Thoroughbred Daily News

Jockey Luan Machado, trainer Brad Cox and owner Dixiana Farms were leaders in their respective divisions at Turfway Park's 20-day Holiday Meet which concluded Saturday night. Machado had 21 wins from 98 mounts (21%) to earn his third leading rider title at Florence, Kentucky oval. His previous titles came at the 2019 Winter/Spring Meet and 2018 Holiday Meet.

Machado was followed in the standings by apprentice rider Axel Concepcion who had 19 wins.

The Holiday Meet was Cox's second leading trainer title at Turfway. His barn, which is represented locally by assistant Tessa Walden, started 20 horses, won seven races and banked earnings of $356,046. Prior to racing on New Year's Eve, Cox led all North American trainers in earnings for 2023 with $30,775,698.

Dixiana Farms tied for the leading owner title with Thirstyacres Racing, Gerald Brooks and Carl Hess Jr., PTK LLC and Blanca Salazar, but led the group with $89,343 in earnings.

Turfway Park's winter/spring meet opens Wednesday and continues through Mar. 30.

The post Machado, Cox Take Turfway Titles appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

By this stage, we can really talk about living in “the Into Mischief era.” Not just because the Spendthrift phenomenon ends 2023 by sealing a fifth consecutive general sires' title, but also because he has become the definitive stallion of our times.

In some respects, New Year's Day is a more literal turning point for our sport than other walks of life. For bureaucratic purposes, the weanlings of today become the short yearlings of tomorrow; and Into Mischief himself takes one step closer to veteran status, as he enters his 19th year. On the other hand, our cycles demand too much patience for anyone simply to wipe the slate clean every year. Every program, on or off the track, enters 2024 with a pretty clear trajectory. That may depend on how many (or few) mares your stallion has covered over the past two or three years; or perhaps on the caliber of those randomly selected by fate for the injuries annually inevitable in the paddocks or in training.

And, actually, it is precisely those two variables that have combined to create the age of Into Mischief, and the industrial system on which he has built his hegemony. Quality still sells, as he has shown, but nowadays it's commercially imperative to have a foundation of quantity.

Into Mischief has not quite matched the new mark he set last year, when his stock exceeded $28.5 million in earnings. At $25,893,748 million this time round, however, he has eclipsed the record he had established the previous year, when narrowly becoming the first sire ever to tip $25 million. (He had already been the first to break $20 million, back in 2020.) His latest haul is the work of 209 winners overall, 26 at stakes and 14 at graded level, six of those in the top tier–figures unmatched in each category other than by Justify, whose half-dozen elite winners either side of the water appear to identify a young stallion with global potential. Into Mischief's overall 54 black-type performers, 31 graded stakes horses, and 13 Grade I placers similarly represent the highest in those indices, as well. (All these figures updated to December 30.)

So, guess what: you breed to Into Mischief at $250,000, or buy one of his 15 seven-figure yearlings in 2023 (another record, overtaking Storm Cat's 13 in 2005), and he will almost certainly get you a racehorse; and very possibly a champion. But we know how the model works, on these high-volume farms, even for much less competent stallions–and the fact remains that Into Mischief also has the highest number of starters, at a staggering 462. That's more than the two on the other steps of the general sires' podium for 2024, Curlin (238 starters) and Gun Runner (201), combined!

In terms of ratios, therefore, both those horses have this year beaten Into Mischief across the board. The simplest measure of all is earnings per starter: Into Mischief is on $56,047, which puts him 10th overall. Gun Runner, with only a third crop of juveniles to add to his first 4-year-olds and sophomores, this year has an average yield per starter of $87,027; and Curlin, $78,126.

Gun Runner's 16 stakes winners in 2024 represent eight percent of starters, against 5.6 percent for Into Mischief; his dozen graded stakes scorers equated to six percent, doubling the champion's clip; and his trio of Grade I winners are among 11 elite performers overall, a remarkable 5.5 percent of starters, again doubling the rate of Into Mischief.

Now it is true that Into Mischief's sophomores this year were his first foals conceived at $150,000; and his juveniles at $175,000. His incoming 2-year-olds, including all those seven-figure yearlings, were conceived at $225,000, and the next lot are the first at his current fee of $250,000. So his current racetrack stock is only just reflecting his emergence as an eligible partner for the very best mares around, their attention having been stimulated by the likes of Practical Joke (foaled 2014) and Audible (2015). Breeders who were finally won over only by Authentic (2017) or Life Is Good (2018) have not yet put their stretchy, Classic stock into play, and it's reasonable to expect Into Mischief to complete his rise from famously humble origins with stronger percentages. Remember both Curlin and Gun Runner were Horses of the Year that started out at $75,000/$70,000.

Nonetheless he must divide the plaudits with both his pursuers. Curlin's haul of $18,594,100 consolidates his claims as one of the best never to have his status formally gilded by a sires' championship. He was runner-up as long ago as 2016, to Tapit, and again in Into Mischief's first year, 2019; and he finished third in 2021 and 2022, in which years he was the only sire to produce five and six Grade I winners respectively. He has mustered another five this year, including the pair who repeated their Breeders' Cup success, besides a landmark 100th stakes winner. Overall, he's going to get you a horse placed at Grade I level from every 25 named foals, essentially the same as Tapit and bettered only by War Front among active sires. And he's priced accordingly nowadays, too–having last year earned a hike from $175,000 to $225,000, he joins Into Mischief at $250,000 in 2024.

As for Gun Runner, up to third place on $17,492,408 after reaching No. 6 with only his second crop last year, he has now confirmed that some of his maturing stock (though having shown unexpected precocity overall) will thrive as he did himself. Interestingly, his third crop of juveniles has made a better start than did his second, and he obviously has time on his side: he turns 11, as Curlin hits 20.

The question now is whether his growing resources might close the gap on Into Mischief, or whether the champion will extend his dominion for two more years, so matching the storied seven-year streak of Bold Ruler himself.

It's a whole different world from the one dominated by Bold Ruler, of course. True, the top three have now reached such inaccessible fees that even Into Mischief's book dwindled to “only” 177 mares last spring, from 202 the previous year; while Gun Runner covered 166 mares, having been busiest of all with 256 in 2022. But the commercial frenzy otherwise remains unabated. Two farms, in particular, appeared to be pointedly unfettered last spring after thwarting an attempt to limit books to 140 mares.

Everyone will have their own views on a rookie turf sprinter covering 293 mares, but the bottom line is that Ashford and Spendthrift between them will be accounting for an astounding percentage of the 2024 foal crop. Their stallions collectively entertained well over 5,000 mares, and the foal crop is projected at 18,000. Don't get me wrong, many other farms would have no qualms about emulating them, as we see from the numbers they accommodate whenever possible. All I'm saying is that this kind of production line brings with it a lot of responsibility, in terms of what the modern Thoroughbred can or should be.

Regardless, few will be quibbling with the way Into Mischief has made the numbers game work. He's obviously become a remarkable influence, serving as both prototype and paragon for an era we can now brand with his name. In his early struggles, remember, he was one of the original prompts for the late B. Wayne Hughes to shake things up with his 'Share The Upside' scheme. That was the “bold” bit, and now Into Mischief is threatening to prove a “ruler” of unprecedented longevity.

Mitole | Sarah Andrew

The same farm that has supervised Into Mischief's ground-breaking career dominated the 2023 first-crop sires' table throughout, in the process vindicating a conspicuous evolution in strategy to upgrade its roster.

Again, the four Spendthrift sires who confined the freshman title race to their own barn were all able to benefit from much volume. Vino Rosso had 155 live foals in his debut crop, for instance, and Mitole 147. It actually remains tight enough at the top that the last couple of days could conceivably make a difference, but as things stand it is Mitole who claims the laurels, whether by prizemoney ($2,356,418 against $2,189,482 for Maximus Mischief, with Vino Rosso breathing down their necks on $2,146,186) or individual winners (33, two more than “Max”).

Mitole's eligibility for the crown is underlined by his status as the only one of the top four to have managed a graded stakes winner, joining just Flameaway and Solomini in what has proved a historically underachieving class overall. Last year's intake accumulated 15 such scorers, and the preceding years managed 13, 11 and 12. The last group to underperform by this measure, in 2018, has duly turned out to contain no real stars, with only four still in the Bluegrass and none standing for more than $15,000.

So the pressure is on this latest group. If you get volume, it's over to you. You have an opportunity denied to other perfectly feasible prospects, and must respond with results. In this day and age, when we know that most stallions will have their biggest and best books in their debut season, the whole commercial prejudice in favor of new sires makes no sense unless they capitalize on all those mares by producing a Grade I winner or two. That could very easily still happen, of course, once this lot are represented by their first sophomores: Vino Rosso had four horses placed at the elite level this year, and his own template suggests that his stock will keep thriving; while Omaha Beach, who will have received the classiest mares, has so far launched barely half his named foals, compared with two-thirds already out for Maximus Mischief. Even as it is, Omaha Beach's nine stakes performers are a joint high for the class at 15 percent of starters.

Credit, regardless, to Flameaway for doing best of those trying to break up the Spendthrift monopoly. He admittedly had pretty good numbers behind him, as well, but stands alone with four stakes winners to date. Only Maximus Mischief and Solomini have three.

And Solomini has 69 named foals in New York. How many of these high-volume sires have genuinely proved themselves to be better conduits of genetic prowess than Solomini or, say, Divisidero? Among the main protagonists, champion elect Mitole has the highest percentage of winners-to-starters at 42 percent. Divisidero has four winners from 10 starters including a Grade II-placed stakes winner (from three starts). But having been so recklessly uncommercial as to win graded stakes five seasons running, he has no more than 23 live foals in his debut crop.

Congratulations, all the same, to those that have worked the system. Every year there are new sires that don't convert opportunity into commensurate results, but three of the Spendthrift four (the exception, curiously, being the champion) and Flameaway have all earned fee increases for 2024.

The freshman class of 2023 will do well to emulate their predecessors, who have had an exceptional campaign. Good Magic got the Derby winner at the first attempt, while Justify has the world at his feet after producing six elite scorers either side of the Atlantic.

The emergence of an outstanding champion juvenile in Europe seals the impression that Justify could become the crossover stallion urgently required to reconcile disastrously segregated gene pools. He too had the inevitable quantity behind him as well, but he's maintained a wholesome tangent between the two with 10 graded/group winners in 2023 representing a class-high 5.7 percent of starters.

It was hard work, even so, to hold off Good Magic for the second-crop laurels at $9,886,177 to $9,433,728, with Bolt d'Oro third on $7,274,729. Good Magic got his dozen stakes winners this year at 8 percent of starters, measuring up to Justify's 15 at 8.5 percent, and he's actually top by earnings-per-starter at $63,314, though Justify ($56,171) has doubtless paid in that respect for having such good horses contesting internationally uncompetitive purses over the water!

Justify has only started 62 percent of his named foals, perhaps partly because he may have a few later developers like himself. Be that as it may, the 70 of his 140 named juveniles to have made the starting gate sufficed to make him the leading sire of 2-year-olds by a handsome margin, banking $4,870,920, miles clear of Constitution on $2,798,468.

Justify had six graded/group scorers among his 2-year-olds, with only Gun Runner getting close on four. Otherwise only Good Magic, Nyquist, Malibu Moon and Ghostzapper had two; Into Mischief was among those with one, but he made it count in the GI Champagne S. Even so, given the frantic demand for precocity, you will find some very expensive sires looking rather tepid in this table.

TDN stats incorporate worldwide earnings but that rather distorts the turf title, where Medaglia d'Oro owed around 70 percent of his $7,987,931 earnings to Hong Kong moneyspinner Golden Sixty! Otherwise, another championship could be posthumously awarded to English Channel on $6,859,169. Let's call him the domestic champion, at any rate, in a division for now dominated by veteran (War Front next on $6,600,220) or departed sires.

Much the youngest player here is American Pharoah, who confirms his aptitude for the discipline in finishing just cents off fifth-placed… Into Mischief! A lot of perceived dirt sires would prove barely less effective on turf, judging from the results achieved by lesser stock that will typically only even try it because they're not working out on the main track. Insular European stables take note!

The post Quality And Quantity Together Secure Mischief Fifth Title appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Verifying (Justify–Diva Delite, by Repent), winner of the GIII Indiana Derby and a half-brother to Eclipse winner Midnight Bisou (Midnight Lute), will stand at Pleasant Acres Stallions in Florida for an introductory fee of $10,000 in 2024. Trained by Brad Cox after selling for $775,000 as a KEESEP yearling, Verifying began his career at two with a win in his first asking at Saratoga before placing in the GI Champagne S. at Belmont at the Big A in his second start. In addition to winning the Indiana Derby, he placed second in both the GI Toyota Blue Grass S. and the GI H. Allen Jerkens Memorial S. along with the GIII Matt Winn S. He retired with earnings of nearly $853,000.

“We are always looking for stallions we know will raise the bar in Florida,” said Pleasant Acres Stallions Owner Joe Barbazon. “We've had our eye on Verifying since he ran in the GI Champagne S. at Belmont. Not only has he shown athleticism and talent during his career, he has also lived up to his impeccable pedigree.”

Verifying joins stallions Bodexpress (Bodemeister), Chess Chief (Into Mischief), Curlin's Honor (Curlin), Doppelganger (Into Mischief), Gone Astray (Dixie Union), Gunnevera (Dialed In), Leinster (Majestic Warrior), Magic on Tap (Tapit), Neolithic (Harlan's Holiday), No Never No More (Scat Daddy), Simplification (Not This Time) and Sweetontheladies (Twirling Candy), at the farm located just northwest of Ocala.

The post GSW Verifying To Stand At Florida’s Pleasant Acres Stallions appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Born Noble (c, 2, Constitution–Zapperkat, by Ghostzapper) was as green as the St. Elias Stable silks he was carrying, but overcame his inexperience with a powerful 'TDN Rising Star' performance for Todd Pletcher at first asking in the opener on Pegasus Preview day at Gulfstream Park.

The 6-5 favorite jumped well from his outside draw and secured a perfect spot in second behind second-time starter and 6-5 second-choice Bonus Move (Twirling Candy). Born Noble cruised up alongside the pacesetter at the five-sixteenths marker and took over with authority at the top of the stretch.

Hanging on his left lead as they straightened for home, Born Noble lugged in sharply while well clear following a pair of left-handers from jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. He leveled off from there while racing under a snug hold after finally switching over before the sixteenth pole and crossed the wire 5 1/2 lengths to the good. Big City (City of Light) tagged Bonus Move for second.

Born Noble, a $725,000 KEESEP yearling, is the ninth 'Rising Star' for Constitution. The Constitution x Ghostzapper cross is also responsible for GSW & GISP Law Professor.

The winner's dam Zapperkat, third as the favorite in the 2016 GI Chandelier S., was disqualified from first and placed second for interference in the following year's GIII Torrey Pines S. Purchased by WinStar Farm for $485,000 as a broodmare prospect at the 2017 Fasig-Tipton November Sale, Zapperkat is also responsible for a Constitution yearling filly ($170,000 KEESEP purchase by Shaker Stable). Zapperkat was bred to Life Is Good for 2024. This is the extended female family of two-time champion Silverbulletday (Silver Deputy).

1st-Gulfstream, $60,000, Msw, 12-30, 2yo, 7f, 1:24.27, gd, 5 1/2 lengths.
BORN NOBLE, c, 2, by Constitution
                1st Dam: Zapperkat (GISP, $128,520), by Ghostzapper
                2nd Dam: Noelle Rose, by Lion Heart
                3rd Dam: Rokeby Rosie, by Prized
Sales history: $725,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $36,000. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV. Click for the free Equineline.com catalog-style pedigree.
O-St. Elias Stable & West Point Thoroughbreds; B-WinStar Farm, LLC (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher.

“He's a bit green, but he's a bit good!” – @AnnouncerPete
#8 BORN NOBLE is successful on debut, winning the opener at Gulfstream Park under @iradortiz for @PletcherRacing and owners St. Elias Stable and @westpointtbred.
Another winner by Constitution who stands at @WinStarFarm. pic.twitter.com/9b9Z4Di8kk

— TVG (@TVG) December 30, 2023

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The connections of Lord Bullingdon thought highly enough of their horse to jump him up into graded-stakes company after running second to 'TDN Rising Star' Prince of Monaco (Speightstown) at Los Alamitos July 9. Second again in the GIII Del Mar Juvenile Turf S., he was denied again back in maiden special weight company at Santa Anita Oct. 7 before finally breaking through in the Qatar Golden Mile S. Nov. 3. Fourth last out in the GIII Cecil B Demille S., Lord Bullingdon stuck to what he knows best in his fifth straight try over the mile distance Friday. Tucked in to save ground from third, the 2-1 favorite was patiently handled by Umberto Rispoli and navigated through a gap around the far turn to launch a bid. Once clear, Lord Bullingdon was the class of the field and opened up with authority for the easy score.

“It was a very good trip,” said Rispoli. “I sat behind the speed. Last time I have to say it was my fault, I didn't give him a chance to get his legs under him. Today he was a different horse. He dragged me up there, I found the gap at the top of the stretch and he did the rest. He is a very good horse today, acting more professionally.”

One of six stakes winner for Lord Nelson, Lord Bullingdon has a yearling Accelerate half-sister and a weanling Tonalist half-brother still to race. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

LORD BULLINGDON ($6.80) and @umbyrispoli snuck up the rail and ran away with the $100,000 Eddie Logan Stakes at @SantaAnitaPark. This 2-year-old Lord Nelson colt is trained by @mwmracing!

Catch the late Daily Double on the @FDSportsbook:https://t.co/5VcRa4VxbO pic.twitter.com/HDYb0J60Xc

— TVG (@TVG) December 29, 2023

EDDIE LOGAN S., $100,500, Santa Anita, 12-29, 2yo, 1mT, 1:36.15, fm.
1–LORD BULLINGDON, 122, c, 2, by Lord Nelson
                1st Dam: Ms Silver Oak, by Leroidesanimaux (Brz)
                2nd Dam: Songthrush, by Unbridled's Song
                3rd Dam: Virgin Michael, by Green Dancer
($22,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP; $55,000 2yo '23 EASMAY). O-Colbart
Stables and Michael McCarthy Racing Stable, Inc.; B-Veloce LLC
(KY); T-Michael W. McCarthy; J-Umberto Rispoli. $60,000.
Lifetime Record: GSP, 6-2-2-0, $186,220.
2–Charge for Gold, 118, c, 2, Omaha Beach–Gasp, by Hennessy.
($55,000 RNA Wlg '21 KEENOV; $60,000 2yo '23 OBSAPR).
1ST BLACK TYPE. O-John P. Warren; B-Brad Shattuck (KY);
T-Philip A. Oviedo. $20,000.
3–Twirling Point, 120, g, 2, Twirling Candy–Kitten's Point, by
Kitten's Joy. 1ST BLACK TYPE. O-Augustin Stables; B-George
Strawbridge (KY); T-Jonathan Thomas. $12,000.
Margins: 2, HF, 3/4. Odds: 2.40, 18.20, 6.50.
Also Ran: Miracle Mark, Final Boss, American Hope. Scratched: Invincible, Practically Broke, Stay Hot.

The post Lord Bullingdon Commanding In Eddie Logan Win appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

The Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen Association, Maryland Horse Breeders Association, and 1/ST RACING have announced a one-year deal to continue live horse racing in Maryland until December 31, 2024. The deal ensures that the GI Preakness S. will be run at Pimlico in May and provides for ongoing racing operations throughout 2024.

“We are pleased to come to terms on a one-year extension to the 2012 agreement with The Stronach Group, 1/ST RACING and Maryland Jockey Club and appreciate the work by all that went into finalizing this deal,” said David Richardson, Executive Director of MTHA. “This agreement provides our horsemen, the state's breeders, and backstretch workers stability while the Maryland Thoroughbred Racetrack Operating Authority continues their important work on a long-term plan for our industry. We look forward to the final Authority report and a bright and sustainable future for thoroughbred horse racing in Maryland.”

During the 2023 legislative session, Governor Wes Moore, Senate President Bill Ferguson, House Speaker Adrienne A. Jones, and members of the Maryland General Assembly created the Maryland Thoroughbred Racing Operating Authority by law to outline a plan for the future of Maryland racing. Over the past decade, Maryland leaders have dedicated funding to stabilize this historic industry but needed more legal authority to implement a plan.

“The Stronach Group, 1/ST RACING and the Maryland Jockey Club are committed to a successful 2024 racing season as we work in good faith with other stakeholders to develop a long-term, sustainable racing model for Maryland,” said Craig Fravel, Executive Vice Chairman, 1/ST RACING. “We are pleased to have worked constructively with Maryland stakeholders on this agreement and look forward to continuing to work with the Maryland Racetrack Operating Authority in the best interests of racing in Maryland.”

The Maryland racing industry, one of the oldest in the United States, has an economic impact of more than $2 billion in addition to preserving thousands of acres of open space statewide.

The Authority, chaired by veteran attorney at Venable LLP Gregory A. Cross, is expected to issue its interim recommendations next month.

The post Maryland’s Thoroughbred Horsemen and Breeders Announce One-Year Extension with 1/ST Racing appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Michael Lund Peterson's Kinza (Carpe Diem–Secret Wonder, by Quality Road) debuted in 'TDN Rising Star' style Friday, leading a field of maiden fillies at Santa Anita gate-to-wire to graduate for trainer Bob Baffert. Purchased for $350,000 as a 2-year-old earlier this year at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Sale 2-Year-Olds In Training Sale after breezing in :10.1, the 5-1 shot prepped for this spot with a pair of back-to-back bullet works earlier in the month (five furlongs from the gate in :59 3/5 {1/9} Nov. 29 and again in 1:00 flat {1/4} Dec. 6} and certainly seized her opportunity to strike the front at first call under Juan Hernandez. Despite heavy pressure to her outside from race favorite Ms Bo J (Mitole), Kinza was able to shake that rival off through fractions of :21.92 and :45.24 and really open up when unleashed past the quarter pole. From there, it was only a matter of who would finish second (an honor taken by Splendora {Audible}) as Kinza won for fun by 7 1/2 lengths.

The fourth 'TDN Rising Star' for Louisiana-based Carpe Diem, and the first since 2020, Kinza is the first to the races and first winner for her dam who has since produced a yearling Instagrand filly. Secret Wonder is due on a cover to Honest Mischief for 2024.

KINZA ($13.00) was ultra impressive on debut under @JJHernandezS19! @BobBaffert ran 1-2 in the 8th at @SantaAnitaPark.

Catch the lucky last on the @FDSportsbook: https://t.co/2eg2m7xoYN pic.twitter.com/YNRVKJp4JN

— TVG (@TVG) December 29, 2023

8th-Santa Anita, $68,000, Msw, 12-29, 2yo, f, 6f, 1:09.79, ft,
7 1/2 lengths.
KINZA, f, 2, Carpe Diem
                1st Dam: Secret Wonder, by Quality Road
                2nd Dam: Maxinkuckee Miss, by Langfuhr
                3rd Dam: Wini Jones, by Seeking the Gold
Sales History: $17,000 Wlg '21 FTNMIX; $30,000 Ylg '22 OBSOCT; $350,000 2yo '23 EASMAY. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $39,000. O-Michael Lund Petersen; B-JD Business Ventures LLC, Brushy Hill Stable & Carpe Diem Syndicate (NY); T-Bob Baffert. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV. Click for the free Equineline.com catalog-style pedigree.

The post Carpe Diem’s Kinza A ‘Star’ In Santa Anita Unveiling appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Medoro's first stakes race looked eerily similar to her Del Mar debut Dec. 1 with both resulting in narrow, hard-closing wins. Stretching out from five furlongs to one mile Friday, the Peter Eutron trainee broke from an outside gate and was content to settle off the speed while kept wide and in the clear by Antonio Fresu. Racing in the back half of the field of nine, the 2-1 favorite began to make up ground into leader Chatalas and drew alongside that rival at the head of the lane. Unleashed into the final furlong, Medoro swept onto even terms on the outside and just out-dueled the runner up for the win. The stewards looked into a pair of events during the race, one involving Zona Verde (Ire) (Calyx {GB}) and the third-place runner Mo Fox Givin in the stretch, but opted to let the order of finish stand.

“I would have liked to stay third or fourth and not wide,” said Fresu. “Unfortunately I was caught wide around the first turn and I didn't have any place to go, so I just tried to reduce pace, just to hold her there to save some energy and just give her a breather. At the quarter pole, I asked her because at Del Mar she had an exceptional turn of foot, so I just wanted to see if today at a mile she would have the same. When she switched leads, she just flew home.”

One of 18 stakes winners for sire Honor Code, Medoro is the first foal out of a half-sister to the dam of Perryville S. record-setter and new sire Nashville (Speightstown). Further back in the family is GI Kentucky Derby upsetter Giacomo (Holy Bull) along with MGISW Tiago (Pleasant Tap) and GSW/MGISP Stanwyck (Empire Maker). The winner has a Speightstown yearling half-brother and a weanling half-brother by Honor A.P. while her dam is pregnant to Not This Time. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

#7 MEDORO ($6.80) by Honor Code kicks it into high gear coming to the stretch to get up and win the $100,000 Blue Norther Stakes at Santa Anita. @Antonio1Fresu was in the irons for @EurtonRacing. Congrats to all the connections! pic.twitter.com/SmpZO5F7Cf

— TVG (@TVG) December 29, 2023

BLUE NORTHER S., $102,000, Santa Anita, 12-29, 2yo, f, 1mT, 1:35.80, fm.
1–MEDORO, 118, f, 2, by Honor Code
                1st Dam: Achira (MSP, $151,852), by English Channel
                2nd Dam: Styler, by Holy Bull
                3rd Dam: Set Them Free, by Stop the Music
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN. O-C R K Stable LLC; B-Parks Investment
Group, LLC (KY); T-Peter Eurton; J-Antonio Fresu. $60,000.
Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, $96,600
2–Chatalas, 122, f, 2, Gun Runner–Indian Safari, by Indian
Charlie. O-Rancho Temescal Thoroughbred Partners, Dan J.
Agnew and William Chatalas; B-Dan Agnew (KY); T-Mark Glatt.
$20,000.
3–Mo Fox Givin, 120, f, 2, Mo Town–Givine (Fr), by Blackdoun
(Fr). ($2,000 Ylg '22 FTKOCT). O-Woo Pig Stables; B-Liberty
Road Stables (KY); T-Leonard Powell. $12,000.
Margins: NK, 2, HF. Odds: 2.40, 8.40, 3.70.
Also Ran: Zona Verde (Ire), Antifona (Fr), April Vintage, Highlands, Hattie T, Blue Oasis.

The post Medoro Stays Perfect In Blue Norther appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Nearly seventy years ago, Sports Illustrated turf writer, Jim Murray, penned a love-letter to Santa Anita, and its opening day sonata of sun and sport unmatched by any East Coast oval stunned into icy retreat by the “fierce howlings of blue northers spun across finish lines.”

Santa Anita, Murray wrote, was an “extravagance of beauty.” It was also a well-oiled money-spinner. Huge purses lured the best horses to Los Angeles, and the best horses lured the biggest crowds, their pockets brimming with the spoils of a post-war industrial boom transforming this callow cow-town into a maven of modernity.

“One day (Handicap Day in 1947), so many people showed up (85,500) that a crisis was created (the plumbing caved in under the strain) and the card almost had to be canceled,” Murray wrote.

This year's opening day at Santa Anita tells a different tale. A crowd of over 37,000 contributed to the “best handle ever among a total of 17 opening dates conducted on a Tuesday,” as the track's publicity department put it.

Putting inflation adjustments aside for the moment, that still constitutes a 30% drop from last year's total–the sort of back-foot number stakeholders desperately wanted to avoid as the track embarks upon another grueling six-month marathon into one of the most consequential years yet for the state's racing industry.

Amid an economic landscape of consolidation and contraction–which gives the distinct impression of a giant puzzle set where the pieces don't quite fit together–decisions will be made that will set this ship's course for the foreseeable future. Icebergs abound.

The compass guiding many of these decisions is this spinning dial: Can a sustainable long-term racing circuit in Northern California be pieced together in the void left by Golden Gate Fields?

TDN tried unsuccessfully in recent weeks to reach California Association of Racing Fairs (CARF) executive director, Larry Swartzlander. The LA Times, however, this week quoted Swartzlander as saying that he was “60%” certain a deal could be reached whereby the fair circuit would take over Golden Gate's dates, though would likely reduce them from 132 days a year to 103.

Tom “Bomber” Doutrich, CARF racing secretary, told the TDN he's “hopeful” an announcement about any such plan will arrive early in 2024. “There are two things you can say about CARF,” he added. “We need to get the purses right. And we've got to get a facility that we can turn into a top-class facility. We're working on that right now.”

To say that time is of the essence when it comes to these negotiations does a gross disservice to ticking clocks everywhere, as well as to the heads of racing operations juggling families, employees and their own tentative futures.

Golden Gate Fields is scheduled to race through June 9, 2024, after which the facility is set to close permanently. Next year's fair schedule is currently set to close out with a fall fair meet at Fresno from Oct. 2 through the 13th.

In the aftermath of the announced closure of Golden Gate, Swartzlander made several proposals for a restructured Northern California circuit, including a permanent base split between Santa Rosa and Cal Expo, or only at the latter track.

But such plans would require reaching an agreement with California's harness racing industry, which only last year extended its lease of operations of the Cal Expo Harness racetrack until May 2030.

Jack Liebau (right) with Tim Yakteen | Benoit

In the event no concrete proposal for Northern California materializes, a legislative fix may be sought to expand the menu of Thoroughbred races offered at Los Alamitos, said Bill Nader, president of the Thoroughbred Owners of California (TOC).

“We're on the clock and we're moving into 2024, so we have come up with alignment between the three tracks in the south for horses in the north to have suitable opportunities to compete in the south at Los Alamitos, Del Mar or Santa Anita,” said Nader.

This “alignment,” explained Nader, would include a statutory change to permit Los Alamitos–outside of their scheduled Thoroughbred meets–to stage Thoroughbred races beyond the current limit: 4 1/2 furlong races capped at a $5,000 claiming price.

“Provided there's no operator or plan that comes forth in the north, it would allow for those horses to remain in California and have a suitable opportunity to compete within their own state seamlessly. At least we have that,” said Nader, about such a proposal.

According to Jack Liebau, vice president of Los Alamitos, a legislative fix to go into immediate effect–as opposed to the start of January 2025, like most bills passed next year–needs an “urgency clause” requiring a two-thirds vote by the legislature.

“I think we can get the legislative change if it's fully supported by the industry as a whole. I don't know why anybody would oppose that,” said Liebau. “The devil, of course, will be in the details.”

According to Liebau, Los Alamitos can accommodate around 300 additional horses. In Golden Gate right now, there are around 1,150 horses.

But how motivated are trainers currently stabled at Golden Gate to funnel their horses south, in the event plans to furnish an alternative Northern calendar fall apart?

Answers are buffeted by other gusty headwinds. Purses at Golden Gate's final meet have been slashed by 25%, a result of the purse account being overdrawn by $3.1 million. (Nader told the TDN that Santa Anita's purse account is also in the red to the tune of $3.7 million)

In January, Berkeley City Council might vote on an ordinance that could essentially close Golden Gate before its anticipated June curtain call.

Ed Moger, a leading trainer at Golden Gate, recently said that while a 25% purse cut would likely spur some barns to cross state lines and relocate to Turf Paradise, he might shift a significant portion of his horses to Santa Anita instead.

“It's tougher to win a race at Santa Anita,” said Moger, at the time. “I'll have to play it by ear.”

But not everyone appears as ready to pack up box and truck for a trip south–not trainer Tim McCanna, who said that such a wholesale move would come only after every other alternative had been exhausted.

Blaine Wright | Benoit

“Seventy-five percent of the horses in the north won't fit the south,” McCanna explained, estimating that about 15 of his 40-horse Golden Gate string might suit the Southern circuit. “Most of the trainers can't go there either,” he added, alluding to the increased costs of Southern California living.

McCanna said he's “quite hopeful” an alternative Northern California circuit can be pieced together. But he also feels as though the Northern California trainer colony has been largely ignored by industry leadership during the travails of the past year.

“We were ambushed by this,” said McCanna, adding that an ownership group had recently moved five of his horses to Turfway Park, because of the purse cuts.

“The mood around the track is that it feels like we've been shot in the back,” said trainer Blaine Wright, who currently has around 50 horses at Golden Gate. “My clientele is not very happy with this purse reduction.”

Like McCanna, Wright is playing it by ear, hoping that in the New Year, news of a new viable Northern California circuit will trickle through.

If it doesn't, Wright said that he's already warned two of his staunchest patrons that the tough economics of maintaining a SoCal barn might behoove them to shut up shop.

“I said to them, 'if you don't want to race on the West Coast and you'd like to go to the Midwest or East where things are happening good, that would be fine,'” said Wright. “But I warned them, 'if you want to stay on the West Coast, my advice would be to get out of the business because the horses we have aren't going to do at Santa Anita.'”

Wright added: “How do you tell the people who have basically made your living for 16 years to get out of the business? I'm just trying to be truthful when I'm telling them I think the writing's on the wall here and the end's coming soon.”

Back in August, long-time owner and breeder, Nick Alexander, warned the consolidation of racing in the south would be a body blow for the state's breeding industry. Has his thinking evolved since?

“No, is the short answer,” said Alexander, who added that he still expects to maintain his 35-strong broodmare band through next year.

Adrian Gonzalez | Fasig-Tipton

From a squad of five racehorses previously at Golden Gate, Alexander has shifted three south, and plans to do the same with one of the other two horses remaining. More broadly, he said he's “not optimistic” an alternative Northern racing circuit can be formed.

“It's a damn shame for the breeders up there,” said Alexander. “I'm 81 years old. If I was fifty and had kids in college and was trying to be a trainer in Northern California, what the hell would I do?”

Adrian Gonzalez of Checkmate Farm-a 66-acre ranch in Parkfield, California-is one of those trying to build a business for his young family.

Of Gonzalez's 30-strong broodmare band, about half are headed to Kentucky stallions, he said, and he's in two minds whether to bring them back to California to foal.

“If there's no commercial market left in California, we need to make sure our stock is something that can be sought after in other markets,” Gonzalez said. “Most of our clients are doing something similar,” he added.

Given this trend, Gonzalez said he's concerned about a sharp dip in Cal-breds in three years–what would be especially troubling if the state racing industry can be fortified against further erosion in the meantime, he added.

“The long-term impacts are definitely something we need to be focused on,” said California Thoroughbred Breeding Association (CTBA) president, Doug Burge.

As positives, Burge singled out how active California buyers were at Keeneland's November breeding stock sale. While Golden Gate's purses have been cut, he added, lucrative Cal-bred bonuses remain in place.

“I think in the future we'll see a major focus on quality,” Burge said, pointing to the recent run high-profile successes for horses bred in the state, including a 1-2 finish in the recent G1 La Brea S. for Cal-breds. “But we obviously need the numbers as well.”

Indeed, while California's foal crop has steadily declined–by nearly 25% between 2012 and 2021–Cal-breds have been playing an ever more important role in propping up the California racing calendar.

During Santa Anita's 2022-2023 six-month meet, Cal-breds made up about 37% of all individual starts, and Cal-bred races constituted more than 20% of the overall races carded.

Is there a number of foals bred annually below which the state's breeding industry becomes an unsustainable model?

Tom Clark | Jill Williams

“That depends on how much racing we'll have here in the next few years,” Burge said. “When you announce the closure of a major racetrack, it's obviously going to have a major impact.”

Tom Clark, the owner and manager of Rancho San Miguel–a mainstay of the state's breeding industry–estimates double digit declines in the number of mares bred in the state next year. Last year, 1,874 mares were bred to California stallions. Twenty years prior, the number was about three-times that.

“The response so far from clients generally has been to cut back or exit the breeding industry in the state,” said Clark. “The only exceptions are some of the larger farms–Barton [Thoroughbreds] and John Harris and Loveacres [Ranch]–who have continued to invest in broodmares for their own account.”

While the popularity of Clark's stallions means Rancho San Miguel has so far been fairly insulated from the worst of the declines, he said, unintended consequences are percolating through.

“I've got about 20 mares people want me to find homes for,” said Clark. “I just gave three away to new homes as of this morning. It's happening.”

Which begs the question: How will recent events impact California's flagship off-track Thoroughbred rehoming program?

“When they first announced that Golden Gate Fields would close, I had three different owners call me, and I took in three different horses,” said Lucinda Lovitt, executive director of the California Retirement Management Account (CARMA). “They didn't know what the future was, and they just wanted to make sure their horse had a good place.”

As the sport rolls into the New Year, however, Lovitt said she doesn't anticipate a situation where California's aftercare facilities are swamped with urgent requests.

That said, “I would expect we will continue to see what we've seen this past year, which is less space available in aftercare charities, and higher demand for these fewer slots,” said Lovitt.

It was the author Fletcher Knebel who made the observation, “smoking is one of the leading causes of statistics.”

If only horse racing could so readily dismiss its numerical DNA.

This recent New York Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association (NYTHA) backed study by a cohort of Yale undergrads highlighted how a common feature of a contracting market is consolidation, and how this trend is impacting everything from the training population to racetrack management.

Indeed, nationally over the last 20 years, the industry has lost nearly 55% of its trainers, they found. Most have been “micro-trainers” and “midsize” trainers with a maximum 40 discreet horses respectively.

At the opposite end of the scale are “super trainers” who operate stables with 80 or more horses.

Bill Nader | Horsephotos

The number of super trainers has stayed relatively constant in the midst of declining trainer numbers. In 2003 there were 123 super trainers, and in 2022 there were 114.

The same trends play out in California, with the bottom end getting clobbered while the top end stays remarkably strong.

According to numbers crunched for the TDN using DRF chart data, the number of trainers making at least one individual start in California decreased by nearly 50% between 2007 and 2022.

The trainers with 20 or less individual annual starters decreased a similar 50% during that period.

The number of trainers with at least 100 individual annual starters in California, however, has remained around the 8-10 mark since 2009.

Last year, nine trainers with at least 100 individual annual starters in California–just 3% of the total trainer colony–accrued 35% of the total prize money and made 21% of the total starts.

In another worrying trend, training in California is becoming less and less of a young person's game.

According to data put together by the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB), the median age of a licensed trainer in California was 52 in 2003. As of this year, that statistic has matured to 61.

The guiding light behind these numbers is field size, which in turn drives handle, which in turn fuels purses. Field size has been especially problematic during Santa Anita's six-month winter-spring meet these past five years, though it has rebounded very slightly.

For the six-month meet in 2021-2022, the combined dirt and turf field size was 7.12. For the 2022-2023 meet, the combined field size was 7.2.

With that in mind, Nader said he doesn't expect the recently announced purse cuts to make a dent into the $3.7 million Santa Anita purse overpayment.

“I don't think it'll reduce at all, based on the current trends in business. If anything, the overpayment might even go up a little bit,” said Nader. “That's why the wish list for 2024 is to secure a secondary source of income to preserve and protect the purse structure and the industry going forward.”

But what could that be?

Twin sports wagering measures were torpedoed on last year's state ballot, casting dark clouds over future efforts. And though horse racing's standing in Sacramento has improved since the nadir of the 2019 Santa Anita welfare crisis, how likely is legislative support, even for an industry estimated to directly contribute over $4.5 billion to the state's economy, and over 77,700 jobs?

“It's incumbent upon all of us here to try to get something where the state legislature provides some type of recognition to the industry, and a level of support–again, maybe not the same advantages the other competing states enjoy–but something that gives us a chance to compete,” said Nader, declining, however, to speculate upon any specifics of what that “recognition” might look like.

Furthermore, should the heightened impact from the state's super trainers on field size during a period of such accelerated contraction be high up on the TOC's agenda for next year?

“In terms of trying to get more competitive field sizes and better business results, it's better if there's more parity. Sure. But how you manufacture that, it's tricky,” said Nader. “It's hard to say to an owner, 'you need to give your horse to this trainer and not that trainer.' It has to be carefully thought through.”

The variables weighing in on the future of the sport are–for want of a less utilitarian phrase–multifactorial. Just take the topic of Computer Assisted Wagering (CAW).

CAW players constitute a small group of high-volume and largely anonymous gamblers with an outsized impact on the betting markets—including in California—due to the use of sophisticated wagering tools. Because of their high stakes play, they're offered inducements in the form of rebates and reduced takeout rates largely not available to the average punter.

Last summer, Del Mar introduced measures to help curb CAW play. By the meet's end, Del Mar's total handle was down some 10% compared to the year prior, according to the DRF.

The TDN asked the CHRB for a breakdown of CAW play per-pool for last summer's meet at Del Mar. The agency said it does not yet have those granular figures.

Santa Anita's new Tapeta surface being installed | Santa Anita

But the CHRB provided a total breakdown of handle per betting location, including from the most influential of these computer syndicates, the Elite Turf Club, a Curacao-based company owned by The Stronach Group and NYRA Bets LLC.

According to this data, Elite Turf Club total handle during Del Mar's summer meet dropped 23.7% from 2022 to 2023: $116.9 million last year compared to $89.1 million this year.

How industry leaders in California manage the thorny topic of CAW play next year, therefore, will be a key driver of revenues.

For many stakeholders, another key tangible will be the roll-out of TSG's much vaunted $30 million-plus investment into the Southern California racing furniture, including new stabling at Santa Anita, new tracks at the facility, and industry support funds.

The replacement of Santa Anita's dirt training track with Tapeta is scheduled for a mid-January finish. According to Craig Fravel, chief executive office at 1/ST Racing, there are tentative plans to modify one of the barns at Santa Anita next summer.

The other big-ticket items slated for development in 2024–including a new one-mile turf chute, an equine swimming pool and horse exercisers–have been put on hold, however.

“We've wanted to focus on getting the synthetic surface done. The price tag on that has come in higher than we had expected,” said Fravel. “Right now, we're just very much focused on the racing calendar, trying to enhance the prospects for horses moving down here and improving the product in Southern California.”

The post What Does Next Year Hold For California Racing? appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Gulfstream Park's Saturday program will offer four stakes races– three graded–including the GIII Harlan's Holiday S., a prep for the GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational, and the GII Fort Lauderdale S., a prep for the GI Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational.

The Harlan's Holiday drew a field of 11, including last out GII Hagyard Fayette S. winner and 5-2 morning-line favorite O'Connor (Chi) (Boboman); last year's GII Remsen S. winner Dubyuhnell (Good Magic), who returned from the shelf with an optional claiming win at Keeneland Oct. 28; and the streaking $1.7-million OBS April graduate and 'TDN Rising Star' Signator (Tapit), who makes his stakes debut for trainer Shug McGaughey following two straight wins at Aqueduct Oct. 21 and Nov. 12.

“In the Keeneland race, he was off the pace, but he was handy the whole way. He was into the bridle and traveled well for Tyler (Gaffalione),” trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr. said of O'Connor's win in the Fayette. “If he can travel the same way, it will increase his chances Saturday.”

The Fort Lauderdale has attracted a field of 10, including the Chad Brown-trained duo of 2-1 morning-line favorite Running Bee (English Channel), who resurfaced from a lengthy layoff with a wire-to-wire victory in an optional claimer at Aqueduct Nov. 17; and Stone Age (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), runner-up in the 2022 GI Breeders' Cup Turf. The latter adds blinkers following a fifth-place finish in the GI Joe Hirsch Turf Classic S. Oct. 7.

The 11-race card at Gulfstream also includes: the GIII Suwannee River S. and the Rampart S.

Santa Anita, meanwhile, boasts a pair of grassy graded races Saturday, the GII Joe Hernandez S. and the GIII Robert J. Frankel S.

The post Pegasus Preview Day at Gulfstream Park Saturday appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

North America's winningest Thoroughbred in terms of victories this year will have 10 wins, but the final weekend of 2023 will determine if the Midwest-based gelding Fayette Warrior (Exchange Rate) ends up alone atop the leaderboard or if he has to share the honor with two nine-win rivals in the mid-Atlantic who could tie the mark either Dec. 30 or 31.

The 7-year-old Fayette Warrior, who sports a lifetime record of 19-11-7 from 71 starts with $241,772 in earnings, has topped the continent since his last victory at Columbus against starter-allowance company Oct. 21. He then finished second Oct. 29, also at the Nebraska track, before owner/trainer Troy Bethke gave him a break to prepare for a 2024 campaign.

With Troy's son, Scott Bethke, riding Fayette Warrior in all 18 starts this year, the pair also posed for winner's circle photos at Energy Downs (three times), plus Fonner Park, Sweetwater County Fair, and Wyoming Downs (twice each).

“He's a little bitty horse. He probably barely reaches 15 hands. Just a small-statured horse, but he's got a big heart, and he likes to run,” Troy Bethke told TDN. “Every time we lead him up there, he gives you 100%. He's a spunky, cocky little guy; a good-looking rascal. He likes to train, likes to race–just a good little horse.

“We only had a couple of races where he didn't run great this year, and both of them he got in trouble,” Bethke said, noting that Fayette Warrior only finished out of the money three times. “One was on the backside where he got pinched into the rail, and then another one it was really muddy and he just didn't seem to handle the track that day. Scott's kind of grown attached to him, and in that particular race I think he kind of took care of him a little bit.

A $90,000 KEEJAN purchase for Calumet Farm back in 2017, Fayette Warrior debuted for trainer Wesley Ward at Saratoga in 2018 (seventh at the MSW level). But he won his next start at Kentucky Downs by 4 1/4 lengths, and was then was fourth and third in listed stakes at Belmont Park and Laurel Park

After that, Fayette Warrior drifted downward in class to circuits in Kentucky, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Iowa and Minnesota while switching stables 13 times before finally landing with Bethke.

“I claimed him two years ago. We ran him at Canterbury, then in Nebraska and Colorado,” Bethke said. “This last summer, we started in Nebraska, then a gal who was an assistant for me went out to Wyoming and ran that circuit out there. Then he came back to Nebraska.

“We were trying to put him in races where he would run well. We knew that he was doing well, up towards the top [of the North American leaderboard],” Bethke said.

No matter the level of racing, achieving 10 victories “is a lot of wins” for any horse, Bethke said.

“He'll be coming back next year,” Bethke said. “He had a pretty hard, long campaign, so we stopped on him. I've got a little place in Minnesota, so we've got him turned out at the house here right now.

Anthony Farrior | Jim McCue

Reached by phone Dec. 29, Bethke said he wasn't aware there were two other horses entered this weekend to potentially tie Fayette Warrior.

Both of those runners are trained by Anthony Farrior, who told TDN in a separate phone interview that it wasn't his intent to go after the winningest horse title.

“It's just how the races came up,” said Farrior, whose stable primarily competes in Maryland, West Virginia and Pennsylvania.

Farrior will run the 4-year-old filly Divine Fashion (Divining Rod) in the third race Saturday at Mahoning Valley, where she's the 7-5 morning-line favorite for a $5,000 starter-allowance.

He's also got the 3-year-old gelding Uncaptured Storm (Uncaptured) on the also-eligible list in the first race at Laurel on Sunday as the 5-2 morning-line choice. That's a $25,000 claimer open to non-winners of three (any age) or straight 3-year-olds (regardless of the number of victories).

“Uncaptured Storm, me and [trainer Mario] Serey claimed him back and forth [twice each this year]. He just seemed to get better as a grew up as a 3-year-old,” Farrior said, adding that being able to take advantage of a condition that pits a nine-time winner against horses who haven't broken through the three-lifetime level is “a little advantage.”

Divine Fashion is going to have to prove she's able to win on the road. All nine of her wins this season have come at Charles Town. The two times she's shipped elsewhere in 2023 (both to Laurel), she's lost.

“She just loves Charles Town,” Farrior said. “She always shows up and runs her race. When you get a nice starter filly at Charles Town [the condition goes back to] two years from the date, so that helps out a lot. She'd probably have won more if my other filly wasn't beating her earlier in the year.”

Farrior was referring to Dulcimer Dame (Mineshaft) a 6-year-old who won seven straight before the month of March ended but has been 0-for-5 since. She'll aim for win No. 8 on Sunday at Laurel.

“They're just sound horses and you can keep them running. So it's worked out great,” Farrior said.

All three of those Farrior-trained winners are owned, either in whole or in partnership, by Richard Burnsworth, whose record as a solo owner in 2023 is an impressive 79-for-298 (26%).

Beverly Park | Coady Photography

“He likes to win. He doesn't mess with me, and he lets me put them in where they belong,” Farrior said of his client.

One other gelding with nine wins, the 6-year-old Never Compromise (Graydar), most recently ran third at Charles Town Dec. 16 and won't make a subsequent start before the year is out. He's owned by Robert Cole Jr. and trained by Stephen Murdock.

In 2022, the continent's winningest horse was Beverly Park (Munnings) with 14 victories. He came back to win four this year.

Between 2012 and 2021, the North American leaderboard was topped by horses who won between eight (in the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign) and 12 times.

You have to go back to 2011 to find a truly freakish outlier, which was when the Cole-owned starter-allowance stalwart Rapid Redux ran the table with a 19-for-19 record for trainer David Wells.

The post Race For Winningest Horse Comes Down To Final Weekend Of ’23 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Forty-two starts into his career and with 25 wins, Greeley and Ben (Greeley's Conquest) is in top form as he will look to close out 2023 with a win over four rivals in Saturday's Gravesend S. at Aqueduct. It will, however, be his last ever start at an NYRA track, where horses who are 10 or older are not allowed to compete. That's fine with his connections. They can race him next year at just about anywhere else and are confident that the story of one of the true iron horses in the sport will continue for some time.

“I think he's a long way from being done,” said trainer Horacio De Paz.

It's easy to see why De Paz doesn't think that age has caught up with Greeley and Ben and why he'll be bringing the horse back off of just one week's rest in the Gravesend. Greeley and Ben won last year's GIII Fall Highweight H. at the advanced age of eight and, after a layoff of nearly 12 months, has come back running this year. After finishing sixth in an allowance race at Laurel, he's won two straight, including the Dec. 23 Dave's Friend, also at Laurel.

Greeley and Ben began his career racing for trainer John Ortiz and won six times before being claimed for just $10,000 on March 7, 2021 by Karl Broberg. He won 13 of 17 starts for Broberg before he was claimed again and wound up in the barn of David Jacobson. He made three starts for Jacobson, his last in a 2022 $40,000 claimer at Saratoga. It was there that he caught the attention of his current owner, Darryl Abramowitz.

“His age didn't bother me,” Abramowitz said. “This game is about dreams and taking chances. I thought that for $40,000 the worst-case scenario was we'd have to drop him into a $20,000 claimer and we'd win and get our money back. You only live once.”

So Abramowitz spent the $40,000 to claim a horse who was eight at the time and, at least according to his Beyer numbers, was starting to slow down. Little did he know that the future for the gelding would include four wins in his next seven starts and two stakes wins, including his first graded stakes victory in the Fall Highweight.

“He's a combination of Mike Tyson and Cal Ripken,” Abramowitz said. “He's an iron horse and he's a fighter.”

Greeley and Ben | Coglianese

After winning the Fall Highweight, Greeley and Ben disappeared, but that would not prove to be the end of his career.

“He's an old war horse and as time has gone on he has come up with a few leg issues,” Abramowitz said. “Nothing serious. He just needed the time to heal up. Would other people spend 352 days on the shelf and spend all that money while he wasn't racing? I don't think so. I could have brought him back earlier, but if we did, we'd have to have dropped into a lower level of claimers. We coaxed him along and gave him the time that was necessary. He's sound and he's solid right now. With the way he's going he could keep running for another two years. This guy loves to run. He just thrives on it.”

Abramowitz initially had the horse with Jeffrey Englehart and then moved him into the barn of Faith Wilson for the Fall Highweight. The next move was to give him to De Paz, who has had him since September. Greeley and Ben could do no better than to finish sixth in his return race, but De Paz was not discouraged.

“When we got him he had to build back the foundation that he had lost,” the trainer said. “He carries good flesh, so we had to work past that. In his first race back, we figured we'd give him a race rather than just breezing him. We thought a race would do him more good than breezing him every week. That first run showed he still wanted to compete. He just got tired.”

Twenty-two days later, he won the allowance and followed that up with the win in the Dave's Friend, which upped his career earnings to $981,138. After that start, De Paz and Abramowitz started searching for a race. On whether they should enter him in the Gravesend, it came down to the question of, why not?

“That we're running here doesn't have anything to do with the rules in New York,” Abramowitz said. “We were watching nominations for this race and knew there would be a small field and I didn't think the race would be that difficult. At Laurel, he ran three solid furlongs. It was like having a spectacular workout. For the first three furlongs he was in the back just enjoying himself and having a good time. I knew he was going good and Horacio told me he's better than ever and is going extremely good. We looked at all the factors, like the $150,000 purse, and decided to give it a go.”

Abramowitz is so bullish on the gelding's future that he said if the horse runs well in the Gravesend he will consider sending him to the Middle East–Saudi Arabia and Dubai.

First though, they have to get past the Gravesend. On paper, Greeley and Ben is stepping up in class and could have a tough time in the six-furlong stakes. But Abramowitz doesn't think that will be the case.

“He fits in this race and I think he might surprise a lot of people,” the owner said.

Win or lose, Greeley and Ben's place in the sport has already been assured. Where else can you find an active 9-year-old who is still at the top of his game and has won more races than he has lost?

“It's a tremendous story,” De Paz said. “He's run at all these different racetracks and has run for different trainers and he's been honest for everyone who has had him. He's just a special horse.”

The post In His New York Swan Song, Golden Oldie Greeley And Ben Looks For 26th Career Win In Gravesend appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Friday's G1 Tokyo Daishoten marked a first and much-anticipated battle between reigning G1 Dubai World Cup hero Ushba Tesoro (Jpn) (Orfevre {Jpn}) and the upstart 3-year-old Mick Fire (Jpn) (Sinister Minister), perfect in his seven starts and winner of the unofficial Japan Dirt Triple Crown this past season. The showdown never really materialized, however, as the latter never reached contention after playing up in the stalls, and the odds-on Ushba Tesoro ran down his commonly owner front-runner Wilson Tesoro (Jpn) (Kitasan Black {Jpn}) to successfully defend his title in the 2000-metre contest. Dura Erede (Jpn) (Duramente {Jpn}), who won the G1 Hopeful S. on the turf 12 months ago, but has thrived on the dirt this term, stayed on well for third after chasing the pace.

As it was on World Cup night, Ushba Tesoro was not particularly quickly away and therefore settled last but one into the first corner, as Wilson Tesoro, who flashed home to finish second behind Lemon Pop (Lemon Drop Kid) and ahead of Dura Erede in the Dec. 8 G1 Champions Cup (1800m), galloped them along at a decent tempo over the notoriously deep surface at Oi. Racing three wide as Mick Fire provided some crucial cover down the back straight, Ushba Tesoro was pulled out and around his younger rival at the 600 metres, with Wilson Tesoro and Dura Erede a good eight to 10 lengths ahead. Steered out widest leaving the 400-metre peg behind, Ushba Tesoro leveled out and grabbed Wilson Tesoro in the dying strides, covering those final 600 metres in a race-fastest :37 flat. Mick Fire could produce no rally and beat just one home.

Given a lengthy spell to recover from his World Cup success, Ushba Tesoro was an easy winner of the Listed Nippon TV Hai at Funabashi Sept. 27 as a single prep for the GI Breeders' Cup Classic. He put in a long, sustained rally over the Santa Anita mile and a quarter Nov. 4, but had too much to do and finished a creditable fifth to White Abarrio (Race Day) and compatriot Derma Sotogake (Jpn) (Mind Your Biscuits).

“He's a very tough horse, so I was hoping he could run well,” winning jockey Yuga Kawada told Netkeiba. “The horse will remain active next year, so we appreciate the support as he goes to challenge the world again.”

Trainer Noboru Takagi indicated that the early-season goals could include the G1 Saudi Cup in February in addition to a defence of his title at Meydan the following month.

Of the eighth-placed Mick Fire, trainer Kazuo Watanabe told Netkeiba: “The start for him was a pity. Even if he finished second or third and lost, I wanted to see him run his race. There is room for growth and we will be starting from scratch again.”

Ushba Tesoro | Horsephotos/Tomoya Moriuchi

Pedigree Notes:

Ushba Tesoro's second dam Sixieme Sens was ridden by Freddy Head to victory in the 1995 Listed Prix Bagatelle for trainer David Smaga and Mme Marc de Chambure and went on to continue her career in the US under the tutelage of the late Bobby Frankel for whom she won the GIII Athenia S. in New York and the GII Dahlia H. in 1996 and the GII San Gorgonio H. the following season. Dr Masatake Iida purchased Sixieme Sens for $750,000 when offered in foal to Gone West at the 1997 Keeneland November Sale and exported her to Japan. Her second foal for Iida's Chiyoda Farm Shizunai became the stakes-winning Bold Brian (Jpn) (Brian's Time), while Millefeui Attach, a three-time winner of better than $466,000, was Sixieme Sens's eighth produce and one of her nine winners from 12 to the races.

Ushba Tesoro races for the Ryotokuji Kenji Holdings Co., which has also campaigned the likes of US-bred Japanese listed winner Aurora Tesoro (Malibu Moon) and the multiple stakes winner and Group 1-placed Rieno Tesoro (Speightstown) to name but a few. Ushba Tesoro cost the operation ¥25 million ($219,250) as a foal when consigned by Chiyoda Farm to the 2017 JRHA Select Sales. The operation purchased the dam of Wilson Tesoro for $225,000 at the 2015 Fasig-Tipton Florida Sale and sent her to Equinox's sire Kitasan Black (Jpn) in 2018 after winning a pair of minor races in Japan.

Millefeui Attach is also the dam of a 2-year-old colt by Asia Express (Henny Hughes) and a yearling filly from the first crop of 2019 G1 Takamatsunomiya Kinen hero Mr Melody (Scat Daddy). The mare foaled a filly by Group 1-winning turf sprinter Matera Sky (Speightstown) this past Apr. 29 and was reunited with Orfevre this year.

Friday, Oi, Japan
TOKYO DAISHOTEN-G1, ¥170,000,000, Oi, 12-29, 3yo/up, 2000m, 2:07.30, std.
1–USHBA TESORO (JPN), 126, h, 6, Orfevre (Jpn)
      1st Dam: Millefeui Attach (Jpn), by King Kamehameha (Jpn)
      2nd Dam: Sixieme Sens, by Septieme Ciel
      3rd Dam: Samalex (GB), by Ela-Mana-Mou (Ire)
(¥25,000,000 Wlg '17 JRHAJUL). O-Kenji Ryotokuji Holdings;
B-Chiyoda Farm (Jpn); T-Noboru Takagi; J-Yuga Kawada;
¥100,000,000. Lifetime Record: G1SW-UAE, 32-11-1-5,
$10,427,845. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-
style pedigree. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*. Click
for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Wilson Tesoro (Jpn), 126, c, 4, Kitasan Black (Jpn)–Chesutoke
Rose, by Uncle Mo. O-Kenji Ryotokuji Holdings; B-Ryoken
Farm (Jpn); T-Hitoshi Kotegawa; J-Yusuke Hara; ¥35,000,000.
3–Dura Erede (Jpn), 123, c, 3, Duramente (Jpn)–Marchesa (Jpn),
by Orfevre (Jpn) (¥100,000,000 Ylg '21 JRHAJUL). O-Three H
Racing; B-Northern Farm (Jpn); T-Manabu Ikezoe; J-Bauyrzhan
Murzabayev; ¥20,000,000.
Margins: HF, NK, 3/4. Odds: 0.70, 13.20, 10.90.
Also Ran: Notturno (Jpn), King's Sword (Jpn), Gloria Mundi (Jpn), Tenkaharu (Jpn), Mick Fire (Jpn), Mangan (Jpn).
Click for the goracing.jp chart.

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J.T. Lundy, the controversial former president of Calumet Farm, passed away Tuesday. He was 82.

The news was reported on Facebook by his sister, Kathy Lundy Jones, and his son, Robert. According to Robert's post, Lundy fell in November, suffered from a head injury and never fully recovered.

According to the BloodHorse, Lundy was a native of Georgetown, Ky. and grew up on a farm working primarily around show cattle. He told the magazine in 1990 that he eventually steered into the horse business because it appeared to be more lucrative than cattle and “it was more fun.”

After operating his own farm, Lundy got his foot in the door at Calumet when he married Lucille “Cindy” Wright, the granddaughter of Calumet founder Warren Wright, Sr. Lucille Wright died in 1982, which paved the way for Lundy to take over the day-to-day operations of the farm.

With Lundy at the helm, Calumet enjoyed success on the racetrack and in the breeding business. In Alydar, Calumet was home to one of the top sires in the sport. Calumet's best horse at the time turned out to be homebred Criminal Type, who was named Horse of the Year in 1990. Another star was GI Shuvee H. winner Tis Juliet. Calumet Farm won the 1990 Eclipse Award for Outstanding Breeder.

Things took a turn in the wrong direction starting in November of 1990 when the then 15-year-old Alydar kicked his stall door and fractured his leg. He was euthanized two days later. Alydar was insured for $36 million, which raised suspicions about his death that persist today.

Though it might have seemed that Calumet was in sound shape financially, that turned out to be untrue. Under Lundy, Calumet was deep in debt due to his fraud and mismanagement. Calumet filed for bankruptcy protection in 1991 and was losing $1 million a month. Lundy resigned as the farm's president in April of 1991. Then under former trainer John Ward, Jr., Calumet was forced to sell off property and reduce its holdings.

In 2000, Lundy, along with Gary Matthews, Calumet's former attorney and chief financial officer, was convicted of fraud and bribery and sent to prison. Along with a 4 1/2-year prison sentence, Lundy was ordered to pay $20.4 million in restitution. A jury found that Lundy and Matthews had committed fraud when acquiring $65 million in loans made to Calumet by the First City National Bank of Houston through bribery and deceit.

According to the BloodHorse, federal prosecutors argued Lundy deserved a stiffer penalty because he was responsible for the death of Alydar, which was the main asset securing the loans. On that latter allegation, United States District Court Judge Sim Lake would conclude: “There is some physical evidence, and circumstances surrounding the event are suspicious, but I cannot conclude he is responsible.”

Lundy was released from prison in 2005.

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During the recent holiday season, I had the opportunity to engage in meaningful discussions with my 13-year-old son, Max, about his future aspirations. As he approaches an age where decisions about higher education and career paths come into focus, we've delved into conversations about his collegiate preferences and professional ambitions.

It is not uncommon for adolescents at this stage to express a desire to emulate the occupational choices of family members. Max, in particular, has conveyed an interest in following in the footsteps of his father, cousin Norm, uncle Mark, and his late grandfather Norman.

Now over the past few days I have had time to reflect on the thoughts and proposals brought forward by Boyd Browning and Nick de Meric. I believe the appropriate route going forward is for American Racing to have a parallel initiative to that of AUSHORSE in Australia. AUSHORSE is the gold standard of Thoroughbred marketing globally. They are frequently advertising the amazing statistics regarding the most buoyant racehorse industry in the world. This is exactly what we need. An enterprise like this would aim to promote the American Thoroughbred industry, encourage investment from both domestic and international sources, and introduce new owners to the excitement of racehorse ownership. Funding the initiative would occur through a small percentage taken from purse structures, sales purchases, or commissions.

This type of initiative could bring several benefits to the American Thoroughbred industry:

• Promotion and Branding: A centralized marketing arm can effectively promote the industry, showcasing destinations for racing and sales. As well as the heartfelt stories that occur within our industry (i.e. Cody's Wish) and the amount of jobs it creates and economic impact it has.
• International Investment: By actively encouraging investment from overseas, the industry can attract a broader range of participants, boosting competition and raising the profile of American horse racing on a global scale. Again, American involvement in Europe both at their sales and at Ascot is at an all-time high. As well as Europeans shipping to Australia for the Melbourne Cup and other races. It's time we flip the script here.
• Introduction to Ownership: Helping newcomers navigate the world of racehorse ownership can foster increased participation and interest in the sport. This could include educational programs, networking events, and other initiatives to make ownership more accessible and enjoyable. I understand we've tried this in some capacity in the past but to include this under one uniform umbrella could create a stronger reputation via a name and likeness to refer to when speaking to the layman about our industry.
• Sustainable Funding: By allocating a small percentage from relevant revenue streams, the initiative can secure a consistent and sustainable source of funding for its activities. This ensures the longevity and effectiveness of the marketing efforts.

However, it's important to consider a few key factors in implementing such an initiative:

• Industry Collaboration: Success would likely depend on widespread industry collaboration. Ensuring that major stakeholders and participants are on board is crucial for the initiative's effectiveness. But making sure that the funding comes from a broader scale and not from a few wealthier individuals will insure a non-bias representation.
• Transparent Governance: As an independent, not-for-profit entity, transparency in governance is essential to maintain trust and credibility. Clear guidelines on fund allocation and decision-making processes should be established.
• Adaptability: The racing industry is dynamic, and the initiative should be adaptable to changing circumstances and market trends. Regular evaluations and adjustments may be necessary to ensure ongoing success.

If implemented thoughtfully, a marketing initiative like this one could contribute significantly to the growth and sustainability of the American Thoroughbred industry.

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Thoroughbred Charities of America will honor Greg Goodman with the Allaire du Pont Leadership Award and Central Kentucky Riding for Hope with the Ellen and Herb Moelis Industry Service Award at the 34th Annual Stallion Season Live Auction and Celebration presented by Mt. Brilliant Family Foundation on Sunday, Jan. 7, 2024, at Harper Hall in Lexington, Ky.

The Allaire du Pont Leadership Award is presented annually to an organization or individual whose philanthropic endeavors are consistent with TCA's mission.

Greg Goodman, a native of Houston, Texas, has been involved in Thoroughbred racing all of his life and has been a Thoroughbred owner and breeder for more than 20 years. He owns and runs the historic Mt. Brilliant Farm in Lexington, Ky.

The Ellen and Herb Moelis Industry Service Award is presented annually to an organization that works to uphold TCA's mission.

Central Kentucky Riding for Hope (CKRH) was founded in 1981 as a collaboration between Dr. Peter Bosomworth, the then Chancellor of the University of Kentucky Medical Center and area horse enthusiasts. The original objective was to offer therapeutic riding as an alternative to traditional machine-based and table-top therapies by using the three-dimensional movement of the horse. CKRH's programming has evolved beyond therapeutic riding to include equine facilitated mental health and equine facilitated learning.

The TCA Stallion Season Auction opens with an online auction of stallion seasons at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 3 and continues through 4 p.m. EST on Friday, Jan. 5. Nearly 200 seasons will be available on Equiring.com. A full list of seasons is available here.

Most of the seasons will sell during the online auction, however select seasons to Constitution, Flightline, Good Magic, Elite Power, Taiba, Life is Good, Forte, Cody's Wish (with 2025 breed back), Nyquist (with 2025 breed back), and Quality Road will be sold at the Live Auction & Celebration on Sunday, Jan. 7.

Bidders or their authorized agents may bid on select seasons by attending the event in-person or they may email ehalliwell@tca.org to register to bid online or by telephone. Non-season items including a John Deere ZTrak mower, a vacation condo in St. Thomas, Triple Crown tickets, and a private meet and greet with Cody's Wish will also be offered in the live auction. Equine artist Robert Clark will “live paint” a custom piece only available at the live auction. Tickets can be purchased here.

An online silent auction of non-season items including halters worn by Justify, Gun Runner, and more will be offered. A list of silent auction items is available here. More items will be added.

The auction is sponsored by Mt. Brilliant Family Foundation, Peoples Bank, Ocala Breeders' Sales, Bourbon Lane Stable Retirement Fund, Coolmore America, Equine Medical Associates, Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, Top Line Sales, Equine Medical of Ocala, Julie Davies, Pick View LLC, Paul Sharp Stables, L.V. Harkness, Paulick Report, BloodHorse, Daily Racing Form, and Thoroughbred Daily News.

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Editor's Note: The TDN received this letter from Fasig-Tipton's Boyd Browning.

2023 was certainly a year of many challenges for the Thoroughbred industry. Much has been written and spoken about the issues we face, although very little action has taken place.

As we enter 2024, I believe it is imperative we make meaningful efforts to improve our sport. Every component of the industry must pledge to do a better job. We must find common ground and set aside our egos.

We must commit (at a minimum) to the following actions as an industry:

1) Establish a public relations plan that: (a) provides a spokesperson to speak for our industry in times of crisis; and (b) addresses the issues and concerns regarding equine safety and aftercare. This will require resources-money!

A new initiative, LIGHT UP RACING, is being launched to address these issues and Fasig-Tipton is committing $50,000 for the initial launch and proof of concept for this initiative. In addition, we will commit $200,000 over the next three years to support organized industry efforts regarding public relations.

2) Implement a plan to utilize wearable technology and install PET scan machines at major racetracks. We have no choice but to embrace these concepts and work together to provide these as cost effectively as possible.

Fasig-Tipton has no financial stake or interests in any providers/vendors of these products; however, we are willing to commit to an investment/expenditure of $250,000 over the next three years to assist in these efforts if joined by other industry interests.

3) Improve our betting product. On Christmas Day, my three sons-in-law and two of my daughters were wagering modest sums on NBA and NFL games in progress.

They wanted action and engagement and were easily able to make understandable wagers on their phones. They could bet on a team, the number of touchdowns, who would make three-point shots, etc. and try for parlays that would produce significant payouts.

Relevant statistical data is available for FREE to encourage participation. The gambling world has exploded–yet our game has not.

We have many extraordinarily talented and successful people involved in our great sport. In addition, we have institutions and organizations with significant financial resources that must make investments today for the good of tomorrow.

I urge the Breeders' Cup, The Jockey Club, HISA, racetracks, stallion farms, sales companies, owners, breeders and trainers to make a commitment of both talent and resources to invest in our future before it is too late.

–Boyd Browning, President & Chief Executive Officer, Fasig-Tipton Co.

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Forestry (Storm Cat–Shared Interest, by Pleasant Colony), winner of the 1999 GI King's Bishop S. at Saratoga and sire of GI Preakness S. winner Shackleford and fellow GISWs Discreet Cat, Forest Danger and Diplomat Lady, passed away at the age of 27 in Paraná, Brazil on Wednesday.

One of the longest-lived and most successful sires in all of South America, Forestry died due to health problems caused by old age, according to Dr. Joaquim Antunes, chief veterinarian of Haras São José da Serra.

Bred by Robert S. Evans in Kentucky, Forestry was purchased by Aaron U. and Marie D. Jones for $1.5 million as a yearling at the Keeneland July sale.

He entered stud in 2000 at Taylor Made in Kentucky. In 2014, Forestry was acquired by a group of Brazilian breeders and resided at Haras São José da Serra. He produced 18 black-type winners in Brazil, including the Grade 1 winners Oceano Azul, Itaperuna, Gata Y Flor, and Hembra.

—additional reporting by Victor Correa

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The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) released its 2024 schedule, which includes 195 live racing days at Aqueduct Racetrack and Saratoga Race Course, the organization said in a release Thursday morning.

As previously announced, the ongoing construction at Belmont Park will require significant adjustments to the customary schedule. In addition to the 2024 Belmont Stakes Racing Festival being held at Saratoga Race Course from June 6-9, the fall and spring/summer meets traditionally held at Belmont will take place at Aqueduct Racetrack in 2024.

Following the conclusion of the 2023 Aqueduct fall meet on Dec. 31, the 47-day winter meet begins Monday, Jan. 1 and continues through Saturday, Mar. 30. Live racing will be conducted Thursday-Sunday for the first three weeks of January and Friday-Sunday from Jan. 26 through the first week of March. Aqueduct will host a Presidents' Day card on Monday, Feb. 19. Four-day race weeks resume on Mar. 7.

The 16-day Aqueduct spring meet will run from Thursday, Apr. 4 through Sunday, Apr. 28. The NYRA circuit will then remain at Aqueduct for the 31-day Belmont at the Big A spring/summer meet, which will open on Thursday, May 2 and continue through Sunday, July 7. Racing will be conducted Thursday-Sunday throughout the spring/summer with the exception of a Memorial Day program on Monday, May 27.

The 40-day summer meet at Saratoga Race Course will open on Thursday, July 11 and continue through Labor Day, Sept. 2. Following the four-day opening weekend, live racing will be conducted Wednesday-Sunday with the exception of closing week, which will conclude on Labor Day, Sept. 2.

The NYRA circuit will then return downstate for the 31-day Belmont at the Big A fall meet, which will open on Friday, Sept. 13 and continue through Sunday, Nov. 3. Apart from the opening weekend, racing will be conducted Thursday-Sunday throughout the Belmont at the Big A fall meet.

The year will conclude with a 26-day fall meet at Aqueduct Racetrack, which will open on Thursday, Nov. 7 and continue through Sunday, Dec. 29. Apart from closing week, live racing will be conducted Thursday-Sunday throughout the Aqueduct fall meet.

Click here for the complete calendar.

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Champion 2-year-old male Classic Empire (Pioneerof the Nile) was purchased by the Korea Racing Authority and arrived Dec. 18 to continue his stud career for the 2024 breeding season, as first reported by The Paulick Report and confirmed by Ashford Stud.

The 9-year-old stood at the farm in Versailles, Kentucky, where he was shuttled to Chile on multiple occasions. As of 2023, his oldest foals are 4-year-olds, and his progeny have won 113 races with earnings of more than $13.5 million.

Angel of Empire is his most successful offspring, who won this year's GII Risen Star S. and like his sire, the GI Arkansas Derby. Serving as the favorite in the Kentucky Derby, the colt finished third. Classic Empire is also the sire of GISP Interstatedaydream, GSW Morello and GSW Classy Edition.

Bred in Kentucky by Steven and Brandi Nicholson and campaigned by John Oxley, Classic Empire won five of nine starts and earned $2,520,220. Named champion 2-year-old male, the Mark Casse trainee won the GIII Bashford Manor S., the GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity and the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile.

At three, Classic Empire finished fourth in the 2017 Derby and was runner-up to Cloud Computing (Maclean's Music) in the GI Preakness S. After an abscess was discovered in his right front hoof, he was sidelined for the GI Belmont S. and never raced again.

Classic Empire joins GISW West Will Power (Bernardini) among U.S.-based newcomers to Korea for next season.

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