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FOX SARATOGA SATURDAY Returns To FOX Sports For 2025

Mon, 2025-06-16 15:31

FOX SARATOGA SATURDAY, featuring coverage of the Fourth of July Racing Festival and six consecutive Saturdays of racing from Saratoga, will air this summer on the FOX broadcast network.

Coverage begins on Independence Day with coverage from 5-6 p.m. (all times EDT) of the $750,000 Grade I Belmont Derby and picks up with two hours of programing on Saturday, July 19, featuring the GI Coaching Club American Oaks.

The GII Jim Dandy Stakes is the focal point of the three-hour broadcast (3-6 p.m.) on Saturday, July 26, followed by the $1-million GI Whitney Stakes on Aug. 2 from 3-6 p.m. Programming on Aug. 9 includes the relocated GI Sword Dancer Invitational Stakes from 3-6 p.m. and the GI Alabama Stakes is the marquee event of a two-hour window (4-6 p.m.) on Aug. 16. The final FOX SARATOGA SATURDAY airs from 3 to 6:30 p.m. on Aug. 23, with the meet's main event, the GI DraftKings Travers Stakes the highlight.

FOX Sports and the New York Racing Association began their relationship back in 2016 with the launch of SARATOGA LIVE, providing daily coverage of the 40-day meeting. FOX has continued to expand its coverage of racing's biggest events each year since and recently broadcast the running of the GI Belmont Stakes on June 7.

The main Saratoga meeting opens on Thursday, July 10 and runs through Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 1.

The post FOX SARATOGA SATURDAY Returns To FOX Sports For 2025 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Despite ‘Transitional’ Season, Santa Anita Reports Gains In Handle, Field Size, Attendance; Safety Record Sparkles

Mon, 2025-06-16 14:21

The six-month Winter/Spring meeting at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California, closed Sunday, June 15, with 'encouraging' gains in handle, field size and on-track attendance, according to a release from the track. With over 6,800 horses having raced during the meet and more than 375,000 training sessions on the main and synthetic tracks having taken place, track officials report a safety mark of 99.98%, cementing its status as the safest track in North America among those with a comparable volume of racing and training.

“This year was a transitional one for the California racing community and it was a success by every measure,” said Nate Newby, SVP and General Manager of Santa Anita Park. “We are thankful for the continued support of the owners, trainers, jockeys, veterinarians, the horsemen and women who provide outstanding care for the horses; for the horseplayers who back our product; and for our staff for putting on a great show. Horses based at Santa Anita, including Journalism, Raging Torrent and Kopion, won major races around the country, underlining the excellence we experience every day.

“Between the Eaton fire and the ongoing recovery, 2025 has been a challenging year for our neighbors and many of our own Santa Anita family, but we hope 'The Great Race Place' has provided some sense of continuity.”

The season kicked off on Dec. 26, 2024, with the third-largest opening-day handle in track history and all-sources handle over the course of the Classic Meet (Dec. 26-Apr. 6) and the just-concluded Hollywood Meet (Apr. 18-June 15) nearly eclipsed three-quarters of a billion dollars ($745.9 million). Total handle on Santa Anita races alone increased 10% from the previous year.

The gains in handle were attributable to some extent to a 5% increase in field size, due in part to the consolidation of California racing into a single circuit. Many races restricted to those horses that were relocated from the Northern California circuit were written by the racing office, allowing those horses to compete against each other during the season.

The Pick Six wager resulted in no fewer than 17 carryovers over the course of the season, more than double the number in 2023-2045 and turf racing was also seen to have increased in popularity, with handle on the Santa Anita Pick Three leaping by 31%.

On-track attendance (541,592) was ahead by 4% fueled by the largest opening-day crowd in eight years and the largest audience to witness Santa Anita Derby Day in person in seven years.

“We have witnessed increases in every key category, including 70 additional races and improvements in field sizes, which could only happen through the move to a single circuit,” said Bill Nader, President of the Thoroughbred Owners of California (TOC). “This has helped drive handle increases and reverse the downward trend in overnight purses to restore our foundation and bring renewed life to California racing. We will now carry this momentum into the second half of the year as racing moves to Los Alamitos and then the much anticipated Del Mar summer.”

The addition of horses from Northern California pushed the Santa Anita stable area to its capacity of 2,000 horses, a population increase of more than 10% over last year, making the safety improvements even more remarkable, according to the release.

“More than 5,000 pre-work examinations were performed by Santa Anita Park veterinarians since Sept. 1 of last year,” said Dionne Benson, Chief Veterinary Officer for 1/ST Racing. “It is impossible to overestimate the importance this played in collaborating with owners, trainers and private veterinarians to provide additional opportunities for intervention for the best interest of the horse and providing a model for the rest of the country.”

Live racing will return to Santa Anita Park on Friday, Sept. 26 for the five-week Autumn meet. Seven Breeders' Cup Challenge “Win and You're In” races will highlight the first two weeks of the season.

The post Despite ‘Transitional’ Season, Santa Anita Reports Gains In Handle, Field Size, Attendance; Safety Record Sparkles appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

‘A Very Good Buyers’ Sale’: OBS June Brings Curtain Down on Juvenile Sales Season

Mon, 2025-06-16 14:16

The Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's June Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training, the final major juvenile auction of the season, gets underway Tuesday in Central Florida, with bidding scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. The auction, held in recent years over three days, will be held over two days this year with a catalogue of 851 2-year-olds.

“I think there are some horses who breezed very nicely and have a little bit of pedigree here and then you have your usual range of horses who don't have as much pedigree that performed. I think the horses are going to be well bought,”  consignor Nick Sallusto of Thorostock said of expectations for the two-day auction. “I think that this sale is a very good buyers' sale.”

After setting sale records in 2022, the June sale figures ticked down slightly in 2023 and 2024, but Sallusto said the auction has developed a dedicated buying bench.

“I think there has almost become a unique group of buyers that come to this sale because they feel like they can buy a nice horse at a different price point, a little less than the sales average all year long,” he said.

With just weeks until the yearling sales season begins, the June sale also has some motivated sellers.

“I think sellers look at it as, whether the horse is worth more or not, most of the horses here are in some sort of pinhook package, so if the group has been profitable, than the sellers just tend to let those horses move along at whatever the market values them at,” Sallusto said. “We are getting ready to go back and start buying in a few weeks, so every single dollar counts, it sort of helps push the next year along.

“So the buyers need to fill their orders to race and the sellers certainly have a need to move some inventory, even if it is not at the price point that we had hoped it to be.”

The 2-year-olds in training sales this spring opened with a record $3-million sale topper at the OBS March sale and, with a record number of seven-figure offerings, the company's April sale produced its highest-ever average. The strength of the market continued in Timonium in May when the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic sale produced sales record gross, average, and median despite facing an uphill battle with the weather.

Consignor Robbie Harris looks for the strength of those previous sales to bolster the competition at the June sale.

“I am hoping there are some guys who got shut out,” Harris said. “The 2-year-old sales have been up, as far as average and all of that goes. So I am hoping for some guys who haven't gotten their orders filled and they are looking to try to find something.”

Harris is also expecting to see some familiar trends.

“It's the same old story,” he said. “What the market perceives as the good ones seem to find a home. I am hoping for some good luck.”

While 24 juveniles worked a furlong in :9 4/5 during last week's under-tack preview of the June sale, a colt by Nyquist (hip 634) earned the show's bullet with a :9 3/5 work for Wavertree Stables. A colt by Beau Liam (hip 829) claimed the week's quarter-mile bullet when covering the distance in :20 1/5 for Omar Ramirez Bloodstock.

A pair of fillies from Tom McCrocklin's consignment brought matching $400,000 bids to top the 2024 June Sale. Stakes-winning Silent Law (Tiz the Law) was second in this year's GII Santa Anita Oaks.

In all, 606 horses sold at last year's June sale for a gross of $22,045,800. The sale average was $36,379 and the median was $20,000.

The post ‘A Very Good Buyers’ Sale’: OBS June Brings Curtain Down on Juvenile Sales Season appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Peacock Streams Five Days of Live Coverage of Royal Ascot; Saturday Coverage Also on NBC

Mon, 2025-06-16 11:36

The Royal Ascot meeting at Ascot racecourse in Berkshire, England will begin streaming, exclusively on Peacock, Tuesday, June 17 at 8:30 a.m. ET and will continue with five-hour shows Wednesday through Friday beginning each day at 8:30 a.m. ET. NBC and Peacock will present a live 4.5-hour Royal Ascot program on Saturday, June 21, starting at 9 a.m. ET.

Britney Eurton and Nick Luck host Saturday's coverage on NBC and Peacock, with NBC News' Dylan Dreyer on-site with access to the Royal Enclosure. Steve Kornacki, chief data analyst for NBC News and NBC Sports, returns to NBC Sports' Royal Ascot coverage as an insights analyst.

 

NBC Sports' Royal Ascot coverage schedule this week:

Tues., June 17

8:30 a.m.

Peacock

 

Wed., June 18

8:30 a.m.

Peacock

 

Thurs., June 19

8:30 a.m.

Peacock

 

Fri., June 20

8:30 a.m.

Peacock

 

Sat., June 21

9 a.m.

NBC, Peacock

The post Peacock Streams Five Days of Live Coverage of Royal Ascot; Saturday Coverage Also on NBC appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Kentucky Derby Winner Mystik Dan to Stand at Airdrie Stud

Mon, 2025-06-16 09:16

Mystik Dan (Goldencents–Ma'am, by Colonel John), the winner of the GI Kentucky Derby in 2024, is set to stand stud at Airdrie Stud in Midway, Kentucky, upon the conclusion of his racing career, according to a press release from the farm Monday morning.

A three-time graded stakes winner with earnings to date of more than $4.4 million, Mystik Dan has been campaigned throughout his career by trainer Kenny McPeek for the ownership group of Lance Gasaway, 4G Racing LLC, Daniel Hamby III and Valley View Farm LLC.

Mystik Dan first gained attention with an emphatic 7 3/4-length maiden victory going 5 1/2 furlongs at Churchill Downs in November of his juvenile season. The performance was good for a 96 Beyer Speed Figure, one of the top numbers recorded by a juvenile that year. His Kentucky Derby victory came over a strong field which included Grade I winners Sierra Leone, Forever Young, Dornoch and Fierceness, among others, and highlighted a 3-year-old campaign that also included an eight-length win in Oaklawn's GIII Southwest Stakes, as well as second- and third-place finishes in the GI Preakness Stakes and GII Arkansas Derby, respectively.

In his most recent start, the 4-year-old returned to the Churchill Downs winner's circle with a victory in the GIII Blame on May 31, setting a new stakes record in the process. Mystik Dan is scheduled to make his next start in the GI Stephen Foster Stakes on June 28, with a season-ending goal of the Breeders' Cup World Championships in Del Mar.

The first foal out of his owner's four-time winning Colonel John mare, Ma'am, Mystik Dan's immediate female family includes Grade I winners Laragh and Siphonic as well as the multiple graded-stakes winning millionaire Summer Front.

“His historic win in the Kentucky Derby will ensure that name recognition will never be an issue for Mystik Dan,” said Airdrie's Bret Jones, “but what we really want is for breeders to focus on some of the other performances that showcase how genuinely talented he has always been. His win at two, where he opens up seven lengths going 5 1/2 furlongs and runs a near-100 Beyer is as impressive as any juvenile race you'll ever see. And it's that same brilliant turn of foot that he showed when winning the Southwest by eight lengths that allowed him to open up a clear advantage in the Derby stretch despite being close to a pace that sent every other forwardly-placed horse to the back of the field.”

Mystik Dan earlier this year | Zoe Metz

He continued, “He's shown that he can train on with a stakes-record performance in the Blame and I know Kenny really believes he's poised to be one of the best older horses in the country this year. He's an exceptional talent with that unmistakable Into Mischief look and we couldn't be more grateful to his great ownership team for the opportunity to stand their Kentucky Derby winner.”

“I trained a great sire in Harlan's Holiday,” affirmed trainer Kenny McPeek, “And I promise you Mystik Dan is every bit as good or better than Harlan's Holiday ever was. Honestly, he reminds me of Northern Dancer in the way he's made and the way he moves –he's just exceptionally balanced and athletic. He's got such great speed and he stays. Those are traits everyone wants in a racehorse. I think he's got every chance to be a really top stallion and we're going to be breeding and buying a lot of them!”

Co-owner Lance Gasaway added, “Mystik Dan has given us the ride of a lifetime and we sure think he's going to give us some more great days before it's all said and done. He's such a calm and personable horse; always such a pleasure to be around. We are going to miss him when the time comes, but we are honored to partner with Airdrie Stud and very excited for what the future holds.”

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Dylan Davis Sits Out Sunday at Big A, Will Miss Two Additional Days

Sun, 2025-06-15 16:40

Jockey Dylan Davis, who began a three-day suspension Sunday because of an infraction caused in a June 6 allowance at Saratoga, will also miss Thursday and Friday's cards, reports DRF.

He was suspended by the New York stewards because of a ride aboard 'TDN Rising Star' Strategic Focus (Gun Runner), who crossed the wire first but was subsequently demoted to second behind stablemate Malarchuk (Nyquist). Both colts are trained by Chad Brown.

Davis, who served a two-day suspension June 12-13 because of a whip violation stemming from a ride at the Big A May 15, was also fined $1,000 for that earlier infraction.

The post Dylan Davis Sits Out Sunday at Big A, Will Miss Two Additional Days appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Course Record Scorer Rhiannon Possible for Diana; MGSW Saffron Moon Retired

Sun, 2025-06-15 15:21

CHP Racing's Rhiannon (Medaglia d'Oro) marked her first race back following a seven-month respite with an emphatic four-length score in a Big A optional claimer Friday. Setting a course record of 1:45.60 for nine panels in the process, the 5-year-old mare may her next start in the GI Dunkin' Diana Stakes at Saratoga July 12, according to owner Phil Hatfield, who operates CHP Racing with his wife Christine.

“That's what everybody is talking about, and we hope that happens,” Hatfield said.

Trainer Chad Brown, who conditions the mare, has won the Diana a record nine times.

“[Brown] loves to win every race there, doesn't he–but the Diana, especially,” Hatfield said. “If she ends up in the Diana, we'll get up there one way or the other. It's fun to have horses with him…Rhiannon has proven herself now, so we'll look forward to seeing where he goes with her.”

The lightly-raced bay was making just her fifth career start and first since a confident four-length allowance win in November in her lone start in 2024. She made three sophomore starts, including a second-out graduation in September 2023 before a close fifth in the GIII Pebbles Stakes that November, both at the Big A.

“[The win] was an exciting race for us because that mare has been stop, start, stop, start. Chad has done a great job and been very patient with her,” Hatfield added.

Rhiannon was selected by Mike Ryan for $550,000 at the 2021 Keeneland September Yearling Sale and was broken in Florida by Niall Brennan.

“She's exciting,” said Hatfield of Rhiannon, named after Fleetwood Mac's famed song of the same name. “She's a big mare, probably 16.3 [hands] but a lot of refinement–she's my kind of horse, elegant with a lot of leg underneath her. She has every bit of that.”

According to Hatfield, fellow CHP runner Saffron Moon (Malibu Moon), third in her most recent start in the May 2 GIII Modesty Stakes at Churchill Downs, has officially been retired.

Winner of last season's GII Hillsborough Stakes and GIII Endeavour Stakes, the daughter of Crocus Hill (Medaglia d'Oro) retires with five wins and $499,325 in career earnings.

“She won graded races back-to-back this winter in Florida. Unfortunately, in the race on Kentucky Oaks Day, she came in third and she ended up getting injured and we had to retire her,” Hatfield said. “Hopefully, Rhiannon can pick up where she left off this year.”

Praetor (Into Mischief), also trained by Brown and co-owned by CHP, finished third behind Gosger (Nyquist) in Keeneland's GIII Lexington Stakes Apr. 12 and appeared poised to make his return in the June 7 GI Woody Stephens in Saratoga forced to miss what would have been his first shot at the Grade I level. Co-owned with William Lawrence and Gainesway Stable, the $725,000 KEESEP yearling purchase kicked off 2025 with an eye-catching 7 1/2-length score in a Gulfstream allowance Mar. 9.

“He was ready to go, [but] he got sick,” said Hatfield. “He was cranked and ready to do well Chad thought and unfortunately, we had to pull back. He's back training again, but I'm not sure where Chad has him pointed.”

Third behind 'TDN Rising Star' Ferocious (Flatter) at the Spa last summer, the bay graduated by a neck over subsequent Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes hero Sovereignty (Into Mischief) at the Big A last September.

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Not This Time Colt Stars And Stripes Flies Maiden Flag At Big A

Sun, 2025-06-15 15:06

1st-Belmont The Big A, $82,450, Msw, 6-15, 3yo/up, 1 1/8m, 1:49.19, sy, 10 1/2 lengths.
STARS AND STRIPES (c, 3, Not This Time–Pearl River, by Quality Road) debuted in third at long odds during the Belmont At The Big A meet May 17. Trying two turns as the 85 cents on the dollar choice here, the colt was second and continued to flank a longshot leader for much of the backstretch. Pressing the pace at the top of the stretch, Stars and Stripes took off for home and quickly opened up several lengths on his rivals. Hopping the tire tracks, Stars and Stripes graduated in geared down fashion by 10 1/2 lengths over Makes Sense (Street Sense). The winner's dam is responsible for GIII Pucker Up Stakes heroine Waves of Mischief (Into Mischief), who was also bred by the Wygods. Pearl River's final foal is unraced current 2-year-old colt Ten Star Fleet (Nyquist). Stars and Stripes unraced second dam is a full-sister to both champion 2-year-old filly Sweet Catomine (Storm Cat) and MGISW Life Is Sweet. Sales history: $100,000 Ylg '23 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: 2-1-0-1, $56,950. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
O-Frassetto Stables LLC; B-Pam & Martin Wygod (KY); T-William I. Mott.

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Week in Review: A New Starting Gate Board at Gulfstream, What Does it Mean?

Sun, 2025-06-15 14:02

1/ST Racing is looking at a lot of scenarios concerning the future of Gulfstream. There's decoupling, selling the property and building a casino. It's anybody's guess what 1/ST will eventually do with Gulfstream but to think that it will still be open for racing 10 years from now seems overly optimistic.

Then again…

It may be a small thing but Gulfstream announced on Friday that it will soon launch a state-of-the-art high resolution digital starting gate board.

Gulfstream has partnered with BSV Digital to replace the static signage at the starting gate with a digital board that includes a lot of bells and whistles. The new gate will display everything from post positions and race logos to seasonal branding and partner messaging. The starting  gate will become a living, breathing bill board, much like some of the billboards you see on the highway that change from one message to another 20 seconds or so.

“From billboards to scoreboards, our big screens make landmarks, organizations, and venues across North America more attractive to the crowds you want to engage,” BSV boasts on its website. “If you're looking for signage, a full AV upgrade, curved billboard or a video screen above the water, chances are BSV Digital Displays have tackled it all before.”

There's more: “Making racing a breeze-up BSV can manage your full video board project from initial design and concept phase. Racing venues demand high-level product quality. With years of experience in video boards, semaphore boards, parapet signage and winning post screens, we can showcase your races in high-definition clarity and precision,” reads the message on the website.

I tried to figure out how much the starting gate message board would costs, but couldn't find even an estimate. But it's obviously not going to be cheap. Which begs the question: why would Gulfstream spend any significant amount of money on the track or track upgrades when it's very possible that the track won't be operating much longer?

Is this a sign that Belinda Stronach has done a 180 and is going to dedicate herself to seeing to it that racing survives in Hallandale Beach? Probably not. That would be too much to ask for.

Buy why spend the money on the starting gate board when the current one is fine and the track's future is in jeopardy? Shouldn't she be cutting corners to saving money in anticipation of Gulfstream closing? It just doesn't add up.

 

'TDN Rising Star' Antonio Fresu

Antonio Fresu finished fifth in the standings at the Santa Anita meet that concluded on Apr. 29 with 29 winners. It was neither a good meet for him nor a bad meet. Fresu has grown used to finishing behind California kingpin Juan Hernandez in the standings. But with the current meet coming to a conclusion Sunday it looks like Fresu will win his first ever riding title in the U.S. With one day left of racing coming into Sunday's card the Italian born jockey had a 32-29 lead over Juan Hernandez. Hernandez has won the last seven riding title at Santa Anita.

“Everybody wants to be the leading rider,” Fresu said. “That's what we work for, to win as many races as we can and to be recognized all over the country. Being the leading rider here is the type of achievement that everyone will see. Juan has been the leading jockey ever since I came here. I came close to him a couple of times. It would be nice for me to bring it home.”

Fresu, 33, came to Southern California in April of 2023 after riding in Dubai and Italy and rode just 13 winners in his first full meet here.

“To think that I might be leading rider someday would have been too much to expect,” he said.

But Fresu still has at least one more major door to knock down. Even with his success in the California, he's not getting called upon to ride in the marquee racing events like the Triple Crown and the Breeders' Cup. He has ridden in just one Derby. He finished seventh with Stronghold (Ghostzapper) in 2024 after guiding that could to win in the GI Santa Anita Derby. He has never won a Breeders' Cup race. He was 0-for-2 in 2023 and 0-for-4 in 2024.

Part of the problem is that has made very few inroads into the Bob Baffert barn. He has ridden for him just 11 times and has won three races for the Hall of Famer.

Fresu did win Saturday's feature at Santa Anita, the GIII Daytona Stakes aboard Motorious (GB) (Muhaarar ({GB} for trainer Phil D'Amato.

When asked about his future, he said: “I can't answer that. Nobody knows the future. I'm just trying to enjoy the moment and see what happens. In this sport you have to find the right horse at the right time, Unfortunately, I haven't been that lucky but we will keep trying.”

He said his immediate goals were to keep improving and to have a good meet at Del Mar. He's young, he can ride and people are starting to pay attention. His future should be bright.

 

Delaware's First Derby

You can see why every racing jurisdiction wants to be home to a Derby. Saturday, Delaware Park ran its first ever Delaware Derby. It was an ungraded race with a purse of just $200,000 and there were no stars in the field of eight. The race was won by Admiral Dennis (Constitution), who is trained by Brad Cox.

The card included five stakes races and only one of them, the GIII Delaware Oaks, was graded. Delaware has had big cards like this before, but never one that included that magic word, “Derby.”

So what happened? They shattered their all-time handle record. On a 10-race card, the players pushed $6.5 million through the windows, breaking the record set in 2007. On that occasion, with a 12-race card, they handled $4.98 million.

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Mystik Dan Works for Stephen Foster

Sun, 2025-06-15 13:14

GI Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan (Goldencents) returned to the Churchill Downs work tab Sunday with a five-furlong breeze in 1:00 under jockey Brian Hernandez Jr., preparing for a likely start in the $1-million GI Stephen Foster Stakes June 28.

Mystik Dan, who won the GII Blame Stakes on May 31, breezed at 7:15 a.m. EST.

He began his move with a three-furlong split of :36.80 before galloping out six furlongs in 1:12, according to Churchill Downs clocker John Nichols.

Owned by 4 G Racing, Lance Gasaway, Daniel Hamby and Valley View Farm, Mystik Dan is one of two horses trained by Kenny McPeek nominated to the Stephen Foster. The other, GSP Gould's Gold (Goldencents), also worked Sunday, covering five furlongs in 1:00.20.

A total of 20 horses were nominated to the 1 1/8-mile Stephen Foster, including Sierra Leone, winner of the GI Breeders' Cup Classic; Hit Show (Candy Ride {Arg}), winner of the G1 Dubai World Cup; and Mindframe (Constitution), who was victorious in the GI Churchill Downs Stakes on the Kentucky Derby undercard.

 

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Game Winner Colt Sierra Silver Nets Maiden Win At ‘Great Race Place’

Sat, 2025-06-14 21:03

9th-Santa Anita, $61,500, Msw, 6-14, 3, 4,/5yo, 7f, 1:22.24, ft, 4 1/4 lengths.
SIERRA SILVER (c, 3, Game Winner–Promise Me Silver {GSW, $486,681}, by Silver City) ran third behind 'TDN Rising Star' Goal Oriented (Not This Time) when he was unveiled in Arcadia Apr. 6. The grey served as the runner-up at Santa Anita May 10 before getting slammed at the windows to even-money here. The 3-year-old went to his knees at the break, but was able to recover to run in the third flight up the backstretch. Sierra Silver started to move up behind the pacesetter and around the far turn the colt took control like he was running the point. Confidently handled down the lane, the Bob Baffert trainee leapt from the free throw line to winner's circle. Cheever (Into Mischief) was the runner-up by 4 1/4 lengths. A $325,000 Keeneland November buy for Chester & Mary Bowman, the winner's dam is responsible for 2-year-old colt Cerro Rico (Yaupon) and she foaled a colt by Taiba Apr. 8. Sales History: $190,000 2yo '24 OBSAPR. Lifetime Record: 3-1-1-1, $55,800. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
O-Golden Bear Racing; B-Chester Broman & Mary R. Broman (NY); T-Bob Baffert.

#4 SIERRA SILVER impressive in Race 9 at @santaanitapark. Bob Baffert trains, @JJHernandezS19 up on the son of @LanesEndFarms Game Winner. pic.twitter.com/Rs7qLO7zzv

— FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) June 14, 2025

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‘A Real Racehorse’: Leinster Filly Sets the Mark at OBS

Thu, 2025-06-12 16:27

Amongst a bevy of co-fastest furlong workers, Elenique, a filly from the first crop of multiple graded winner Leinster (hip 412), separated herself from the pack with a bullet quarter-mile work in :20 3/5 during the under-tack show for the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's June 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale Thursday. The Florida-bred chestnut is consigned by RiceHorse Stable and was bred by Aldo DeLuca's DeLuca and Sons Stables.

“She always showed us that she was a very fast filly,” DeLuca said. “I was preparing her to take her to the races at Gulfstream. She was working some bullet works at Nelson Jones [Training Center], she had a couple of :36s and :35 a change. The trainer told me that he never had such a fast horse there because it's such a deep track. And she wanted to go even further, it was not only speed.”

The juvenile is out of Cape Trios (Cape Blanco {Ire}), a mare DeLuca purchased privately. The mare's first foal, Greenfield Cougar (Breaking Lucky), was a debut winner at Gulfstream in March.

Of the decision to send Cape Trios to Leinster, De Luca explained, “I have loved Leinster since he came to Florida. I love horses that are from California or New York that are fast. They always hit home runs here in Florida. In my years of breeding, I always see that. Fast over there, but super fast over here.”

So with the filly turning heads with her early training and the success of her half-brother, coupled with her young sire's immediate success on the racetrack where his daughter Lennilu will go postward at the Royal Ascot meeting next week, DeLuca suddenly needed to reevaluate plans for the 2-year-old he had named Elenique.

“We decided to sell her because there were too many things happening,” De Luca said. “All the Leinsters are doing good–all of them–there is not one bad one around. There was one yesterday who did :9 4/5 [at OBS]. And the one is going to Royal Ascot, Lennilu. And all that out of a group of only 20 babies. Her super good works, the Leinster, plus the mother's first baby won a maiden special weight at Gulfstream first time out, we felt we had to sell her.

He continued, “She has shown us for six months, since working at Nelson Jones and today again, that she is a special horse, a real racehorse. And if she is sold, we have a better shot to see her compete in group races up north and that, as her breeder, would make us proud.”

DeLuca, who has a band of 12 broodmares at his Florida farm, admitted it wasn't an easy decision to make.

“It is emotional because we have had her since she was born,” he said. “And you don't get a horse like this every day. She had the best work of the whole week until now. And I took it easy with her. That's why she's in June. We weren't planning on putting her in the sale, so we weren't rushing her in February or March, so we could bring her to Gulfstream around this time because she is a May baby. We don't want to rush our babies. I never in my life put a May baby in a breeze sale. I would never do it, but this filly really needed to talk to tell me, 'Yes, I need to go into that sale.' And she did.”

Seven juveniles equaled the :9 4/5 fastest furlong of the week during Thursday's third session of the under-tack show. First to hit that mark was a colt by Modernist (hip 512) consigned by Omar Ramirez Bloodstock, followed quickly by a filly by Kantharos (hip 496) who is consigned by Wildheart Thoroughbreds.

Harris Training Center, which sent a filly by Frosted out to work the bullet during Wednesday's second session of the under-tack preview, had a second bullet worker Thursday with a filly by Maximus Mischief (hip 503).

A filly by Midshipman (hip 351) earned the bullet for New Hope AB; while Top Line Sales was represented by a filly by Charlatan (hip 459). A filly by Uncle Chuck (hip 476) worked the bullet for S G V Thoroughbreds and a colt by Authentic (hip 528) matched the mark for Wavertree Stables.

The under-tack show continues through Saturday with sessions beginning each day at 7:30 a.m.

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Locked Fires Bullet for Suburban

Thu, 2025-06-12 15:52

Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Walmac Farm's MGISW and 'TDN Rising Star' Locked (Gun Runner) fired a four-furlong bullet in :48.25 (1/21) over Saratoga's Oklahoma training track Thursday morning.

The GII Suburban S. going 1 1/4 miles at Saratoga July 4 will be next for this year's runaway GI Santa Anita Handicap winner. Locked was last seen finishing fourth behind his Todd Pletcher-trained stablemate and fellow 'Rising Star' Fierceness (City of Light), who set a new track record for 1 1/16 miles in the GII Alysheba S. at Churchill Downs on Kentucky Oaks day.

“After the Alysheba, we wanted to get him up to Saratoga to freshen him for the second half of the season and he's responded very favorably,” said Aron Wellman, president and founder of Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners. “Our ownership group, which includes Gainesway Farm, who will stand Locked when his racing career concludes, decided we wanted to focus on races at nine furlongs and beyond.”

Locked's stacked resume also includes: wins in the GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity at Keeneland and the GII Cigar Mile H. at Aqueduct, a runner-up finish in the GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational S. and a third-place finish in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile.

“If all goes as we anticipate in the Suburban, hopefully we'll be in position to consider races like the (GI) Whitney (at Saratoga Aug. 2) or another trip out west for the (GI) Pacific Classic (at Del Mar Aug. 30),” Wellman said. “For now, our main focus is on posturing Locked for a performance in the Suburban capable of propelling him back into Grade I company. He's an elite colt and we believe he'll be a candidate for the (GI) Breeders' Cup Classic in November.”

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ACTT Naturally Kicks Off Summer Season With New Event For Women Veterans

Thu, 2025-06-12 15:51

This summer, Valerie Buck and the off-track Thoroughbreds of ACTT Naturally are increasing the number of American veterans benefitting from its Hearts in Harmony program. On Saturday, June 14, in observance of Women Veterans Recognition Days, the New York State Department of Veterans' Services (NYS DVS), in partnership with ACTT Naturally, will host “Wrap Yourself in Wellness” at Long Shadows Farm in Cambridge, N.Y. Between 30 and 45 women veterans are expected to attend.

In addition to equine-assisted emotional therapy, participants in the day-long retreat will hear from “Patriot Hills of New York” CEO Jeannine Mannarino, focus on healing through movement with Laura Laz, and learn healing through mindfulness with Dr. Rachel Magnel of “Kairos Center for Change”. The organizers hope the event will bring more awareness and attention to the resources available to veterans and others suffering from PTS and the positive impact of working with Thoroughbreds.

“Connecting military members and first responders with therapeutic horse programs offers a powerful pathway to healing and reintegration for both the horses and the humans,” said Melissa Balan of NYS DVS. “Working with the horses allows the veterans to engage in a calming, non-judgmental environment where trust is built naturally and silently.”

“I am thrilled, not just by the interest and enthusiasm from Melissa and the NYS DVS on behalf of women veterans, but also by the unique opportunity to present the horse-centered program together with other healing activities,” said Buck. “It deepens and expands awareness of what many of us already know is the special power of Thoroughbreds in emotional healing and how it should become a funded mainstream treatment.”

ACTT Naturally Thoroughbreds of all ages and experiences will be participating with the women on Saturday. Veteran therapy horses Three Lions '04 (Hennessy), Traffic Chief '00 (Colonial Affair), Fly Ride '09 (Street Sense) and Fuhrious Warrior '12 (Langfuhr) will be joined by newcomers Open Mic Night '22 (Practical Joke), Platform Company '20 (Cloud Computing) and Indemnify (FR) '19 (Invincible Spirit). In addition to providing the Hearts in Harmony program, ACTT Naturally focuses on retraining and adoption of sound former racehorses.

Working with the veterans, teens, first responders and other Hearts in Harmony participants has become an integral part of ACTT Naturally's training protocol.

“Connection is the most important part of a horse-human relationship and successful adoption match,” said Buck. “The programs teach the horses how to make a positive connection with the person in their presence and these interactions make the Thoroughbreds better partners for their adopters.”

For Buck and Long Shadows Farm, starting the 2025 summer season with a collaborative event– fostered by the NYS DVS and Patriot Hills of New York–is especially exciting because it brings government recognition, as well as new faces, to the well-established program. Launched in 2017, Hearts in Harmony has grown steadily in support and reach, despite losing a year during the COVID-19 pandemic. Buck is striving to help more people and horses.

“With people who have experienced trauma, the challenge has always been to facilitate that first visit,” said Buck. “Gaining trust and having the women and men feel comfortable and confident enough to come out and experience the joy is the first step. Partnering with organizations and leaders who have already established the relationship with the veterans needing the program is key to expanding our reach.”

Balan understands what the horses have to offer and is in a good position to facilitate program attendance among the veterans that NYS DVS serves.

“The intuitive nature of horses offers immediate feedback, encouraging mindfulness, patience, and a renewed sense of self,” said Balan. “For veterans who often carry invisible wounds, equine therapy is not just therapeutic–it is transformative.”

For more information about ACTT Naturally, including how to sponsor veterans and horses in the program, click here.

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Scratched from Acorn, 30 Days Off for ‘Rising Star’ Shred the Gnar

Thu, 2025-06-12 14:29

Flying Dutchmen Breeding and Racing's 'TDN Rising Star' Shred the Gnar (Into Mischief), “a little off” and scratched from last Friday's GI Acorn S. at Saratoga, will receive 30 days off, according to Hunter Rankin, president of Travis Boersma's operation.

“She's doing fine,” Rankin said. “We had Dr. Bramlage (at Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital) go over her, bone scan and everything else. But it turns out, she's just gonna need 30 days. Her front, high-suspensories are bugging her a little bit, but it's nothing that we can't deal with. She'll get 30 days on the farm, then she'll be back and ready to go.”

Shred the Gnar looked like a potential star in the making for trainer Brian Lynch heading into the Acorn, which was won in front-running fashion by La Cara (Street Sense) over a sloppy-and-sealed track.

A debut second, beaten a neck, sprinting at Gulfstream Feb. 9, the $610,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga graduate and full-sister to millionaire Owendale won her next two starts by a combined 13 1/2 lengths, including a runaway, wire-to-wire victory while making her two-turn debut in an optional claimer at Churchill Downs May 2, good for a 94 Beyer Speed Figure.

“We were so excited to bring her up there and showcase her,” Rankin said. “She's really turned into a very nice filly. She's got a lot of talent.”

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Beautifully Bred Nonna’s Love Graduates At the Big A

Thu, 2025-06-12 13:29

1st-Belmont The Big A, $85,000, Msw, 6-12, 2yo, f, 6fT, 1:08.34, fm, 3 lengths.
NONNA'S LOVE (f, 2, Caravaggio–Nonna Bella, by Stay Thirsty) was the lone previously raced member of the seven-strong field that loaded the stalls for the first race back down at the Belmont at the Big A meeting Thursday afternoon and made the most of her experience advantage, leading past every pole to get the program off on a high note for the favorite backers. Drawn two, the 5-4 chalk–making her first start on the grass after finishing third on the Keeneland dirt Apr. 23–was quickly away but soon had company to her outside in the form of Flaxman Stables' well-meant Chrysalism (Liam's Map x Pachattack) and the duo matched motors through an opening quarter in :21.80. More or less inseparable for the run around the turn, Nonna's Love began to get the better of the battle in upper stretch, was clear into the final furlong and easily held sway to take it by three lengths. Maiora (Speightstown) was difficult to load, rearing twice pre-start and nearly unseating Joel Rosario before ultimately acquiescing. Slowly away once the gates flew, she raced in the second half of the field, was steered out for the drive and finished with interest for second. Nonna's Love is the half-sister to 'TDN Rising Star' and Eclipse Award winner Fierceness (City of Light), MGISW, $4,515,320; and to Mentee (City of Light), GSW, $148,000, who took the GIII Futurity Stakes over this course and distance last fall. The winner's dam is a daughter of GI Frizette Stakes third Nonna Mia (Empire Maker), whose four winners from five to race include GI Wood Memorial Stakes hero Outwork (Uncle Mo) and MSP Nonna's Boy (Distorted Humor). The SW & GSP third dam Holy Bubbette(Holy Bull) produced MGSW sire Cairo Prince (Pioneerof the Nile) as well as the dam of recent Mike Lee Stakes winner Train the Trainer (Dialed In). Nonna Bella is also responsible for a yearling by the late Uncle Mo and a Curlin filly foaled this past Apr. 1. Lifetime Record: 2-1-0-1, $55,188. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
O/B-Repole Stable Inc (KY); T-Todd A Pletcher.

 

NONNA'S LOVE, a @RepoleStable homebred and half-sister to Fierceness and Mentee, takes the opener at BAQ, breaking her maiden going 6F on the turf in 1:08.34 for trainer @PletcherRacing with @ljlmvel aboard!

Nonna's Love is a 2yo filly by Caravaggio out of Nonna Bella. pic.twitter.com/sdPrmC4K4n

— Equibase (@Equibase) June 12, 2025

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TwinSpires.com To Hold Inaugural Royal Ascot Challenge Series

Thu, 2025-06-12 13:27

TwinSpires.com will hold an inaugural Royal Ascot Challenge Series, which will offer horseplayers opportunities to compete for cash prizes as well as potential seats at upcoming tournaments, the company announced Thursday.

The first four tournaments, scheduled for Tuesday, June 17, through Friday, June 20, will serve as Royal Ascot “feeders” for the grand finale, the Royal Ascot Challenge held Saturday, June 21. Prizes for the Royal Ascot Challenge include cash and a potential seat in the upcoming Stephen Foster Betting Challenge June 28.

“Each year American horseplayers have become increasingly interested in the Royal Ascot meet, and at TwinSpires we have seen that enthusiasm reflected in both player engagement and wagering handle on Ascot,” said Darin Zoccali, Director of Loyalty and Retention at TwinSpires. “We hope the players are as excited as we are as this has the potential to expand TwinSpires Tournaments even further into the international racing landscape.”

For full details and tournament registration, click here.

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Voting Open For Retired New York Racehorse Of The Year Award

Thu, 2025-06-12 12:03

Voted on by the fans, the Down Broadway Retired Racehorse of the Year Award will be presented on New York Thoroughbred Aftercare Day at Saratoga Race Course on Thursday, July 17, the New York Horsemen's Association said in a Thursday release.

Casting a ballot–one per person–is open to the public now through Thursday, June 26. Wristbands for each nominee will be given away on Aftercare Day so that fans can show their support, and the presentation of the award will be made in the Saratoga winner's circle after the first race.

The nominees are:

  • Broadway Producer–New Vocations
  • Cut of Music–Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation
  • Flag Is Flying–Second Chance Thoroughbreds
  • Mel's Baby Sister–ReRun, Inc.

Click here to vote for your favorite nominee.

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Sovereignty Among Top Five In The Longines World’s Best Racehorse Rankings

Thu, 2025-06-12 11:49

Godolphin star Sovereignty (Into Mischief) has moved up the Longines World's Best Racehorse Rankings (WBRR) to sit in a joint fourth at 125, after the latest round of rankings were released on Thursday.

Now the highest rated 3-year-old in the world, the colt achieved the distinction when he wrapped up the GI Belmont Stakes at Saratoga last weekend, which capped an impressive Triple Crown run to go along with his GI Kentucky Derby score.

Sovereignty shares the mark with Danon Decile (Jpn) (Epiphaneia {Jpn}), who was last seen taking home the G1 Longines Dubai Sheema Classic at Meydan in early April. Japan's Forever Young (Jpn) (Real Steel {Jpn}) remains the leader at 127.

Journalism (Curlin)–the runner-up in the Derby and the Belmont–was the winner of the GI Preakness Stakes. After completing the last leg of the Triple Crown his ranking increased from 119 to 120. Another American runner to move up the list is Raging Torrent (Maximus Mischief), who comes in at 120 after he took the GI Hill 'n' Dale Metropolitan Handicap on the Belmont Saturday card.

For the complete rankings, please visit the IFHA website.

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What Would Encourage California’s Breeders to Breed More Cal-Breds?

Wed, 2025-06-11 17:41

California-breds have long been the backbone of California racing. Since 2014, they've represented between 45% and 50% of all starters at Thoroughbred race meets in the state. Over half of all horses currently stabled in Southern California tracks are understood to be Cal-breds.

A shrinking foal crop in the state, however, means that racing secretaries will have to rely on fewer of them than is currently the case over the next few years.

Modeling performed for the TDN suggests there will be a combined 290 fewer Cal-bred runners competing in California between 2026 through 2028.

This is a tough time for the state's remaining breeders as they attempt to forge a commercial footprint in a region with high training costs and purses that can't compete with states propped up by supplemental purse incomes.

For the current consolidated model to have a healthy future, however, the number of Cal-breds needs to pick up. With all this in mind, the TDN recently asked some of the state's smaller breeders and other figures this question:

What key changes would encourage you breed more Cal-Breds?

 

John and Allegra Ernst

At the height of their breeding venture, the Ernsts had about 13 mares. Now, they have eight mares, four in retirement, while the Ernsts bred only one of the remaining mares this year.

John and Allegra Ernst | courtesy of the Ernst Family

“The other ones we could breed them, but with everything that's going on, we're not doing it,” said John.

What would incentivize the Ernsts to breed more Cal-breds, they said, is an idea they first floated the over 10 years ago with the Thoroughbred Owners of California (TOC), giving Cal-bred owners a minimum $1,000 per-start fee for any race.

“In other words, any owner of any Cal-bred should be able to get $1,000 for every start they make,” said John.

This start-fee money, say the Ernsts, would be deducted from the purse, with the remaining balance split the usual way between the finishers.

The way the Ernsts describe it is as a self-fulfilling prophesy, with greater participation and larger field sizes leading to bigger handle and larger purses.

“And then in the future, we can push it up to $1,500–maybe even $2,000 per-start,” said John.

“There's incentive for the owners to actually recover some money. And if they can actually run their horse a couple times a month–even if it's not that much–we have a chance of at least recovering some of what we've lost,” said John.

“This way, we could see some returns, encourage people that are like us to stay in the business, and encourage other new owners to say, 'hey, I'll go into this and even though I might lose some money, I won't lose as much,'” he added.

 

Adrian Gonzalez

As a leading consignor, Gonzalez's business revolves around the sales. As such, he said that changes could be made to the California yearling sale (hosted in September) to make it more appetizing to buyers.

Adrian Gonzalez | courtesy of Adrian Gonzalez

“We have our entire livelihood come down to one day as a commercial breeder, and it couldn't come at a worse time,” said Gonzalez, saying that its proximity to the marathon Keeneland sale hurts its success.

“Going after 4,000 some-odd other yearlings selling, I just don't believe there's an appetite among California buyers to bend,” he said.

Instead, Gonzalez floated the idea of a yearling sale during the Del Mar meet, during what he described as the “peak of enthusiasm for racing” in the state. “When you're down there for the summer, everybody's excited about it, and what better time to sell yearlings,” he said.

Otherwise, “we'd like to build our own sales venue and have a date that's conducive to working for the California circuit, and not trying to just work around another sale company's calendar,” said Gonzalez, who said he has about 60 mares on his farm this year.

The Cal-bred program could also be modified to better cater to turf horses, including the institution of new 2-year-old turf stakes races for Cal-breds, said Gonzalez. As Gonzalez pointed out, there are eight juvenile stakes on the dirt for Cal-breds, and none on the turf.

“Obviously, they can run in open races, but that's a taller task,” said Gonzalez, about smart Cal-bred juvenile turf runners.

“As a stallion owner and manager, the stats were trying to produce are in black type horses, and we have a limited amount of races for those [on the turf for Cal-breds],” he added.

 

Harris Auerbach

The last mare that Auerbach bred in California was in 2019–this from around 25 mares in the state at the height of his involvement.

A former vice-chair of the CTBA, Auerbach said the industry here in California–as well as nationally–needs to start thinking “less provincially.”

What that could mean for California breeders, Auerbach said, is a multi-state breeding program, consolidating what remains of the industries in the nation's Western and South-Western regions.

“California as you know is on an island. Maybe California should pair up with Arizona and New Mexico and Oregon and Washington and British Columbia, and create a regional breeding program that could be of benefit to all the states,” said Auerbach.

“We could make it so that all the horses could be eligible to run in races of all different conditions, all different types,” Auerbach said, calling the necessary legislative changes to get such a venture off the ground as large but not insurmountable. “It should have happened a decade ago.”

 

Joe Lacombe

San Diego-based Lacombe has six mares, five of them bred this year (and four of them have foaled).

Like Gonzalez, Lacombe sees California's one remaining yearling sale as the key focus of reform to lure more customers, especially local trainers and owners who have migrated to out-of-state sales to fill their stalls.

“We need to get more value at the sales,” said Lacombe, who said the median sales price is way too low for it to be viable to commercial breeders. The median at last year's Fasig-Tipton Fall Yearlings and Horses of Racing Age sale was $15,000.

“No one's going to keep doing this if they lose all the time,” he added.

One idea to boost participation at the sale, said Lacombe, could be a tweak to the Cal-bred bonus program for maiden winners, increasing the bonus amount for those who purchase a horse at the sale above that for home-breds.

“Now, somebody who breeds a homebred should get something for winning that race. But at the same time, you should pay more for someone who brought a horse, so there's a differentiation there, that you can make more if you buy at the sale,” said Lacombe.

There could also be better coordination between the racing office and the horsemens' organizations to create better racing opportunities for Cal-breds, said Lacombe.

He says he understands the fix racing secretaries are in–if they write more Cal-bred races, they're going to struggle to fill the open races. “It's a real horse population problem,” said Lacombe.

“But look at other state programs–I think there are others that are more in tune with their local-breds,” he said. “Racing and breeding needs to work hand-in-hand.”

 

Dr. William Gray

After breeding 27 mares last year, Northern-California based Gray bred 20 mares this year, 16 of which are in foal.

Mares and foals | Horsephotos

“We don't have a problem with horses–we've got a problem with owners. We don't have enough owners,” Gray said.

“The hardest thing for trainers and owners to deal with is that you don't know when a horse is going to get in,” he said.  “My own personal experience, that's when a horse gets hurt, when you start holding them for a race. And it's very expensive for owners.”

Which is why Gray sees the condition book as ground-zero for change. “It all starts in the racing office,” he said.

“The biggest change I would make in racing and in the racing office, I would make a rule: if there's a stated race in the condition book and they get five-head in it, they've got to use it,” Gray said, adding that extras would be exempt from that mandate.

More generally, the racing office should be “more inventive” about the races it writes, Gray said.

This includes giving more opportunities to horses that haven't won for a period of time, “or that haven't finished first, second or third in, say, six months,” he said.

There could also be a mandate on the specific number of Cal-bred races carded per-day, he said.

“We used to have a rule that they mandated so many races per-day, strictly for Cal-breds,” said Gray. “If we had more mandated Cal-bred races again, that would certainly help.”

 

Shane Easterbrook

Easterbrook this year is standing the only son of red-hot sire Gun Runner in California, the former Brad Cox trained Corporal.

Easterbrook said that she and Corporal's other owner have stepped up this year the number and quality of mares they ordinarily keep, in order to support the stallion.

“I think he's got great potential,” said Easterbrook, about that decision.

As someone still investing in California breeding, Easterbrook said she'd like to see greater involvement in the sport from younger generations–or as she described it, an influx of bright young minds to an industry in need of fresh ideas.

“Right now, we're seeing the older generation as they exit the sport, there's not a younger generation coming up through behind them,” said Easterbrook.

Partly, that's because of the beating the sport has received publicly in recent years in the mainstream media, said Easterbrook. “And partly there's the financial aspect to it,” she added.

So, what would help turn that around? One would be better promotion of the sport.

“How do you get the younger generation to get excited, to get involved, to get passionate about horse racing?” said Easterbrook.

“What I would like to see is more input, more direction, more leadership as far as trying to get the younger generation involved,” said Easterbrook.

“There needs to be leadership to help promote the sport in general in a positive light, rather than what's visualized in the media,” she added.

 

Sonny Pais | courtesy of Sonny Pais

Alfred A. “Sonny” Pais

Owner-breeder Pais struck gold in recent years with Cal-bred meteor Brickyard Ride, who retired to stud last year at Rancho San Miguel.

For Pais, it all comes down to purses.

“We do need things to change, obviously,” said Pais. “The purses nowadays aren't any better than they were 10 to 15 years ago.”

Which underpins why Pais suggested lengthening the racing calendar afforded Del Mar, with its premium purses in the state.

“If we could extend our period, with its purse structure, at Del Mar for another couple of months, that would definitely help,” he said. “You need something to aim at.”

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