Wandering Eyes

Hong Lok Golf will put his winning streak on the line when he faces a tricky test on Happy Valley debut this Wednesday night. Victorious in five of six career starts – all at Sha Tin – including the past three on the bounce, Hong Lok Golf will step into unfamiliar territory for the Class Two Cheung Sha Handicap (1,650m). Fresh from a successful Sha Tin Sunday thanks to the victory of Perfectday, trainer Chris So Wai-yin is confident his stable star will take to the city circuit despite having...View the full article

Harness Racing New Zealand has released a provisional 2YO winter schedule, starting at Auckland and Addington this Friday. The schedule is for two-year-old pacers and trotters in both islands. “The idea is to provide owners and trainers with a clear runway to plan campaigns through the colder months and into spring,” says HRNZ’s Head of Racing and Wagering Matthew Peden. The schedule outlines over 30 race dates at Auckland, Cambridge, Addington, Gore, Wyndham, and Oamaru, with indicative stakes ranging from $8,000 to $30,000. “It is indicative only at this stage and will be refined further over the coming weeks,” says Peden, “but it still gives everyone a good sense of what 2YO will racing will look like until the end of August.” Details will be updated on the website as they are confirmed. For more information contact matthew.peden@hrnz.co.nz To see more on the schedule click here View the full article

The Independent Review into the Young Guns Trot Final is underway, with interviews starting today. The deadline for written submissions is tomorrow afternoon. They should be sent to : review@hrnz.co.nz The review is looking into the circumstances of the 2YO Young Guns Final Mobile Trot at Alexandra Park on May 10,2025. A final report is expected this month. To see the terms and reference for the Review click here View the full article

By Mike Love Aspirational Dream provided Tony Barron with his 400th training win in his own right yesterday when winning the Neumann & Sparks Families 40 Years Plus “Silk Road” Mobile Trot at Addington. The Royal Aspirations four-year-old was on the back up from Friday night where she ran sixth to Royal Del. Yesterday was a different story with driver John Morrison going straight to the top from barrier rise. From there she trotted the 1980m in commanding style, never out of second gear, winning by three lengths from runner up Bodacious. “I think being in front might have perked her up a bit, I didn’t have to pull any gear either so that was good,” said driver John Morrison. “She’s good over the short course. It’s good for Tony and the owners, they’ve been very patient with her.” It was the mare’s third career win from 25 starts and was perhaps one of her more convincing efforts. “She’s jogged it,” said trainer Tony Barron. “She’s always been good. She ran third in the Oaks last year (behind Keayang Zahara). We’ve just had a few tying up issues. Just things haven’t gone right.” The win was part of the Silk Road series which carries a $25,000 final on June 22. “It’s a good stake for the final. Hopefully that win gets us in.” In addition to Barron’s 400th win, he also trained 90 winners in partnership with brother Ken Barron from 2017 – 2018, and trained 38 winners with father Ron Barron between 1990 – 1995 for a combined total of 528 winners. He was also the co-breeder and co-owner of millionaire trotter Queen Elida and co-bred superstar three-year-old Marketplace. He trains a small team from his West Melton base, predominantly two-year-olds in their schooling phase. “I have a full two-year old sister to Life’s A Beach. She’s trialling on Tuesday. Just her first run. She’s a nice filly but will need a few runs.” Meanwhile John Morrison made it a double in the sulky with Lotties Moment who he trained and drove to win the “Sundees Son” Simply The Best Silk Road Mobile Trot. It was the four-year-old Majestic Son mare’s second win from nine starts and was the shortest priced favourite of the day at $2.00FF. Other highlights on the programme included a stable quinella in Race 1 for Ashburton trainers Brent and Tim White with See No Evil (Jonny Cox) and Snooowgood (Kim Butt), while Jonny Cox also drove Bonnie Bagrie to victory in Race 4 for trainer Sam Payne, giving Cox a driving double. View the full article

The clock is ticking for June’s New Zealand Sires’ Stakes payments. “Breeders and owners looking to maximise the value of their bloodstock have until July 1 to stake their claim in New Zealand’s premier age-group racing,” says Sires’ Stakes Executive Martin Pierson. Foal nominations and yearling sustaining payments are now due for Series 43 and 44, along with key entries for the Nevele R Fillies Series, Caduceus Club Fillies Series, and 3YO sustaining payments. “Whether you’re prepping for the NZB Standardbred Yearling Sales or retaining to race, there’s over $2.5 million in stakes on the table. Now’s the time to lock in your horse’s eligibility,” says Pierson. Sires’ Stakes remittances for foal nominations, yearling and 3YO sustaining payments will be sent out this week. To see more click here For more information contact martin@nzsiresstakes.co.nz HRNZ Building, 114 Wrights Road, Addington, Christchurch 8024 PO Box 9289, Tower Junction, Christchurch 8149 Mobile: 027 4711 081 Website: www.nzsiresstakes.co.nz View the full article

Sarah O’Malley is no stranger to a comeback, and she completed another successful return to riding at Trentham on Saturday, guiding the Roger Allen-trained Subtle Tease to victory in the Happy Hire 1600. A multiple Group Three-winning hoop, O’Malley stepped away from the sport in mid-August to have her second child, a son who was born in February. Just three months later, she was back in the saddle and riding at New Plymouth late last month. The 25-year-old picked up a couple of placings over the past 10 days, and in pursuit of her first winner in 11 months, she gave Subtle Tease a perfect front-running steer in the Rating 65 contest. The son of Nadeem was fresh-up since October and started at a quote of $48, but in the testing conditions, he proved too tough to get past, holding off Zanzibar by a short head. O’Malley was rapt to get a win on the board, having worked hard over the past couple of months to reach race-fitness. “I got told to go forward and she would only give as much as I gave, so it worked out how we thought and hoped it would,” she said. “I had my son in February, so he’s just four months old now, and I’ve been pretty busy with the two kids. I’ve been trying to get fit since having him and it is hard to get race fit unless you’re out there riding. “But I’ve got the love for it and it would be hard to give it up.” With the support of friends, family and local trainers, including her husband Sam (O’Malley), she was able to get back in the saddle as soon as possible. “I’ve been lucky enough to have a friend come and babysit for me sometimes in the mornings, so I’ve been able to go and ride work for Bill (Thurlow) and Sam, and also for Kevin (Myers),” she said. “My mum and sister have been looking after the kids while I’m at the jump-outs and races, I couldn’t do it without them as well.” Despite also sustaining a couple of serious injuries in her career, O’Malley has 175 winners to her name including a Gr.3 New Zealand Cup (3200m), and she’s hoping to build up her connections heading into the new season. “I’m hoping the winners will keep coming, and hopefully I can get some of those connections back,” she said. View the full article

The Gr.1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m) is back in its traditional timeslot this year and trainer Dom Sutton has the feature handicap in mind to launch Group One winner Feroce’s (NZ) (Super Seth) spring campaign. Feroce’s Gr.1 Australian Guineas (1600m) triumph at the beginning of March gave Sutton his first elite-level victory early in his training career and the three-year-old gelding was then sent for a spell after his midfield finish later that month against older horses in the Gr.1 Australian Cup (2000m). While the Golden Eagle (1500m), which is restricted to four-year-olds and run in Sydney at the start of November looms as Feroce’s major spring target, Sutton also has Group One features in Melbourne also in his plans with the well-performed galloper. “That (Golden Eagle) is his target, being a four-year-old, but there’s a lot of nice, 1400-metre and mile Group One races along the way that we’ve got circled,” Sutton said. “The Eagle is a big carrot but there’s some very nice races along the way that we’re also targeting. “He’s going to probably kick off in a Rupert Clarke. “That’s the 20th (of) September and then likely into a Toorak Handicap (Gr.1, 1600m) and then freshen again for the Golden Eagle.” For the past two seasons, the Rupert Clarke has been staged after the Melbourne Cup Carnival in November, but the 1400-metre race has been switched back to its traditional September timeslot for the upcoming season. Feroce is currently back doing some pre-training and Sutton said he was able to give the son of Super Seth a good spell after his successful autumn. “He’s down at the beach doing some pre-training. He’s doing a month down there and then he’ll come into the stable towards the end of this month,” Sutton said. “He’s done very well. “That’s the first time he’s had an extended, lengthy spell since we’ve had him. “The plan was always to give him a really good spell after autumn, seeing as he only got a couple of weeks between spring and autumn. “He seems to have come back well. He’s always been a nice, big, mature horse. “I just had him in the stable for a few days before he went down to the beach (for pre-training) and I was happy with him.” View the full article

While the focus of racing over the week ahead will be on the Gr.1 Stradbroke Handicap (1400m), the Lindsay Park training team will be similarly honed in on the Gr.2 The Q22 (2200m) where Bankers Choice (NZ) (Mongolian Khan) lines up as a genuine chance. As the Hayes boys – Ben, Will and JD – await the 1400-metre Stradbroke barrier draw on Tuesday with race favourite War Machine (NZ) (Harry Angel), Bankers Choice rises to a suitable distance in the $1.2 million Group Two event on the undercard. “He’s a very straightforward horse,” Ben said. “He came to us in great form and we thought his run the other day was very good with a while between runs.” Bankers Choice finished third after leading into the straight in the Gr.3 Lord Mayor’s Cup (1800m) at Eagle Farm in what was at the time of running a Heavy 8 surface. The meeting was called off one race later but it also signified the first time that the seven-year-old had met such a heavily rain affected track since finishing second in the Gr.2 JRA Plate (2000m) at Randwick in April 2023. The 2200-metre trip of The Q22 sees the gelding return to a distance he has shown to be comfortable with having won the Listed Mornington Cup (2400m) two starts back on April 19 which earned a placing in the Gr.1 Caulfield Cup (2400m) in October. “He had the trial (at Caulfield Heath) because it was a while between those runs and the Eagle Farm run was a good pipe opener for this really good prizemoney race,” Ben added. “He’s shown that he can get to the trip and I think the 2220-metres should be ideal.” Brisbane’s weather forecast towards Saturday has maximum temperatures ranging from 19 to 23 degrees with no rain expected as of Monday. Bankers Choice is rated an $11 chance across all-in markets for The Q22 with last start Gr.1 Doomben Cup (2000m) second-placegetter Fawkner Park (Zoffany) the $2.50 favourite. View the full article

A stakes tilt later in the winter is in the offing for Charbano if he can perform up to expectations in the delayed Dunstan Horsefeeds Waimate Cup (1600m) at Phar Lap Raceway on Tuesday. Initially set to be run on Sunday, the meeting was postponed due to heavy rainfall in the region, and trainers Matthew and Michael Pitman expect their stakes performer to lap up the Heavy10 track conditions. “He has always been competitive in races like that,” Matthew Pitman said. “He has placed in some pretty high-quality races and when you take the next step down from that he is always thereabouts. He has gone some nice races recently. “Hopefully he can handle the track, and if he does then we expect him to be right in it.” Tuesday’s performance will dictate Charbano’s winter path, with the Pitmans contemplating a tilt at the Gr.3 Winter Cup (1600m) at Riccarton in August with the seven-win gelding. “He could be competitive in something like the Winter Cup and we will start plotting a path towards that probably, but we will take it one race at a time,” Pitman said. The Pitmans could have a three-pronged attack in the George and Mary Hennessy Open (1200m) earlier on Tuesday’s card, courtesy of Makabar, Express Coup and Zoulander, however, the latter is also an acceptor for Wednesday’s Riccarton Synthetic meeting and they have yet to decide which option he will take. “Makabar loves a wet track,” Pitman said. “In recent years I think he has won three races over Grand National Carnival and has won two years in a row down at Riverton on wet tracks. “He loves it wet and he is going to get those conditions tomorrow, and he should be competitive again. “Express Coup struck form again down at Riverton over the Easter Carnival. She handles a wet track and is a lovely filly that hasn’t always helped herself at times, but the days she puts it all together, she wins and wins like a nice horse. Hopefully she can get a nice enough run in transit and puts her best foot forward tomorrow. “We are 50/50 whether we will run Zoulander tomorrow. He is one that doesn’t like the conditions. He does take racing to get fit and he will need the run and improve with the run.” The stable will have a strong representation at their home synthetic meeting on Wednesday, with Pitman highlighting promising three-year-old Pure Artist as their best chance in the NZB National Weanling Sale 26 June Maiden (1400m). The son of Trapeze Artist was runner-up on debut at the track last month, and his trainers are hopeful he can go one better at the mid-week meeting. “Pure Artist is a maidener we think quite highly of,” Pitman said. “He has been unlucky and got three deep without cover from the wide barrier first-up, but it was a massive run, and he only just went down. “Unfortunately, he has drawn wide (10) again, but if he can slot in somewhere, I think he will be awfully hard to beat.” Pitman is also upbeat about the prospects of Justanace and Russian Rosette in the Book a Suite Mid-Winter Xmas Races 21 June Rating 75 (1200m), and Da Vinci Girl in the Racecourse Hotel & Motor Lodge Rating 75 (1600m). “Justanace was a last-start winner on there and has drawn (2) to be competitive again,” Pitman said. “Russian Rosette and Da Vinci Girl are two horses that have gone well on the poly before, so hopefully we can get a winner on Wednesday as well.” View the full article

Benno Yung Tin-pang has informed the Jockey Club he will not be making an application for a licence for next term, meaning next month’s season finale will mark the end of his 12-year career as a trainer. Yung’s decision comes just days before the Jockey Club’s licensing committee was set to make an announcement on his future. At 66, Yung has reached the Jockey Club’s compulsory retirement age and as he has not met the criteria required for an extension, it has looked for some time like this...View the full article

Central Districts apprentice jockey Liam Kauri has found some deserved good fortune this season and he hopes to continue that winning momentum at New Plymouth’s apprentice-only raceday on Tuesday. The 25-year-old has had a riding career limited by a number of injuries, but after returning from his most recent hiatus, he has ridden 14 winners and struck up a recent partnership with talented Wexford filly Tristar. Kauri’s latest success came at the Awapuni Synthetic on Sunday, where he partnered course specialist Doubtful Sound for his employer, Suzy Gordon. Since entering her stable, the gelding had won five all-weather races prior to Sunday’s Rating 75 contest, where he was the 62kg topweight. Decreasing his impost down to a competitive 59kg, Doubtful Sound broke away well from the ace barrier, and while he is often seen in the pacemaking role, Kauri was happy to sit in the trail of a free-rolling Jamaica Bay. The leader eased off the fence on the home turn and Doubtful Sound shot straight through the gap, outsprinting Jamaica Bay and Gohugo to score comfortably at the post by three quarters of a length. “I wanted to let him find his own rhythm, there wasn’t a set plan, but luckily the horse in front of me popped off the fence and we got the dream run through,” Kauri said. “It all worked out really well. “He switched off a little bit, but when I asked him, he really sprinted and put on a pretty impressive last 350m.” Kauri had been aboard Doubtful Sound in three of his six victories and while the gelding thrives on the synthetic, he said it is always an uncertainty as to whether horses will handle the surface. “You never really know how they’ll go, you look at the form and think they’ll go on the firm footing, but on the day, it can be a different story,” he said. The rescheduled New Plymouth meeting will bring more opportunities for Kauri, having secured the ride aboard Allan Sharrock’s speedy mare Street Gossip. In her first New Zealand campaign, the daughter of So You Think was a winner first-up and the market anticipates her to resume in the same fashion in the Robbie Patterson and Regal Lodge R75 (1200m). “She’s a nice mare and it’ll be my first time riding a race for Allan Sharrock, I’ve always wanted to ride for him, so I’m looking forward to it,” Kauri said. “The rail is out, so it usually plays pretty on-speed when that is the case.” His five other riding assignments include heavy-tracker Cocktail Lad in the One Bold Cat @ G1 Arrowfield R65 (2000m) and Primo Attitude in The Bold One @ Grangewilliam Stud MDN 2YO and Up (1600m). View the full article

Pencarrow Stud’s foundation mare Richebourg has left a lasting impression on the Australasian thoroughbred landscape, with Gr.1 Queensland Derby (2400m) victor Maison Louis further adding to that legacy with his Classic triumph at Eagle Farm on Saturday. The likes of Gr.1 Melbourne (3200m) and Caulfield Cup (2400m) heroine Ethereal, five-time Group One winner Darci Brahma, Group One winner Grand Echezeaux, and Group One performers Burgundy, Romanee Conti, Supera and Uberalles are descendants of the mare, and now Maison Louis can add his name to the esteemed list. “That was a really good effort, especially coming from our core family and it’s good to see that keep going,” Pencarrow Stud Manager Leon Casey said. “It has been an incredible family for us. They are capable of leaving speed horses that have got great acceleration, and also capable of leaving staying horses that settle well and can just keep finding gears over a trip. “There are a lot of good families, for whatever reason, do die out, but this family has three quite distinct branches going at the moment, and they are going as well as each other. We are pretty lucky.” With victory, Maison Louis also continued the incredible run of form of Waikato Stud stallion Super Seth, becoming his fourth individual Group One winner, alongside Linebacker, La Dorada and Feroce. “It is good to see Super Seth doing such a good job,” Casey said. Maison Louis is a son of stakes winner Cote D’Or, who won eight of her 19 starts for trainers Ken and Bev Kelso, including the Listed Matamata Cup (1600m). The three-year-old gelding was her third foal, with his two older siblings, Dresse’ Par Joli and Shooting Stride, also raceday winners. “She was a very good mare and we possibly didn’t see the best of her,” Casey said. “She has left some nice types. That is her third winner and she is putting together a good record now. “She leaves a nice type and they are good, sensible horses. That really stood to him (Maison Louis) on Saturday, he settled really well in a slowly run race, and that put him in a great spot to capitalise on things.” Maison Louis was purchased out of Pencarrow’s 2023 New Zealand Bloodstock Book 1 Yearling Sale draft by Go Racing for $250,000, and he has gone on to win four of his seven starts to date for trainers John O’Shea and Tom Charlton, accruing nearly $680,000 in stakes. “He wasn’t an overly big horse, but he was a nice type at the sales and sold for pretty good money,” Casey said. “We always had hopes that he would go on to do something.” Earlier in the day, fellow Pencarrow graduate Major Major added to the Cambridge farm’s impressive season tally when taking out the Trackside.co.nz 2100 at Ellerslie for trainers Simon and Katrina Alexander. “He is winning nicely in open company, you never know where he is going to finish off,” Casey said. View the full article

The New Zealand and international thoroughbred industries are mourning the loss of Michael Wallace, who passed away in the United States on Saturday night. Wallace was a highly respected bloodstock agent who successfully ran his own business before an eight-year stint as the chief operating officer for the China Horse Club. During his tenure, they celebrated 44 Group One victories and he was a key player in the purchase of the Triple Crown winner and successful sire Justify for the group. He left the role in 2021 and more recently worked as an independent agent with Vinnie and Teresa Viola’s St. Elias Stable in the United States, as well as with Kuldeep Singh Rajput’s Gandharvi Racing Stables. The son of Ardsley Stud’s Jim and Mary Wallace, he was a graduate of the Sunline Scholarship and subsequently furthered his experience with Rich Hill Stud. “After he completed the international scholarship, there was a requirement that he worked on a New Zealand stud farm,” Rich Hill’s John Thompson said. “He did a breeding season here and handled the stallions, that particular year we had Bertolini who had just sired the winner of the Cheveley Park Stakes (Gr.1, 1200m) from his first crop. “We were inundated and were only allowed to serve 150 mares, we could have served 250, and Michael spent an extremely busy season with us. “He was a very capable horseman and went on to bigger and better things and we always caught up at the sales. “As also President of the New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association, on behalf of the industry I would like to extend our deepest sympathy to the family.” View the full article

Rain forced the GI Resorts World Casino Manhattan Stakes on Saturday to be added to the end of the card at Saratoga on Sunday, but that move did not 'deter' Deterministic (Liam's Map–Giulio's Jewel, by Speightstown) from capturing the signature grass race for trainer Miguel Clement. The young conditioner celebrated the first Grade I victory of his career after he took over the stable from his father Christophe Clement. Determinisitic looked every bit a pro out of the gate as the dark bay colt led the field into the first turn. Striding confidently up the backstretch and around the far turn, the 4-year-old was stout and showed heart all the way to the wire. Integration (Quality Road) acquitted himself well by mounting a massive charge that came up short. The final running time was 1:48.93. Lifetime Record: 12-6-3-1. Sales History: $625,000 '22 KEESEP. O-St. Elias Stable, Langone, Ken, Duncker, C. Steven and Vicarage Stable; B-Hinkle Farms (KY); T-Miguel Clement. DETERMINISTIC was determined to win the @ResortsWorldNYC Manhattan! His first Grade 1 win comes with a standout ride from @KendrickCarmou1 for trainer @clementstable. A fairytale ending to the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival! pic.twitter.com/89m1KI83qq — Belmont Stakes (@BelmontStakes) June 8, 2025 The post Deterministic’s Manhattan Win Delivers Miguel Clement First Grade I Victory appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Offering a “Win and You're In” ticket to the GI Prevagen Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint at Del Mar in November, Ag Bullet (Twirling Candy–Noble Grey, by Forestry) took the prize in the GI Jaipur Stakes at Saratoga Race Course, which was postponed on Saturday due to heavy rain. The lone female drawn here, Ag Bullet set up shop off the speed and waited for her opportunity to pounce. The chance came entering the lane and the 5-year-old looked impressive as she snagged the coveted Breeders' Cup trip which will be held at a track she knows well. My Boy Prince (Cairo Prince) was the runner-up. The final running time was 1:03.62. Lifetime Record: 14-7-0-2. Sales History: $30,000 '20 KEENOV, KEESEP '21 $220,000. O-Nguyen, Calvin and Tran, Joey C.; B-H & E Ranch (KY); T-Richard Baltas. AG BULLET proves she's got firepower. The only mare in the field takes down the boys to earn her first Grade 1 win in the Jaipur Stakes with @ljlmvel aboard, and punches her ticket to the @BreedersCup! pic.twitter.com/UBqtF5WNSY — Belmont Stakes (@BelmontStakes) June 8, 2025 The post Electrifying Ag Bullet Schools Boys In Spa Jaipur To Earn Breeders’ Cup Ticket appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Colin Keane has accepted the role of retained rider for Juddmonte Farms, The Irish Field reported on Sunday. Keane, who was crowned Ireland's champion Flat jockey for a sixth time in 2024, has been based with County Meath trainer Ger Lyons for much of his career, an association which has already yielded plenty of big-race success in the familiar Juddmonte silks with horses such as Siskin, winner of the Irish 2,000 Guineas in 2020, and Babouche, who was successful in last year's G1 Phoenix Stakes. Last month Keane and Juddmonte won the Irish 2,000 Guineas together for the second time when he received the call up to ride the John and Thady Gosden-trained Field Of Gold. That son of Kingman is one of many top-class talents he will now be associated with in his new role, along with G1 Lockinge Stakes hero Lead Artist, exciting older filly Kalpana and G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains runner-up Jonquil, among others. “Dear Owners, We wanted to share some exciting news with you regarding our stable jockey, Colin,” read an email which The Irish Field reported was sent to Lyons's owners over the weekend. “Colin has been appointed as the new retained rider for Juddmonte Stud Farms – a fantastic opportunity for him and one that we're all incredibly proud of. It's a great recognition of his talent and professionalism, and we wish both Colin and Juddmonte every success in what we hope will be a long and exciting future together. “From our side, there should be little change to the day-to-day routine. We're hopeful that we'll still have plenty of use of Colin, but naturally, he will be committed to Juddmonte duties on big race weekends around the world. “That said, we're very lucky to have a great team of riders here, led by Gary Carroll, and supported by a talented group of lads who know the horses and the system inside out. “Thanks as always for your support, and we'll keep you updated as the season progresses.” The post Colin Keane Named Juddmonte’s Number One Jockey 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. – After a post-race visit for a beer and some hors d'oeuvres at the downtown Whitman Brewing Company, Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott was home, conked out on the recliner. “I must have slept in the chair for an hour,” Mott said. “I turned the TV on and, at the count of three, I was gone. I woke up at midnight and went to bed.” And that is how Mott spent his night after his talented 3-year-old colt Sovereignty (Into Mischief) turned the 157th running of the GI Belmont Stakes into his personal playground. He stamped himself as the best of his division with an emphatic three-length win over Journalism (Curlin) in the finale of the 2025 Triple Crown. Sovereignty, owned by Godolphin, also won the GI Kentucky Derby and has three wins in four starts this year. “He is a top-notch horse,” Mott said, standing outside Sovereignty's stall at the Oklahoma Training Track early Sunday morning. “I don't think there is any denying that now. I think we have seen enough. It didn't happen just one time. He has put in some good runs consistently.” A steady stream of Sovereignty fans made their way to the grassy area in the barn area and snapped pictures of him. The blanket of white carnations, which Sovereignty earned for the Belmont, were draped over a post in front of his stall. The next major target for Sovereignty will be the GI Travers Stakes at Saratoga on Aug. 23. How he gets there is what Mott must figure out. He said he could either train him up to the race or, more likely, run him in the GII Jim Dandy Stakes at Saratoga on July 26. “The immediate goal is to let the trainer rest a little bit,” Mott said with a laugh “Walk the trainer for a few days and get him back in the feed tub, then we'll decide. Our goal will be to get [Sovereignty] to the Travers the best way we can.” Mott reiterated Sunday what he said at his Belmont press conference Saturday night: he was not going to play the “what if” game when it came to the GI Preakness Stakes. After Sovereignty beat Journalism in the Kentucky Derby, Mott and Michael Banahan, Godolphin USA's Director of Bloodstock, wasted little time in adamantly announcing they would not run in the Preakness and have a go at the Triple Crown. After winning the Belmont, he was not going to speculate that had Sovereignty run in Baltimore, he would now be celebrated as the sport's 14th Triple Crown winner. Journalism won the Preakness, overcoming a rugged trip with some bumping in the stretch. “No, that would be totally ridiculous to even consider it as far as I'm concerned,” he said. “We are pleased with the outcome. Who knows? What if we are at Pimlico and we got caught up in a logjam. You look back, you don't know. Where would we have been when all that happened? Hey, it turned out good for us, it turned out good for the horse, it turned out good for the connections. No regrets.” Journalism Will Head West, But Could Come Back East Just before 7 a.m. Sunday morning, trainer Michael McCarthy examined his war horse Journalism (Curlin), the runner-up in Saturday's GI Belmont Stakes. The colt passed the test. “He is very well,” McCarthy said outside at the Oklahoma Training Track. Journalism finished second to Sovereignty (Into Mischief) in the Belmont and the GI Kentucky Derby. In both races, Journalism was the favorite. He did win the GI Preakness, also as the favorite. After being on the road for the last six weeks, Journalism will head back home to California and McCarthy's barn at Santa Anita on Tuesday. From there, McCarthy will figure out a plan for Journalism's next start. The long-range goal for the year is the GI Breeders' Cup Classic at Del Mar on Nov. 1. McCarthy said Journalism could have two starts before that. The GI Haskell Stakes at Monmouth on July 19, the GII Jim Dandy at Saratoga, the GI Travers Stakes, also at Saratoga, and the GI Pennsylvania Derby at Parx on Sept. 20 are options. “Everything is on the table,” McCarthy said. “I could see that scenario [three races] very easily. We will get him home, let him get his feet underneath him a little bit and have an easy week or 10 days and then get back in a rhythm with him.” Journalism, owned by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Bridlewood Farm, Don Alberto Stable, Robert LaPenta, Elayne Stables Five, Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith, has raced five times this year and has three wins and two seconds. He was the only horse that ran in all three legs of the Triple Crown. Journalism has run at four different tracks–Santa Anita, Churchill Downs, Pimlico and Saratoga–in his last four starts. “It takes a special horse to be able to go from venue to venue, racetrack to racetrack and not needing to take a particular kind of racetrack with him,” McCarthy said. “Second in the Kentucky Derby with a little bit of a muddled trip early, an adventurous trip in the Preakness and getting the job done, and a third race in five weeks and showing up and bringing his 'A' game in the Belmont and nearly getting it done. There is a lot to like about that.” Journalism will head home with only one piece of the Triple Crown and a pair of solid, but not special efforts. McCarthy was proud of the efforts of his horse in the grueling series and expects he will be a tough foe for the rest of the division the second half of the year. “He is a special horse that can take a heavy workload,” he said. “You don't see many horses like him. So much is putting spacing into races and, I suppose, there is something to that. In this particular case, I thought he was a horse that could handle something like the Triple Crown, and I certainly think he did.” Shirreffs Puzzled With Baeza's Belmont Performance John Shirreffs, the trainer of GI Belmont Stakes third-place finisher Baeza (McKinzie), was asked what he thought of his horse's race. After a long pause, Shirreffs smiled and asked the lone writer this: “Does that cover it all?” he said. Baeza, the 7-2 third choice in the eight-horse Belmont, was never a factor as he finished 6 1/2 lengths behind the winner Sovereignty (Into Mischief) and three lengths away from Journalism (Curlin), who was second. Shirreffs came in with high hopes as Baeza had exited a solid showing in the GI Kentucky Derby where he was third, just a neck behind Journalism, who was second to Sovereignty. “When [jockey] Flavien [Prat] asked him to go, it took him a long time to really engage and get going,” Shirreffs said outside Baeza's stall at the Oklahoma Training Track. “He did not have that big kick at the end like he did in the Derby. I don't know why. I am a little perplexed. Obviously, I thought he would run a lot better than he did.” Shirreffs said his first thought was that Baeza may not have liked the drying out Saratoga track. Steady rain early in the day had made the Spa oval sloppy, but it was listed as good by the time the Belmont was run. Shirreffs could find nothing wrong with Baeza, owned by C R K Stable LLC and Grandview Equine, on Sunday morning. The horse is scheduled to ship back to California on Tuesday and Shirreffs said a plan will be made for the next race moving forward. The Belmont was Baeza's sixth career start, and he only has a maiden win on his resume. After breaking his maiden in his third start, he was a solid second behind Journalism in the GI Santa Anita Derby and then had the impressive run in the Derby. “I still think his future is bright,” he said. “Yesterday was just not his day. He has to figure things out, without a doubt.” The post Belmont Champ Sovereignty Will Target Travers Next appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The 2025 Triple Crown season delivered something even more elusive than a sweep of the series by a single horse–a legitimately intriguing rivalry between two talented colts that could end up on par with the likes of Affirmed vs. Alydar or Sunday Silence vs. Easy Goer. The afterglow of the GI Belmont Stakes at Saratoga includes plenty of anticipation and speculation about when one-two finishers Sovereignty (Into Mischief) and Journalism (Curlin) might meet again. In the meantime, here are seven takeaways from Saturday's card at the Spa. 1) The Preakness Predicament: Journalism had plenty of backers rooting for him from the “throwback” perspective of wanting to see a top-level horse rewarded for running in all three legs of the Triple Crown. If he had managed to beat Sovereignty in the Belmont Stakes, the win might have resonated as a theoretical victory for the idea that contenders who run in the GI Kentucky Derby don't necessarily need to sit out the GI Preakness Stakes. Instead, the opposite happened: Sovereignty's connections opted out of the Preakness based on their belief that running back in two weeks would likely be too demanding. That decision ended up looking like precisely the right move when Sovereignty uncorked a no-doubt effort that clearly established him as the sophomore kingpin. Journalism's connections bucked the current “less is more” training convention by racing him in all three Classics within five weeks. He went off favored in each of the Triple Crown races, finishing second in the Derby behind Sovereignty, winning the Preakness despite a troubled trip, and again running second-best behind Sovereignty in the Belmont Stakes. The mindset of skipping the Preakness wasn't going to change the industry overnight if Journalism had bested Sovereignty in their return engagement. But it might have tilted that line of thinking in a slightly different direction. Sovereignty's winning Derby-Belmont double, on the other hand, will only reinforce the reasoning that sending the Derby winner on to the Preakness is no longer the near-automatic “obligation” that it once was. 2) Derby Deja Vu: How often would you have guessed that in the roughly century and a half history of the Triple Crown races, the Belmont Stakes yielded the same 1-2-3 finishers as the Kentucky Derby? It's actually happened only once before, in 1977. Triple Crown champ Seattle Slew beat Run Dusty Run and Sanhedrin in the Derby 48 years ago, then polished them off again in that order of finish in the Belmont Stakes. Not only was Saturday's trifecta of Sovereignty, Journalism and Baeza (McKinzie) a repeat of this year's Derby result, but it was remarkable how closely the tactics of the late stages of the race matched the performance five weeks ago when circumstances were very different in a 19-horse field at Churchill Downs. In the Derby, the early speed unfolded more or less as it projected to, and Journalism was on the move from midpack while outside entering the far turn with Sovereignty shadowing him after being farther back. They turned for home as the obvious horses to beat, five wide and seven wide, respectively. The frontrunners in the Belmont also came out of the gate true to form, but this time, in a smaller field, Sovereignty (from post two) and Journalism (after an inconsequential stumble at the start) were parked closer to the pace, with Journalism outside and Sovereignty nearer to the fence, alternating heads third and fourth down the backside. Journalism was the first to make his run at the leaders, sizing them up before pouncing nearing the quarter pole. Sovereignty got repositioned outside and never let Journalism out of striking range, building serious far-turn torque. They again turned for home together tipped toward the outside, clearly with more momentum than anyone in their wake. This time they were in paths four and five, with Journalism again inside and just in front of Sovereignty. In the Derby, Sovereignty took over a furlong and a half from the wire, and he was emboldened when Journalism dug back in and fought him hard for another sixteenth before Sovereignty opened up in the run to the wire, winning by 1 ½ lengths. In the Belmont, Sovereignty didn't take over until just outside the eighth pole. And while Journalism once again responded to the challenge, this time his counter-kick was only for about three strides. The difference this time was that Sovereignty's move was more overpowering, doubling the margin of victory to three lengths. The Beyer Speed Figures in the Derby for Sovereignty, Journalism and Baeza were 104, 102 and another 102. In the Belmont, they were 109, 105 and 100. In between, Journalism won the Preakness with a 98 Beyer. 3) Did Rispoli Move Too Soon? This question will be ripe for debate in the coming months as the sophomore season unfolds and the Journalism-Sovereignty rematch looms. My opinion is no, he didn't–not in light of the circumstances of the Preakness. You can even wind the discussion back further to Journalism's win in the GI Santa Anita Derby for deeper context. In that race, Umberto Rispoli absorbed some criticism for getting Journalism stuck on the rail three furlongs out in a five-horse field. The colt had to shoulder aside a rival to fight free, and he endured a more arduous trip than he should have in his final prep before the Kentucky Derby. In Louisville, Rispoli seemed intent not to get trapped inside again, so he gave up a fair amount of ground on the turn before fully unwinding when he thought he could wait no longer. In that instance, Journalism got collared by a better colt who had executed a better-timed move. Even though the post-Preakness focus centered on Journalism overcoming a rowdy stretch run to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat in a visually arresting effort, Rispoli admitted post-win that he had a difficult time getting his colt interested down the backstretch and around the far turn, and that he “just didn't have the horse” at the quarter pole. So it only made sense in the Belmont Stakes that Rispoli launched Journalism into full flight when he did. Even though he again got overtaken by a superior rival after reeling in his pacemaking targets, waiting any longer was not going to change the end result. 4) California Is Dead–Long Live California! For a circuit that has constantly been in the news as a racing region that is supposedly sliding off the grid, Southern California-based horses capped a productive Triple Crown season with a big day at the Spa on Saturday. Horses from Santa Anita ran 2-3 in the Kentucky Derby, won the Preakness, and finished 2-3-4 in the Belmont Stakes. In addition, the last two winners of the GI Metropolitan Handicap, the nation's most prestigious one-mile dirt stakes that is now slotted on the Belmont Stakes undercard, have both been SoCal-based. National Treasure captured the 2024 edition, while Raging Torrent (Maximus Mischief) wired the Met Mile on Saturday. Raging Torrent | Sarah Andrew 5) Juvy Champs Take It on the Chin: Here's another historical oddity–the two most recent champion 2-year-old colts (and GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile winners) both lost separate races within two hours of each other on the same Saturday card at Saratoga. 'TDN Rising Star' Fierceness (City of Light), the 2023 juvenile male Eclipse Award champ, ran second as the 3-4 favorite behind Raging Torrent in the Met Mile. Citizen Bull (Into Mischief), the 2024 juvenile champ, was fourth at 9-2 odds in the GI Woody Stephens Stakes. 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. 6) Big Day Overload: It doesn't matter how much gravitas a Triple Crown race day carries, or how special Saratoga is. A marathon Saturday card that with a first race that goes off at 10:47 a.m. and ends with a final post time of 8:05 p.m. is simply too much. We're talking nearly 9 1/2 hours here, a time frame that got stretched even more thinly when wet weather necessitated the cancellation of two grass stakes that got rescheduled for Sunday's card. Running 12 races in a span allotted for 14 (with the feature race immovable because of national TV broadcast constraints) meant over an hour's wait between races at one point, with other gaps exceeding 50 minutes throughout the day. 7) Looking Ahead: Although the possibility exists that the under-construction Belmont Park could host a festival-style Belmont Stakes meet in 2026 before the revitalized track's planned grand opening in September of next year, the most likely Triple Crown scenario for '26 will see the Derby in its usual first-Saturday-in-May spot, followed by the Preakness at Laurel Park (while Pimlico also gets rebuilt), and the Belmont Stakes again at Saratoga while shortened to 10 furlongs instead of the traditional 12. Think about this: By the time the Belmont Stakes reverts to its namesake track and historic distance in 2027, the third jewel of the Triple Crown will have been contested at the truncated distance of 1 1/4 miles four times within seven years. One of those shortened Belmont Stakes was the 1 1/8-miles version in 2020 because of the pandemic. The 2024-26 editions at Saratoga got sliced to 10 furlongs because the New York Racing Association didn't want to start the race on the far turn over the Spa's nine-furlong main track configuration. It will be interesting to see if the recent seasons of getting away from 12 furlongs for the final leg of the Triple Crown will be a catalyst for arguments in favor of permanently keeping the Belmont Stakes at 10 furlongs. The post Seven Takeaways From Belmont Stakes Saturday at the Spa appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Looking to get back on track in the GIII Matt Winn Stakes at Churchill Downs on Sunday, 'TDN Rising Star' East Avenue (Medaglia d'Oro-Dance Music, by Ghostzapper) went the distance on Sunday afternoon. Rolling out of the outside gate as the 7-5 favorite, East Avenue made the front and continued to lead through the top of the lane. The battle-tested Coal Battle (Coal Front) tried to get by the leader, but the Godolphin homebred was stubborn. Burnham Square (Liam's Map) was up for second, while Coal Battle finished third. Sunday, Churchill Downs MATT WINN S.-GIII, $387,000, Churchill Downs, 6-8, 3yo, 1 1/16m, 1:42.12, ft. 1–EAST AVENUE, 123, c, 3, by Medaglia d'Oro 1st Dam: Dance Music, by Ghostzapper 2nd Dam: Dance Card, by Tapit 3rd Dam: Tempting Note, by Editor's Note 'TDN Rising Star'. O/B-Godolphin (KY); T-Brendan P. Walsh; J-Luis Saez. $247,000. Lifetime Record: GISW & GISP, 7-3-1-0, $901,395. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. 2–Burnham Square, 123, g, 3, Liam's Map–Linda, by Scat Daddy. O-Whitham Thoroughbreds LLC; B-Whitham Thoroughbreds, LLC (KY); T-Ian R. Wilkes. $80,000. 3–Coal Battle, 123, c, 3, Coal Front–Wolfblade, by Midshipman. ($70,000 Ylg '23 TTAYRL). O-Norman Stables LLC; B-Hume Wornall & Jay Adcock (KY); T-Lonnie Briley. $40,000. Margins: HF, 3/4, 3HF. Odds: 1.47, 2.65, 6.73. Also Ran: Final Gambit. Scratched: Chunk of Gold, Gaming, Just a Fair Shake. Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV. East Avenue ($4.94) and jockey @luissaezpty take them all the way around at 7-5 in the G3 Matt Winn Stakes @ChurchillDowns. Trainer: @brenpwalsh Owner & Breeder: @godolphin TwinSpiresReplay pic.twitter.com/RB3JWIpNkR — TwinSpires Racing (@TwinSpires) June 8, 2025 The post ‘Rising Star’ East Avenue Goes The Distance In The Matt Winn At Churchill appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

By Adam Hamilton The standing start will be the least of the challenges to Leap To Fame’s New Zealand Cup hopes. Having just his second race from a stand, the Queensland champion stepped safely and quickly before making light work of a 30m handicap and winning easily at Albion Park last night. It was his first try from a stand since coming off 20m to win the Flashing Red at Albion Park a year ago. And it will likely be his last standing start race before tackling the iconic NZ Cup in November. Before then, Leap To Fame’s focus is back on mobile start racing and trying to win his second Inter Dominion at Albion Park next month. The six-year-old has won both starts back from a spell since winning the Race by betcha at Cambridge on April 4. “He’s had the two runs back from a break and one more will be ideal, especially two weeks out from the start of the series,” trainer-driver Grant Dixon said. Leap To Fame is $1.40 favourite for the $1 million Inter Dominion final on July 19 with defending champion Don Hugo considered the only real danger at $4. Don Hugo showed he is the biggest danger to Leap To Fame’s expected dominance next month when he scored a sparkling first-up win at Menangle last night. Luke McCarthy’s stable star worked forward from a wide draw to take the lead and scorched home his closing splits in 53.6 and 26.8sec to win without being extended by nine metres. “He felt sharp. He got away with a comfortable run in front, but did it so easily at the finish,” McCarthy said. McCarthy confirmed the five-year-old would back-up at Menangle again next Saturday as he final hit-out before the opening round of Inter Dominion heats at Albion Park on July 5. Don Hugo, who boasts 18 wins and over $2.25 million in prize money, is trying to defend the Inter Dominion crown he won at Menangle last December. But that was a series Leap To Fame, winner of the 2023 Inter Dominion, missed because of a health setback. Don Hugo and Leap To Fame have clashed three times – all this year – with the scoreline 2-1 in favour of Leap To Fame. Leap To Fame beat home Don Hugo in the Hunter Cup on February 1, then Don Hugo turned the tables to lead throughout and relegated Leap To Fame to second spot in the Miracle Mile on March 8. Then Leap To Fame gained revenge with the most dominant of displays to sit outside and beat Don Hugo in the Race by betcha at Cambridge in NZ on April 4. McCarthy conceded Leap To Fame was simply too good on the night, but revealed Don Hugo was found to have a virus after the race. “That’s why he didn’t go on to the big race in Perth and we gave him a break instead,” he said. “I’m thrilled how he’s come back and where he’s at now. One more run next will have him right where I want him going into Brisbane.” But McCarthy knows the enormity of the challenge taking on Leap To Fame on his own patch at Albion Park in a gruelling 3157m Inter Dominion final. “He’s an out-and-out champion, one of the greatest of all time and the (long) distance of the final is certainly in his favour,” he said. “But we’ve beaten him before I’m sure my guy will make a real race of it given how well he’s come back after his break.” View the full article

Jantar Mantar kicked off his four-year-old campaign in the best possible fashion when running out a comfortable winner of Sunday's G1 Yasuda Kinen at Tokyo, a 'Win and You're In' for the GI Breeders' Cup Mile. Sidelined since a down-the-field finish in December's G1 Hong Kong Mile at Sha Tin, the son of Palace Malice showed no signs of rustiness on his belated return with a sharp exit from the stalls in the hands of Yuga Kawada. Never far away from the pace set by Mad Cool (Dark Angel), the smooth-travelling Jantar Mantar moved up to challenge the long-time leader entering the final furlong and from there he quickly skipped clear to win by a length and a half from longshot Gaia Force (Kitasan Black). Race favourite Soul Rush (Rulership), reappearing after his G1 Dubai Turf defeat of Romantic Warrior back in March, was a neck further back as he finished third for the second consecutive year, with the same distance back to Brede Weg (Lord Kanaloa) in fourth. “The colt broke well and was in a good position in third to start, but then he got a little overexcited as horses came from behind so I got a little worried,” Kawada said of his fourth Yasuda Kinen winner. “I was still in doubt as to how he would respond at the stretch, but considering the circumstances, he really put in a good performance in the end and really exceeded my expectations as to how strong he is. He was unable to race to his standard at all last time, but I'm glad that he was able to show his true form today. I knew he would become a potential miler when he won the Asahi Hai as a two-year-old and was certain he was the best miler in Japan when taking the NHK Mile Cup title.” Trained by Tomokazu Takano, Jantar Mantar was named Japan's champion two-year-old colt of 2023 after winning each of his three starts, culminating with his maiden top-level victory in the Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes. Having kicked off his three-year-old season with back-to-back defeats, including a third-place finish in the G1 Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2,000 Guineas), he then doubled his Group 1 tally with a commanding performance in the NHK Mile Cup. On Sunday, the Shadai homebred became the first NHK Mile Cup winner to also land the Yasuda Kinen, further enhancing an excellent record which has seen him miss the frame just once in eight starts, having clearly not been himself when well beaten at Sha Tin. Listen to the crowd! Jantar Mantar wins the #WinAndYoureIn Yasuda Kinen at Tokyo Racecourse and books his ticket to the @FanDuel_Racing #BreedersCup Mile at #BC25! Cheers to the connections! pic.twitter.com/94vd0jyjRc — Breeders' Cup (@BreedersCup) June 8, 2025 Pedigree Notes India Mantuana, the dam of Jantar Mantar, produced the best effort of her career when winning the GIII Red Carpet Handicap at Del Mar in 2018. She was led out unsold on a bid of $145,000 at the 2019 Fasig-Tipton November Sale, before being purchased by Shadai for $100,000, pregnant to Accelerate, at Keeneland January in 2020. She unfortunately aborted that foal and was bred to Palace Malice prior to her export to Japan, where she slipped her Kizuna foal in 2022. She was bred to Palace Malice again in 2024, with a two-year-old filly by Pyro and a yearling filly by Isla Bonita already on the ground. Sunday, Tokyo, Japan YASUDA KINEN-G1, ¥347,460,000, Tokyo, 6-8, 3yo/up, 1600mT, 1:32.70, fm. 1–JANTAR MANTAR (JPN), 128, c, 4, by Palace Malice 1st Dam: India Mantuana (GSW-US, $223,100), by Wilburn 2nd Dam: Speed Wagon, by Tomorrows Cat 3rd Dam: Rajica, by El Baba O-Shadai Race Horse; B-Shadai Farm (Jpn); T-Tomokazu Takano; J-Yuga Kawada; ¥183,822,000. Lifetime Record: Ch. 2yo Colt-Jpn, 8-5-1-1, ¥504,350,000. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. 2–Gaia Force (Jpn), 128, h, 6, Kitasan Black (Jpn)–Natale (Jpn), by Kurofune. (¥30,000,000 Wlg '19 JRHJUL). O-KR Japan; B-Oiwake Farm (Jpn); ¥73,092,000. 3–Soul Rush (Jpn), 128, h, 7, Rulership (Jpn)–Broad Street (Jpn), by Agnes Tachyon (Jpn). O-Tatsue Ishikawa; B-Shimokobe Farm (Jpn); ¥45,546,000. Margins: 1HF, NK, NK. Odds: 4.30, 32.20, 3.30. Also Ran: Brede Weg (Jpn), Win Marvel (Jpn), Champagne Color (Jpn), Ecoro Walz (Jpn), Sakura Toujours (Jpn), Water Licht (Jpn), Mad Cool (Ire), Jun Blossom (Jpn), Sixpence (Jpn), Long Run (Jpn), Daddy's Vivid (Jpn), Red Mon Reve (Jpn), Gratias (Jpn), Trovatore (Jpn), Ho O Reality (Jpn). Click for the JRA chart & video. The post Jantar Mantar Returns In Style with Yasuda Kinen Strike appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Sovereignty (Into Mischief) is on top. He got there by winning two of the most important races on the calendar for 3-year-olds. With his wins in the GI Kentucky Derby and GI Belmont Stakes, he leads the way because this is a sport where they're always asking, “What have you done for me lately?” But that doesn't necessarily mean that he's the best 3-year-old to have run this year. The last time Sovereignty lost was in the Mar. 29 GI Curlin Florida Derby. He didn't have any excuses. He just wasn't as good as the winner, Tappan Street (Into Mischief). Prepping for the Kentucky Derby, Tappan Street suffered a condylar fracture to his right front leg in an Apr. 26 workout. His Triple Crown dream ended that day. But what if? If Sovereignty could win two legs of the Triple Crown but could not beat Tappan Street in the Florida Derby, does that not mean Tappan Street is the better horse? Things are never quite that simple in racing and it could be that Sovereignty matured and improved following the Florida Derby defeat? But it is a legitimate question. Trainer Brad Cox has every right to complain about his bad luck, but that's not him. He's got too much else to worry about and understands there's nothing to be gained by looking back. “I think that Tappan Street is a very good horse and he showed he can compete at the Grade I level,” said Cox, who trains Tappan Street for the partnership of WinStar Farm, CHC, Inc., and Cold Press Racing. “He obviously beat a very good horse in the Florida Derby in Sovereignty. It's different for me because I'm part of the Godolphin [the owners of Sovereignty] team, so I am happy for those guys. And Bill Mott is a class act. I don't really think about it. I'm trying to move forward with it. Hopefully, we can get our horse back at some point and maybe we could have a rematch with him. We obviously would have to be able to come back and show the good form where it makes sense to face him again.” Cox wasn't the least bit surprised that the top two performers in the Triple Crown series, Sovereignty and GI Preakness and GI Santa Anita Derby winner Journalism (Curlin), came out of the Florida Derby and the Santa Anita Derby. “We were zeroed in on the Triple Crown preps with several horses and I really felt like the Florida Derby and the Santa Anita Derby were by far the best two preps,” he said. “Some speed figures didn't make the Florida Derby quite as fast as they did with some other races. I thought the top two horses in the Florida Derby were serious and obviously top two horses in the Santa Anita Derby were serious. It's kind of showing up now a couple months removed.” Cox said that Tappan Street's surgery went well and he looks forward to having him back on track at some point, maybe even later this year. He is currently rehabbing at WinStar Farm. “I think his recovery will be typical of what you see with these kinds of injuries,” Cox said. “Sixty days off and then probably some light exercise. The surgery went very, very well and we've had several horses in the past who have had surgery like this that came back to compete at a higher level than before they were hurt. I'm pretty optimistic about him being able to come back and be a bigger, stronger horse.” Cox envisions a scenario where Tappan Street runs before the end of the year, but he won't be pushing him and will look to find a fairly easy spot for him to make his return. “I wouldn't rule it out,” Cox said when asked if Tappan Street will run again this year. “To say there's a Grade I this year that would make sense, I'd say probably not. I don't think we could get enough foundation underneath him to be ready for something like that. We will just have to see.” Sovereignty is the leading candidate for the 3-year-old champion and by the time voters cast their ballots, the Florida Derby will be a distant memory. There are no such awards for the horse that beat the horse that beats everyone else. No Excuses for Good Cheer Perhaps the biggest surprise of the Belmont-at-Saratoga meet was that Good Cheer (Medaglia d'Oro) finished up the track in the GI Acorn S. It was her first loss after winning her first seven starts. She was fifth. “She came out of the race fine,” Cox said. “I can't use the racetrack as a big excuse when she had performed well on a wet track before. You could tell at the half-mile pole that something wasn't right. Luis [Saez] started really pushing her along and she wasn't responding. She didn't quit, but she didn't pick off horses like she normally does when she is asked to. We'll keep her here in Saratoga for the near future. I'm not sure where she will land. We'll look around for spots and see what makes the most sense.” The post The Week in Review: If Sovereignty Is Good, What Does that Say about Tappan Street? appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

With a swift spin along the rail into the lane, Diblasi (Win Win Win–One More Minute, by Istan) graduated at second asking upstate on Sunday. The gelding went off as the 9-5 choice and chased the pace up the backstretch. While several frontrunners fanned wide at the top of the lane, Diblasi hugged the rail and kicked for home to win by three. Gracie' Delight (American Pharoah) was the runner-up. The final running time was 1:04.65. Lifetime Record: 2-1-1-0. Sales History: $100,000 '24 KEESEP. O-Resolution Road Stables; B-Brereton C. Jones (FL); T-Wesley Ward. The post Win Win Win’s Diblasi Skims Rail And Scores To Graduate At The Spa appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Godolphin's undefeated champion 2-year-old filly Immersive (Nyquist), off since winning last year's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, tuned up for her seasonal debut in next Saturday's Monomoy Girl Overnight Stakes with a four-furlong work in :49.20 (23/53) at Churchill Downs Sunday. The filly returned to the work tab at Churchill Downs in early May after being sidelined with bone bruising. Leading into the Monomoy Girl, she has posted six published workouts, including her latest move Sunday morning. “We're looking forward to getting her started again,” trainer Brad Cox said. “She's doing well since coming back to the string at Churchill and looks just as good as she did as a 2-year-old.” Under Cox's exercise rider Joel Osorio, Immersive began her Sunday move with an opening quarter-mile in :25.40 and galloped out five furlongs in 1:01.80. In addition to her Breeders' Cup win, Immersive won last year's GI Spinaway Stakes and GI Darley Alcibiades Stakes. The 1 1/16-mile Monomoy Girl will be the fifth of 11 races at Churchill Downs Saturday. Jockey Manny Franco, who has been aboard for all four of her starts, has the call on Immersive and will break from post position two in the field of six. The post Immersive Readies for 2025 Debut appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

1st-Saratoga, $90,000, (C), Msw, 6-8, 2yo, f, 5 1/2f, 1:05.25, ft, 4 lengths. ANGEL GIFT (f, 2, Connect–Georgie's Angel {GSW, $129,564}, by Bellamy Road), installed the 3-2 choice for this unveiling, settled off the fleet-footed favorite Gorrono Ranch (War of Will) and Nacho Problem (Waiting), who carved out an opening quarter mile in :22.44. With the top two still exchanging blows straightening for home, Angel Gift still had several lengths to make up but was picking up steam down the center of the track. Turning on the gas late, he blew by the pacesetter and drew clear to score by an eye-catching four lengths over the fast-closing Miss Magical (Good Magic). The winner is a half to MGISW Cave Rock (Arrogate), $748,000. GSW Georgie's Angel, who sold for $75,000 while carrying subsequent $1.05 million OBSMAR purchase Assurbanipal (Arrogate) at Keeneland November in 2020, is also responsible for an unraced 3-year-old filly by Improbable and a yearling filly by Flightline. She was most recently bred to Good Magic. Sales history: $300,000 Ylg '24 SARAUG. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $49,500. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV. O-Repole Stable; B-Kathleen Burke Schweizer & Daniel J. Burke (NY); T-Todd A. Pletcher. The post Connect’s Angel Gift Rolls in Career Debut at Saratoga appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article