Wandering Eyes

This past weekend, my husband and I brought five of his old high school friends to their first Kentucky Derby. The group grew up together in Baltimore and while some of them have been to the infield at the Preakness, the Derby was their first authentic race-day experience. They flew in from various parts of the East Coast. One is an engineer, two are wealth managers, one works in investment banking and another is in business consulting. They are all hard-working, fun, intelligent 26 and 27 year olds. In short, they are the type of people that horse racing very much needs to engage and retain. A lot of thought was put into their Derby Day outfits and they were thrilled to learn that their general admission ticket bought them unlimited access to food and drinks. Their betting budgets ranged from $200 to $1,200. Some lost, a few won. The big winner on the day put $25 to win on Mystik Dan (Goldencents) because he liked the name and $50 to win on the 47-1 longshot Trikari (Oscar Performance), who won the GII American Turf S., because the older gentleman behind him in line for the betting window told him it was a good pick at a price. As the day progressed, many of their reactions and comments made me laugh. Some of their questions were humbling, reminding me how incredible our sport is, while others were a bit of a reality check as they made me realize just how easy it can be to live in our “racing bubble” and forget about the general public's true perception of horse racing. I jotted down a few of their direct quotes that struck me most. Walking into Churchill Downs: “Wow, I didn't realize how big it was.” These were no sports amateurs. Earlier this year, we all went to the Ravens-Chiefs AFC Championship game together (sadly it did not go well for the Baltimore natives). Yet even for these huge sports enthusiastic, weaving through Churchill Downs among 150,000 other race-goers and glimpsing those twin spires poised above a sprawling new paddock was awe inspiring. While juggling a racing program, a mint julep and the phone he was using to bet with: “I need to get rid of this magazine. It's a nuisance.” Four of the five first-time Derby-goers (the other is off getting a chicken sandwich) | Katie Petrunyak For someone whose racing form is virtually my at-the-track bible, this one made me laugh. Once we showed him how his “magazine” was the key to learning about the horses running that day, he held onto it a bit tighter. Still, it was a reminder of how important it is to make data and other handicapping material easily accessible online, especially for the younger generation that would prefer if they could review information and make their bets all from the device in their pocket. Seeing the paddock for the first time: “This isn't a Reds game. Why can't we go onto the grass?” For context, the group went to a Cincinnati Reds game the night before. We explained what the paddock was and who was able to visit it. Two members of the group were actually able to go in the paddock for an undercard race and I think their jaws nearly hit the new artificial turf as they took in the sights. Many people working in the industry will go to the paddock on Derby day dozens of times over the years, making it easy to forget that for most it is an unforgettable, once-in-a-lifetime experience. “I want to watch you bet and then I'll do one.” Even for someone who is a consistent sports bettor, going up to the window can be intimidating and placing a wager is confusing. It makes me wonder about racing novices who go to the track and don't have that person with them to explain things like what an exacta is and what it means to box an exacta. How many people are in the industry today because a friend or family member took them to the racetrack and explained the ins and outs of the sport to them? It emphasizes just how significant of an impact it can have on a new fan to go to the track with an experienced race-goer. 5. “67 minutes until post? Why is there so much time?” Industry members are not the only ones who bemoan the lengthy gaps in between races on the big days. The long waits certainly bring the mood down for first-time attendees as well. “Is Bob Baffert an owner or a trainer?” After covering and following the Churchill Downs-Baffert saga for the last three years, this one was a shocker for me when one friend asked this question after they heard Baffert come up in an outside conversation. Many racing insiders have speculated on how there is an asterisk next to this year's Kentucky Derby because of Churchill Downs' ban on Baffert's horses, and while that may be a valid point, to a lot of the general public-especially young people–the basic facts about one of the most recognizable faces in racing are a mystery and they are completely unaware of the issues that have been such a focal point going into this year's Kentucky Derby. As the Kentucky Derby contenders came down the tunnel and into the paddock: “Oh guys hold up, these are the Derby horses. That's pretty amazing.” And that's the magic of the Kentucky Derby. It's not the big hats or the mint juleps or the famous people in attendance. Even for those taking in their very first Derby, all the other hubbub of the day falls away as 20 of the best 3-year-old Thoroughbreds in the world stride into the paddock. Our group experienced that same familiar spine-tingling rush even the most veteran trainers and owners feel when all our cheers meld together into a roar as the crowd hears the call to the post. So what does this crew's future in horse racing look like? One of our friends who lives in Baltimore has already asked if Mystik Dan will be at the Preakness in two weeks. Another who lives in New York City is thinking about taking the train up to Saratoga this summer. I don't think anyone will be making a career change any time soon, but I am fairly sure we will see them all at the track again someday and maybe, just maybe, their names could be listed in the racing program as owners somewhere on down the line. The post How I brought five young people to their first Kentucky Derby appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

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Horsemen will be offered $7.5 million in bonus opportunities as well as qualifiers for international races at Newmarket and Deauville come Preakness Day May 18 at legendary Pimlico Race Course.View the full article

Through the first four months of the year, wagering on U.S. races fell 6.10% compared to the same time period in 2023, in figures released Monday by Equibase. A total of $3,516,968,001 was wagered through April this year, compared to $3,745,511,588 a year ago. Available U.S. purses dipped 1.17% from $366,620,431 in 2023 to $362,312,915 this year, with 80 fewer race days and 673 fewer races. During the month of April, $926,855,960 was wagered on U.S. races, down 11.42% from last year's figure of $1,046,334,587. Available U.S. purses totaled $94,938,583, compared to $100,519,382 a year ago. There were 269 race days this April, down from 281 last April and the number of races declined from 2,351 to 2,245. The post Year-to-Date Wagering Falls appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

FOX Sports will be the television home for Monmouth Park's 2024 racing season, which opens May 11 under a new partnership announced Monday by the New Jersey track and the New York Racing Association. In addition to the expansion in television coverage, NYRA Bets will become the title sponsor of the $1-million GI Haskell S. and the Pegasus S. Monmouth's signature race, the NYRA Bets Haskell S. will be run July 20. The NYRA Bets Pegasus S., the traditional local prep for the Haskell, will be contested June 15. America's Day at the Races, the acclaimed national telecast produced by NYRA in partnership with FOX Sports, will provide live coverage of Monmouth racing from May 11 through July 7. The on-site broadcast team will include Paul LoDuca, Laffit Pincay, III, and Rajiv Maragh. Beginning with the July 11 opening of the 2024 summer meet at Saratoga Race Course, select stakes races from Monmouth Park will be broadcast on Saratoga Live, FOX Sports' flagship horse racing show. “We've always had a great relationship with NYRA and this partnership takes it further across multiple television and sponsorship channels, including our biggest day with the NYRA Bets Haskell S.,” said Bill Knauf, Monmouth Park's vice president of business operations. “We look forward to the synergy between Monmouth Park and NYRA and the great exposure that FOX Sports can provide for our races this summer.” As part of the new agreement, Monmouth Park will be featured in NYRA's Cross Country Pick 5 wager on all live race days. “This partnership will ensure that racing from Monmouth Park is easily accessible to racing fans and bettors across the country,” said Tony Allevato, NYRA Chief Revenue Officer. “Monmouth is a summertime destination home to historic races each year, which is why we are thrilled to be a major part of two big days on the Jersey Shore.” The post Monmouth, NYRA Bets and Fox Sports Partner on TV, Sponsorship Deals appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

An additional 29 juveniles have been supplemented to the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic May Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training. These entries, which are catalogued as hips 557-585, include 2-year-olds by Bolt d'Oro, Gun Runner, Hard Spun, Into Mischief, Justify, Not This Time, Quality Road, Speightstown, and Tapit. “These supplemental entries add more quality to an already strong catalogue,” said Paget Bennett, Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Director of Sales. The Midlantic May sale will be held May 20 and 21 at the Maryland State Fairgrounds in Timonium, Maryland. Sale sessions will begin at 11 a.m. The auction's under tack show will be held May 14-16, beginning each day at 8 a.m. Click here to view the entire catalogue. The post Supplemental Entries Added to Midlantic May Sale appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Continuing his perfect start to the current campaign, Chantal Regalado-Gonzalez's White Birch (GB) (Ulysses {Ire}) added The Curragh's G2 Coolmore Stud Sottsass Irish EBF Mooresbridge S. to last month's G3 Alleged S. success with the minimum of fuss on Monday. Third in the Derby last June after taking the G3 Ballysax S. and finishing runner-up in the G2 Dante S., the John Murphy-trained grey stalked the leader Greenland (Ire) (Saxon Warrior {Jpn}) early under Colin Keane before taking over approaching the two-furlong pole. Too strong from there, the 2-1 favourite hit the line with 3 3/4 lengths to spare over Lord Massusus (Ire) (Markaz {Ire}), who denied Greenland second by a neck. Far too good White Birch makes short work of his rivals in the Group 2 Mooresbridge Stakes to make it 2-2 for the season. Some of the top middle-distance flat races are now on the cards for this thriving 4yo.@JosephOBrien2 | @coolmorestud | @IrishEBF_ pic.twitter.com/Iy1OfpY043 — Racing TV (@RacingTV) May 6, 2024 The post All Power To Ulysses’s White Birch In The Mooresbridge appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Last seen finishing runner-up in the Listed Prix Maurice Caillault at Chantilly in March, Jean-Pierre-Joseph Dubois and Jean-Claude Seroul's Wootton Verni (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) stepped up to land Monday's G3 Prix Greffulhe at Saint-Cloud after surviving an inquiry. Tackling 10 1/2 furlongs for the first time under Cristian Demuro, the 9-2 shot, who holds an entry in the G1 Prix du Jockey Club, was anchored last of the quartet early before being launched wide of the duelling Sunway (Fr) (Galiway {GB}) and Casapueblo (Ire) (Le Havre {Ire}) to seize the advantage a furlong out. Driven out to the line, the Jérôme Andreu-trained colt who had beaten the subsequent listed scorer Trafalgar Square (Fr) (Kendargent {Fr}) by five lengths in a mile-and-a-quarter conditions event on Marseille Pont-de-Vivaux's all-weather in December had a neck to spare over last year's G1 Criterium International winner Sunway at the line, with TDN Rising Star Casapueblo 3/4 of a length behind in third. The latter was the sufferer of interference as the winner lugged in late, but the result was allowed to stand. 𝗪𝗼𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗼𝗻 𝗩𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗶 (C. Demuro) s'impose dans le Prix Greffulhe (Gr.3) à Saint-Cloud et offre un 1⃣er Groupe à son entraîneur Jérôme Andreu. Le dernier doublé Prix du Jockey Club – Prix Greffulhe remonte à Study of Man en 2018. Rendez-vous pris le 2 juin à Chantilly! pic.twitter.com/BXzOF4bEzi — Equidia (@equidia) May 6, 2024 The post Wootton Bassett’s Wootton Verni Takes The Greffulhe appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Over the last three years Frankel (GB) and Dubawi (Ire) have handed the sires' championship back and forth between each other, and they rule supreme as the two most expensive stallions in the world this year at £350,000. While Darley's Dubawi duly provided the winner of the first British Classic of the season when Notable Speech (GB) became his fourth in that particular race – an achievement that is unrivalled in the post-war era – it was Frankel's Juddmonte friend and rival Kingman (GB) who had the bragging rights on Sunday. In the history of the 2,000 Guineas, two sires have sired five winners each but you have to go back to the 19th century to find Sultan (GB) and Stockwell (GB). Lord Derby's Fairway (GB), whose most recent winner was Garden Path (GB) in 1944, is currently Dubawi's equal on four winners. Picking the winner of either Guineas was no easy feat. Notable Speech, a winner solely on the all-weather at Kempton prior to his Classic triumph, and unraced at two, returned at 16/1, while Kingman's first winner of the 1,000 Guineas, the lightly raced Elmalka (GB) was 28/1. Their victories for trainers Charlie Appleby and Roger Varian respectively meant that both Guineas 'stayed at home' within the Newmarket fold despite some serious challengers from overseas. Indeed, Elmalka narrowly denied Donnacha O'Brien's Porta Fortuna (Ire) and the Christopher Head-trained Ramatuelle for a multi-national trifecta, while Tamfana, bred in Germany and trained by a Frenchman in England, kept up that theme when flying home to take fourth. Her trainer David Menuisier was left ruing his luck and attempting to balance those polar opposite emotions of pride and crushing disappointment in seeing a horse run so well in defeat. With just a length covering the first five home – Aidan O'Brien's Ylang Ylang (GB) completed the quintet – any one of the four trainers other than that of the winner was entitled to go home thinking 'if only'. Tamfana, who had been available at 66/1 earlier in the week, was half that at the off and it is hard not to be impressed by the huge amount of ground she made up when finally in the clear. She will head to France next for the Prix de Diane. Classic Double for Breeder Godolphin For Godolphin it was a weekend rich in celebration. A 2,000 Guineas winner in the royal blue, a year after Mawj (Ire) took the 1,000 Guineas for Saeed Bin Suroor, was a terrific start. But then came Elmalka, bred by Godolphin and racing in the colours of Sheikh Mohammed's younger brother Sheikh Ahmed, who had enjoyed a successful winter in Dubai, becoming champion owner in his homeland, while his retained trainer Michael Costa was runner-up in the championship behind Dubai World Cup-winning trainer Bhupat Seemar. Sheikh Ahmed has long been a loyal supporter of Roger Varian and his former boss, the late Michael Jarvis. For Varian, the victory of Elmalka was extra sweet, not just for the filly being his first winner of the 1,000 Guineas but because her dam Nahrain (GB) (Selkirk) is doubtless remembered with great affection. Back in 2011, in the Prix de l'Opera, Nahrain became Varian's first Group 1 winner, a victory made all the more emotional for its timing, less than two weeks after the death of his mentor Jarvis. Varian has trained all of the mare's progeny bar the prolific Benbatl (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), who won 10 Group races in the Godolphin silks, including three Group 1s, for Saeed Bin Suroor. Now the 16-year-old mare has provided Varian with his third British Classic winner following Eldar Eldarov (GB) and Kingston Hill (GB). “It doesn't get more special than that,” said the trainer, whose only regret was that his wife Hanako and children Momoka, Eiji and Reika were at the Royal Windsor Horse Show on Sunday and not on the Rowley Mile to celebrate. Hanako Varian was overseeing the sale of merchandise from her fashion brand Newmarket 875 at what her husband referred to as “pop-ups” at both Newmarket and Royal Windsor over the weekend. Anyone filing out past her stand on the Rowley Mile on Sunday could have had one of the Newmarket 875 caps autographed by the Classic-winning trainer, who stood happily chatting to racegoers as the runners went to post for the last race of the meeting. Sunday will also live long in the memory of Silvestre de Sousa. The 42-year-old has been champion jockey three times in Britain but had only three previous Group 1 wins in the country aboard Farhh (GB) and Arabian Queen (GB). “I've been trying for so long to win a Classic,” he said after his sole ride of the day at Newmarket. With Varian's first-call rider James Doyle on duty in France for Wathnan Racing, de Sousa got the call-up from the trainer, and he has already made the most of the opportunities given to him by Varian since his return from a 10-month ban during his time in Hong Kong. De Sousa rode Charyn (Fr) to win both the G2 Bet 365 Mile and Doncaster Mile, and he also recently partnered Adaay In Devon (GB) to win the Listed Lansdown S. for Rod Millman. The Brazilian added, “I love British racing so much. To me it's my base. This is the place where it starts and I hope this is the place where I'm going to finish one day.” There in Spirit The 27-year-old Invincible Spirit (Ire) played his part in both Guineas results as the paternal grandsire of Elmalka and the broodmare sire of Notable Speech. His son, the G2 Royal Lodge winner Ghostwriter (Ire), was also fourth in the 2,000 Guineas. Notable Speech is a fifth generation homebred for Sheikh Mohammed. In recent years the family has also been well represented by the GI Natalma S. and G3 Fred Darling S. winner Wild Beauty (GB) (Frankel {GB}), who is a half-sister to Notable Speech's dam Swift Rose (GB). Jumping back three generations, his fourth dam Cherokee Rose (Ire) (Dancing Brave) was a top-class sprinter for John Hammond, winning the G1 Prix Maurice de Gheest and G1 Haydock Sprint Cup. Her half-brother Volksraad (GB) (Green Desert) was less exalted on the track, though he did manage third in the G2 Challenge S. He later made his mark as a stallion following his export to Windsor Park Stud, where he eventually became champion sire of New Zealand in 2001/02, dethroning the great Zabeel (NZ). Elmalka's family, too, has been within the Godolphin fold for decades. Sheikh Mohammed purchased her fourth dam, Lady Of The Sea (Ire), from her breeder Sonia Rogers. The daughter of Mill Reef was out of the New Zealand champion race filly La Mer (NZ) (Copenhagen {GB}) who had been purchased by Captain Tim Rogers and exported to his Airlie Stud in Ireland. Nahrain has been one of the standouts of this family for the Godolphin team, but her dam Bahr (GB) (Generous {Ire}) was also very talented and won the G2 Ribblesdale S. and G3 Musidora S., as well as finishing second in the Oaks and third in the Irish Oaks. The tall and elegant Friendly Soul (GB) had looked a stand-out in a field of good-looking fillies for the Listed Pretty Polly S. and George Strawbridge's homebred was another feather in the cap of Kingman on Sunday. She could hardly have been more impressive on only her second run, holding off Juddmonte's Kalpana (GB) (Study Of Man {Ire}) by just over a length, with the pair of them having pulled 12 lengths clear of the rest of the field. Both fillies clearly have bright futures, and co-trainer John Gosden suggested that the G1 Prix de Diane is a realistic target for Friendly Soul. She will have plenty to live up to as she bids to become the fourth Group 1 winner for her dam In Clover (GB) (Inchinor {GB}). The mare's seven black-type performers also include Incahoots (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}), the dam of last year's G1 Prix de la Foret winner Kelina (Ire) (Frankel {GB}). Royal Ascot Juvenile Clues The success didn't end in the Classics for Godolphin, who unleashed the smart Mountain Breeze (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), a three-parts-sister to Pinatubo (Ire), to win the £40,000 Tattersalls-sponsored fillies' maiden on Sunday. She became the latest TDN Rising Star in Europe and is already being talked about with Royal Ascot in mind. Her brother of course took the Chesham S. en route to becoming champion two-year-old. While Sheikh Mohammed Obaid may have knocked on the door with 2,000 Guineas runner-up Rosallion (GB) (Blue Point {Ire}), the owner-breeder nevertheless enjoyed a memorable Guineas meeting in general. A treble on Friday included two Listed winners, the four-length Newmarket S. winner Caviar Heights (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) and King Charles II S winner Boiling Point (Ire) (Too Darn Hot {GB}). Rosallion and his relation Inisherin (GB) (Shamardal) were second and sixth in the 2,000 Guineas, and on Sunday the juvenile The Actor (Ire) (Harry Angel {Ire}) rallied gamely to win on his second start for Richard Hannon after finishing runner-up during the Craven meeting. We can expect to see him at Royal Ascot, too. Well Heald Following the disappointing run of the odds-on favourite City Of Troy (Justify) in the 2,000 Guineas, Godolphin's Arabian Crown (Fr) (Dubawi {Ire}) has now replaced him as favourite for the Derby. The impressive winner of the Classic Trial at Sandown in late April, the colt was bred by Guy Heald, who is responsible for two serious Classic contenders this season. Last Thursday, Heald's homebred Fast Tracker (GB) (Churchill {Ire}) went seven lengths clear at Chantilly to land the Listed Prix de Suresnes, the race won last year by Ace Impact (Ire) (Cracksman {GB}) before he went on to glory in the G1 Prix du Jockey Club. Heald's colt, who is trained by his long-time ally Henri-Alex Pantall, also holds an entry for that Classic. The breeder is doubtless now delighted in his decision to retain Fast Tracker when he was bought in at 28,000gns as a yearling at Tattersalls. He is out of the unraced Anabaa mare Emma Knows (Ire), a half-sister to the Group 3-placed King Of Camelot (Fr) (Camelot {GB}) and Listed runner-up Leader Writer (Fr) (Pivotal {GB}). All three were also bred by Heald, whose recent major success as breeder came with the 2022 G1 Prix de Royallieu winner Sea La Rosa (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}). One Last Thing If you can keep your eyes open after a long day at Newmarket, the best way to spend the evening of the 2,000 Guineas is by watching the superb NBC coverage of Kentucky Derby day from Churchill Downs. It is an extraordinary race, not always for the best of reasons, but the television build-up to it is second to no racing broadcast I've ever watched. Every horse and every owner has a story, and the backgrounds to the contenders are properly explored and celebrated. More than 150,000 people were at Churchill Downs for the 150th running of the Kentucky Derby, making the raceday experience for the horses as much of a mental challenge as a physical one, particularly as they leave their stables for the famous walk over to the track. That in itself is an incredible spectacle. Hats have to be doffed to those horsemen and women charged with keeping the runners as calm as possible before they load into the gates. The Thoroughbred has to be sound of mind as well as limb, and perhaps nowhere is that put to the test more than in Kentucky on Derby day. It is in stark contrast to the relative calm and openness of Newmarket on Guineas weekend, where the runners can circle quietly at the start a mile away from the noise of the stands. But that is what makes racing such a fascinating sport. It's essentially just a bunch of horses running round a field, but those fields vary so vastly the world over. The post Seven Days: Kingman’s Queens appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The stable of George Scott has been enjoying a decent run of form in 2024 and the trainer notched an important win at Newmarket on Saturday when Seven Questions (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) ran home the 33/1 winner of the G3 Palace House S. For the same Bahraini owner, Victorious Racing and Fawzi Nass, Scott won Bahrain's Triple Crown earlier this year with Isle Of Jura (GB) (New Approach {Ire}) and the trainer is eyeing some classy contests for both horses in Britain this summer. As Seven Questions demonstrated that he had come out of Saturday's race well with a buck and a kick in his paddock on Monday morning, Scott said of the Tally-Ho Stud-bred gelding, “He was a good two-year-old last year. He was very unlucky in the Sirenia, drawn on the wing. He got beaten a head by a good horse that day in Starlust. And then I think if anyone wanted to go back and look at the Mill Reef in a bit more detail now he's come out and done this, you'll see he was very unlucky in the Mill Reef as well.” With three wins to his credit at two, Seven Questions was also third in the G2 Mill Reef and G2 Criterium de Maisons-Laffitte as well as his close second in the G3 Sirenia S. Scott continued, “Winning the Palace House was obviously a little bit of surprise for the bookmakers, but we expected him to run a nice race. As I say, he's a talented horse so he has loads of options. “For example, we'll look at Royal Ascot. Is he a Wokingham horse or is he one for the the King Charles III [formerly the G1 King's Stand]? It might be that we go for the Wokingham this time around and then go from there. But I would love him to run at Royal Ascot. “We might well look at the Temple Stakes at Haydock or the Sandy Lane the same day. I know Vandeek is going to start back in the Sandy Lane.” Scott also issued an update on the four-year-old Isle Of Jura, who won four of his five starts in Bahrain over the winter and was beaten a short-head in the other. He has had a short spell following his return to Newmarket and looks set to run at Sandown on Thursday, May 23. “He's going to start back in the Brigadier Gerard,” said the trainer.” It looks like King of Steel might start back there but we're very keen to get a run into him before Ascot. He looks incredible. We're very, very pleased with the way he's training, and obviously the plan is the Hardwicke, but we'll be using the Brigadier Gerard as a stepping stone towards the Hardwicke. It's a race that we're looking forward to. The track should suit him, a stiff one and a quarter [miles].” Scott has had the New Approach gelding for just over a year after Billy Jackson Stops identified him as a promising purchase from the Godolphin draft in the Tattersalls Ascot March Sale. Bought for £150,000 on behalf of Shaikh Nasser Al Khalifa's Victorious Racing, his earnings now stand at more than £292,0000 for his six wins from 11 starts. Along with Isle Of Jura, Scott could also be sending the improving stayer Prydwen (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) to Sandown on the same day for the G3 Henry II S. The six-year-old, who is owned by Blue Starr Racing, has won his last two starts, including an impressive performance at Southwell last week under Callum Shepherd. “The handicapper will have his say tomorrow, but I would think he'll be 108, 109, 110,” Scott said. “He's going to run in the Group 3 at Sandown and that will be a good indication for whether he completes his owner's dream and maybe rolls the dice in the Gold Cup or more likely go to Northampton Plate, in which he'll have a big weight.” He added of the eight-time winner, “He's a very straightforward horse to train. He just runs every month and he's happy doing it.” The post Isle Of Jura to Brigadier Gerard for In-Form Scott 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. – While most of the racing world is focused on the 150th GI Kentucky Derby to be run Saturday at Churchill Downs, the final stop on the Triple Crown series–the 156th GI Belmont S., some six weeks hence on June 8–is already at the top of the charts for plenty of people in this horse-centric upstate city. In order to accommodate the massive makeover of Belmont Park, New York Racing Association officials decided last year to stage the 2024 and 2025 runnings of the Belmont S. at Saratoga Race Course, the oldest and most popular track in the country. NYRA has scheduled the Belmont Stakes Festival, which will feature 24 stakes races with purses totaling $10.25 million, for June 6-9 at Saratoga. Even though Thoroughbred racing has been conducted at the Spa since 1863 and its world-renowned summer meet features the $1.25-million GI Travers S., the addition of the Belmont S. is nothing short of enormous. The daily limit of 50,000 admission tickets and seating sold out at Taylor Swift concert-level speed, as did hotel rooms and short-term rentals in the city and region. “We're used to the Travers,” said Jack Knowlton, the Saratoga resident and businessman who heads Sackatoga Stable. “I say that the Belmont at Saratoga is going to be four days of the Travers on steroids. We have our Travers and it's a big deal every year, but if there's a big horse, or, on the rare occasion where there is a Triple Crown, it's absolutely crazy. That's what this is going to be.” Knowlton has more than a casual connection to the sport. Sackatoga's Funny Cide (Distorted Humor) won the Derby and GI Preakness S. in 2003 and its Tiz the Law (Constitution) prevailed in the 2020 Belmont and Travers. He compared the anticipation for the Belmont to 2015 when Triple Crown winner American Pharoah came to Saratoga for the Travers and was upset at the fabled “graveyard of favorites” by Keen Ice. Sending the Belmont upstate instead of staging it at nearby Aqueduct Racetrack, which no longer has the seating to accommodate a major event, has provided a multi- million-dollar package for the region. Marianne Barker is in her 46th season operating the Impressions of Saratoga gift and souvenir shop on Broadway and said the news of Belmont at Saratoga has been good for business for months. “Because it's so novel, that none of those races have ever been here before. Just the fact that it's something new and pretty monumental,” she said. “Yeah, people are really excited. Even if they're just here for a long weekend, I'd say that every other person that comes into the store is like, 'So, are you guys ready for the Belmont? What's it going to be like? Is it going to be crazy? Are you going to be nuts?' We're like, 'Well, we sure hope so.'” Among the merchandise that Impressions has carried since deep winter has been a Belmont at Saratoga poster created by local artist Greg Montgomery, famous for his distinctive Travers posters. Barker and her partner in Impressions and The Dark Horse Mercantile, Maddy Zanetti, know that the news of the temporary relocation of the Belmont has registered well beyond the Capital Region of upstate New York. “We were in Maine for a small tradeshow about a month and a half ago and even people there were like, 'Oh my God, you guys, it's going to be great for you,'” she said. “The buzz is out.” The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame, located across Union Avenue from the track, is at the forefront of a community-wide embrace of Saratoga's Belmont S. “It certainly is everywhere,” said museum director Cate Masterson. “The New York Racing Association has been visiting Saratoga quite regularly since their announcement and with the Chamber of Commerce, Discover Saratoga, the Downtown Business Association, they've included, not only all the non-profits, but also the businesses. They've done regular meetings to just see what can happen and the buzz is there. Everyone's talking about it.” The museum, which will celebrate its 75th anniversary in 2025, has developed a program of special events for the festival. It includes an evening of Belmont stories from retired NYRA track announcer Tom Durkin; the Belmont Gala at the Canfield Casino that will benefit the museum and Hall of Fame; a morning tour of the Old Tavern Farm; a Saturday Morning Social at the museum; and a Handicapping 101 evening organized by retired jockey and television personality Donna Barton Brothers that will benefit Therapeutic Horses of Saratoga. “It's an extremely exciting time because it's historic,” Masterson said. “We're thrilled. The community has definitely, I would say, rallied around the fact that the race is coming. And the four-day Belmont Stakes Festival is really nice.” The Discover Saratoga tourism organization has been working on the Belmont-at- Saratoga project for months and it has a prominent position on its website. Among the elements being discussed are watch parties. “We want to create events, not only for our visitors, but also our locals,” said Darryl Leggieri, the Discover Saratoga president. “We want them to feel like they're a part of it, too. Creating free events, a festive atmosphere in downtown, trying to engage all of our members, all of our restaurants and retailers and have some live entertainment and just really making it fun so that people have a great experience in Saratoga Springs.” NYRA's original plan was to start the Belmont Park tear-down and rebuild immediately after the 2024 Belmont S., move the race to Saratoga for 2025 and have Belmont Park ready for the 2026 race known as “The Test of the Champion.” At the end of the last summer's Saratoga meeting, NYRA CEO David O'Rourke said that the Belmont was likely to be held in Saratoga in 2024 as well, providing a bigger window for the work at Belmont Park. In early December, the switch was made official. “I can just tell you that my phone has been ringing off the hook for the past like six months about reservations,” said Pennell's Restaurant owner Bruce Cerone. “I'm at the point I can't even take any more reservations for that weekend.” Cerone's popular restaurant, a fixture in Saratoga for a century, has a strong year-round business. The Belmont at Saratoga festival is a present for the already vibrant economy of the city and region. “Honestly, for myself, it's a great thing,” he said, “but people were going crazy about it, especially the rental market in my neighborhood. It's definitely a bonus for everybody.” Siro's Restaurant, which has operated on a seasonal basis next to the track since 1945, will have its outdoor facility of a bar, raw bar and live music open throughout the festival. “We can fit 1,500 to 2,000 people and we will have the inside bar open, too,” Siro's general manager Kevin Decker said. “We're the first stop after the track. It's going to be very exciting and we're looking forward to it. All of Saratoga is.” Decker said his newest venture, as a co-owner with Lucas White, The Wild Horse bar, on Caroline Street downtown will be open with entertainment for the festival. Barker said she fully expects the Belmont at Saratoga memorabilia sales to surpass the Travers in her shops. “I do just because it's so unique. It's on track for doing better than Travers,” she said. “Travers is huge, needless to say, but being that this is only going to happen twice and how Saratoga is excited about history and history-making events, I think it's going to be gigantic.” The post Belmont Buzz Hits Saratoga appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

If you consider yourself a baseball fan and are of a certain vintage, the term Iron Horse will conjure up thoughts of one of the most legendary baseball players to ever grace the diamond: The Iron Horse himself, Lou Gehrig. Jonathan Eig, author of Luckiest Man: The Life and Death of Lou Gehrig, described the term Iron Horse as “a type of courage to persevere and to keep yourself going and to never give up.” Harlan Malter, Founder and Managing Partner of Ironhorse Racing Stable is a self-proclaimed sports fanatic and played college baseball at New York's Columbia University. “I enjoyed going out to Saratoga each summer with my family. It is one of the reasons that makes Saratoga extremely special,” recounted Malter. “As a sports fan, horse racing was simply part of that landscape for me. Seattle Slew in 1977 and Alydar in 1978 got me hooked. New York racing really captivated me. Whenever I had time between school and baseball, you could find me at the closest New York City OTB or track.” When uncovering more about Harlan Malter, you begin to see dichotomies reveal themselves. These include his love of New York, even though he grew up in Boston; and the most obvious being that while one of his heroes, Lou Gehrig, was known as a man of few words, Harlan Malter is not. His passion for racing erupts out of him like a volcano and when he opines, his words are often both insightful and inspiring. “Only sports can produce things like a last-minute field goal, a three-point buzzer beater, or a walk-off home run,” he says. “Horse racing is one of those sports. The moment your horse enters the gate or crosses the wire produces one of those feelings. You can't make that feeling up.” Those feelings are shared by the over 165 partners with Ironhorse Racing Stable, including Beth Shireman, who just returned from visiting one of her horses in the stable area at Churchill and watching her horse Indy Magic break his maiden at first asking at Keeneland. “Connecting with these horses is one of the best parts of being part of this partnership,” Shireman says. “I have access to the farms and stable areas for visits. They will steal your heart. You get to know your horse very well and feel like a proud parent on race day.” Zach Silka, who started following racing as a horseplayer and recently witnessed his horse Kid Cairo break his maiden on debut and then saw his other horse Beauty of the Sea win the Golden Beach Handicap at Gulfstream the very next day, reflects this common theme. “The people and the horses are the best parts of Ironhorse Racing Stable,” he said. “Harlan is our fearless leader, our trainers are great, and meeting so many other partners from around the country who are passionate about horse racing has been a cool experience. Then, to have your horses run on consecutive days at the same track, let alone to win both races, was something I could have never expected.” You cannot profile Harlan Malter or Ironhorse Racing without highlighting Bucchero, the original iron horse for the stable. The $43,000 2-year-old purchase went on to make 31 starts and win over $947,000. He knocked down the GII Woodford S. twice, in 2017 and 2018. The Indiana-bred phenom also took Malter to the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint twice and all the way across the pond to Royal Ascot. “My first win as a racehorse owner was a four claimer at Penn National,” said Malter. “Then came Bucchero. He took me to tremendous places. I couldn't have imagined getting to run in the Breeders' Cup and Royal Ascot.” Those experiences were the inspiration for Ironhorse Racing Stable, said Malter. “We started slowly as a small group of friends. After having Bucchero, we wanted to create a syndicate that could compete at the national/global level that was built with the partners' interests as the priority. This is how we developed the `No Markup' model. We wanted to differentiate ourselves from other national syndicates by building partnerships that reflected a true ownership experience. As a sole owner, I went to the sales and paid the auction price for the horse, not a penny more. I wanted to be able to give this same opportunity to our partners. So, we typically assemble our partners before the sales and then go and buy the best possible horse within our budget. This is how typical owners buy horses, and there is no reason partnership participants can't have that same opportunity.” Silka was drawn to how the partnerships were constructed. “I wasn't interested in micro shares or joining a syndicate that marked up the sale price of the horse. I wanted a true partnership experience and to learn as much as I could about the horse ownership side of things,” he says. The Ironhorse Racing partnership closely reflects how Malter's other business, financial planning, works. “We don't mark up stocks like brokers did 20 years ago. We now align our interests with our clients. If the portfolio grows, we will all make more money. I wanted to bring that model to horse ownership. We look to buy value, pick our spots, always be opportunistic, and maximize every single dollar.” Ironhorse is compensated for its management by retaining 10% of all earnings and 10% of the proceeds when the horse is sold. Other costs are a straight pass-through to the penny. By incorporating the tools offered by Horsebills.com, each partner receives an invoice just as if her or she were a full owner, broken down in accordance with their percentage ownership. Partner Robbie Estes said he found this approach very appealing. “Both my wife and I are retired CPAs,” said Estes. “The Ironhorse financial model makes sense to me. Horse ownership is expensive. Harlan Malter's approach makes it understandable, as predictable as possible, and efficient.” When asked about who a good prospect for the partnership group is, Malter replied, “Partners who are looking to run on the national level with a group that gives them the opportunity to buy exactly the way they would if they went to a sale to buy a horse 100% on their own. We pride ourselves on communication, with a dedicated portal where we provide the same type of trainer communication an owner would get if they owned the horse themselves.” Since 2007, Malter and Ironhorse Racing have put together a team of trainers across the country and have recently put their first horse in training in the United Kingdom. Trainers like Mark Casse, Joe Orseno, Chief Stipe O'Neill, Michael Trombetta, Kelsey Danner, and James Ferguson in the United Kingdom are part of the team that keeps over 25 horses in the stable producing for its partners. “Utilizing a network of farms and training centers to help develop our purchases and breed some solid homebreds has kept the winners' circle photos coming,” commented Malter. Ironhorse's model focuses on yearlings and 2-year-olds. You can find the Ironhorse silks breaking from starting gates in just about any racing jurisdiction. The current star of the stable is Get Smokin (Get Stormy). “He won the $1.7-million GII Kentucky Turf Cup last year. He is our type of horse…a hard-knocking runner who shows up every time. We also have 3-year-old stakes winner Mattingly (Bucchero), stakes winner Beauty of the Sea (Bucchero), and many promising 2-year-olds in the pipeline,” said Malter. Multiple opportunities at various price points is what drew Shireman into the group. “Harlan purchases horses from various sales in the U.S. and Europe–yearlings, 2-year-olds-in-training, broodmare prospects. I can pick my favorite, or mix and match. I choose my own adventure within a budget I am comfortable with.” Besides success on the racetrack, communication and education have also played a significant role in the growth of Ironhorse. With a robust social media presence, dynamic website, and the use of technology-driven applications like Slack and Horsebills, Malter can deliver a modern racehorse owner experience. “Along with learning the ins-and-outs of their individual horses, they receive updates on the entire stable,” he explained. “We give insights on each horse, race strategy, development plans, etc. We are all owners of these horses, and we want each partner to feel part of the process from that perspective, not just coming along for the ride.” There are millions of sports fans across the world, but few get to participate on the field, court, or rink. As Malter so poignantly stated about the uniqueness of owning a Thoroughbred racehorse, “You never know where a horse can take you.” For more information, visit www.ihracing.com. The post Partnerships: Ironhorse Racing Stable, Presented by Taylor Made Partnerships appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Aidan O'Brien trainee Whistlejacket (Ire) (No Nay Never–Adventure Seeker {Fr}, by Bering {GB}) debuted with a runner-up finish in an Apr. 21 six-furlong maiden at the Curragh and made no mistake dropped down in trip for Monday's Listed GAIN First Flier S. back at the Co. Kildare venue. Sharply into stride to race on the front end from flagfall in this black-type bow, the 500,000gns Tattersalls Book 1 graduate was shaken up soon after passing the quarter-mile pole and surged clear under continued urging inside the final furlong to easily account for Arizona Blaze (GB) (Sergei Prokofiev) by 3 3/4 lengths. “He's progressed from his first run and did it nicely,” O'Brien commented. “He's a fast horse, five or six furlongs would be no problem, and he has loads of speed for five. He's after having two runs now so he probably doesn't need to run again before [Royal] Ascot.” Whistlejacket is the latest of nine foals and sixth scorer out of Listed Prix de Liancourt victrix and G3 Prix Cleopatre runner-up Adventure Seeker (Fr) (Bering {GB}), herself a half-sister to G3 Princess Margaret S. third Along Again (Ire) (Elusive City). The April-foaled chestnut is a full-brother to G1 Phoenix S.-winning sire Little Big Bear (Ire) and a half to G3 Hobart Cup runner-up Andrea Mantegna (Giant's Causeway). Whistlejacket's third dam is storied champion All Along (Fr) (Targowice). Monday, Curragh, Ireland GAIN FIRST FLIER S.-Listed, €40,000, Curragh, 5-6, 2yo, 5fT, 1:04.72, sf. 1–WHISTLEJACKET (IRE), 131, c, 2, by No Nay Never 1st Dam: Adventure Seeker (Fr) (SW & GSP-Fr, $155,312), by Bering (GB) 2nd Dam: American Adventure, by Miswaki 3rd Dam: All Along (Fr), by Targowice 1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. (500,000gns Ylg '23 TATOCT). O-Peter M Brant, Mrs John Magnier, Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith; B-Camas Park, Lynch Bages & Summerhill (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien; J-Ryan Moore. €24,000. Lifetime Record: 2-1-1-0, $29,882. *Full to Little Big Bear (Ire), G1SW-Ire, GSW & G1SP-Eng, $549,583; and 1/2 to Andrea Mantegna (Giant's Causeway), GSP-Aus, $352,585. 2–Arizona Blaze (GB), 131, c, 2, Sergei Prokofiev–Liberisque (GB), by Equiano (Fr). 1ST BLACK TYPE. (36,000gns Wlg '22 TADEWE; £82,000 Ylg '23 GOFFUK). O-Amo Racing Ltd & Giselle De Aguiar; B-Andrew Bengough & Partners (GB); T-Andrew Murray. €8,000. 3–Monotone (Ire), 131, c, 2, Verbal Dexterity (Ire)–Yes Oh Yes, by Gone West. 1ST BLACK TYPE. (€4,000 RNA Ylg '23 GOAUYR). O-Mrs J S Bolger; B/T-Jim Bolger (IRE). €4,000. Margins: 3 3/4, 2 3/4, 1 3/4. Odds: 0.83, 2.00, 20.00. Also Ran: Gran Habano (Ire), Morning Vietnam (GB). Scratched: Usdi Atohi (Ire). The post Little Big Bear’s Brother Makes Stakes Breakthrough at The Curragh appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Aidan O'Brien has suggested that he left City Of Troy (Justify) “too fresh” ahead of what turned out to be a bitterly disappointing return in the 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket on Saturday but went on to explain that last season's European Champion Two-Year-Old remains on course to run in the Derby. City Of Troy trailed home in ninth, beaten 17 lengths by the winner Notable Speech (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), despite being sent off at odds of 4-6 for the 2,000 Guineas. He can now be backed at odds as big as 8-1 for the Derby. Speaking to the Nick Luck daily podcast, O'Brien said, “He's still on the same plan. Obviously we always make a plan and sometimes every part of the plan doesn't go right. Next time, we will know an awful lot more. The plan is that he will go straight to the Derby.” O'Brien added, “Thinking back on it, maybe I had him too fresh and hadn't enough done with him through the whole winter. Our ground has been very bad and very deep here and, listen, that's what's going on in my mind. He just jumped and ran fresh and then just blew out. I think that that's the reason and obviously we'll know more the next time. “When he went into the stalls, he stood straight up straight away. For me, that meant that he was too fresh. Obviously, when that happens, their heart rate will rise straight away. He landed and the gates opened, so he was racing straight away. “He was always very natural at home and always done everything very easy. If he was a horse who hadn't as much ability, he'd probably be finding his work harder than he was finding it. That's what I am putting it down to.” It wasn't all doom and gloom for Ballydoyle at Newmarket as stablemate Ylang Ylang (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) enhanced her reputation by finishing fifth in the 1,000 Guineas on Sunday. According to O'Brien, all roads will now lead to the Oaks at Epsom, for which Ylang Ylang heads the market at 7-2. O'Brien said, “She was working like an Oaks filly more than a Guineas filly-working like a filly who could run a very big race in a Guineas and we felt that was what she did. She looked like a filly that would definitely step up to a mile-and-a-quarter and usually, if they have enough class over a mile-and-a-quarter, they have a good chance of getting a mile-and-a-half at Epsom.” The post City Of Troy Remains On Course For The Derby Despite 2,000 Guineas Flop appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

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The Curragh could be next for Rosallion (Ire) (Blue Point {Ire}) and Haatem (Ire) (Phoenix Of Spain {Ire}) after the Richard Hannon-trained colts finished second and third respectively behind Notable Speech (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) in the Qipco 2000 Guineas on Saturday. The Hannon stable last recorded victory in the Irish 2,000 Guineas when Canford Cliffs (Ire) ran out a hugely impressive scorer back in 2010. “I'm immensely proud of both horses,” Hannon reflected. “They ran good races and we'll have a lot of sport with them through the year. He added, “The winner is an extremely good horse, I never want to see him again, but we might take him on at Ascot around a bend and it might be a different story. I think on the way, they'll both go to Ireland. That's the plan.” Hannon headed into Saturday's race with supreme confidence behind Rosallion, who has always been held in high regard and ended his two-year-old season by securing Group 1 honours on Arc day in France. He was seen as Britain's best hope of denying the much-vaunted City Of Troy (Justify), while Haatem emerged on the Guineas scene when striking over course and distance in the Craven S. last month, with both living up to their hype in the opening Classic of the season. The post “Immensely Proud” Hannon Eyes Irish Guineas For Rosallion And Haatem appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

A day after his daughter Tamfana (Ger) was beaten just a length in the 1,000 Guineas at Newmarket, leading German sire Soldier Hollow (GB) has died at the age of 24. The stallion's death was announced on social media by his owner Helmut von Finck of Gestut Park Wiedingen. He said, “Soldier Hollow the horse of my life…You were my hero, my life and infinitely more. Rest in peace, I'm lost for words today but I'll carry you in my heart forever.” Bred in England by Car Colston Hall Stud, the diminutive son of In The Wings (GB) and the Common Grounds (GB) mare Island Race (GB) was bought by von Finck as a yearling at Tattersalls for 75,000gns. Sent into training with Peter Schiergen, Soldier Hollow became an unbeaten champion two-year-old in Germany but was forced to miss the following year's Deutsches Derby when struck down by a bout of colitis after finishing fourth in the G2 Mehl-Mulhens-Rennen (German 2,000 Guineas). He came into his own at four and beyond, racing until he was seven, with his 12 victories including four Group 1 wins in Germany and Italy. He also beat subsequent Horse of the Year Manduro (Ger) to win the G2 Prix Dollar at Longchamp. Retired initially to stand at Gestut Rottgen before moving to Karl-Dieter Ellerbracke's Gestut Auenquelle, Soldier Hollow was the champion first-season sire in Germany in 2011 and has been German champion sire on three occasions. His best offspring include the G1 Deutsches Derby winners Pastorius (Ger) and Weltstar (Ger), as well as Group 1 winners Ivanhowe (Ger) and Dschingis Secret (Ger). Soldier Hollow also features as the broodmare sire of von Finck's homebred 2022 Deutsches Derby winner Sammarco (Ire) (Camelot {GB}). In an interview with TDN in 2021, the owner-breeder recalled seeing Soldier Hollow for the first time. Von Finck said, “I was looking for a horse who would get the distance. My favourite horses are middle-distance or long-distance horses, and I found two sons of In The Wings. One was very big and one was quite small. Everybody told me I should buy the big one because he was so beautiful, but I fell in love with the small one because he was well proportioned and looked strong. He was very typical of the Northern Dancer line and I have always liked Northern Dancer. “Soldier Hollow has done everything I could have dreamed about, as a racehorse and as a stallion. Last year he had 20 stakes horses and 11 stakes winners. It's a pleasure for me to follow every horse by Soldier Hollow with all my heart. He is my pride, the horse of my life.” The post Three-Time German Champion Sire Soldier Hollow Dies at 24 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Italian jockey isn’t missing the non-stop competition and long drives of his old life as he makes his presence felt in his new homeView the full article

Dangerous Liaisons winning at Riccarton Park on Saturday. Photo: Race Images South While missing a chance for valuable black-type three weeks prior, promising filly Dangerous Liaisons was able to finish her South Island mission on a high at Riccarton last Saturday. The daughter of No Nay Never initially journeyed from Tony Pike’s Cambridge stable to contest the Listed NZB Insurance Stakes (1600m) on April 13, but a foot abscess on the morning of the fillies’ feature halted those plans. She bounced back strongly at the following Saturday meeting to finish runner-up to another progressive type in Contemplation Bay, but wasn’t to be denied a fortnight later when stepping up over the mile, pulling away from Blood Diamond to score by a neck in the Rating 65 contest. Pike was pleased the filly was able to gain a consolation prize in the south, after a light season with two victories and two second placings from five starts. “It was a shame as we were hoping to go down there and get some black-type, but a foot abscess on the day stopped that,” he said. “It was great to get a consolation prize, she won well and is still a pretty new and green filly, still lightly raced. She has a nice future going forward. “She’ll probably go back up north now, and we’ll make a plan going forward into next season with her.” Dangerous Liaisons carries the silks of breeder Simms Davison of Mapperley Stud, who has retained the ownership of the well-bred filly, who is a full-sister to Sigh, a Group 3 winner in Australia. “She’s well-bred so I think Simms had a bit of interest in her with that pedigree, and she was also probably a bit immature to put through the sales as a yearling,” Pike said. “She’s continued to develop really nicely now and should make a lovely four-year-old mare. “I think he’s quite keen to get some black-type with her going forward, and keep her as a broodmare.” Pike’s juvenile pair of Ziggy Stardust and Wind Rush gave a strong impression heading into their three-year-old season with second and third-placed performances in the respective two-year-old features at Riccarton and Te Rapa. Ziggy Stardust, a daughter of Turn Me Loose, recorded the fastest closing sectionals of the Listed Berkley Stud Champagne Stakes (1200m), coming from near-last to within a half-length of winner Discretion Rules. “It was a super effort, she’s a progressive filly that has improved at every start,” Pike said. “The barrier draw (9) forced us to go back a little bit more than we wanted too, and she was probably a bit new and green going down the straight at Riccarton but her last 200 was very good and she went close to getting up. “It’s great to get black-type as a two-year-old, she’ll head to the paddock now and only improve as a three-year-old with a bit more maturity and over a further trip.” With a range of options in the three-year-old filly calendar, Pike said the Group 1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) in November would be the ideal spring target, having had experience on the course as a youngster. “She’s run well at Riccarton, so if we could get her down for the 1000 Guineas that would be ideal going forward, but there is a lot of water to go under the bridge before then,” he said. “There are plenty of nice races for these fillies coming up in the spring, and we will look to get her maiden out of the way early before following that three-year-old fillies’ path.” Closer to home in the Waikato, Pike was pleased with the efforts of Wind Rush in the Listed 2YO Stakes (1400m), who fought well in unsuitable track conditions finishing 1.75 lengths from impressive colt Super Photon. “It was a really good effort for a horse that hated the track, he’s a lovely actioned horse and he was really dipping and diving especially from the 600 to straightening for home,” he said. “He’s done well to pick himself up and finish strongly late. ‘Being by Almanzor, he’s only going to get better at three physically, and he looks a really promising horse for the stable heading into next season.” The well-related gelding is a full-brother to talented galloper Adam I Am, being out of Our Famous Eve, a past winner of the Group 2 Japan Trophy (1600m). Horse racing news View the full article

Fourty Eight winning at Awapuni on Sunday. Photo: Race Images Palmerston North Racing returned to Awapuni’s synthetic track on Sunday and local trainers Shaun Fannin and Hazel Schofer capitalised on it, recording a winning double courtesy of Bubbajock and Fourty Eight. Bubbajock rewarded his connections for their patience when winning his maiden at his tenth attempt in the Mark Duncan Livestock 2140. The five-year-old son of Proisir was fresh-up off a break and was having his first start at his new home track after joining Fannin and Schofer’s stable last December. “All the owners in Bubbajock are wonderful and they have kept the faith with the horse for a fair while now,” Fannin said. “He has been through a few stables, he hasn’t been easy. “Being trained on the track at Awapuni, he knows his way around the synthetic track, and he got into a nice rhythm and was pretty strong throughout yesterday. “He is a bit of a nervy sort of horse and being at home he was quite comfortable out there. He was pretty strong yesterday and I think we will stick to the synthetic track with him this season.” Stablemate Fourty Eight is set to make his jumping debut later this month, and readied for it with a pleasing three-quarter of a length victory in the Martin Collins New Zealand 2140. “I think he is three from three on the synthetic now. He is showing that he quite likes it there,” Fannin said. “We were scratching our heads a little bit as to why he wasn’t performing in his last couple of runs beforehand, but we just gave him a freshen-up and he has been jumping a fair bit, and he performed well yesterday. “He is quite a promising jumper, so he is going to aim for a hurdle race at Hawera on the 19th of May. I think he will give a good sight when he goes to Hawera in a couple of weeks.” The stable has had a fair bit of success on Awapuni’s synthetic track and Fannin said it has its place over the winter months. “It is a tool that has its place if you use it properly,” he said. “We find we don’t use it too often. When the wet weather is around, it provides a good surface for the horses. We just use it where we see fit. “Some horses appreciate it more than others, but it definitely has its place and we have had a lot of success on it, it seems to suit some of our horses especially.” The stable now sits on nine wins for the season, just one shy of last season’s tally, which the couple hope to break in the remaining months of the season. “We don’t have an overly big team and we try and place them as best we can,” Fannin said. “Things have been going very well lately, so hopefully we can find a few more over the next three months.” Horse racing news View the full article

The New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing (NZTR) Members’ Council has appointed Russell Warwick as a Director Elect of the NZTR Board, effective 1 August 2024. Russell Warwick brings a wealth of industry knowledge and administrative experience to the appointment. As the General Manager of Westbury Stud, Warwick’s ability to lead one of NZ’s elite breeding and racing programmes made him an excellent candidate to join the NZTR Board. In what is widely viewed as one of the most exciting times in New Zealand Racing history, Warwick is grateful for the opportunity. “The industry has made excellent headway in recent times, but there is still a lot of work to do. I really enjoy being able to give back to the industry, and timing wise, I feel I can offer a constructive view as we look to inspire a new generation of stakeholders and encourage further growth within the business.” When speaking to his potential contribution, Warwick sees the work of the NZTR Board as setting the industry up for longterm success. “If we can align our operational infrastructure and policies with the financial parameters that NZTR, TAB NZ, Entain and NZ Bloodstock have introduced, it is going to be a very exciting time to be involved in racing.” “It’s not only the immediate success of the industry which should be our sole focus, but it is critical that we develop a sustainable structure for the long-term future of the sport.” Warwick gave high praise to the current NZTR Board and the work which they have done in recent times. “I would like to compliment the current NZTR Board for the terrific job that has been done to this point. They are a very skilled group of administrators and I am looking forward to having the opportunity to add further value.” NZTR Members’ Council Chair Jeff McCall is confident Russell will be a great addition to the Board. “After receiving several strong applications, we are pleased to welcome Russell to the NZTR Board.” “His lifetime of industry experience and business management makes him a great addition to the Board, and we look forward to his contribution following Chairman Cameron George’s departure in July” As previously reported, NZTR Chairman Cameron George will depart the NZTR Board on 31 July, 2024. As a Director Elect, Warwick will attend Board and Committee meetings ahead of his appointment but will not receive voting rights until 1 August 2024. View the full article

While missing a chance for valuable black-type three weeks prior, promising filly Dangerous Liaisons was able to finish her South Island mission on a high at Riccarton last Saturday. The daughter of No Nay Never initially journeyed from Tony Pike’s Cambridge stable to contest the Listed NZB Insurance Stakes (1600m) on April 13, but a foot abscess on the morning of the fillies’ feature halted those plans. She bounced back strongly at the following Saturday meeting to finish runner-up to another progressive type in Contemplation Bay, but wasn’t to be denied a fortnight later when stepping up over the mile, pulling away from Blood Diamond to score by a neck in the Rating 65 contest. Pike was pleased the filly was able to gain a consolation prize in the south, after a light season with two victories and two second placings from five starts. “It was a shame as we were hoping to go down there and get some black-type, but a foot abscess on the day stopped that,” he said. “It was great to get a consolation prize, she won well and is still a pretty new and green filly, still lightly raced. She has a nice future going forward. “She’ll probably go back up north now, and we’ll make a plan going forward into next season with her.” Dangerous Liaisons carries the silks of breeder Simms Davison of Mapperley Stud, who has retained the ownership of the well-bred filly, who is a full-sister to Sigh, a Group Three winner in Australia. “She’s well-bred so I think Simms had a bit of interest in her with that pedigree, and she was also probably a bit immature to put through the sales as a yearling,” Pike said. “She’s continued to develop really nicely now and should make a lovely four-year-old mare. “I think he’s quite keen to get some black-type with her going forward, and keep her as a broodmare.” Pike’s juvenile pair of Ziggy Stardust and Wind Rush gave a strong impression heading into their three-year-old season with second and third-placed performances in the respective two-year-old features at Riccarton and Te Rapa. Ziggy Stardust, a daughter of Turn Me Loose, recorded the fastest closing sectionals of the Listed Berkley Stud Champagne Stakes (1200m), coming from near-last to within a half-length of winner Discretion Rules. “It was a super effort, she’s a progressive filly that has improved at every start,” Pike said. “The barrier draw (9) forced us to go back a little bit more than we wanted too, and she was probably a bit new and green going down the straight at Riccarton but her last 200 was very good and she went close to getting up. “It’s great to get black-type as a two-year-old, she’ll head to the paddock now and only improve as a three-year-old with a bit more maturity and over a further trip.” With a range of options in the three-year-old filly calendar, Pike said the Gr.1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) in November would be the ideal spring target, having had experience on the course as a youngster. “She’s run well at Riccarton, so if we could get her down for the 1000 Guineas that would be ideal going forward, but there is a lot of water to go under the bridge before then,” he said. “There are plenty of nice races for these fillies coming up in the spring, and we will look to get her maiden out of the way early before following that three-year-old fillies’ path.” Closer to home in the Waikato, Pike was pleased with the efforts of Wind Rush in the Listed 2YO Stakes (1400m), who fought well in unsuitable track conditions finishing 1-3/4 lengths from impressive colt Super Photon. “It was a really good effort for a horse that hated the track, he’s a lovely actioned horse and he was really dipping and diving especially from the 600 to straightening for home,” he said. “He’s done well to pick himself up and finish strongly late. ‘Being by Almanzor, he’s only going to get better at three physically, and he looks a really promising horse for the stable heading into next season.” The well-related gelding is a full-brother to talented galloper Adam I Am, being out of Our Famous Eve, a past winner of the Gr.2 Japan Trophy (1600m). View the full article

A water walker incident has seen Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr have to abort the campaign of the lightly raced Globe (NZ) (Charm Spirit) after just one run this preparation. The imposing son of Charm Spirit finished fourth in the Victoria Handicap after an extensive layoff and had hopes of racing in Queensland over the winter carnival. The Roll The Dice Racing-owned galloper burst onto the scene winning his first four starts last year. His first defeat came in the Feehan Stakes when favourite after suffering from cardiac arrhythmia. “He crashed himself into the water walker mucking around,” co-trainer Kent said. “He banged his shoulder so we just have to give him a bit of time. “But we are not going to lose optimism with him, it’s very unfortunate.” In other stable news, Kent told Racing.com on Sunday a decision would be made this week on South Australian Derby runner-up Warmonger if he would progress to the Queensland Derby or the spelling paddock. It was a frustrating day for the Price-Kent team on Saturday with Warmonger, Angland and Wee Nessy all finishing runners-up across three states. The stable have also sent the promising Moby Dick to the spelling paddock after finishing fifth last weekend in the Vobis Gold Dash. View the full article

Symon Wilde’s Count Zero (NZ) (Zed) cost just $22,000 as a yearling and has returned in excess of $700,000 for connections. But half of the current ownership group hadn’t even heard of the son of Zed until he was a two-year-old, when a chance encounter at Moonee Valley saw them buy into the Grand Annual Steeplechase hero. Darren Weir’s Prince Of Penzance (NZ) (Pentire) had just run second in the Moonee Valley Cup under a bold front-running Michelle Payne ride and one of the owners was very unhappy with the tactics. As it turned out, this would be the trigger for a series of events that eventually landed Stefan Mirenda and his entourage in a then unraced Count Zero. “We had a mare named Atlantis Dream (NZ) (Elusive City) and she ran the same night as Prince Of Penzance. I remember one of the owners was really dirty on Michelle’s ride,” Mirenda said. “He and Darren had a bit of a blue … I said to Darren afterwards, ‘I thought it was a brilliant ride’ and he obviously stuck with Michelle for the Melbourne Cup. “But this fellow owned 50 per cent of Count Zero, so 50 per cent of the horse became available. One of our group actually already owned five per cent of him. “Atlantis Dream had been retired, so Darren rang us and said, ‘Look, do you want 50 per cent of this one? I think it will stay’. So that’s when we got in, when he was a two-year-old.” Count Zero ran eight times for Weir, notching two placings before winning a relatively weak 2100-metre Swan Hill maiden at start number five. The three starts that followed didn’t inspire too much confidence, but the ownership group was still keen to see the son of Zed stretch out over much further. So, when Weir was barred from training in 2019, connections had to find another trainer for their prospective stayer, but Mirenda said Wilde was always the clear frontrunner. “We’d always thought he would get to a longer distance, we thought that with all of our sons of Zed,” he said. “Symon had just trained Gold Medals (NZ) (Elvstroem) to win the Grand Annual and that was actually against a Zed, in Zed Em (NZ). “We needed someone who could jump them, get them to stay and had a beach. Atlantis Dream always used to get sore in a prep and then come up again from the beach, so that was really important to us. “Symon ticked all of those boxes and we thought a lot of his training regime. We sent Count Zero there and the rest is history!” And what a history it has been: in 51 starts for Wilde, Count Zero has won five times over obstacles, four times on the flat and earned roughly 30 times his purchase price in prizemoney. He is also just the second horse in history to win both the Jericho Cup (2020) and the Grand Annual, a feat matched only by Ciaron Maher’s Ablaze (NZ) (Raise The Flag). Mirenda thought he had seen it all with the shock Jericho win, but Thursday’s effort, preceded by a 37-length defeat just two days earlier in the Brierly, left him further in awe of the veteran jumper. “He won the Jericho by sitting last for two laps, so I think Simon had in the back of his head that might be the way to ride him,” he said. “But he’s always led or been second in his jumps races, he’s always on the pace … on Tuesday, he just fell asleep and he was going left at every fence,” he said. “It was frustrating, but straight after the race, Darryl Horner Jnr said, ‘I really think we’ve got to ride him up close, and he should jump better because he’ll be keener’.” With that feedback on board, it was a very different Count Zero who sat second throughout the 5500-metre Grand Annual. In truth, he looked beaten a couple of times by Bell Ex One, but Mirenda had full faith in his galloper to put his head in front when it counted. “He sat second all the way, which was perfect. When Rockstar Ronnie packed it in, we had that marathon two-horse war down the straight,” he said. “But even when he was headed, I still thought he would win. He just fights, he always does. He’s so bloody tough, that horse. “It’s incredible. He’s won the Jericho and the Grand Annual, the longest flat race in Australia and the longest jumps race, I don’t know if anyone will do it again.” As an added bonus, Mirenda and fellow owner Peter Smits are also in Count Zero’s full brother Sunday Buzz (NZ) (Zed), who ran second in last year’s Jericho Cup. Incredibly, Wilde paid less than $10,000 for Sunday Buzz in 2019, meaning the two talented stayers were picked up for a combined $32,000. The six-year-old, who has raced 19 times for three wins so far, will be looking to go one better in this year’s Jericho. “It’s just the two of us, me and Peter Smits, in the full brother, we basically jumped in as soon as Symon bought him,” Mirenda said. “He was a fair way off them in the Jericho, but Symon just threw him in there at the last minute. He’s already being set for it this year, but he’ll have to win a couple of qualifying races first.” View the full article

Racing returned to Awapuni’s synthetic track on Sunday and local trainers Shaun Fannin and Hazel Schofer capitalised on it, recording a winning double courtesy of Bubbajock and Fourty Eight. Bubbajock rewarded his connections for their patience when winning his maiden at his tenth attempt in the Mark Duncan Livestock 2140. The five-year-old son of Proisir was fresh-up off a break and was having his first start at his new home track after joining Fannin and Schofer’s stable last December. “All the owners in Bubbajock are wonderful and they have kept the faith with the horse for a fair while now,” Fannin said. “He has been through a few stables, he hasn’t been easy. “Being trained on the track at Awapuni, he knows his way around the synthetic track, and he got into a nice rhythm and was pretty strong throughout yesterday. “He is a bit of a nervy sort of horse and being at home he was quite comfortable out there. He was pretty strong yesterday and I think we will stick to the synthetic track with him this season.” Stablemate Fourty Eight is set to make his jumping debut later this month, and readied for it with a pleasing three-quarter of a length victory in the Martin Collins New Zealand 2140. “I think he is three from three on the synthetic now. He is showing that he quite likes it there,” Fannin said. “We were scratching our heads a little bit as to why he wasn’t performing in his last couple of runs beforehand, but we just gave him a freshen-up and he has been jumping a fair bit, and he performed well yesterday. “He is quite a promising jumper, so he is going to aim for a hurdle race at Hawera on the 19th of May. I think he will give a good sight when he goes to Hawera in a couple of weeks.” The stable has had a fair bit of success on Awapuni’s synthetic track and Fannin said it has its place over the winter months. “It is a tool that has its place if you use it properly,” he said. “We find we don’t use it too often. When the wet weather is around, it provides a good surface for the horses. We just use it where we see fit. “Some horses appreciate it more than others, but it definitely has its place and we have had a lot of success on it, it seems to suit some of our horses especially.” The stable now sits on nine wins for the season, just one shy of last season’s tally, which the couple hope to break in the remaining months of the season. “We don’t have an overly big team and we try and place them as best we can,” Fannin said. “Things have been going very well lately, so hopefully we can find a few more over the next three months.” View the full article