Thoroughbred Daily News

Not seen since a fifth in Renegade (Into Mischief)'s GI Arkansas Derby in late March, 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' Blackout Time (c, 3, Not This Time–Beauty Parlor, by Elusive Quality) left little doubt he's ready to return to the stakes ranks after a romping, six-length score in a Churchill allowance Saturday on the Stephen Foster undercard.

Smooth out of the stalls, Blackout Time settled about three paths off the rail in fifth as 10-1 Non Conforming (Unified) showed the way up front while pressed by the 8-5 choice Final Story (Candy Ride {Arg}) through :23.98 and :47.35 first fractions. As the field spread out on the backstretch, Blackout Time got a solitary trip with no horses near him until Jose Ortiz stepped on the gas on the turn. Blackout Time, who was sent at 2-1, responded instantly, steadily advancing and picking off horses before entering the top of the stretch ready to reel in the top two. He tipped out to the middle of the track and pulled clear with ease to win by six lengths. Non Conforming was nipped late for second by Steel (Tapit).

Second last June on debut in Dazzle d'Oro (Bolt d'Oro)'s 'Rising Star' victory in his only other appearance at Churchill Downs, Blackout Time got his own 'Rising Star' nod in a 9 3/4-length blowout win at Ellis Park in August, then finished second to 'Rising Star' and eventual undefeated champion Ted Noffey (Into Mischief) in the GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity at Keeneland in October. Reportedly rested due to mild bone remodeling over the winter, the BR Thoroughbreds, Inc., Lance Gasaway, and Magdalena Racing colorbearer kicked off his sophomore campaign with fourth- and fifth-place finishes, respectively, in the GII Rebel Stakes and Arkansas Derby in March.

Bred by Newstead Corp. in Kentucky and three times sent through public sales until trainer Kenny McPeek signed his ticket for $210,000 at the 2024 Fasig-Tipton October yearling sale, Blackout Time is out of 2015 GIII Orchid Stakes winner Beauty Parlor. The mare has an unraced 2-year-old filly named Epicara (Epicenter), who brought $90,000 from Nathan Squires at Fasig-Tipton October, a yearling filly by Practical Joke, and a Feb. 11-foaled colt by Corniche.

4th-Churchill Downs, $124,183, Alw (NW1X)/Opt. Clm ($125,000), 6-27, 3yo, 1 1/16m, 1:44.13, sy, 6 lengths.

BLACKOUT TIME (c, 3, Not This Time–Beauty Parlor {GSW-USA, SW-Fr, $208,570}, by Elusive Quality) Sales History:  $230,000 Ylg '24 KEEJAN; $235,000 RNA Ylg '24 KEESEP; $210,000 Ylg '24 FTKOCT. Lifetime Record: GISP, 6-2-2-0, $392,635. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

O-BR Thoroughbreds, Inc., Lance Gasaway, and Magdalena Racing; B-Newstead Corp (KY); T-Kenneth G. McPeek.

#8 BLACKOUT TIME ($6.72) rallied on the outside going right past the leaders in the stretch to win race 4 at @ChurchillDowns. The @morninglineio son of Not This Time (@TMStallions) was ridden by @jose93_ortiz and is trained by @KennyMcPeek. pic.twitter.com/vwGGs1eZNd

— FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) June 27, 2026

The post ‘Rising Star’ Blackout Time Romps in Return at Churchill appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

The Jockey Club of Canada has appointed Frank Romeo as new Chief Steward at its annual General Meeting of the Members held at Woodbine Racetrack on Saturday. He steps into the role for one year following the passing of Doug Anderson.

A son of Dom Romeo, who was recently recognized with the Mint Julep Cup by Canadian Thoroughbred Horse Society (Ontario Division), Romeo now oversees the family's Terra Racing Stable alongside his brother Mark.

The legendary Roger Attfield, a dual Hall of Famer who recently announced his retirement as a trainer, will join the Board of Stewards for one year.

Also announced during the meeting were new members Bryan and Carol Anderson, Eurico Da Silva, Rita Eskudt, Rachel Halden, Mark Romeo, and Evan Sandhu.

The post Frank Romeo Appointed New Chief Steward of The Jockey Club of Canada appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Mark Breen's Sassmaster (Curlin) became the fourth next-out winner (from seven also-rans) to emerge from the Aug. 9 Saratoga six-furlong maiden won impressively by 'TDN Rising Star' presented by Hagyard Golden Tornado (McKinzie) with a strong comebacking victory following a bit of a weather delay at Churchill Downs.

Fourth and beaten just over seven lengths when backed into 3-1 second favoritism for that lone previous racetrack appearance, the $550,000 Fasig-Tipton October purchase had been missing since and was returning here to run under Anthony Scimetta's name, with his boss Todd Pletcher serving his suspension.

Let go at 9-1 despite a favorable pedigree for this stretch out to two turns, the bay colt took up a position just ahead of midfield as the outposted Our Forefathers (Constitution) laid down a sharp early tempo beneath Joel Rosario. Sassmaster commenced a rally with just under a half-mile to travel and confronted the pacesetter on the swing for home. The new leader lugged in a bit at the furlong grounds, causing some slight interference to the rail-rallying Preside (Tiz the Law), who then switched to the outside and was gaining inches, but the wire came first.

Others to follow-up victoriously out of the Saratoga maiden include Oscar's Hope (Twirling Candy, second), a future two-time stakes winner; Igniter (Volatile, third), winner of this year's Jimmy Winkfield Stakes; and Glorious Boy (Independence Hall, sixth), who took out last year's Pulpit Stakes.

Sassmaster is the second winner for his dam, a $350,000 KEENOV purchase by Stonestreet in 2020 whose multiple graded stakes-winning daughter Royal Charlotte (Cairo Prince, $408,150) produced SP Medicine Dog (Constitution). Sass and Class is also represented by the 2-year-old colt Medrar (Uncle Mo) and a filly by Good Magic foaled Feb. 23.

2nd-Churchill Downs, $114,834, Msw, 6-27, 3yo/up, 1 1/16m, 1:42.93, sy, 1/2 length.
SASSMASTER (c, 3, Curlin–Sass and Class, by Harlan's Holiday) Sales history: $550,000 Ylg '24 FTKOCT. Lifetime Record: 2-1-0-0, $74,496. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
O-Mark D Breen; B-Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings LLC (KY); T-Anthony J Sciametta Jr.

#8 SASSMASTER ($20.82) made a big move coming to the stretch to win race 2 at @ChurchillDowns. The son of Curlin was ridden by Flavien Prat and is trained by Anthony Sciametta, Jr. Mark Breen owns. pic.twitter.com/37L4Be2Yhf

— FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) June 27, 2026

The post Curlin Colt Sassmaster Returns A Winner In the Churchill Slop appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Aqueduct Racetrack, the only racetrack located entirely in the New York City limits, will close its doors after racing on Sunday. Originally opened in 1894 and named after the nearby Brooklyn Water Works aqueduct, it was reborn in 1959 as a state-of-the-art facility for the modern era. Winter racing debuted in 1975, turning Aqueduct into New York's workaday facility. We talked to several people who spent years at the facility about their best memories of Aqueduct.

Jockey Steve Cauthen: (Cauthen's dominant performance at Aqueduct in 1976-'77, where he won 144 races during the meet and routinely rode five and six winners a day, came when he was 16 years old.) Of course, when I was there, all winter racing was held on the inner dirt course which no longer exists, but for me, it was my sort of step into the limelight in New York and it was a great little track. I remember part of the reason I went to New York instead of Florida that first winter of '76-'77 was that I had asked Donnie Brumfield and Eddie Delahoussaye what I should do, and they said the wintertime is a great time to break into New York. But of course, the winter I went, Cordero, Velazquez, Vasquez, Turcotte all stayed there. Obviously I liked Aqueduct. For me, everything was bigger and better at Aqueduct than I'd ever seen, but now with the new track at Belmont, it's going to be even better. But a lot of great horses have run there, won there, Secretariat, Dr. Fager, a bunch of others, obviously. A big race I won there was with Johnny D in the Turf Classic. There are a few other good memories for me there. It was kind of the heart and soul of winter racing for sure, and obviously in the spring, you had the Wood Memorial and some big preps for the Derby. I have fond memories. And of course there was the cold tunnel where I would wait at the end of the races on Monday for the limo to take me to the airport to fly to California to ride for the day. I'll be a little sad when it closes, but everything has its time.

Trainer Bruce Levine: It's where I got started. I saddled my first winner there and was stabled there for about 15 years. So I have a soft spot for it. In the heyday, they had big crowds and it was a lot nicer. They knew they were leaving, so they let it get run down. I can't tell you they spruced it up over the last five years. l like the oval and the mile-and-an-eighth races, the two-turn races. You don't get that on the dirt at Belmont. It's all one turn. Belmont is huge. It's hard to watch the races. At Aqueduct, it's all right in front of you. You can go outside on the apron and watch the races. It's cozier. I will miss it. I know the traffic is a nightmare and it's gotten worse over the years. But, yes, I will miss it.

Turf Writer John Pricci (Pricci covered New York racing for Newsday from 1977 to 1996): Aqueduct became a part of our lexicon. My wife would ask me what kind of day is was going to be today. She knew that I always checked the weather when handicapping. I'd tell her it's going to be an Aqueduct day today, which meant rainy, stormy, cold and bitter. I saw a lot of great races there. One thing that sticks out is that in 2003 I watched the Wood Memorial. Funny Cide ran second, but I remember thinking this was exactly what this guy needed. And it looked like he had enough in the tank to get the extra eighth of a mile. which is what everybody was talking about in those days. Can he go that far? He could. I cashed a nice ticket on him in the Derby.

Announcer John Imbriale: Aqueduct was where I started. The first day I ever worked at the track was November 5, 1979. I went back last week to see some people and say goodbye to the place. You always remember where you started. I cut my teeth there. I was lucky enough to do different things and work with different people. The first significant job for me, I got to work in the background of the Saturday NYRA-OTB TV show. I got to be fairly comfortable and friends with Frank Wright, Charlsie Cantey and Marshall Cassidy, whom I would go on to work with as an announcer. I was there for the very last show they ever did. It was in 1984. Just to be around those people and to see how that show was done was a great experience. To this day, I still get people who come up to me to talk about that show. It really left a lasting impression with people. That was a lot of fun. My favorite race? Probably the 2021 Wood Memorial with Bourbonic. It had everything that makes race calling fun. That horse came from way out of it. He was a big-time closer. Obviously, he paid a huge price. It was a bang-bang finish and everything worked out well from the race calling standpoint.

Jockey Robbie Davis: I was leading rider there several times. When I retired, I was the fourth all-time leading rider there. I was surprised by that. When I looked down the list at the time, there were eight or nine Hall of Famers on the list. I was pretty proud of that. I learned a lot there. Angel Cordero schooled me well at Aqueduct. That's where I learned to ride. To really learn to be a top race rider, it happened for me right there at Aqueduct. I couldn't wait to get there and I wanted to ride every race, even when it was so cold. There was a day when I couldn't feel my feet or my hands. I told Mike Venezia, who was the Guild rep at the time, 'I'm not doing anyone any justice out there. I was in survival mode.' In the eighties, that weather would just blow off the Jamaica Bay. It was brutal. I had a lot of good winners there. I won the NYRA Mile on Flying Chevron. That was a big one. I won the Wood Memorial on Coronado's Quest.

Trainer/Jockey Rudy Rodriguez: I have a lot of great memories at Aqueduct. I started galloping there. I won my first race there as a jockey. I won my first race as a trainer there and my first Grade I there. There are so many memories I can't count them. To see Aqueduct close is very sad to me. When you start, you never think that's going to happen. I was very lucky, very blessed. We were at Aqueduct training for so many years. It was like a private training center. When we moved to Belmont we had to learn to train differently. At the beginning, we got a lot of horses hurt, a lot of quarter cracks. The track at Belmont is a lot more demanding than the one at Aqueduct. I'm very happy for what Aqueduct did for my family. It is a very special place to me. I am sorry to see it go, but hopefully the new Belmont will bring a lot of happy times for us and everybody in the New York horse industry.

Jockey Eddie Maple: It is sort of upsetting to me because so many good things happened to me there. When I first came to New York in 1971, that's where I first started riding. Just the great riders that were there. It was amazing. And then there were the press people. Everybody was so nice. It tugs at me a little bit. I made a list. A racing fan, he reached out to me and asked what I remembered most about Aqueduct. I told him watching Secretariat run there, and riding Cox's Ridge, Temperence Hill, Gone West and Danzig there.

Trainer Rick Dutrow: I've missed it for a long time. Since the day I had to leave, I have missed it. I just loved that track. I felt it was the best surface I've ever been around. I loved being stabled there. There weren't a whole lot of horses on the track. It was the best place in the world to train a horse. Training there for as long as we did, we went 11 years without a catastrophic breakdown and the main reason was that at Aqueduct we could pinpoint whatever issues a horse might be having. We would know if they were going the wrong way or if something was off. You could never blame the track. We had so many good horses there. We got to win the Derby from Aqueduct, the Breeders' Cup Classic from Aqueduct and Dubai races from Aqueduct. It was like our right arm. I just loved it. It's not because we loved Ozone Park. We do love Don Peppe, though. Don't get me wrong.

Owner Glenn Lane: I had some of my best racing moments and personal memories at Aqueduct, especially Sweet Missus winning the GI Top Flight more than 40 years ago, and also the everyday trips from Jersey Shore at 4-5 a.m. for morning training and the racing day at Aqueduct that always ended with a great early local dinner.

The post As The Curtain Comes Down on Aqueduct, Some Notable Figures Share Memories appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

If you're still working that Stephen Foster Day hangover, lock in and rally folks, because Churchill Downs isn't done with you, yet. Carding two more graded contests Sunday, a pair of competitive fields have been assembled for the GIII Maxfield and GIII Hanshin Cup Stakes.

The first to go are the 3-year-olds in the Maxfield, which will showcase the return of 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' Brant (Gun Runner). Gone since Mar. 7, when he faded to fifth in the GII San Felipe Stakes after dueling the entire way, the grey Bob Baffert trainee sports the field's highest Beyer with a 101 from his Rising Star-worthy debut last July at Del Mar. His numbers have been slower since that effort, which is saying a lot in those few words considering he's the GI Del Mar Futurity winner in his second lifetime start, but the connections are looking to turn this $3-million OBS March purchase around. His works have been consistent and he's turning back to seven panels for the first time since his Grade I victory. Brant reunites with Flavien Prat for this trip, who was aboard for his first three starts.

To the outside is Juddmonte's Deep Flame (Into Mischief), who roared onto the scene in his maiden-breaking score with a seven-length victory at this venue May 17. Given a 95 Beyer there, it came on the back of two prior runner-up efforts when GI Woody Stephens-fourth Gilded Bandit (Charlatan) graduated at Keeneland in the Apr. 4 jump by a half-length and SW Trouble Calling (Dialed In) defeated him first-out Feb. 14 at Fair Grounds.

Deep Flame's morning works have been strong since then–his most recent being a five-furlong move over this surface in :59.60 (2/48) June 20. The only horse faster than him that morning was fellow Juddmonte colorbearer MGSW & GISP Dragoon Guard (Arrogate). That one will take to the track a race later in the Hanshin Cup.

Drawn on the rail is Three Chimneys Farm owned/bred Igniter (Volatile) for trainer Richard Dutrow Jr. He'd been a frequent face in the New York stakes circuit after he broke his maiden during the Belmont Big A meeting in September last year, and took home the Jimmy Winkfield Stakes two back Mar. 14 for his first black-type win. He took his show on the road from Aqueduct to Laurel Park last out May 16, and ran third in the Chick Lang Stakes behind 'Rising Star' Obliteration (Violence), who was making his first start since returning from Saudi Arabia. That runner would resurface June 6 in the Woody Stephens to take third behind a sensational effort by 'Rising Star' Englishman (Maxfield), who would equal the track record and produce a 115 Beyer in that tour-de-force. Igniter has faced some good horses, and enters the Maxfield with improving figures.

Imagination winning the G2 Riyadh Dirt Sprint | Mathea Kelley/JCSA

The GIII Hanshin Cup Stakes follows immediately after the Maxfield, and a tough field of veterans assembles for this one-turn mile, led by Bob Baffert-trained MGSW & MGISP Imagination (Into Mischief).

Trying to return to his winning ways in 2026, after starting his season in Saudi Arabia winning the G2 Riyadh Dirt Sprint, the son of Into Mischief has produced good efforts but has not cracked the top three in two proceeding jumps. Fourth in the GI Churchill Downs Stakes May 2 and June 6 in the GIII True North Stakes, Imagination has more than enough turn of foot to get the job done here. His bullet work June 23 (4f, :47.20, 1/10) over this track says he's sitting on a winning effort, and it's always a bonus when Flavien Prat, who had other potential rides in this race, chooses to remain in the irons.

Eyeballing him in the gate will be Dragoon Guard (Arrogate) for owner Juddmonte and trainer Brad Cox. A two-time Graded winner and elite-placed in 2024, the grey has been consistent even when he doesn't win with only one start in a 13-race career resulting in an off-the-board result. That said, he's been holding his form well in 2026 when running second and third, but was the beaten favorite in both efforts. Tour Player (American Pharoah), also in this race, has defeated him in each of those meetings Mar. 14 in Colonial's Royal New Kent Stakes, and last out May 2 in the local Knicks Go Stakes, where Dragoon Guard ran third. Still, he loves this track and will be tough to beat as one of the runners with the best recent form.

Sire Coal Front will be the only stallion with multiple shots to win this race, as GSW & MGISP Crazy Mason and GSW & GISP Coal Battle both draw in toward the outside.

The post Churchill Not Done with Graded Excitement, Salty Fields on Tap for Maxfield and Hanshin appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

In a move that could establish a minimum price for another entity to bid on keeping racing alive at the financially troubled Hawthorne Race Course, the track's owner, Carey Family Properties, LLC, has secured what is known as a “stalking horse” bid of $90 million to potentially sell the 108-acre property to a relatively anonymous and obscure Delaware limited liability company that was just created June 22.

Hawthorne Race Course, Inc., controlled by the Carey family, has been seeking federal Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection since Feb. 27 in an attempt to restructure between $100 and $500 million in debt.

Although the continuation of the sport at the 135-year-old Hawthorne-the last remaining Thoroughbred venue on a once-vibrant Chicago circuit-was not specifically addressed in the documentation made public via court filings, it doesn't mean that a sale couldn't still go through to another entity that wants to conduct racing and build a racino there.

Stalking horse bids are common in bankruptcy sales. The term refers to a first buyer to make a formal, binding offer to purchase the assets of a distressed company.

This initial bid establishes a minimum “floor” that other bidders must beat, and a bankruptcy judge must approve those sale terms for use as the starting point in any court-supervised auction that might follow.

Other interested buyers can then submit higher bids. If no one offers more, the stalking horse bidder buys the assets. If another entity outbids them, the stalking horse bidder receives certain payments that cover the time and money that they put into conducting due diligence and negotiating the initial deal.

There are numerous stalking horse companies nationwide that exist just to go after the assets of distressed companies, figuring they will make money either from the fees they reap after getting outbid at a subsequent auction or from acquiring property at a price and terms they have set.

Having a stalking-horse bid made public is also useful to a seller going through bankruptcy proceedings, because it allows them to maximize the value of the property by showing that another interested party has already done significant work to come up with a price point that, theoretically at least, establishes fair market value.

The proposed purchase-and-sale agreement submitted June 25 by Hawthorne to United States Bankruptcy Court, Northern District of Illinois (Eastern Division), lists the potential buyer as Allimac 2023, LLC.

Little is known about Allimac 2023 because the entity didn't exist five days ago.

Delaware is considered a corporate haven for entities that want to remain under the radar, in part because the state's division of corporations doesn't require member names on public documents.

The proposed sale agreement submitted to the court by Hawthorne appears to have been signed by a director who created what is known as a “special purpose vehicle,” or SPV.

An SPV adds yet another layer of corporate opacity because it can isolate a standalone transaction from a buyer's main business.

Hawthorne's request to the court, which asked for a June 29 hearing to approve the stalking horse bidder, did, however, state that Allimac 2023 “is not an insider of the Debtors.”

Hawthorne's legal filing further told the court that, “the Stalking Horse Agreement will enable the Debtors to achieve the highest and best value for the Real Estate Assets, or even all the Assets in the event that a qualified going-concern purchaser overbids the Stalking Horse Purchaser at auction.”

The documentation filed with the court specifically lists what Hawthorne will pay to Allimac 2023 if the stalking horse bid gets trumped by another buyer.

If another entity closes on the sale, Allimac 2023 will be entitled to “a Break-Up Fee equal to 2% of the Purchase Price ($1,800,000)…an Expense Reimbursement for actual, reasonable and documented out-of-pocket costs and expenses…up to $250,000 incurred by the Stalking Horse Purchaser in connection with the negotiation, documentation and implementation of the Stalking Horse Agreement…and a requirement that any higher and better bid at auction must exceed the Stalking Horse Purchaser's bid by an Overbid Minimum of at least $500,000.”

The due date for bids was June 26.

Ten days ago, on June 16, Hawthorne had asked the court for an extension of time to July 29.

But on June 19, Hawthorne withdrew that request, presumably because it was nearing an agreement with Allimac 2023 to serve as the stalking horse bidder.

Back on June 17, both Tim Carey, the president of the family-owned Hawthorne, and his bankruptcy attorney, Barry Chatz, underscored during an update to the Illinois Racing Board (IRB) that the first preference was to sell the track to a buyer whose priority would be to keep racing going and to follow through on building a racino within the historic track's gutted grandstand, a project that the Carey family started six years ago but never had the finances to complete.

“We have multiple, ongoing, business-concern parties who are very interested in the racino opportunity as well as continuing racing,” Chatz said at last week's IRB meeting.

Chatz, also during that June 17 meeting, had estimated the Hawthorne deal could end up being “potentially [an] over-$100 million sale of an opportunity to build a casino.”

The post ‘Stalking Horse’ Bid Of $90M Sets Potential Minimum Price For Hawthorne Auction appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

The Brian Lynch stable is one of the hottest barns on the Churchill Downs backside and has a big weekend ahead. Winning at a 27% clip in 2026, the operation has collected 37 wins on the year. Lynch was fourth in the trainer standings at Gulfstream's Championship Meet and currently ranks fifth at the Churchill Downs meet, finishing in the money in 30 of his 40 starts.

Nic Lynch, who has served as assistant trainer to his father for the past three years, credited the stable's recent success to his father's dedication to the business.

“My dad is an amazing horseman and we've built up such a great group of clients,” he said. “They're putting live horses in our barn. It's 20, 30 years of work on my dad's part to get to this. Some people might think it was just out of nowhere, but my dad has been training horses and winning big races for a long time. To be a part of it as his assistant at Churchill, with the crew we have and the clients we train for, it's been so much fun.”

Lynch grew up working in his dad's barn every summer, but when he decided he wanted to make horse racing a career, he set out to learn the sport from the ground up. In college he worked as a groom at WinStar, did yearling prep at Taylor Made, and interned with Elite Sales, MyRacehorse and Margaux Farm. After graduating, he spent two years with Brendan Walsh before coming back to the family stable.

“It's been pretty full on, but I literally couldn't imagine doing anything else,” he said.

With a database-like knowledge of every horse in his care, Lynch takes the TDN down the shedrow of their Churchill Downs barn. He highlights a handful of recent 'TDN Rising Stars,' several barn-favorite veterans, and a competitive lineup for this weekend topped by GII Fleur de Lis contender Shred the Gnar.

SHRED THE GNAR (f, 4, Into Mischief — Aspen Light, by Bernardini).

The Flying Dutchmen Breeding and Racing colorbearer and TDN Rising Star won this year's GI La Troienne Stakes and is entered in Saturday's GII Fleur de Lis Stakes.

She kind of threw craps at us in Florida in her first start this year, but we always felt that she would do better up at Churchill. My dad decided to train her up to the La Troienne and she was doing so good going into the race. We were pretty confident that she was going to show up. For her to give Dutchmen their first Grade I win on Oaks Day and on my dad's birthday, it was really incredible.

She came out of the race great. She seems like a filly that does well when she has some space in between her races, so waiting for the Fleur de Lis made the most sense for us.

An enthusiastic winner's circle after Shred the Gnar wins the GI La Troienne | Coady Media

MAE TOWN (4, f, Mo Town –Latest Thinking, by Tale of the Cat)

Homebred for Cave Brook Farm is entered for her second start off a layoff on Sunday at Churchill Downs.

This filly has not been off the board in any of her starts. She knocked out three in a row last year as a three-year old, winning the Pea Patch Stakes. She had a bit of a setback and we got a race under her a couple of weeks ago. She ran second to a very nice filly of Kent Sweezey's, who was coming off a big win on Preakness Day.

I think next time out with a start under her belt, she's going to be very competitive. She's a Kentucky Downs type for sure.

OWEN ALMIGHTY (4, c, Speightstown — Tempers Rising, by Bayern)

Fifth in last year's GI Kentucky Derby, the Grade III winner was second in his last start and is entered in Sunday's GIII Hanshin Stakes.

He didn't really have much of a chance in his first start this year at Gulfstream. He got packed out wide and was coming off the layoff.

In his last start he put in a better effort than the form says and really showed that he wants to keep going on, so we're excited to run him back. We had entered him in a race that didn't go, so we figured we'd sit on him until closing day and he seems to be doing really well.

PRIZE PICK (3, c, Tiz the Law — Keesha, by Tapit)

Prize Pick is entered in Sunday's GIII Maxfield Stakes | Coady Media

Coming off two straight wins, the Flying Dutchmen colt is entered in Sunday's GIII Maxfield Stakes.

Prize Pick is a full-brother to Tiztatic, who was in last year's Kentucky Derby. He's one of those horses that really teaches you how to be patient because he has always been so obviously talented in the morning, but it took him a lot of time to put it together in the afternoon.

He ran a lot good races in Florida, but they just weren't good enough to get it done. As soon as we got him back up to Churchill, he won a maiden special weight on the last race of Derby day very impressively. He came back and knocked out the a-other-than in his next start even more impressively, so we really have high hopes for him.

FANCY SAILER (3, c, Justify — Tiz Ro, by Hard Spun)

Raroma Stable homebred broke his maiden at Gulfstream Park on 3-8 and bested stablemate Zakinthos (Oscar Performance) in his most recent start on 6-5.

He's a colt that my dad has always been high on since he came in as a two-year old. We trained his dam and she was very talented herself. When you watch him train in the morning, he carries himself in a way that a lot of the good ones do. He hasn't really done much wrong in any of his races. He's had four starts. He ran third first time out, beaten by half a length. He won his maiden second time out and had a troubled trip his third start. Then when he got a bit of space last week, he won pretty convincingly. I'd say later on in the year, we'd be looking towards Kentucky Downs.

STORM'S WAKE (3, f, Oscar Performance — Amber Storm (Ire), by Night of Thunder {Ire})

William K. Werner homebred won this year's GII Appalachian Stakes and was second in the GIII Regret Stakes on 5-30.

My dad helped Mr. Werner find her dam in Europe. We did have her in training, but unfortunately never got the chance to run her. They took her to Oscar Performance and we got this filly out of it, so it's been a great success.

She's just been so straightforward. She beat the boys in an allowance in her second start as a two-year-old. She's a horse that needs a trip and a pace to run at, but she hasn't really had a race where she doesn't have something at the end.

WHERE LUCK LIVES (3, f, Nyquist — Holiday Soiree, by Harlan's Holiday)

Flying Dutchmen 'TDN Rising Star' with two straight wins this year.

This is a half-sister to Vahva (Gun Runner). She came in as a 2-year-old and was one of our favorites in the group. She ran a bang-up race first time out last June and wasn't beaten by much. She had a bit of a setback and we brought her back to Florida. She acts like she could be a very special filly. We're pointing toward some races up at Saratoga later in the summer.

BETTY'S PEARL (3, f, Munnings — Tapping Pearl, by Tapit)

Betty's Pearl wins by over six lengths on Thurby | Coady Media

A $700,000 2-year-old purchase for William Werner, she broke her maiden in February, finished fourth in the GII Gulfstream Park Oaks, and returned to the winner's circle on 5-30.

She was a filly that always was trying and was hitting the board. When she broke through at Gulfstream, she kind of figured it all out. We put blinkers on her and that was key. She was very impressive last time out at Churchill. She ran a 90 Beyer Speed Figure. We are probably pointing towards stakes company later on in the summer.

EPIC PROUD MARY (3, f, Into Mischief — Nikki and Pappa, by Mineshaft)

Epic Horses LLC colorbearer broke her maiden by 4 1/2 lengths on 6-13 in her third career start.

She was a workmate for Where Luck Lives all winter at Palm Meadows and it was 50-50 depending on who you asked of who liked which filly more. In her first start at Keeneland, she had a bit of a troubled trip and had to get taken back. Usually with first-time starters when you have to take them back going into the turn, it's hard for them to re-break. She got another race in at Churchill and she ran second to a very talented filly of Will Walden's named Movie Night (Speightstown).

Going into this third start, we were pretty confident that she was going to finally be able to show how talented we think she is. She broke from the 12 hole and went wire to wire.

SISTER TROIENNE (3, f, Munnings — Dyna Passer, by Lemon Drop Kid)

Woodslane Racing homebred collected three straight stakes wins over the winter at Gulfstream. Was fifth in the GII Appalachian Stakes in her last start.

She had quite the winter down at Gulfstream. She exposed herself as being talented very early on and ran a great race on the dirt first time out sprinting, finishing third. As soon as we got her on the grass going two turns, the light bulb turned on and she didn't look back. She had a really hard campaign over the winter and she was a trooper. We gave her a bit of a break after the race at Keeneland and got her back here about two weeks ago. She's just starting back up galloping now. We're hoping for big things later in the year, definitely at Ellis Park and Kentucky Downs.

HEY TUFF GUY (2, c, Life Is Good — Hotshot Anna, by Trappe Shot)

'TDN Rising Star' Hey Tuff Guys runs in Sunday's Bashford Manor Stakes | Coady Media

A $120,000 OBS March purchase owned by Big Cat Racing, the TDN Rising Star is entered for Sunday's Bashford Manor Stakes.

He won by seven lengths first time out going five and a half.

My dad found him at the sale. We watched the breeze the night before, saw him in the ring, Dad went down and came back with a ticket. It seems to be a pretty good decision so far. He's just the ultimate racehorse. He has that mentality where he goes to the track to train, doesn't do anything silly, comes back, eats, and sleeps the rest of the day. He reminds me a lot of Owen Almighty as a two-year-old because he wasn't very big either, but they have that same sort of workmanlike attitude.

BANANA FROST (2, f, Authentic — Candy Jar, by Candy Ride {Arg})

Flying Dutchmen homebred won on debut at Churchill Downs on 6-10.

She won going five and a half going gate to wire. She came to us early at Palm Meadows and hasn't missed a day of training. She's just a very balanced filly, very pretty, very straightforward. We're excited for her future.

THIRA (2, f, Oscar Performance — Zavrinka (FR), by Rajsaman)

Unraced homebred for Amerman Racing.

She has shown a lot of talent in the morning so far and she hasn't really been here that long. She's just up to working a couple of three-eighths, but we really like what we're seeing. She's a full-sister to a colt we train named Zakinthos, who just ran a really good race here earlier this month. We really believe in Oscar Performance, so when we get the chance to bring his babies into our barn, we're always excited.

HOUSE BOAT PARTY (2, f, Flightline — Lake Garda, by American Pharoah)

Flying Dutchmen homebred was third on debut on 6-13 going five furlongs.

Obviously the ultimate goal with her will be two turns down the road. She's shown some things in the morning you don't really see a lot from two year olds. We thought she ran really well in her debut. The best part of her race was right when she got to the eighth pole. She really started getting going and galloped out great. We're going to wait until they start running baby races a bit longer going one turn, and just let her fill out and get some miles under her belt. We think she's going to do some big things later on this year.

ANGLOPHILE (6, g, English Channel — Trustmore Lovemore, by Kitten's Joy)

Veteran turfer has won over $1.1 million for LFG Racing. Was second in an 4-16 allowance and seventh in the GIII Arlington Stakes.

He's been a war horse for us. He won the 2023 GIII Dueling Grounds Derby and has danced a lot of big dances. He's the kind of horse that needs a trip and a pace, but he just keeps running those good races that keep you believing in him enough to enter in those stakes. If you watched him breeze here the other week, you'd say he's got plenty of gas left in the tank.

He's kind of a clown. He likes to drop people on the track when new people get on him. He'll wheel a little bit and then just look at you. It's like a rite of passage when you get on him for the first time. He doesn't owe anybody anything. As long as he acts like he wants to do it, we're just going to let him do it.

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Antiope (f, 2, Jackie's Warrior) became the first winner for her freshman sire (by Maclean's Music) at first asking in a Virginia-restricted maiden special weight at Colonial Downs Friday. The Jane Cibelli-trained 3-1 chance was sent to the front, enjoyed a three-length advantage at the stretch call and had a half-length over Bravojuliet (Army Mule) at the wire. The winner's dam had a colt by McKinzie in 2025 and a filly by City of Light this year. Jackie's Warrior, champion male sprinter of 2021 and a five-time Grade I winner, stands for $25,000 at Spendthrift Farm.

4th-Colonial Downs, $85,525, (S), Msw, 6-26, 2yo, f, 5 1/2f, 1:04.57, ft, 1/2 length.
ANTIOPE (f, 2, Jackie's Warrior–Strong Beauty {SW, $230,900}, by Overanalyze) Sales history: $80,000 RNA Ylg '25 KEESEP; $77,000 RNA Ylg '25 FTKOCT. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $52,500. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
O-Amy N. Moore; B-South Gate Farm, LLC (VA); T-Jane Cibelli.

ANTIOPE ($8.00) took them gate-to-wire under @Pacolopez1018 in the 4th at @ColonialDowns. The 2YO filly is the first winner for @spendthriftfarm's Jackie's Warrior. Jane Cibelli conditions. pic.twitter.com/gLVArKkAeW

— FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) June 26, 2026

The post Antiope Becomes First Winner for Jackie’s Warrior at Colonial appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

The 2025 GI Stephen Foster Stakes was a doozy on paper, featuring the previous year's GI Kentucky Derby victor (Mystik Dan), a reigning winner of the GI Breeders' Cup Classic (Sierra Leone) and a G1 Dubai World Cup hero (Hit Show). The race was ultimately won by Mindframe (Constitution).

There is very much a sense of deja vu this weekend for the nine-furlong contest–offering the winner an all-expenses-paid trip to this year's Classic just down the road at Keeneland–as 2025 Horse of the Year and spectacular Kentucky Derby conqueror Sovereignty (Into Mischief) takes on 2023 Breeders' Cup Classic winner White Abarrio (Race Day) and Magnitude (Not This Time), exiting a front-running defeat of 2025 Classic champ Forever Young (Jpn) (Real Steel {Jpn}) in the Meydan feature on March 28.

Bill Mott and Junior Alvarado teamed with Olympiad (Speightstown) to win the 2023 renewal–the last of four times it was contested at Grade II level–and Sovereignty enters the race with a bit of a chip on his shoulder. Last year's champion 3-year-old male was the easiest kind of winner of the GI Travers Stakes last August and would have been the one to beat–even with the presence of Forever Young–in the 2025 Classic, only to be scratched in the days leading up to the race.

There was some uncertainty as to whether the colt would remain in training at four, but that was confirmed over the winter, and Sovereignty was programmed to make his return in the GII Oaklawn Handicap on Apr. 18. Sovereignty had never once found himself calling the shots in any of his previous nine runs, but there he was, leading up Journalism (Curlin) and White Abarrio on a pace that wasn't overly taxing, but testing enough, given that he was returning from a lengthy absence. The big bay was confronted by a race-fit White Abarrio at midstretch and didn't go down without a fight, but was two lengths in arrears on the wire.

“We weren't anticipating being on the lead, but he ran a very good race, got a lot out of it and has trained well since,” said Mott. “We've had a couple of good works into this race, and hopefully we're ready to get the better of (White Abarrio) Saturday.”

White Abarrio, who will stand at Gainesway once time has been called on his career, was fastest away in Hot Springs and could have made the running, but was deftly taken back by Irad Ortiz, Jr. to stalk his two main rivals. When it came time to go to war entering the final furlong, White Abarrio had plenty to say and proved a convincing winner while in receipt of two pounds from Sovereignty. He earned a 111 Beyer Speed Figure that was the best of his career and five points higher than when winning the Classic at Santa Anita.

White Abarrio was one of three entered by Saffie Joseph, Jr. but the only one that will face the starter on Saturday.

White Abarrio | Coady Media

Magnitude earned triple-digit figures in three of his six appearances in 2025, including towering victories in the GII Risen Star Stakes and Iowa Derby, but he finished third and in a different area code behind Sovereignty in the Travers.

After defeating Hit Show in the GII Clark Stakes over this course and distance last November, all roads pointed to Riyadh and a start in the G1 Saudi Cup, but a minor illness derailed those lofty plans. Instead, the $450,000 Keeneland September purchase came from just off the speed to win the GIII Razorback Handicap two weeks later and when last seen, took them all the way in the World Cup.

“Very impressive horse, continues to train forwardly,” trainer Steve Asmussen, who sent out Gun Runner to win the 2017 Foster, told TDN Senior Racing Editor Steve Sherack.

Though less proven than the top three, it would be no colossal shock if C R K Stables' Baeza (McKinzie) were to emerge on top Saturday afternoon. After accounting for Magnitude en route to a richly deserved maiden Grade I in the Pennsylvania Derby last September, the $1.2-million KEESEP yearling was sixth in the Breeders' Cup Classic and got a deserved rest. Transferred to Mott after the untimely passing of John Shirreffs, Baeza resumed in the GII Alysheba Stakes May 1 and lost his race at the break for all intents and purposes. That he was able to trim the final margin down to less than a length speaks to his resolve as much as his raw ability, but it isn't like there is a great margin of error either with the three other divisional heavies signed on.

“He doesn't have to be a fast gate horse, but he does need to leave there cleanly because it takes him a little while to get into his stride,” Mott said. “Once he does, he settles into a really nice rhythm.”

Saturday's program features an additional six added-money events, three at the graded level. In the GII Fleur de Lis Stakes, a 'Win and You're In' qualifier for the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff, 'TDN Rising Star' Shred the Gnar (Into Mischief) puts her perfect Churchill mark on the line, having rallied to take the GI La Troienne Stakes on the Kentucky Oaks undercard May 1. Splendora (Audible) looms the main danger from the rail, but she may come out in favor of the GII Molly Pitcher Stakes on July 18. The remarkably consistent Lagynos (Kantharos) will look to make it five in a row in the GII Wise Dan Stakes, while the GIII Bango Stakes has 'TDN Rising Star' Cornucopian (Into Mischief) as its even-money favorite.

Alpyland (Vekoma) looms the strong favorite in the Listed American Derby off his four-length thrashing of Immortalised (Fr) (Romanised {Ire}) in the GIII Penn Mile May 29, while Ground Support (Army Mule), who returned 100-1 on debut last year, makes her first start since a third in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies' Turf in the card-ending Listed Tepin Stakes.

Among the five graded stakes that close the Saturday program at Woodbine are the GIII Marine Stakes for 3-year-old males and the GIII Selene Stakes for sophomore fillies. Each race can be expected to produce some runners for the Canadian Classics which kick off in about two months' time.

The Stephen Foster is turning into a heavyweight showdown this weekend. Who do you like? Is it finally time for Baeza to bust through? Is White Abarrio just that good now? pic.twitter.com/6pvZGSYw2S

— Eclipse Sportswire (@EclipseSports) June 25, 2026

The post Fearsome Foursome Set To Fight It Out In Foster appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

In a new TDN series, we are asking the industry what is racing's biggest problem, and what is the solution to that problem. Today, Keeneland's Vice President of Sales Tony Lacy joins us to offer his perspective.

What do you think is racing's biggest problem?

I think the biggest problem is that our industry is not speaking as one. Consolidation, where we have everybody singing off the same hymn sheet, is critical. It's difficult to get all the racetracks on the same page and to operate with the same principles, and with a country as diverse as the US, it's even more challenging. I think we need to look at our industry in far broader scale that we're not always competing against each other. Most major sports franchises and industries have to work as a collective, knowing that if we succeed, you succeed.

As well as that, I think there's been a lack of incentive to bring people to the racetrack, to develop an understanding of our sport.  Obviously, we want people to be able to watch and bet on racing remotely through TV and online platforms. But in doing so, there's less incentive to cater to crowds and bring people to the track. This was always a sport that was built around people being in attendance, getting close to the horse and having that social interaction. As we get more remote and technology gets ingrained in everything we do, we've become somewhat isolated. And that's one thing that is very dangerous to this sport because it doesn't allow fans to develop the connection they had in the past.

What is the solution?

In life, in nature, in business, anything that doesn't evolve dies. Evolution is a constant so resisting change, or a lack of adaptation, will eventually cause weakness. Any business that does not adapt to changing cultures, no matter how strong they are, fails. One thing people hate is change, but it's also necessary. It has to be subtle and natural. It should satisfy the established demographic but also cater to the younger generation and their needs.

I do think that we always have to keep an eye on how other businesses operate, how they succeed, how can we adapt some of those principles that are relevant to us, while also keeping a firm hold on tradition that has allowed the sport to develop.

What I get frustrated with is when everybody starts talking in circular arguments about the same thing. But nobody wants to do anything about it. If they do something, they should want to do it with the understanding that we're doing it so that this business can be so much bigger.

Keeneland

We need to understand what the outside world thinks of us and how we need to market ourselves towards it. Because we've operated behind a sort of steel curtain for so long, it's difficult to get into the game if you're an outsider. And we have to give people a portal into participation and education. I think the more we educate the general public in a healthy way, the more it allows them to understand our activity.

One of the things we work very diligently on at Keeneland is trying to educate people on the very basics. Because once you see behind the scenes, you start to understand it. Whether you watch football or basketball or a motorsport team, you can draw similarities between the trainer, the coaches, the players and what we do on this side of the fence in our sport. It's exactly the same.

There's so much competition from these other sports, that we can't assume that people are going to find us. We've got to find ways of bringing them to the racetrack and getting them interested, because it is a fantastic sport. It's very social. You see the big days, whether it's here at Keeneland, or Derby Day, or Royal Ascot, they're as much social events as they are race meetings.

A symptom of people enjoying themselves is that they spend money. They bet, they interact with the sport, and they get informed. They gain a new appreciation and new exposure to the sport and understanding. The educational piece is one that we all have a duty to. It's not any specific organization's responsibility. It is each and every one of us who must get behind it and make sure we build it forward. We're almost like drug dealers. We've got to let people feel the adrenaline of their horse or their team winning because once they do, it's an easy sell.

–Emma Hunter is a first-year trainee in the Godolphin Flying Start program. She is a native of Cork, Ireland. The first horse she ever foaled was Noble Yeats, winner of the 2022 Grand National, who was bred by her family.

The post Racing’s Biggest Problem, And The Solution: Tony Lacy appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Ocala Breeders' Sales Company has catalogued 22 horses for its OBSOnline June “Second Chance” digital auction taking place June 26-30, the auction house said via a Friday release.

The OBSOnline June sale features horses that were either unsold or breezed and scratched from the record-setting OBS June Two-Year-Olds in Training and Horses of Racing Age Sale held June 16-18.

The catalogue is available for viewing on the OBSOnline website. Bidding will begin on June 26 at noon ET and close at noon June 30.

Sires featured in the “Second Chance” sale include offerings by such first-crop stallions as Epicenter, Golden Pal, Greatest Honour, Idol, Mind Control, Mo Donegal, Olympiad, Pinehurst, and Speaker's Corner as well as offspring by Essential Quality, Honest Mischief, Independence Hall, Known Agenda, Oscar Performance, Silver State, and Vino Rosso.

Each horse will have pedigree, video and racing details available for viewing. Medical information will be available to veterinarians in the OBS repository.

Click here to view the catalogue, create an account or register to bid for the OBSOnline June Sale.

The post OBSOnline Catalogues 22 Horses For ‘Second Chance’ June Digital Auction appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Edited Press Release

A pair of new 2-year-old stakes races will be featured at Lone Star Park starting in 2027 for graduates of the two Texas Thoroughbred Association Sales held annually. The races were approved by the full Texas Thoroughbred Association Board of Directors on Wednesday, June 24.

The stakes will be for 2-year-olds who have passed through the sales ring at the Mary Ruyle Sales Pavilion at Lone Star Park, beginning with the 2026 Texas Yearling Sale and the 2027 Texas Two-Year-Olds in Training Sale.

Both races will feature $100,000 purses–a race for 2-year-old fillies who are TTA Sales graduates and a race for 2-year-old colts/gelding who are TTA Sales graduates.

“These races are a great way to continue growing Texas racing and a great incentive for our sellers and buyers at the Texas Thoroughbred Association Sales,” TTA Board President Phil Leckinger said. “We are committed to ensuring our graduates have opportunities that cannot be found anywhere else and we believe supporting our sales through these sales-restricted races is a great way to continue to boost the energy around our sales.”

Held at Lone Star Park during their summer meet beginning in 2027, the new races will be the third set of stakes for TTA Sales graduates. In total, the six events tally $700,000 in purse money.

“This announcement comes at the perfect time as we are gearing up for our 2026 Texas Yearling Sale in August [25th],” TTA Sales Director Foster Bridewell said. “These races provide another great opportunity for our sellers and buyers, and I appreciate the TTA Board of Directors for their commitment to racing and our sales.”
The races will be presented to the Texas Racing Commission soon and are pending TRC approval.

The post New Stakes Races Approved For Texas Thoroughbred Association Sales Graduates appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Triple Crown winner and Horse of the Year American Pharoah (by Pioneerof the Nile) is set to stand at the Shizunai Stallion Station in Japan for a second breeding season in partnership with the Japan Bloodhorse Breeders' Association (JBBA), before returning to his base at Coolmore America's Ashford Stud, according to a post on the farm's website on Friday.

“American Pharoah has proven extremely popular with breeders in Japan, so we have agreed with the JBBA to extend his stay for another season,” said Ashford Stud manager Dermot Ryan. “He will continue to be looked after by an Ashford Stud groom until he returns to Kentucky.”

American Pharoah has sired 70 winners from 93 runners in Japan with a strike rate of over 75%. Among them are ten black-type scorers, most notably Cafe Pharoah, a dual winner of the G1 February Stakes.

“We are delighted that breeders here will get the opportunity to send their mares to American Pharoah for a second season,” said JBBA Executive Vice President Yoshiharu Ueno. “He's an iconic horse with worldwide appeal and everyone here is already looking forward to the arrival of his first Japanese foals next year.”

The post Coolmore’s American Pharoah To Stand Second Breeding Season In Japan appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Darley America's former 'TDN Rising Star' presented by Hagyard and G1 Dubai World Cup hero Mystic Guide (Ghostzapper–Music Note, by A.P. Indy) was represented by his first winner when the filly Seraph (Kor) debuted with a seven-length victory in a Class 6 handicap in Friday's opening race at Busan in the southern part of South Korea.

Sent off the 8-5 favorite to open her account at first asking, the April 9 foal was in front at the end of the first 100 meters and made the running just off the inside beneath Francisco da Silva. Firmly in control entering the straight, Seraph pinched a big break and finished up on her incorrect lead, but proved a much-the-best winner (see below, #6).

The filly is the first foal out of Closing Deals (Central Banker), who was sold to breeder Lee Kwang Lim for $8,500 at the 2023 Keeneland November Sale. A daughter of the stakes-placed Spirit of Rose (City Zip), Closing Deals is kin to five other winners, including SP Zipalong (Central Banker) and MSP Thorny Tale (Forty Tales).

Trained by Mike Stidham for owner and breeder Godolphin, Mystic Guide was named a 'Rising Star' when graduating by five lengths in his first start around two turns in early 2020 and made the GII Jim Dandy Stakes the first of his three career scores at the graded level. The blaze-faced chestnut kicked off his 4-year-old season with a six-length romp in the GIII Razorback Handicap, then took his show on the road, annexing the 2021 Dubai World Cup by 3 3/4 lengths. Mystic Guide retired with a record of 4-3-2 from nine starts for earnings of $7,593,200.

A son of five-time Grade I winner Music Note, Mystic Guide is a half-brother to Grade III winner Gershwin (Distorted Humor) and a full-brother to the stakes-placed Love Song. Music Note is a half-sister to French Classic heroine Musical Chimes (In Excess {Ire}), also a top-level winner in the U.S.

Mystic Guide is responsible for a reported 101 2-year-olds from his first crop.

The post Darley America’s Mystic Guide Represented By First Winner appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

With a view to pulling the veil back on the whys and wherefores of their operations, a representative of either the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) Authority or the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit (HIWU) will every week answer a question of industry importance posed by the TDN.

If you have any questions you'd like to ask HISA or HIWU, please feel free to send them over to us at the following email address: danross@thetdn.com

This is a follow-up to last week's Ask HISA, concerning potential misuse of protected veterinary data.

Q: Given the fragile nature of the horse racing wagering ecosystem in the U.S. right now, when matters of integrity are in question, it's vital they are properly investigated and addressed, with the whole process conducted in a transparent manner. While indeed some of the information shared on those custom made past performances is different from what is in the HISA Portal and InCompass, a lot of the information is identical. Just on a surface level, this leaves the door potentially open to multiple efforts to access and disseminate this information.

With that in mind, can you explain in detail what kind of internal review you conducted that makes you so sure the information could not have come from the online portal? Who conducted this review, for example? And what specifically did they look at? Who did they speak with? 

Furthermore, who are those “outside entities” that you have spoken with about this matter? Is HISA involved in any way with the investigations you've encouraged them to conduct? And what are some potential consequences if indeed a HISA-licensed individual is found to be selling or improperly sharing data like this?

A: From Lisa Lazarus, HISA CEO.

Once HISA became aware that information was circulating that may contain non-public veterinary information, the HISA internal technology team lead by Chief Technology Officer Steve Keech did the following: (i) conducted a detailed review of the results from HISA's continuous automated monitoring and vulnerability scanning systems; (ii) performed a comprehensive internal review of all systems related to the HISA Portal to determine whether any unauthorized users had accessed any portions of the system not available to the general public; and (iii) went through all API calls in the last 6 months to investigate whether there had been any unauthorized access of the HISA API. The results of that investigation confirmed that there had not been any unauthorized users who were able to gain access to the HISA Portal nor was there any unusual Portal activity.

Nonetheless, for the sake of completion and given the significance of the issue to industry integrity, HISA is extending its investigation into whether any authorized users may have been able to access restricted data or may have shared their access with unauthorized persons. That is a more complicated endeavor and will take some additional time to determine and report back to the industry.

Following a similarly extensive review, The Jockey Club has confirmed to HISA that there has been no unauthorized access to or breach of the InCompass system. Nonetheless, The Jockey Club is also conducting a further investigation that is similar to HISA but focuses on unauthorized access to the InCompass System.

HISA and The Jockey Club, in close collaboration with racetracks, will continue to assess and refine data access protocols, monitor the situation closely, and take any additional steps necessary to safeguard information while maintaining the integrity of its safety mission.

If there has been unauthorized access to the HISA Portal or the InCompass system, or unauthorized use of any confidential information, HISA and/or The Jockey Club will refer the case to law enforcement because it would amount to criminal activity.

The post Ask HISA: Veterinary Data Usage Follow-Up appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Philanthropist and racehorse owner Ken Freirich has pledged to make a leadership gift of $10,000 to Thoroughbred Charities of America via Gallop for Good and will also match donations up to $2,500 for two TCA grantee charities, Second Stride and New Vocations.

Celebrated on June 27, Gallop for Good is an online, national day of giving led by Churchill Downs Incorporated to support Thoroughbred aftercare organizations across the United States.

“I didn't hesitate to support Gallop for Good and I am so glad that Churchill Downs has created this special day of giving,” Freirich said. “Aftercare is absolutely critical for the next chapter of our amazing equine athletes that we love like family members. There are so many small to midsize organizations around the country that desperately need our support. Please join me in donating to this very worthy initiative.”

“Churchill Downs is grateful for Ken's unwavering dedication to Thoroughbred aftercare and his commitment to the vision of Gallop for Good,” said Cathy Shircliff, Director of Equine Industry Relations and Experience at Churchill Downs.

“We are extremely appreciative of Ken's generosity and continued support of TCA. He is a staunch advocate of aftercare and believes strongly in leading by example,” said Erin Halliwell, executive director of TCA. “We encourage others to join Ken in donating to the organizations that work so hard to support the horses we all love. We also thank Churchill Downs for their leadership in creating a fundraising opportunity for organizations that work to assist Thoroughbreds as they transition out of racing.”

Donations can be made through June 27.

The post Ken Freirich Makes Leadership Gift to Thoroughbred Charities of America appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Bidding is now open for Fasig-Tipton's June Digital Sale and will close Tuesday, June 30 at 2 p.m. ET. The catalogue of 283 entries may be viewed online at digital.fasigtipton.com.

“This year's catalogue is three times the size of last year's June Digital Sale, with quality offerings for all levels of racing, breeding, or pinhooking,” said Leif Aaron, Fasig-Tipton Director of Digital Sales.

“Grade I producer Lovely Em, dam of recent (GI) Just a Game S. winner Classic Q, headlines the breeding stock on offer. Offered in foal to Oscar Performance, she presents an exciting opportunity for buyers, particularly with Classic Q only four years old–adding further upside to an already accomplished produce record.”

Aaron added: “On the racehorse front, we have an especially strong group with 130 catalogued. Buyers looking for action at the major summer race meetings will find a host of horses eligible for all types of conditions.”

Featured offerings include:

Lovely Em (Hip 3): Multiple stakes producer is the dam of recent GI Just a Game S. winner Classic Q, in foal to Oscar Performance. Offered by Bluewater Sales, agent.
Belleza Latina (Hip 30): Two-year-old filly by Maclean's Music broke her maiden by 2 3/4 lengths at Churchill Downs June 13. Offered as a horse of racing age by Grovendale Sales, agent.

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Chris Gracie is as much a product of the Mid-Atlantic as the Liberty Bell and the blue crabs lining Chesapeake Bay.

“I grew up in these regional markets. I grew up in Pennsylvania, I grew up in Maryland,” said Gracie–breeder, seller, bloodstock agent, former jockey, you name it–who, under his Gracie Bloodstock LLC banner, now operates out of Locust Hill Farm in Middleburg, Virginia.

“I think the biggest thing is that historically Virginia has been a really, really, really good place for raising horses,” he added. “Just go back over the last 100 years, the owners that used to be here and the farms that used to be here and the horses that have been raised here. I mean, Secretariat himself came from Virginia.”

Don't think, however, Virginia's halcyon days are a thing of the past.

“It's finally getting back to that place where people want to send horses here again to be bred and to race,” said Gracie. “It's starting to really catch more momentum.”

And what's prompting this Virginian renaissance? Lots of things, but the state certification and the state-bred incentive programs especially.

“To me, they're one of the only programs that can really be competitive with the [Kentucky Thoroughbred Breeders' Incentives Fund] KBIF,” Gracie said.

“I mean, you're seeing people that are trying to buy Kentucky-breds that are Virginia certified. And you're seeing Virginia-breds that are bringing real money,” Gracie added. “There are Virginia-breds that have been sold for a lot of money in the last couple years, so people are starting to catch on to it.”

Jill Byrne, executive director of the Virginia Thoroughbred Association (VTA), agrees.

“It's been a very big economic boost to the state of Virginia with the jobs that it creates,” said Byrne, about the Virginia Certified program in particular.

The state certified program was designed to lure business the way of the Old Dominion. Instituted about ten years ago, it has driven well over $86 million to the state (and that's a statistic already a few years old).

Byrne pointed to several Virginia farms the program has helped buttress economically, including Eagle Point Farm in Ashland, owned and operated by mother-daughter team Donna and Karen Dennehy.

“I think they would be in pretty bad shape if we didn't have this program,” said Byrne. Nowadays, Eagle Point receives more than 100 Virginia certified horses through its doors annually, she said, giving them the funds necessary to rebuild and renovate the farm's facilities.

“I think it's just been a huge, huge boost to Virginia horsemen,” said Byrne.

To participate in this program, a horse must be conceived and foaled outside of Virginia, but it has to reside in the Commonwealth for at least six consecutive months prior to December 31st of its two-year-old year.

“We see so many horses ship from the Timonium yearling sale [in late October] to a facility in Virginia to start their breaking and training–that's the beauty of them still being able to get [certified] into their 2-year-old year,” said Paget Bennett, director of sales for Fasig-Tipton Midlantic.

“Developers” of Virginia certified horses–in other words, the person or entity who owns the horse on its first lifetime start–can earn up to a 25% bonus for wins in open races in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland and Virginia.

These same “developers” can also earn a 10% bonus for wins in state-bred restricted races in those same states (except Virginia).

“Obviously you're never going compete with Kentucky, but you can compete regionally and work with these great regional programs,” said Byrne. “This one's going to keep growing exponentially.”

The Virginia-bred program is much more your archetypal incentive-based program with significant rewards for owners, breeders and “developers.”

Owners of all registered Virginia-bred foals earn a 50% bonus if their horse finishes in the first four in an open race at Colonial Downs, while breeders can earn bonuses if their registered Virginia-bred finishes in the first three in any North America open race.

Colonial Downs | Horsephotos

Furthermore, the “developers” of registered Virginia-Bred foals of 2021 and after–in other words, the person or entity who owns those Virginia-breds on their first lifetime start–are eligible for up to a 25% bonus if they win a non-Virginia-restricted race at any racetrack in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland or Virginia.

“We breed horses commercially to be able to sell a horse. And not have to worry about whether it ends up in Pennsylvania or ends up in Maryland or ends up in New York is a great, great thing for us,” Gracie said, about the way the program benefits his business.

“We can sell a horse, hopefully be profitable, they can land anywhere in the Mid-Atlantic and we're getting breeders awards anytime they hit the board. It makes a lot of sense. So that's why we really dove into the Virginia-bred program,” he said. “I mean, there's really nowhere else that's as competitive as here.”

Virginia's also home to a mare residency program where, if you buy a mare at public auction, she can qualify for the Virginia-bred program if you bring her to Virginia within 15 days.

“What's really good about that program, too, is we don't have a breed-back rule,” said Byrne.

Despite the lucrative incentives available to the breeders and owners of Virginia-bred and certified horses, some remain unaware of what's on offer.

“We're getting back up to the days of past, but it's something that's just going to take some time. We do need to keep promoting it,” Byrne said.

According to Gracie, “the biggest thing is just educating buyers” about these programs. “I mean, sometimes you have to explain the difference between the certified program and the Virginia-bred program. Or even what the Virginia certified program is,” he added.

Central to this whole breeding ecosystem are Fasig-Tipton's two regional sales in the area, the Midlantic May 2-Year-Olds In Training Sale and the company's Eastern Fall Yearling Sale.

At this year's fall market, Fasig-Tipton will portion off the sale into sections specific to each state-bred regional program.

“What that means is, there'll be a New York-bred section, there'll be a New Jersey-bred section, a Virginia-bred section and so on,” said Frank Alosa, who helps spearhead Fasig-Tipton's recruitment efforts in the Midlantic region.

“And we've been working with the state-bred associations to come up with creative ways to tell the story of what it means to own, breed and race in these states,” he added.

“You have these good horses, you have these good horsemen and women, and by creating all these little sales inside of the bigger sales, it's giving us not only an opportunity to showcase these programs and the incentives for owners and for breeders in these states, but it's also giving these horsemen and women who have raised these horses a good place to market them,” Alosa said.

Furthermore, with Colonial Downs' near two-month summer meet poised to begin, supporters of the region are once again extolling the reciprocal program between Maryland and Virginia, which allows both Maryland-bred or -sired and Virginia-bred or -sired horses to compete in a series of stake races at Laurel Park and Colonial Downs.

These kinds of reciprocal programs are another way to reinforce the foundation stones of these regional markets, said Byrne.

“I won't say we can't survive without the other, but it's a whole lot better working together than not,” said Byrne.

“Virginia was it back in the day. But with no pari-mutuel racing, the breeding programs really fell by the wayside back in the '70s and '80s,” said Byrne.

“But now it's all just rebuilding thanks to Colonial Downs racing being back and expanding and [Historic Horse Racing] HHR, obviously,” she said. “Virginia's one of the really good positive stories in racing right now.”

The post Virginia Breeding In Focus: “One Of The Really Good Positive Stories” appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Every week, the TDN posts a roundup of the relevant Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) related rulings from around the country.

The following rulings were reported on HISA's “rulings” portal and through the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit's (HIWU) “pending” and “resolved” cases portals.

Among this week's rulings, the HISA Authority has issued trainer Roberto J. Rosado a provisional suspension for three medication violations involving the banned substances Mephentermine and Phentermine between three different horses in his care.

According to a notice of violation issued to the trainer on June 18, the provisional suspension took effect on June 19. The suspension will remain in effect until a hearing is conducted. The notice of violation doesn't contain any information about any potential hearing date.

Earlier this month, HIWU formally issued pending charges against Rosado after three of his horses had post-race positives for Mephentermine and Phentermine, both banned substances. The horses are H C Holiday, who finished second at Parx Racing on April 1; Happy Flyer, who finished second at Penn National on April 3; and Solemn Oath, who won at Parx Racing on April 22.

The notice doesn't provide any details if indeed there was some specific event or information that prompted the HISA Authority to subsequently issue Rosada with a provisional suspension.

The notice states, however, that a banned substance “is a substance that has been determined to be performance enhancing, containing masking properties, or have a detrimental impact on horse welfare. Mephentermine is a cardiac stimulant capable of being used for performance enhancement with no known therapeutic use in active Covered Horses. Mephentermine has the potential to create fatal arrhythmias. Phentermine is also a stimulant, and has no legitimate usage in the treatment of Covered Horses.”

The notice adds how “the recent discovery of Banned Substances in multiple Covered Horses under your care presents an immediate threat of serious injury or death to Covered Horses or Riders. Banned Substances are prohibited not only because they can enhance the performance of Covered Horses, but also because their properties can have a detrimental impact on horse welfare and compromise the safety of the Rider. With respect to the two Banned Substances at issue in this Notice, neither substance has a legitimate usage in the treatment of active Covered Horses, and carry the risk of potentially fatal cardiac arrhythmias.”

Resolved ADMC Violations
Dates: 06/22/2026
Licensee: Ryan Hanson, trainer
Penalty: Disqualification of Covered Horse's Race results, including forfeiture of all purses and other compensation, prizes, trophies, points, and rankings and repayment or surrender (as applicable); a fine of $500; imposition of 1.5 Penalty Points. Final decision of HIWU.
Explainer: Medication violation for the presence of Dantrolene–a class C controlled substance–in a sample taken from Potica, who finished third at Santa Anita on 4/30/26.

Dates: 06/22/2026
Licensee: Jesus Esquivel, trainer
Penalty: None. Charges withdrawn.
Explainer: Esquivel was facing out-of-competition medication violations for the presence of Albuterol (Salbutamol)–a banned bronchodilator–in samples taken from Summonyourcourage on 6/17/25; and from Geno's Myth on 7/9/25.

Dates: 06/18/2026
Licensee: Roshan Samsundar, trainer
Penalty: Disqualification of Covered Horse's Race results, including forfeiture of all purses and other compensation, prizes, trophies, points, and rankings and repayment or surrender (as applicable); a fine of $500; imposition of 1.5 Penalty Points. Final decision of HIWU.
Explainer: Medication violation for the presence of Dimethyl Sulfoxide (DMSO)–a class C controlled substance–in a sample taken from Seeker's Hope, who finished second at Belmont at the Big A on 5/2/26.

Dates: 06/18/2026
Licensee: Sergio S. Perez, trainer
Penalty: Disqualification of Covered Horse's Race results, including forfeiture of all purses and other compensation, prizes, trophies, points, and rankings and repayment or surrender (as applicable); a fine of $1,000 ($500 per violation); imposition of 3 Penalty Points (1.5 Penalty Points per violation). Final decision of HIWU.
Explainer: Medication violation for the presence of Dexamethasone and Methocarbamol–both class C controlled substances–in a sample taken from River's Benchmark, who was second at Turf Paradise on 5/1/26.

Pending ADMC Violations
6/24/2026, Carlos Munoz, trainer: Pending vets' list medication violation for the presence of Betamethasone–a class C substance–in a sample taken from Antrax on 5/24/26.

6/24/2026, Richard Baltas, trainer: Pending vets' list medication violation for the presence of Dantrolene–a class C substance–in a sample taken from Shop Till You Drop on 5/22/26.

6/24/2026, William I. Mott, trainer: Pending medication violation for the presence of Gabapentin–a class B substance–in a sample taken from Stars and Stripes, who won the GIII Ben Ali Stakes at Keeneland on 4/18/26.

6/23/2026, Regulo G. Rodriguez, trainer: Pending medication violation for the presence of Dimethyl Sulfoxide (DMSO)–a class C substance–in a sample taken from Economic Hangover, who won at Belterra Park on 5/10/26.

6/22/2026, David Fawkes, trainer: Pending medication violation for the presence of Triamcinolone–a class C substance–in a sample taken from Bachelor Party, who finished sixth at Churchill Downs on 5/17/26.

Crop Violations
Alburquerque
Luis Valenzuela – reporting date June 19; $76 fine, one-day suspension

Churchill Downs
Tyler Gaffalione – reporting date June 19; $750 fine, three-day suspension, on appeal stay requested

Delaware Park
Marvin R. Fernandez – reporting date June 20; $250 fine, one-day suspension
Wesley G. Ho – reporting date June 19; $1,000 fine, four-day suspension
Feliz Jasquez Jr. – reporting date June 19; $250 fine, one-day suspension

Gulfstream Park
David Boraco – reporting date June 19; $76 fine, one-day suspension

Horseshoe Indianapolis
Jose Gutierrez – reporting date June 18; $500 fine, two-day suspension

Saratoga
Junior Alvarado – reporting date June 18; $3,000 fine, three-day suspension

Registration Violations
Paulina Sinnefia fined $500 on June 18 for failing to register Rories Palace with HISA prior to entry into the race.

Victor Barboza Jr. fined $500 on June 18 for failing to register Dama du Sucre and Satira with HISA prior to entry into the race.

Juan Arriagada fined $500 on June 18 for failing to register Strategicoperation and Steel Verdict with HISA prior to entry into the race.

The post Weekly Rulings: June 18-24; Trainer Robert Rosado Provisionally Suspended appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Champion filly Nitrogen (Medaglia d'Oro) will run against the males in the GI Whitney Stakes at Saratoga, DJ Stable's General Manager Jon Green announced on his Rail Talk podcast Sunday morning. She is coming off an explosive victory in the GI Ogden Phipps Stakes, which she won by 12 3/4 lengths.

“First and foremost, with a filly of this magnitude we want to make sure we make decisive and specific decisions in regard to her career,” Green said. “There are so many races left in her career. Our next race won't be going back to the turf. Instead, she's going to take on the boys in the Whitney.”

The Whitney is annually one of the top races run at Saratoga and the fields over the years have been outstanding. The last filly to win the race was Personal Ensign in 1988. All told, only five fillies have won the Whitney since it was inaugurated in 1928. The list also includes Black Mariah, Bateau, Esposa, Gallorette and Lady's Secret in 1986. No filly has won the Whitney in the last 40 years.

“There have only been six fillies to win a race that's been around almost 100 years,” Green said. “It's a little disconcerting to know that so few fillies have won this. She is very competitive if not at the top of the older horse divisions. We looked at the Stephen Foster and the competition is daunting. We don't know who's going to be in this race, but when you compare her most recent races, like the Phipps, she ranks right up there or at the top of the division.”

Green said he almost vetoed the decision of trainer Mark Casse. He saw something that bothered him with both Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil) and Thorpedo Anna (Fast Anna).

“They gave it their all against the boys in their respective races, but they didn't really bounce out of them,” Green said. “So, I was worried about it because the end game for us is the Breeder' Cup. With the upsides of the Whitney, we started to come around. Most imputably, I looked at Nitrogen herself. Whenever she has had eight or more weeks off, she breaks through her ceiling and earns a new top figure. She gets that little extra time to rest and gather herself and then she runs lights out.”

Green said it is also likely that Nitrogen will run as a 5-year-old.

The post Nitrogen To Take On Boys In The Whitney appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.