Wandering Eyes

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

With scattered rain forecast for Saratoga beginning June 6 and continuing through the weekend, Gun Pilot may face an off track, which he handled easily in an allowance optional claiming race at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots in January. 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

3rd-Curragh, €20,000, Mdn, 6-5, 3yo/up, 12fT, 2:35.75, gd. GRATEFUL (IRE) (f, 3, Galileo {Ire}–Tepin {GISW-Can, G1SW-Eng, MGISW-US, $4,437,918}, by Bernstein), the third foal out of the six-times top-level-winning dual champion turf mare, had not been seen since finishing ninth in this track's seven-furlong conditions race in August in which A Lilac Rolla (Ire) (Harry Angel {Ire}) and Opera Singer (Justify) were first and second. Racing in mid-pack early, the 13-2 shot stayed on strongly to reel in stablemate Mother Nature (Ire) (Justify) in the final strides and prevail by a short head. “She has an unbelievable pedigree. She got a little setback last year and we didn't get to run her,” Aidan O'Brien said. “She just took a bit of time to come and Wayne said there is a lot to come from her. We'll let her step up and progress away and he said she'd be very happy to step back in trip.” Tepin was famously purchased by M.V. Magnier for $8 million at Fasig-Tipton November in 2017. She has a 2-year-old colt Delacroix (Ire) by Dubawi (Ire) and is kin to the four-times graded-stakes scorer Vyjack (Into Mischief). Lifetime Record: 2-1-0-0, $13,055. O-Mrs J Magnier/M Tabor/D Smith/Westerberg; B-Tepin Syndicate (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien. Bred for the job! Grateful, by Galileo out of Queen Anne winner and top-class US mare Tepin, beats better-fancied stablemate Mother Nature in an exciting finish for @waynemlordan and Aidan O'Brien at @curraghrace pic.twitter.com/5ezBLq43Jv — Racing TV (@RacingTV) June 5, 2024 The post Daughter Of Tepin Off The Mark At The Curragh appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Crimson Advocate (Nyquist), who flew in from the U.S. to defeat 25 European fillies in the G2 Queen Mary S. at Royal Ascot last year, will be back in England to contest the five-furlong G1 King Charles III S. (formerly the Kings Stand S.) at Ascot June 19. She will be saddled by John and Thady Gosden and stay on at their Clarehaven Stables for a European campaign. The three-year-old daughter of Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist ran sixth, beaten just 2 1/2 lengths in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint, leading Big Evs (Blue Point {Ire}) into the final furlong, on her first run in the peacock blue and old gold colors of her owners Wathnan Racing, who purchased her before that race. She returned this season with a one-length win over five furlongs on the turf at Gulfstream Park in the Roar S. in her final start for trainer George Weaver on May 18. Case Clay, Wathnan Racing's America representative, said, 'Crimson Advocate is all about speed and we're very hopeful she can give Wathnan lots of fun in the big European sprints. George and his team have done a fantastic job training her for a second crack at a big Royal Ascot prize, and we are really looking forward to seeing her in action in England this summer.' A $100,000 OBS October graduate, Crimson Advocate has won three of her five lifetime starts, breaking her maiden in the Royal Palm Juvenile Fillies S. in May of her two-year-old year. The post American Queen Mary Winner Crimson Advocate to Race in Europe appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. — Brian Hernandez had a huge weekend on the first weekend in May. The 38-year-old jockey is hoping for another big one on the second weekend in June. Hernandez is the pilot of the best 3-year-old filly in the country in Thorpedo Anna (Fast Anna). He also is the teammate of one of the best 3-year-old colts in the land in Mystik Dan (Goldencents). Both horses are trained by Kenny McPeek and they gave Hernandez the biggest thrill of his 21-year career last month. Thorpedo Anna won the GI Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs on May 4; the next day, Mystik Dan won the GI Kentucky Derby. Hernandez became just the ninth rider in history to win both in the same year. “It's been crazy, it's been life changing,” Hernandez said by phone from Louisville, Ky. “We have worked so long to be able to ride horses like this … to be able to show up on the big stage is an incredible feeling.” The magic ride could continue when Thorpedo Anna runs in the GI DK Acorn S. at Saratoga Race Course on Friday and Mystik Dan takes on the GI Belmont Stakes Saturday. “(Mystik Dan) is a horse that doesn't mind being in some battles and tight spots,” Hernandez said. “He is not the biggest horse in the world, but he is full of heart. (Thorpedo Anna) has done everything we have asked of her so far. She has answered every question.” Thorpedo Anna, with Brian Hernandez aboard | Horsephotos Hernandez splashed onto the national scene when he rode Fort Larned to victory in the 2012 GI Breeders' Cup Classic. Winning the major races in Kentucky have been the pinnacle. He and his wife, Jamie accepted an invitation to visit Louisiana (his home state) Governor Jeff Landry. “I have gotten a lot of attention,” he said. “Anytime someone asks me for an autograph, I sign. There will be a time when no one knows who you are, and no is going to want it. You have to enjoy the spotlight when it's on you.” Hernandez, a mainstay in the Kentucky jockey colony, has had a good relationship with McPeek–who became the first trainer to win the Oaks and Derby in the same year since 1952–as he gets first call on the barn's top horses. When asked if Hernandez is an underrated rider, McPeek doesn't hesitate. “Very,” he said. “The key to him is that gets a horse to travel underneath him. How a rider gets a horse to flow during the middle of the race can be more important than the finish. He has real soft hands and never checks a horse–ever–unless someone takes him out. That's a big deal because he does not cost them any lost motion.” Hernandez has heard the underrated tag put on him but shrugs it off. “It's horse racing, it's not jockey racing,” he said. “Most of the time, a good rider can get a good horse there. You need the stock. The biggest thing is to have the people behind you.” Contessa Hopes For A Couple More Big Runs Last summer, trainer Gary Contessa opened the Saratoga Race meet with a bang when Becky's Joker (Practical Joke) won the GIII Schuylerville S. at 21-1 odds. He would have to wait until closing day before he got his second win and he did that with a sonic boom when Nutella Fella (Runhappy) pulled a shocker in the GI Hopeful, winning at 54-1. Nutella Fella | Sarah Andrew “That was amazing, considering I didn't expect it,” Contessa said along the rail at the Oklahoma Training Track. Both are coming back in the Belmont Racing Festival. Becky's Joker, owned by Lee Pokoik, is 8-1 on the morning line in Thursday's six-furlong Jersey Girl S. and Nutella Fella 15-1 in the GI Woody Stephens for Bell Gable Stable LLC. Both have been off since last year's improbable results. Nutella Fella has fully recovered, Contessa said, from a non-displaced fracture of his left hind ankle. That forced him to miss the GI Champagne S. “I knew we would get him back, was I going to get him back for the Woody Stephens? That was going to be up to him,” Contessa said. “He is ready for this race.” Becky's Joker, seventh in the GIII Adirondack S. last summer, had to be turned out shortly after that. “She lost her mind, she was a mental case at the end of the meet,” Contessa said. “No physical issues.” She has returned and has a solid work tab–as does Nutella Fella–and Contessa says she is ready. Becky's Joker was also entered in the 1 1/8-mile DK Acorn on Friday but Contessa and Pokoik opted for the shorter race. She had drawn the rail in the Acorn; she has the three in the Jersey Girl S. Becky's Joker | Sarah Andrew “The sprint made the most sense,” Contessa said. “She is so big (17.2 hands) that when she goes in the starting gate, her nose is touching the front and her butt is touching the back. She doesn't get the push off that smaller horses get.” A slow break in the Acorn could compromise her chances and she won't have to face GI Kentucky Oaks winner Thorpedo Anna. Contessa is just glad to have both horses back in the barn. And, perhaps, provide another surprise. Or two. Weather Forecast Not Great If you're going to attend any of the four days of the Belmont S. Racing Festival at Saratoga Race Course, bring the rain coat. According to the National Weather Service in Albany, rain is in the forecast from Thursday-Sunday. “We are going to see a chance for showers and thunderstorms each day, that's the bad part,” NWS meteorologist Brian Frugis said. “The good part is it won't be raining the entire time for any of these days.” According to Frugis, the worst day of the week figures to be Thursday when he said there is an 80 percent chance of rain, with the heaviest coming in the late afternoon and evening hours. He said a good portion of the afternoon should be dry. On Friday, Saturday and Sunday, the chance of rain is 60 percent, Frugis said. “Friday, Saturday and Sunday, it will be more lighter showers,” he said. When asked to rank the weekend on a one-to-10 scale with 10 being the best, Frugis could only come up with a four. The post Hernandez Continues To Enjoy The Ride Of His Life appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. 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Flavien Prat replaces Tyler Gaffalione, who rode the Gun Runner colt in all three of his races this year. And Sierra Leone will be equipped with a cage bit, designed to give the rider added control for left-to-right steering.View the full article

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Thursday's Observations features a Frankel filly out of a Breeders' Cup heroine. 16.40 Haydock, Nov, £10,000, 3yo/up, f/m, 6f 212yT Imad Al Sagar homebred HAUTE COUTURE (GB) (Kingman {GB}) is a half-sister to G1 Jebel Hatta, G1 Tattersalls Gold Cup and G1 Irish Champion S.-winning sire Decorated Knight (GB) (Galileo {Ire}). Unraced opposition to the John and Thady Gosden-trained debutante includes Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum's Tareefa (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}), who is a William Haggas-conditioned half-sister to G1 Pretty Polly S. victrix Nezwaah (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}); and Saeed Suhail's Winning Point (GB) (Blue Point {Ire}), a 320,000gns Book 1 daughter of Group 3-winning G1 Irish 1000 Guineas runner-up Rehn's Nest (Ire) (Authorized {Ire}), from the Sir Michael Stoute yard. 16.55 Leopardstown, Mdn, €18,000, 2yo, f, 7f 60yT Ballydoyle contender GISELLE (IRE) (Frankel {GB}), the first of three foals by Frankel out of GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf and GI Just A Game S. victrix Newspaperofrecord (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), debuts in a contest annexed in recent years by the stable's G1 Irish Oaks heroine Bracelet (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}) and the multiple Group 1-placed September (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}). Her rivals include Aidan O'Brien stablemate Bedtime Story (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), who is kin to last term's G3 Staffordstown Stud S. winner Content (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) out of dual G1 Nunthorpe S. heroine Mecca's Angel (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}). 19.15 Chelmsford, Nov, £9,000, 3yo/up, f/m, 10f (AWT) Qatar Racing's UPTON (Kitten's Joy) is a homebred full-sister to G1 Futurity Trophy and G1 2000 Guineas-winning sire Kameko and makes a journey around the M25 for her belated unveiling here. The Andrew Balding trainee's opponents include Yuesheng Zhang's Daylight Chorus (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}), who is a €245,000 Goffs Orby half-sister to four-time Group 1-winning sire Dawn Approach (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}) and G1 Vincent O'Brien National S. runner-up Herald The Dawn (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}), representing William Haggas. The post Daughter Of Newspaperofrecord Set For Leopardstown Debut appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

It was a first-of-its-kind TDN Writers' Room this week as the crew gathered to discuss the first GI Belmont S. to run at Saratoga Race Course. To get started on their handicapping ahead of a jam-packed weekend of racing at the Spa, the team brought in Green Group Guest of the Week Richard Migliore, an on-air racing analyst for NYRA who will be part of the FOX Sports coverage of the Belmont on Saturday. Calling into the show–which is presented by Keeneland–from the famed picnic tables of Saratoga, Migliore said there is already an air of excitement even days before racing is set to begin. “I can already feel the energy in town,” he said. “Saratoga always holds that kind of energy and you feel the charm of it, the mystique of Saratoga, but it's amped up even more. I don't want to say it's going to be a madhouse, but it's going to be on the edge of chaos. I'm excited about it. Saratoga, to me, is America's classic racetrack. Obviously it's home to the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame. You can feel the history. It's palpable. And now we're having an American Classic here.” An Eclipse Award-winning apprentice jockey, Migliore has spent plenty of time on the racetrack and in the winner's circle at Saratoga. He explained that there is a lot for the ten jockeys riding in Saturday's Belmont to consider as they prepare for the third leg of the Triple Crown to run at a mile and a quarter instead of the traditional mile and a half. “I think going a mile and a half, which is not a distance that is common in North America particularly on the dirt, riders ride it much more carefully,” Migliore said. “They're much more inclined to worry about a horse getting the distance at a mile and a quarter. You know, a lot of these horses obviously have run in the Derby. They're not going to be as concerned about the mile and a quarter, so I do believe they'll ride it a bit differently. I do think you'll see more of a legitimate pace, particularly in this Belmont because there are three or four horses that I think are forward-type horses.” Morning-line favorite Sierra Leone (Gun Runner) has a lot going for him coming into Saturday's race, but there are also a lot of question marks surrounding the Kentucky Derby runner-up as trainer Chad Brown has opted to change the colt's bit in the hopes that he will be easier to keep straight coming down the stretch for his new jockey, Flavien Prat. “Sierra Leone has always shown that propensity to want to lug in,” Migliore explained. “He did it in his first start. I think it cost him the GII Remsen S. because he lugged in on top of Dornoch (Good Magic) and it emboldened Dornoch. If you go back and look at his GI Blue Grass S., he's not running straight on his own volition. He's having to be corrected. If you look at some of the still shots of the Derby, he has a snaffle bit, which is a very mild bit in the horse's mouth. It's basically pulled all the way through his mouth by Tyler Gaffalione, who is trying to keep him straight off of Forever Young (Jpn) (Real Steel {Jpn}) and go forward. [Chad Brown] said they had experimented previously with that bit and were not thrilled with how he reacted to it, but since the Derby he's worked in it three times. I was here for the last work and it looks like it's having the desired effect.” Migliore acknowledged that Sierra Leone is the horse to beat in the Belmont, but pointed out that Seize the Grey (Arrogate), who is coming in off a win in the GI Preakness S., may be flying a bit under the radar. Elsewhere on the podcast, which is also sponsored by the WinStar stallion Constitution, Pennsylvania Horse Breeders' Association, 1/ST Racing, West Point Thoroughbreds, the Alameda County Fair and XBTV.com, the team of Randy Moss, Bill Finley and Zoe Cadman took a look at all the Grade I racing at Saratoga this weekend and discussed the latest with Louisiana Racing Commission's drug regulation. Click here to listen to the audio version of the show. The post Richard Migliore Joins the TDN Writers’ Room appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Look out, world! Ramjet was a runaway winner in the Tokyo Derby June 5 on the Oi Racecourse dirt and his connections already are targeting not only a matchup with Kentucky Derby (G1) third Forever Young but also the big international races in 2025.View the full article

Nevin Truesdale is to leave the Jockey Club by the end of the year after more than a decade with the organization, the last four of which have been spent as chief executive.View the full article

When the morning line was announced for the June 8 Belmont Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Course, Ken McPeek was a bit surprised that Mystik Dan was installed as the third choice at 5-1 View the full article

SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY-Five weeks ago, Mystik Dan (Goldencents) took down the GI Kentucky Derby in thrilling fashion, garnering the Run for the Roses by a mere nose. Also landing in Churchill's winner's circle that day, albeit in an entirely different race, Seize the Grey (Arrogate) recorded a confident win over SW Nash (Medaglia d'Oro) in the GII Pat Day Mile. Two weeks later, the duo faced off, and it was the grey horse who proved best on a grey day to take the GI Preakness at Pimlico. Now, all eyes turn on Saratoga for the rematch in Saturday's GI Belmont, however, a slew of fresh challengers await to take on the Classic-winning pair. Both stationed on the Oklahoma side of the track, Mystik Dan and Seize the Grey ventured to the track at about the same time Wednesday, between 5:30-5:45 a.m. Trainer D. Wayne Lukas was quoted previously as saying that people would largely ignore his colt in the lead up to the Belmont. However, it appeared that nobody told the group of media who followed The Coach and the grey, in an ant-like procession, as they made their way to the training track. For a horse that has already run two big efforts over the past five weeks, the son of Arrogate carried good flesh and appeared in fine spirits, looking as stout and strong as he was two weeks earlier. On the other hand, the Derby winner continued to manifest the calm and steady state-both physically and mentally–that Kenny McPeek has been raving about all along. Mystik Dan shipped to Saratoga two days after the Preakness, and since his arrival in upstate New York, he worked five furlongs–in company with stablemate Gould's Gold (Goldencents]-in 1:01 2/5 June 1. “We only scheduled one work in between [the Preakness and Belmont],” said McPeek. “He worked with Gould's Gold, second in the [May 18] Sir Barton S., who is a pretty nice horse. Gould's Gold gave him a little bit of a workout, and [Mystik Dan] galloped out 15 lengths in front. He seems to be continuing on.” McPeek once again underscored the superpower that the colt has displayed all winter and throughout the Triple Crown. “He's a lovely horse to be around,” he said. “He's very uncomplicated and he likes his work. He also likes to get his peppermints in the morning and some carrots in the afternoon. And he gets grazed a lot. He's happy.” Also making appearances on the Oklahoma track Wednesday, the Todd Pletcher-trained TDN Rising Star Mindframe (Constitution) and GIII Peter Pan S. winner Antiquarian (Preservationist) went to the track after the 7:30a.m. break. With the latter getting a brief schooling at the gate, the duo posted easy maintenance moves Wednesday. Repole Stable, who owns Mindframe in partnership with St Elias Stables, also owns maiden Protective (Medaglia d'Oro), who also came out later in the morning. Also turning a few heads Wednesday morning, GII Wood Memorial winner Resilience (Into Mischief) enjoyed a nice and easy gallop on the Oklahoma track as trainer Bill Mott, who was assuming his customary place astride his pony, looked on. With his ears pricked and gliding over the surface as if it were a conveyer belt, the colt gave every indication that he will improve upon a sixth=place effort in the Kentucky Derby. The post Mystik Dan and Seize the Grey Face the Freshness Factor in the Belmont appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

By Michael Guerin One of the forgotten heroes of New Zealand harness racing is back at work for what his trainer admits could be his last campaign. Wonderful trotter Bolt For Brilliance has ridden a brutal racing rollercoaster since he demolished the likes of Sundees Son in the Rowe Cup two years ago, a victory that put him on the doorstep of greatness. But while the horse they call “Bolt” got that far, the door never opened. The two-time winner of the Harness Jewels, Bolt For Brilliance was at least the physical equal of Muscle Mountain but his body has put the emergency breaks of his career not once but twice since his greatest open class performance. Bolt For Brilliance went to Australia later in 2022 and was red hot for the Inter Dominion title but broke down during the series after pushing subsequent champion Just Believe close in a heat where he was later found to have fractured his pedal bone. Sure, Just Believe wasn’t as imperious then as he is now but to think Bolt For Brilliance could test him when so disadvantaged confirms what a machine he was at his best. Machines break though and the injury meant Bolt For Brilliance spent 10 months away from racing before returning with a national-record win over 2700m at Alexandra Park last October. With Sundees Son retired only Muscle Mountain seemed to stand in Bolt For Brilliance’s way here. Until Dominion Day at Addington in November. Bolt For Brilliance led up but faded to fourth in the Dominion and trainer-driver Tony Herlihy knew that just wasn’t him. “He was making a noise (with his breathing) during the race and I knew he wasn’t right,” says Herlihy, our most successful ever driver. “We brought him home and had him examined, including being scoped while working, and eventually found an epiglottic entrapment so he had the surgery for that, which is quite minor. “But when he was coming back from that and we were hoping to get him to the slot race (TAB Trot) he pulled a muscle in his hind quarters and I thought ‘this is him telling me he needs a break.” With that break completed Herlihy got his stable star back into work this week, hopeful but realistic. “We have had him jogging on the lead the last few days and he doesn’t seem to be making a noise so it is a case of so far, so good. “But he is seven now and while he only had a few starts last season we all know he has had his issues. “So we will press on and let him show us he wants to get back to the races but if anything major comes up again he will be retired.” While Herlihy won’t be driving anything quite with Bolt For Brilliance’s horsepower at Alexandra Park tonight he does have several drives who punters could be wise to follow. Herlihy trains and drives talented mare Monarch Hill (R7, No.9) a sister to his recent Northern Trotting Derby winning filly Inasinglemoment. “She is working well and while a 10m handicap can be tricky over 2200m she is well up to this grade,” he says. He has handy pacers Skipper (R6, No.9) and Busload Of Faith (No.4) in race six and while neither has finished winning for the winter, they do meet some classy rivals in Better Knuckle Up and Artisan. But Herlihy’s best drive should be Hawkeye Pierce (R2, No.5) who was a huge third in a super fast 2:39.5 time over 2200m last start. “He is a really nice horse and I am sure he will improve on that last run,” says Herlihy. Lil Whip also drops enormously in class in Race 3 tonight after racing in the best three-year-old trots last month. View the full article

In theory, trainer Chad Brown has a 71.4% chance of winning the June 7 Just a Game Stakes (G1T). He does train five of the seven starters.View the full article

In its 21st year, the New Vocations All-Thoroughbred Charity Horse Show Presented by Heider Family Stables raised more than $180,000 when it was held May 31-June 2 at Highfields Event Center, the non-profit said in a release Wednesday afternoon. The annual show brought together 179 retired Thoroughbred racehorses from 11 different states with all proceeds going to directly support efforts to rehab, retrain and rehome retiring racehorses. Exhibitors competed in a variety of classes including dressage, hunter, jumper, in-hand, Western and pleasure. New classes this year included a Mini Jumper Stakes and a Championship In-hand class. “New Vocations is proud to have started the first all- Thoroughbred horse show in the country over 20 years ago,” said Anna Ford, New Vocations' Thoroughbred Program Director. “It's been wonderful to see the event grow and play a large role in our efforts to spotlight the Thoroughbred's versatility while raising much needed funds for our program.” Click here to learn more about future events. The post New Vocations All-Thoroughbred Charity Show Raised Over $180k appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

A generous travel incentive is on offer for any international participants in the €155,000 G1 Grosser Dallmayr-Preis Bayerisches Zuchtrennen, which will be run at Munich Racecourse on Sunday, July 28. Each starter from Britain and Ireland will receive €2,000, while starters from all other countries will receive €1,500. The winner of the race will not be eligible for the travel incentive. Entries will close at 10.30am on Tuesday, June 11. Supplementary entries for the Group 1–which has been won the likes of Benbatl (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) and Barney Roy (GB) (Excelebration {Ire}) in recent years–can be made by 9am on Wednesday, July 24 at a cost of €15,500. The post Travel Incentive Announced For Grosser Dallmayr-Preis Bayerisches Zuchtrennen appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

2nd-Delaware, $48,125, Msw, 6-5, 2yo, 5f, 1:00.84, ft, 8 lengths. IT'S HAMMERTIME (c, 2, Vekoma–Steady N Love {SW, $241,305}, by Not For Love), the 6-5 favorite, flew out of the gate to the early lead, but ceded his advantage to Fortheloveofrun (Runhappy) into the far turn and settled into second. He reeled in that foe approaching the stretch, took charge in midstretch and powered clear to graduate by eight lengths. Fortheloveofrun held off Hello Sunshine (Spun to Run) for second. It's Hammertime, the third winner for his freshman sire (by Candy Ride {Arg}), is a half-brother to Shackled Love (Shackleford), SW, $159,248. Steady N Love has a yearling colt by Game Winner and was bred back to that stallion last year. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $30,000. O-Eagle Up Stables, London Reid Thoroughbreds and Non Stop Stable; B-ZWP Stable & Non Stop Stable (MD); T-Gary Capuano. The post It’s Hammertime: Vekoma Colt Romps in Delaware Debut appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Godolphin's Siskany is favored to repeat in the $250,000 Belmont Gold Cup Stakes (G2T) June 6 at Saratoga Race Course. He won the race last year at Belmont over The Grey Wizard, who opposes him again. View the full article