Wandering Eyes

Stephanie Faulkner was in the spotlight on her home track of Phar Lap Raceway on Tuesday, collecting a fitting victory for the connections of He’s Tunza Grunt (NZ) (Pure Champion) in the Dunstan Horsefeeds Waimate Cup (1600m). The meeting was initially set to be run on Sunday, but after heavy rain through the week, it was rescheduled to Tuesday, and that was telling in the testing track conditions on course. One runner that was always going to appreciate the ground was He’s Tunza Grunt, Faulkner’s four-win galloper who came into the Cup underrated after resuming over 1200m in May. Riccarton visitor Iffididit was backed into odds-on favouritism and was prominent early from an outside barrier, while jockey Brandon May opted to settle near the tail of the field aboard He’s Tunza Grunt. Along the back straight, outsider Quartz Queen put a big margin on her rivals, but began to tire at the 600m and Iffididit and Midnight Runner hit the lead turning for home. Iffididit kicked clear at the 200m but was very wayward in the closing stages, just as He’s Tunza Grunt came powering over the top to score impressively by 1-¼ lengths. Faulkner had been slightly sceptical on entering the open contest early in his new campaign, but was thrilled to pull off the win. “I thought this may have been a bit ambitious second-up, but he’s an older horse and didn’t have a long spell, and being a lighter-framed horse, he’s come back pretty fit,” she said. “He loves those loose, heavy tracks and he’s pretty tough. “It was great to win today, I haven’t really looked at the programme but I’ll be doing that now. He was getting back down into 65 grade again, but he’ll be back up near open company now.” A son of Pure Champion out of an unraced Encosta De Lago mare Sacred Jewel, He’s Tunza Grunt has now earned over $100,000 for Diana Goodeve, a Waimate local and long-time supporter of the club alongside her late husband Bob. “It was a lovely win for Diana, she is from Waimate and they have put a lot of time and money over the years into supporting the Waimate Club,” Faulkner said. “I haven’t won this as a trainer before, and I actually ran second in it riding one of Bob and Diana’s horses years ago, back in the early nineties. “It’s probably one of Diana’s lifelong dreams to win this race, and I know Bob will be up there smiling.” Earlier in the meeting, Faulkner had taken out the opener with a new addition to her stable in Storms Ahead (NZ) (Astern). Formerly trained by co-owner Clinton Isdale, Storms Ahead was first-up since running at Pukekohe in October, but was well-backed in his southern debut closing at $2.40. In the hands of Tina Comignaghi, Storms Ahead was one of the slowest from the gates and ended up tailing the field early, as Lagobee strode out to a sizable lead. The favourite was giving his rivals a decent head start on the home turn, but going through his gears in the straight, he got up just in time to catch Queen Of Kings by a head. The son of Astern has made a good impression on Faulkner since arriving in her care and she was rapt with the effort. “Clinton Isdale part-owns this horse with Eddie Brooks, and he had sent him down with three or four weeks under his belt,” she said. “He picked up a little problem, so I’ve just been chugging him along. He’s had a good, slow, long build-up and he’s had a lot of miles in his legs. “He’s definitely not a front-running horse, but Tina said he’d come out of the gates quite awkwardly and in true Tina relaxed fashion, she let him find his feet and got him comfortable with a good amount of pace on. “He was able to get home over top, which was probably a bit of class showing through. “He’s a lovely, athletic looking horse and I don’t think that will be the last we’ll see of him, he’ll get up to 2000m or further, and he relished in the wet track today.” Bred by Inglewood Stud, Storms Ahead is out of a five-win mare Lakers Bay, who placed in a Gr.3 White Robe Lodge Handicap (1600m). The gelding was initially sold through the National Yearling Sales, but was subsequently reoffered through gavelhouse.com in May 2024, where Isdale secured the gelding for $1,000. View the full article

Express Coup (NZ) (Shamexpress) returned to her form of old when taking out the George and Mary Hennessy Open (1200m) at Phar Lap Raceway on Tuesday, and trainers Michael and Matthew Pitman are hoping she can now fulfil the potential they saw in her formative years. The five-year-old daughter of Shamexpress jumped well from her ace draw and maintained her advantage on the inside for jockey Ashvin Goindasamy, taking on the pace making role. While she led the field into the home straight, stablemate Makabar (NZ) (Swiss Ace) loomed ominously on the inside, but Express Coup showed her resolve and rallied, with her tenacity showing in the concluding stages as she strode out to a 2-1/4 length victory. Michael Pitman was confident of a bold showing on Tuesday and he was delighted to meet his mare in the winner’s stall. “I said to Ashvin that if you lead, you’ll win, it was that sort of race, it was her race to win,” he said. “We thought she would win it on her recent efforts. She failed at her last start because she hates the poly, so she won’t be going there, but prior to that her form was really good and her work at home had been extremely good. “At the top of the straight I thought, and so did Kylie (Williams, jockey aboard Makabar), that Makabar was going to go straight past her, but she just wanted to win, she tried really hard. “It was lovely because Ray and Jill Coupland (part-owners) have been a major part of my whole career, so it was great that they had a winner.” Pitman always had a lot of time for Express Coup, and he believes she can now fulfil the potential she had shown earlier in her career. “A couple of years ago, she and (subsequent Group Three performer) Third Decree (NZ) (War Decree) were the form South Island horses through the winter months,” Pitman said. “Third Decree went on with her form, but Express Coup got hurt and she might just be starting to come back to it (form). “They competed two or three times against each other and there was very little between them, but it’s history that shows Third Decree has gone right up to the top level whereas Express Coup has dropped down the grades. But she certainly has the ability.” While victorious in open company on Tuesday, Pitman said he will now be looking for a rating 75 contest for her next assignment before setting his sights on loftier goals. “She was only a 67 rater before today, and being a $22,000 race, the handicapper shouldn’t be too hard on her,” he said. “She will be eligible for a rating 75 1200m somewhere, and that’s where we will be looking at.” Pitman was pleased to secure the quinella with Makabar, and said the nine-year-old will continue to campaign through colder months. “Wherever it is wet, is where he will go,” Pitman said. “He has won open sprints at Riccarton before, so we will be aiming there.” View the full article

By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk Andrew Sharpe is leaning on his winning experience from last year as he looks forward to this week’s New Zealand amateur drivers’ championships. The championships kick off at Cambridge on Thursday and then head to Addington for more racing on Friday and Sunday. Last year Sharpe, who works for Ray Green at Lincoln Farms in Pukekohe, won at his first attempt. He was third equal going into the final day only to win twice at Addington to leapfrog Michael House and Cheree Wigg to claim the title. “I don’t know whether to bring the cup south or just leave it up here,” he laughs. So what will be his approach as defending champion this week? “A lot of it comes down to the horses you’re drawn and luck in the running.” Among the things he learnt last year was “not to overthink it too much.” “The key is to drive horses on their merits and there is no point overdriving them just because you need the points.” The top five drivers from both the North and South Islands over the past 12 months were selected for the championships. NORTH ISLAND – Bruce Hadley, John Kriechbaumer, Frank Phelan, Andrew Sharpe, Craig Sharpe. SOUTH ISLAND – Alan Edge, Michael House, Neil Munro, Colleen Negus, Cheree Wigg. Of the drivers at this year’s championships Colleen Negus is the most successful. She has won it twice before. She won outright in 2017 and then dead-heated with Neil Munro in 2018. The most successful amateur since the first championships in 2002 is three time champion Gavin Cook. He also won the world amateur championships in 2008. The Points allocation for the three races are as follows : 1st = 7 points 2nd = 5 points 3rd = 4 points 4th = 3 points 5th = 2 points 6th = 1 point To see Thursday’s opener for the championships click here View the full article

Friday Night Lights will be brought forward half an hour this week. Addington will host 12 races on Friday starting at 4.08pm with Auckland’s nine race card kicking off at 4.48pm. Because of Addington’s early start Trackside’s Friday Night Lights (FNL) show will start at 4pm rather than 4.30pm. Addington’s last race is set for 9.43pm with Auckland wrapping up at 8.56pm. View the full article

Every month HRNZ selects an Owner and Breeder of the Month award. It is done randomly with the only proviso being that you must have won a race during the month. For May Michelle Caig was named Breeder of the Month after Abull’s win at Winton on May 4 while Jono Ansley was the Owner of the Month after Double Parked’s success at Alexandra Park on May 23. Breeder of Month – Michelle Caig Abull’s more than five length win at Winton was his first success at start number seven. Breeder Michelle Caig wasn’t on-track as she was working out of town but “I did watch it on my phone.” “It’s a thrill to win on my home track or any track for that matter,” she says. The six-year-old is by Raging Bull out of Chloe Finn. “I like the fact Raging Bull was by Christian Cullen and like the thought of breeding to our colonial stallions,” says Caig, who’s been breeding horses for over 20 years. Sun Mist was “her rock” and the Sundon trotting mare, a daughter of the champion Merinai, has been a super producer with the likes of Sonofanearl (7 wins), Pretty Sunday (15 wins), Rosemma (10 wins), He’s Like The Wind (6 wins), and Flying Without Wings (5 wins). As for her favourite? “I don’t like to single out my best horses (it’s like asking who your favourite child is) but Leaf Stride was my heart horse.” Leaf Stride won two from 10 in this country before going to Australia. His record now stands at 10 wins from 49 starts. Now she is breeding from two broodmares. She’s Like The Wind (Majestic Son – Sun Mist) is in foal to Orlando Vici while Shake It Up (Majestic Son – All Settled Down) is in foal to Volstead. Owner of the Month – Jono Ansley Ansley is a first-time race horse owner who’s having a great run with Double Parked. He’s part of the Young Wons syndicate that co-owns the Downbytheseaside four-year-old along with Philip and Glenys Kennard. The Young Wons syndicate is made up of a number of friends and associates of syndicate “boss” George Breckon, Ken and Karen Breckon’s oldest son. “I met George and his brother Andrew at the start of 2020 and they have been excellent in the way they’ve organised this syndicate.” Double Parked has won three from 12 with five other placings with the syndicate known for its boisterous celebrations of any success. “It has been amazing to be part of the Young Wons syndicate and experiencing the journey from an idea, to the purchase, all the way to the winners’ lounge,” says Ansley, “we’ve been very fortunate Tony (Herlihy) has been able to train and race Double Parked so well and podium almost every time he hits the track, so yeah it’s been a lot of fun!” “It has been my first time owning a race horse and I have a pretty good feeling it won’t be the last!” View the full article

By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk Buoyed by the success of their first purchase, the Southland-based Broke Boys syndicate are doubling down. The group of 20 and 30-somethings started out with the very handy Ah Dinnae Ken and have more recently acquired a second trotter in Massive Merc. “With Ah Dinnae Ken we had a bit of money in the kitty so we thought we’d go again,” says syndicate spokesman Rory McCall, a sheep farmer from Gore (pictured above, third from right). McCall had previously raced some good performers with Wyndham trainer Craig Ferguson – “we’ve been mates right through school” – including No More Change (7 wins) and Havinaravup (4 wins). Then last year he thought it would be a good idea to get a syndicate together. “I messaged a few of the guys and got the big thumbs up.” “There are 14 of us in it – we’ll all in our late 20s – mid 30s. There are sheep farmers, builders, stock agents and shearers and whatnot.” “About half of them are completely new to racing and never had a horse before and I’d say the other half have had one or two.” Ferguson acquired Ah Dinnae Ken, which means “I don’t know” in Scottish, from fellow Southlander, Edendale trainer Alex Milne. The horse won fresh up last November and has now won three from 11 starts for Ferguson, with stakes of around $30,000. With the Broke Boys relatively flush – “I wouldn’t say we are making too much” – they’ve decided to go back to the well. Ferguson was again given the brief to get a horse that was “ready to run”. “We wanted one was that good to go now rather than buying a yearling that would take two years to start racing,” says McCall. “It’s all about getting there and watching it race.” They, along with Daryl Olphert, purchased Massive Merc from Ashburton trainer Alan Clark a couple of months ago. So far he’s had 29 starts with his solitary win coming at Addington last October. “They (the syndicate members) are dead keen to get the new one into work and racing as well,” says McCall. “He’s spelling in Canterbury at the moment and Craig will get him in the next week or so and then put him into work with the hope of racing him at the end of September.” View the full article

Derek Leung Ka-chun hopes Voyage Samurai can overcome his wide draw as he bids for career win number six in the Class Two Cheung Sha Handicap (1,650m) at Happy Valley on Wednesday night. The 36-year-old has been on board for all five of Voyage Samurai’s victories, most recently when the pair dominated from gate to wire to win a 1,600m Class Two at Sha Tin in April. As with most of Voyage Samurai’s wins, Leung controlled the fractions to a tee before unleashing a powerful turn of foot from the...View the full article

Emily Murphy brings you Winter Weigh In, your place for Thoroughbred racing news, reviews and insights throughout the colder months. This week we saw a potential new Steeple star in the making. Plus Sam breaks down all the action from a Super Saturday at Eagle Farm. Winter Weigh In, June 9 View the full article

A determination to secure a youngster by Spirit Of Boom had a favourable outcome for Berkley Stud at Ellerslie. The Edwina Morris and Alan Jones-bred Boombox (NZ) (Spirit Of Boom) was successful just at his second appearance for Cambridge trainer Tony Pike. The two-year-old was offered through Berkley’s draft at New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sale draft and was knocked down for $50,000 to Jim Bruford’s Brewers Bloodstock. “That was a really neat result on Saturday after we had sold him to our good friend Jim Bruford, we’re very pleased for him,” Morris said. “He was a super colt with the most amazing temperament, he never left an oat or grain and always licked the bowl clean. He never faltered and we loved him.” The dam Viaductress was purchased in foal with Boombox with the help of Pinhook Bloodstock from KBL Thoroughbreds for $50,000 at the 2022 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale. “We got her in Australia, Dave Mee spotted her for us and we wanted a Spirit Of Boom and that was the only way we were going to get one,” Morris said. “She was passed in and we had to deal privately to get her, we thought we might have got her a bit cheaper, but she is a lovely style of mare. “She’s black and strongly made and the type that you would think would leave a two-year-old.” Viaductress was the winner of five races up to 1300m and left multiple winner Kentucky Rose before joining Berkley’s broodmare band. She is by the Redoute’s Choice stallion Sharkbite out of the stakes placed Encosta De Lago mare Flawless Gem and the family of the dual Group Two winner King Ivor, whose half-brothers Snake Eyes and Linney Head were international Group winners. “Sharkbite wasn’t much, but we love that Redoute’s Choice blood,” Morris said. Viaductress, who is empty, produced a daughter of Highly Recommended in 2024. “She’s a gorgeous filly and the mare will probably go to War Decree this year, he can put nice leg into them,” Morris said. The 17-year-old Highly Recommended is a Berkley resident, although his popularity has waned. “She was the only thoroughbred mare he got, he’s breeding very good sport horses now. He looks super, but he’s not commercial anymore,” Morris said. View the full article

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-bred horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Tuesday's Observations features a Juddmonte homebred trained by Andre Fabre. 3.30 Saint-Cloud, Mdn, 2yo, c/g, 7fT BATTLE DRUM (GB) (War Front) is the latest progeny out of Empire Maker's four-times Grade I winner Emollient, responsible for this colt's G2 Airlie Stud Stakes-placed full-sister Peace Charter and three other Stakes performers by Frankel including past TDN Rising Star Raclette who captured the G2 Prix de Malleret. Juddmonte's homebred is under the care of Andre Fabre, who also saddles Ecurie Ama.zingteam's Yep (GB) (Dark Angel {Ire}), a €220,000 Arqana May Breeze Up graduate whose dam is Danehill Dancer's G2 Balanchine runner-up Mia Tesoro. The post War Front’s Son of Emollient Debuts at Saint-Cloud appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The Melbourne Racing Club announced on Monday that Tom Reilly has been removed as CEO. “Sometimes it just doesn't work out,” MRC chairman John Kanga said in a press statement. “Tom was only CEO for three months and when things don't go as well as they should, it is best to pivot and move on. “Everyone can be assured that we have put a management structure in place to ensure a smooth transition. I will spend substantial time at the Club as chairman, as I did before Tom Reilly was appointed.” He added, “I am pleased to announce that we have appointed Tanya Fullarton as chief operating officer to work with me. Tanya has an excellent reputation and deep experience and relationships across the racing industry.” The post Tom Reilly Removed as CEO of Melbourne Racing Club appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

New Jersey-bred GSW Joey P (Close Up) was euthanized at Old Friends Monday after succumbing to complications from a respiratory illness at the age of 23, the farm announced via release. A frequent face in the black-type ranks his entire career, Joey P won the GIII Jersey Shore Breeders' Cup Stakes at Monmouth Park as a 3-year-old and was even given a shot at the GI Haskell Invitational Handicap. While it was not to be, the gelding visited the winner's enclosure 18 times in his career and retired in 2011 as a 9-year-old with a 48-18-10-1 record. His earnings tallied just over $1.08-million. He was sent to Old Friends in 2018 courtesy of Second Call Thoroughbred Adoption and Placement, who supported him monthly throughout his retirement. “Joey P was a wonderful example of the star-power of 'regional' racehorses,” said John Nicholson, president and CEO of Old Friends. “Joey P built his racing resume as the hero of New Jersey's Monmouth Park. His specialty at the track was running fast and he excelled at it, earning a following of devoted fans who adored him.” “Joey P's specialty at Old Friends was making friends who all fell in love with him. He is going to be missed, especially by his paddock-mate, Tuneintobow. We are so grateful to Lori Lane of Second Call Thoroughbred Adoption and Placement for giving us the honor of caring for Joey P in his retirement.” The post Multiple Stakes Winner Joey P Euthanized at Old Friends appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

A 10% share in Royal Ascot contender Brosay has been added to the Tattersalls Online June Pop-Up Sale, which takes place between the hours of 10am and 12pm on Thursday, June 12. Consigned by Racing Club, the three-year-old son of Tasleet is currently in training with Lambourn trainer Paul Attwater and the syndicate are targeting the Palace of Holyrood Stakes on the Friday of Royal Ascot for his next appearance. Last seen filling the runner-up spot in a five-furlong handicap at Sandown in April, he will be offered with a BHA rating of 88. The share entitles the purchaser to exclusive ownership benefits, with full details of the Syndicate Share Agreement and deed of sale available on the Tattersalls Online website. The post Share In Royal Ascot Hopeful Added to Tattersalls Online Pop-Up Sale appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Irish 1,000 Guineas heroine Lake Victoria has been ruled out of the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot. Undefeated in five juvenile starts last season, including Group One wins in the Moyglare Stud Stakes, the Cheveley Park and at the Breeders' Cup, Aidan O'Brien's filly was beaten into sixth place in the 1000 Guineas at Newmarket on her return to action but bounced back to her best in the Irish equivalent. The daughter of Frankel was expected to be a major part of the Ballydoyle handler's Ascot team next week, but owners Coolmore said in a post on X on Monday, “Lake Victoria will not run at Royal Ascot. She will have an easy few weeks and will return for a late summer/autumn campaign.” The post also confirmed plans for Minnie Hauk and Whirl after the pair finished first and second in the Betfred Oaks at Epsom on Friday. It read, “Epsom Oaks winner Minnie Hauk will target the Irish Oaks, while Whirl, who finished runner-up in the Epsom Oaks, will head for the Group One Pretty Polly Stakes.” The post Irish 1,000 Guineas Winner Lake Victoria Ruled Out of Royal Ascot appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

A TDN column published Sunday referenced the racing oddity of the two most recent North American champion 2-year-old colts both losing separate races within two hours of each other on June 7 at Saratoga Race Course. 'TDN Rising Star' Fierceness (City of Light), the 2023 juvenile male Eclipse Award champ, ran second as the 3-4 favorite in the GI Metropolitan Handicap. 'Rising Star' Citizen Bull (Into Mischief), the 2024 divisional champ, was fourth at 9-2 odds in the GI Woody Stephens Stakes. T.D. Thornton asked, “Has this ever happened on the same card? TDN would welcome input from someone with access to a more robust database (or a better memory) than me.” It took less than 24 hours before a reader provided a detailed answer. Brianne Sharp, the data analytics manager for Godolphin, wrote in a Monday email to TDN that, “My (well, Godolphin's) database goes back to 1992, and since then, the only time other than this past Saturday that two previous Eclipse champion 2-year-old males have run on the same card was Nov. 6, 1993, at Santa Anita when Gilded Time and Fly So Free ran third and ninth, respectively, in the [GI] Breeders' Cup Sprint.” Sharp further noted that, “Prior to 1992, we only have top three finishers in black type races, but that limited dataset shows three prior times that two 2-year-old champs ran on the same card, all were in the same race.” Those other instances (again, only based on data that shows top-three finishers) were: Oct. 6, 1979, Affirmed (first) over Spectacular Bid (second) in the GI Jockey Club Gold Cup. Sept. 16, 1978, Seattle Slew (first) over Affirmed (second) in the GI Marlboro Cup Invitational Handicap. Sept. 15, 1973, Secretariat (first) over Riva Ridge (second) in the Marlboro Cup. The post Juvenile Champ Trivia: Ask and Ye Shall Receive… appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Miles Henry Easterby, invariably known as Peter, who has died at the age of 95, was not only one of the best and most successful dual-purpose trainers Britain has ever known, but also one of the most popular and most respected. Peter Easterby and his younger brother Mick had good teachers because they grew up under the wings of their father William, a farmer and amateur rider, and uncle Walter, a trainer. From them they absorbed an almost bottomless reserve of horsemanship and a very strong work ethic. Life was tough and William farmed in various parts of Yorkshire before settling his family at Great Habton, near Malton. There Peter, who had spent a short period away working for Frank Hartigan but whose induction into racing had mainly come from the family, began training in 1950, still aged only 20. Walter Easterby was a very good trainer who enjoyed success with the small string which he handled but, even so, he cannot have foreseen the thousands of winners which would be churned out by his two nephews (Mick began training at Sheriff Hutton in 1961) and his grandson Tim, Peter's son who, in a seamless transition, took over the license at Habton Grange when his father retired in 1994, aged 65. Thereafter Peter remained an integral component of the stable and a regular at the Yorkshire racecourses. The horse who really put Peter on the map was Goldhill (Le Dieu D'Or). One of the best two-year-olds in the north in 1963 when he won five consecutive five-furlong races including the Windsor Castle Stakes at Royal Ascot, Goldhill achieved little as a three-year-old before bouncing back to better than his previous best as a four-year-old in 1965, making all the running for a four-length win in the King's Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot before losing out in a three-way photo-finish in the July Cup. He subsequently retired to Eastthorpe Hall Stud in Yorkshire before moving to Burston Stud in Staffordshire, eventually proving himself as versatile as his trainer with his winning offspring headed by the precocious sprinters Lush Park, Fretta and Dutch Gold as well as the dual Champion Hurdle winner Comedy Of Errors. That 1965 season had begun well for the stable when the six-year-old gelding Old Tom (Relic) won the first feature race, the Lincoln Handicap (run for the first time at Doncaster after the closure of Lincoln racecourse), ridden by Scobie Breasley. Peter won this great race again eight years later when the 50/1 shot Bronze Hill, a son of Goldhill, won under Mark Birch, the multiple 'Cock of the North' who spent almost his entire career riding for the stable after having served the first three years of his apprenticeship with Geoffrey Brooke in Newmarket. Peter's dual-purpose status was emphasised in 1967, a year in which his biggest win came in the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham when the six-year-old entire Saucy Kit (Hard Sauce) beat 22 rivals to win the Champion Hurdle, ridden by Roy Edwards who, after both horse and jockey had retired, stood the stallion at Blakeley Stud in Shropshire. Peter Easterby enjoyed a particularly golden era during the late 1970s and early '80s when the stable's stars included two dual Champion Hurdle winners (Night Nurse and Sea Pigeon) and two Cheltenham Gold Cup winners (Alverton and Little Owl). During this period Peter was champion National Hunt trainer for three consecutive seasons, beginning with the 1978/'79 campaign. Night Nurse and Sea Pigeon (who moved to Great Habton after starting out on the Flat with Jeremy Tree and then beginning his jumping career with Gordon Richards) remain two of the legends of the sport. Other high-class hurdlers in the stable at the time included the 16-time winner Sula Bula (whom Peter had bought as a yearling at Doncaster for 2,200 guineas) as well as Within The Law and Major Thompson, who finished first and second in the Schweppes Gold Trophy at Newbury in 1979. Peter bought Night Nurse (Falcon) as a yearling at Tattersalls in 1972 for 1,300 guineas and then guided the horse to three wins on the Flat and, most famously, triumphs in exactly half of his 64 starts over jumps, comprising 19 wins over hurdles and 13 over fences. He came close to securing the holy grail of National Hunt racing, failing only narrowly to augment his two Champion Hurdle triumphs with a victory in the Cheltenham Gold Cup, in which he finished second to his stablemate Little Owl (Cantab) in 1981. That was a second Gold Cup in three years for the stable, following the win of Alverton (Midsummer Night) in 1979. Alverton, previously a multiple winner on the Flat, had won the Arkle Trophy at Cheltenham 12 months before his Gold Cup triumph but heartbreakingly suffered a fatal fall at Becher's Brook when favourite for the Grand National three weeks after his finest hour. Sea Pigeon (Sea-Bird) did not follow Night Nurse over fences, having fallen in the Colonial Cup steeplechase in the USA fairly early in his National Hunt career, but he augmented his hurdles victories (which included two Champion Hurdles, two Fighting Fifth Hurdles, two Scottish Champion Hurdles and one Welsh Champion Hurdle) with some magnificent performances on the Flat. He twice won the Chester Cup (both times ridden by Mark Birch), took the Ebor Handicap at York (carrying 10 stone, ridden by his usual jumps jockey Jonjo O'Neill and giving 40lb to the runner-up) and thrice landed the Vaux Gold Tankard at Redcar, carrying 10 stone each time and ridden twice by Birch and once by O'Neill. All told, he won 21 times over jumps and 16 times on the Flat. Lest it seem that the stable was concentrating solely on older stayers, the Ebor Meeting at which Sea Pigeon won the eponymous handicap also featured victory in the G2 Gimcrack Stakes for the Mark Birch-ridden two-year-old sprinter Sonnen Gold (Home Guard) who had been bought for 1,700 guineas as a foal. This was Sonnen Gold's eighth start and seventh win of a season in which he went on to run once more, finishing second to subsequent 2,000 Guineas winner Known Fact in the G1 Middle Park Stakes at Newmarket. At the end of the year, Sonnen Gold was allotted 9 stone 4lb on the Free Handicap, 3lb below the top-rated Monteverdi, the Vincent O'Brien-trained Dewhurst winner. He was given 10 stone 5lb on the Northern Free Handicap, 12lb higher than the second-top weight, his stablemate Silly Prices (Silly Season), a three-time juvenile winner whom Peter had bought for 2,000 guineas as a yearling. By the time that Peter Easterby stepped back to hand over the licence at Habton Grange to his son Tim (who had ridden plenty of winners for his father as an amateur, both Flat and National Hunt, including on horses such as Sea Pigeon and Sula Bula) he had achieved the unique feat of being the only British trainer to have sent out over 1,000 winners both on the Flat and over jumps. Since then, the stable has continued to flourish as Tim, truly a chip off the old block, has prepared a huge volume of winners including several at Group 1 level. Most notably, Bollin Eric (Shaamit), bred and raced by Sir Neil and Lady Westbrook for whom Peter had trained for decades, won the St Leger in 2002. Almost similarly satisfying for a proudly Yorkshire family will have been the triumph of Winter Power (Bungle Inthejungle) in the G1 Nunthorpe Stakes at York's Ebor Meeting in 2021. Softly spoken and blessed with a nature dominated by innate kindness, Peter Easterby was a legend of the training ranks; a loving and loved husband, father and grandfather; a mentor to many; and a friend to all. He will be sorely missed and never forgotten, and we offer our sincere condolences to his family. The post Legendary Trainer Peter Easterby Dies at 95 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

These days, it seems that as soon as the runners have crossed the line in the Derby the crabbing begins about everything that's wrong with the winner, the race and the meeting itself. It's a funny old game when the people who follow the sport, and in some cases whose livelihoods depend on it, seek constantly to undermine the very thing that brings such enjoyment. Obviously there are concerns regarding falling attendances at the Derby, and at race meetings generally in different parts of the world. An ominous weather forecast certainly played its part this year, and it is clear that Epsom needs to review its pricing structure, particularly to allow children in for free, as is the case at Royal Ascot. Thirty years on, would a move back to the traditional Wednesday slot work to avoid clashes with other major sporting fixtures on the day? Maybe. But for many people that would then mean booking an extra day off work to attend. The suggestion last week by the Daily Mail's racing correspondent Dominic King of having Epsom as the sole meeting in the UK on Derby day is certainly worth exploring so that the focus of the racing world, in Britain at least, is on what happens on those historic Downs. But this kind of decision would require a diktat from the BHA, overruling the factional interests of other racecourse groups, and we all know how well that is working out at the moment. The only regret felt in this quarter on leaving Epsom on Saturday evening was that we now have to wait another year for the most enthralling contest of them all. At least we have Ascot to cheer us up next week. So, in the spirit preferred by this column of glass half full – or, even better, glass completely full – we will continue to ponder not how to save the Derby, for the vocal and actual support of so many owners and breeders shows that it doesn't need saving, but how to make the great race even more special. For starters, it would be good to see the restoration and return to use of Epsom's Prince's Stand, which dates back to 1879 and now stands lonely and unloved, though still beautiful. Having until quite recently been used for owners and trainers, it would be the perfect place to house a Derby museum or hall of fame. It is also worth remembering, in these days of smartphones, that if – God forbid – you decided to go shopping instead of being at Epsom, you can instantly check the result with the help of Google or even watch the race online, a fact which has to be considered when one is comparing current attendances with those of yesteryear. Back in the time of, say, the marvellous Signorinetta, who, in 1908, became one of a select band of fillies to have won the Oaks and the Derby, if you weren't at Epsom, your next best option was to wait outside the window of Fore's art gallery in Piccadilly. There, presumably with some delay, the result would be posted on canvas by the sporting artist John Beer, whose job it was around that time to depict the finishing order for the Derby in paint. Good things come to those who wait. Witnessing History in the Making While we can look back with fondness on those great partnerships of Vincent O'Brien and Lester Piggott, Sir Henry Cecil and Steve Cauthen, Sir Michael Stoute and Walter Swinburn, it is important to appreciate what is happening right now in front of us. Being a fan of racing and attending its big Classic days is to play our own small part in its history, even just as bystanders. By sheer numbers alone Aidan O'Brien, at age 55, has already secured his own chapter in the book of racing greats, and it is one very much still being written. Direct comparisons with his predecessor at Ballydoyle cannot be made because Vincent O'Brien was not working with anywhere near the same number of horses at his disposal, but Aidan's stable size is comparable to a number of other leading trainers in Britain and Ireland who end up with neither the same number of potential Classic horses, nor therefore a similar level of Classic success. And, yes, he is fortunate in so many ways, not least in his constant supply of suitably bred animals to be honed on Ballydoyle's specially designed replica of Tottenham Corner. “Everything in Ballydoyle is about Epsom,” he said on Saturday in the post-Derby press conference–a sentence which should be a shot in the arm to what is perhaps this week an Epsom management which feels under attack. “The whole breed is assessed by the Derby and the Oaks. It's left and it's right and it's up and it's down, and it really tests them.” With no disrespect to the superb jockeys who have gone before him at Ballydoyle, Ryan Moore's tenure as O'Brien's number one has brought about an even greater dominance for the stable. There is something so superior about Moore's riding at the moment which makes you believe that if he is in a position to challenge, as he was on Persica for his old ally Richard Hannon in the second race on Derby day, then he will simply galvanise his mount to win, just as he had done with Jan Brueghel and Minnie Hauk the day before. In the Derby, Delacroix's lacklustre performance meant that there was not to be a clean sweep of the Group 1s for Moore, but that did open the door for Wayne Lordan to enjoy a deserved victory following a confident and well-judged ride on Lambourn, who was not for stopping. It is fascinating to watch the replay over and over again: Lambourn sent on and bowling along apparently unbothered on the lead, as several others behind him fought for their heads and dropped away tamely, their races run in the first furlong or two. Pride Of Arras's race may even have been over before he left the parade ring, where he several times reared and struck out at his groom while being saddled. This was only his third time at a racecourse but it was unpromising behaviour which underlined just how big a role temperament plays on Derby day, not to mention stamina. Year after year, we hear what the Derby means to the weighing-room fraternity. Memorably, when Moore won the Oaks for the first time on Snow Fairy in 2010, he said on being congratulated, “Yeah, but it's not the Derby.” By the next day he was a Derby-winning jockey, thanks to Workforce. On Saturday, Wayne Lordan had his own taste of that special arena, and he too outlined how much winning that particular race is a badge of honour any jockey yearns to wear, saying, “When you are growing up the Epsom Derby is always the one.” The Kevins Knew Broadcaster Kevin Blake has been rightly congratulated for pinpointing the first three home in the Derby on ITV Racing, and TDN doffs its hat to another Kevin–the bloodstock agent Kevin Ross–who, watching the runners in the parade ring alongside his father-in-law Arthur Moore, noted that Lambourn (Australia) and Lazy Griff (Protectionist) were among less than a handful of horses who would truly stay. Here's hoping that he had the forecast. We didn't. Remarkably, the first two home in this year's race, Lambourn and Lazy Griff, both emanate from the same family of the British-bred mare L'Amour Toujours, a daughter of Lester Piggott's first Derby winner Never Say Die. The mare was exported to the USA as a foal in 1958 and, in the case of Lambourn, the line remained in America through five generations until his dam Gossamer Wings (Scat Daddy) was brought to Ireland to be trained by O'Brien after being bought as a yearling at Keeneland. Lazy Griff's female line has an extra generation between him and L'Amour Toujours and it took a little detour through Denmark when his granddam Miss Skycat (Tale Of The Cat) ended up there as a breeding prospect. Lazy Griff's dam Linarda (Rock Of Gibraltar) carries a DEN suffix but she raced in Switzerland, France, Italy and Germany and now resides in the latter at Gestut Westerberg. Gossamer Wings's sole win came over five furlongs, but seven years ago she was beaten a short-head by Signora Cabello when second in the G2 Queen Mary Stakes. Lambourn is her second foal and she has two more colts to follow, both by Frankel to whom she is once again in foal. It is of course easy to say in hindsight, but, returning to the theme of temperament and stamina, the rock-solid Australia does appear to have been the perfect mate for her. And it is indeed fitting that the sire who was bred by Lord Derby, who went on to win the race to which his breeder's ancestor gave his name, following the Epsom success of Australia's parents Galileo and Ouija Board, now has a Derby winner of his own. Australia stood at his lowest fee of €10,000 this season just now drawing to a close. “He is exceptionally underrated,” said MV Magnier at Epsom on Saturday. “He's covered a lot of mares this year, and well done to all the breeders who have bred to him this year. They are in a good spot now.” It is entirely possible that Lord Derby's brother Peter Stanley, seen out early on the track on Saturday morning walking the famous course with Gai Waterhouse, may have suggested to the first lady of Australian racing to place an omen bet on Lambourn. Either way, Waterhouse appeared to be enjoying her march around the Downs as she continues her world tour of major racing events. On Top Again It has long been true that a horse making a lot of money in a sale ring doesn't necessarily equate to success on the track, but this season has so far been a good one for sale-toppers. First, Ruling Court (Justify), who led the Arqana Breeze-up Sale at €2.3 million, won the 2,000 Guineas, and that was followed on Friday by the victory of Minnie Hauk (Frankel) in the Oaks. She went through the Goffs Orby Sale of 2023 in the Camas Park Stud draft and ended up with top billing at €1.85 million. The last time Aidan O'Brien swept all three Group 1 races at Epsom was in 2012, when Tattersalls October topper Was (at 1.2 million gns) won the Oaks, Camelot (the joint-second-most expensive colt at the same yearling sale) won the Derby and St Nicholas Abbey landed the Coronation Cup. The post Seven Days: Unapologetically All About Epsom appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Rennstall Gestut Hachtsee's Zuckerhut (Almanzor) was too good for his rivals in a strong renewal of Monday's G2 Sparkasse KolnBonn 190th Union-Rennen at Cologne and the G3 Bavarian Classic fourth punched his ticket to July's G1 Deutsches Derby at Hamburg with a one-length triumph in Germany's premier trial for the main event. The 5-2 favourite, who had previously snagged his Apr. 6 debut at Mulheim, employed patient tactics and was positioned off the pace in sixth for most of this 11-furlong contest. Rowed along to reduce arrears at the top of the straight, he quickened smartly to launch his challenge approaching the quarter-mile marker and was ridden out inside the final 300 metres to defeat Hochkonig (Polish Vulcano) in decisive fashion for a first black-type success of any kind. “I have liked him since the very first time I saw him and his final piece of work was really good,” commented rider Andrasch Starke. “I was able to keep him under wraps and that worked out well, especially as there was a good pace. We are now ready for [the G1 Deutsches Derby at] Hamburg.” Trainer Peter Schiergen, who was winning this event for the sixth time, one shy of George Arnull's record seven editions, added, “He had an excellent trip throughout and 2,400 metres will be even better for him. He will have improved again for this race and now the Derby can come.” Sparkasse KölnBonn – 190. Union-Rennen (GR2) over 2200m at Cologne 3yo – Group Race – 70.000€ ZUCKERHUT by ALMANZOR HOCHKÖNIG by POLISH VULCANO ABANDO by ADLERFLUG ZUCKERHUT is bred by Gestüt Hachtsee, owned by Rennstall Gestüt Hachtsee, trained by Peter Schiergen and… pic.twitter.com/3yzqm1FPZF — Deutscher Galopp (@DeutscherGalopp) June 9, 2025 Pedigree Notes Zuckerhut, who becomes the 14th pattern-race winner for his sire, is the first of three foals produced by Group 2-winning G1 Preis der Diana (German Oaks) runner-up Zamrud (Samum), herself a full-sister to Listed Dusseldorf Derby-Trial runner-up Zirconic Star. Descendants of Zuckerhut's G1 Prix du Cadran-winning third dam Mercalle (Kaldoun) include G1 Japan Cup second Fabulous La Fouine (Fabulous Dancer). The April-foaled homebred bay is a half-brother to the unraced 2-year-old colt Zarif (Zarak) and a yearling colt by Tai Chi named Zinnsoldat. Monday, Cologne, Germany SPARKASSE KOLNBONN – 190TH UNION-RENNEN-G2, €70,000, Cologne, 6-9, 3yo, 11fT, 2:17.28, sf. 1–ZUCKERHUT (GER), 128, c, 3, by Almanzor (Fr) 1st Dam: Zamrud (Ger) (GSW & G1SP-Ger, $174,876), by Samum (Ger) 2nd Dam: Zambuka (Fr), by Zieten 3rd Dam: Mercalle (Fr), by Kaldoun (Fr) 1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN; 1ST GROUP WIN. O-Rennstall Gestut Hachtsee; B-Gestut Hachtsee; T-Peter Schiergen; J-Andrasch Starke. €40,000. Lifetime Record: 3-2-0-0, €49,000. Werk Nick Rating: First SW from this cross. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. 2–Hochkonig (Ger), 128, c, 3, Polish Vulcano (Ger)–Halinara (Ger), by Kallisto (Ger). 1ST BLACK TYPE; 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. O-Stall Cloverleaf; B-Stall MarcRuehl.com (GER); T-Yasmin Almenrader. €15,500. 3–Abando (Ger), 128, c, 3, Adlerflug (Ger)–Amalie (Ger), by Areion (Ger). 1ST BLACK TYPE; 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. (62,000gns Ylg '23 TATOCT). O-Gestut Ittlingen; B-Gestut Gorlsdorf; T-Waldemar Hickst. €8,000. Margins: 1, 3 3/4, NK. Odds: 2.50, 3.30, 19.20. Also Ran: Sedano (Fr), Amico (Ger), Enzian (Ger), Rekabet (Ger). The post Almanzor’s Zuckerhut Triumphs in Cologne’s G2 Union-Rennen appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The nine-day Los Angeles County Fair meeting at Los Alamitos kicks off Friday and will run through Sunday, July 6 with three stakes worth a combined $400,000 serving as the highlights, the track announced via press release Monday afternoon. Racing is set to be conducted Friday-Sunday (June 20-22; June 27-29; and July 4-6) all three weeks with post time scheduled for 1:00 p.m. The richest of the stakes races, the $200,000 GII Great Lady M. Stakes, will run Saturday, July 5 as the last of the black-type on offer. The Bertrando Stakes, restricted to California-sired or bred runners, will go Saturday, June 21 while the Los Alamitos Derby for 3-year-olds is the marquee event Saturday, June 28. Entries for opening day of the meet will be taken Tuesday, June 17. There will also be a handicapping contest Saturday, June 28 and the Los Alamitos Racing Association will offer a cash prize and a pair of berths to the 2026 National Thoroughbred Racing Association Handicapping Championship in Las Vegas. Cost to enter is $500. Of that amount, $100 will be placed in the contest prize pool with the remaining $400 going towards a live money wagering card. Tournament races will include the entire card at Los Alamitos with permitted wagers including win, place, show, exactas, trifectas, and daily doubles. For more information, please visit this page. Grandstand admission can be purchased on site or online here. General parking is free, but paid preferred parking will also be available. The post LA County Fair Meeting Begins Friday at Los Alamitos appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

In the horse world, value is too often measured in miles ridden, ribbons won, or jumps cleared. Success is frequently defined by performance, competition, or potential. But there's an entire population of horses–older, injured, sensitive, or simply different–who remind us that value has nothing to do with being under saddle. These are the horses who work in-hand. They don't need to be ridden to be remarkable. They don't perform in the arena, but they show up in ways that are often quieter, more profound, and more enduring. And yet, too often, they are treated as second-class citizens–dismissed as “pasture pets,” or seen as burdens instead of beings with purpose. Let's be clear: horses that can no longer be ridden–or perhaps never were–are not broken, useless, or lesser in any way. In fact, they may be among the most emotionally intelligent, communicative, and impactful animals in the herd. Freed from the physical demands of carrying a rider, they often shine in ground-based partnerships. They offer connection, responsiveness, and presence that sometimes surpass that of their saddle-bound peers. These horses excel at relational work. They are therapy partners, educators, and confidence-builders. They teach children how to lead with softness and elders how to stand tall. They model boundaries, trust, and forgiveness without ever needing to be mounted In equine-assisted programs, they help humans navigate grief, fear, and trauma–not by carrying them, but by walking beside them. We often talk about listening to horses. In-hand work demands it. With no bridle to control and no saddle to stabilize, we're asked to meet the horse at eye level, both physically and metaphorically. We learn to cue with breath, intention, and the lightest suggestion of energy. We become better horse people–and better humans–because of it. At sanctuaries and aftercare programs like This Old Horse, these animals thrive. They transition from overlooked to irreplaceable. Some are former athletes whose bodies could no longer meet the rigors of competition. Others were never trained for riding but possess a kind of wisdom that cannot be taught. All are teachers in their own right. And the people who love them? The ones who don't ride, but brush manes, walk quietly alongside them, share space, and listen with reverence? They're just as real, just as passionate, just as connected as any equestrian in a saddle. There's a stubborn myth in the horse world–that if someone doesn't ride, they're not a “real” horse person. That myth is outdated, and it's time to put it to rest. You don't need to ride to matter in a horse's life. And a horse doesn't need to carry you to be meaningful in yours. If we believe horses are healers, then we must believe in every kind of healing they offer–ridden or not. The industry, and our culture, must do a better job of honoring the whole horse–not just the rideable ones. Let's build space, funding, and programming not as pity projects, but as partnerships of purpose. Let's stop measuring value in saddle time and start honoring all the ways horses show up for us–and all the people who show up for them, no matter how. No labels. No hierarchy. Just connection, compassion, and belonging. After all, the most meaningful journeys often don't require a saddle. –Nancy Turner, Founder of This Old Horse The post Letter to the Editor: Reclaiming the Value of the Unrideable Horses appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Last week, I witnessed firsthand the career-saving and even life-saving potential of the StrideSAFE sensor technology–and I feel a responsibility to share what happened. A stakes-level horse in our barn was flagged by StrideSAFE after showing a dramatic rise in injury risk in the right front leg over its two most recent races. A barn exam by our veterinarian showed no obvious lameness or inflammation. But based on the compelling StrideSAFE data, we took the next step and scheduled advanced imaging. The PET scan results–confirmed by two separate equine hospitals–showed changes beginning in the right front sesamoid bone that indicated a serious injury was imminent. This horse is now resting for 90 days and is expected to make a full return to training pending a clean recheck. Without StrideSAFE, we wouldn't have caught it. As both a trainer and president of the Kentucky HBPA, representing more than 6,000 owners and trainers, I believe this moment is a turning point. This wasn't theory or promise–this was proof. StrideSAFE did exactly what it was designed to do. It helped us protect a valuable athlete and likely prevented a catastrophic outcome. StrideSAFE data is available to all trainers racing horses in Kentucky simply by emailing them to get connected with your confidential reports. They can explain the process and are always available to answer any question you or your veterinarian might have and even provide more detailed information following a concerning report or pattern. Contact them at g.pachman@stridesafeusa.com. Change isn't always easy in horse racing, but when a tool works this well to keep our horses safe, we owe it to them to pay attention. Sincerely, Dale Romans The post Letter to the Editor: Dale Romans on StrideSAFE Sensor Technology appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Their first real introduction was at the 1997 Keeneland September Sale. Naoya was working with Dr. Dave Fishback at Hagyard and Marie was scouting yearlings for her fledgling Hong Kong-based bloodstock agency. Things got off to a rather awkward start when Marie approached the Hagyard team to hand off her vet's list and Naoya asked to take a look at the hip numbers. Not knowing Naoya worked for the veterinary practice, Marie guessed he was a rival buyer fishing for intel. “I was not very nice to him,” Marie admitted with a laugh. Marie later learned that she and Naoya had actually crossed paths years earlier at the 1994 International Thoroughbred Breeders' Federation meeting in Ireland. Marie was part of the French delegation and Naoya was there with his father, who was head of the Japanese delegation. Naoya had introduced himself, but noticing Marie's ring on her right hand, he mistakenly assumed it was the French custom for married women to wear their wedding rings there. Once those early misunderstandings and mishaps were behind them, Marie and Naoya quickly hit it off. They crossed paths at industry events around the world. When a rain shower popped up at a Tattersalls sale, Naoya ran into an empty stall only to find Marie already waiting out the weather in the very same box. The pair went to a café and chatted for hours, discovering their shared vision of a 'borderless' Thoroughbred industry. Nearly three decades later, Marie Yoshida-Debeusscher and Dr. Naoya Yoshida are partners in life and in business. As the owners of Winchester Farm in Lexington, Kentucky, they bring a distinctly global perspective to every aspect of their business. Their vision, shaped by international roots and decades of experience across continents, is paying off on the racetrack with horses like Grade I winners Locked (Gun Runner) and Scottish Lassie (McKinzie), plus recent GIII Pimlico Special Stakes victor Awesome Aaron (Practical Joke). The 1994 ITBF meeting. Marie is in center of second row. Naoya is directly behind her. Other attendees include King Ranch Farm's Helen Alexander, Hill 'n' Dale Canada's Glenn Sikura, Lanwades Stud's Kirsten Rausing and Hong Kong Jockey Club CEO Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges | photo courtesy Naoya Yoshida Naoya is a fourth-generation horseman. His family's involvement dates back to 1898, when his great-grandfather worked to improve the quality of military horses in Japan. Later they moved to Sapporo, now the capital of Hokkaido, and focused on breeding Thoroughbreds at the family's Yoshida Stud Farm. After earning his veterinary degree, Naoya sought experience outside Japan. At first opportunities were limited, but then he met Dr. Michael Osborne at Godolphin's Kildangan Stud. “At the time, not many farms in the world had an interest in accepting trainees from Japan,” Naoya explained. “I applied to the Irish National Stud program but I was rejected. Dr. Osborne kindly offered me a training position at Kildangan. I didn't know anything about breeding in Ireland, but I really wanted to get out of Japan and learn more. We were so far behind from Western countries with everything about breeding horses.” After working under Dr. Osborne for three years, Naoya set his sights on the United States. His father had once spent some time in California at Rex Ellsworth's farm when Swaps was in training there. Encouraged by those stories and upon the advice of Osborne, Naoya decided that working with Dr. Fishback would allow him to meet a wide range of people and get a better sense of the American industry. While abroad, Naoya was still active with his family's breeding operation in Japan. In 1995, his father sent homebred Fujiyama Kenzan (Jpn) (Lucky Cast {Jpn} to the G2 Hong Kong International Cup. The colt made history as the first Japanese runner to win an international graded race. At that time, Japan was not considered a Part 1 racing jurisdiction and most stakes races there did not count toward international blacktype status. Fujiyama Kenzan's breakthrough in Honk Kong inspired Naoya to explore how their breeding program could benefit from international racing. A few months after meeting Marie, he traveled to Hong Kong to share the idea and, as he says, to “steal her heart.” Born and raised in France, Marie came from a Thoroughbred family herself. She began her career working for the French Thoroughbred Breeders' Association and then became the General Secretary of the European Federation of Thoroughbred Breeders' Associations. In 1996, she moved to Hong Kong to launch her own bloodstock agency. Awesome Aaron at two months old | courtesy Winchester Farm The couple married in 1999 and, fittingly, spent their honeymoon at the Keeneland July Sale shopping for their clients based around the globe. After Naoya's father passed away in 2001, Naoya and Marie considered establishing a farm of their own somewhere. “I was in favor of Australia, because I could see the shift of the shuttle stallions there,” recalled Marie. “You could see the potential, especially being so close to Asia. My husband of course loved Ireland. But we decided on Kentucky, with it having the best foundation and the best bloodlines for the speed that you need for Japanese racing or for anywhere really. It was the right place to be.” In 2002, the Yoshidas purchased a 150-acre farm on Winchester Road in Paris, Kentucky. Although Winchester Farm has grown and evolved over the years since, they have stuck to their original plan of maintaining a hands-on, boutique operation. Today, the Yoshidas maintain a broodmare band of about 10 of their own mares while also offering a wide array of services to their clients including breeding and boarding management, sales representation and mating consultations. The Yoshidas place a particular emphasis on physical when buying mares. “You can study the catalog as much as you like, but nothing will change the way you inspect the horse physically,” said Marie. They also believe that success does not necessarily come at a premium. Naoya calls it “finding gemstones.” In 2012, the Yoshidas bought the granddam of Awesome Aaron at the Keeneland November Sale for $70,000. Loure (A.P. Indy) was a winning Darley homebred out of a Group 3 winner in France. “Who wouldn't buy a mare by A.P. Indy in 2012?” said Marie. “I mean, come on! But she was in foal to Discreet Cat, so maybe there was less commercial appeal. We were very lucky to buy her.” Loure's leading earner Randonnee (Blame) was a multiple stakes winner in Japan and that first foal by Discreet Cat, Do the Dance, became the dam of Awesome Aaron. The Yoshidas sold Do the Dance as a yearling, but they were able to buy her back privately after her stakes-winning career. Awesome Aaron sold for $130,000 at the 2020 Keeneland September Sale. Now in his fourth year of racing, the son of Practical Joke has earned 15 placings from 34 starts. A winner at 3, he dropped to the claiming ranks for a time before rising to his best form under the tutelage of Norm Casse. “Awesome Aaron is six years old and we are very proud of that,” said Marie. “We want to breed strong, sound horses. We are not in this for the short term. We always want to breed for long term. Horses should be able to race until they are six or seven. In Hong Kong they race until they are eight or nine years old. That's why Awesome Aaron does not surprise us.” The Yoshidas may have always known the toughness was there, but they certainly had to have been impressed when Awesome Aaron scored his first graded stakes victory in the Pimlico Special. “Breeders are like parents,” said Marie. “We do our best for them as babies and yearlings. It's very personal. It's a 365-days-a-year job. When we sell them, it's sometimes hard. We have to let them grow, but we keep an eye on all our babies.” The Yoshidas had a close eye on another Winchester Farm-bred star this weekend when they traveled to Saratoga to watch Scottish Lassie, the winner of last year's GI Frizette Stakes, run a game third in the GI Acorn Stakes. The filly's dam Bodebabe (Bodemeister) was another gemstone that they uncovered from the claiming ranks of Gulfstream. The Yoshidas place just as much emphasis on selecting the right stallions as they do on choosing their mares. They were high on Scottish Lassie's sire McKinzie from the start. “McKinzie was one of those rare horses who was amazing not only at two, but at three, four and five,” Marie explained. “Soundness is very important to us. You need to put chance to your side when you breed. Reduce the unknown as much as possible even if it means not always following the latest fashion.” Naoya recalled another instance where their willingness to look past trends paid off. “When Into Mischief first joined Spendthrift, Mr. B. Wayne Hughes came to our farm to give us a presentation and introduce us to Into Mischief,” he recounted. “He asked us to send our best mare to him. We basically never send our best mares to new stallions, but Mr. Hughes really explained to us how much of a chance Into Mischief had.” After visiting Into Mischief at Spendthrift themselves, the Yoshidas were believers too. They bred five mares to him in his first year. Later, when the supersire's son Practical Joke retired to stud, they supported him in his early years as well. Awesome Aaron was bred on a $30,000 cover in Practical Joke's first year at stud. This year, the Ashford sire stands for $100,000. The Yoshidas' eye for spotting emerging talent has also served them in advising clients. They helped guide Italy-based breeder Rosa Colasanti in the mating that produced not only dual Grade I winner Locked (Gun Runner), but also his dam Luna Rosa (Malibu Moon). Both were foaled and raised at Winchester Farm. At this year's Keeneland September Sale, the farm will be offering Locked's three-quarters brother by Early Voting, along with a homebred half-brother to Scottish Lassie by Corniche. Naoya with 1996 GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies winner Storm Song | Sarah Andrew They will also be represented by a unique offering in a Medaglia d'Oro colt out of Golden Sister (Aus) (Capitalist {Aus}), a half-sister to three-time Hong Kong Horse of the Year Golden Sixty (Medaglia d'Oro). Back in 2021, Marie had inspected Golden Sister as a yearling at the Magic Millions Sale in Australia. Though she didn't secure the filly at the time, her admiration left an impression. When Golden Sister's connections decided to send the mare to the U.S. to visit Medaglia d'Oro, they reached out to Winchester Farm to handle the mating and foaling. The list of Keeneland-bound yearlings foaled and raised at Winchester Farm is a testament to how the Yoshidas' global outlook– and their belief in the power of shared vision–continue to open doors. “It's important for us to smooth the relationship and the culture between people and be the middle person between different countries or different ways of breeding or racing,” said Naoya. “Then you can build bridges and it benefits everybody.” This past weekend in Japan, the Yoshidas celebrated another important win when Jantar Mantar (Jpn) (Palace Malice) captured the Breeders' Cup 'Win and You're In' G1 Yasuda Kinen. When Jantar Mantar's dam Indian Mantuana (Wilburn) sold to Shadai Farm in 2020, Teruya Yoshida asked the Winchester team to handle her mating plans and Naoya chose Palace Malice. After the mare returned to Japan, the resulting foal was Jantar Mantar. “There are so many people in the Thoroughbred industry,” said Naoya.”It's nice to share the excitement with them. We've had tragedy before, sickness and losing foals, but we always say good weather comes after bad weather. I'm quite lucky to be here in Kentucky. It has given us so many opportunities to work with people in the United States, Europe and Japan.” “Our reputation is everything,” Marie added. “Our reputation, sense of duty and just doing the right thing as breeders. To future breeders: you always have the chance to find a gem. You don't need to spend $2 or $3 million. You just need to keep working hard.” In an increasingly global industry, the Yoshidas have carved out a space where cross-continental connections and quiet consistency pays off. At Winchester Farm, the next gem could come from any corner of the world. The post Keeneland Breeder Spotlight: Winchester Farm Uncovering Gems From All Corners appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The Jockey Club has awarded five academic scholarships for the 2025-2026 academic year. Lauren Maas was selected to receive The Jockey Club Scholarship ($7,500 per semester), which is awarded to a student on an academic path toward employment in the equine industry. Maas earned her Master of Science in Animal Biology from UC-Davis with the thesis, “Arrhythmogenesis and Sudden Cardiac Death in Thoroughbred Racehorses.” She is attending veterinary school at the Royal Veterinary College in London and plans to return to the United States upon graduation to find employment as a racetrack veterinarian. The Jockey Club Advancement of Women in Racing Scholarship ($10,000 per semester) is being awarded to Sophia Vega, who expects to graduate from the University of Kentucky in the spring of 2026 with a degree in Animal Science/Pre-Vet with an equine emphasis. Her goal is to become an equine veterinarian specializing in equine orthopedic and soft tissue surgery. She works as a nursing technician at Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital and is an Ed Brown Society Scholar and scholarship recipient. She recently served as Keeneland's Department of Equine Safety and Compliance's first intern under Dr. Stuart Brown and Kassie Creed. Giovanni Ricardo will receive The Jockey Club Vision Scholarship ($10,000 per semester), which is awarded to an undergraduate student who is from a minority racial or ethnic group. Ricardo is studying Finance and Marketing at the University of Kentucky and expects to graduate in May 2026. Giovanni is a current Ed Brown Society Scholar and a Keeneland Ambassador, and his goal is to modernize marketing strategies within the sport of Thoroughbred racing and to work with organizations dedicated to the long-term growth of the industry. The Jockey Club Benevolence Scholarship ($7,500 per semester) provides needs-based assistance with preference to backstretch and horse farm employees and their family members and was awarded to Xochilt Solorio. Solorio is studying Civil Engineering with a primary focus on transportation at Northeastern University. Her parents work at Belmont Park; her father is a day walker and groom, and her mother is a hot walker. Nathan Klein is the recipient of The Jockey Club Jack Goodman Scholarship ($3,000 per semester), which is open to students enrolled in the University of Arizona's Race Track Industry Program. Klein plans to graduate from RTIP in May 2026 with a Bachelor of Science in Animal Sciences. He is a race caller at TSG Global Wagering Solutions LLC and is also a member of the University of Arizona equestrian team. His goal is to become a racetrack announcer. The post The Jockey Club Awards Academic Scholarships appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

A pair of fillies pulled up during races at Saratoga last Friday were sent to Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital for diagnosis of injuries and are both now resting, according to updates issued by the New York Racing Association Monday. Mystifying (Curlin), who was pulled up in the stretch run by jockey Jose Ortiz after sustaining an injury to her left front during Friday's seventh race, was immediately attended to by on-track veterinarians, who stabilized the injury and transported the 4-year-old filly to Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital for further evaluation. Further examination revealed an injury to the left front tendon. Mystifying has been returned to trainer Shug McGaughey's barn at Belmont Park to recuperate and is resting comfortably, according to NYRA. Princess Mischief (Honest Mischief) was pulled up in the stretch run of Friday's first race by jockey Manny Franco after sustaining an injury to her left front. The horse was immediately attended to by on-track veterinarians and transported to Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital for further evaluation. Per trainer Chris Englehart, further examination revealed an injury to her left scapula. She will remain at Rood and Riddle for the time being, but is improving daily and walking comfortably. The post NYRA Issues Updates on Mystifying, Princess Mischief appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

“The first big firework that's gone off since I got here,” acknowledges Jacob West. “And I will say this: I think it'll put the other farms on notice. I think people are going to say, `woah, they're back. Not exactly a new shooter, obviously–but reloaded.'” The new stallion seasons and bloodstock manager at Claiborne Farm is at pains to stress that the recruitment of Mindframe (Constitution) only builds on the work of his universally esteemed predecessor Bernie Sams. After all, the last stallion brought here by Sams, who's still sharing his experience round the office a couple of days a week, was Prince of Monaco–perhaps the most eagerly subscribed of the latest Kentucky intake. But just as fourth-generation president Walker Hancock took over from his father Seth, already a decade ago now, so the time was ripe last October for an equivalent transfer between generations. As such, the stallion that West did then help to land, Bright Future, could not be more aptly named. “It's like Mr. Hancock laid the foundation and Bernie built a mansion on it,” West says. “It's my job not to let it crumble. The way I see it, I can only add on to the house. But bringing in Mindframe, I do think a lot of eyebrows have been raised. Talking to some of the biggest breeders, the sentiment has been, 'Damn, you guys, that's serious.' So yeah, couldn't be more excited. If you're looking at it as a draft, like the NBA or NFL, in my opinion he was one of one.” As West cheerfully concedes, that opinion may be somewhat prejudiced, the GI Churchill Downs Stakes winner having been purchased as a yearling by two of his own clients. “I'm incredibly biased because I was part of the selection team for Mike Repole and Vinnie Viola,” West says. “But he's absolutely beautiful, uber-talented, out of a Street Sense mare, and with an incredible amount of upside going forward. We had to fight for him, trust me. It isn't easy buying off two billionaires. And, quite frankly, while it wasn't hard to sell the horse's credentials to Walker and Will [Bishop, CFO], the real push was to say, 'Okay, this is a big swing–and we need to do it.' “So it's a tip of the cap to them, because they were like, 'Listen, the reason you're here is to get things like this done.' Of course that was the same with Bernie. But this, for Walker's regime, is like: deploy the troops, go execute, get going. And actually this horse fits the mold of what's been successful here in the past, horses that Mr. Hancock and Bernie oversaw, the likes of Blame and even going back to Unbridled.” And that, of course, is the challenge of this whole transition: how to maintain continuity without complacency, to adapt dynamically to a changing environment. Not yet 40 himself–though doubtless somewhat aged by recent parenthood!–West has long been pals with the farm's young executives, initially around the sales circuit and then on the golf course. His recruitment was first floated a year or two back and, as it took more concrete form, it was agreed that West could continue his agency work. But whatever hats he may wear, the yellow of Claiborne will now sit uppermost. West admits to an undiminished wonder. “It's amazing, every day, driving in that front gate,” he says. “As a kid who was an outsider, who didn't grow up in this industry, you look over those fields and think of the history and tradition, it just blows your mind. They've been doing it longer than anybody, and I'd even venture that some of the ways they still do it today are same as 100 years ago. And remember, it's all through the horse business. They don't have a secondary line of income to fund everything. “This position I'm in, only three people in the world have ever held: Seth Hancock, Bernie Sams, and now myself. The pressure that comes with that isn't something you take lightly. Walker told me that, just as his dad was paired together with Bernie, it would be the same for us. As I jokingly told him, that means we can only screw up. Because what they've done is truly unbelievable. But I feel like the three of us–Walker, Will, me–are the 'younger' generation, and that it's the same for the guys around the farm, that this is the new regime.” So how do they go about making their mark, about consolidating without being afraid of change? “Outsiders might think that Walker wouldn't be willing to step out on the ledge and take risks,” says West. “Because there's a lot of pressure that goes with what he has inherited here. But nothing could be further from the truth. Okay, so I'm probably way more risk tolerant. But it's not like he's in any way meek. He'd just be on the lower side, and then Will's probably in the middle. That makes a perfect blend.” Arguably the very act of hiring someone like this–a complete “outcross” to the Bluegrass establishment–is itself a statement of intent. West wasn't born to the game, but nor, as a result, does he feel inhibited either by privilege or its accompanying burdens. “I grew up in Western Kentucky,” West explains. “And Paducah and Lexington might as well be on opposite sides of the world. But I always loved the racing on TV, and when I came to the University of Kentucky, I cheated my whole way through. My name's on the diploma, but should have one of my best friends in parentheses underneath. Because I was constantly off to Churchill, Ellis, Keeneland, while he did my assignments for me.” West graduated just in time for the 2008 crash, but got a job as a bank teller. “The most miserable weeks of my life,” he says. “The financial world was in the dumps, and I distinctly remember this older lady standing at the counter, literally crying. She was like, 'I don't have any more money. My savings in the stock market, they're zero.' And I'm sitting there thinking, 'God, I need to get away from this.'” Fortunately, the baseball coach he was assisting at a local high school noticed his misery, knew what really made him tick, and introduced him to a contact at Taylor Made. Little caring that bloodstock was in parallel freefall, West made his shedrow debut at the 2009 January Sale. “The coldest sale on record, and the worst,” he recalls happily. “And as soon as I walked into the barn, that first morning, it was, 'Oh yeah, this is what I'm going to do with my life.' I'll never forget walking through the back ring holding a bucket and towel, and seeing Mark and Frank Taylor standing there. Mark said, 'You love this, don't you?' I said, 'I'm in heaven.' And Frank said, 'Well, if you love it now, just wait till it turns around.'” They took him on, despite a hiring freeze, and put him to work with the barren mares. “I got so lucky,” West marvels. “Because the Taylor brothers are incredible teachers. The number of guys that came through their farm, now doing other things, it's unparalleled. And I think they saw a young, unmolded mind, a blank slate. My number-one mentor was Mark Taylor. I followed him around like a puppy dog, just a sponge trying to absorb as much as I could.” However fast a learner, it required unusual self-belief–not to say impudence–to imagine that wealthy people might now let him spend their money. One day West suggested that he might approach Robert and Lawana Low to buy some horses. “Mark replied, 'Absolutely not! You do that, I'll fire you!'” he recalls. “At the end of the day, I've always had a certain confidence in myself. My mom, a single mother raising my brother and me, always instilled in us that we were big, strong boys that needed to be leaders. And, like I said, I'm a risk-taker. But you know what? Mr. and Mrs. Low allowed me to make mistakes, and learn. Mike Repole, the same. For whatever reason, they entrusted me.” West had been similarly bold approaching Repole, when Taylor Made was selling Stopchargingmaria (Tale of the Cat) and others. “Mike had never sold a horse and I was a young kid, ambitious and aggressive,” West recalls. “So I picked up the phone and started calling this billionaire. Mike made it black-and-white: 'You appraise my horses, and if you get the price for them, you'll be my man.' And that's what I did.” This kind of hustle is hardly old school; hardly, indeed, the Claiborne way. But that's really the point. Claiborne doesn't need help doing what it has always done so well. But if hoping to broaden its reach, maybe it can experiment a little. “Yes, [Taylor Made and Claiborne] are two opposite ends of the spectrum,” West agrees. “And that's not a knock on how anybody does it. At Claiborne, again from conception, it's all for the race. When I look around and see the stock they have here, I'm thinking, 'Oh my God, they could sell this for fortunes.' But you run that up the flagpole, they look at you like you have eight heads!” Claiborne duly remains one of few farms to have resisted headlong expansion of books. “There's many ways to skin the cat,” West says. “I'm not saying we're right and they're wrong, and I guarantee they're not saying that we're wrong and they're right. Prince of Monaco is breeding 175 mares, the most a Claiborne stallion has ever bred. He could have bred 300, if we wanted, but we hope that people will come back because they know it's a limited book.” Nonetheless, West's arrival is intended to signal a receptive mindset. He even contrived to put Repole and Seth Hancock together for lunch at the Country Club. “You know Mike, there's no pillow fights with him,” West says. “It was full-on haymakers, and I was cringing. But it turned out 95% they agreed on. The other 5% was just old school versus new. Mr. Hancock said, 'Mike, I've been around this business a long time and that does not work.' 'Well, I can make it work.' And a year later, Mike says, 'Damn, he was right.' You could not find two more different human beings on the face of the earth. But they ended up hugging each other, brought together by their love of the industry and desire to see things done right.” For West, like Repole, the question is whether an outsider can usefully broaden perspectives for those who absorbed traditional lore with mother's milk. “Well, maybe that's part of it,” West replies. “But I would also tell you, I've been a lucky so-and-so my whole life!” Whether by luck or judgement, the man who also helped to unearth Forte (Violence) and Nest (Curlin), got his first big break with Magnum Moon (Malibu Moon)–who just happened to have been raised at Claiborne. “He was my flagship,” he says. “And this is where he grew up. So here I am, back where it all started. Listen, I can't say it enough, what an incredible honor this is for a guy like me. It's the most iconic brand in the Thoroughbred industry. I see those tours coming through twice a day and the reverence people have for this place, it's unlike anything else.” So how on earth do you go about change, experiment, daring? “Confidence,” he replies with a grin. “It takes a hard-headed person like myself to not be scared to make a mistake, to fail. And that's the number one thing.” The post Jacob West a Fresh Direction for Claiborne appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article