Thoroughbred Daily News

The first mare scanned in foal to McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds undefeated new sire Showcase (by Uncle Mo) was reported, the farm said via a Friday press release.

New Year's Wish, a stakes-placed daughter of New Year's Day trained by Linda Rice, was purchased by McMahon. The chestnut was the last horse selected by Rice's father Clyde before he passed away.

Named a 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard,' after his 7 1/2 length debut win, Showcase took home the 2024 GII Saratoga Special Stakes.

Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher said, “Showcase possessed enormous natural ability paired with an explosive turn of foot. He was our 2-year-old that year, a colt who displayed professionalism, athleticism, and the kind of natural speed that consistently stands out at the highest levels.”

“Showcase has taken very well to his new job, having covered 20 mares to date, and is being strongly supported by the syndicate,” said Joe McMahon. “We could not be more thrilled to stand this outstanding son of Uncle Mo out of a full-sister to Volatile, another Grade I sire with a recent Triple Crown prep winner.”

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Tickets to attend the Aug. 15 running of the 167th King's Plate at Woodbine Racetrack are now on sale to the public, according to a press release from the track on Friday.

Pricing starts at $35 CAD (plus taxes and fees) for general admission, which grants access to the grandstand and apron. Those seeking a grandstand seat can choose from Reserved Grandstand, Paddock Club and Loge (Box) seating.

Click here for more information.

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Each year, our team at Taylor Made does a S.W.O.T. analysis for our business. The “T” represents threats, and we have consistently listed the shrinking foal crop as an existential threat to our business. We realize one farm alone cannot stop the tide of breeders exiting our industry, but we are trying to do what we can through our Premier Mare Program. We believe that breeding and raising thoroughbreds can be every bit as gratifying as racing them. Through PMP, we bring like-minded people together to buy quality mares which can produce foals to be presented and sold at the Select Fasig Tipton and Keeneland Sales. Our minimum investment is $50,000, which opens up breeding for the top echelon of the market to a much wider audience. This program offers education about the industry along with full access to our farm and all its resources. We want our new customers to discover the joy our industry can bring for them, their family, and friends.

Five years ago, we set out on a quest to marry our institutional knowledge with technology to create the Taylor Made Mating App. This tool operates a database that recognizes conformational traits of the top 50 stallions in North America. The database also compiles each stallion's tendencies to pass on certain traits to their foals, and checks mares' compatibility with the stallions selected and assigns a score. We create a short list of stallions which fit each mare from a pedigree perspective. Then, we ask the app to rank those stallion options to get the best physical match.

Below are a few of the mares in our PMP group along with our mating plans for 2026.

ZIA'S SONG, 8, Kitten's Joy—Awesome Flower, by Flower Alley. Will be bred to Sierra Leone.

We purchased Zia's Song in 2022 in foal to Gun Runner. At the time, she was a 4-year-old carrying her first foal. She is a half-sister to Cyberknife (Gun Runner), winner of the GI Arkansas Derby and GI Haskell Invitational, as well as to the stakes-placed Tapit Shoes (Tapit). Her dam is a multiple stakes winner and graded stakes-placed.

Our Mating App evaluates 20 physical traits. Zia's Song provides substance and hip, while needing additional size, body length, and correct knees and fetlocks. Once all 20 traits are entered, the program analyzes compatibility across our stallion database.

Matches above 30 points are considered strong. Zia's Song matched 31 points with Not This Time, and that resulting yearling sold for $350,000, despite some veterinary considerations. She is currently in foal to Constitution, another 31-point match. Constitution's son Mindframe was her highest-rated match at 38 points. He is a horse we will consider strongly for 2027.

For the upcoming season, we are returning to the Gun Runner-line with Sierra Leone, who matched Zia's Song at 32 points in our app. With Cyberknife appearing in the first dam and Sierra Leone proving himself a brilliant racehorse, this was a mating we felt particularly confident in and excited about.

DIAMOND ORE, 8, Tapit—Bubbler, by Distorted Humor. Will be bred to Vekoma.

The Premier Mare program is focused on identifying mares capable of producing Saratoga and Book 1 and 2 yearlings, and Diamond Ore perfectly fits that profile. An 8-year-old stakes-placed Tapit mare, we purchased her in foal to Charlatan in 2022, and the resulting yearling sold for $550,000 at Saratoga in 2024. Diamond Ore is a half-sister to Champion 3-Year-Old Arrogate and also a half-sister to stakes winner Osare (Medaglia d'Oro). With her exceptional sire pedigree, the primary goal in mating her is to find the ideal physical match. She doesn't need much: adding some size, body length, and hip is ideal. She will provide the rest.

She has already produced a beautiful Nyquist yearling filly, matching exceptionally well with a 35-point score. Diamond Ore is currently in foal to Into Mischief, a mating that scored 34 points.

SIMPLY ENCHANTING, 5, Nyquist—Enchante, by Bluegrass Cat. Will be bred to Gun Runner.

Simply Enchanting was purchased out of the Fasig-Tipton November sale this year for $450,000 in foal to Curlin (a 35-point score in our program). She checked all of the boxes in terms of physical, her sire, and who she was in foal to. She is Black-Type placed and a three-quarter sister to multiple graded stakes winner Envoutante (Uncle Mo), who was a $1.8 million dollar mare in 2024 who is now being bred to top stallions. We felt that if we got a nice Curlin, we have the potential to recoup most of our purchase price on the first foal and have a top-quality mare who can produce quality foals yearly. We have this mare booked to Gun Runner, who also scored very strongly in our program (31 points).

JUSTA WARRIOR, 6, Justify—A Z Warrior, by Bernardini. Will be bred to Mindframe.

Justa Warrior was purchased privately in foal to Life is Good. This mare is an “A” physical by a top young stallion in Justify. She was very precocious, which we valued. She was a stakes winner at two, and she comes from a very deep and active family. Her first foal was very nice and we loved him all along. We sold him in Book 1 of the 2025 Keeneland September Sale. Unfortunately, he came up with a few X-ray issues that kept us from getting what we wanted for him, but he still brought $150,000. Her second foal is a filly by Gun Runner, and we have very high hopes for her. She is a beautiful physical with a great walk. She will be a Saratoga or Keeneland Book 1 filly and we are expecting big things from her. Unfortunately, Justa Warrior didn't get in foal to Not This Time for a 2026 foal, and she is booked to Mindframe (36 points!) for this season.

TWINKLING, 13, War Chant—Unhurried, by Out of Place. Will likely be bred to Not This Time.

Twinkling was a deal that our dear friend Stuart Angus put together. At the time of the purchase, her first two foals were either graded-stakes winners or graded-stakes placed. Her then 2-year-old, Olivia Twist, was two-for-two and showing signs of being equally as good as her two half-brothers. She too would go on to be a stakes winner and graded stakes placed but more importantly, her older half-brother, Skippylongstocking, would go on to win 11 graded stakes races including this year's running of the GI Pegasus. At the time, she was in foal to Authentic on a June cover. The resulting filly would go on to sell for $500,000 as a yearling, and her current 2-year-old, a filly by Not This Time, sold for $1 million to Repole Stables in the September Sale. She is currently in foal to Curlin. This mare has produced quality stakes horses by Exaggerator, Mshawish, and Liam's Map. While we are still mulling our options for 2026, we are seriously considering Not This Time based on the gorgeous yearling we sold by him in 2025.

THE QUEEN'S MG, 4, Thousand Words—Show Queen, by Grindstone. Will be bred to Not This Time.

This most recent PMP acquisition was a graded stakes winner at Saratoga at two, and came back to win a GII at Gulfstream at three. She is a beautiful physical and comes from a very deep family. We thought this mare would be the perfect fit for Not this Time, and we are very excited to see what her future holds. This mare fits the physical profile of many of the dams of Not This Time's best runners. Her match with him scores a strong 34 which gives us confidence she will get her career started with every opportunity to get a runner.

The post 2026 Mating Plans: Taylor Made’s Premier Mare Partnerships appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

A filly by Nyquist and colt by Yaupon realized the co-fastest eighth in :9 3/5 on Day 2 of the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's March 2-year-old in Training Sale's under-tack show on Thursday.

Offered as Hip 391, the day's fastest-working colt is out of unraced Stand Back (Giant's Causeway), the dam of Grade II winner Step Forward (Speightstown). The Florida-bred hails from the family of Grade I winners Cavorting (Bernardini) and Clairiere (Curlin). He is consigned by Raul and Martha Reyes' Kings Equine.

“I expected something good, but we never was to say [they will go] in :9 3/5 or :9 4/5 because you don't want to jinx the poor horse,” said Raul Reyes. “I did expect him to go fast because he's been very quick the whole time. Also, being by Yaupon, I expect him to have natural speed.”

A $110,000 buy by Scott and Evan Dilworth at Keeneland in November of 2024, the colt RNA'd for $235,000 when offered at that venue last September.

Reyes explained, “One of the reasons the owner didn't sell the horse [as a yearling] was because he felt the horse had ability and he wanted to keep him for the 2-year-old sales.”

Already in the 2-year-old sales' game for 25 years, Kings Equine recorded a first with Thursday's co-fastest eighth of a mile worker.

“That was the first time I had a horse go in :9 3/5 in my life,” Reyes said. “I've had a lot of horses go in :9 4/5 but never that fast.”

According to Reyes, the reason for that somewhat surprising fact is likely because the body under-tack appearance is as important as the listed breeze itself.

“Right now, the majority of the bloodstock agents clock the horses galloping out,” he explained. “It's become pretty much a standard thing now. Going fast an eighth, that's pretty good. But it's better if you also have a good gallop out too.”

Heading the fillies during Thursday's session, Hip 372 is out of Smooth and Savvy (Lucky Pulpit), a half-sister to Grade I winner Smooth Like Strait (Midnight Lute). This is the extended family of GISW Siphonic (Siphon (Brz) and Laragh (Tapit) in addition to Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan (Goldencents).

A member of the Wavertree Stables consignment, the Mar. 26 foal was purchased for $300,000 at Keeneland September last year.

Hip 284, a filly by Drain the Clock registers the fastest quarter at OBS on Day 2 | OBS| Photos by Z

Leading the fray with the track-record equaling quarter mile in :20 1/5 was Hip 284, a Kentucky-bred filly by Drain the Clock. Out of the 9-year-old Queen of Aces (Street Boss), the Apr. 4 foal is from the extended family of Kentucky Oaks heroine Dispute (Danzig).

“We knew she was fast,” said Jesse Hoppel. “We let her run and found she was faster than most of them here. She had a good day.”

Represented by his first crop of juveniles in 2026, the Maclean's Music stallion stands for $10,000 LFSN at Gainesway.

“I have a lot of Drain the Clocks right now, her and several others in training and to tell you the truth, I can't think of one I don't like,” he said.” I have another colt [Friday] that is going to breeze pretty good. I think all in all, the sire might be a pretty decent stallion. I haven't found one (Drain the Clock) I didn't like yet.”

Asked why the decision was made to work a quarter rather than an eighth, Hoppel explained, “Some horses by themselves are self-motivated and they'll do it on their own. Those horses who want to do it by themselves and are naturally aggressive, they like doing it and those are the horses I try to send farther because they like it. If you like your job, you do it better.”

Hoppel also was responsible for the second-fastest quarter-mile worker at OBS on Thursday, a colt by Mo Town (Hip 299) who completed the task in :20 2/5. A $40,000 Keeneland November purchase in 2024, the colt is out of the listed-producing mare Reckon (Into Mischief).

“That horse has been unreal,” Hoppel said. “I bought him as a baby and was thinking I would call somebody and get a partner on the way home. And I ended not calling anybody and keeping him for myself. He just grew up and got better and better and better. You pull him out on the end of the shank, he's absolutely striking. Fellow consignors that I respect on the way up to the chute were asking 'Who's that?' He's just a physically imposing individual.”

The under-tack show continues through Saturday with sessions beginning each day at 8 a.m. The OBS March sale will be held next Tuesday through Thursday. Bidding begins each day at 11 a.m.

The post Yaupon, Nyquist Juveniles Work Co-Fastest Eighth, Drain the Clock Filly Posts Top Quarter on Day 2 of OBS Under Tack appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

With a field size of just over 130, the Organization of Racing Investigators (ORI) meeting smashed their previous attendance record as they convened the 30th annual conference at Tampa Bay Downs on Sunday, Mar. 1.

Over the course of the three-day event, members soaked up presentations centered on integrity issues for equine athletes, traded their craft with one another through fellowship and made new connections that will be essential once they return to their respective jurisdictions.

A survey of the Tampa roll call reflects the organization's regional diversity that emanates from racing commissions to track security, plus there was a healthy international contingent. At this year's event conference goers hailed from Europe, South Africa, Canada and also East Asia–including Japan, Hong Kong and South Korea.

Don Ahrens, one of the founders of the organization, said that ORI has really morphed over the past three decades which has led to better communication between groups like regulators, racetracks and horsemen.

“The personal contact that was established by a mere 22 investigators who first met in Oregon when the idea of ORI took shape all those years ago is alive and well today,” Ahrens said. “We've steadily built something based in education and the affiliations we continue to make form a strong, cooperative network. This not only helps our members, but we spend significant amounts of time disseminating knowledge to other entities and that strengthens relationships across boundaries.”

Presentations during the conference shift each year, but what remains constant is the program seeks to push the envelope when it comes to innovation. How to use data and AI to strengthen equine security, an investigator's role in aftercare and combating  corrupt practices around the racetrack were just some of the themes covered during the sessions.

“The annual ORI conference is one of my favorite meetings to attend,” said Dr. Angela Pelzel-McCluskey, an equine epidemiologist for the USDA. “It continues to be the best place for our top racing investigators in the country to share information, improve their skills and support each other in their combined goal to protect the health and welfare of the horse.”

On the Tampa program, Dr. Pelzel-McCluskey provided an update in her talk about how Equine Infectious Anemia (EIA) in the national herd makes the racing sector a high-risk population and particularly susceptible to blood-borne disease transmission.

Highlighted in her presentation were two outbreaks of EIA in 2024 and 2025. According to Dr. Pelzel-McCluskey, also of interest to investigators were eight EIA cases in Thoroughbreds involving contaminated blood, plasma or biologic products which were illegally imported from other countries.

ORI conference chair Deanna Nicol of Tampa Bay Downs added that important topics like Dr. Pelzel-McCluskey's provide members with essential information for their own toolkits.

“The dedication to safety, security and integrity that this group of individuals display and incorporate into their daily routines, and how hard everyone strives to work together is focused on creating a proactive environment for the sport,” Nicol said. “The camaraderie at the conference creates unique bonds among the group.”

During the Monday evening program, which featured a keynote address by Florida Thoroughbred Breeders' & Owners' Association Administrative Vice President Steve Koch, ORI established a pair of new commendations–the Hanna Hagler Outstanding New Member Award and the Melvin Bell Distinguished Service Award.

Hagler was a law enforcement agent with the Oklahoma Horse Racing Commission, who was diagnosed with cancer and passed away last year. The inaugural award was given to New Jersey Racing Commission investigator Kara Vesci.

Bell, a former police officer in Dallas, was an investigator for 20 years with the Texas Racing Commission until his death in 2022. Keeneland's Billy Fryer, himself a retired Lexington police officer, was named as the recipient.

ORI's highest honor, the John F. Wayne Lifetime Membership Award, was bestowed on Director of Enforcement for the Pennsylvania State Horse Racing Commission Jason Klouser.

During the conference, a raffle held for the attendees yielded over $3,000, which was donated to Thoroughbred aftercare.

Next year's ORI meeting is set to be hosted by Santa Anita Park.

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By any measure, Steve and Denise Smith's Mesingw Farm, which celebrated just its fifth anniversary in December, had a banner year in 2025. From the sales ring, where the operation sold its first seven-figure yearling, to the racetrack where it had a graded-stakes placed juvenile at Saratoga in August and a Breeders' Cup starter in November, Mesingw was hitting on all cylinders. The momentum has carried into the new year with the Mesingw-bred Explora (Blame) a leading choice for the GI Kentucky Oaks following her win in the GIII Honeybee Stakes last Sunday. The Smiths will be hoping the success continues in Ocala where they will offer a pair of fillies through Tom McCrocklin's consignment at the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's March Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale next week.

“Tough to beat,” Denise Smith said when asked to assess 2025. “It was a pretty darn good year. I don't think anybody in their right mind would be disappointed in how last year went.”

Denise was a school district superintendent in Saratoga with no involvement in racing when she first started dating Steve, but she quickly joined in on his dream of breeding Thoroughbred racehorses.

“As we started dating and the relationship got more serious, I said one of my dreams was to have a horse farm and breed Thoroughbreds and race them,” Steve recalled. “Long story short, we ended up coming to Kentucky. This is where it all happens. We are happy we did. We bought a small farm in Athens, not too far from Juddmonte. The idea was to have five or six select broodmares. We started with lower level broodmares because we didn't want to make mistakes with very expensive broodmares.”

What started as a plan for five or six broodmares soon escalated and with a broodmare band that currently numbers some 30 head, Mesingw Farm needed a new home.

“We have had good guidance with people we've associated ourselves with,” Steve said. “When were first introduced down here, it was actually Bayne Welker from Fasig-Tipton that we met and got to know and he's been a guiding person for us all along. He is the one, when we bought the first farm in Athens, who said where you want to be is between Versailles and Midway. We bought too many mares, we outgrew our first farm and we ended up purchasing Lane's End yearling division farm on Old Frankfurt Pike. They called it the Fort Blackburn Division. That's where our horses are stabled now.”

Looking back at the farm's trajectory, Steve added, “There is no why. I just wanted to do it.”

Meringue | Coady Media

The Smiths say their operation is a mix of breed to race and to sell, as exemplified by their success at Saratoga last summer where their homebred Meringue (Frosted) finished second in the GIII Adirondack Stakes just days before they sold a colt by Good Magic for $1.6 million at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale.

“That was my dream in the breeding business,” Denise said of the sale result. “To sell a million-dollar yearling. And hopefully at Saratoga, because that's my home town. That was beyond our wildest expectations.”

As for Steve, he dreams of a victory on the First Friday in May.

“I am filly guy,” he said. “A lot of people ask me if I want to have a Derby horse and I say I want an Oaks horse. I wouldn't turn down a Derby horse, for sure, but fillies are our thing.”

He could soon check that box, too, if Explora continues on her path towards Churchill Downs. The Smiths purchased Collections Choice (Bernardini), with the future Honeybee winner in utero, for $75,000 at the 2022 Keeneland November sale. It was a productive sale for the couple, who also purchased Catbrier (Street Sense), with future 'TDN Rising Star presented by Hagyard' Meringue in utero, for $32,000 at that same auction.

The Smiths sold Explora for $22,000 at the 2024 Keeneland September sale and watched as the filly returned the following year to sell to Mike Pegram, Karl Watson, and Paul Weitman for $350,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic May 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale. The filly won the GII Oak Leaf Stakes and was second in the GI Del Mar Debutante and GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies last year before cementing her position near the top of her division in the Honeybee.

“We're proud of her,” Denise said of Explora. “We wouldn't be good breeders if we weren't producing graded stakes winners. That's the goal for all breeders, to be producing graded stakes winners.”

Steve admitted to some complex emotions watching a horse he bred head towards the Kentucky Oaks carrying someone else's colors.

“Probably a lot of mixed emotions,” he said. “Obviously, I will be so proud of her. And it will just drive me to try to get there again.”

Explora | Coady Media

The experience of selling Explora and watching her blossom into a graded-stakes winner with Classic ambitions, the Smiths have adjusted their program. When they thought they weren't getting the best price for their yearlings last fall, they weren't afraid to bring them home.

“What we did this year was a direct result of Explora,” Steve said. “I should have kept her and got her breezing and evaluated her ability at that stage of the game, even if we would have sold her and stayed in for part.

“So we kind of adjusted our model a bit. It all turns with the yearling market and what we think our yearlings are worth. We try not to be slanted, but we know what we have. We get a chance to see them race around the field, we know how they move. The yearlings we did not think the right number was there on the reserve, we just kept.”

Denise adds, “A good example is Meringue's half-brother by Oscar Performance. He was in the Keeneland sale and when it came to the day of the sale, he only had four vettings. We were shocked. So we scratched him and sent him into training. He is a good horse and we are not going to devalue him in any way. We know what we have.”

Predictably, the new approach has led to a larger class of newly turned 2-year-olds for the operation, which currently has 19 horses in training. Two of the juveniles who were taken home from the yearling sales last year will hit the track at OBS this week. Scheduled to work Friday is Candy Illusion, a filly by Twirling Candy (hip 453). She is out of Tizanillusion (Tizway), a daughter of graded-placed Hermione's Magic (Forest Wildcat), and RNA'd for $75,000 at Keeneland last September.

“As soon as Tom McCrocklin realized she didn't sell, my phone rang right away,” Steve said of Candy Illusion. “He asked what we wanted for this filly. And I said, 'I am not sure, Tom. I think I am going to keep her, but I will send her to you.'”

Expected to breeze Saturday is Flaming Martini (Flameway) (hip 728), a daughter of Eiswein (Klimt). The Smiths purchased the mare as a yearling and she raced in their Elements Racing colors.

“She broke her maiden first time out and oddly enough, just never ran that race back,” Steve said Eiswein. “So we bred her. We sold the mare in foal last year, but we kept the filly just because we liked her physical.”

For the Smiths, racing is a game of patience and it's the horses who always come first.

“It took forever to get Stellify (Justify) to the races and we would start with her, have to stop, start with her, have to stop,” Steve says of the graded stakes winner who took them to the Breeders' Cup last year. “I can't give enough credit to Brad Cox. He was patient. And he would say the same about us. He would say we are the most patient owners in the world. Really, I am not, but if you don't have patience in this business, the horses will make you have patience. You just have to take that pill and swallow it and do the best thing for the horse from a physical standpoint.”

That horse-comes-first philosophy starts right with the farm's name.

“When we moved to Kentucky in December of 2020, we were trying to decide what to name the farm,” Denise said. “I researched the native American history in Central Kentucky and I was reading all of the legends. Mesingw is the spirit guardian of the forest and the animals. He basically tested the character of hunters and young braves who would go into the forest hoping to find him to have their character tested. If they were pure of heart and took good care of the animals and were respectful, then they would have a successful hunt and if they weren't, if they were greedy or let animals suffer unnecessarily, then he would make accidents happen to them. We kind of liked that. If you treat animals well, they will treat you well.”

If 2025 was anything to go by, it would seem Mesingw is well-pleased with the Smiths. And with Stellify and Meringue still on the bench to resume racing this year, a graduate aiming for the Kentucky Oaks, and a host of racing and sales prospects just getting started, the best could be yet to come for Mesingw Farm.

The post After ‘Tough to Beat’ 2025, Mesingw Farm Ready for More in 2026 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Fresh off an action-packed Saturday at Gulfstream Park, Bill Mott wasted no time returning to the routine at his Payson Park base. The Hall of Fame trainer was back on the track the following morning to oversee Horse of the Year Sovereignty (Into Mischief) progressing toward his 4-year-old debut.

The Godolphin homebred worked four furlongs in company in :49.80. Mott described the breeze as “workmanlike,” noting that it was exactly the type of effort he has come to expect from the three-time Grade I winner.

“He's not a spectacular workhorse unless you ask him for it,” Mott explained. “He'll do whatever you want him to do. It's really what I expected and what I wanted. He finished up well enough and had a useful gallop out.”

After a commanding victory in last year's GI Travers Stakes, Sovereignty's sophomore season ended prematurely when he spiked a fever a few days before the Breeders' Cup Classic. The son of Into Mischief spent some time at Godolphin's rehabilitation and training barn with Johnny Burke at Keeneland before returning to Mott's string at Payson just after the first of the year. Sunday's breeze marked his third work back.

Mott indicated that Sovereignty will likely return to the starting gate in the GII Oaklawn Handicap on April 18. The GII Alysheba on Kentucky Oaks Friday is a secondary option, though that race is also the tentative target for Sovereignty's new stablemate Baeza (McKinzie). The 4-year-old arrived at Mott's base two weeks ago following the passing of his previous trainer John Shirreffs.

Baeza breezes for John Shirreffs on Feb. 15, 2026 at Santa Anita | Horsephotos

Of Baeza, who is co-owned by CRK Stable and breeder Grandview Equine, Mott said, “He could potentially go to the Alysheba. I know the Oaklawn Handicap was a consideration for the connections, but we've got a ways to go to get him ready.”

Last year, Baeza was third to Sovereignty in the GI Kentucky Derby and GI Belmont Stakes and runner-up behind him in the GII Jim Dandy Stakes before he earned his own Grade I score in the Pennsylvania Derby. Mott said he plans to keep the two colts separate for as long as the calendar allows, though he acknowledges their paths will converge this fall if all goes according to plan.

“If we have to run against each other, we will,” Mott said. “I don't like running against myself but they have different ownerships and those people deserve to run their horse where they have the best chance. Eventually the long-term goal would be looking at the end of the year, you hope they have to run against each other in the Breeders' Cup Classic and you hope they both make it there.”

Baeza recorded his first work for Mott on Feb. 26, going four furlongs in :49.20. The son of 2024 Kentucky Broodmare of the Year Puca (Big Brown) was last seen running sixth in the Breeders' Cup Classic and he recorded three works under Shirreffs earlier this year.

“It was nice to be considered for Baeza, but I wish I wasn't the trainer of him right now,” Mott shared. “I'm glad to have him in the barn and it's a feather in our cap that we've been chosen, but I'd rather that John had him and be competing against him. We lost one of the good guys and we'll do the best we can with the horse.”

The Mott barn's impressive depth in the older dirt male division is further bolstered with the ultra-fast 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' Knightsbridge (Nyquist), who dominated in last Saturday's GIII Gulfstream Park Mile Stakes. Another Godolphin homebred, the 5-year-old was under wraps in the stretch of his 11 1/4-length victory and he earned a 112 Beyer Speed Figure.

Knightsbridge and Junior Alvarado dominate in the GIII Gulfstream Park Mile Stakes | Lauren King

Mott reported that Knightsbridge returned to Payson Park in good order and said the next step is to elevate the three-time Grade III winner to Grade I competition. He will likely target the seven-furlong Churchill Downs Stakes on Kentucky Derby day, followed by the GI Metropolitan Handicap at Saratoga on June 6.

Knightsbridge was a winner on debut late in his juvenile season and scored a nine-length win at Gulfstream Park in his next start the following March. He was sidelined twice over the next year and a half before getting his first win of the current four-race streak last November.

“We thought we were going to be a big factor in the GII Pat Day Mile, which I was excited to run him a flat mile at Churchill Downs on Derby weekend,” Mott said. “In his last work, he came up with a minor injury and we just had to give him time. We've had to do that on more than on occasion, but finally we've got three [graded stakes] races in a row with him now. We feel like we have a little momentum and he's been coming out of those races good, so maybe he's ready for the stiffer tests that are ahead of him.”

Knightsbridge is a half-brother to Darley sire Speaker's Corner (Street Sense), who, like his younger sibling, won the GIII W. Fred Hooper Stakes and Gulfstream Park Mile. Mott said he sees similarities between the two grandsons of champion Round Pond (Awesome Again) and added that for now, Knightsbridge will stick to the mile distance.

“Speaker's Corner was very good at a flat mile, and Knightsbridge has proven that he's very good at a flat mile,” he noted. “He's a slightly different body type, but this is a gorgeous horse. Well-muscled, but very balanced. Right now we've got no reason to go beyond the mile because there's a good race at seven furlongs and a good race at a mile. He's pretty well proven that he can be effective at that and I think it would be foolish to try to stretch him out right now. Perhaps maybe later in the year, we'll give it a try. I know the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile at Keeneland is a mile, but it's a two-turn mile, so that's a little different configuration for any of them that have been running one-turn races.”

Commandment and Chief Wallabee in the GII Fountain of Youth Stakes | Lauren King

A few hours after Knightsbridge put on a show last Saturday, Mott was represented in the feature race by Chief Wallabee (Constitution). The Mott barn, which captured last year's GII Fountain of Youth Stakes with Sovereignty, had to settle for a hard-fought second this time around. After racing four wide around the turn and dueling with Wathnan Racing's Commandment (Into Mischief), Chief Wallabee came up a neck short in only his second career start.

“I was very pleased with the effort for him to run that well off of having just one one-turn race ” Mott reported. “He ran more or less a winning race, lost a little bit of ground around the last turn but put in a very nice run. You'd have to believe that he's going to keep improving a little bit with each race.”

Chief Wallabee is the first horse that Mott has trained for Kentucky-based owners Michael and Katherine Ball, whose most notable runner is multiple graded stakes-winning millionaire Limousine Liberal (Successful Appeal).

Mott shared that Chief Wallabee will likely target the March 28 GI Florida Derby.

“There are four or five races to choose from all within four or five weeks from now,” he said. “The easiest one for us to get to would be the Florida Derby. They'll all be on the list, and we'll sort it out with the owners and see if we can come up with a plan.”

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With Eclipse Award-winner Nitrogen (Medaglia d'Oro), who will be heavily favored in Saturday's GII Azeri Stakes at Oaklawn, having won her 2026 debut in the GIII Bayakoa Stakes, D.J. Stable could well be on its way to another successful year. But not everything has gone right in 2026 for the Green family and its stable. Two of its most prominent horses–Sandman (Tapit) and Ewing (Knicks Go)–have been surprisingly disappointing in recent races.

In hopes of getting them back on track, the stable will be sending both to Mark Casse's farm in Ocala to see if the trainer can fix what appears to be broken. Ewing has already arrived in Ocala, and Sandman will travel there next week.

Sandman won last year's GI Arkansas Derby, but has lost six of his races since. He made his 4-year-old debut in a Feb. 7 allowance Oaklawn, finishing fifth. He came back in last Saturday's GIII Razorback Handicap, also at Oaklawn, where he never picked up his feet, finishing sixth. He was beaten 18 lengths.

“Sandman is going to head back to Ocala for reevaluation,” said D.J. Stable General Manager Jon Green. “We were disappointed in the fact that it just didn't seem like he was giving his all in the most recent race. In the allowance race, we were kind of writing it off to the fact that he was down on the rail and he didn't have a chance to stretch his legs like he likes to because he's a big, leggy horse. He also got cut up from actually hitting other horses in the course of that race. So, we were willing to pass on that. The Razorback really disappointed us. He is 100 percent sound, so it's not a matter of soundness issues. We're hoping it's more a mental issue or that there's just something we're missing. He's a happy horse, but he's not giving it his all.”

Green said the plan is to regroup and bring Sandman back to the races at some point this year.

“There are not any plans to retire him at this point,” he said. “That's for the simple reason that we feel like he's got running and racing left in him. We're always going to side with the horse. If he tells us at this point in time that he's happy with his accomplishments, being a Grade I winner and making $1.5 million, then he owes us nothing. But if there is a way for us to figure out his mindset and he shows us that he does want to continue to race, hopefully Mark Casse will unlock whatever is concerning him.”

Ewing (Knicks Go) was off for more than six months after winning the GII Saratoga Special Stakes. He returned Feb. 21 and also turned in a flat performance, running sixth in the Ozark Stakes at Oaklawn as the 3-5 favorite.

“With Ewing, we're doing the same thing,” Green said. “He came out of his race and he was sound. The light just didn't go on. So, we sent him back to Ocala. They're both going to be on kind of the same journey in a sense, and that is to figure out how to get the light to turn back on. There will be an ongoing evaluation of both horses.”

The Greens are hoping for better things from Nitrogen on Saturday. A versatile 4-year-old, she finished off her year with a win in the GI Alabama Stakes before finishing second behind older horses in both the GI Spinster Stakes and the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff. But Green was quick to acknowledge that the Azeri does not look like an easy spot.

“Any time you're in a Grade I or Grade II-caliber race, there are always horses in there that you are concerned about,” he said. “The Azeri is no different. Of the six horses she will be facing, the lowest money-earner in the race is Perfect Shot, and she's made more than a half-million dollars. There are a couple of Grade I winners in there. You should always be recognizing who else is in the race and what they can do. There are some legitimate fillies in there. There are some tremendous fillies in there, and there's a reason why they are still racing–it's because they do have talent.”

Before the Bayakoa, Casse had stated that Nitrogen wasn't fully cranked up for that race. For that reason, Green believes she can run a better race Saturday.

“Going into her last race, she was about 80 percent fit,” Green said. “She's close to 100 percent fit now and doing really well. We have high expectations for her, but they still have to run the race in the afternoon.”

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Breeders' Cup Limited has joined with Brown Advisory, an independent investment management and strategic advisory firm serving individuals, families, nonprofits, institutions, and financial intermediaries worldwide, as an official partner of the 2026 Breeders' Cup World Championships, the group announced Thursday.

Under the agreement, Brown Advisory becomes the name-in-title partner of the $1 million GI Brown Advisory Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf.

“We are delighted to welcome Brown Advisory as a new official partner of the World Championships,” said Drew Fleming, President & CEO of Breeders' Cup Limited. “With a strong global presence and a client-first approach, Brown Advisory shares our commitment to excellence and to engaging a world-class audience.”

“We are thrilled to partner with the Breeders' Cup as we extend our longstanding support of racing and equestrian sport to the preeminent international event in Thoroughbred flat racing,” said Mike Hankin, Co-CEO of Brown Advisory. “Breeders' Cup and Brown Advisory share a global footprint, a focus on innovation, and a commitment to building meaningful partnerships. We look forward to this year's Brown Advisory Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf.”

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Last Sunday's GII Rebel Stakes third-place finisher Litmus Test (Nyquist) will stay in Hot Springs to contest the GI Arkansas Derby March 28 for trainer Bob Baffert.

Speaking of his Arkansas runners from last weekend, Baffert said that while his GIII Honeybee Stakes winner Explora (Blame) had shipped back to California, Litmus Test would remain at Oaklawn through the end of the month.

“I didn't want to bring him all the way back here and ship him back,” Baffert said. “He's there. I want to give him another chance. I didn't want to run here (Santa Anita). I've got other horses for here. Just splitting them up.”

Litmus Test, who went off favored in the Rebel, weakened from the lead to finish third 5 1/4 lengths behind Class President (Uncle Mo) in his first start since winning the GII Los Alamitos Futurity Dec. 13. He currently sits eighth on Kentucky Derby leaderboard with 34 points.

Of Explora, Baffert mentioned a potential next start in the GII Fantasy Stakes at Oaklawn March 27.

“I'm just going to see how she responds out of that race,” Baffert said. “She'll definitely be nominated to the Fantasy. I'll have something in the Fantasy.”

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Despite several cold and snowy weather-related cancellations, more race days and higher available and paid purses were amongst the positive economic trends year over year for the month of February. 230 race days (+5.02%) led to over $79,562,309 (+8.57%) of paid out purses last month spread over 2,001 races (+4.76%).

Field size remained largely the same, dropping just slightly from 7.98 in 2025 to 7.78 this year while wagering was also down a bit from $771,126,687 to $756,813,375 (-1.86%). Average wagering per race day was the most noticeable decrease, with the amount wagered per day falling to $3,290,493 (-6.55%).

Year to date, wagering on U.S. races was down 4% with the only positive increase shown appearing in average available purses per day race which rose just 0.94%.

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Del Mar's 'Ship and Win' program will return for its 16th year when racing returns to the seaside oval July 17 and will help boost purses for 2-year-old maiden special weight races to record levels.

The 'Ship and Win' program provides $5,000 for any qualified dirt runner in their first local outing. The 50% purse bonus is applied to the first through fifth finishers in their initial start and all subsequent outings at the meet. For turf runners, there is a $4,000 payment for that first start, as well as a 40% bonus attached to the purses of the first through fifth runners.

The juvenile maiden special weight races for dirt runners offered this year will reach new heights when they include 'Ship and Win' runners who will compete for record purses of $150,000 thanks to the 50% purse bonus.

“'Ship and Win' has been an extremely successful program for Del Mar and California racing overall,” said Del Mar senior vice president and racing secretary David Jerkens. “Our owners and trainers continue to take advantage of this powerful economic boost. And this year we're proud to offer $100,000 straight maiden purses for dirt 2-year-olds that can rise to $150,000 with the 'Ship and Win' bonus.”

For more information on the 'Ship and Win' program, visit: www.dmtc.com/horsemen/ship-and-win.

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Everett Dobson, chairman of The Jockey Club, pledged to collaborate with horsemen to find solutions to racing's many challenges and ways to grow the sport while delivering the keynote address at the National Horsemen's Benevolent & Protective Association Conference at Oaklawn Park Wednesday. Dobson acknowledged some of the divisions between The Jockey Club and the National HBPA, including The Jockey Club's support of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority, the constitutionality of which the National HBPA is challenging in court. But Dobson stressed the common goals shared by the two organizations.

“Our first allegiance is to the horse,” Dobson said. “As I look around this room and look at the mission statement and position statements of the National HBPA, it's apparent that when it comes to the horse, we are as closely aligned as two organizations could possibly be. The improvement this sport has made in the health and safety of the Thoroughbred racehorse is, I believe, the single-most important thing I've seen in my now 30 years of involvement.

“I am also of the belief that credit for that should be spread far and wide, and especially to the great horsemen and women that make up the National HBPA. You are the ones putting your hands on the horse, providing for the care and nutrition needs for every single horse, every single day.”

In 2021, The Jockey Club proposed capping the number of mares that a stallion could breed to in a year at 140, but the proposal prompted a lawsuit from three of Kentucky's largest stud farms and The Jockey Club dropped the controversial rule change.

During his address Wednesday, Dobson said he is prepared to take another run at the rule, but with a different approach.

“As we think about the health of the Thoroughbred breed, we must not ignore the alarming increase of the coefficient of inbreeding,” he said. “Years ago, The Jockey Club attempted to impose a cap on the number of mares a stallion could breed. Under my leadership, we're going to revisit that question. This time, we will involve stallion farms and other breed registries around the world to help us find the solution. Our discussions must be science-based with an understanding of the economic realities of the world we live in.”

Dobson said that when he was tabbed to replace retiring chairman Stuart Janney, he met individually with all The Jockey Club board members and stewards.

“I'm going to tell you what I told them,” he said. “I think big; I guess I always have. I founded this cellular telephone business when I was in my 20s that became one of the largest in the country. When I started out, I wasn't thinking, 'Oh gee, let's make this a nice little Oklahoma business.' Quite the contrary. When I joined the seven others to purchase what is now the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2006, we didn't sit around and discuss the keys to being the operators. No, we discussed what a pathway would look like to a world championship–and it didn't hurt that we had two Arkansas Razorbacks on the team to do it.”

Listing some of his goals for The Jockey Club, Dobson said the organization would back a national marketing campaign that builds on The Jockey Club's America's Best Racing initiative; continue to push for legislation that would permanently ban horse slaughter and the export for slaughter of horses abroad; substantially increase its funding for the aftercare of retired racehorses; and continue to support the traceability initiative to track horses throughout their post-track lives.

Dobson said the industry needs a permanent endowment or endowments “of significant size that will provide a level of certainty for every horse that showcases their talent for our entertainment.” He noted that The Jockey Club already has the Grayson-Jockey Club Foundation, which for decades has funded research to improve the health of the horse, as well as The Jockey Club Safety Net Foundation, which helps those in need who work in the industry.

Beyond the traditional metrics of foal crop, race days, field size, attendance on racing's big days, Dobson said, “I want this industry to also be one of job growth. We need young people to consider this sport as a viable career.”

Dobson said a positive trend is that major capital projects aren't restricted to high-profile tracks such as Churchill Downs, Keeneland and Belmont Park, but underway at smaller tracks in Nebraska, Wyoming, Arizona and Kansas.

“Thinking big means we don't ignore the smaller markets,” he said. “Without a doubt, this influx of capital will produce some level of growth.”

Dobson said one of the most challenging metrics is the foal crop in regional markets. He said he is convinced that “states are going to have to broaden their breeding and racing programs in partnership with surrounding states. Fortunately, I'm hearing that there are meaningful conversations underway.”

But, he continued, “Nothing big in the sport will happen if we can't improve fan engagement…. We can reach new fans. I've seen it in the NBA.”

While there is incredible fan engagement in pockets around the country such as Oaklawn, Keeneland, Saratoga and Del Mar, Dobson said “our mission is to expand that reach by looking at what is successful and develop that relationship with new and younger fans on a continuous basis.

“… I have become a big advocate for a national marketing campaign, one that will focus on messaging that elevates this sport in the eyes of the general public. A few years ago, The Jockey Club launched America's Best Racing, through which we had an influencer program last year that was a huge success. That program will be expanded this year and play a key role in a more comprehensive national marketing campaign. Broadly speaking, we are in an entertainment business. We compete with other sports and other forms of gaming, but we have an amazing story to tell. It's time to start talking.”

At the heart of progress is working together, he said.

“Sports and sports leagues function best when there is collaboration toward the common goal,” Dobson said. “My belief is that horse racing can raise to a far higher level of participation and fan engagement. For that to happen, we need collaboration and unification…. For this sport to move forward, it will take a team: the horsemen and women that rise before dawn, the track operators that are reinvesting in their infrastructure, the breeders who take long-term risk, the bettors who support us every day, those that buy our yearlings and 2-year-olds at the sales. It will take all of the industry organizations working together, and it will take those organizations working with HISA, and HISA working with us. If we are serious about thinking big–truly big–our future…will be built at the big table. Tables where we check our egos at the door, where we debate vigorously, disagree honestly, but being aligned around the common purpose.

“Can we elevate this sport to a level that hasn't been seen in a generation? I believe we can, with commitment, collaboration, integrity, unification and a big dose of big ambition. I am standing before you because I believe the best days of Thoroughbred racing are not behind us. They are in front of us.”

To view the complete address, click here.

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Thoroughbred Owners of California (TOC) named seven new directors Wednesday afternoon, according to a letter to TOC membership from TOC President and CEO Bill Nader. Nominations for the ballot closed Mar. 1 with seven qualified candidates for seven open positions, giving each one the position without the need of an election and saving the organization approximately $18,000 in election expenses.

The new board, which will be seated July 1, follows:

• Gary Barber, three-year term: Chairman and CEO of Spyglass Media Group, LLC, TOBA's National Owner of the Year (twice), and Outstanding Owner at The Jockey Club of Canada's Sovereign Awards (twice).
• Tim Cohen, three-year term: From a family involved in racing for more than 60 years, he now introduces new owners through Rancho Temescal Thoroughbred Partners.
• Matt Dohman, three-year term: Founder of Optimum First Mortgage and a licensed real estate broker, as well as operator of syndicate California Racing Partners.
• Gary Fenton, three-year term: An entertainment attorney, TOC Chairman, one of the 12 stewards of The Jockey Club, and managing partner of Little Red Feather.
• Terry Lovingier, three-year term: Owner and president of Lovco Construction, Inc., as well as owner and operator of Lovacres Ranch.
• Darren Filkins, two-year term: Appointed in July of last year and Chief Executive Officer of Harris Farms.
• John Sikura, two-year term: Appointed in January of this year and president of Hill n' Dale Farms.

TOC's 2026-27 Board of Directors will also be comprised of TOC Board members Joe Ciaglia, Mark Glatt, Ty Green, Ryan Hanson, Stephanie Hronis, Bob Liewald, Andy Mathis, and Samantha Siegel.

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After two days of proceedings in a federal bankruptcy court in Chicago Tuesday and Wednesday, judge Timothy Barnes has authorized the release of funds to pay outstanding wages owed to Hawthorne employees and to pay for the necessary equipment to resurface the track in preparation for a Thoroughbred meet, according to Illinois Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association (ITHA) president Chris Block, who attended the hearings.

Hawthorne, and its related companies, filed for a Chapter 11 business reorganization Friday. The filing is built around a “debtor in possession” financing mechanism, which is when a debtor “keeps possession and control of its assets while undergoing a reorganization under chapter 11.”

Hawthorne has secured temporary funding of around $16 million from JDI Loans, with a 120-day term limit on these funds.

Some horsemen and women have also been unable to access monies in their bookkeeper accounts at the track. This includes earnings as well as funds put into the account in advance of the meet.

Block explained that next Tuesday, the judge intends to consider a motion to unfreeze the bookkeeper accounts as part of a second round of funding issuances.

If the judge indeed rules next Tuesday to unfreeze the accounts, the funds will be available to the horsemen and women “soon after that,” said Block. “I don't want to say the actual day. Could be Wednesday. Could be Thursday.”

Come the end of the annual winter Standardbred meet, the track must be prepared for Thoroughbreds. As of early last week, the rail had been switched but the annual reconditioning of the track surface was moving along in slow-motion fashion without the usual outside contractors doing the work.

If all goes according to plan, these contractors will now arrive by this weekend, said Block, and training could begin as early as the middle of next week.

While the meet had been scheduled to begin March 29, Black said that now, a more realistic start date is early April. There are an estimated 175 Thoroughbreds currently stabled at the track, under the watch of about 10 different trainers. Other trainers are waiting to potentially ship in.

“We're telling them [the horsemen and women] the track will start to get converted over the weekend and looks like we're targeting a start date of the first part of April,” said Block. “We don't have a firm date yet. We're going to have to work with [Director of Racing] Jim Miller and obviously the bankruptcy officials to make sure they understand when they've got to start paying purses. I'll have to work with the racing board as well.”

Hawthorne, under President and General Manager Tim Carey, is working with financial advisor Getzler Henrich & Associates on its bankruptcy reorganization.

In 2019, Hawthorne received approval by the Illinois Gaming Board (IGB) to build and operate a “racino” with casino-style gambling machines and table games.

Since 2019, however, nothing concrete has materialized on that possibility despite repeated promises to the contrary by track operators.

Block explained that if at the end of the 120-day loan cycle Hawthorne still hasn't found a business solution (either a partner in any casino or a buyer to purchase it outright), the company could either ask for additional funds to keep operating, or else JDI Loans shoots to the head of the creditor's table to get paid back.

“This puts Hawthorne on the shot clock, if you will. They've got to get to a deal. They've got no choice. Ultimately, I would hope and pray there's an entity out there that would like to carry Hawthorne forward as a racetrack or casino, and start the process of rebuilding Northen Illinois horse racing,” said Block.

“I think if there's any silver lining from all this, this puts the pressure on them to do that,” Block said, adding that there was no mention during the court proceedings about any specific potential buyers.

He added, “the horsemen hope that Hawthorne can come to an agreement with an entity to partner. We would really like Hawthorne to be part of the future, with a racino.”

The ITHA is represented in its legal fight by attorney Kevin Morse.

Carey was quoted last Friday as saying, “This is a difficult day for Hawthorne and for my family which has owned Hawthorne for four generations over 117 years, but filing for reorganization is the right thing to do for the Illinois horsemen and for our employees and their families.”

At the same time, the TDN understands that several members of several different families with ownership stakes in the racecourse share concerns and outstanding questions about the company's bankruptcy reorganization.

They include questions of transparency over the process to secure debtor in possession financing and concerns the business reorganization could materially impact the family's ownership stake in the company.

According to Hawthorne's initial bankruptcy filing, the company's estimated assets are between $50 million and $100 million, while the estimated liabilities are between $100 million and $500 million.

The list of creditors who have the 20 largest unsecured claims are led by Fanatics LLC, a digital sports platform licensed in Florida, which has an unsecured claim of $8.75 million, according to the filing.

The Stronach Group (TSG)-owned Monarch Content Management is next up with an unsecured claim of $7.13 million, according to the filing.

Monarch is one of several entities that has stopped sending its simulcast signal to Hawthorne because of unpaid bills.

“One of the things they're going to want to do soon is get some of these signals back up and running that they've lost. So, I think that'll be a big part of the initial push by Hawthorne,” said Block.

At last month's Illinois Racing Board meeting, the extent of Hawthorne's financial troubles, and with it the enormous ramifications for industry stakeholders in the state, were made glaringly clear. The track's Standardbred stakeholders have been the hardest hit.

The meeting followed the action of the state racing board to suspend the operating license of Suburban Downs, Inc., which manages Hawthorne's harness meet, for “failure to provide documentation demonstrating its financial integrity, and proof that they can meet the minimum standards” as outlined in state law.

Hawthorne is responsible for more than $580,000 in bounced checks between some 66 individuals in recent months, according to an Illinois Harness Horsemen's Association representative at the meeting. The ITHA is apparently separately owned around $600,000 from Hawthorne for payments dating back seven months.

“I feel very good that our horsemen are going to get the opportunity to race, number one. Number two, we'll get training and then eventually racing,” said Block, emphasizing the need for the bankruptcy judge to next Tuesday authorize the unfreezing of the bookkeeper accounts.

“These people need their money,” he added. “Everybody is struggling along to keep going here, and this will be a big help for those people.”

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Silent Tactic (Tacitus), winner of the GIII Southwest S. Feb. 6 and narrow runner-up in Sunday's GII Rebel S., will be pointed to the $1.5-million GI Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Mar. 28, per trainer Mark Casse.

“I thought Cristian (Torres) gave him a good trip,” Casse said. “He was a little keener, which wasn't surprising to me because he's trained keener. He ended up settling for Cristian, but it took a little bit of doing. He was wanting to go. I think if you look at his numbers, especially if you look Rags and Thoro-Graphs and everything, he is definitely improving. Even if you watch after the race, the gallop out was good and strong. The more ground, the better.”

Silent Tactic was purchased for $500,000 by agent Justin Casse on behalf of owner John Oxley at the 2025 OBS Spring Sale of Two-Year-Olds in training.

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The first session of the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's under-tack show for the March 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale was delayed nearly an hour due to heavy fog Wednesday morning, but once it got going, it was a colt by Army Mule (hip 139) who broke through with the fastest furlong work of the day, covering the distance in :9 3/5. The Arkansas-bred was the last horse to work in the day's first set when he turned in the bullet drill for consignor Cesar Loya.

“The expectations on him were pretty high, he was always very, very fast,” Loya said. “It's hard to say you expect a :9 3/5. Let's put it this way, it didn't surprise me that he went in :9 3/5.

The colt is out of Marching Fire (Midnight Lute), a half-sister to multiple graded-placed Sharp Sensation (Sharp Humor) and was purchased for $57,000 at last year's Texas Thoroughbred Association Yearling Sale.

“My wife [Danielle] and I went to the Texas sale and we purchased two horses and he was one of them,” Loya said. “When he came out in front of me, he was a very balanced, medium-sized horse. He's got a beautiful way of moving. What really made me go for him is I was looking at another horse on the other end of the shedrow the next day and he caught my eye and I'm like that's the Army Mule over there.”

A colt from the first crop of graded winner Tale of Silence (hip 96) and a filly by Mitole (hip 168) shared the fast quarter-mile time of Wednesday's session, both covering the distance in :20 3/5.

Consigned by Doble J Equine Sales, agent, the dark bay colt is out of Lemon Drop Belle (Lemon Drop Kid) and is a half-brother to stakes-placed Exxel (Tale of Ekati). He was a $14,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase.

The filly, consigned by Katie Miranda's White Lilac, is out of Mission from Elle (Noble Mission {GB}), a half-sister to group-placed Cougar Ridge (Johannesburg). She was purchased for $27,000 at Keeneland last September.

“We definitely expected a lot out of this filly,” Miranda said. “Simply because she had been so consistent and nice coming into the sale. She had a really nice prep and she loves this track. She looks great across it. And she is just a very smart filly. She kind of wants to be in the know about everything. And she does all of it on her own.”

Hip 168 | OBS/Photos by Z

Of the decision to work the chestnut filly a quarter-mile Wednesday, Miranda said, “I think she has a big, pretty stride and I liked the way the quarter was going to be able to showcase her.”

The fog which enshrouded the track and caused the delay to the session's start appeared to be a fairly localized event, according to Miranda.

“I actually breezed horses at my farm this morning, which is 15 minutes away, and it was totally fine,” she said. “It was just sitting heavy over OBS apparently. But it was wild. You couldn't even see from one barn to the next.”

Temperatures at the outset of the show were in the low 60s, but rose quickly as the fog burned off and were in the 80s by the time the session concluded just before 3 p.m.

“In March, it's kind of nice because it doesn't affect us a ton with the weather,” Miranda said of conditions throughout the day. “When you get into April and June, nobody wants to be breezing at three in the afternoon. But the track seemed really fair all day. I think they did a great job keeping that consistent.”

The under-tack show continues through Saturday with sessions beginning each day at 8 a.m. The OBS March sale will be held next Tuesday through Thursday. Bidding begins each day at 11 a.m.

The post Army Mule Colt Fastest at OBS March Under-Tack Opener appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

The biggest move made in this week's poll was the jump made by Explora (Blame) after her game win in the GIII Honeybee Stakes at Oaklawn. She jumped from seventh to third. The latest list also includes She Be Smooth (Lexitonian), who lands at No. 4 after her impressive win in the GII Davona Dale Stakes. It will be a quiet weekend for the 3-year-old filly division, but they will run the rescheduled GIII Santa Ysabel Stakes Sunday at Santa Anita. All eyes will be on last year's 2-year-old filly champ Super Corredora (Gun Runner), who will be trying to rebound after a disappointing showing in the Las Virgenes Stakes.

So, here goes, your latest Top 10:

1) ZANY (American Pharoah–Mo' Green, by Uncle Mo) O-Repole Stable; B-D.J. Stable (KY); T-Todd Pletcher. Sales history: $350,000 yrl '24 FTSAUG. Lifetime Record: GSW, 3-3-0-0, $221,500. Last Start: Won Feb. 7 Suncoast Stakes. Kentucky Oaks Points: 30.
   The Mike Repole-owned filly was last seen winning the Feb. 7 Suncoast Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs and remains in a holding pattern until she makes her next scheduled start in the Apr. 3 GI Ashland Stakes at Keeneland. As she didn't exactly blow them away in the Suncoast, the Ashland will be a big test for her and a win there would likely solidify her role as the betting favorite in the Oaks. She's on a regular work pattern for Todd Pletcher at his Palm Beach Downs headquarters, working a half-mile each time.

“She's doing great,” said Pletcher, who has acknowledged that there are some issues with Zany changing leads in a smooth fashion. “Anytime any of them don't do everything perfectly, it worries you. She has a tendency when she changes to her right lead in the stretch, she wants to drift in a little bit. She's a very big, long filly and she just needs a little bit of space to get her balance, to make that lead change. She's also a very curious filly and she kind of takes everything in and looks around.”

2) BELLA BALLERINA (Street Sense–Pretty City Dancer, by Tapit) O/B-Godolphin (KY); T-Brendan P Walsh. Lifetime Record: MGSW, 3-3-0-0, $301,525. 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard.' Last Start: Won Feb. 14 GII Rachel Alexandra Stakes. Kentucky Oaks Points: 60.
Terrific pedigree. Owned and bred by Godolphin. Trained by the talented Brendan Walsh. With this one checking so many boxes, she belongs in the No. 2 spot. She's coming off a half-length win in the GII Rachel Alexandra Stakes. It was not an overpowering performance, but Walsh has predicted that she will “improve a ton” in her next start. That will come in the  Mar. 21 GII Fair Grounds Oaks, which always seems to produce top runners for the Kentucky Oaks. To date, 10 fillies have completed the Fair Grounds Oaks / Kentucky Oaks double. The last to do so was 2025 Kentucky Oaks winner Good Cheer (Medaglia d'Oro). The list also includes the great Rachel Alexandra (Medaglia d'Oro).

3) EXPLORA (Blame–Collections Choice, by Bernardini) O-Michael Pegram, Karl Watson & Paul Weitman; B-Mesingw Farm (KY); T-Bob Baffert. Sales History: $22,000 yrl '24 KEESEP; $350,000 2yo '25 FTMMAY. 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard.' Lifetime Record: GSW & MGISP, 7-4-3-2, $1,064,250. Last Start: Won Mar. 1 GIII Honeybee Stakes. Kentucky Oaks Points: 95.
   All is now forgiven for her defeat as the 4-5 favorite in the Las Virgenes, where she was cooked in a speed duel. She rebounded with a game win in Oaklawn's Honeybee Stakes for Bob Baffert. Like Zany and Bella Ballerina, she was not overly impressive, winning by just three-quarters of a length. But it was an important win that showed that she's back on track. Baffert switched riders for the race, going from Juan Hernandez to Eclipse Award-winner Flavien Prat. Hernandez is good, but Prat may just be in a league of his own. Baffert has not announced where Explora will run next, but he loves to win at Oaklawn, so the Mar. 27 GII Fantasy Stakes would make sense.

4) SHE BE SMOOTH (Lexitonian–Seattle Smooth, by Quiet American) O/B-Calumet Farm (KY); T-Todd Pletcher. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, $162,320. Last Start: Won the Feb. 28 GII Davona Dale Stakes. Kentucky Oaks Points: 50.
It was hard to see this one coming. Though She Be Smooth broke her maiden by 2 1/4-lengths in her first start, she was clearly in tough in the one-mile Davona Dale. But not only did she win, she blew the field away, winning by six lengths and she earned a 91 Beyer figure. The big question going forward will be her ability to negotiate two turns. Both of her wins have come at Gulfstream in one-turn, one-mile races. She Be Smooth is a homebred from Calumet Farm, which also stands her sire, Lexitonian. Lexitonian was a confirmed sprinter who never raced beyond a mile, and recorded his most important win in the GI Alfred Vanderbilt Handicap at six furlongs. Keep an eye on what Prat decides. He rides this filly and Explora. Trainer Todd Pletcher said he will consider the Ashland for She Be Smooth, but it looks like the Mar. 28 GII Gulfstream Park Oaks will likely be her next start.

She Be Smooth winning the Davona Dale | Lauren King

5) MEANING (Gun Runner–Figure of Speech, by Into Mischief) O-Bridlewood Farm & Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners; B-Stonehaven Steadings (KY); T-Michael McCarthy. Sales history: $440,000 yrl '24 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: SW, 3-2-0-0, $187,000. Last Start: Won Feb. 8 Las Virgenes Stakes. Kentucky Oaks Points: 26.
That she beat Explora in the Las Virgenes and Explora came back to win the Honeybee makes this one's credentials look all the better. But it should be remembered that she enjoyed a perfect trip in the Las Virgenes, sitting off a speed duel that involved Explora. She worked Saturday at Santa Anita, going four furlongs in :48.80. Trainer Michael McCarthy has said that the Apr. 4 GII Santa Anita Oaks will be next for his filly. Owned by the partnership of Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Bridlewood Farm, Meaning was bought for $440,000 as a yearling at Keeneland September. For a Gun Runner filly that has turned out to be talented, that looks like a bargain.

6) LUV YOUR NEIGHBOR (Constitution–Disobedient, by Into Mischief) O-Lael Stables; B-Anderson Farms Ont Inc & 552727 Ontario Ltd (ON); T-Michael Stidham. Sales history: $350,000 Ylg '24 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: 6-1-4-0, $164,071. Last Start: 2nd Feb. 14 GII Fasig-Tipton Rachel Alexandra Stakes. Kentucky Oaks Points: 40.
Stepped up to run a huge race in the Rachel Alexandra, finishing second, just a half-length behind Bella Ballerina. It was her first start with Luis Saez aboard. He took over for Axel Concepcion. She's run second four straight times and her only win came in her first lifetime start. That came on Sept. 10 at Colonial Downs, where she won by a nose. She will, obviously, need to get over the hump before she can beat the very best of this division.

7) LIFE OF JOY (Gun Runner–Jordayn's Leo, by Malibu Moon) O-Will Stroud, Andrew Farm, Mountmellick Farm & For the People Racing Stable LLC; B-Springhouse Farm (KY); T-Brad H Cox. Sales history: $375,000 yrl '24 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: SW, 4-2-1-0, $180,260. Last Start: Second in Feb. 7 Suncoast Stakes. Kentucky Oaks Points: 22.
Another filly who has been ridden by Prat, so Brad Cox will likely need to start shopping for a new rider. She should probably be rated lower than seventh, but gets the nod in this position because of Cox. He's won the Oaks three times over a span of eight runnings. Life of Joy turned in a solid effort behind Zany in the Suncoast, finishing second. She also held her own against Bella Ballerina when fourth in the Golden Rod. Before that, she was a 2 1/4-length winner of the Rags to Riches Stakes. The Fair Grounds Oaks will be next for her.

8) COUNTING STARS (Honor A.P.–Paynterbynumbers, by Paynter) O-West Point Thoroughbreds; B-HRH Prince Sultan Bin Mishal Al Saud (KY); T-Mark Casse. Sales History: $13,000 yrl '24 KEESEP; $150,000 2yo '25 OBSAPR. Lifetime Record: SW & GSP, 6-3-1-0, $376,356. Last Start: Second Mar. 1 GIII Honeybee Stakes Stakes. Kentucky Oaks Points: 25.
Bought for just $150,000 at the OBS Spring Sale, this filly makes the list after finishing a game second behind Explora in the Honeybee. Considering that she was beaten 60 lengths in her prior start in the Martha Washington Stakes, it was a stunning turnaround for the Mark Casse-trained filly. But she was also good enough to win the Year's End Stakes at Oaklawn by six lengths. She is owned by West Point Thoroughbreds, which hasn't had much luck so far this year with Super Corredora. Could this one turn out to be their Oaks filly?

9) SEARCH PARTY (Gun Runner–Devious Charm, by Into Mischief) O/B-Tracy Farmer (KY); T-Mark Casse. Lifetime Record: 7-2-1-2, $276,211. Last Start: Fourth GIII Honeybee Stakes. Kentucky Oaks Points: 30.
Another Casse horse who merits a second look. It took her four starts to break her maiden, but once the light bulb went off, she's been good. She won an Oaklawn maiden by six lengths and came right back to win the Martha Washington by a neck. Impeccably bred, she is by Gun Runner out of an Into Mischief mare. Casse has admitted that she has to improve to be an “Oaks filly,” but it looks like he has her headed in the right direction. Casse also has the undefeated French Friction (City of Light), who has yet to run beyond six furlongs, but could also emerge as an Oaks candidate.

10) LABWAH (Charlatan–War Tigress, by War Chant) O-Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohamed Al Maktoum; B-Calvin Crane (KY); T-Salem Bin Ghadayer. Sales History: $125,000 2yo '25 OBSAPR. Lifetime Record: GSW, 4-3-0-0, $232,612. Last Start: Won Feb. 20 G3 UAE Oaks. Kentucky Oaks Points: 50.
The G3 UAE Oaks is not necessarily where you'd expect to find a candidate for the Kentucky Oaks, but Labwah, who is by Charlatan and is a Kentucky-bred, should not be ignored. She's won three in a row and galloped to a 7 1/2-length win in the listed Dubai event. It is possible she will run next G2 UAE Derby in an effort to gain enough points to make it into the GI Kentucky Derby. After the win in the UAE Oaks, trainer  Salem bin Ghadayer told reporters, “I will go back to His Highness Sheikh Hamdan [bin Mohammed Al Maktoum] as she was his pick from the breeze-up sale. I will ask him what he wants to do. But she is ready for both options [the Oaks or Derby].”

The post The TDN Kentucky Oaks Top 10 for Mar. 5: Explora Makes a Big Move appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

The stakes schedule for the 2026 Thoroughbred racing season at Woodbine Racetrack, set to kick off on Apr. 18, was released by Woodbine Entertainment Wednesday.

Woodbine's 2026 racing season is highlighted by two $1-million classics: the 167th King's Plate Aug. 15, and the GI Woodbine Mile Sept. 12. The full stakes schedule consists of 39 graded stakes, including five Grade I events.

“We're very proud of our stakes program at Woodbine and eagerly anticipate a season filled with outstanding competition,” said Michael Copeland, CEO of Woodbine Entertainment. “We look forward to welcoming our racing community and fans back to the track on Apr. 18 for the start of another exciting racing season.”

The renovation of Woodbine's E.P. Taylor Turf Course, which prompted adjustments to last year's stakes calendar, remains on schedule for completion by September 2026.

Turf Champions Day on Saturday, Sept. 12 will put the eyes of the racing world on Woodbine with four Grade I Breeders' Cup “Win and You're In” races. The card is headlined by the ​$1-million Woodbine Mile, $750,000 E.P. Taylor S., $500,000 Johnnie Walker Natalma S. and $500,000 bet365 Summer S. ​

To view the entire stakes schedule on Woodbine's website, click here.

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The first six out of seven mares bred checked in foal to Hill 'n' Dale Farms stallion Barnes (Into Mischief), a multiple graded stakes winner and $3.2-million Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Yearling.

The first mare bred and checked in foal to Barnes was Private Collection (Curlin). Her second dam is GISW Madcap Escapade (Hennessy). This is also the family of GISW Mi Sueno (Pulpit).

Barnes stands at Hill 'n' Dale for $15,000.

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