Thoroughbred Daily News

Retired jockey Trevor McCarthy is joining the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) as a jockeys' wellness consultant, a newly created position that is dedicated to advancing the health, safety and overall well-being of riders.

“Trevor's first-hand understanding of life in the saddle and his genuine commitment to jockey well-being make him an invaluable addition to our team,” said HISA CEO Lisa Lazarus. “His insight and experience will strengthen our ongoing efforts, alongside Jockeys' Guild, to develop programs that support the overall health and safety of riders across the country.”

McCarthy, the son of veteran reinsman Michael McCarthy, began riding racehorses at the age of nine and became one of the leading jockeys on the Maryland circuit. He won numerous riding titles at Pimlico and Laurel and won his first Grade I with Highland Chief in the 2022 Man O'War Stakes. He retired in August 2024 from the saddle with 1,871 winners, his mounts having earned better than $76 million.

“I'm honored to join HISA and contribute to an organization that is focused on supporting riders and making the sport safer for everyone involved,” said McCarthy. “After a lifelong career as a jockey, I know how important it is to have resources that meet both the physical and mental demands of this profession, and I'm eager to help strengthen those supports and resources for my fellow riders.”

In his new role, McCarthy will collaborate with HISA's Racetrack Safety Committee, Horsemen's Advisory Group and Medical Advisory Committee to enhance communication, education and wellness initiatives for active riders. Drawing from his perspective as a recently retired jockey, he will help HISA better address the challenges riders face both on and off the track.

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The Irish diaspora in the Bluegrass has lost one of its foundation stones with the death last Sunday of Roger (“Roddy”) O'Byrne, who presided for many years at McCarthy's Bar in downtown Lexington.

O'Byrne, together with co-proprietor Peter Kiely, made their bar an institution not just for local horsemen but for the international bloodstock community. During an era when phoney “themed” bars round the world sought to exploit the national tradition of good craic, O'Byrne created a little piece of home for those compatriots of his own generation who served as pathfinders for the many to have followed since. The racing memorabilia adorning the walls of McCarthy's are not generic cultural symbols but the personal record of a colorful life, full of laughter and achievement.

O'Byrne remained devoted to family and friends during his brave fight against the illness that has finally claimed him, back in his homeland. On both sides of the water, many will now be raising the kind of toast that he would have appreciated, and those in Lexington have the opportunity to do so after the livestreaming in McCarthy's of his funeral on Tuesday at 7 a.m. Refreshments will be provided after the Mass.

That is a challenging hour even for his diehard customers, some of whom may find it easier to persevere overnight than to start at dawn! But like any good officer, he would not expect anything of his men that he would not be prepared to do himself….

McCarthy's Bar has evolved over the years and its popularity with college students nowadays has made some of the old hands feel their age. But the bar remains a haven for horsemen of every flag during sales and race meetings, having long served as the hub of the Irish expatriate community in moments of crisis, commiseration or celebration. O'Byrne hosted many a fundraiser for those in need; and it was here that another lamented compatriot, Gerry Dilger, chose to watch a second consecutive Dromoland Farm graduate win the GI Kentucky Derby in 2018.

O'Byrne was among many in his family, from Kilmacthomas in Co. Waterford, to have made their mark on the Thoroughbred industry. One of his brothers, Demi, served Vincent O'Brien as veterinarian before becoming integral for many years to the Coolmore scouting team; and another, John, found triple Group 1 winner Rip Van Winkle (Ire) for the same interests at a yearling sale in Italy. And the Lodge Stud, run for the past 17 years by John's son Timmy, has been responsible for educating a long line of elite jumpers for J.P. McManus.

Unsurprising, then, that O'Byrne was himself no mean judge of a horse. He sold McManus one fondly remembered by many in Danny Connors (GB), bought for just 1,500 gns before winning a Leopardstown bumper under Mr. W.P. Mullins in 1989.    Switched to Jonjo O'Neill for his new owner, he was colly delivered by Mark Dwyer to win the 1991 Coral Golden Hurdle at Cheltenham. And only last April O'Byrne could celebrate the Grand National success of Nick Rockett (Ire), who had started out winning a Curraghmore point-to-point in his own silks.

Nick Rockett was named for the uncle of the Kilmacthomas publican and was a second Grand National winner to have been traded by O'Byrne, following Miinnehoma (GB), who won the 1994 running after being found for just 5,800gns as a 3-year-old.

Short odds, surely, that the parting glass for O'Byrne may produce a partnership to name a horse in his honor, too.

Besides Demi and John, O'Byrne is mourned by his other siblings Jim and Mary, and countless others related by blood or friendship.

Funeral details can be found here.

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Edited Press Release

Applications for The Jockey Club's paid internship program for college students and recent college graduates as well as its five academic scholarships opened Monday, the organization said in a release.

The eight-week internship program will accommodate up to three interns and is now available in the summer or fall based on the intern's preference. Interns will gain exposure to all companies and departments within the organization, and they will have the opportunity to spend additional time in areas that they find to be of particular interest.

The internships will take place in The Jockey Club's office located in Lexington, KY. For more information and to view the application, click here. Applications will be accepted through Jan. 5, 2026 and selected interns will be notified in February 2026.

The Jockey Club scholarships will apply to the 2026-2027 academic year and are as follows:

 

• The Jockey Club Scholarship ($15,000; $7,500 per semester): for those enrolled full time as an undergraduate or graduate student at a college or university in academic pursuit of majors for future employment in the equine industry. Open to any equine breed or discipline; preference will be given to candidates with the expressed desire to secure employment in the Thoroughbred industry.

 

• The Jockey Club Advancement of Women in Racing Scholarship ($20,000; $10,000 per semester): open to women pursuing a career in the equine industry who are enrolled full time as an undergraduate student at a college or university. Open to any equine breed or discipline; preference will be given to candidates with the expressed desire to secure employment in the Thoroughbred industry.

 

• The Jockey Club Vision Scholarship ($20,000; $10,000 per semester): for students from a minority racial or ethnic group who are pursuing a career in the equine industry. Applicants must be enrolled full time as an undergraduate student at a college or university. Open to any equine breed or discipline; preference will be given to candidates with the expressed desire to secure employment in the Thoroughbred industry.

 

• The Jockey Club Nancy C. Kelly Benevolence Scholarship ($15,000; $7,500 per semester): a need-based award for Thoroughbred racing farm or backstretch workers and their families who have experienced financial hardship to enable attendance at a full-time program at a college, university, or trade program. Applicants are not required to be pursuing a career in the equine or Thoroughbred industries.

 

• The Jockey Club Jack Goodman Scholarship ($6,000; $3,000 per semester): for students enrolled in the University of Arizona's Race Track Industry Program (RTIP). Goodman was a resident of Tucson, a longtime member of The Jockey Club, and one of three founders of the RTIP.

 

Click here for more information and links to applications for the scholarships. The recipients of each scholarship will be announced in the spring of 2026 in advance of the initial distribution of funds for the fall 2026 semester.

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Competitive bidding continued throughout the day Sunday as the Book 4 section of the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale opened Sunday with a pair of weanlings by Yaupon leading the way. For the session, 267 horses grossed $10,837,500 for an average of $40,964 and a median of $30,000. The average was up 14.70% and the median was up 20.00% from last year's corresponding session when 270 horses sold for $9,642,400 and the average was $35,713 and the median was $25,000. With 58 horses reported not sold, the buy-back rate for the session was 17.85%. It was 20.35% a year ago.

A colt by Yaupon (hip 2054) consigned by Grant and Tracy O'Shaughnessy's Serendipity Farm brought the session's top price when selling for $290,000 to Al Jawzaa General Trading LLC.

“We felt pretty good about him because he had 33 vets and 129 looks,” Tracy O'Shaughnessy said Sunday evening. “We were told he was one of the nicer ones today, so we were feeling pretty confident.”

Serendipity Farm consigned the weanling on behalf of breeder George Bates, who purchased the colt's dam, Gypsy's Feather (Munnings), for $20,000 at the 2022 Keeneland January sale. The farm also consigned the colt's full-brother who sold for $300,000 at last year's Keeneland November sale.

“I think this guy probably had a little more leg,” Tracy said. “But overall, I think they were almost identical.”

The Big Bear Bloodstock pinhooking partnership made the second highest bid of Sunday's session, going to $250,000 to acquire another colt by Yaupon (hip 2247) from the Legacy Bloodstock consignment. The Spendthrift stallion was also represented by the highest-priced filly of Sunday's session with Buena Madera purchasing hip 1938 for $140,000 from Scott Mallory's consignment.

Yaupon currently sits atop the freshman sire rankings with 25 winners and seven stakes winners.

“He looks like he has the numbers and they look to be fast,” Grant O'Shaughnessy said of Yaupon's foals.

“They are well balanced with plenty of leg,” Tracy added. “They all seem to have that same kind eye–that's what I've noticed with these guys anyway–and a good brain.”

The session topper was one of six to sell from the Serendipity consignment Sunday. The group also included a filly by Taiba (hip 2250) who sold for $85,000 and a colt by Arcangelo (hip 2107) who sold for $80,000.

“Everybody is still here,” Tracy said. “We sold a few others that exceeded expectations for us. We had an Arcangelo that sold really well and a Taiba who made about twice as much as we thought she'd make. We heard that comment a lot, that the weanlings in general are just bringing crazy money. And that's just carried on into Book 4.”

Grant agreed that the strength of the market through its first week had a trickle down effect as buyers who got shut out through the first six sessions were active into Book 4 Sunday.

“It's been very busy. There is a lot of activity,” he said. “The nice horses are going for such high dollars. You have to be cognizant of the fact that, especially pinhookers, you can't go paying crazy money because you have to factor in that you have to try to make that money back next year. I think the market is going to be buoyant into next year, but again, who knows?”

Hidden Brook Farm purchased the two top-priced mares of Sunday's session, going to $220,000 to acquire the 4-year-old Ella Elizabeth (Take Charge Indy) (hip 2009) from the Glendalough at Dromoland consignment and returning to that same consignment to acquire She Caught My Eye (Violence) (hip 2226), in foal to Domestic Product, for $170,000.

Hidden Brook purchased five head Sunday for $620,000 and was the session's leading buyer.

“We are just looking to upgrade the broodmare band at the farm,” said Hidden Brook's Sergio de Sousa. “We are looking for  good-looking mares with a bit of pedigree and hopefully in foal to the right sire, so we can just keep trading.”

Ella Elizabeth is a full-sister to graded stakes winner Take Charge Paula (Take Charge Indy), the dam of multiple stakes winner Long Neck Paula (Uncle Mo), and she sold in foal to Uncle Mo's son Golden Pal.

“It's a live family,” de Sousa said of the mare's appeal. “We liked the ones that we had by Golden Pal and we like the mare physically. She was a really, really pretty mare. So hopefully she will produce a nice foal.”

Of Ella Elizabeth's price tag, de Sousa said, “We were outbid on a few mares before, like everybody else. So we felt like, for the right one, you have to stretch a little bit to buy something good-looking that you don't mind looking at every day.”

Hidden Brook was also active as sellers Sunday and of the market into Book 4, de Sousa said, “The mares need to be good physically and in foal to the right sire. If the two match, you did really well. The foals have been the same. It was very strong, but you still had to vet and look decent enough. And then the market was there for it. It's competitive, which is good. And hopefully it will continue.”

The Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale continues through Tuesday with sessions beginning each day at 10 a.m.

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Ag Bullet (Twirling Candy) and Sweet Azteca (Sharp Azteca), a pair of Grade I winning gray mares trained by Richard Baltas, will continue their racing careers, according to a report from the Daily Racing Form.

Currently a 5-year-old, Ag Bullet notched her first top-level score this past summer when she took on the boys in the GI Jaipur Stakes at Saratoga.

After hitting the board in the GI Prevagen Breeders's Cup Sprint at Del Mar in 2024, the Calvin Nguyen & Joey Tran color bearer finished as the runner-up to Shisospicy (Mitole) in the 2025 version.

Ag Bullet was entered in the Fasig-Tipton November sale last week, but she RNA'd for $2.9-million.

According to the Daily Racing Form article, the nearly $3-million earner will be nominated by her owners for the upcoming Nov. 30 running of the GI Matriarch Stakes at the seaside oval, a race she ran third in last year.

Sweet Azteca wins the Rancho Bernardo | Benoit

As for Sweet Azteca, who is also a 5-year-old, she was scratched by the Breeders' Cup regulatory veterinarians after developing a right front issue. The Pamela Ziebarth homebred was intended for the GI PNC Bank Filly & Mare Sprint.

Baltas told the Daily Racing Form that the mare also had an entrapped epiglottis that recently required a minor procedure.

Sweet Azteca won the GI Beholder Mile Stakes at Santa Anita as a 4-year-old, and this season she captured both the GII Great Lady M Stakes at Los Alamitos in early July and the GIII Rancho Bernardo Handicap at Del Mar in late August.

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Spendthrift Farm's Kopion (Omaha Beach–Galloping Ami, by Victory Gallop), who posted three Beyer Speed Figures in excess of 107 in a season which included a blowout victory in the GI Derby City Distaff Stakes, has been retired, according to a report from the Daily Racing Form.

Bred by Ivan Dalos's Tall Oaks Farm, Kopion was a $270,000 Keeneland September yearling and won a pair of stakes over seven furlongs at three, a 5 3/4-length success in the GIII Santa Ynez Stakes and a 2 3/4-length score at odds of 37-1 in the GI La Brea Stakes.

After defeating Hope Road (Quality Road) in the GII Santa Monica Stakes in February, good for a 110 Beyer, she repeated the dose in the Derby City Distaff, scoring by three lengths and earning a 109 Beyer Speed Figure. Runner-up in the GII Great Lady M. Stakes in July, she rounded out the exacta in the GI Clement L. Hirsch Stakes behind Seismic Beauty (Uncle Mo) (107 Beyer). She was last seen finishing fifth against the boys in the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint Nov. 1.

“She came out of the race fine, but they're going to breed her,” trainer Richard Mandella told DRF.

Mandella told the Form that Kopion would ship to Santa Anita from Del Mar on Sunday before flying to Kentucky on Tuesday.

A half-sister to Sovereign Award winner Amis Gizmo (Giant Gizmo), GSW Ami's Flatter (Flatter) and SW Aragorn Ami (Aragorn {Ire}), Kopion retires with a record of 5-3-0 from 10 starts and earnings of $1,204,700.

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After being a scratch by track veterinarians from the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint, 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' Tamara (Bolt d'Oro) is back at Santa Anita Park undergoing tests to determine a possible cause.

Both Tamara and Sweet Azteca (Sharp Azteca) were scratched the morning of the Filly & Mare Sprint, later won by Splendora (Audible), and were figured to be two of the favorites in the race. At the time of the scratch, no reason had been provided for either horse.

Now back in the home base of trainer Richard Mandella, Tamara underwent a PET scan as well as X-Rays, and her connections report that results should be known in a couple of days. Mandella said that she appears fine to them. When asked about running at Del Mar if she's okay, the conditioner replied, “I don't know. We're going to kick some ideas around.”

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Francis DiAmario, the starter at Charles Town Races, got fined $1,000 by that track's stewards for sending away the field in the seventh race on Wednesday with one entrant left back behind the gate.

Medallion of Ash (Medallist) was 90-1 in the betting and had yet to step into the outermost stall of a two-turn 6 1/2 -furlong race that started in front of the stands when DiAmario, 65, sprung the latch.

Track announcer Paul Espinosa Jr. immediately alerted bettors to the situation at the start of his race call, and the stewards declared Medallion of Ash a non-starter after the remaining eight runners in the NW2L allowance for state-bred fillies and mares crossed the wire.

The ruling, issued Friday morning, stated that “all money wagered on her was refunded.”

DiAmario waived his right to a hearing before the stewards issued the ruling, which lists his fine as having been paid.

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It was one of the better Breeders' Cups that we have seen in a long time and it featured great performances and safe racing, exactly the daily double the Breeders' Cup hopes to hit every year.

But the good news has been overshadowed this week by a controversy. Why was White Abarrio (Race Day) scratched just minutes before the GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile?

The owners, C2 Racing Stable, LLC and Gary Barber, want to know, claiming the horse was “perfectly sound.”

“There's nothing wrong with him,” co-owner Mark Cornett told me Sunday. “I have no idea why they scratched him. No one has told us why yet.  This is unbelievably frustrating. We have a perfectly sound horse. I've been with this horse since September of his 2-year-old year and he's never missed a race, never missed a work, never missed a day of training.”

On Tuesday, the ownership group announced on social media that they have retained a lawyer and have asked for “a full and transparent investigation into this matter.” They continued: “We have requested that the Breeders' Cup, the California Horse Racing Board, and the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club preserve and disclose all relevant documents related to White Abarrio being scratched.”

Maybe the vet who scratched White Abarrio was right, that there was something wrong with him and it was unsafe to let him run. Maybe he did the owners and all those who bet on the horse, a favor.

But that's only part of the story. The Cornett brothers and Gary Barber are exactly right-they are entitled to know why their horse was scratched from a $1 million race in which they believed White Abarrio had a serious chance to win.

What is it with horse racing and transparency? We see it time and time again, there is a controversial disqualification or non-disqualification, a controversial scratch and everyone in authority goes running for cover.

Horsephotos

There was the mess in the 2019 GI Kentucky Derby with Maximum Security (New Year's Day). The stewards took an agonizing 22 minutes to make a decision. Then they appeared before the press and more or less said nothing, failing to explain their reasoning as to why they disqualified a horse from the most important horse race in America. All they needed to do was to say something to the effect that “Maximum Security was disqualified from the 2019 Kentucky Derby for impeding with the progress of other horses as the field rounded the final turn and costing them a placing. Maximum Security, while leading the race, drifted out several running lanes near the quarter-pole. Jockey Luis Saez failed to maintain a straight course.”

Five days after the White Abarrio incident, I put on my reporter's hat and asked everyone I could think of who should be in the know the simple question: “Why was White Abarrio scratched?” Afterward, I felt like I had asked for the nuclear codes.

From Claire Crosby, the vice president of communications for the Breeders' Cup World Championships: “While we cannot specifically comment on pending or threatened litigation, the Breeders' Cup World Championships operate under the rules and regulations of the host jurisdiction. In the case of the recently concluded 2025 World Championships in Del Mar, California, the rules and protocols for scratches fell under the purview of the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) and the Stewards. The Breeders' Cup fully supports the CHRB and its decision-making process.”

From HISA Senior Communications Manager Mackenzie Kirker-Head: “Thanks for reaching out. The California Horse Racing Board would be the best point of contact for information regarding that decision.”

From Del Mar: “Ask the CHRB.”

From the CHRB: No one was willing to go on the record, but colleague Dan Ross did find some information on line.

White Abarrio is listed on the CHRB website under the inCompass vet's list for “unsoundness.” There are no other details that have been made available.

From the Breeders' Cup website, he found language that confirmed that only a CHRB-licensed veterinarian can scratch a horse. A vet working for the Breeders' Cup cannot.

Here's what it says:

“Any horse that presents as unsound or unfit to race is confirmed and recommended to be scratched to the Board of Stewards by a CHRB-licensed official veterinarian. The function of the official veterinarian on race day is to determine a horse's suitability to race, not diagnose an issue. Non-California licensed members of the BCL Veterinary Team have no authority to recommend to the Board of Stewards to scratch a horse; that is the sole purview of the state regulatory veterinarians.”

Well, now we know that someone determined that White Abarrio was unsound and that decision was made by a CHRB vet. At least that's something.

Tamara | Benoit

It would also be nice to know why so many horses, including some of the biggest names taking part in the Breeders' Cup were scratched. There's nothing wrong with being extra careful. It is working as the breakdown rate falls every year, but wouldn't it be appropriate for the public and horsemen to be told a little more as to why such standouts as Precise (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}), Black Out Time (Not This Time), Scottish Lassie (McKinzie), Mystik Dan (Goldencents), Tamara (Bolt d'Oro) and Sweet Azteca (Sharp Azteca) were all scratched.

This all could have been handled so much more easily. Yes, there was little time to go before the race and certainly not enough time to whip out a statement before the Dirt Mile was off. But the owners and trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. should have been told as soon as possible what the issue was and why they scratched the horse. They still wouldn't have been happy, but they at least wouldn't have been kept in the dark. A veterinarian should have come on NBC right after the race and explained to the television viewers what had just happened. The stewards or a vet should have gone on in-house television and done the same for the fans sitting in the grandstand.

This sport has to be as transparent as possible and it is anything but. Keep in mind that CAW play may be the single biggest threat to the future of horse racing but no one-and I mean no one-will say one word about how much the computer players are betting, how much they are winning, what kind of rebates they are getting and, most importantly, how their play has increased the takeout rate for everyone else.

At least NYRA has the stewards appear with Andy Serling on television every so often when there is a controversial call, but it is very noteworthy that the steward with all the power, the New York Gaming Commission's Braulio Baeza Jr., doesn't participate. And NYRA has a section on its website called “Past Race Decisions,” in which the stewards do exactly what they should be doing, explaining the calls they made. One problem: There hasn't been a new posting since Dec. 1, 2024.

This just shouldn't be this hard.

Dan Ross contributed to this story.

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Kentucky Derby 150 winner Mystik Dan (Goldencents) has officially been retired to stud, trainer Ken McPeek announced Friday. But fans will have one final chance to see the colt beneath the Twin Spires on Saturday when he parades in the paddock for the fourth race from approximately 2:05-2:30 p.m. EST.

Owned by Lance Gasaway, 4 G Racing, Daniel Hamby III and Valley View Farm, Mystik Dan will stand at Airdrie Stud in Midway, Ky., for $15,000.

The 4-year-old retires with a record of 16-5-3-1 and earnings of more than $4.8 million. Along with his victory in the GI Kentucky Derby, Mystik Dan captured this year's GII Lukas Classic and GIII Blame Stakes as well as last year's GIII Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn Park.

He joins the roster at Airdrie along with Beau Liam, Cairo Prince, Collected, Complexity, Divisidero, Girvin, Happy Saver, Highly Motivated, Jonathan's Way, Mage and Upstart.

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8-year-old Bango (Congrats), Churchill Downs's winningest horse, has been retired, his connections announced on social media Friday.

In a video posted to X, trainer Greg Foley said, “Mr. Churchill Downs has blessed Barn 11 in so many ways. Career has been just a testament to what horse racing is all about.  Thanks for everything Bango. Enjoy the next chapter.”

Retired with career earnings over $1,644,000, Bango raced 42 times, winning or placing in 24 of them. Nearly all of his starts came at Churchill Downs and he became their winningest horse of all time when he picked up his 12th total, an allowance victory in Sept. 2024. He raced just twice this year and finished up a well-beaten seventh in his final start Thursday.

His career highlights include a placing in the GII Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix Stakes in 2023. He was a nine-time stakes winner, picking up wins in consecutive editions of the Aristides Stakes in 2021 and 2022 and the Kelly's Landing Overnight Stakes in 2021 and 2023.

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Racing journalist and horseman Josh Pons has been named the recipient of the 2024 Dr. Tony Ryan Book Award, presented by the Ryan family's Castleton Lyons, for excellence in thoroughbred racing literature published in 2024. He received the winner's $10,000 check during a Nov. 6 reception at the Lexington, Ky., farm.

Pons won for 'Letters from Country Life: Adolphe Pons, Man o' War, and the Founding of Maryland's Oldest Thoroughbred Farm', a retrospective of the Golden Age of racing as viewed through a remarkable trove of correspondence to his grandfather, Adolphe Pons. Early in the 20th century, the senior Pons had served as private secretary to Racing Hall of Fame breeder August Belmont, a role in which he played an integral part in the breeding and eventual sale of Man o' War.

“Josh Pons already had established his writing talent, but Letters from Country Life is another level of literary achievement,” said lead judge Kay Coyte. “In it, you discover historic gems just as Josh does, and worry along with him about the future of Maryland racing and his beloved farm.”

Two other finalists were honored at the Castleton Lyons ceremony, Arthur B. Hancock III for his autobiography, 'Dark Horses: A Memoir of Redemption', and John Perrotta, for his international mystery thriller, 'A Beggar's Ride'.

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by Jessica Martini & Christina Bossinakis

LEXINGTON, KY – The Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale, which opened with a strong Book 1 session Tuesday, continued its momentum with the first of two Book 2 sessions with strong demand for both mares and foals Wednesday.

“It was outstanding,” Keeneland Vice President of Sales Tony Lacy said of Wednesday's session. “Coming off yesterday, it was really positive across all the metrics. And I think we improved the position today. The gross was up 61% over last year, the scratch rate was down, and our clearance rate was up to 78%. It was really healthy across the board.”

For the session, 235 horses sold for $47,382,000. The average of $201,626 was up 37.66% from last year's Book 2 opener and the median rose 12.50% to $225,000.

The auction had its 18th seven-figure offering when the Raging Torrent Syndicate bid $1.3 million to acquire the 5-year-old broodmare Anywho (Bolt d'Oro) from the Grovendale Sales consignment.

“The mares were very strong,” Lacy said. “Anybody looking for a quality mare really had to step up and pay.”

Lacy continued, “I think it's a bullish market. It feels like people are very aggressive going for what they want. There is more of an eagerness, an enthusiasm for breeding–and it's a domestic demand primarily, which is very encouraging. There are a lot of new people getting in the game and there are a lot of breeders who felt like they needed to refresh their broodmare bands. The breeders recognize that mediocrity is not rewarded. Quality is what they are looking for and they are focusing in on. And when quality gets rewarded, it incentivizes breeders to keep stepping up their programs. I think that's only [good] for the gene pool and for the industry as we move forward.”

Tony Lacy with trainer Brendan Walsh | Keeneland

The competition for weanlings remained fierce Wednesday, with 104 weanlings selling for an average of $176,923 and a median of $150,000. At the corresponding session a year ago, 86 weanlings sold for an average of $126,279 and a median of $90,000.

“The weanling market was extremely strong,” said Keeneland Senior Director of Sales Operations Cormac Breathnach. “We nearly doubled the number of six-figure foals from the corresponding session last year. If you look at the $300,000 and up foals, there were 17 today. There were seven in the session last year. And those 17 today are by 13 different sires. There is depth to the market and that bodes well, both in the range of what's available, but also the buyer base. That's the most rewarding part of all.”

A pair of weanlings by first-crop sires shared top honors during Wednesday's session, with a filly by Cody's Wish bringing $550,000 from Hartley/DeRenzo Thoroughbreds early in the session matched later in the day by a colt by Elite Power purchased by Glen Hill Farm.

The Keeneland November sale continues through Tuesday with sessions beginning daily at 10 a.m.

Bolt d'Oro's Anywho Snapped Up for $1.3 Million

Continuing its robust spending in Keeneland's Book 2 opener, the group listed as Raging Torrent Syndicate dug in for another seven-figure purchase on Wednesday when extending to $1.3 million for MGSP Anywho (Bolt d'Oro).

The ticket was signed by Paul Curran representing Ace Stud. Entering stud at Lane's End, Raging Torrent won the GI Malibu Stakes, GI Hill 'n' Dale Met Mile and G2 Godolphin Mile.

Hip 290, consigned by Grovendale, was sold in foal to Not This Time.

“Well, it's just really cool,” said Grovendale's James Keogh. “It's always lovely to sell a horse for a million dollars. And, you know, she was a lovely, lovely mare, and she came from a tremendous female family, and she was just impossible to fault.”

 

“To sell a horse for a million dollars, but to bring a mare in here and sell it at Keeneland, it's life changing for people like my wife and I. It's just a fantastic day.”

After the Ring with @JamesBKeogh on the $1.3 million sale of Anywho in foal to Not This Time #KeeNov pic.twitter.com/GcuNeIUZoN

— Keeneland Sales (@keenelandsales) November 5, 2025

The daughter of SP Fancy and Flashy (Zensational) is a half-sister to Grade III-placed Wipe the Slate (Nyquist). Anywho was bred in Kentucky by Brookfield Stud.

Campaigned by Hronis Racing and trained by John Sadler, the 5-year-old was retired with a trio of wins and earnings of just under $250,000. During her career, she also finished third in the GIII Rancho Bernardo Stakes and in her sole start in 2025, in the GIII Las Cienegas Stakes at Santa Anita.

“She is obviously a well-raced filly and the covering sire was very popular with us,” said Curran. “We have bought a couple of mares covered by Not This Time. He is just a phenomenal stallion. He seems to be the real deal in the sense that going from a very small fee to where he is now at $250,000 is a testament to him.”

Outlining what the team is looking for to visit their new stallion, Curran said, “We are trying to support our new stallion Raging Torrent and she is going to go to him. We are trying to pick up a couple of nice mares with some nice covers to them and she fit the bill.

“She is a nice high-profile mare to send to him. We are trying to get some quality mares to him with some runners on the ground and she is perfect for that.

“We really liked the Medaglia d'Oro broodmare line as well, that was a factor as well. I think she'll suit Raging Torrent very well. We're pleased we got her.”

 

Book 2 fireworks! Anywho, a mare by Bolt d'Oro and in foal to Not This Time delivers $1.3 million in the ring early in the day. Consigned by @grovendalesales, purchased by Raging Torrent Syndicate. pic.twitter.com/nKa3ktAQF7

— Keeneland Sales (@keenelandsales) November 5, 2025

Raging Torrent Syndicate's other purchases on Wednesday include hip 260, Very Scary (Connect), who brought $625,000 and was also a member of the Grovendale consignment.

The Raging Torrent Syndicate was the leading buyer on Wednesday with two purchases generating $1.925 million. Through the first two days of selling at Keeneland, the operation led all buyers with five purchases totaling $5,225,000.–CBoss

Green Knows Who's Ticket

Bloodstock agent Finn Green, bidding on behalf of an undisclosed client, went to $750,000 to acquire the 4-year-old broodmare Who's Ticket (Quality Road) (hip 267) from the Taylor Made Sales Agency consignment Wednesday at Keeneland. The bay mare, in foal to Practical Joke, is a daughter of champion Take Charge Brandi (Giant's Causeway). Her second dam, Charming (Seeking the Gold), produced Omaha Beach, and third dam Take Charge Lady (Dehere) produced champion Will Take Charge. It was a family Green got to see up close when he served as racing manager for 2013 GI Breeders' Cup Classic winner Mucho Macho Man.

Who's Ticket | Keeneland

“I stepped into the receiving barn at Santa Anita in 2013 for the Breeders' Cup with Mucho Macho Man and Will Take Charge came in,” Green recalled. “So we go all the way back to that point with this family. You don't get many Grade I-producing mares that repeat in multiple generations. So pedigree is very important to the client.”

The mare, bred by Hill 'n' Dale Equine Holdings and Three Chimneys Farm, was purchased by Glen Hill Farm and Three Chimneys for $450,000 as a weanling at the 2021 Fasig-Tipton November sale. She was followed into the Keeneland ring Wednesday by her first foal, a colt by Munnings bred by Three Chimneys and Glen Hill, who sold for $450,000 to Glen Hill Farm.

Of plans for the mare, Green said, “[The client] may even go to New York with her. But she will come back to a Kentucky stallion.” @JessMartiniTDN

Thirty Year Farm Enters the Fray with 750K Medaglia d'Oro Buy

Thirty Year Farm made it on the board Wednesday with Golden Ghost (GB) (Medaglia d'Oro), purchased for $750,000 during the second day of selling at Keeneland.

Offered as hip 413, the 4-year-old was consigned by Taylor Made Sales on behalf of the D J Stable Curated Reduction. Taylor Made Sales led all consignors Wednesday with 31 head amassing $8.165 million. Also on top through two days of selling, the agency sold 60 horses for $27,205,000.

Bidding from the far end of the main pavilion, the operation's Matt and Kristen Esler were accompanied by their advisor, Edgewood Farm's Carson Asbury.

Golden Ghost | Keeneland

What was the initial attraction to the filly?

“Did you get a look at her?” Thirty Year Farm's Matt Esler asked with a laugh. “She is a really good-looking mare–definitely checked those boxes. We are bullish on Not This Time. I think she'll be a really nice broodmare.”

The English-bred filly, in foal to Not This Time, is out of G1 Prix de l'Opera heroine Villa Marina (GB) (Le Havre), a half-sister to dual Australian Group 1-winning Huetor (Fr) (Archipenko).

“Medaglia d'Oro is an A+ cross with [Not This Time],” explained Esler. “We've had some success with Medaglia d'Oro in the past, so that definitely factored into [the purchase].”

Thirty Year Farm has been gradually increasing its number of residents since the couple secured the tract of land in Saratoga, just under five miles from Saratoga Race Course, eight years ago.

Since the purchase, the Eslers have been focused on developing a blueprint that is tailor-made to their program.

“We don't try to re-invent the wheel,” said Esler. “We look for proven mares or mares with great pedigree and we are always looking for physical traits of performers.”

Facing stark competition for younger race fillies and mares at this season's November sales has proven anything but easy to fill orders for most operations.

“We had a harder time buying this year than we've had in the last few years out of this sale,” Esler admitted. “We thought it was an 'us' thing. It's obviously not.”

He continued, “This year, we've had a bit of a youth movement. We have gotten away from some of the older mares and this year, they are all on the younger side. We'll also see if we can't make [race fillies/broodmare prospects] ourselves.

“Overall, we want great bloodlines and for them to have good, solid first dams.”

Thirty Year Farm made its first-ever purchase at Fasig-Tipton's November Sale, securing Yanira (More Than Ready), a half-sister to Classic-producing mare Puca (Big Brown) and GISW Finnegan's Wake (Powerscourt {GB}), for $575,000. The bay mare is in foal to Good Magic.–CBoss

'Something Special': Cody's Wish Weanling Demand Continues at Keeneland

Weanlings from the first crop of Horse of the Year Cody's Wish continued to be in demand in the sales ring at Keeneland Wednesday. Randy Hartley went to $550,000 to secure a filly by the Darley stallion (hip 257) on behalf of Tom Durant. The filly was bred by John Ferguson's Natalma Bloodstock, which purchased her dam, Union Maiden (Union Rags), for $250,000 at the 2021 Keeneland November sale. She was consigned by Lane's End.

Hip 257 | Keeneland

“We are seeing something special in the Cody's Wishes,” said Hartley. “We really wanted to try to buy one and we've gotten outbid on a few and didn't get one. I felt like this filly was the best one left, for us anyway. So we were going home with her.”

Cody's Wish had four weanlings sell for an average of $416,250 at Monday's Fasig-Tipton November sale.

Through two sessions of the Keeneland November sale, seven weanlings by Cody's Wish have sold for an average of $256,429. The stallion stands at Darley for $60,000.

“They just have substance to them,” Hartley said of Cody's Wish's first-crop weanlings. “They have got the hips, the minds, you can just tell they are born with it. It's not like they are putting it on them. And he was such a special racehorse. I bought his halter for $5,000, so surely I can buy a filly. We stretched a little bit, but she has some pedigree.”

Hartley continued, “We are looking for fillies for Tom to race and that, down the road, he can make broodmares.”

Of the competitive weanling market, Hartley said, “The market is setting the prices, so it's hard to be surprised, but yes, I am surprised. There are fewer babies here because the yearling market was so good. I feel like a lot of people are hanging on to stuff. But if you pay a lot here, and you come back to sell, there are going to be a lot of horses that we didn't see here that you are going to be up against.

“So as pinhookers, we haven't bought much to pinhook yet. We are going to try to find some here in like Book 4,” Hartley added with a laugh. @JessMartiniTDN

Elite Power Colt Tops Glen Hill's Weanling Haul Wednesday

Glen Hill Farm bypassed the competitive yearling market in September in favor of the foal market in November and, while the going wasn't much easier, the Bernick family's operation walked away from Wednesday's session of the Keeneland November sale with four weanlings. Leading the group was a colt from the first crop of champion Elite Power (hip 505) who was purchased for $550,000 from the Grovendale Sales consignment.

Hip 505 | Keeneland

“My mom, Carol Bernick, decided she wanted to have some colts and hopefully target some big races,” Craig Bernick said. “We looked in September 2024 and we couldn't get near a horse, so we bought five foals last year. I just sort of bought what I wanted. Every horse I bid on, I bought. So I thought we would do the same thing this year, but I guess everyone had the same idea this year. We couldn't get near any of the horses yesterday. But we liked four horses today and we were fortunate to get them. We are excited about all four of them.”

Hip 505 is out of Mrs. Postman (Pioneerof the Nile), a daughter of Grade I winner Miss Shop (Deputy Minister) and a half-sister to Tin Type Gal (Tapit). The weanling was bred by William Humphries and Altair Farms, who purchased Mrs. Postman for $50,000 at the 2022 Keeneland November sale. The mare's first foal, a filly by Jackie's Warrior, sold for $210,000 at this year's Keeneland September sale.

“The Elite Power is a really racy colt from a great family,” Bernick said. “The more we looked at him, the more we liked the horse. It was a little more than we were hoping to pay, but maybe not so much more than we expected after everything that has happened.”

Also Wednesday, Glen Hill purchased a colt by Munnings (hip 268)–whom they had co-bred with Three Chimneys Farm–for $450,000; a colt by Street Sense (hip 474) for $375,000; and a colt by Yaupon (hip 420) for $180,000. @JessMartiniTDN

McCauley Mare Has the Right Foundation

Nate McCauley's Foundation Bloodstock was one of the most prolific buyers at the Keeneland January sale earlier this year, purchasing 15 young mares for $670,500 with the intention of putting them in foal and returning them to the sales ring this fall. The plan worked to perfection at Keeneland Wednesday when Will Take Holiday (Will Take Charge) (hip 269) sold for $335,000 to Old Tavern Farm. McCauley had purchased the unraced 6-year-old mare, a half-sister to Grade I winner Trikari (Oscar Performance), for $52,000 in January. She sold Wednesday carrying her first foal after visiting Twirling Candy ($60k) this spring.

Keeneland

“When I saw her in January, I thought she was really nice,” McCauley said of Will Take Holiday. “She had good substance and size. But you could tell that maybe there was still improvement left in her. I have great respect for that family. I had owned it once before. And I have great respect for Trikari. I thought he would come back and have an even better year than it turned out he did. And there was a 3-year-old sister that Mike Maker had who broke her maiden impressively at Gulfstream. Unfortunately, something happened to her after that, so we didn't catch that update.”

Of the decision to send the mare to Twirling Candy, McCauley said, “Twirling Candy is one of my favorite stallions, but you have to be careful what you breed to him. He wants substance and size from the mare. And she had both of those in spades. And he's done really well with [Will Take Charge's sire] Unbridled's Song, so that cross was fantastic. She was perfect for the Twirling Candy play.”

McCauley said Will Take Holiday's $335,000 price tag Wednesday, “exceeded my expectations, but at the same time, I thought she was well-bought.”

Of the difference in the market from January to November, McCauley said, “To me, this is a more competitive market than January and that helps. What we try to do is find value with the maiden mares and find value with the stallions we are breeding them to. And then we hope that that adds up to a more expensive package than what we have invested in them. And when you have a really good market on top of it, that's when you have results like this.”

McCauley expects to be back in action reoffering more members of his January purchases over the next week at Keeneland.

“We RNA'd one at Night of the Stars and sold her after,” McCauley said. “They are a great group. And of course, they are here to sell. We have really conservative reserves. Every year we have 90%-plus clearance rate. There are going to be some that we will lose a little bit of money on and that's ok. But as a whole, I feel good about them.” @JessMartiniTDN

The post Anywho, Yet Another Million-Dollar Mare, Paces ‘Bullish’ Keeneland November Book 2 Opener appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

It was a huge Breeders' Cup Day for 35-year-old Venezuelan-born trainer Jose D'Angelo, who not only won two races, but won two in a row. The greatest 35 minutes of his training career began with a win by 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' Shisospicy (Mitole) in the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint and D'Angelo also won the next race, the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint, with Florida-bred Bentornato (Valiant Minister).

To talk about his Breeders' Cup success story, his background, his plans for the future and more, D'Angelo joined the team on this week's TDN Writers' Room Podcast presented by Keeneland. He was the Gainesway Guest of the Week.

Bentornato had only raced once between last year's Sprint, in which he finished second at 28-1, and this year's Sprint. D'Angelo went over his issues and how he had him in peak form last Saturday at Del Mar.

“Our plan was going to the Malibu last year,” he said. “We shipped the horse there, but after the workout, he came back good, but the morning of the race, I saw him a little sore and everything came from the hoof. So I scratched the horse that morning. He could have passed the vet. He could have run, but I felt like it could be costly. Like I can lose the horse on that race. Like probably, you know, this race is going to take more from him.

“I gave him a break and we were ready to come back but sometimes the horses have things that you cannot see. I put on the PET scan, everything was clear, clean, like no fractures, no chips, nothing, just little bumps and bruising. That's normal. So that's why we stopped on the horse. But two months later, when he was training again, he got a splint and we had to stop on him again. That's when we decided to aim for the Breeders' Cup. The owner just said yes and followed my recommendations. We know that it's a tough game. We used the Louisville Thoroughbred Stakes as his prep. I told the owner, 'I promise you the horse is going to need these seven weeks to recover after the layoff and I can train him in the way that I want for the Breeders' Cup.' If you see what I did, I pushed him with hard workouts, strong workouts.”

 

Bentornato will now be pointed to the GII Riyadh Dirt Sprint in Saudi Arabia. D'Angelo is not sure where Shisospicy will resurface. At the Fasig-Tipton 'Night of the Stars' sale, owner Morplay Racing bought out partner Qatar Racing, paying $5.2 million for the 3-year-old filly.

D'Angelo was among the most successful trainers in Venezuela, following in the footsteps of his father, trainer Francisco D'Angelo. After winning a training title in 2018, D'Angelo came to the U.S. in 2019.

“I was the leading trainer in Venezuela in 2018,” he said. “So that's why I decided to move to USA, to follow my father. He moved here in 2015. To move to the USA, I was trying to follow my dreams and go for the big races here.”

D'Angelo is clearly a trainer on the rise. What are his hopes for his future?

“I learned from the movie of Ruffian,” he said. “They worked on the filly, but they couldn't save her. The next day the trainer had to wake up again and go to work like nothing happened. I'm sure it was an emotional day. I learned that every day you have to work harder, no matter what, no matter whether you win or lose. I just want to work harder and do my best. And the most important thing is to learn. You always have to be open to learning because there are so many people here that have more experience than I do.”

The “Fastest Horse of the Week” was GI Breeders' Cup Classic winner Forever Young (Jpn) (Real Steel {Jpn}). He got a 111 Beyer figure in his Classic victory. The Fastest Horse of the Week is sponsored by WinStar Farm, home of the sire Audible (Into Mischief).

Elsewhere on the podcast, which is also sponsored by 1/st TV, the KTOB, the Pennsylvania Horse Breeders' Association and West Point Thoroughbreds, the team of Bill Finley, Zoe Cadman and Randy Moss reviewed all the Breeders' Cup races and discussed the career of Frankie Dettori, who had his last U.S. rides in the Breeders' Cup. There was also a discussion of the “Great Rabbit Controversy” and whether or not Contrary Thinking (Into Mischief) cost Fierceness (City of Light) the win in the Classic. Moss made an interesting point about how poorly the “Win and You're In” horses out of South America fared in the Breeders' Cup and thought the rules need to be tweaked to ensure that horses coming from there will at least be competitive.

Click to listen to the audio of the podcast.

 

The post Jose D’Angelo Joins the TDN Writers’ Room Podcast Presented by Keeneland appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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

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

Among this week's rulings, trainer Francisco Ramos has been banned 4-years and fined $50,000 for the possession of Diisopropylamine and Clenbuterol, both banned substances. Despite repeated attempts to contact him as the case was processed, Ramos “has never responded to HIWU concerning this Charge or his election with respect to it,” according to HIWU's final written ruling.

Back May 7 last year, investigators searched Ramos's vehicle and barn at Belterra Park. In his vehicle, they allegedly found a non-FDA approved foreign pharmacological substance that was later found to contain Diisopropylamine.

Investigators also allegedly found a “clear jug of red liquid sealed with green tape, which contained Clenbuterol” in the driver's side near door, according to the ruling. With later analysis, the Clenbuterol was found to contain a “super-potent concentration of compounded Clenbuterol, far exceeding the concentration level in the FDA-approved brand Ventipulmin,” the ruling states.

Diisopropylamine is a vasodilator, which is a substance that dilates the vessels to allow blood to flow more freely through them. Diisopropylamine is also found in several everyday items like tobacco and beauty products, and hand sanitizer.

Clenbuterol is a well-known bronchodilator that is banned for use under HISA except under very specific circumstances.

Ramos's suspension begins May 30, 2036. The trainer is currently serving a 12-year suspension for six out-of-competition or post-race medication violations for Clenbuterol. When that 12-year ban is complete, the latest four-year suspension begins.

Resolved ADMC Violations
Dates: 11/03/25 and 11/04/2025
Licensee: Patrick Reynolds, Amira Chichakly and Rodolfo Rodriguez.
Penalty: Written reprimands. Admission.
Explainer: For breach of rule 3510(d), the “Refusal or failure without compelling justification to comply with any other provision of the Protocol (where such refusal or failure does not constitute an Anti-Doping Rule Violation)” for events dated 3/8/24, 3/7/24 and 3/1/24 respectively.
According to a HIWU spokesperson, more detailed explainers about the specifics of this particular rule breach will be made public on its site by next Monday at the latest.

Date: 11/03/2025
Licensee: Adam Rice, trainer
Penalty: Disqualification of Covered Horse's Race results, including forfeiture of all purses and other compensation, prizes, trophies, points, and rankings and repayment or surrender (as applicable); a fine of $500; imposition of 1.5 Penalty Points. Admission.
Explainer: Medication violation for the presence of Dantrolene–a class C controlled substance–in a sample taken from Little Lamb Chop, who finished third at Presque Isle Downs on 9/1/25.

Date: 10/30/2025
Licensee: Francisco Ramos, trainer
Penalty: 4-year period of Ineligibility for Covered Person, beginning on May 30, 2036; a fine of $50,000. Final decision of HIWU.
Explainer: Violation for the possession of Diisopropylamine and Clenbuterol–both banned substances–on an event dated 5/7/24.

Date: 10/28/2025
Licensee: Andrew Tumblin, trainer
Penalty: Disqualification of Covered Horse's Race results, including forfeiture of all purses and other compensation, prizes, trophies, points, and rankings and repayment or surrender (as applicable); a fine of $500; imposition of 1.5 Penalty Points. Final decision of HIWU.
Explainer: Medication violation for the presence of Methocarbamol–a class C controlled substance–in a sample taken from Vanadium, who won at Thistledown on 9/1/25.

Pending ADMC Violations
11/05/2025, Marvin Richards, trainer: Pending vets' list medication violation for the presence of Phenylbutazone–a class C controlled substance–in a sample taken from Awesome Prince on 10/10/25.

11/03/2025, Elizabeth McCue, trainer: Pending vets' list medication violation for the presence of Betamethasone–a class C controlled substance–in a sample taken from Prince Khozan on 9/30/25.

11/03/2025, Craig Lewis, trainer: Pending medication violation for the presence of Methocarbamol–a class C controlled substance–in a sample taken from Kikuride, who won at Del Mar on 8/31/25.

10/31/2025, William Blair, trainer: Pending medication violations for the presence of Dexamethasone–a class C controlled substance–in samples taken from Ce La Vi Charli, who finished second at Churchill Downs on 9/19/25; and from Lunar Module, who finished third at Churchill Downs on 9/21/25.

10/31/2025, William Blair, trainer: Pending medication violation for the presence of Dexamethasone–a class C controlled substance–in a sample taken from Ce La Vi Charli, who finished second at Churchill Downs on 9/19/25.

10/30/2025, Sarah Davidson, trainer: Pending vets' list medication violation for the presence of Phenylbutazone–a class C controlled substance–in a sample taken from Midnight Lady on 9/30/25.

10/30/2025, Gary Greiner, trainer: Pending violation for the possession of Piper Methysticum (Kava)–a banned anti-anxiety and anti-inflammatory drug–on an event dated 6/10/25.

Violations of Crop Rule
Churchill Downs
Emmanuel Esquivel–violation date Oct. 31; $250 fine, one-day suspension
Andres Calleja–violation date Oct. 30; $500 fine, one-day suspension

The post Weekly National Rulings Include Additional 4-Year Ban For Ramos appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

World-class rider Frankie Dettori announced that his last ever mounts in the U.S. would be in the Breeders' Cup, so it came as somewhat of a shock when he was named on Lagynos (Kantharos) in Saturday's GIII River City Stakes at Churchill Downs. Lagynos, trained by Steve Asmusssen, is among the top contenders in the race.

But his U.S. agent Ron Anderson said Dettori will not be riding Saturday at Churchill or anywhere else in the U.S. in the future.

“I have no idea why he was named on that horse,” Anderson said. “Not a clue. He's not even in the country. He's gone, gone back to England. He's retired. I have no idea why Steve named him on that horse. No idea whatsoever. I am going to have to ask him.”

Dettori plans to ride in a few more races before he totally retires, but they will all be in South America. The 54-year-old superstar has told reporters that his last ever ride will be in the GI El Derby in Chile. The race, the third leg of the Chilean Triple Crown, will be run on or around Feb. 1. It is a 1 1/2 mile race run at Valparaiso Sporting Club.

Prior to that he will look to ride in other prestigious South American races such as the GI Gran Premio Carlos Pellegrini Internacional at the Hipodromo de San Isidro in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in December, and the GI Gran Premio Jose Pedro Ramirez at Hipódromo Nacional de Maroñas in Montevideo, Uruguay. That race will be run Jan. 6.

Anderson said he will not be booking mounts for him in South America and that local agents will handle his business there.

“He brought an enthusiasm to the game that is very rare for someone who had the success that he has had,” Anderson said. “I like to tell this story: One Sunday night at Santa Anita he won three races and he called up and I hung up the phone and said, “Is that a guy that has won six Arcs? He won the Arc de Triomphe six times. Or was that a kid who just won his first race?' It sounded like a kid who won his first race. I've known him since he was a little kid. He's spectacular and has always been so enthusiastic. He's a great rider. I know he wishes he came to the U.S. a few years before he did. He was a pleasure to work for.”

After his final ride, Dettori will go to work for Amo Racing as a global brand ambassador. Owned by Kia Joorabchian, Amo has quickly developed into one of the top stables in the world.

“I'm thrilled to be joining Amo Racing as their global brand ambassador,” Dettori said in a social media post. “Kia and his team have huge passion and ambition for the sport, and it's exciting to be a part of their journey.”

The post Yes, Dettori Is Still Retired From U.S. Racing appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Every year, about 17,000 Thoroughbreds are born in North America. Let's assume half of them are colts: 8,500 male horses bred with ambition in their blood. Of those, maybe 50–if we're being generous–will ever make it to stud. The fillies often retain value as broodmares, but even then the industry quietly accumulates thousands of horses every single year whose careers end without a clear path forward.

And for far too many of them, that path ends at the slaughterhouse.

We talk about racing fatalities in terms of breakdowns on the track. But what about the horses that vanish off it? The ones who served their purpose and then became too expensive, too inconvenient, too anonymous to keep around? That's not just a moral dilemma.

It's a failure of our product life cycle.

 

That's where Breeders' Cup Sunday Comes In

This is a proposal for the Breeders' Cup to launch a national, multi-discipline competition circuit exclusively for off-track Thoroughbreds (OTTBs). A series that spans the calendar year, beginning with the Pegasus World Cup in January and culminating in the Breeders' Cup in November. Events held on the biggest racing weekends: Derby Day, Travers, Pacific Classic, Blue Grass Stakes. A Sunday stage, built for second chances.

This wouldn't be a showcase or a goodwill gesture. It would be real competition, with real stakes. Show jumping. Dressage. Eventing, and other disciplines uniquely suited to retired racehorses. Because when you put a Thoroughbred in front of a crowd, with purpose and spotlight, magic still happens.

 

Not Charity, Market Correction

Breeders' Cup Sunday wouldn't be about pity. It would be about potential. With enough prize money to matter, we flip the paradigm from “how do we find homes” to “how do we compete for one?” That's how markets work. When something has value, people protect it. They invest in it. They build stories around it.

For decades, we've leaned on aftercare as a charitable afterthought. That model is noble, but it isn't scalable. What's scalable is value. And this one idea could solve three things at once.

 

Economic Value 

A well-planned, well-funded, Thoroughbred-only show circuit can do what decades of fundraising haven't: make these horses desirable again. It would create a viable secondary market, where a horse that once struggled in the claiming ranks might shine in a jumper ring.

Imagine a $7,500 gelding winning a championship on Travers weekend, and suddenly, everyone wants a horse just like him. This wouldn't just save lives. It would lift the entire value chain.

Trainers would think twice before running horses into the ground. Auction houses could host alumni classes. Regional breeding programs could have incentives built in. Even stallions who missed the commercial mark might sire athletic, versatile OTTBs that thrive on these stages.

This doesn't just help aftercare. It helps everyone who touches the sport.

 

Fandom and Attendance 

These Sunday events would run parallel to the big racing Saturdays. They wouldn't compete with racing. They'd complete it. Families attending to cheer on their OTTB might stay to watch the stakes races. Dressage riders and jumper fans might stumble into the thrill of the paddock.

New audiences. New owners. New storylines. This is also how we grow fractional ownership and micro-share models through easy customer acquisition.

 

Storylines

In today's world, attention is currency. Storytelling is economy. And we are sitting on the greatest untold stories in sport. Comebacks. Redemption arcs. Second acts.

Imagine following a once-forgotten claimer now winning hearts in show jumping. Imagine an OTTB who ran dead last in the Derby returning to Churchill Downs five years later and winning a freestyle competition under the twin spires. We've seen it before. We just don't package it. Look at what “Welcome to Wrexham” did for a fifth-division football club.

Look at how “Drive to Survive” doubled F1 viewership. We don't need to invent drama. We just need to shine a light on the ones already walking among us.

Breeders' Cup Sunday could become the bridge between disciplines, between fan bases, between chapters of a horse's life.

It could be the thing that carries over not just horses, but owners, breeders, and dreamers. It could scale globally with events accompanying the big days like the Dubai World Cup and the Saudi Cup. Because this sport isn't just built on speed.

It's built on belief. We are a sport of dreams. Of what might be. Of what could be. We just need to extend that dream beyond the finish line and give these horses a chance to write one more chapter in their story.

–Sobhy Sonbol, Nile Bloodstock

The post How The Breeders Cup And Aftercare Can Work Together appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Journalism (Curlin) who took three Grade I races during his 3-year-old season, will not be retired to stud at Coolmore America just yet, but will instead resume training for a 2026 campaign, according to co-owner Aron Wellman of Eclipse Thoroughbreds.

“We are thrilled to announce that Journalism will be returning to race next season,” said Wellman in an email. “Coolmore have been wonderful partners and sportsmen as it relates to arriving at this collective decision on Journalism's future and we all share in the belief that Journalism is bred, built and designed to get better with age,” he continued. “Journalism will be freshened up at Bridlewood Farm in Ocala and return to Michael McCarthy towards the beginning of 2026, at which time he will be postured for being showcased on American soil.” Journalism won the GI Santa Anita Derby, Preakness, and Haskell Stakes in 2025. “We are hugely proud of what Journalism accomplished at age three, having already captured a Grade II at age two. He began his hearty campaign with a Grade II win and then competed in seven consecutive Grade Is all across the country, winning the Santa Anita Derby, the Preakness and the Haskell while placing in the Kentucky Derby, Belmont Stakes and the Pacific Classic versus older horses.  It was a campaign for the ages and we have conviction that the best is yet to come.”

The colt's ownership group, which included Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Bridlewood Farm, Don Alberto, Robert LaPenta, Elayne Stables Five, Mrs. John Magnier, Michael B. Tabor and Derrick Smith, watched as the Michael McCarthy trainee finished fourth in the GI Longines Breeders' Cup Classic at Del Mar last Saturday.

The post Wellman: Journalism To Continue Racing In 2026 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Wagering on U.S. races during the month of October experienced nearly a nine percent uptick and purses also saw significant growth compared to a year ago, according to information released by Equibase on Wednesday.

Total wagering of $867,928,259 on races during the month represented a 8.99% increase over the same period from 2024, while available purses of over $115 million were higher by 8.13%. The figure of over $109 million for paid purses in October was also up by 7.59%. As for the total number of race days, they decreased slightly from 312 to 304 (-2.56%) and the number of U.S. races was lower from 2,569 in October 2024 to last month's tally of 2,495 (-2.88%).

Average field size in October was down a touch from over a year ago when it was 7.73, and checked in at an average of 7.69 runners, a decrease of 0.53%. However, average daily wagering increased by 11.86% to $2,855,024, and the average available purse number per race day was up 10.98% to $379,899 from the figure of $342,326 in 2024.

When it comes to the year-to-date figures, through October of 2024 wagering on U.S. races came in at $9.662-billion, while this year the amount is $9.547-billion (-1.19%). Those numbers include worldwide commingled wagering on U.S. races.

The post October Year-Over Wagering Numbers Along With Purses Look Strong appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Kilwin (f, 3, Twirling Candy–Spanish Star, by Blame), winner of this summer's GI Test S. at Saratoga, brought $3 million from Rick Howard at the Keeneland November sale Tuesday.

The $225,000 Keeneland September yearling was campaigned by BBN Racing LLC and trained by Rusty Arnold.

Hip 223 was consigned as a Racing/Broodmare Prospect by Royal Oak Farm (Damian & Braxton Lynch), agent for BBN Racing.

#KeeNov Book 1 – Tuesday: Hip 223 – Grade I winner KILWIN (Twirling Candy) sells for $3 million to Rick Howard from the Royal Oak Farm consignment, agent for @BBNRacingTeam.

Read more: https://t.co/oVAkFY72kI pic.twitter.com/O3x1dccFAa

— TDN (@theTDN) November 5, 2025

 

The post Test Winner Kilwin Brings $3 Million at Keeneland November appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.