Thoroughbred Daily News

As part of his official duties, Keeneland's Director of Sales Operations Dean Roethemeier was attending the races Saturday at Meydan in Dubai at the same time that drone and missile attacks launched by Iran were hitting nearby. While he said he never felt unsafe, he noted that his biggest worry was, with the Dubai International Airport having been shuttered, how he was going to make it back home?

But after a long, complicated journey, he had made it to Amsterdam on Tuesday and was expecting to land at the Cincinnati airport Wednesday evening, four days after he was nearly trapped in Dubai.

“When I get home, I probably won't know what end is up,” Roethemeier said by phone Tuesday from Amsterdam. “I'm just happy to be that much closer to home.”

He said that attending the Emirates Super Saturday card was an experience he will never forget.

“It was pretty surreal,” he said. “I've been to a few Super Saturdays at Meydan and the crowd is always big and very lively. This crowd was as big as I've ever seen it and the racing was great.  But everyone was asking 'What is going on?' We heard big bangs and booms and saw the drones and missiles being intercepted. Despite all that, it was pretty much business as usual. When Sheikh Mohammed showed up at the races, that gave everyone a lot more confidence that everything was going to be OK.”

“Yes, it got to be a little nerve-wracking. I would have felt safe remaining in Dubai. But there were no flights going out. It was more of a logistical challenge.”

Roethemeier was scheduled to attend the races at Jebel Ali Racecourse in the Jebel Ali District of Dubai on Sunday, the day after the main attacks. Keeneland is a major, long-standing sponsor at that track. But racing was canceled there because of the war, which meant that Rothemeier could head home…if only there were a way to get there.

He helped gather a group that also included Keeneland colleague Ed Prosser, Arqana's Ludovic Cornuel and bloodstock agent Alessandro Marconi. The group made a connection with Mohammed Al-Saadi, a horse owner based in Oman. It was Al-Saadi who arranged the “great escape.”

“After racing was canceled at Jebel Ali, the airport in Dubai was still closed,” Roethemeier said. “Our best option was to get to Muscat in Oman. The owner from Oman managed to get us a ride across the border. He sent a car to pick us up and get us to the airport. He was so gracious. He even had us over to his house.”

With Muscat International Airport operating, the group was able to move on. They went separate ways, some going to Munich, others to Paris, all with the same goal in mind, to get on a flight to take them home.

“Right now, everybody is back in Europe, so it all worked out,” Roethemeier said. “Everyone at Keeneland, including Tony Lacy and Shannon Arvin, was very supportive and they all worked to find options to get us out of there. We all got very familiar with every flight-booking website there is.”

Though Roethemeier's journey was a long and arduous one, it could have been worse. The original plan was to return through Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Tuesday. A day earlier, two drones struck the embassy compound there. As of Tuesday, the King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh was not fully shut down, but was experiencing massive disruptions.

The post It Wasn’t Easy, But Keeneland’s Roethemeier Is On His Way Back To Kentucky appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

While the war raging in the Middle East has caused uncertainty and danger throughout the region, it appears that most among the group of U.S.-based horses that had been planning on running on the Mar. 28 GI Dubai World Cup card will make the trip to the United Arab Emirates and continue to prepare for one of the world's richest days of racing.

“We're making plans and arrangements as if the world were normal,” said David Fiske, the racing manager for Winchell Thoroughbreds, which owns Dubai World Cup hopeful Magnitude (Not This Time).

The connections that have given the green light to the Dubai trip are doing so even though the State Department on Tuesday ordered the mandatory departure of non-emergency personnel and family members in six countries in the Middle East, including the United Arab Emirates, over growing security concerns. In retaliation to the attacks on its country by the U.S. and Israel, Iran, on Saturday, fired missiles and drones at countries in the Persian Gulf. Included in the damage inflicted on Dubai, a drone strike ignited a fire at Dubai's iconic Burj Al Arab hotel. And four people were injured the same day after an incident at the Dubai International Airport.

On Tuesday, drones reportedly hit the U.S. consulate in Dubai, United Arab Emirates causing the building to catch on fire.

CNN broke into live programming to report the strike. CNN national security correspondent Kylie Atwood relayed that the consulate, which is located about an hour away from the U.S. embassy in the UAE, was currently on fire.

“This was hit by a suspected drone,” Atwood relayed. “This comes after last night, we were tracking drones that had hit the U.S. embassy in Riyadh, [Saudi Arabia].”

As of Tuesday, the Dubai International Airport was operating on a limited basis. The airport was temporarily shut down on Feb. 28 due to regional security tensions. According to trainer Jose D'Angelo, who is pointing Bentornato (Valiant Minister) to the GI Dubai Golden Shaheen, the plane that will take U.S. horses to Dubai is scheduled to leave Mar. 14.

“We are still planning to go,” D'Angelo said. “Everything is set up to go. We have talked to the people in Dubai there and they say that everything is good to go. They say that at the moment everything is good there. Of course, I am worried about it. This is not normal. We see from here on television everything that is going on. But, hopefully, in two weeks the situation will be better.”

Fiske acknowledged that the situation is precarious.

“That the State Department said 'Everybody get out of the Middle East' means it doesn't seem like three days from now they are going to say 'Everything is ok, go back to the embassy, go back to the racetrack,” he said. “I think everybody probably has the same attitude and the same plans that we do–plan on going and then if things aren't right, pull the plug and find somewhere else to run.

“We'd rather be ready to go than pull the plug now and then three weeks later be left thinking, 'Well, that was stupid.' We are expecting the worst and hoping for the best. The people in Dubai may be thinking the same way we are, that they're hoping to run the race and that everything pans out by then.”

It's expected that Magnitude will be joined in the Dubai World Cup field by last year's winner, Hit Show (Candy Ride {Arg}). His trainer, Brad Cox, also said that the plans have not changed and that the recent winner of the GIII Mineshaft Stakes will be back to defend his title.

“We're planning on going as of right now,” Cox said. “I don't know much about what is going on. It's an unknown. We're trying to prepare a horse for a race and it's obviously a prestigious, valuable race with a big purse. We'll just have to see what happens. If it doesn't happen and they can't pull it off, we have other options.”

Burj al-Arab Hotel in Dubai | Getty Images

One horse who will not be making the trip is the New Jersey-bred star Book'em Danno (Bucchero), who was being pointed to the Dubai Golden Shaheen.

“We're not going basically because of the war, the political issues over there and the safety factor,” said Jay Briscione, who heads the partnership that owns last year's Eclipse Award winning sprinter. “I think that any time the State Department tells you not to travel, it's probably good to heed their advice. Something like this doesn't seem like it's going to end quickly. People have always been saying Dubai is the safest city in the world, and I bet that is right. But it's never had a war going on around it like this.”

Briscione said it was his wife that demanded he stay put.

“I kept saying to her, 'Well, it looks like this is going to happen, that we're going.' And she said, 'You're not going anywhere near the Middle East.' You know what? I can't blame her,” Briscione said. “It's hard enough in this business. It's hard enough to plan on any race under normal circumstances and then they throw all this at you.”

Doug O'Neill was not planning on running any horses on this year's World Cup card, but he has traveled to Dubai numerous times and has stabled there in past years. He said that Americans going to the Dubai World Cup should not be worried.

“Dubai is one of the safest places on the face of the earth,” he said. “I certainly wouldn't be hesitant to go to Dubai. You can leave your wallet on a park bench and come back a week later and it will be there. It's just a very safe place. The people are kind and they love their horse racing. I think the racing will continue on and everything will be okay. They are a very successful, wealthy country and they have put a lot of money into defending their country. So, I don't think there will be a problem.”

The post Despite War In Middle East, Most U.S. Connections Still Planning To Head To Dubai appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

The Belmont Child Care Association (BCCA) has kicked off its annual `Think Big for the BCCA' fundraising campaign, designed to increase awareness and raise critical funds to operate Belmont Park's Anna House and Saratoga's Faith House.

The mission of the BCCA is to provide a safe, supportive, and academically inspiring environment for the children of parents working in the Thoroughbred racing backstretch area located at New York's Belmont Park, Aqueduct Racetrack, and Saratoga Race Course. They are committed to promoting early childhood education, molding young minds, and encouraging the fulfillment of dreams.

The program starts at 5 a.m. when backstretch workers begin their morning routines with the horses. Before the program existed, children were dropped off at illegal one room “day care” centers, or they were left in cars while their parents worked. In general, day care centers do not open this early and the lack of financial resources of these families left them with few options. Many of the children attending our program are from immigrant families earning below the poverty level.

Since its opening in 2002, Anna House alone has educated over 1,000 students, several of which are now enrolled in colleges and universities.

Click here for further information, or to make a donation.

The post BCCA Kicks off Think Big Campaign appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Cornell University's College of Veterinary Medicine has commenced a comprehensive three-year study to improve detection of Thoroughbred racehorse injuries with data provided by horses seen by Ruffian Equine Specialists, which is located next to Belmont Park, the New York Gaming Commission said through a Tuesday press release.

The study, funded by New York State and The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA), will build on previous international research and the ongoing industry goal to prevent fatal musculoskeletal injuries.

State-of-the-art standing computed tomography (CT) and positron emission tomography (PET) machines will be installed at Cornell Ruffian as part of the project.

The CT provides a high-resolution image of the bony anatomy, allowing for identification of microstructural changes prior to being apparent on a radiograph.

PET detects increased bone metabolic activity in three different planes, allowing for the exact identification of regions of bone pathology. It also provides a highly sensitive detection of bone abnormalities and remodeling.

Racehorses are routinely examined by veterinarians who use diagnostic imaging. However, such scans can miss hairline fractures and pre-fracture pathology that can lead to fatal injuries. In such cases, horses with such undetected factors may be considered sound–and therefore train and race until they experience a serious or fatal injury.

The three year project seeks to:

• Identify fetlock fractures and pre-fracture pathology in horses with and without lameness;
• Determine the sensitivity and specificity of CT, PET and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) compared to digital radiographs;
• Use photo-counting CT and high field MRI scans to further define early bone pathology in horses that suffered fatal fractures of the fetlock joint;
• Further characterize biomarker findings in healthy and lame horses; and
• Further refine a risk factor index for fatal musculoskeletal injury based on epidemiological findings, preliminary scanning technology, clinical examination, and advance imaging.

“Continuously improving equine safety is an organizational imperative at NYRA,” said President and CEO of NYRA David O'Rourke. “This partnership will dramatically expand access to an important veterinary diagnostic tool while improving scientific research around thoroughbreds training and competing in New York. We thank Governor Hochul for her steadfast commitment to horse racing as we look forward to the opening of a new Belmont Park in September.”

The results of the study will be published in peer-reviewed periodicals and presented at veterinary research conferences.

The post New York And NYRA Support Three Year Cornell Study To Protect Horses appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Skippylongstocking (Exaggerator) will be scratched from Saturday's GI Santa Anita Handicap after he acted up and had to be removed from an airplane in Florida Tuesday morning as his flight to California was preparing to take off.

Mike Welsch of Daily Racing Form previously reported the story, quoting trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr.

“We could have tranquilized him,” Joseph told Welsch. “But with the medication regulations I didn't want to take that chance just four days before the race. He's never done anything like this before, so I'm not sure if it's an indication there is a problem of some sort.”

Welsch reported that Joseph said, “physically, he appears to be fine.”

Joseph told Welsch that Skippylongstocking, who most recently won the GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes, will return to his training base at Palm Meadows. Future race plans for the 7-year-old are undecided.

The post Report: Skippylongstocking To Scratch From Santa Anita Handicap appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Million-dollar earning Gigante (Not This Time), named 2025 Virginia-bred Horse of the Year, headlines a slate of Virginia Thoroughbred Association (VTA) award winners whose connections will receive hardware for their efforts on Saturday, Mar. 14 at Colonial Downs, the track said in a release on Tuesday.

The trophy presentations will take place on the winner's circle stage between races during the Virginia Derby Day card in New Kent, and are presented by the VTA and Virginia Racing Commission.

The other winners are as follows:

• Turf Horse: Gigante
• Older Male: Repo Rocks (Tapiture)
• Older Filly/Mare: Winfinity (Not This Time)
• 2-Year-Old: Doubting Thomas (Carvaggio)
• VA-Certified Older Male: Mindframe (Constitution)
• VA-Certified Older F&M: Future Is Now (Great Notion)
• VA-Certified 2-Year-Old: Just Philtored (Great Notion)
• Top Trainer: Madison Meyers
• Virginia Breeder of the Year: Larry Johnson

The post Gigante Named Virginia-Bred HOY; Awards Slated For Virginia Derby Day appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

The initial mares covered by new stallions First Mission (by Street Sense) and Highland Falls (by Curlin) have reported in foal, Darley said via a press release on Tuesday.

First Mission enters stud as the fastest freshman stallion to retire at $10,000 or less in the past five years after a racing career that was highlighted by a win in the GII Oaklawn Handicap. By sire of sires Street Sense, he is free of A.P. Indy, which is his sire's best cross.

Highland Falls, who took home the GI Jockey Club Gold Cup, is Curlin's only GI-winning son out of a multiple GI-winning mare. The new sire is out of GI Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff winner Round Pond (Awesome Again). Of note, Highland Falls is a half-brother to the dam of fellow Darley stallion Speaker's Corner (Street Sense) and to recent MGSW Knightsbridge (Nyquist).

The post Initial Mares In Foal To New Darley Stallions First Mission, Highland Falls appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

A trio of mares bred to MGISW & 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard', Locked (by Gun Runner) are his first to have checked in foal, according to a press release from Gainesway Farm on Tuesday.

She Be Boss (City of Light) is out of GSW Nellie Cashman (Mineshaft), and is a full-sister to GSP Cassiar and half-sister to GISP Bendoog (Gun Runner). Her first foal, She Be Boss is owned by Nathan McCauley's River Oak Farm.

Also in foal is GISW Funny Moon (Malibu Moon) who is owned by Gene Batia and boarded at Jim and Pam Robinson's Brandywine Farm. She is already the dam of MGSP This Tea (Curlin) and Creole Chrome (Volatile), the winner of the Star Guitar Stakes at Fair Grounds.

Finally, Itgetsgreaterlater (Justify), who is owned by Wasabli Ventures Stables and is a Serendipity Springs Farm boarder, is in foal. She is out of the full-sister to GISW Cupid (by Tapit).

After notching his 'Rising Star' status, Locked secured his first top level victory when he captured the GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity at 2 and then finished third in the GI FanDuel Longines Breeders' Cup Juvenile.

At 3, the newly minted sire returned to defeat older competition in the GII Cigar Mile and the following year took the GI Santa Anita Handicap.
Locked stands for $35,000 LFSN at Gainesway.

The post Trio Of Mares Checked In Foal To Gainesway’s New Sire Locked appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) and Woodbine Entertainment have joined forces to create the Empire Trillium Series, a 14-race program of stakes races restricted to horses foaled in New York or Canada worth $3.2 million in total purses, the pair announced Tuesday.

The Empire Trillium Series will begin at the new and reimagined Belmont Park with eight stakes to be contested between December 2026 and February 2027 on the one-mile Tapeta course.

“NYRA looks forward to partnering with Woodbine Entertainment in this unique venture to create additional black type opportunities for owners and breeders on both sides of the border and to drive further interest in the inaugural winter meet at the new Belmont Park,” said Rob MacLennan, NYRA's Racing Secretary.

The Empire Trillium Series will then head north to Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario, with a further six stakes–four of which are to be contested on Tapeta and two on turf–to be held between April and July in 2027.

“Woodbine is excited to partner with NYRA on this new racing series that creates opportunities for not just our racetracks, but for those that invest in the racing programs in New York and Canada,” said Tim Lawson, Vice-President of Thoroughbred Racing for Woodbine. “It's important that we be innovative and look to try new things, and we're optimistic the Empire Trillium Series will generate positive results for everyone involved.”

The marquee events of the series at Belmont Park will be held in late January with the inaugural editions of the $300,000 Long Island Derby and Oaks, which will serve as the middle leg of the New York segment of the series. The remaining six races in the series at Belmont Park will all be run for foals of 2024 with purses of  $200,000 each.

Four of those races will comprise the inaugural Empire Trillium opening day, when a sprint and route race for each sex will be run on the last Saturday of 2026. The final two races will be sprints, one for each sex run in late February.

“The Empire Trillium Series represents a meaningful step forward in strengthening regional breeding programs across borders while creating new racing opportunities for New York-breds and Canadian-breds alike,” said Najja Thompson, Executive Director of the New York Thoroughbred Breeders, Inc. (NYTB). “We commend NYRA and Woodbine for their collaborative vision, and NYTB is proud to support an initiative that showcases the quality, depth, and competitiveness of our respective programs on an international stage.”

Woodbine Racetrack will then host six races for 3-year-olds and up, including four $200,000 events comprised of six-furlong sprints for both boys and girls on Tapeta during Spring 2027, followed by seven-furlong sprints on Tapeta in the same categories in July 2027. The Woodbine Racetrack-based races are headlined in June 2027 by a pair of $300,000 events, one each for older boys and girls, at one-mile on the world-famous E.P. Taylor Turf Course.

The post NYRA And Woodbine Create Empire Trillium Series appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

by Christina Bossinakis & Patrycja Szpyra

Cherokee Nation (Not This Time) took six starts to break his maiden, but he'd been facing quality rivals in the lead up to his graduation party last Friday. Now, his connections report that elite contests are in the colt's future with their eyes specifically turned toward the GI Santa Anita Derby.

“When the kids go to school, they have fancy Friday and [last] Friday was a fancy Friday for us,” said co-owner Tom Ryan. “We're typically looking at Saturday afternoon, but we were very happy to see what Cherokee put together out there. We have high expectations. All going well, he will likely start next in the Santa Anita Derby.”

“I don't think that we've had a 3-year-old on the first of March produce a performance like that. And he came back out of the race great. This horse has given us all the indications that this is him putting his hand up [and saying] 'put me in, coach.'”

Ryan continued, “For one thing, the timing is great and he's telling us that he's up to the challenge. In regard to the race this weekend, the Beyer was 100, but it could have been 110. The Ragozin came back a four on the sheets, which is a really elite racehorse right there.”

Unveiled last September for trainer Bob Baffert, Cherokee Nation was a troubled fourth in his debut at Del Mar and came back Oct. 13 to miss breaking his maiden by a nose to Grade I-placed Mr. A.P. (American Pharoah).

“He's been promising all along. He finished behind very high quality horses in his first two starts. We felt he had put together two exiting races.”

Sent on a road trip to Kentucky, Cherokee Nation faced salty competition in the GII Kentucky Jockey Club and again after his return to California in the GIII Robert B. Lewis Stakes, the former won by Further Ado (Gun Runner) and the latter by 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard'  GSW & GISP Plutarch (Into Mischief). He ran fifth on both occasions and squeezed another runner-up effort against maidens in between them.

“Shipping him to Churchill, it probably was a little bit too much too soon,” said Ryan. “Since coming back to California, we ran him in another graded stakes race because unfortunately we didn't have enough maidens to run out there. If we would have had more opportunities to run in a maiden, I'm sure we would have. So we ended up with a horse that was fit and we felt that we needed to give him chances, and to keep building that foundation. To some degree, maybe it's all been to our benefit that it worked out this way.”

Last Friday, it was sixth-time lucky for the $1.15-million Keeneland September yearling purchased by Donato Lanni for the partnership that eventually comprised of SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Stonestreet Stables, Bashor Racing, Determined Stables, Golconda Stable, Waves Edge Capital, and Catherine Donovan. He never let Winston Ave (Quality Road) out of his sights and the race was more or less over when he took command on the far turn. It was 10 lengths back to the closest competition.

“I really feel that performance the other day was just spectacular. That was a performance that you ask yourself, 'wow, did that really happen?' He traveled into the far turn and it just looked like he was in command of the race at every call. When [jockey Emisael Jaramillo] let him go and asked him, the horse turned into a monster.”

“He looked comfortable the whole way and as Bob says, 'We find out more and more about these horses as we run them.' This horse put his hand up as in the trip is not going to be a problem. Whether it's a mile and an eighth or a mile and a quarter, you would have the confidence that this horse would see those trips out.”

Ryan continued by confidently stating that, for everything they saw in him at the yearling sale, the circle has looped back around in more ways than one.

“[Cherokee Nation] was the most expensive yearling we purchased that year. He doesn't just catch your eye but he stops you in your tracks. He's everybody's type of sexy. He's just a big, beautiful, two-turn horse that is exciting to have in the barn. The fact that he is out of an Indian Charlie mare is full circle with Bob because he trained Indian Charlie and he's such a good broodmare sire. We are truly excited about the horse and about Not This Time. It feels like sky is the limit with that stallion.”

Litmus Test | Horsephotos

Litmus Test Exits Rebel in Good Shape, Arkansas Derby Next

Favored in last weekend's GII Rebel Stakes, SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, Stonestreet Stables LLC, Dianne Bashor, Determined Stables, Golconda Stable, Waves Edge Capital LLC and Catherine Donovan's Litmus Test (Nyquist) showed early speed, however, got a little leg weary late, finishing third to Class President (Uncle Mo) and Silent Tactic (Tacitus).

Despite the first defeat since his victory in the GII Los Alamitos Futurity on Dc. 13, SF Racing's Tom Ryan wasn't discouraged by the effort.

“I thought Litmus Test's performance [ third in the Rebel Stales] was pretty solid,” he said. “I think he'll progress along. He came out of his race in good shape. Oaklawn's [surface] may have been a little more demanding than we initially felt. He's definitely a good horse and we know he's a cut above his performance in the Rebel.”

Asked what's next for the $875,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga yearling purchase, Ryan told TDN, “I think he is entitled to run back in the [Mar. 28 GI] Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn. I think he will have benefitted from his run in the Rebel and hopefully, he can move forward off of that.”

Likely to return later this season, the partnership's Kristofferson (Nyquist) hasn't been seen since finishing sixth behind Intrepido (Maximus Mischief) in the GI American Pharoah Stakes on Oct. 4. A $1.15 million purchase at Keeneland last September, he narrowly defeated Mr. A.P. (Honor A.P.) in his career debut sprinting six furlongs at Del Mar last August. Mr. A.P. subsequently finished second in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile at the seaside oval.

“He's at Santa Anita and he's probably going to get a little bit more in the next 10 days and we look forward to him,” said Ryan. “He's a horse that has shown that has shown he has a level of brilliance about him. He ran a 90 Beyer as a 2-year-old and he's got that Nyquist class about him.”

The colt was last seen working six furlongs in 1:12.40 at Santa Anita on Jan. 18. In his only other work since the American Pharoah, he worked four furlongs in :46.40, the fastest of 90 at the distance on Jan. 11.

“We just backed off him,” said Ryan. “He was a horse that we did all the usual scans to make sure we were happy with him and continued to move forward. Bob [Baffert] felt we should give this horse an easy 30 days. It's not like he's in a paddock in Northern California somewhere. He is at Santa Anita, two stalls down from Bob's office. We look forward to getting him back.”

He added, “We just felt we needed to give him a little bit of time over Christmas and through the first part of the year to truly mature physically and mentally, so we can have him humming along through late spring and summer.”

Of the older set, Ryan explained that the team is also lookign forward to the return of TDN Rising Stars, presented by Hagyard Cornucopian (Into Mischief) and Imagination (Into Mischief). The former kicked off 2026 with an optional claiming score at Santa Anita on Jan. 31, while the latter was last seen taking the G2 Riyadh Dirt Sprint on the Saudi Cup undercard at King Abdulaziz Racecourse on Feb. 14.

“We are looking foward to Cornucopian being a nice 4-year-old and Imagination is back fro Saudi Arabia,” he said. “We're excited about the group. We have a few difference vintages there but they'll all have their windows to jump through.”

“It's a progressive time of the year for us and we have a few in the chamber that, if things go well, we'll have more bullets to fire in the spring and summer.”

The post Cherokee Nation, Litmus Test Have Elite Engagements on Their Horizon appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

We edge inside the two-month mark to the GI Kentucky Derby with a well-bunched Top 12 hurtling toward more lucrative qualifying points races at longer distances.

1) PALADIN (c, Gun Runner–Secret Sigh, by Tapit) O-Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith, Peter M. Brant, Brook T. Smith, and Summer Wind Equine, LLC; B-Summer Wind Equine LLC (KY); T-Chad C. Brown. Sales history: $1,900,000 Ylg '24 FTSAUG. Lifetime record: MGSW, 3-3-0-0, $848,250. Last start: WON Feb. 14 GII Risen Star Stakes.

The 3-for-3 Paladin has racked up two wins in nine-furlong stakes after getting elevated from second to first via disqualification in his career debut last October.

This $1.9 million FTSAUG son of Gun Runner from Chad Brown's barn has been favored in every start, and now sports a Beyer Speed Figure arc of 87-85-93, which suggests measured progression with room for improvement.

Paladin will have one additional prep (likely the Apr. 4 GI Toyota Blue Grass Stakes) prior to attempting 10 furlongs on the first Saturday in May.

In his first sophomore start Feb. 14 in the GII Risen Star Stakes, Paladin broke alertly and settled willingly between horses into the first turn. He was fourth, about four lengths off the 7-1 breakaway pacemaker Chip Honcho (Connect) in the early part of the backstretch run, then was switched outside in the eight-horse field and incrementally edged up to attain second through opening quarter-mile splits of :23.81, :23.68 and :24.04.

By the far turn Paladin looked certain to seize the lead. But jockey Tyler Gaffalione ended up getting more of a fight than expected from the staying-on Chip Honcho, who was perhaps aided by a Fair Grounds main track that had been slightly favoring speed (five of seven dirt races that afternoon won by horses either on the lead or dueling for it).

Gaffalione roused Paladin with both left- and right-handed stick work off the bend, and although the colt did not uncork one big, blast-off move through the extended Fair Grounds home straight, Paladin finished with locked-in purpose through a fourth-quarter split of :24.84 and a last furlong in :12.77 for a final clocking of 1:49.14.

Paladin's churn-and-grind stretch run was similar to how he polished off the No. 4-ranked Renegade (Into Mischief) in the Dec. 6 GII Remsen Stakes.

But a subtle visual difference was that in the Remsen, Flavien Prat had to start scrubbing on Paladin 2 1/2 furlongs from the wire, while in the Risen Star, a more assertive Paladin was carrying Gaffalione along at a comfortable clip before being set down for the drive.

The bet here is that Paladin will continue to build upon this foundation of steady, no-nonsense power. We will likely see other Derby contenders emerge whose styles tilt more toward “flash and panache.” But Paladin, despite a limited number of starts, already rates an edge in reliability and consistency.

2) COMMANDMENT (c, Into Mischief–Sippican Harbor, by Orb) O-Wathnan Racing; B-Lee Pokoik (KY); T-Brad H. Cox. Sales history: $485,000 RNA Wlg '23 FTKNOV; $475,000 RNA Ylg '24 FTSAUG; $500,000 Ylg '24 KEESEP. Lifetime record: GSW, 4-3-0-0, $403,539. Last start: WON Feb. 28 GII Coolmore Fountain of Youth Stakes.

Commandment boosted his lifetime record to 3-for-4 with his 101-Beyer victory by a neck in last Saturday's GII Fountain of Youth Stakes.

More important than his winning margin and speed number is the “how he did it” factor.

This son of Into Mischief ($485,000 RNA FTKNOV; $475,000 RNA FTSAUG; $500,000 KEESEP) has now put together a string of races in which he has shown he can settle into a comfortable rhythm, even when covered up at the inside, then find a seam and bull on through to the front to finish strongly while still maintaining a measured cadence.

Prior to winning the Fountain of Youth, Commandment took the Jan. 3. one-turn-mile Mucho Macho Man Stakes under confident handling, and also won a seven-furlong MSW at Churchill Downs, opening up late by 5 1/2 lengths. His only defeat was in his career debut, when he rallied from 11th to get fourth going six furlongs at Keeneland.

His Beyer progression now stands at 82-81-91-101.

Commandment's work wasn't done after the field hit the finish line in the 1 1/16-mile Fountain of Youth. Gulfstream utilizes a short-stretch configuration with the wire at the sixteenth pole for main-track races at that distance, and jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. asked the 2.4-1 favorite to gallop out with good energy to the second finish line, which will be Commandment's target in his expected next start in the Mar. 29 GI Curlin Florida Derby.

“I think it was important that Irad asked him to run to the second wire there for the experience moving forward,” trainer Brad Cox said the day after the win. “If we pursue the Florida Derby, it makes sense to continue on to the second wire. You're only doing it if everything's going well. If you're fading or not doing well down the lane, you don't ask him. But if you have horse and you're finishing well, you may as well go ahead and educate him, stay on and finish up.”

Commandment | Lauren King

3) NEARLY (c, Not This Time–Ib Prospecting, by Mineshaft) O-Centennial Farms; B-Wind Hill Farm (FL); T-Todd A. Pletcher. Sales history: $350,000 Ylg '24 KEESEP. Lifetime record: GSW, 4-3-0-0, $249,900. Last start: WON Jan. 31 GIII Holy Bull Stakes.

This $350,0000 KEESEP colt from Todd Pletcher's stable will attempt to pair a victory in the Jan. 31 GIII Holy Bull Stakes with a decent showing in the Florida Derby prior to attempting the Kentucky Derby.

Nearly has been proficient as a speedster/stalker who can apply/take heat right up close to the pace.

This son of Not This Time has now won three straight at Gulfstream by a combined 20 lengths, and Nearly is riding an upward wave of Beyer figures (49-82-97-98) that suggests a breakthrough into triple digits could be within his grasp.

But it's also legit to question whether Nearly's dominance in those three Gulfstream starts was a product of him clearly relishing a strip that often rewards forwardly placed horses while being matched against competition that has since had trouble finding the winner's circle.

The horses Nearly blew away in his maiden, allowance and stakes scores at Gulfstream have collectively posted a 1-for-9 next-race record.

Then again, Nearly did accrue style points and valuable experience in the Holy Bull. Even though he was an aggressor in what seemed like a too-fast-to-last pace, he stuck around admirably to finish with gusto.

As the second betting choice in the Holy Bull, Nearly dueled the favorite into defeat but still had enough energy left to repulse a challenge from the only rival close enough to try to reel him in, widening his winning margin to 5 3/4 lengths over the short-stretch configuration.

4) RENEGADE (c, Into Mischief–Spice Is Nice, by Curlin) O-Robert Low, Lawana L. Low, and Repole Stable; B-Robert Low & Lawana Low (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher. Sales history: $975,000 Ylg '24 KEESEP. Lifetime record: GSW, 4-1-2-1, $199,000. Last start: WON Feb. 7 GII Sam F. Davis Stakes.

Renegade's three starts at age two established that he could perform well against high-level competition in New York. His much-the-best, maiden-breaking score in the 1 1/16-mile Sam F. Davis Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs (92 Beyer) indicated his form has remained sharp in the two-month interim since his last start.

The big question, though, as this $975,000 KEESEP son of Into Mischief prepares for a probable start in the Mar. 28 GI Arkansas Derby, is whether or not that 3 3/4-length romp in the Davis was as dominant as it appeared visually.

There were no other Top 12-ranked horses in that Feb. 7 Tampa stakes, and none of the also-rans who straggled home behind Renegade appears to be Triple Crown-level contenders.

Irad Ortiz, Jr. kept Renegade patiently parked in next-to-last position in that nine-horse race before letting the colt loop the field five deep through the far turn. Renegade rolled to the lead without encountering serious competition, and he extended his margin while drifting out under left-handed whipping. The 48-1 pacemaker who had led for most of the race stayed on for second with no fresh closers able to gain on him.

In his Aug. 16 sprint debut, Renegade was third behind a 17 3/4-length winner at Saratoga. He then finished a head better than No. 1-ranked Paladin, but was disqualified for stretch interference in a one-turn-mile MSW race at Aqueduct Oct. 16. Renegade then was second, beaten two lengths by Paladin in the Remsen Stakes.

5) DESERT GATE (c, Omaha Beach–Theogony, by Curlin) O-Michael E. Pegram, Karl Watson, and Paul Weitman; B-Twin Oaks Bloodstock (KY); T-Bob Baffert. Sales history: $125,000 Wlg '23 KEENOV; $100,000 Ylg '24 KEESEP; $260,000 2yo '25 OBSMAR. Lifetime record: GSW, 5-2-2-0, $252,000. Last start: 4th Feb. 7 GII Robert B. Lewis Stakes.

Desert Gate, formerly No. 1 in last month's installment of these rankings, fell from his lofty perch after an uninspiring fourth as the 6-5 favorite in the Feb. 7 GIII Robert B. Lewis Stakes.

Although disappointing, that loss has a “too bad to be true” ring to it. It was not indicative of this colt's true ability, and thus not enough to get this son of Omaha Beach completely voted off the Top 12 island.

“Desert Gate missed the break, and I knew the one hole would hurt us,” trainer Bob Baffert said in the aftermath of the colt's first start since being sidelined with a hock infection that kept him out of the Breeders' Cup. “I knew we were in trouble then because he is so one-dimensional.”

Desert Gate, who does his best running when forwardly placed, got relegated to last in the one-mile, seven-horse Lewis. He advanced to fourth along the inside for the backstretch run, came under a vigorous ride on the far turn without much response, then was laboring late when nailed for the show position by a nose.

This colt (125,000 KEENOV; $100,000 KEESEP; $260,000 OBSMAR) returned to the work tab with a five-eighths move at Santa Anita last Friday.

The race that stands out in Desert Gate's five-race past-performance block is the Oct. 4 GI American Pharoah Stakes, in which he led from the start as the 9-10 favorite, took mild pressure from the second fave, came back on that rival when headed, repulsed a stretch bid from a new foe, then got nailed at the wire by 'TDN Rising Star presented by Hagyard' Intrepido (Maximus Mischief), losing by only three-quarters of a length.

6) CHIEF WALLABEE (c, Constitution–A La Lucie, by Medaglia d'Oro) 'TDN Rising Star presented by Hagyard'. O/B-Mike Ball & Katherine Ball (KY); T-William I. Mott. Lifetime record: GSP, 2-1-1-0, $117,600. Last start: 2nd Feb. 28 GII Fountain of Youth Stakes.

This homebred son of Constitution from Bill Mott's stable is light on experience but high on potential after just missing behind Commandment in last weekend's Fountain of Youth Stakes.

Both those colts rallied from mid-pack, but while Commandment saved ground and shot on through the inside, Chief Wallabee took the overland route.

“I had to make a little premature move just to get my position forward since it's the first wire with a horse going that far for the first time,” said jockey Junior Alvarado. “I hesitated a little to make that move but I had no choice.

“Then I saw [Commandment] coming through at the three-eighths pole and I had to make a premature move once again. I have to say it might have cost me the race, but this is something we're building on for next time. I doubt if those horses will beat me again,” Alvarado said.

Chief Wallabee had broken his maiden sprinting seven furlongs at Gulfstream Jan. 10 and was taking a sizable upward step in class by trying winners and two turns for the first time in a graded stakes.

Mott has yet to commit to a next start. If Chief Wallabee runs big and earns qualifying points in a nine-furlong prep, he faces the prospect of starting in the Derby off just three career races.

Since 1900, 29 horses have started in the Derby with exactly three lifetime starts. Only four have won: Regret in 1915, Big Brown in 2008, Justify in 2018 and Mage in 2023. Of the remaining 25, only one finished better than seventh: Curlin, who was third in 2007.

Chief Wallabee | Ryan Thompson

7) SILENT TACTIC (c, Tacitus–Magical Sign, by Gun Runner) O-John C. Oxley; B-Don Alberto Corporation (KY); T-Mark E. Casse. Sales history: $60,000 Ylg '24 FTKOCT; $500,000 2yo '25 OBSAPR. Lifetime record: GSW, 5-2-3-0, $774,422. Last start: 2nd Mar. 1 GII Rebel Stakes.

With a 12-1 win in the GIII Southwest Stakes and three second-place tries in other stakes, this Mark Casse-trained son of Tacitus is still a bit of an under-the-radar Kentucky Derby threat.

Silent Tactic ($60,000 FTKOCT; $500,000 OBSAPR) has never gone off favored in any of his five starts, but he consistently gains ground in the late stages of his races and has the makings of a punches-above-his-weight type of colt.

In the Mar. 1 Rebel, Silent Tactic was one of only two runners who opted out of the seven-horse scramble for the lead into the first turn. Cristian Torres settled him at the fence, and Silent Tactic was always responsive to subtle cues to quicken.

Threading through from the back of the pack, Silent Tactic attained a more prominent position at the head of the lane, but Torres had to keep him “on hold” for a few strides behind a wall of frontrunners before committing to a four-wide sweep under a full head of steam.

His running line in the chart doesn't reflect it, but Silent Tactic hit the front briefly several times in the final furlong before Class President (Uncle Mo) reclaimed the lead to win by a nose.

Both colts were credited with 91 Beyers for their efforts, with the rest of the fragmented field 5 1/4 lengths behind in their wake.

8) LITMUS TEST (c, Nyquist–Study Hard, by Malibu Moon) O-SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, Stonestreet Stables LLC, Bashor, Dianne, Determined Stables, Golconda Stable, Waves Edge Capital LLC and Donovan, Catherine; B-Machmer Hall (KY); T-Bob Baffert. Sales history: $875,000 Ylg '24 FTSAUG. Lifetime record: GSW, 6-2-0-2, $440,188. Last start: 3rd Mar. 1 GII Rebel Stakes.

Similar to the writeup about Desert Gate several spots above, Litmus Test is another Bob Baffert trainee who didn't fire his best shot in his sophomore debut.

But are you really going to drop this colt from Kentucky Derby consideration off that subpar third in the Rebel Stakes given that Baffert's horses have crossed the finish wire first in the Derby on a record seven occasions (with one DQ), and knowing that not all of those colts who wore a blanket of roses for Baffert on the first Saturday in May were ready for prime time in early March?

With five lifetime races at age two, including three at two turns and two in Grade I stakes, Litmus Test already has built a broader foundational base than many of his Top 12 counterparts will bring into the May 2 Derby.

This $875,000 FTSAUG colt by 2016 Kentucky Derby champ Nyquist looked out of his element leading the field under pace pressure at Oaklawn from post one, establishing opening quarter-mile splits of :23.06 and :23.56.

By contrast, Litmus Test had looked more comfortable reeling in a target when winning the GII Los Alamitos Futurity in his previous start Dec. 13.

“I talked to [Flavien] Prat and he basically said that he was in the one hole [with] a big horse, and he [thought he] could probably get him going,” Baffert said. “He's never trained like that. He's a one-run kind of horse. He had to be farther back and make one run. He didn't get tired. He was just sort of one-paced, but you learn about these horses. Those were nice horses that beat him.”

9) IRON HONOR (c, Nyquist–Orenica, by Blame) O-St. Elias Stable, William H. Lawrence & Glassman Racing; B-Mike & Pat Freeny; T-Chad C. Brown. Sales history: $230,000 Ylg '24 KEEJAN; $475,000 Ylg KEESEP. Lifetime record GSW, 2-2-0-0, $211,750. Last start: WON Feb. 28 GIII Gotham Stakes.

Favored at 0.94-1 in his second career start, Iron Honor pressured a 9-1 pacemaker every step of the trip in last Saturday's GIII Gotham Stakes. The top two peeled off from the pack by open lengths and this Nyquist colt then wrested control in the final sixteenth of the one-turn mile for a 90-Beyer win by one length.

This Chad Brown trainee ($230,000 KEEJAN; $475,000 KEESEP) had previously won a Dec. 13 six-furlong maiden sprint at Aqueduct out of which the second- and third-place finishers both came back to win subsequent starts.

“I like the fact that it was far back to third,” Brown said, noting the 6 1/2-length margin between second-place finisher Crown the Buckeye (Yaupon) and the rest of the field. “Those races typically come back fast, figure-wise. I think the horse that was runner-up was a very stubborn foe and on the improve.”

Brown said after the Gotham that Iron Honor, who had previously shipped south to Payson Park in Florida to start the winter before coming back north for the Gotham, would now remain in New York with the Apr. 4 GII Wood Memorial Stakes as his next target.

“I don't want to ship the horse around too much,” Brown said. “I'll hedge that as bad a winter as we've had in New York, the law of averages will hopefully turn the right way here. I'll leave him with my New York base where he's done most of his training since he arrived into our system. He was there last summer at our Belmont barn training on that training track, so he's very familiar with the surface. He's 2-for-2 on the Aqueduct surface racing, so if he comes out of [the Gotham] healthy, he will train in New York and run in the Wood Memorial.”

Iron Honor | Sarah Andrew

10) CLASS PRESIDENT (c, Uncle Mo–Top Quality, by Quality Road) O-WinStar Farm, LLC, First Go Racing and CHC, Inc.; B-WinStar Farm, LLC (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher. Lifetime record: GSW, 3-2-1-0, $593,700. Last start: WON Mar. 1 GII Rebel Stakes.

Trainer Todd Pletcher has won the Rebel Stakes on three occasions, each time with a colt making his third lifetime start who was not favored.

His other two trainees, Malagacy in 2017 and Magnum Moon in 2018, both next started in the Arkansas Derby (Malagacy was fifth and Magnum Moon won).

Class President, off his 8-1 upset in the Rebel, might be headed elsewhere though, because a higher-ranked Pletcher trainee, Renegade, has been under consideration for the Arkansas Derby for some time now.

This Uncle Mo-sired homebred pressured the pacemaker in the early stages of the Rebel, backed off a beat in the middle stages, seized the lead in upper stretch, then fought off a robust late bid from the more-seasoned runner-up, Silent Tactic, to prevail by a nose before galloping out with decent energy.

Class President broke his maiden in a one-turn mile at Gulfstream Dec. 27, then was second, beaten 3 3/4 lengths, when cutting back to seven furlongs in the Swale Stakes there Jan. 31.

11) REAGAN'S HONOR (c, 3, Honor A. P.–Rutile, by Medaglia d'Oro) O-West Point Thoroughbreds, David Ingordo & Gabriel Duignan; B-David Ingordo & Jerome S Moss (KY); T-Cherie DeVaux. Sales history: $140,000 Ylg '24 KEESEP. Lifetime record: 3-2-0-0, $72,300. Last start: WON Feb. 19 Fair Grounds ALW.

When was the last time a Derby candidate beat–let alone even faced-older horses in February?

I'll have to defer to someone with a better memory and/or database than me for that answer. But there's no doubting this Honor A.P. colt uncorked a serious, look-at-me effort (96 Beyer) when splintering a 3-and-up, first-level allowance route by 6 3/4 lengths at Fair Grounds Feb. 19, one full month before his actual third birthdate.

Competing against older males wasn't the first-choice plan for Reagan's Honor. But when a race with similar conditions restricted to sophomores failed to fill at Fair Grounds the weekend before, trainer Cherie DeVaux entered this $140,000 KEESEP colt against older company, with a tradeoff being that Reagan's Honor would get between a three- and eight-pound weight break against five elders.

Jose Ortiz outbroke the field from post two, and Reagan's Honor appeared neither taxed nor pressured in laying down lively quarter-mile splits of :22.94, :23,89, :24.72 and :24.19.

The 11-10 favorite was hand-ridden by Ortiz to the top of the long Fair Grounds home straight, put under some light hustling in upper stretch, and kept to task with occasional stick work while widening his winning margin.

Reagan's Honor finished up with a last half-furlong timed in :6.28 for a final 1 1/16-miles clocking of 1:42.02, just one-hundredth of a second off the track record set by Olympiad in the GIII Mineshaft Stakes exactly four years earlier, on Feb. 19, 2022.

This colt started his career Dec. 20 in a Fair Grounds MSW sprint in which he was fourth, beaten eight lengths at 9-2 odds (69 Beyer). He won his maiden Jan. 17, wiring a 1 1/16-miles field at 7-1 odds (81 Beyer).

Reagan's Honor, a medium-framed colt, is out of a Medaglia d'Oro half-sister to 2005 Kentucky Derby winner Giacomo (Holy Bull). He's being pointed for the Apr. 4 GI Toyota Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland.

Reagan's Honor | Hodges Photography

12) TALKIN (c, Good Magic–Rote, by Tiznow) O- Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, Pine Racing Stables, Legendary Thoroughbreds, Belmar Racing and Breeding, LLC, and R. A. Hill Stable; B-Fifth Avenue Bloodstock (KY); T-Danny Gargan. Sales history: $600,000 Ylg '24 KEESEP. Lifetime record: GISP, 3-1-1-0, $156,250. Last start: 9th Dec. 6 GII Remsen Stakes.

It's getting a bit deep into the season to be making speculative inclusions within the Top 12 for horses who have yet to start at age 3, but let's close out the column with a mention of Talkin, who is likely to be entered Wednesday for this Saturday's GIII Tampa Bay Derby.

This $600,000 KEESEP trainee from Danny Gargan's barn never fired when ninth in the Remsen Stakes going nine furlongs Dec. 6, a race whose one-two finishers now occupy the Nos. 1 and 4 spots on this list.

Talkin's eye-catching performance from his juvenile season is actually two starts back, when he was the runner-up despite lots of lateral movement and trip trouble in the GI Champagne Stakes.

In that one-turn mile at Aqueduct, Talkin contested the pace outside at the break, angled in leaving the chute, tracked behind horses, then got bumped out to the seven path. He dropped back down to the rail entering the far turn, advanced to fourth at the fence, then shifted outward again to be seven wide off the final turn. He got carried out by a tiring and drifting favorite before earning second under a mild drive behind a 6 1/2-length winner.

Talkin was entered for last Saturday's Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream, but Gargan scratched him with an eye toward Tampa, which is likely to be a softer spot.

The post TDN Derby Top 12: Anyone’s Race Two Months Out appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Multiple Grade I winner Carl Spackler (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) has had his first mare confirmed in foal, Lane's End announced Monday afternoon.

Said mare is Cahira's Song (Midshipman), a half-sister to seven other winning siblings, and who hails from the female line of GISP Lucky Lavender Gal (Carson City). The third dam is herself a full-sister to MGSP La Ville Rouge, most famous for her son–GI Kentucky Derby hero Barbaro (Dynaformer). The mare also produced his full-brothers MSW & GSP Margano and SW Lentenor.

Made a 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' after his stylish 8 3/4-length win at second-asking in Florida, Carl Spackler was dominant on the turf in his career, and retired with eight wins–three Grade Is, and six graded contests overall–for earnings of nearly $2-million to his credit. Carl Spackler stands for $15,000.

The post First Mare in Foal for Carl Spackler appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Among the top trainers on the New York circuit for decades, John Kimmel has announced his retirement. Citing the economic difficulties facing many trainers these days, Kimmel, 71, said he would devote his time to building his business as a bloodstock agent.

Kimmel has been doing double duty over the last three or four years, continuing his training operation while acting as a bloodstock agent to outside clients.

While training full-time, he was known for having a keen eye when it came to picking horses out at the sales, including the many future stars that became part of his stable.

His recent success stories include the purchase of Chancer McPatrick (McKinzie), whom he purchased on behalf of Flanagan Racing for $725,000 at the 2024 OBS Spring Sale. Trained by Chad Brown, Chancer McPatrick won the GI Hopeful Stakes and the GI Champagne Stakes.

“It's been a long time for me, working seven days a week as a trainer,” Kimmel said. “But all during this time, I've always had an affinity for going to the sales. I first started going to the sales with my father when I was in high school. I've developed a very good eye for a horse and what I look for in a horse. Probably the majority of the Grade I and top graded horses I've had are horses that I've purchased for my clientele. I think that's something that I can use. I think people recognize it, but they might be a little reluctant to use me as their bloodstock agent fearing that as a trainer, I might be adversely affecting their clients.

“I've bought horses in the last few years for Linda Rice and Chad Brown. We've had a lot of luck with Chancer McPatrick, who is a multiple Grade I winner. We've also had With the Angels, who just won the Correction, and Hot Currency, two horses we bought for Winning Move Stable. The long and the short of it is, that I think I can bring to the table a wealth of experience that can't be matched by many people that are in the bloodstock industry. I hope I can use that to my advantage and see if I can generate some new business.”

Kimmel said he will be working closely with bloodstock agent Nick Sallusto. Kimmel plans to hit the ground running, saying he will be active at the upcoming OBS March sale.

Though his training business slowed in recent years, Kimmel was a major force in New York throughout the 1990s and the 2000s.

He was introduced to the sport by his father, the owner Caesar Kimmel, but began his path in racing as a veterinarian. He holds a pre-med undergraduate degree from the University of Colorado at Boulder and then graduated from the University of Pennsylvania's veterinary school in 1980 before starting his training career in 1984. His first winner came at Calder on Oct. 29, 1984 with a horse named Chachi Man.

He has won 1,449 races during his career, and his best year came in 2001 when he won 105 races. He won 89 graded stakes races and trained 10 horses that won Grade I events. His best horse may have been Hidden Lake (Quiet American), who was named Champion Older Female in 1997. She won five graded stakes including the GI Beldame Stakes, the GI Hempstead Handicap and the GI Go for Wand Stakes. Kimmel trained three horses that earned over $1 million, including Bar of Gold (Medgalia d'Oro), who won the 2017 GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint.

He was the first trainer of eventual GI Kentucky Derby winner Thunder Gulch. After four starts with Kimmel, the horse was sold privately to Michael Tabor and landed in the barn of D. Wayne Lukas.

Kimmel won six training titles on the NYRA circuit outright, and in 1997 he finished in a tie with Bill Mott for leading trainer at Saratoga with 15 wins at the meet. In 1999, he led all NYRA trainers in the category of money earned.

But as has happened in the era of the “super trainer,” Kimmel, who, for much of his career had a stable that numbered about 44 horses, was having trouble keeping up with his rivals. He won 11 races in 2023, 14 in 2024, and seven in 2025. So far this year, he was winless from seven starts.

“The super-trainer thing has gotten to the point where if you're not on the front pages of every big racing day, it seems like people have a very short memory about what you have accomplished,” Kimmel said. “A lot of the new money that's come into this game may not even know my track record or my past history. The fact is that there is a new business model. With this business model, it is extremely difficult to make ends meet. If you're not making significant money through purses or buying and selling horses, there's no way that you can offset the cost of doing business, particularly in New York. It might be better in some states, like Kentucky, where businesses seems to be doing much better than they are in New York. Here, maintaining a stable and dealing with the labor laws and the costs of the labor to run things the way I like to do it, it just became a very inequitable formula.

“The labor costs, the fee costs, the costs of doing business, just outweigh what you can charge on a day rate. It's absolutely crazy. You could run literally millions of dollars through your training accounts. And at the end of the day, you look at your profit/loss and you're not making any money on your day rate. It's just a losing proposition. That's a reality that most trainers face. I'm sure you've heard the same thing from many trainers.”

Kimmel said he will send out his final starters this weekend at Aqueduct, adding that he currently has just five horses in his stable.

In 2024, Kimmel was featured in a story in the TDN written by Chris McGrath.

The post John Kimmel Steps Away from Training to Focus on Bloodstock Business appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

With the upcoming HISA vote set to determine the fate of Lasix in the U.S., the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association conducted a survey of its membership seeking input on how the expiration of the Lasix exemption, and the possibility of a complete ban on the drug on race day, could impact their operations and the industry at large. The results of the survey were published in the organization's 2026 Winter newsletter. Among the respondents, 123, or 80.9%, reported they would be likely to race less if a total ban on race day Lasix was enacted, while 20 (13.2%) said they would likely race the same amount, and 10 (6.6%) said they would race more.

Asked to assess the past three years when Lasix was not permitted in 2-year-old races or in stakes races, 68 people (or 46.6% of respondents) said they had seen an increase in both the number and severity of bleeding episodes in 2-year-olds, while 39 (26.7%) said they had seen an increase in the number of bleeding episodes, but not the severity of the episodes, and that same number said they had seen minimal or no bleeding at all.

There were 122 respondents (80.3%) who said they had kept horses out of stakes races in favor of being able to use Lasix in an allowance or overnight race.

Seventy-two respondents (49.3%) reported the prohibition of Lasix in 2-year-old races meant a small number of their horses could not race at two or were sidelined until they turned three due to bleeding episodes, while 49 people (33.6%) said a significant number were sidelined, and 25 people (17.1%) said the ban had no impact on their horses' juvenile campaigns.

Eighty-eight respondents (60.3%) said they felt the prohibition of Lasix in 2-year-old races impacted those horses' careers long-term, while 43 (29.5%) said it had no significant impact, and 15 (10.3%) said they felt the ban benefitted their careers.

Click here for the entire survey results, as well as comments from respondents.

The post NY Horsemen Likely to Race Less With Full Lasix Ban, NYTHA Survey Finds appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

In the age of social media, I realize that I'm writing this at my own peril. And I'm probably once again spitting in the wind. However, I feel like someone needs to speak up on a few things concerning our latest self-inflicted crisis regarding our lack of unity and dysfunction as an industry.

To say that as an industry we continue to be “The Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight” is an understatement. We have been that way for the 40-plus years I've been involved in horse racing. Hence, the reason why we are not a major league sport or entity. I also have to preface this by saying that I do not participate in any form of social media. I tried it and decided years ago it was not for me. So, I am not familiar with Mike Repole's social media communications. I've never spoken to Mike about his goal for reform. I also want to say that Aron Wellman is a friend of mine. He is someone that I like very much. To me he represents the future of our industry. He is smart and I admire the success he has had over a long period of time. I applaud his and Mike's passion and goal to make things better. So, with that said, here are some of my opinions on our latest family feud.

1. I feel very strongly that what horse racing has always most sorely lacked is that we do not have a central governing body. The absence of one has been our Achilles Heel. In order to have an effective one, that organization has to have power–power to influence and regulate behavior. (We have tried establishing one with a commissioner, twice. It failed both times because it had no power). To say that The Jockey Club is that entity is false. It isn't in their mission statement, nor do I think it is their goal or intention. They serve as the breed registry and provide other services to the industry while funneling profits back to us. Is it an adequate amount? Should their corpus be handled differently? I guess that is a matter of opinion and debate. What isn't open for debate is they recognized aftercare was an industry issue, (along with Jack Wolf and others who were the pioneers in this space), established and support the TAA, recognized a need to get us back on television, pay to have us on television, provide a safety net to industry participants, were instrumental in creating a uniform set of rules for medication, promote the sport, and do other things that are all positive influences.

2. I agree that over the past many years almost every important measurable statistic has declined. Is that The Jockey Club's fault? I think it is the collective industry's fault, primarily a result of our lack of unity and a central governing body. My late friend and mentor Anthony Manganaro described it best. Everyone fights over making their slice of the pie bigger rather than trying to build a bigger pie. We are our own worst enemy and biggest obstacle. We refuse to get in the boat and row together in the same direction. When you do that, the boat moves forward. When you don't, the current pushes you the other way.

3. I take exception to the attacks on the Board of Stewards. I know all of them and instead of attacking them, we should be thanking them for serving. Everett Dobson and Vinnie Viola are first-class gentlemen who bring perspectives and best practices from the NBA and NHL. Louis Cella created a model for how a successful racetrack operates. Bill Farish, Bret Jones and David O'Farrell operate very successful breeding farms. In my opinion, they are all men of impeccable integrity. Are they overseeing an organization that has a direct bearing on their activities in the industry? Of course they are. The same way the owners of the NFL, NBA, NHL and MLB operate.

4. Aftercare: I have been on the executive committee of the TAA since 2018. We have a $4-million budget and the JC contributes 30%. It is just in very recent years that the broader industry has started to realize that aftercare is an issue that determines our social license with the general public. They want to see that we care for these wonderful animals when their racing career ends. Aftercare is a huge undertaking with many silos and it is the responsibility of everyone to SHARE and SOLVE and so far the JC has been one of the leaders in this space. So how about everyone steps up and contributes? Owners, jockeys, trainers from purses. All sales participants when buying and selling. Stallion farms from stud fees. Ancillary businesses where their primary source of revenue comes from our industry. Racetracks, veterinary firms, tote and ADW companies, van companies, blacksmiths, etc. What I don't understand is why this is The Jockey Club's responsibility to solve?  Why are they the ones to blame when this is an industry issue and too big for any one entity to solve. What we need is total industry buy-in and cooperation–not finger-pointing and arrow-slinging. When you choose to enter and participate in our industry, I think  former TAA President Jimmy Bell said it best. “Aftercare is your responsibility, not your option.”

5. I think there are two very clear reasons our foal crop continues to decline at an alarming rate. First, we have lost many breeders who were breed-to-race people and had a passion for the undertaking. There are just very few of them in the business today. As a result, participants primarily consist of breeders involved in the commercial aspect of the business. In my experience, they are motivated by making a profit, and in my experience, that is very hard to do on a consistent basis. Second, regional breeding programs have been decimated by market changes and our shrinking pie. Perhaps if we can build a bigger pie, make breeding a more consistently profitable enterprise, that may change?

I'll be the first to admit that, despite my efforts, like those before me, I'm part of the demographic that has failed to create change in the right direction. Although we have had some wins, it hasn't been good enough. However, I've never been afraid to speak out or try. I think we all have a responsibility to our wonderful sport and these amazing animals we choose to work and associate with. For all these years, it has broken my heart and frustrated me because I know how good we could be. However, we won't ever get there if we can't get on the same team and realize the enemy is not us. It has never seemed that complicated to me. This isn't Israel/Hamas or Ukraine/Russia. But we sure do treat it that way, which is why nothing will change. I don't believe the answer is to tear it all down and start over. I don't believe the answer is to throw the bums out. I believe the answer is to get in the boat and row in the same direction.

Wouldn't that be something new and different and maybe worth trying?

The post Letter to the Editor: Thoughts on our Family Feud appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

2nd-Gulfstream, $68,000, Msw, 2-28, 3yo, 6f, 1:10.44, ft, 2 1/2 lengths.

LINCOLN'S LAW (c, 3, Liam's Map–Bernadreamy, by Bernardini), a half-brother to Chancer McPatrick (McKinzie), MGISW, $817,875, was overlooked at 6-1 for this debut run. Not off to the greatest of beginnings, he was ridden from his outside draw to press the early leaders from third through an opening quarter in :22.34. He ranged up three deep at the quarter pole and took over in the stretch to win going away by 2 1/2 lengths over favored Quentin B (Promises Fulfilled). The winning mare Bernadreamy, just a $40,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase by Rigney Racing, produced a Nyquist filly this year. The Liam's Map x Bernardini cross is also responsible for GISWs Colonel Liam and Wicked Whisper. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $40,800. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

O/B-Rigney Racing, LLC (KY); T-Philip A. Bauer.

The post Half-Brother to Chancer McPatrick Lays Down the ‘Law’ on Debut at Gulfstream appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Hawthorne Race Course, and its related companies, has filed for a Chapter 11 reorganization in Federal Bankruptcy Court in Chicago Friday.

According to a press release issued by the track, the “reorganization plan will prioritize paying accrued purses to the Illinois Horsemen as well as payroll for the track employees while restructuring the company's debt.

“The goal of the reorganization is to attract a buyer or investor willing to recapitalize Hawthorne and restart operations of the racecourse while maximizing recovery to the company's creditors. Hawthorne will be working with financial advisor Getzler Henrich & Associates, LLC and requests the Federal Court approve Debtor-in-Possession financing to assist with the restructuring process,” according to the press release.

Hawthorne president and CEO Tim Carey is quoted 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.”

The press release notes that Hawthorne aims to appear in Federal Bankruptcy Court in Chicago next week.

Reached Friday, Illinois Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association (ITHA) president Chris Block said the filing was made to help the track secure additional funding from a separate “entity,” and that the scheduled Thoroughbred meet at the track could still go ahead (though perhaps delayed), pending approval of the reorganization by the bankruptcy judge.

“The Thoroughbred meet will possibly go ahead, yes. They're going to be in front of a judge by Monday or Tuesday [of next week] with a 'debtor-in-possession' to show the financing to go forward for the next 120 days,” said Block.

The term “debtor in possession” refers to when a debtor “keeps possession and control of its assets while undergoing a reorganization under chapter 11.”

Block added, “they intend to take care of all the past debt to horsemen, pay their employees, and try to get the track converted back for Thoroughbreds. Then, they will try to hit a target date of either March 29th to start racing or push it back a little bit to give horses more chance to get ready. So, the Thoroughbred meet could still happen. It's just dependent on when it starts and if they'll be able to sustain it through the entire meeting.”

Tim Carey addressed leaders of the ITHA the Illinois Harness Horsemen's Association (IHHA) Friday morning with his plans.

Block said he was unaware of the identity of the separate funding entity. “They have an entity that's going to push the financing forward,” he said. “That entity will be with them at the [bankruptcy] hearing on Monday or Tuesday.”

In the meantime, the track will continue to work on finding a partner to help build and operate a “Racino” at the facility, said Block.

“If they can't get to that–this is just me talking, this is not Tim Carey–I'd say the chances of them going forward would be very slim. But this buys them more time. The only way that they can maintain going forward into the future is to get to a deal on something like that,” said Block.

As of Monday, there were an estimated 175 Thoroughbreds stabled at the track, under the watch of about ten different trainers. Other trainers are waiting to potentially ship in.

At the moment, the ITHA is telling its constituents to hold off on shipping until the outcome of next week's bankruptcy hearing.

“We're telling them to wait for next week to materialize and see what the bankruptcy judge does. We'll see at that point in time if Hawthorne gets the approval from the judge for the financing to be put in place so they can move forward, take care of the Harness horsemen and the Thoroughbred horseman that they owe, as well as their own in-house issues with their employees on paying them,” said Block.

Hawthorne's press release includes portions of Carey's court declaration in support of Hawthorne's bankruptcy filings.

According to the press release, Carey's declaration states “there is substantial interest from potential 'buyers and recapitalization partners' especially because of the opportunity to maximize Hawthorne's 'enterprise value' by completing the building and opening of the racetrack Racino. The Debtor-in-Possession financing can also help pay to reactivate simulcast signals for offtrack betting and online wagering which generates $4 million of revenue monthly.”

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.

According to an ITHA press release Friday, “Carey also believes that Hawthorne will have the funds necessary to reacquire some, though perhaps not all, of its simulcast signals.”

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 IHHA representative at the meeting. The ITHA is apparently separately owned around $600,000 from Hawthorne for payments dating back seven months.

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.

“The IGB also issued Hawthorne a Master Sports Wagering License which permitted Hawthorne to offer retail and online sports betting. In 2024, the IGB approved continued licensing suitability for Hawthorne and renewed its sports wagering license,” according to the press release.

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

At last month's board meeting, John Walsh, Hawthorne's assistant general manager, suggested once more that a deal was imminent.

“We're working with a new partner, someone nearby, someone interested in Illinois and Illinois racing, who really wants all of this to succeed and move quickly,” said Walsh, who stood in last minute for Carey.

Come the end of the Standardbred meet, the track must be prepared for Thoroughbreds. As of Monday, the rail had been switched but the annual reconditioning of the track surface was moving along in slow-motion fashion.

“They normally contract that out to a company that brings in some heavy equipment-semi-trucks and tractor trailers-that they can use to expedite the process of putting the surface down,” Block explained on Monday.

That so far hasn't happened. Instead, the usual track maintenance crew are using existing equipment, which is dragging the process out.

The post Hawthorne Files Chapter 11 Bankruptcy, Thoroughbred Meet Still A Possibility Say Horsemen Groups appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

MGSW Newgrange (Violence–Bella Chianti, by Empire Maker) had his first mare confirmed in foal, Sequel New York announced Friday.

The Court Vision mare Thirty Nine Seven was confirmed in foal to Newgrange Feb. 26. Owned by Ann Weaver and boarded at Hidden Lake Farm, Thirty Nine Seven retired with earnings of over $100k.

By Violence, Newgrange won graded stakes races at three, four and five, defeating competitors such as Newgate and Mixto. Newgrange stands for $5,000 LFSN at Sequel New York as property of a syndicate.

The post Newgrange Has First Mare Checked In Foal appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Coolmore and partners have acquired an interest in 'TDN Rising Star Presented by Hagyard' and GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile winner Nysos (Nyquist). Upon his retirement from racing, the colt will stand at Ashford Stud in 2027, the farm announced Friday.

A no-brainer 'Rising Star' in his 10 1/2-length Santa Anita romp in October 2023, Nysos then picked up two straight graded stakes wins before enduring a significant break in training from Feb. 2024 through to May 2025. He returned in a thrilling edition of the GI Churchill Downs Stakes on the Kentucky Derby undercard, winding up dead-heating for second behind fellow 'Rising Star' Mindframe (Constitution).

It would be his only defeat of the year as Nysos would finish the season on a four-race win streak that culminated in a win in the GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile at Del Mar in November and the GII Laffit Pincay, Jr. Stakes in December. He most recently ran second to globe-trotting superstar Forever Young (Jpn) (Real Steel {Jpn}) in the G1 Saudi Cup Feb. 14, putting up a 4+ Ragozin, before returning home to California.

Following the race, trainer Bob Baffert noted, “We'll take [Nysos] back home, and just freshen him up and point for the Breeders' Cup Classic. I've brought good horses here, and I think Nysos, hopefully, is the best one I've brought here.”

In addition to Nysos, Coolmore also owns his dam, Zetta Z (Bernardini), whom they acquired for a sales-topping $2-million in foal to Cyberknife at the 2024 Fasig-Tipton February Mixed Sale.

The post Coolmore Buys Into Nysos; Will Stand At Ashford Upon Retirement appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Spendthrift Farm's two new 'TDN Rising Star' first-season stallions Goal Oriented (Not This Time–Bizzy Caroline, by Afleet Alex) and Chancer McPatrick (McKinzie–Bernadreamy, by Bernardini) have had their first mares reported in foal, the farm reported Friday.

Goal Oriented, the winner of last year's GI Malibu Stakes, has had Dream Walkin Farms' Diamond Ballroom (Gun Runner) checked in foal. A 4-year-old half-sister to current stakes winner Alpyland, Diamond Ballroom is boarded at Seclusive Farm in Lexington, Kentucky. Goal Oriented stands for $30,000 S&N for the 2026 season.

Chancer McPatrick, winner of the GI Hopeful Stakes and GI Champagne Stakes, has also had his first mare pronounced in foal. Hunting Hill (Hard Spun), the dam of the Grade II-placed Pakhet (Cairo Prince), is owned and boarded by Jim and Pam Robinson's Brandywine Farm in Paris, Kentucky. Chancer McPatrick stands for $25,000 S&N for the 2026 season.

The post First Mares In Foal For Spendthrift’s Goal Oriented, Chancer McPatrick appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.