will kick-off her Queensland campaign in Saturday’s A$500,000 Magic Millions National Classic (1600m) at Eagle Farm. The daughter of Vadamos had been hampered with foot issues, which the Alexanders believe they are now on top of, and they were pleased with her resuming runner-up performance behind Karman Line in the Group 3 Rotorua Stakes (1400m) at Arawa Park last month. “I felt it was one of her strongest 1400m that she has run,” Katrina Alexander said. “It has never been her greatest distance, it has always been her fresh-up run and she has always kicked on second-up after that very well. That is our line of thought for what we are doing here.” Alexander has been pleased with how La Crique has settled into her new environment at Ian and Kerry Taplins property on the Sunshine Coast, and is confident of a good showing this weekend. “She flew over on the 25th (of May), so she has had a good time to settle in here. She is up on the Sunshine Coast staying with the Taplins, and they have been absolutely brilliant,” Alexander said. “We are really happy with how she has been since she has been here. It is nice to feel that you are progressing on, which is brilliant.” While La Crique has missed the early part of the Queensland carnival, Alexander is looking at the silver lining, with plenty of feature races still in their sights. “We missed the part of the carnival that we thought we would initially come over for,” Alexander said. “We have got everything right at home and she was in pretty good shape in not having done a lot during the season at home. “We thought that we would take on this end of the carnival with her instead and we are pleased with the decision to bring her over. Hopefully she can put two or three races together. “We thought she slotted quite nicely into that (Magic Millions National Classic) with the conditions and the distance against the fillies and mares, so that has worked out quite nicely. “We will just see how she comes through the race and see what options we have. We are toying with the idea of the Tatts Tiara (Group 1, 1400m). We have got no end goal or end finish date at this point over here.” La Crique has had just the one prior start in Australia, when finishing fourth behind compatriot Icebath in the Group 1 Empire Rose Stakes (1600m) at Flemington two years ago. As with her Flemington outing, La Crique will have the services of leading Sydney hoop James McDonald aboard this weekend. “It is great to have him (McDonald) onboard again,” Alexander said. “I am hoping he finds a horse that is better set for a race than last time, she didn’t travel that well last time, where this time has been completely different.” Meanwhile, Alexander was pleased earlier in the week to see stablemate Trouvaille breakthrough for his maiden win at just the third time of asking in the NZB National Weanling Sale 2024 (1400m) at Te Aroha on Monday. “He is a horse that we have always known was a nice galloper,” Alexander said. “Being a Vadamos, he has just taken that bit of extra time and he has really started to mature, both mentally and physically in the last little bit. “It was nice to get a win under his belt and we will pop him aside and let him develop a little bit more and hopefully we get a nice season as a four-year-old into him. I think he just needed that little bit of age on him.” Horse racing news View the full article

Trainer Steven Cole. Photo: Trish Dunell Steven Cole will be out to recoup a measure of money spent on the Gold Coast this week with a quartet of runners at Ruakaka on Saturday. The Byerley Park trainer purchased two youngsters at the Magic Millions National Yearling Sale with the assistance of bloodstock agent Bevan Smith. They signed for a son of Tarzino out of Westbury Stud’s draft for A$110,000 and a Dundeel colt offered by Arrowfield Stud for A$75,000. “I didn’t go over and we had a good look over the Internet and sent Bevan some numbers that we liked,” Cole said. “He did all the leg work for us, which was quite good, and we got a couple, so it was a good result. “We were lucky this time and only had three horses vetted and two passed and we got them, it doesn’t normally happen that way.” The Tarzino colt is a half-brother to multiple winners Go Lottie and Who Loves Sushi and a direct descendant of Jezabeel, Group 1 winner of the Melbourne Cup (3200m) and Auckland Cup (3200m). The Dundeel yearling is a half-brother to three winners, including stakes performer Kazuhiko, and the family of elite level winners Microphone and Yell. “They are both well-bred horses and I had seen the Tarzino at Westbury before he went over and quite liked him, so we were happy to grab both of them,” Cole said. While juvenile Hard Attack is a doubtful runner in Saturday’s Storage Bream Bay 2YO, Cole will still have a worthy representative in debut hope Hewillrocyou who will be ridden by Ace Lawson-Carroll. “I probably won’t run Hard Attack from the bad draw (15) unless there’s a few scratchings before Saturday, but the others are on track and Hewillrocyou has been quite impressive in two trials,” he said. “There will be a bit of improvement to come and he’s a big horse who has copped everything that we’ve thrown at him. “We thought he might have been sold by now, but there’s been no interest so we’re happy to press on and race him.” Cole will be double handed in the Marsden Cove Dental Handicap (1600m) with Mega Mogul, to be partnered by Opie Bosson, and Courtney Barnes’ mount Mighty Bright. “Mega Mogul is a nice horse and we had a few little foot issues with him last prep, but they all seem to be alright now,” he said. “He has been working well and has gone well at Ruakaka in the past. “Mighty Bright is a bit in and out with his form and is a thinker, but he did go a good race last time at Pukekohe where he ran fourth so if he can replicate that then he’s half a chance.” Cole’s first runner on the card will be Wye Valley in the second event, the Trigg Construction Maiden (1600m) following her first-up effort for fifth on the course and will again be ridden by Barnes. “She has learned quite a lot from that and stepping up in trip will help her, especially with her pedigree for it would be good to see her go a good race for Wentwood Grange,” he said. Horse racing news View the full article

Central Districts jockey Chris Dell is enjoying a pleasing season in the saddle. Photo: Peter Rubery (Race Images Palmerston North) A combination of dedication and a willingness to travel continues to reward Central Districts jockey Chris Dell. He is enjoying a lucrative season with 30 winners on the board to be in sight of his previous best of 38 and with prospects to further advance his tally with a strong book of rides at Otaki on Saturday. “Hard work is paying off and I’m happy with the way things are going and getting the good results,” Dell said. “I bought a house in Palmerston North so it’s home now and I ride work at Awapuni and went to Foxton this (Thursday) morning to ride a couple of gallops as well. “I’ll go anywhere if I’m needed. I usually travel into the Taranaki district when there’s jump-outs so have saddle, will travel.” Dell has also posted a couple of black type victories, courtesy of the now retired Gino Severini in the Group 2 Tauranga Stakes (1600m) and Testify Me in the Listed Hawke’s Bay Cup (2200m). “I won on Gino as a 10-year-old for Bruce Wallace and Grant Cooksley and I used to work for Grant when I was based up in Auckland,” he said. “I had a long association with Gino after he came back from Hong Kong and he wasn’t the easiest to ride but I gelled well with him, so it was great to get a Group 2 success. “I won the Cup on Testify Me for Janelle Millar and she has been one of my main supporters, it’s really good to repay people who have been so good to me.” Also in that category is Lisa Latta and Dell will continue his strong association with the Awapuni trainer at Otaki. “Lisa really backs me and I’ve got five for her on Saturday and her team’s really on fire,” he said. “Coney Island is a very consistent horse, he’s still green though and once the penny drops, he’s going to be a very nice animal.” The son of Sacred Falls will contest the Odds Surge Every Race At Otaki Maiden (1600m) and has finished runner-up in three of his last four appearances. Final Chapter (Vets On Riverbank Maiden, 1600m), Prioress (The Tele Otaki Handicap, 1200m), Benefactor (New World Otaki Handicap, 2100m) and Lurid (McMillan Equine Feeds Handicap, 2100m) are his other rides for Latta. Dell also likes the chances of the Millar-trained Tiny Diamond in the Cavallo Farms & Chris Rutten Bloodstock Handicap (1600m). “He only got beaten a lip last time and he is really stepping up his game. The first and last races are probably my best two chances,” he said. Time Test three-year-old Tiny Diamond broke his maiden under Dell at Hawera two starts back and they were then narrowly denied at New Plymouth. Horse racing news View the full article

What Raconteur Stakes Day Where Belmont Racecourse – Saintly Entrance, Burswood WA 6100 When Saturday, June 1, 2024 First Race 11:59am AWST Visit Dabble The Listed Raconteur Stakes will headline the nine-race card at Belmont Park this Saturday afternoon. With a lot of rain forecast for Thursday and Saturday, it is expected that the track will only worsen from the Soft 6 rating into the Heavy range. The rail will be pushed out to the +8m position for the entire circuit, with the opening race scheduled to jump at 11:59am AWST. Raconteur Stakes Tip: The Boss Lady The Boss Lady will meet Generosity for the second straight start; however, this time around the Michael Lane-trained filly will have a 3.5kg weight swing in her favour to overturn a 1.4-length defeat over 1200m at this track. This daughter of Street Boss should be able to handle a wet track and appears ready to rise to 1400m for the first time in her career. From barrier 12, Chris Parnham will have to try and slot in midfield, and if he does, The Boss Lady can pick up valuable black type in Saturday’s feature event. Raconteur Stakes Race 8 – #9 The Boss Lady (12) 3yo Filly | T: Michael Lane | J: Chris Parnham (54.5kg) +320 with Bet365 Best Bet at Belmont: Twain’s Angel Twain’s Angel will be seeking to keep her undefeated start to her career intact as she lines up for her sixth start. The Sean & Jake Casey-trained filly settled outside the leader and was nursed along into the straight by Madi Derrick before she released the brakes to run away from her rivals to win comfortably. Derrick has been on board for all five starts on this daughter of Toronado, and with her 1.5kg claim, Twain’s Angel will only have to replicate her last start performance to win again. Best Bet Race 5 – #2 Twain’s Angel (7) 3yo Filly | T: Sean & Jake Casey | J: Madi Derrick (a1.5) (59.5kg) +100 with Neds Next Best at Belmont: Berbere Berbere will return from a 40-week spell with the benefit of two 950m trials at Lark Hill, where the Grant & Alana Williams-trained gelding finished in the placings both times. This daughter of Gingerbread Man is undefeated first-up (2:2-0-0) and has a good record on wet tracks (5:2-1-0). With William Pike taking the ride from barrier four, Berbere should be able to settle in the one-one position and peel off the leaders’ heels to let down with a strong finish. Next Best Race 3 – #3 Berbere (4) 4yo Gelding | T: Grant & Alana Williams | J: William Pike (58.5kg) +140 with PlayUp Best Value at Belmont: Becalotti After finishing in the top four and each of her four starts this preparation, Becalotti from the Tiarnna Robertson stable will get conditions to suit her when she rises to 1400m and finds a wet track. This daughter of A Lot has only missed the placings once on a Soft or Heavy track (4:2-1-0) and has a strong record at Belmont (7:2-2-0). Jarrad Noske has been on board for every run this time in and from barrier 12, he should be able to settle outside the leader, and if Becalotti kicks clear with 300m to go, she will prove very hard to run down. Best Value Race 9 – #3 Becalotti (12) 4yo Mare | T: Tiarnna Robertson | J: Jarrad Noske (58.5kg) +850 with Picklebet Saturday quaddie tips for Belmont races Belmont quadrella selections Saturday, June 8, 2024 1-2-5 2-8-10 2-5-8-9-10 1-3-6-9 | Copy this bet straight to your betslip Horse racing tips View the full article

What Queensland Oaks Day 2024 Where Eagle Farm Racecourse – 230 Lancaster Rd, Ascot QLD 4007 When Saturday, June 8, 2024 First Race 11:43am AEST Visit Dabble The Group 1 Queensland Oaks will headline another big day of racing at Eagle Farm, where the first of nine events is set to go at 11:43pm AEST. The track was rated as a Soft 5 at the time of acceptances, but with no rain and sunny conditions forecast for Friday and Saturday, the surface will improve into the Good range before the start of the meeting. The rail will be pushed out slightly from last weekend to the +2.5m position for the entire circuit. Race 1: Benchmark 90 Handicap (1810m) Returning to Eagle Farm proved to be pivotal for Sunset Soiree and her winning chances as the Tony Gollan-trained mare claimed a narrow victory over 1600m last Saturday. This daughter of Deep Field will be on a seven-day backup and will rise in trip to 1810m, a distance that she is undefeated at throughout her career. With Angela Jones retaining the ride and a light weight on her back, Sunset Soiree can bring up back-to-back wins in the opening event. Selections: 14 SUNSET SOIREE 7 PRINCESS RHAENYS 10 AGE OF SAIL 11 SNEAK PREVIEW Race 2: Class 6 Handicap (1200m) Vodka Martini produced a much better performance second-up for this preparation when he peaked on his run in the final 100m but was able to hold onto third place at Doomben over 1110m. With a strong third-up (2:2-0-0) and distance record (4:2-2-0), Kelly Schweida appears to have found the right race for this four-year-old gelding. From barrier four, Cejay Graham can push forward and settle in the first three or four before peeling off the leaders back to let down with a strong finish. Selections: 8 VODKA MARTINI 5 PIZZARO 4 MILANE 10 LOST IN TRANSIT Race 3: Listed The Phoenix (1500m) Canara will be one of the more experienced two-year-olds in The Phoenix; however, the Chris Waller-trained filly is still seeking to break her maiden after six starts. This daughter of I Am Invincible was placed in the Listed Bill Carter Stakes last start, where she finished 4.5 lengths off the second horse but spaced the rest of the field in the concluding stages. With Tommy Berry retaining the ride as she rises from 1200m to 1500m here, Canara will get every chance to break through for her first win in a race with very little separating the field. Selections: 9 CANARA 8 AEMELIUS 2 DUE CALZINI 1 BEAU DAZZLER Race 4: Listed Lightning Handicap (1000m) Golden Boom looks to have returned a much more mature horse in his fourth racing preparation, following his tough on-speed victory over 1110m in the Listed Chief De Beers Handicap at Doomben first-up. With that run under his belt and now that he drops back to 1000m second-up, the Tony Gollan-trained galloper appears to be one of the better bets on the Eagle Farm program. Craig Williams will push forward and take up the lead from barrier nine, and if Golden Boom shows the same tenacity and fight in the concluding stages, he will prove very hard to get past. Selections: 7 GOLDEN BOOM 12 SHALAA’S MOMENT 1 SHOOTING FOR GOLD 10 XTRAVAGANT STAR Next Best Race 4 – #7 Golden Boom (9) 4yo Gelding | T: Tony Gollan | J: Craig Williams (56.5kg) +220 with PlayUp Race 5: Listed Spear Chief Handicap (1500m) After racing on Heavy and Soft tracks to kick off this preparation, Yellow Brick will finally get onto his preferred Good surface third-up, where the Tony & Maddysen Sears-trained gelding should be at peak fitness. Although he was beaten by 1.6 lengths in the Group 3 BRC Sprint, the son of The Mission ran through the line as strong as any of his rivals, and he appears to be looking for 1500m now. The booking of James McDonald signals intent from the stable, and if he can settle in the one-one position from barrier three, Yellow Brick will get every chance to break his run of outs. Selections: 3 YELLOW BRICK 8 WATEGOES 2 NAMAZU 4 COASTWATCH Best Bet Race 5 – #3 Yellow Brick (3) 4yo Gelding | T: Tony & Maddysen Sears | J: James McDonald (59.5kg) +180 with Neds Race 6: Listed Queensland Day Stakes (1200m) Skirt The Law has been working into this preparation well after racing over 1000m and 1110m to begin this campaign, and her last start showed that the Tony Gollan-trained filly is looking for 1200m third-up. The daughter of Better Than Ready finished off strongly last start before peaking in the final 50m of the race to record a fourth-place finish. From barrier one, Tommy Berry can allow this girl settle to behind a hot speed on the rail, save ground around the home turn, and finish off strongly. Selections: 5 SKIRT THE LAW 1 HEDGED 6 INHIBITIONS 7 TIGER SHARK Best Value Race 6 – #5 Skirt The Law (1) 3yo Filly | T: Tony Gollan | J: Tommy Berry (58kg) +1000 with Picklebet Race 7: Magic Millions National Classic (1600m) After recording the fastest last 600m and 200m sections of the Group 3 Pam O’Neill Stakes to finish a narrow runner-up last start, Osmose will be looking to go one better on Saturday. The Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott-trained mare raced out of her comfort zone at the back of the field; however, the five-year-old mare handled it well and let down with a strong finish over 1600m. From barrier nine, Adam Hyeronimus will attempt to slot in midfield off the fence, and if she is within three lengths of the leaders turning for home, Osmose can play a prominent role in the finish. Selections: 3 OSMOSE 1 LA CRIQUE 7 FALL FOR CINDY 4 THALASSOPHILE Race 8: Group 1 Queensland Oaks (2200m) The 2024 Queensland Oaks field looks to be one of the better editions of the race in some time, and most of the runners come through the same form lines to compete in their target race of the Queensland Racing Carnival. Five of the 18 runners hail from the Chris Waller stable, and the master trainer will be seeking to claim his fourth Oaks in nine years. Check out HorseBetting’s free preview of the 2024 Queensland Oaks here Race 9: Group 2 Moreton Cup (1200m) Tony Gollan and Mark Zahra will look to cap off the day with a winner when they combine with All That Pizzazz in the Moreton Cup. The four-year-old gelding finished off strongly over 1000m at the Sunshine Coast last start, and even though he carried top weight on a Heavy track, the son of Spirit Of Boom showed that he is ready for 1200m third-up. If Zahra can settle closer to the speed from barrier four, All That Pizzazz should have too much speed for his rivals in the concluding stages of the race. Selections: 5 ALL THAT PIZZAZZ 15 OPAL RIDGE 13 IOWNA MERC 10 WHAT YOU NEED Moreton Cup Race 9 – #5 All That Pizzazz (4) 4yo Gelding | T: Tony Gollan | J: Mark Zahra (56kg) +850 with Dabble Eagle Farm free Saturday quaddie tips Eagle Farm quadrella selections Saturday, June 8, 2024 1-5-6 1-3-4-7 1-4-11 5-10-13-15 | Copy this bet straight to your betslip Horse racing tips View the full article

Due to a bicep injury, veteran NT jockey Paul Shiers will not be able to defend his Darwin Cup title at this year’s carnival. With the Darwin Cup Carnival imminent, four senior NT jockeys are sidelined. Top End trio Paul Shiers (bicep), Adam Nicholls (wrist) and Wayne Davis (back), as well as Alice Springs’ Phil Crich (illness) are either recuperating or receiving treatment. Shiers, 51, suffered his injury at the start of a race on February 9, and Nicholls, 45, came to grief on March 16 when dislodged from his horse after it reared backing out of the gates. Davis, 53, was thrown from his mount during trackwork on May 4, while Crich, 55, hasn’t ridden since the May 11 meeting at Fannie Bay. Shiers, Davis and Crich won’t feature during the Darwin Cup Carnival, while Nicholls hopes to be available when it kicks off on July 6. For Saturday’s meeting, only 10 jockeys are available, but Thoroughbred Racing NT chief executive officer Andrew O’Toole is confident numbers will increase before the carnival. Red Centre-based Jessie Philpot, Dan Morgan, Dakota Gillett and Lek Maloney are also waiting in the wings. “Paul left the gates and felt a pop in his right arm,” O’Toole said. “He thought it was a cramp and rode in another race that day, but the bicep muscle had torn off the bone. “They flew him to Brisbane because the longer you leave it, the harder it is to reattach. “The treatment proved successful and he now has his arm out of the sling. “He recently started a program to build the strength up in the arm. “’Shiersy’ will hopefully be back post-carnival, maybe September. “As for Adam, his horse went halfway in, backed out, spun around, jumped in the air and he came down from a fair height. “He suffered a distal radius fracture to his right wrist — it was repaired with plates and pins. “It’s healed pretty well and he hopes to resume race riding in three weeks. “’Chippy’ returned to trackwork this week saying the wrist wasn’t giving him any trouble, but he’ll have to lose several kilos before carnival.” For Davis, who had a stint in Geraldton from October to January, it was his third serious accident in Darwin since 2021. With five fractured ribs and spinal damage to his T11 vertebrae, he admitted it was his worst career injury after 37 years of riding. “I believe Wayne had a meeting with specialist from interstate on Tuesday,” O’Toole said. “They had to wait for the injury to settle so they could have a look at the MRI results and X-rays to see if they needed to do anything else. “He’s up and about and walking, but he has a back brace. “Wayne is one of those upbeat people, but he will be out of action for some time.” As for Crich, he has been receiving treatment for an unspecified illness at Royal Darwin Hospital. “Phil has been unwell, they flew him up from Alice Springs for treatment and tests,” O’Toole said. “Hopefully, we’ll know more sooner rather than later, but he’s presently out and we’re just not sure when he’ll return.” Horse racing news View the full article

On the back of four straight wins at Happy Valley, the progressive galloper tackles Class Two company for the first time on SaturdayView the full article

Baffert's Prince of Monaco hits the Spa track as the morning-line favorite despite having not raced since running fifth in the Nov. 3 Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1). Prior to that, he had won his first three starts including the Del Mar Futurity (G1).View the full article

The 2024 Queensland Oaks at Eagle Farm promises a thrilling contest with a capacity field of three-year-old fillies vying for the $700,000 prize. Chris Waller, a three-time Queensland Oaks winning trainer, takes centre stage with five confirmed runners even after the stable’s early withdrawal of Tutta La Vita (16). Heading the Waller contingent is favourite […] The post Waller Chases Fourth Queensland Oaks in 2024 with Favourite Scarlet Oak appeared first on HorseRacing.com.au. View the full article

When Nicole Finch joined the team at Spendthrift Farm as the Marketing & Experience Coordinator in 2022, the fact that Omaha Beach–one of her favorite racehorses–was on the stallion roster wasn't the main reason she applied, but it certainly sweetened the deal. Though her fondness for the dark bay son of War Front certainly grew as she followed his career on the track, it was his name and the deeper meaning behind it that intrigued Finch from the beginning. Finch learned about the importance of the stallion's namesake, one of five beach landing areas during the Allied Invasion of Normandy in World War II, and the overall significance of WWII from her father and grandfather, both military veterans. “[On] Saturday morning, you're watching cartoons, and then dad comes in and changes it to the History Channel. I'd get mad and want to leave the room, and he'd say, 'No, sit down. This is important.' Of course I hated it as a child, but as I got older, I started to realize how important that period of time was,” said Finch. She continued to learn as much as she could about WWII, a thirst for knowledge bolstered by her childhood home's close proximity to the National WWII Museum in New Orleans, La. Later on, in 2018, Finch and her father traveled to Europe together to tour historic WWII sites as part of the Band of Brothers Tour series, based on Stephen Ambrose's book and the 10-part HBO series it inspired that recounts the achievements of Easy Company during WWII. “It was really awesome going on that tour with that group in particular because when they started doing that tour, they brought the actual veterans with them. When I was there, they'd pull me over and say, 'Stand right there. That's the exact spot where [Carwood] Lipton landed on D-Day.' If you watch Band of Brothers, everywhere they went, we went. That trip was pretty life changing, in ways I can't really describe. It gave me a new appreciation,” said Finch. “It was also wild to go over there and see so many American flags in a foreign country. Every window has an American flag in it, so that was pretty crazy.” During that trip, Finch met a group of WWII veterans who had traveled over with the Best Defense Foundation (BDF), a nonprofit organization that works with military veterans and their families to give them an opportunity to return to the battlefields where they served. Mesmerized by the veterans' stories and the work of the BDF, Finch was inspired to take her passion for the history of WWII one step further. After sleuthing the internet, she came across the World War II Airborne Demonstration Team Foundation, based in Frederick, Okla. The Foundation, formed to remember, honor and serve the memory of the American men and women who fought and died in WWII, hosts a parachute school for members to learn and participate in active parachute jumping in the style of the WWII airborne soldier. Finch and Omaha Beach | Courtesy Nicole Finch Once she learned about the Foundation, Finch set a new goal: attend the parachute school and travel to Normandy, France to participate in remembrance jumps during the 80th anniversary of D-Day in 2024. And, she did. After sitting on the waitlist for two years, Finch traveled from her home in Louisville, Ky., to Oklahoma in October 2023 to participate in the nine-day “WWII Experience” parachuting school based out of the Frederick Army Air Field, a vintage WWII facility. “We basically start at 5:30 in the morning and go until probably 7:00 or 8:00 at night for three days, and that's just spent learning what you're supposed to do. They throw a ton of information at you, but once you get that information, that's all the information there is. Then it's just repetition over and over again in different scenarios. They put you in hanging harnesses and we have a big blow-up thing that you can jump on. You're jumping out of the actual door that we're going to jump out of when we're in the air. So, you get to apply all of that in a practical setting,” explained Finch. “After those three days, we have a practical exam where they put us in the harness, give us a scenario, and we have to show and tell them what we would do if we run into a power line or go into water or run into a tree, or if we have a certain malfunction, if we have a line over, etc. And there's also a written exam. “I was the only female in my class, so I felt pressure to perform to the standards of the males. I didn't feel pressure from any of the guys [themselves], but I put a lot of pressure on myself and there were times that I got pretty freaking frustrated. I'm like, 'Why can't my body do this?' It was very intense, both physically and mentally, more than I thought it was going to be. But I passed everything the first go-round, and then I was moved into jump status, and after that it's just a waiting game for when the weather is right to jump.” During her time at the parachute school, she completed five jumps and received her wings as a graduate of the course. Once officially a member, she continued to prepare for her planned trip to Normandy in early June by heading out to Oklahoma a week prior to this year's GI Kentucky Derby for a refresher course. Finch jumped twice more, bringing her grand total of jumps to seven. “Our team owns two DC-3 [airplanes]. One is a C-47, named Boogie Baby, and one is a C-49, named Wild Kat. Boogie Baby actually dropped troopers on D-Day, but had several other combat missions, and Wild Kat also had combat missions during WWII. They're both over 80 years old. We have those planes to jump out of and that makes us unique,” said Finch. This week in Normandy, 38-year-old Finch's dream has become reality as she prepares for the 10th jump of her parachuting career with the WWII Airborne Demonstration Team. It will occur on Thursday, June 6, marking the 80th anniversary of D-Day, and take place right outside of Graignes-Mesnil-Angot. It will be the third and final jump of her trip, following one that took place Monday, June 3 outside of the town of St. Marie-du-Mont and another she participated in on Tuesday, June 4 at Boutteville. During her first jump of the week, she carried a photo of Al Mampre, a WWII veteran she met during her trip over in 2018. The two had met on the drop zone where Mampre had landed 74 years prior for Operation Market Garden, an Allied military operation fought in the German-occupied Netherlands. Since their meeting, Mampre has passed away, though Finch does all she can to honor his legacy and others. Nicole Finch holds a photo of WWII veteran Al Mampre, to whom she dedicated her June 3 jump | Joe Glyda “I think maybe it means a little more to me because my family [served]. It's an honor to be able to continue to share the stories [of these veterans]. For instance, the veterans that I met in 2018, none of those guys are still alive. So being able to jump with Mr. Al's picture in my pocket, and continuing to tell his story even after he's passed, that is the most important part to me,” said Finch. “They were kids [during the war]. They were citizen soldiers. Can you imagine jumping out of an airplane in the dead of night at 16, 17? Some were even younger. They were dropping super low to the ground where they barely had time for their parachutes to open, or they were going 200 miles an hour. When they jumped out and hit the prop glass, they lost their aim and their weapons were literally falling to the ground, so [they landed] with no way to defend themselves. And then they were falling in the wrong place, scattered all over Normandy. “People say to me, 'You're so awesome. You're so brave.' And I say, 'No one's going to be shooting at me. I know exactly where I'm landing. We're going to be going at the exact speed that we need to and we're dropping from the exact height that we need to be at.' If you look at it that way, you're like, well, I'm not really doing anything that special, you know what I mean?” But on the contrary. It's in those moments on a plane so high above the world, when Finch is fully decked out in her parachuting gear and preparing herself for a jump, that the importance of what she's doing and the purpose behind it drowns out any fear, insecurities or self-doubt. “Our planes have pictures of veterans in them. I get in the plane; the engines kick on and I always look at my watch and see that my heart rate is through the roof. I'm trying to calm myself down, get the adrenaline piped down a little bit, but once I look at those faces [in the pictures], it's calming,” said Finch. “As an organization, our motto is 'remember honor, serve,' so we want to remember and keep their memories alive. This is probably the last big anniversary we'll have with [these veterans], because when we go back for the 85th, they won't be with us anymore. It is up to us to tell their stories.” Even though she is surrounded by the thrill that is horse racing on a daily basis, there's nothing quite as exhilarating or impactful as what she's doing with the WWII Airborne Demonstration Team. Finch transformed a childhood curiosity into a fully-fledged passion as an adult and for her, there is no greater honor than to participate in the 80th anniversary of D-Day. The post Spendthrift’s Nicole Finch Parachutes in Normandy on D-Day Anniversary to Honor WWII Veterans appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Steven Cole will be out to recoup a measure of money spent on the Gold Coast this week with a quartet of runners at Ruakaka on Saturday. The Byerley Park trainer purchased two youngsters at the recent Australian Yearling Sale with the assistance of bloodstock agent Bevan Smith. They signed for a son of Tarzino out of Westbury Stud’s draft for A$110,000 and a Dundeel colt offered by Arrowfield Stud for A$75,000. “I didn’t go over and we had a good look over the Internet and sent Bevan some numbers that we liked,” Cole said. “He did all the leg work for us, which was quite good, and we got a couple, so it was a good result. “We were lucky this time and only had three horses vetted and two passed and we got them, it doesn’t normally happen that way.” The Tarzino colt is a half-brother to multiple winners Go Lotte (NZ) (Telperion) and Who Loves Sushi (NZ) (Swiss Ace) and a direct descendant of Jezabeel (NZ) (Zabeel), Group One winner of the Melbourne Cup (3200m) and Auckland Cup (3200m). The Dundeel yearling is a half-brother to three winners, including stakes performer Kazuhiko (Deep Impact), and the family of elite level winners Microphone (Excced and Excel) and Yell (Anabaa). “They are both well-bred horses and I had seen the Tarzino at Westbury before he went over and quite liked him, so we were happy to grab both of them,” Cole said. While juvenile Hard Attack (NZ) (All Too Hard) is a doubtful runner in Saturday’s Storage Bream Bay 2YO, Cole will still have a worthy representative in debut hope Hewillrocyou (NZ) (El Roca) who will be ridden by Ace Lawson-Carroll. “I probably won’t run Hard Attack from the bad draw (15) unless there’s a few scratchings before Saturday, but the others are on track and Hewillrocyou has been quite impressive in two trials,” he said. “There will be a bit of improvement to come and he’s a big horse who has copped everything that we’ve thrown at him. “We thought he might have been sold by now, but there’s been no interest so we’re happy to press on and race him.” Cole will be double handed in the Marsden Cove Dental Handicap (1600m) with Mega Mogul (Written Tycoon), to be partnered by Opie Bosson, and Courtney Barnes’ mount Mighty Bright (Power). “Mega Mogul is a nice horse and we had a few little foot issues with him last prep, but they all seem to be alright now,” he said. “He has been working well and has gone well at Ruakaka in the past. “Mighty Bright is a bit in and out with his form and is a thinker, but he did go a good race last time at Pukekohe where he ran fourth so if he can replicate that then he’s half a chance.” Cole’s first runner on the card will be Wye Valley (NZ) (Darci Brahma) in the second event, the Trigg Construction Maiden (1600m) following her first-up effort for fifth on the course and will again be ridden by Barnes. “She has learned quite a lot from that and stepping up in trip will help her, especially with her pedigree for it would be good to see her go a good race for Wentwood Grange,” he said. Bred and raced by the Hawkins family, Wye Valley is a half-sister by Darci Brahma to the Gr.1 Herbie Dyke Stakes (2000m) winner Valley Girl (NZ) (Mastercraftsman). View the full article

A combination of dedication and a willingness to travel continues to reward Central Districts jockey Chris Dell. He is enjoying a lucrative season with 30 winners on the board to be in sight of his previous best of 38 and with prospects to further advance his tally with a strong book of rides at Otaki on Saturday. “Hard work is paying off and I’m happy with the way things are going and getting the good results,” Dell said. “I bought a house in Palmerston North so it’s home now and I ride work at Awapuni and went to Foxton this (Wednesday) morning to ride a couple of gallops as well. “I’ll go anywhere if I’m needed. I usually travel into the Taranaki district when there’s jump-outs so have saddle, will travel.” Dell has also posted a couple of black type victories, courtesy of the now retired Gino Severini in the Gr.2 Tauranga Stakes (1600m) and Testify Me in the Listed Hawke’s Bay Cup (2200m). “I won on Gino as a 10-year-old for Bruce Wallace and Grant Cooksley and I used to work for Grant when I was based up in Auckland,” he said. “I had a long association with Gino after he came back from Hong Kong and he wasn’t the easiest to ride but I gelled well with him, so it was great to get a Group Two success. “I won the Cup on Testify Me for Janelle Millar and she has been one of my main supporters, it’s really good to repay people who have been so good to me.” Also in that category is Lisa Latta and Dell will continue his strong association with the Awapuni trainer at Otaki. “Lisa really backs me and I’ve got five for her on Saturday and her team’s really on fire,” he said. “Coney Island is a very consistent horse, he’s still green though and once the penny drops, he’s going to be a very nice animal.” The son of Sacred Falls will contest the TAB Odds Surge Every Race At Otaki Maiden (1600m) and has finished runner-up in three of his last four appearances. Final Chapter (Vets On Riverbank Maiden, 1600m), Prioress (The Tele Otaki Handicap, 1200m), Benefactor (New World Otaki Handicap, 2100m) and Lurid (McMillan Equine Feeds Handicap, 2100m) are his other rides for Latta. Dell also likes the chances of the Millar-trained Tiny Diamond in the Cavallo Farms & Chris Rutten Bloodstock Handicap (1600m). “He only got beaten a lip last time and he is really stepping up his game. The first and last races are probably my best two chances,” he said. Time Test three-year-old Tiny Diamond broke his maiden under Dell at Hawera two starts back and they were then narrowly denied at New Plymouth. View the full article

Helene Warrior gives Danny Shum a brace. Riding a euphoric wave after Romantic Warrior’s stunning Group 1 Yasuda Kinen (1600m) triumph in Tokyo on Sunday (2 June), Danny Shum was again to the fore at Happy Valley on Wednesday night (5 June) with a double. Shum struck with Hong Kong first-starter Packing Power and Helene Warrior to boost his domestic tally for the 2023/24 season to 47 wins – a tally capped by Romantic Warrior’s victories in the Group 1 Hong Kong Cup (2000m), Group 1 Hong Kong Gold Cup (2000m) and the Group 1 FWD QEII Cup (2000m). The star middle-distance galloper has safely returned to Hong Kong following his Yasuda Kinen triumph – his second overseas victory this season following success in the Group 1 Cox Plate (2040m) at Moonee Valley in October. Shum struck tonight with a pair of three-year-olds as the master horseman paraded fresh talent while extending his lead in the Happy Valley standings, where he now has 30 wins for the season, one more than Caspar Fownes (29). By Toronado, Australian-bred Packing Power claimed the first section of the Class 4 Mount Nicholson Handicap (1200m) under Zac Purton to provide the six-time champion jockey with his 110th win of the campaign. “He (Packing Power) is still very green and he can improve a bit more. He’s not a superstar, but he’s got some talent,” Shum said. “Hopefully he will improve next season. He might have a break now, but I’ll just talk to the owners.” Helene Warrior earned a PP Bonus of HK$1.5 million after landing the Class 3 Shouson Hill Handicap (1650m) under a brilliant ride from Lyle Hewitson, who box-seated in third place on the rails behind leader Frantanck before sprinting strongly in the straight. “He loved the soft ground and a strong pace was good for him because he could hit the line strong,” Shum said. Purton completed a double when David Hall-trained Northern Beast clinched the Class 4 Wong Nai Chung Gap Handicap (1650m). By Maurice, Northern Beast was the second leg of a brace for Hall, who struck earlier with Sharpen Bright. Hall, who now has 38 wins for the season, attributed Sharpen Bright’s easy victory in the Class 4 Tai Tam Gap Handicap (2200m) to Karis Teetan’s clinical ride as the Redwood gelding posted his second course and distance victory of the season. “From the barrier (gate two), Karis executed very well,” Hall said. “From where he was, and with his staying ability, he was going to be hard to beat.” Fownes and Hugh Bowman combined with Daring Pursuit to claim the Class 4 Cricket Club Valley Stakes Handicap (1650m) before Happy Fat Cat slotted his fourth win of the season for Cody Mo with success in the second section of the Class 3 Violet Hill Handicap (1200m). Ridden patiently by Ellis Wong, the Shalaa gelding swept down the middle of the track to deny Kyrus Dragon by a head. A first-season trainer, Mo finished the evening with the first double of his career when Matthew Chadwick piloted California Touch to victory in the first section of the Class 3 Violet Hill Handicap (1200m). California Touch earned a PP bonus of HK$1.5 million for the win. Ben Thompson notched his sixth win of the season with a well-judged ride on Jamie Richards-trained Ernest Feeling in the second section of the Class 4 Mount Nicholson Handicap (1200m). “It’s fantastic, he’s a very fit horse and a winner at the Valley before, we needed a bit of luck from barrier nine, but it panned out nicely – they went very quick,” Thompson said. “We had a pretty cosy run but the big thing was handling the conditions – wet track and he had no issues on it. Jamie Richards has been a great supporter of mine since I landed here and it’s nice to reward him and get another winner.” Dennis Yip-trained Good View Glory broke through at his 13th attempt to snare the Class 5 Stanley Gap Handicap (1000m) under Andrea Atzeni. Hong Kong racing continues at Sha Tin on Saturday (8 June) from 4pm HKT. Horse racing news View the full article

With Mychel Sanchez aboard, the 4-year-old daughter of Lord Nelson cut early fractions of :22.43 for the quarter-mile and :46.42 for the half-mile before completing the six furlongs in 1:13.10 over a fast main track. View the full article

The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority recently ruled that any horse shipping in directly from Louisiana to a racetrack under HISA jurisdiction will be immediately placed on the veterinarian's list. View the full article

One day after the Louisiana State Racing Commission rolled back changes set to go into place on June 8 to allow more permissive use of Clenbuterol and Depo-Medrol, the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority sent a memo to owners, trainers, regulatory veterinarians, and track management advising that horses coming out of Louisiana must be placed on the vets' list. While the LSRC did go back to the ARCI model rules on those two drugs, they did not make changes to tens of others where guidelines for their usage deviated widely from the ARCI rules after an “emergency meeting” established the new, more lax rules. “The Louisiana State Racing Commission recently approved an emergency update to their controlled medication schedule for thoroughbred racing by adding additional medications and changing allowable dosage and/or withdrawal times (the “Emergency Rule”),” wrote HISA in the memo. “The Emergency Rule, which was modified in part during an emergency public meeting held on June 4, 2024, will reportedly take effect in Louisiana on Saturday, June 8, 2024. “HISA has reviewed the Emergency Rule (as modified during the public meeting on June 4, 2024) and HISA's Veterinary Team has determined that it poses significant risks to both equine welfare and the integrity of Thoroughbred racing. Some of the changes contemplated in the Emergency Rule contradict the weight of scientific evidence and long-established industry standards for medication controls. For example, the 50 ng/ml threshold (24 hours) for Flunixin is permissive of administration at less than 24 hours prior to a race, which can produce a systemic effect that would mask unsoundness and jeopardize the safety and welfare of the horse.Moreover, the Emergency Rule's dosage specification for Betamethasone deviates significantly from existing ARCI Guidelines developed based on studies funded by the Racing Medication & Testing Consortium and others. These are only two of the serious concerns presented by the Emergency Rule.” As such, beginning June 8, the memo says, any horse shipping to another track from Louisiana will be considered “medically compromised and unfit to race.” This includes, but is not limited to, Covered Horses that: Shipped in directly from Louisiana; Since June 8, 2024, have performed a workout at a training facility or racetrack located in Louisiana; and/or Since June 8, 2024, have competed in a race at a racetrack located in Louisiana. Louisiana shippers will remain on the vets' list until the horse performs a workout under the supervision of the regulatory veterinarian and demonstrates to the satisfaction of the vet that the horse is sound to race, and ;until a blood sample is collected from the horse at the owner's expense following the workout and the sample has been reported as negative, the memo says. “HISA understands some of the horses covered by this memorandum will not be flagged until they have entered a race in your jurisdiction,” the memo continues. “These horses must be scratched unless they have already completed the requirements set forth in the preceding paragraph. Upon leaving Louisiana, trainers may immediately initiate the vets' list protocol set forth in this memorandum by notifying the regulatory veterinarian in the applicable jurisdiction who will then place the Covered Horse on the Vets' List.” The post Louisiana Horses Will Go On the Vets’ List When They Ship Out appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

With Mychel Sanchez aboard, the 4-year-old daughter of Lord Nelson cut early fractions of :22.43 for the quarter-mile and :46.42 for the half-mile before completing the six furlongs in 1:13.10 over a fast-main track. View the full article

With entrants ranging from a $2.3-million sales-topping yearling to a homebred, the $2-million GI Belmont S. turns a new page in 2024 with its first running at Saratoga Race Course. Here we take a look at the origins of all 10 entrants in the Classic, including the GI Kentucky Derby and GI Preakness S. winners. 1). Seize the Grey (Arrogate–Smart Shopping, by Smart Strike) Mill Ridge's Headley Bell purchased Shop Again, second dam of Seize the Grey, for $450,000 at the 2007 Keeneland November sale on behalf of Tolie Otto, who nurtured the family through two generations until she passed away in 2023. Now her daughter, Audie, is carrying on the family's Jamm Ltd., the name under which Seize the Grey was bred at Mill Ridge. Shop Again, a half to GISW Miss Shop and GSW/MGISP Trappe Shot, produced GISW Power Broker and Aqueduct SW Fierce Boots in addition to Smart Shopping. It was Bell who recommended the Arrogate mating that resulted in Seize the Grey and the Mill Ridge consignment which sold the Preakness winner as a yearling at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale to MyRacehorse for $300,000. Juddmonte's late Arrogate, who left just three crops before his premature passing, sired last year's Belmont winner in Arcangelo. The mare, one of three Smart Strike daughters with a runner in the field, foaled a Life Is Good filly Feb. 22. 2). Resilience (Into Mischief–Meadowsweet, by Smart Strike) The story of Resilience, who was bred by Pam and Marty Wygod, is a story of relationships. The Wygod family, who lost family patriarch Marty in April, purchased Tranquility Lake, granddam of the GII Wood Memorial winner, as a $250,000 Keeneland July yearling in 1996 and campaigned her to multiple Grade I scores. Wygod gave Resilience to his daughter, Emily Bushnell, before his passing. Bushnell is partners in the horse with Ric Waldman, who has been working with the Wygod family since he managed the great Storm Cat. The Wygods had gotten to know Waldman through his work with Storm Cat and bred Tranquility Lake to the stallion, resulting in GISW Courageous Cat and After Market out of the mare. Meadowsweet, dam of Resilience, foaled a full-sister to the bay Feb. 29. Spendthrift's five-time leading sire Into Mischief has had two Derby winners and is looking for his first Belmont winner. 3). Mystik Dan (Goldencents–Ma'am, by Colonel John) The lone official homebred in the Belmont field, Mystik Dan is a family affair. He was bred in Kentucky by Lance Gasaway and his relatives Brent, Sharilyn, Logan, and Lauren Gasaway of 4G Racing, as well as Daniel Hamby, from a mare whose sole trip through a sales ring was as a $9,500 RNA at the 2014 Keeneland September sale. The Gasaways, who have since taken on partner Valley View Farm in the horse, have been with conditioner Kenny McPeek for several years–he originally trained Ma'am for them–and he was the one who recommended the mating to Spendthrift's Goldencents for her first foal. After ensuing foals by Unified and Knicks Go, the mare produced a colt by 2020 GII Louisiana Derby winner Wells Bayou, who was part-owned by the Gasaways, on Apr. 1 in Oklahoma for the same team. Mystik Dan's granddam is a winning full-sister to 2001 GI Hollywood Futurity and GII Lane's End Breeders' Futurity winner Siphonic (Siphon {Brz}) and a half-sister to the dam of GISW Laragh (Tapit) and MGSW & MGISP Summer Front (War Front). 4). The Wine Steward (Vino Rosso–Call to Service, by To Honor and Serve) Spendthrift's first-crop sophomore stallion Vino Rosso gets his first Classic contender with a horse that has roots close to home. Although a New York-bred, The Wine Steward was bred by Spendthrift's Kentucky-based stallion sales manager Mark Toothaker in partnership with Sequel Thoroughbreds LLC and Lakland Farm. The mare was bought by Becky Thomas, who has historically been a major part of both Sequel and Lakland, for $110,000 while carrying The Wine Steward in utero at the 2020 Keeneland November sale. Thomas's Sequel Bloodstock then consigned The Wine Steward to last year's OBS March sale, where he brought $340,000 from trainer Mike Maker (he was originally sold as a Fasig-Tipton New York-bred yearling for $70,000). The mare produced a Justify colt May 9 for Coteau Grove Farms after that entity bought her for $350,000 at Keeneland January in 2022. Call to Service did not win a race herself, but she's a half to GSW & GISP Giant Game, to MGSW & GISP Isotherm, to GISP Gio Game, and to the dam of MGSW Skelly. Preakness winner Seize the Grey | Sarah Andrew 5). Antiquarian (Preservationist–Lifetime Memory, by Istan) The GIII Peter Pan S. winner has the fingerprints of former Kentucky Governor Brereton C. Jones on top and bottom. The late patriarch of Airdrie Stud bred Antiquarian from his sire's first crop after being instrumental in bringing GI Woodward S. winner Preservationist to stand at Airdrie. Jones also bred Antiquarian's dam, Lifetime Memory, as well as her dam and granddam. Remarkably, like Antiquarian himself, all were by stallions standing in Airdrie's stud barn. Airdrie consigned Antiquarian to the 2022 Keeneland September sale, where he fetched $250,000 from Centennial Farms, who raced Preservationist. It doesn't come much more full circle than that: Antiquarian was bred, raised, and sold by Airdrie, who stands his sire, and bought and is raced by Centennial, who campaigned his sire. Antiquarian's dam, who is a half to 2020 GII Lake Placid S. winner Speaktomeofsummer, most recently produced a Happy Saver colt May 14, three days after the Peter Pan. 6). Dornoch (Good Magic–Puca, by Big Brown) A full-brother to 2023 Derby winner Mage, Dornoch was bred by Grandview Equine. The principal of Grandview Equine is Robert Clay, whose fantastic success in the sport was profiled by Chris McGrath in the days before Mage won the Derby last year. Clay had purchased 2014 'TDN Rising Star' Puca for $475,000 at the 2018 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky November sale and resold her last November at Keeneland, where she originally RNA'd at $2.8 million. New Thoroughbred investor John Stewart, who has made a major splash in the industry, picked her up post-sale from the Case Clay consignment for $2.9 million. She produced a full-brother to Mage and Dornoch at Stewart's Resolute Farm Apr. 4. Puca, a half to GISW Finnegans Wake, also has unraced 2-year-old Baeza (McKinzie), who sold to Mayberry Farm for $1.2 million at Keeneland September. That's the same sale Dornoch sold at in 2022 when he brought $325,000 from the Runnymede Farm consignment. Dornoch is by Hill n' Dale's Good Magic, a son of Curlin who was the leading first-crop sire of 2022 and added a Derby winner the next year. 7). Protective (Medaglia d'Oro–Grace Hall, by Empire Maker) Winner of the 2011 GI Spinaway S., Grace Hall went through the Fasig-Tipton November ring in 2012, where she brought $3.2 million from Reynolds Bell, Jr. Bell frequently signs the sales tickets for Jon Clay's Alpha Delta Stables, LLC, who bred Protective in Kentucky. Protective made a trip to the sales as a yearling at Keeneland September, where he was part of the Lane's End consignment and fetched $250,000 from Repole Stable. Grace Hall, who traces tail-female to 1924 champion 3-year-old filly and Preakness winner Nellie Morse, later a foundation mare for Calumet Farm, produced an Apr. 4 colt by Into Mischief for Alpha Delta. Protective, third in both the Wood Memorial and Peter Pan, is by Darley's extraordinary sire Medaglia d'Oro, who won the 2002 GI Travers S. over this track and was second in that year's Belmont. Honor Marie | Sarah Andrew 8). Honor Marie (Honor Code–Dame Marie, by Smart Strike) Named for a combination of his sire and dam's names as well as for one of the nine grandchildren of co-owners Kerry and Alan Ribble, Honor Marie was bred by Kentucky businessman Royce Pulliam. Pulliam used Taylor Made to consign the eventual GII Kentucky Jockey Club S. winner to Keeneland September, where he hammered for $40,000 to buyer In the Trees. Honor Code, who originally stood at Lane's End, embarked on a new chapter for 2024 at Yushun Stallion Station in Japan. Dame Marie, who also produced Keeneland's 2020 GII Bourbon S. runner-up Abarta (Into Mischief), has an Apr. 28 colt by Mandaloun. Her Medaglia d'Oro 2-year-old sold at last year's Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale for $385,000 to Fergus Galvin. She is a half-sister to 2004 G1 St. Leger winner Rule of Law (Kingmambo). 9). Sierra Leone (Gun Runner–Heavenly Love, by Malibu Moon) The $2.3-million topper of the 2022 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale, GI Blue Grass S. winner Sierra Leone is a poster child for both breeding the best to the best and the reward that can come from competing for top sales prospects. John Oxley purchased second dam Darling My Darling–out of GISW Roamin Rachel and a half to not-then-born Japanese Horse of the Year Zenno Rob Roy (Jpn)–for $300,000 in 1998 at Keeneland September. Under Oxley's wife Debby's name, the couple campaigned her to two black-type wins at Keeneland as well as two Grade I placings at Belmont. It is in the breeding shed where she's really excelled, however, as the dam of GISW Heavenly Love and GSW Forever Darling. The former would produce 'TDN Rising Star' Sierra Leone, bred by Debby and consigned by Gainesway to Saratoga. In a remarkable twist, the latter would produce Forever Young (Jpn) (Real Steel {Jpn}), the Japanese globetrotter whose only career loss in four countries was a nose third to Sierra Leone in the Kentucky Derby last month. Heavenly Love produced a full-sister to Sierra Leone for Debby Oxley Feb. 11. Three Chimney's Horse of the Year and sire sensation Gun Runner already has one Classic winner in his three crops to race. 10). Mindframe (Constitution–Walk of Stars, by Street Sense) Maryland-born 'TDN Rising Star' Mindframe was bred by R. Larry Johnson, whose decades in the sport were recently profiled in TDN. He purchased Mindframe's fourth dam, Ran's Chick, in 1978 at Timonium for $2,400 and has developed the family, which also includes May 17 GII Black-Eyed Susan S. third Call Another Play (Audible), ever since. Johnson used Betz Thoroughbreds to consign Mindframe to Keeneland September, where the gavel dropped at $600,000 when selling to Repole Stables and St. Elias Stables. Constitution has developed into one of the sport's elite stallions for WinStar and previously won the Belmont as a sire with son Tiz the Law in the COVID year of 2020, the last time the distance was shortened from its traditional 1 1/2 miles. Mindframe's dam and granddam both won black-type events at Charles Town. The most recent produce for Walk of Stars is a juvenile colt by Maclean's Music named Lonesome Road. The post Origins: The Belmont Stakes, presented by Three Chimneys appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. 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In Secret ridden by James McDonald wins the Coolmore Stud Stakes at Flemington Racecourse on October 29, 2022 in Flemington, Australia. (Photo by Brett Holburt/Racing Photos) Dual Group 1 winner In Secret is set to miss the Brisbane winter carnival this year in preparation for another shot at the $15 million The Everest race. After finishing third in the Kingsford Smith Cup at Eagle Farm on Saturday, In Secrets connections have decided to give her a break and prepare her for the upcoming spring season. “ #TeamGodolphin has decided to give our dual G1 winner #InSecret a well-deserved spell. She will return following a similar path to last year’s spring carnival, targeting races like The Everest and the G1 Darley Champions Sprint.” announced Godolphin on X During her campaign, In Secret took on The Everest as her race back after an impressive second place in the Concorde Stakes and a fourth-place finish in The Shorts. Despite starting from barrier 12 at Randwick, jockey Zac Purton expertly manoeuvred her through traffic to make a finish and secure fourth place. The mare showcased her spirit more at the top level, finishing third in the 2023 Darley Champions Sprint at Flemington Racecourse. She then made a comeback with her performance in the Kingsford Smith Cup, finishing behind I Wish I Win (1st), and Bella Nipotina (2nd). She is the second horse selected for an Everest slot following the West Australian sensation, Bustling. Bustling has won four out of five races at Ascot, including the prestigious G2 Karrakatta Plate, and will be representing slot owners: Max Whitby, Neil Werrett, and Col Madden. The Everest bookmaker markets currently have the Kingsford Smith Cup winner I Wish I Win as the +350 favourite, while In Secret currently sits at +1200 with Neds. Horse racing news View the full article

With last year's announcement that Belmont Park would be closed until the track is rebuilt and reopened in 2026 at the earliest, all of a sudden an impossible dream became possible for trainer Chad Brown.View the full article

Blazing Sevens is back for his 4-year-old season and will enter the $1 million Metropolitan Handicap (G1) June 8 at Saratoga Race Course off a clear victory in an April 20 allowance-level race at Aqueduct Racetrack. View the full article

Consignor Tom McCrocklin had already sold the sale-topping daughter of Tiz the Law at the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's Spring sale when he decided to purchase another daughter of the GI Belmont S. winner after watching her fail to meet her reserve at that same auction two months ago. The filly (hip 187) went a ways in proving it was a wise decision when she worked a quarter-mile in a bullet :20 2/5 during Wednesday's second session of the under-tack show for next week's OBS June Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training in Ocala. “I thought it was a beautiful work,” McCrocklin said. “I thought it was efficient, effortless and fast. She did everything right. She was just like a car cruising down the highway.” The filly is out of Southern Silence (Dixie Union) and is a half to stakes winners Liberate (Gemologist) and Esplanade (Daredevil), who was second in the 2020 GI Spinaway S. The dark bay juvenile was purchased for $80,000 by Mustang Farms out of last year's Keeneland September sale. She worked a furlong in :10 flat before RNA'ing for $190,000 at the Spring sale. “She is fast and balanced and athletic,” McCrocklin said when asked about his decision to purchase the filly in April. “We had had some success with the other filly and thought it might be a good idea. It's a little risky, but she was mentally and physically very sound. So far, it is working out well.” Asked if the plan had always been to send the filly to the June sale, McCrocklin said, “I try not to paint myself into a corner. She didn't make her reserve in April and I thought the stallion, and this filly in particular, had a big upside. I think there are opportunities in every sale, whether you are buying or selling. There are horses that are overlooked in every sale and there are horses that bring way more then maybe they deserve to.” McCrocklin admitted he hasn't had to do a lot of work with the youngster. “I haven't had her that long,” he said. “She is solid, professional and sound. She really didn't need to change a whole lot. My job in this kind of situation is to just keep the horse happy and healthy and with plenty of flesh. I am a big believer in keeping horses happy with plenty of flesh, feed them well and pay attention. They will talk to you if you pay attention. Just try basic horsemanship. Nothing exotic or fancy.” McCrocklin purchased a daughter of Tiz the Law out of Moonlight Sky (Sky Mesa) for $170,000 at the Keeneland September sale last fall. The filly blitzed a quarter-mile in :20 1/5 before selling for a sale-topping $1.9 million to Michael Lund Petersen at the Spring sale. The bay worked three times at Los Alamitos in May and had her first work at Santa Anita last Saturday when she went four furlongs in :51.80. Asked to compare the two fillies, McCrocklin said, “The breezes are eerily similar. They are fast, but they are smooth and effortless. Both fillies are really efficient movers and they cover a lot of ground. The filly in April that we sold was a big, strong and masculine filly. This filly doesn't have that substance. She's not a big, raw filly like that filly was in April, but she is deceptively long in her movement. She has a really big stride and covers a lot of ground with not much effort.” During Wednesday's under-tack show session, 15 horses shared the day's fastest furlong time of :10 flat: hip 181, a filly by Mr. Money consigned by Whitman Sales; hip 203, a filly by Dosificado (Chi) consigned by Triple J Equine Sales; hip 232, a colt by Thousand Words consigned by Centofanti Thoroughbreds; hip 252, a filly by Gun Runner consigned by Hartley/DeRenzo Thoroughbreds; hip 275, a colt by Vino Rosso consigned by Top Line Sales; hip 284, a colt by Maximum Security consigned by Ordonez Thoroughbreds; hip 289, a filly by Liam's Map consigned by Cardozo's Brothers; f2hip 291, a filly by Dominus consigned by Marcial Galan; hip 305, a filly by Justify consigned by Pick View; hip 314, a colt by Unified consigned by Dynasty Thoroughbreds; hip 319, a filly by Twirling Candy consigned by CM Thoroughbreds; hip 334, a colt by Practical Joke consigned by Scanlon Training & Sales; hip 337, a filly by McKinzie consigned by de Meric Sales; hip 343, a colt by Speightster consigned by Sugar Hill; and hip 350, a colt by Gift Box consigned by RiceHorse Stable (Brandon & Ali Rice). The under-tack show continues through Sunday with sessions beginning each day at 7:30 a.m. The June sale will be held next Wednesday through Friday, with bidding commencing each day at 10 a.m. The post Tiz the Law Filly Sets the Mark at OBS Wednesday appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article