Thoroughbred Daily News

Canadian Hall of Fame trainer Mike Doyle has passed away at his winter home in Florida, according to a Woodbine entertainment press release Thursday. He was 74.

“On behalf of everyone at Woodbine Entertainment, I want to extend our heartfelt condolences to Mike's family, his friends, and the entire Woodbine racing community,” said Michael Copeland, CEO, Woodbine Entertainment. “Our sport is built on the strength of the people who dedicate their lives to it, and Mike's contributions to Woodbine racing throughout his career were significant. His accomplishments speak for themselves, and his unwavering passion for horse racing was evident to all who worked with him. Mike has been an important part of our community for many years, and he will be profoundly missed.”

Born in Dublin, Ireland, Mike Doyle seemed destined for a life with horses. At an early age, he became well-versed in numerous equine disciplines, including breaking and training jumpers and racehorses while still attending school.

Doyle eventually moved to Canada, first finding work with Gardiner Farms before joining Woodbine trainer Jim Bentley.

In 1978, Doyle took the reins as trainer for George Frostad's Bo-Teek Stable and saddled his first winner that same year.

Six years later, acting on behalf of Eaton Hall Farm, Doyle purchased the filly Bessarabian, by Ontario stallion Vice Regent, for $122,000 from a friend in Ocala, Florida. Bessarabian's outstanding performances helped Doyle earn the Sovereign Award for Outstanding Trainer in 1984.

Doyle trained numerous stars throughout his decorated career, including 1989 Canadian Oaks winner Blondeinamotel, Wavering Girl, and Wild Gale, whom he campaigned through the 1993 U.S. Triple Crown, finishing third in both the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont Stakes.

In 1994, he was part of the team that won the Queen's Plate with Basqueian, trained by Daniel Vella.

Doyle returned full-time to the training ranks in 1997 and went on to enjoy numerous successes with longtime assistant Brent Harris– who began working with Doyle in 2000–at his side.

One of those moments came on Oct. 25, 2014, when Doyle recorded his 1,000th career win with Evangeline's Hope at Woodbine.

In August of this year, Doyle–who worked for some of racing's most notable owners–was officially inducted into the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame.

In all, Doyle concluded his career with 1,178 wins, including 29 stakes victories, and $44,219,047 in purse earnings.

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Gary Stevens, the retired Hall of Fame jockey turned jockey agent, said he has purchased a home near Oaklawn previously owned by the late Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas and his wife, Laurie, the track said via a press release on Wednesday.

“Laurie wanted me to have it,” Stevens said. “She said she had some other offers and she said: 'You need to be in that house.' She made it happen.”

Stevens said the house is more than 80 years old, adding it's “very homey, very warm.” Lukas had made Oaklawn his winter base since 2007, eventually purchasing a home in Hot Springs. He died June 28 at the age of 89.

“We flew in on his jet, landed here in Hot Springs, and dropped me off early in the morning, 7:30, 8 o'clock, right on Central, right in front of the grandstand,” said Stevens, then a rising star in Southern California. “I thought, 'holy cow!' The track's sitting right on the main street. I'd never seen anything like it. We got out of this Lincoln Town Car and opened up the trunk. Wayne handed me my tack bag, and he said, 'Do you like traveling like this?' I said: 'I love it.' He said: 'If you win today, get used to it.'”

Stevens, as an agent, was an early morning fixture at the Royal Glint barn, Lukas' longtime Oaklawn home. Lukas was Oaklawn's leading trainer in 1987 and 2011 and is its eighth-winningest trainer in history with 384 victories.

“They'll never be another one like him,” Stevens said. “He changed the game. He was the first one to start flying horses around. Everybody thought he was nuts having this satellite training, multiple horses at multiple racetracks. He wasn't afraid to fly in and out. Now, everybody does it.”
Stevens said he will represent newcomer Eswan Flores, Travis Wales and apprentice Amanda Poston during Oaklawn's 64-day split season that begins Dec. 12.

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Fasig-Tipton has catalogued 690 entries for its December Digital Sale which opened for bidding Thursday. The sale will close on two separate days beginning at 12 p.m. with hips 1-349, including horses of racing age, racing/broodmare prospects, broodmare prospects, stallion prospects, weanlings and yearlings closing on Tuesday, Dec. 9 and hips 350-690, to include broodmares and stallion seasons, wrapping up Wednesday, Dec. 10. The catalogue features over 150 horses of racing age, 320 broodmares including mares in foal to 113 different stallions, 10 offerings from the Estate of Larry Johnson (selling without reserve), 60 weanlings, 50 yearlings and four stallion seasons.

“This is the largest digital Thoroughbred sale ever conducted, and we are tremendously grateful to our sellers for supporting the December sale with such outstanding numbers,” said Leif Aaron, Fasig-Tipton Director of Digital Sales. “This catalogue features more than 150 horses of racing age–eligible for a wide range of conditions–as well as over 320 broodmares in foal to an impressive 113 different sires. It's the final opportunity for buyers to enhance their racing or breeding programs in 2025.”

Catalogue standouts include:

Wild Bout Hilary (Midnight Lute) (hip 6): 4-year-old who won this year's GIII Bayakoa Stakes at Oaklawn and is a multiple stakes winner of nearly $400,000. She is consigned as a racing/broodmare prospect by Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent.

Catmint (Kitten's Joy) (hip 10): multiple winner and a half-sister to a pair of Grade I winners from this past weekend at Del Mar: Salamis (Speightstown), winner of the GI Hollywood Derby and Segesta (Ghostzapper), winner of the GI Matriarch Stakes.

Purchased by R. Townsend Sparks for just $40,000 at Keeneland November in 2023 before either of her illustrious half-siblings had even broken their maidens, the 5-year-old Catmint raced 19 times, winning three of those starts. She is bred out of a Grade I-winning First Defence mare in Antonoe who captured the GI Longines Just a Game Stakes in North America and took the G3 Prix d'Aumale in France as well.

“We could not have asked for better timing,” said Keith Crupper, who consigns Catmint as a broodmare prospect through his Crupper Bloodstock. “She was ready to move on [to her next career] and [owner] Townsend likes to race.”

When the entries for both the Hollywood Derby and the Matriarch were announced, Crupper figured the mare might have a nice update in the works.

“We were pretty confident on them both,” he said. “Her sister [Segesta] had just gotten beat in a Grade I [second by a neck in the GI First lady Stakes at Keeneland Oct. 4]. She went off favored Saturday and won decisively. Her brother [Salamis] was a little more of a surprise but I'm a big Chad Brown fan and he can get them done.”

And while Crupper will have to wait a few more days for a final sales price with bidding open through Dec. 9, he was confident the mare would bring a fair price.

“We're beyond optimistic,” he said. “We've not found anyone that can confirm if there's ever been a mare to have two Grade I siblings on back-to-back days. She's got a nice pedigree and, if she doesn't [sell well], someone will need to bring me some oxygen!”

Crupper will be joined in Lexington Tuesday by Sparks who admitted that the whole occasion had him “like a kid in a candy shop.”

“Racing is up and down but the last three weeks have been incredible,” Sparks, who is based in southeast Missouri, said. “And then this comes up. She's done everything you could ask of her. She was a nice looking mare with a good-looking pedigree when I bought her [at KEENOV '23]. Nothing like she's got now! I just don't know what to do. It's going to be incredibly exciting.”

Liberal Arts (Arrogate) (hip 22): 4-year-old graded stakes winner and multiple stakes winner of nearly $600,000. He is one of only two graded stakes winning juvenile colts ever sired by Arrogate, and from the immediate family of Grade I winner and sire City of Light. Consigned as a horse of racing age by Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent.

Treadstone (Tapit) (hip 34): 2-year-old colt overcame a wide trip to win his debut at Aqueduct on November 23 going one mile on dirt. He is a half-brother to two GIII UAE Oaks  winners in Polar River (Congrats) and Down On Da Bayou (Super Saver). Consigned as a horse of racing age by Gainesway, agent.

Musical Rhapsody (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}) (hip 35): Stakes-winning and graded stakes placed 6-year-old. Consigned as a racing/broodmare prospect by ELiTE, agent.

Ready to Dial (Dialed In) (hip 40): 2-year-old filly is undefeated in two starts this year at two, including a victory in the Blue Mountain Stales at Penn National Nov. 26. She is a half-sister to multiple graded stakes winner Joey Freshwater (Jimmy Creed). Consigned as a racing/broodmare prospect by Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent.

Vehemente (Vekoma) (hip 41): 3-year-old filly by Vekoma won this year's Fleet Indian Stakes at Saratoga. She is from the immediate family of Grade I winner Military (Danzig). Consigned as a racing/broodmare prospect by Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent.

Tour Player (American Pharoh) (hip 42): 4-year-old is undefeated in three starts this year, including an allowance win at Churchill Downs Nov. 30. Consigned as a horse of racing age by Bob Baffert, agent for Natalie J. Baffert.

A Must See (Catholic Boy) (hip 352): A 4-year-old half-sister to multiple Grade I-winning millionaire Miss Temple City (Temple City) and graded stakes winner Priced to Perfection (Temple City). Offered carrying her first foal by champion Forte. Consigned by VanMeter Sales, agent.

Rock On Layla (More Than Ready) (hip 645): A 4-year-old half-sister to Magnitude (Not This Time), winner of last weekend's GII Clark Stakes as well as this year's GII Fasig-Tipton Risen Star Stakes. Her second dam is multiple Grade I-winning millionaire Octave. Offered as a broodmare by Harris Farms Inc.

Also on offer in the December Digital Sale are four stallion seasons to benefit the Kansas Thoroughbred Association, which recently announced that Thoroughbred racing will return to the state in 2026. These seasons are to stallions Dialed In, Flameaway, Flat Out, and Rich Strike and are catalogued as hips 401-405.

Click here to view the entire catalogue, create an account or register to bid for the December Digital Sale.

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Ironhorse Stallions is welcoming New York breeders to an open house at its new location in Schuylerville on Dec. 13 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The operation is home to Bucchero, sire of multiple Grade I winner Book'em Danno and multiple graded stakes winner Queen Maxima.

Ironhorse Stallions is located at 125 Sherman Lane in Schuylerville, New York/ Visitors are instructed to enter the farm at the intersection of Sherman and Stonebridge Road.

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Brotha Keny (Mo Town) parlayed a recent stakes victory into a record-sized payday for his connections on Wednesday during the Inglis Digital USA December sale with his $550,000 hammer price being the highest in the online auction platform's history and propelling a top overall gross of $869,250, the company said in a press release late on Wednesday.

The 3-year-old gelding sold to Meah/Lloyd Bloodstock, as agent for Michael and Jules Iavarone, TCC Stables and Morplay Racing.

Brotha Keny entered the December sale off a victory in the Zia Park Derby just eight days earlier, swinging wide and charging down the stretch to win by a half-length for trainer William Morey and owners Lance and Steve Kinross.

“This is the type of horse you dream of owning, and they don't show up on the open market very often, so fair play goes out to Inglis Digital USA for recruiting him,” David Meah said. “He's been a model of consistency this year ever since he got back on the dirt. Numbers don't lie, and his are trending in a very positive direction.”

Over the summer, Brotha Keny won the Bourbon Flight Stakes at Churchill Downs Sept. 20, and finished in-the-money in the GIII Indiana Derby and GIII West Virginia Derby. In total, he has won four of 13 starts and earned $499,528.

“His last three races have been huge performances, even the loss at Keeneland in an allowance was a big run,” Meah added.

“Then, he came back to win the Zia Park Derby with a dominant performance. He's only three, and has an entire career ahead of him. We are all thrilled, especially Jose D'Angelo, who will be the man taking over the training of him now.”

Bred in Kentucky by Terrazas Thoroughbreds, Brotha Keny is out of the placed Northern Afleet mare Raramuri Princess, whose nine foals are all winners, also including stakes winner Concealed Carry (Competitive Edge). Eastern Sand (Line in the Sand), a Grade III winner, can be found in his extended family.

Paramount Sales consigned Brotha Kenny, as agent, and he was made available for inspection at Morey's barn at Turfway Park.

“It's great when a plan comes together,” said Paddy Campion of Paramount Sales. “Mr. Kinross and I spoke before the Zia Park Derby about Brotha Keny as a sales prospect. A few days later the horse kept up his side of the bargain, winning that race and now today in the sales ring. The timing could not have been better. Inglis made the process an easy one when there were many last-minute details to sort out.

“Kudos to Bill Morey, who managed the horses's career masterfully,” he said. “He was bought by a great judge in David Meah, and we wish the best of luck to Mike, Jules, TTC Stables, and Morplay Racing.”

Wednesday's highest-priced broodmare was Sea Rocket, who sold to Tropical Racing for $65,000.

Dornoch | Sara Gordon

The 4-year-old daughter of Into Mischief is a half-sister to recently-retired MGSW Royal Spa (Violence), and she hails from the family of GISW Sippican Harbor (Orb) and Japanese multiple stakes winner Awesome Result (Justify). She was offered carrying a foal from the debut crop of GI Belmont Stakes hero Dornoch (Good Magic).

Sea Rocket was offered by Norrevale Farm, and she made available for inspection at the operation's Lexington, Kentucky, base.

In total, Wednesday's auction finished with 48 horses sold and that record gross of $869,250.

With the largest catalogue ever, offerings were made available locally to buyers and sellers, and inspection sites included Arkansas, California, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, New York, Oklahoma and Pennsylvania.

Inglis Digital USA continued to attract a diverse selection of customers, with 40 different buyers on the horses that changed hands Wednesday.

“What a great way to end the year, with a record sale for Inglis Digital USA,” said Inglis Digital USA CEO Kyle Wilson. “We've grown a lot this year, and we owe it all to our customers. We appreciate everyone who did business with us in 2025.”

Offerings that finished under their reserves on Wednesday are still available to purchase on the Inglis Digital USA website. Visit the site's catalogue page and click on “make an offer” next to the available horses.

Entries are now open for the Inglis Digital USA 2026 February sale, and they will be taken through Monday, Jan. 26. The catalogue will be released on Friday, Jan. 30, and bidding will close on Wednesday, Feb. 4.

Click here to enter a horse for the January sale, register as a bidder or make a bid on an RNA horse from the December sale.

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Rocket Can (Into Mischief–Tension, by Tapit), a dual Grade III winner, will stand in Uruguay for the 2026 Southern Hemisphere breeding season through a partnership between Haras Los Robles and Haras San Miguel Queguay, according to an article first published in Turf Dario on Tuesday, Dec. 2.

Set to reside at Haras San Miguel Queguay, Rocket Can was bred by Woodford Thoroughbreds LLC, campaigned by Frank Fletcher and trained by Bill Mott. The current 5-year-old started 16 times, won four races and earned $619,393, according to Equibase.

The gray captured the GIII Holy Bull Stakes and was the runner-up in the GII Fountain of Youth Stakes–both at Gulfstream Park. After finishing fourth in the GI Arkansas Derby, Rocket Can was ninth in the GI Kentucky Derby. The Mott trainee's second graded score came in the GIII Harlan's Holiday Stakes in Hallandale late in his 4-year-old season.

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One of the most significant collections of American Thoroughbred racing trophies in the sport's history–the Whitney family collection–has been bequeathed to the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame by the late John Hendrickson, the institution's former chairman who unexpectedly passed away in August 2024, according to a press release from the repository on Wednesday.

The collection is comprised of more than 400 trophies– including eight Triple Crown race trophies won by Whitney family-owned runners–as well as numerous prizes commemorating important victories by Hall of Fame inductees Equipoise, Regret, Silver Spoon, Top Flight, and Whisk Broom II.

The collection includes trophies won by horses owned by William Collins Whitney, Harry Payne Whitney, Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney, and Marylou Whitney, who was Hendrickson's late wife.

“The Whitney family's legacy in American racing spans more than 125 years and is nothing short of exceptional,” said Charlotte Weber, the museum's chair. “The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame is honored to receive such an important collection that represents the grand history of a wonderful family's unwavering multi-generational commitment to Thoroughbred racing and their remarkable achievements in the game. We look forward to being a steward of this wonderful gift and sharing these historic treasures with the public.”

The oldest item in the collection is the 1899 Belmont Stakes trophy, which was won by Jean Bereaud in track-record time at Morris Park for William Collins Whitney, the patriarch of the Whitney racing dynasty. Four additional Belmont Stakes trophies won by Burgomaster (1906), Phalanx (1947), Counterpoint (1951), and Birdstone (Grindstone) (2004) are also part of the donation.

The Whitney gift features the Kentucky Derby trophies won by Regret (1915) and Whiskery (1927). Hall of Famer Regret became the first of three fillies to win the Run for the Roses, prompting the Louisville Courier-Journal to report: ” … never shall we forget her gorgeous appearance on that memorable afternoon in May at Churchill Downs as she was led around the paddock before the race and later, when, with colors up, she stepped out on the course looking every inch a queen … receiving an ovation of which even royalty might well have been proud. Peerless Regret she was hailed and peerless she undoubtedly was, and from this day, she must be thought of with this descriptive adjective affixed.”

The Harry Payne Whitney-owned Broomspun (1921), Bostonian (1927), and Victorian (1928) each won the Preakness during the 1920s, and those victories are recognized in a singular Woodlawn Vase trophy honoring the three horses.

Regret's 1914 Saratoga Special trophy | courtesy of the NMRHOF

Other highlights include Ashland Stakes trophies won by You All (1971) and Sun and Snow (1975); Blue Grass Stakes trophies won by Mr. Trouble (1950) and Tompion (1960); Futurity Stakes trophies won by Top Flight (1931) and First Flight (1946); Jockey Club Gold Cup trophies won by Phalanx (1947) and Counterpoint (1951); Kentucky Oaks trophies won by Bug Brush (1958), Bag of Tunes (1973), Sun and Snow (1975), and Bird Town (2003); Santa Anita Derby trophies won by Silver Spoon (1959) and Tompion (1960); Santa Margarita Stakes trophies won by Monsoon (1947), Bug Brush (1959), and Silver Spoon (1960); Saratoga Special trophies won by Regret (1914), Goshawk (1922), Whichone (1929), Red Rain (1935), and Banquet Table (1976); Travers Stakes trophies won by Fisherman (1954), Tompion (1960), Chompion (1968), and Birdstone (2004).

The donation also includes the Metropolitan, Brooklyn, and Suburban handicap trophies won by Whisk Broom II in 1913, when he became the first horse to sweep the New York Handicap Triple Crown. After completing the sweep of the series under 139 pounds in the Suburban, the Thoroughbred Record said of Whisk Broom II: “It was a test of speed, courage, and stamina, and he answered each of the questions. … He was a master of his company.”

Selections from the Whitney trophy collection will be on display in the Museum's McBean Gallery through Dec. 28. A formal exhibition of the collection will be presented in 2027, coinciding with the 100th running of the GI Whitney Stakes at Saratoga Race Course.

Whitney family trophy collection selected highlights:

• Kentucky Derby–1915, 1927
• Preakness Stakes–1921, 1927, 1928 (single trophy)
• Belmont Stakes–1899, 1906, 1947, 1951, 2004
• Ashland Stakes–1971, 1975
• Blue Grass Stakes–1950, 1960
• Futurity Stakes–1931, 1946
• Jockey Club Gold Cup–1947, 1951
• Kentucky Oaks–1958, 1973, 1975, 2003
• Santa Anita Derby–1959, 1960
• Santa Margarita Stakes–1947, 1959, 1960
• Saratoga Special Stakes–1914, 1922, 1929, 1935, 1976
• Travers Stakes–1954, 1960, 1968, 2004

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The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) had added one day of live racing on Wednesday, Dec. 10 as part of the fall meet at Aqueduct Racetrack, the organization said via a Wednesday release.

Following the cancellation of live racing after the completion of the first race on Sunday, Nov. 30, NYRA, the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association (NYTHA) and New York Thoroughbred Breeders, Inc. (NYTB) requested and have received formal approval from the New York State Gaming Commission to conduct live racing Dec. 10.

Entries for the card will be taken on Thursday, Dec. 4.

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The FanDuel Racing Turf Festival concludes Sunday afternoon with a trio of graded events at Del Mar, topped by an intriguing renewal of the GI Matriarch Stakes over a mile.

Ag Bullet (Twirling Candy) made the majority of the running in this event 12 months ago, yielding grudgingly to finish a length behind Sacred Wish (Not This Time) in third. That effort came on the back of a near-miss third in the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint, and the grey is arguably in the same sort of form, having run home gamely to round out a female exacta underneath 'TDN Rising Star' presented by Hagyard Shisospicy (Mitole) in this year's Turf Sprint 29 days ago. Her connections turned down $2.9 million at the Fasig-Tipton November Sale earlier this month and the 3-1 morning-line choice breaches the $3-million threshold in earnings with at least a runner-up effort here.

Segesta (Ghostzapper) has twice gone within a length of Grade I glory, missing by three-parts of a length in the 2024 Belmont Oaks over 9 1/2 furlongs and failing by just a neck when last seen in Keeneland's First Lady Stakes over this trip on Oct. 4. Chad Brown has unsaddled the Matriarch winner six times in the last eight runnings, while Juddmonte Farm runners have prevailed on no fewer than seven occasions, including the Brown-conditioned Viadera (GB) (Bated Breath {GB}) in 2022.

“She's a very consistent horse, “Brown said. “We've always thought she was top class and capable of winning a Grade I. She's been knocking on the door a bit. We're just looking for the right set up for her to get that Grade I under her belt. It looks to be a fair opportunity to do it.”

Vibez (Collected) hasn't had the best luck at the draw of late, finishing a half-length second in a local allowance from gate 10 of 10 July 31 and overcoming the 11 hole in a field of 12 and a wide passage to win the Oct. 13 Swingtime Stakes at Santa Anita. The last time the dark bay drew a favorable gate, she easily handled easier by better than three lengths here on Aug. 30 and she has the benefit of the four Sunday afternoon.

The first of the afternoon's features is the GIII Cecil B. DeMille Stakes, headed by the class-dropping Hey Nay Nay (Ire) (No Nay Never). A highly impressive winner of the five-furlong Tyro Stakes at Monmouth in August and of the GIII Del Mar Juvenile Turf over track and distance Sept. 7, the dark bay was the distant second betting choice in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Oct. 31, but overraced through the early stages and weakened out to finish 10th. He'll be sent from the widest alley in this field of seven, but there is stretchout speed inside of him.

Iriseach (Ire) (Ubettabelieveit {Ire}) has a puncher's chance as he looks to remain perfect going long. An even fourth in a six-furlong maiden at Santa Anita Oct. 12, he sat a good inside trip when tried over a mile in Arcadia Oct. 30 and game running late to cause an 18-1 upset. The race shape could flatter a runner with a come-from-behind profile.

Hope Road (Quality Road) is difficult to oppose in Sunday's GIII Bayakoa Stakes, a race she won by a half-length at 30 cents on the dollar last season. A repeat of that performance by this year's GI Ballerina Stakes heroine likely wins this, but it is fair to question whether the mile is her best gig and she was more than a little disappointing when a well-beaten third as the 11-10 pick in the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint Nov. 1.

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For the Ladies (f, 2, Upstart–Lovely Marissa, by Proud Citizen) served as the favorite on debut during the Belmont At The Big A meet Oct. 5 and missed by a nose.

The 6-5 choice here fired out of the rail gate and immediately set the tone up the backstretch. Making every pole a winning one through the far turn, the filly poured on the speed entering the lane and ran up the score to graduate by 7 1/4 lengths over It's Carol's Way (McKinzie).

A half-sister to SW Nasty, (Street Sense), the winner's dam is responsible for a weanling colt by Dialed In and she was bred to Kingsbarns for next term.

1st-Aqueduct, $79,050, Msw, 11-29, 2yo, f, 6f, 1:10.98, ft, 7 1/4 lengths.
FOR THE LADIES (f, 2, Upstart–Lovely Marissa, by Proud Citizen)
Sales History: $60,000 Ylg '24 OBSOCT; $125,000 2yo '25 OBSAPR. Lifetime Record: 2-1-1-0, $63,750. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
O-StarLadies Racing and Adelphi Racing Club; B-Heart's Desire Farm LLC (KY); T-Thomas Morley.

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Having already conquered trips of 1200 meters and 1400 meters on the dirt, owner Hajime Satomi's immaculately bred Satono Voyage (Jpn) (Into Mischief) successfully negotiated a stretchout to the metric mile and reported home a comfortable 1 1/2-length winner of Saturday's $194,621 Cattleya Stakes, good for 10 points on the Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby. The 1600-meter contest is run under allowance conditions around a left-handed bend at Tokyo Racecourse.

The son of Brazilian Horse of the Year and three-times North American graded winner Jolie Olimpica (Brz) (Drosselmeyer) had annexed those two previous tries on the main track by some 15 combined lengths and the betting public sent him off as the $1.70 (7-10) favorite in a field that also included $1-million OBS March grad Magna Victor (Maxfield), named a 'TDN Rising Star' presented by Hagyard off a nine-length debut score in September, and Arcadia Cafe (Into Mischief), a half-brother to Tokyo stakes winners champion Cafe Pharoah (American Pharoah) and Luxor Cafe (American Pharoah).

Off to an uneventful beginning from gate four, Satono Voyage was ridden positively by Keita Tosaki and was an inside third chasing a moderate early tempo before easing off the inside and into the clear with 1000 meters to travel.

Allowed to creep into contention three deep with about three furlongs to race, the bay colt was held together into the long Tokyo straight and traveled strongly as Magna Victor and Arcadia Cafe came with challenges outside and inside, respectively. Magna Victor was soon hard at it and retreated, and Satono Voyage put away Arcadia Cafe inside the final furlong before staying on nicely for the victory.

Don Erectus (Jpn) (Danon Legend), the 132-1 second roughest chance in the field of 12, covered his final 600 meters in a race-fastest :36.4 to finish second. The winner was home in a respectable :37.1, while Magna Victor, the 3-2 second choice, was beaten 11 lengths into ninth.

Just 39 years of age, Hiroyasu Tanaka knows how to train a top horse on the main track, having helped orchestrate the career of two-time G1 Champions Cup hero and dual Japanese champion dirt horse Lemon Pop (Lemon Drop Kid), who took this event in 2020 at his second career start. He clearly relishes what might lie ahead for Satono Voyage.

“The Kentucky Derby is of course one of the most prestigious races that this quality of horse can target, but it's not easy to say at this point whether we will target the Kentucky Derby,” Tanaka said in an impromptu post-race press conference, attended by TDN's Emma Berry on-site in Tokyo. “Before this race I was thinking about the [Feb. 14 G3] Saudi Derby if he ran well here. I will talk to the jockey after this and see what he thinks, but it is one of the options.”

Asked if he would consider the G2 UAE Derby (1900m) to earn extra points towards Kentucky, Tanaka replied, “I just want to concentrate on the next race, which might be the Saudi Derby.”

Among Tanaka's other stable stars is Rousham Park (Jpn) (Harbinger {GB}), a neck second to Rebel's Romance (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) in the 2024 GI Breeders' Cup Turf, and the trainer admits that Japan's success on American soil has fed his desire to travel one over.

“Forever Young's great performance has certainly encouraged us, and me, to send horses overseas, including America,” he said, referring to this year's GI Breeders' Cup Classic.

“This horse has a lot of potential and I am personally very happy to be able to train a horse of this caliber. He's by Into Mischief, whose crops do very well in the United States, and I think he has a good chance to perform well in the U.S. as well.

“Going into a race with two turns will be one of the tasks for him because he hasn't raced over that distance so I would like to be able to condition him to handle two turns. I've been training top dirt horses in my stable so my next aim is to get my first win in an overseas Grade I race.”

Jolie Olimpica, also a Sovereign Award winner, was purchased by Shimokobe Farm for $675,000 carrying a full-brother to Satono Voyage at the 2021 Fasig-Tipton November Sale, and the mare was bred back to the Spendthrift stallion prior to her export to Japan, where she foaled Satono Voyage on Apr. 3, 2023.

Breeders' Cup Classic-winning broodmare sire Drosselmeyer is a son of Distorted Humor, and the cross of Into Mischief over mares going back to the latter's sire Forty Niner has been sensationally productive, accounting for the likes of Grade I winners Life Is Good, Goldencents, Practical Joke, Citizen Bull, the recently retired Patch Adams and Tappan Street.

Jolie Olimpica did not produce a foal to the cover of Contrail (Jpn) in 2024 and is responsible for a weanling colt by Horse of the Year Equinox (Jpn).

The Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby continues with the Zen-Nippon Nisai Yushun (1600m around two turns) at Kawasaki Dec. 17 (20-10-6-4-2), the Listed Hyacinth Stakes back at Tokyo on Feb. 2, 2026 (30-15-9-6-3) and the Fukuryu Stakes (allowance) over 1800 meters at Nakayama Mar. 28, 2026 (40-20-12-8-4).

Saturday's Results:
CATTLEYA S. (Allowance), ¥30,400,000 ($194,621), Tokyo, 11-29, 3yo, 1600m, 1:37.4, ft.
1–SATONO VOYAGE (JPN), 126, c, 2, Into Mischief–Jolie Olimpica (Brz), by Drosselmeyer. O-Hajime Satomi; B-Shimokobe Farm; T-Hiroyasu Tanaka; J-Keita Tosaki; ¥16,000,000. Lifetime Record: 4-3-1-0, $235,800.
2–Don Erectus (Jpn), 123, c, 2, Danon Legend–Dona Primo (Jpn), by Furioso (Jpn). O/B-Koichi Yamada; T-Noboru Takagi; J-Akira Sugawara; ¥6,400,000.
3–Arcadia Cafe, 123, c, 2, Into Mischief–Mary's Follies, by More Than Ready. ($550,000 Ylg '24 KEESEP). O-Koichi Nishikawa; B-Orpendale/Chelston/Wynatt & Westerberg Ireland ULC; T-Noriyuki Hori; J-Damian Lane; ¥4,000,000.
Margins: 1HF, HF, 1 1/4. Odds: 0.70, 132.20, 8.70.

The post Derby ‘Voyage’ Commences In Cattleya Stakes appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

On a day many gathered with friends and family to reflect on the good fortune and blessings in their lives, AEOLIAN (f, 3, Tapit–Danzatrice {MSW & GSP, $312,145}, by Dunkirk) gave her connections a Thanksgiving Day thrill in the eighth race at Churchill Downs.

The grey bobbled at the break in her unveiling Aug. 31 at Saratoga, and was a well-beaten fifth against those maidens. She returned last out Oct. 17 at Keeneland, got an extra sixteenth of a mile to work with, and ran a much-improved second to be beaten by a nose in the shadow of the wire by a 12-1 longshot.

Brushing with Delicious Diva (Hard Spun) on their way out of the gate here, Aeolian watched the race unfold from midpack as the frontrunner cruised through fractions of :23.53 and a half in :46.65 with pressure coming at her from all sides. The grey was rolling from the four path as the complexion up front changed around the bend, and Glamorama (Justify) briefly held the lead as they swung into the lane, but it was short-lived. Collaring that one in upper stretch, Aeolian drew off to win by six lengths.

A full-sister to 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' Tapit Trice, GISW, $1,873,650, the victress is the most recent full-sibling to the races for dam Danzatrice. All three of her Tapits–Aeolian, Tapit Trice, and Danzit–have all gotten their picture taken and the aforementioned eldest brother is her lone elite-level runner. The mare, a half-sister to champion juvenile filly MGISW Jaywalk (Cross Traffic),  has a fourth Tapit, a yearling, and a 2025 weanling by Not This Time. She returned to the breed-shaping stallion for a fifth cover for 2026. One of Danzatrice's half-sisters is the mother of SW Jupiter (Upstart) while a second claims SP Abdul (Tapit).

8th-Churchill Downs, $120,000, Msw, 11-27, 3yo/up, f/m, 1m, 1:36.62, ft, 6 lengths.
AEOLIAN (f, 3, Tapit–Danzatrice {MSW & GSP, $312,145}, by Dunkirk) Lifetime Record: 3-1-1-0, $94,750. O-Gainesway Stable (Antony Beck); B-Gainesway Thoroughbreds LTD. (KY); T-Chad C. Brown. *Full to Tapit Trice, GISW, $1,873,650. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

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Inglis Digital USA has attracted a record-sized catalogue for its 2025 December sale, led by the multiple Grade 3-placed Brotha Keny (Mo Town), who enters the auction off a victory in the Zia Park Derby Nov. 25, according to a press release on Friday from the online auction company.

Bidding is now open for the 79-horse sale, and the first lot will close Wednesday, Dec. 3 at 2 p.m. Eastern, with subsequent listings hammering in three-minute increments. The auction offers horses available for inspection in eight different states, giving buyers a local option to shop and buy all over the map.

The December catalogue is highlighted by Brotha Keny, a 3-year-old gelding whose steady climb up the ladder has led him to become a Grade 3-placed multiple stakes winner, with room to keep climbing at age four.

Trained by William Morey for owners Lance and Steve Kinross, Brotha Keny has won two of his last three starts, first taking the Bourbon Flight Stakes Sept. 20 at Churchill Downs, and most recently shipping west to Zia Park, where he swung wide and charged down the stretch to take the listed Zia Park Derby by a half-length.

Earlier this year, Brotha Keny showed his first flashes of upward mobility, finishing third in the GIII Indiana Derby and GIII West Virginia Derby. A versatile runner, the dark bay has won at distances from one mile to 1 3/16 miles, has already beaten older competition as a 3-year-old, and earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 93 in four of his last five starts, showing he is capable of competing at a high-level for a broad spectrum of buyers.

Brotha Keny is consigned by Paramount Sales, agent, and is available for inspection at Turfway Park.

Also included among the sale's racing prospects is New York-bred Share the Ludt, a stakes-placed runner who comes to the December sale off a hard-charging score in a 6 1/2-furlong allowance race at Aqueduct. He earned a 77 Beyer Speed Figure for winning the Nov. 15 race.

It was the second career win for the 3-year-old Catalina Cruiser colt, who graduated in May of this year in an Aqueduct maiden special weight by six lengths. He has already made an impact on the lucrative New York-bred stakes calendar as a 2-year-old, finishing second in last year's New York Breeders' Futurity at Finger Lakes.

Share the Ludt is offered by New York-based Melanie Giddings, who owns and trains the colt.

Breeders looking to expand their broodmare band will find plenty of quality options in the December catalog, including Mo Pro, a 6-year-old Uncle Mo mare who is offered in-foal to the red-hot young sire Vekoma, and believed to be carrying a colt.

Consigned by Small Batch Sales, agent, Mo Pro comes from a page rich with black type, as a half-sister to SW Oscar Eclipse (Oscar Performance) and Grade II-placed Malibu Curl (Curlin). Her extended family adds further stakes success with Grade I winner A.P. Indian (Indian Charlie) and Grade II winner Tiz Shea D (Tiznow).

Sea Rocket, a 4-year-old daughter of Into Mischief carries a foal from the debut crop of GI Belmont Stakes winner Dornoch. Consigned by Norevale Farm, Sea Rocket is a half-sister to just-retired MGSW Royal Spa (Violence), and she hails from the family of Grade I winner Sippican Harbor (Orb) and Japanese multiple stakes winner Awesome Result (Justify).

Clicquot | Sarah Andrew

Erna, a winning 5-year-old Curlin mare, is offered in-foal to another debuting stallion in Grade I winner Arabian Knight. She has recent graded black-type on her page, in 2025 GI Cotillion Stakes winner Clicquot (Quality Road), along with Grade I winner and black-type producer Magnificent Song (Unbridled's Song). She is offered by Consign Ltd., agent.

Other mares in the catalog are pregnant to stallions including Bolden, Cairo Prince, Cyberknife, Flameaway, Flat Out, Greatest Honour, Irish War Cry, Known Agenda, Mr. Jagermeister, Oxbow, Proxy, Sacred Life, and Speaker's Corner.

Those shopping for the long-term will find yearlings sired by Basin, By My Standards, Central Banker, Coal Front, Free Drop Billy, Heart to Heart, Holiday Promise, Omaha Beach, Rock Your World, Tapiture, Thousand Words, and War Dancer. Stallions with weanlings in the catalogue include Americanrevolution, Country Grammer, Global Campaign, Kantharos, Modernist, Mucho Macho Man, Silver State, Tourist, and Union Rags.

“We're offering our biggest catalog to date, and I'm really proud of what we've put together,” said Inglis Digital USA CEO Kyle Wilson. “The quality is top-notch, and should suit any breeding or racing operation.”

Interested parties must register for an account on the Inglis Digital USA website and request a bidding limit in order to place bids.

Click here to view the catalogue and register to bid.

The post Zia Park Derby Winner Brotha Keny Leads Record-Sized Inglis Digital USA December Sale appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

The 2026 Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby kicks off Saturday afternoon with the running of the $196,541 Cattleya Stakes, an allowance race over the one-turn 1600-meter configuration at Tokyo Racecourse. And if the ante-post market is anything to go by, horses bred in and/or sourced out of American bloodstock markets should have a giant say in the outcome with the first Saturday in May just over five months away.

The cat was very much out of the bag when Magna Victor (Maxfield) made his first trip to the races in a 1400-meter newcomers event at Hanshin back on Sept. 6. A $75,000 Keeneland September yearling turned $1-million OBS March breezer, the son of the dual stakes-winning and Grade II-placed Eyeinthesky (Sky Mesa) was hammered into 1-10 favoritism and kicked away in the final 400 meters to graduate by some nine lengths (see below, SC 10), good for 'TDN Rising Star' presented by Hagyard honors. Leading rider Yuga Kawada was on board that afternoon and has a return call from gate seven for trainer Mitsu Nakauchida, an increasingly important presence at U.S. yearling and juvenile sales.

Satono Voyage (Jpn) (Into Mischief) carries the recognizable silks owner Hajime Satomi and looks to remain perfect in three tries since a debut effort on the grass this past June. A 10-length maiden winner over 1200 meters at Niigata Aug. 9, he easily accounted for allowance rivals by five lengths going the metric seven furlong at headquarters on Nov. 9. A son of the extremely talented Jolie Olimpica (Brz) (Drosselmeyer)–who was sold to Japanese interests for $675,000 at the 2021 Fasig-Tipton November Sale–Satono Voyage is the mount of Keita Tosaki and will break from the four hole.

東京第９レース #オキザリス賞 (２歳１勝クラス、ダート1400m)は #岩田望来 騎手騎乗の #サトノボヤージュ が６番手から抜け出し、マジッククッキーに５馬身差を付けました。
勝ちタイムは、コースレコードに０秒１差まで迫る１分23秒２、上り３ハロン36秒８(稍重馬場)。… pic.twitter.com/FjH0T9sEww

— 『優駿』編集部 (@YUSHUN_Magazine) November 9, 2025

A distant third choice in the wagering is Koichi Nishikawa's Arcadia Cafe (Into Mischief), a $550,000 Keeneland September yearling and a half-brother to the same owner's Cafe Pharoah (American Pharoah)–champion dirt horse in Japan and back-to-back winner of the G1 February Stakes over course and distance–and Luxor Cafe (American Pharoah), who took the third and fourth legs of the 2025 Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby. Narrowly beaten on debut, Arcadia Cafe graduated over the 1600 meters on a rain-affected Tokyo main track Nov. 1 (see below, SC 2) and once again has the services of Damian Lane. The progeny of Mary's Follies (More Than Ready)–also the dam of 'Rising Star' Eclipse Award winner Regal Glory (Animal Kingdom)–are a combined 8-8 going a mile on the Tokyo dirt track.

The post American-Bred, -Sired Juveniles Loom Large In Cattleya Stakes appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

The Jockey Club of Canada plans to offer a new Outstanding Western Canadian Backstretch Worker Award which will be presented for the first time at the upcoming 51st annual Sovereign Awards ceremony, the organization said in a release on Friday.

The new award will go along with the Outstanding Groom Award, which has been given in the past to a stablehand working in Ontario. The Backstretch Worker Award is open to those who hold a valid Thoroughbred license in the provinces of Alberta, British Columbia, and/or Manitoba.

Click here to submit nominations for all awards.

The post Backstretch Worker Commendation Added To Canadian Sovereign Awards appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Ain't she a beaut, Clark?

A fantastic field of nine, led by 3-1 morning-line favorite and G1 Dubai World Cup hero Hit Show (Candy Ride {Arg}), will line up for the GII Clark S. at Churchill Downs on Black Friday.

The Wathnan Racing colorbearer defeated last year's re-opposing Clark winner Rattle N Roll (Connect) by a length in the GIII Hagyard Fayette S. at Keeneland last out Oct. 25.

“We were really proud of Hit Show's effort in the Fayette,” trainer Brad Cox said. “He hasn't missed a beat since winning the Dubai World Cup. We're looking forward to another top effort in the Clark.”

Cox will also saddle 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' and Godolphin homebred First Mission (Street Sense), who fell just a nose short in the 2023 Clark. The MGSW was a disappointing fourth in the GI Goodwood S. at Santa Anita last time Sept. 27.

“The Clark is First Mission's final start before he retires to stud duty,” Cox said. “We expect him to bounce back on Friday.”

The field for the Clark also includes talented sophomores: GI Preakness S. runner-up and last-out Fayette third Gosger (Nyquist); runaway GII Fasig-Tipton Risen Star S. winner and GI Pennsylvania Derby runner-up Magnitude (Not This Time); and GIII West Virginia Derby winner Chunk of Gold (Preservationist).

After bringing $3.7 million from Dixiana Farm at Keeneland November, GI Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup S. heroine Lush Lips (GB) (Ten Sovereigns {Ire}) is the horse to beat in the GII Mrs. Revere S. on the undercard. Friday's graded stakes action also includes the GII Hollywood Turf Cup S. at Del Mar.

The GIII Falls City S., featuring GI Breeders' Cup Distaff third-place finisher Regaled (Mohaymen), anchors the 12-race Thanksgiving Day program at Churchill Downs.

The post Field of Nine Ready to Put on a ‘Show’ in Loaded Clark appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Kentucky's Turfway Park will honor legendary jockey Perry Ouzts Saturday, Dec. 6, with a dedication ceremony officially renaming the facility's jockey quarters the Perry Wayne Ouzts Jockeys' Quarters.

Ouzts, 71, has won 7,531 races in his career, ranking fifth all-time among North American jockeys behind Russell Baze (12,842), Laffit Pincay Jr. (9,530), Bill Shoemaker (8,833) and Pat Day (8,803). He also ranks seventh in the world in career victories and has ridden in a record 53,689 races. Ouzts is the all-time leading rider at Turfway Park and has won thousands of races in the Northern Kentucky/Ohio region.

All racing fans are welcome to attend the dedication, which will take place in the paddock prior to the first race that evening with members of the Ouzts family, fellow jockeys and representatives from Turfway Park in attendance.

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

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

Among this week's rulings, trainer Angel Sanchez-Pinero has been handed a two-year suspension and $10,000 fine after his trainee Gone Boy tested positive for the bronchodilator Albuterol (Salbutamol) after winning at Aqueduct on April 19. Albuterol is a banned substance.

The ruling came from an arbitrator on the case. Sanchez-Pinero's suspension began November 25. There's currently no detailed written description of the ruling available on HIWU's website.

This is the fourth ruling handed to Sanchez-Pinero since the launch of HISA's anti-doping and medication control program.

In January of last year, he was issued a $500 fine for a glycopyrrolate positive (which is a class C controlled substance). In August of last year, he was handed another $500 fine for putting Vick's VapoRub (which contains camphor, a class C controlled substance) in a horse's nostrils prior to a race.

In July of this year, Sanchez-Pinero was issued a 30-day suspension for a post-race phenylbutazone positive. The trainer has a further eight separate medication violation cases pending.

According to Equibase, Sanchez-Pinero has been training on and off since 2003. He has 37 wins to his name and over $1.1 million in earnings.

Resolved ADMC Violations

Dates: 11/25/2025
Licensee: Keri Brion, trainer
Penalty: A written Reprimand (per 9/26/23 HISA Guidance). Admission.
Explainer: Vets' list medication violation for the presence of Omeprazole (Gastrogard)-a class C controlled substance-in a sample taken from Like a Dream on 10/25/25.

Dates: 11/25/2025
Licensee: Jose R. Gonzalez Jr., trainer
Penalty: 15-day period of Ineligibility for Covered Person, beginning on November 26, 2025; Disqualification of Covered Horse's Race results, including forfeiture of all purses and other compensation, prizes, trophies, points, and rankings and repayment or surrender (as applicable); a fine of $1,000; imposition of 2 Penalty Points. Final decision of internal adjudication panel.
Explainer: Medication violation for the presence of Cannabidiol (CBD)-a class B controlled substance-in a sample taken from Charlee Mae, who won at Prairie Meadows on 7/26/25.

Dates: 11/25/2025
Licensee: Angel Sanchez-Pinero, trainer
Penalty: 2-year period of Ineligibility for Covered Person, beginning on November 25, 2025; 60-day period of Ineligibility for Covered Horse, beginning on April 19, 2025; Disqualification of Covered Horse's Race results, including forfeiture of all purses and other compensation, prizes, trophies, points, and rankings and repayment or surrender (as applicable); a fine of $10,000. Final decision of arbitral body.
Explainer: Medication violation for the presence of bronchodilator Albuterol (Salbutamol)-a banned substance-in a sample taken from Gone Boy, who won at Aqueduct on 4/19/25.

Dates: 11/24/2025
Licensee: Fenneka Tracey Bentley, trainer
Penalty: 7-day period of Ineligibility for Covered Person, beginning on November 25, 2025; Disqualification of Covered Horse's Race results, including forfeiture of all purses and other compensation, prizes, trophies, points, and rankings and repayment or surrender (as applicable); a fine of $1,000; imposition of 1.5 Penalty Points. Admission.
Explainer: Medication violation for the presence of Betamethasone-a class C controlled substance-in a sample taken from Tiger Paw, who finished seventh at Laurel Park on 10/12/25.

Dates: 11/20/2025
Licensee: Robert Cline, trainer
Penalty: Disqualification of Covered Horse's Race results, including forfeiture of all purses and other compensation, prizes, trophies, points, and rankings and repayment or surrender (as applicable); a fine of $500; imposition of 1.5 Penalty Points. Admission.
Explainer: Medication violation for the presence of Dimethyl Sulfoxide (DMSO)-a class C controlled substance-in a sample taken from Pittsburgh, who won at Thistledown on 10/8/25.

Pending ADMC Violations
11/24/2025, Anthony Margotta, trainer: Pending vets' list medication violation for the presence of Acepromazine-a class B controlled substance-in a sample taken from Stop Being Greedy on 10/24/25.

11/20/2025, Michael Catalano, trainer: Pending vets' list medication violation for the presence of Phenylbutazone-a class C controlled substance-in a sample taken from Mr Sandman on 10/24/25.

The post National Rulings: Nov. 20-26; Trainer Sanchez-Pinero Banned Two Years appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Citing a series of alleged rule violations related to “cruelty, mistreatment, neglect or abuse” of Thoroughbreds, the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) has served Rudy Rodriguez with a “notice of violation and show cause” that could result in a potential provisional suspension and perhaps more serious penalties for the 53-year-old former jockey who has consistently ranked near the top of the New York trainer standings for the past 15 years.

The HISA notice, which was served upon Rodriguez Nov. 21, 2025, and made public on Nov. 26, stated that “since Nov. 22, 2024, you have been the Responsible Person for at least 15 Covered Horses that have been placed on the Veterinarians' List. Based on entries to the HISA Portal, none of these horses have had a lameness evaluation or diagnostic work performed since being placed on the Veterinarians' List.

“Moreover, you have been the Responsible Person of at least four Covered Horses that have suffered catastrophic musculoskeletal injuries since Dec. 13, 2024,” the notice stated in a footnote.

“Taken together, the Authority has reasonable grounds to believe that your actions or inactions present an imminent danger to the health, safety, or welfare of Covered Horses and Riders arising from specific violations of the Authority's Racetrack safety or accreditation rules,” the notice stated.

The HISA charges represent only one side of this story. Phone and text messages left for Rodriguez on Wednesday seeking comment did not yield a reply from the trainer prior to publication of this article.

“So they've listed 16 horses, and only one of which he has, I mean, they were claimed away or they're on the training farm, retired,” said Clark Brewster, Rodriguez's attorney. “They were claimed, and many have started multiple times since then. But with other trainers. If you're not the attending vet on a horse because it was claimed by somebody else, you don't have access to the portal. So they want portal information, but we don't have access to it because the horses were claimed away.”

Rodriguez, according to the notice, had three business days after being charged by HISA to respond in writing to the allegations, including “the presentation of mitigating or opposing facts and evidence” and to request a provisional hearing. It was not known at the deadline for this story if Rodriguez had submitted that documentation.

The Authority also wanted Rodriguez to “establish that the Covered Horses identified in the statement of factual basis have received, or are receiving, the necessary veterinary care.” (The names and last known conditions of those horses are published below).

“I think the consensus on the backside, he's an excellent caregiver and they're raising questions about if a horse was on the vet's list, well, that's controlled by the regulatory vet,” Brewster said. “The regulatory vet makes that decision and the horse is not entitled to run back until the regulatory vet approves him to run back.”

Rodriguez is alleged to have violated HISA Rule 2215(a), which states:

“No Covered Person acting alone or in concert with another person shall compromise the welfare of a Covered Horse for competitive or commercial reasons or subject or permit any Covered Horse under their control, custody or supervision to be subjected to or incur the following: (1) any form of cruelty, mistreatment, neglect, or abuse; (2) abandonment, injury, maiming, or killing (except for euthanasia for humane reasons and in a manner consistent with the current version of the American Veterinary Medical Association Guidelines for the Euthanasia of Animals); (3) administration of any noxious substance; or (4) deprivation of necessary care, sustenance, shelter, or veterinary care.”

“You can look at Rudy's care and his work ethic and his love of horses and his diligence and caring for them and his interface with not only the regulatory vets, but the attending vets,” Brewster said. “And they're not going to permeate a single issue. I mean, he's top notch, and we all know trainers that are like that, and he's one of them.”

The notice of violation explained that, “One of the reasons behind HISA's Veterinarians' List rules is to provide a safety net for horses flagged by regulatory veterinarians in the course of their duties who require further veterinary evaluation. Such evaluation is meant to be provided by the trainer's attending veterinarian as outlined in [rules] 2242(b) and (d). As demonstrated [in the notice of violation], such evaluations were not always performed.”

Rodriguez could be facing additional penalization as his case plays out.

Beyond the potential provisional suspension, the Nov. 21 notice of violation stated that, “If it is agreed or determined that one or more Rule 2215(a) violations have occurred, HISA may, in addition to the provisional suspension, seek to impose one or more of the sanctions outlined in Rule 8200 as deemed appropriate by HISA in keeping with the seriousness of the violation and the facts of the case, and that is consistent with the safety, welfare, and integrity of Covered Horses, Covered Persons, and Covered Horseraces.”

The notice of violation listed 16 specific horses trained by Rodriguez that were part of the alleged pattern of rule violations. They are:

1) Judge Rules: “Placed on the Veterinarians' List as unsound from Nov. 22, 2024, through Dec. 30, 2024, and again from Jan. 17, 2025, through Mar. 17, 2025. There were no diagnostic or lameness evaluations recorded in the HISA Portal for Judge Rules during the periods of time the horse was on the Veterinarians' List. As of the date of this Notice, Judge Rules has not competed in a race since Apr. 27, 2025.”

2) Jemography: “Was the subject of a void claim on Mar. 24, 2024, and, as a result, was placed on the Veterinarians' List as unsound. Jemography failed a Veterinarians' List workout for unsoundness on Apr. 29, 2024, and again on Aug. 2, 2024. On Dec. 13, 2024, roughly four months after the last failed workout, Jemography died during or following the eighth race at Aqueduct. There are no diagnostic or lameness evaluations recorded in the HISA Portal for Jemography for 2024.”

3) Secret Rules: “Placed on the Veterinarians' List as unsound on Dec. 14, 2024. Secret Rules failed a Veterinarians' List workout for unsoundness on Jan. 11, 2025. The Regulatory Veterinarian required diagnostic imaging following the failed workout. Eight days after failing the workout, Secret Rules died during or following a workout at Belmont Racetrack. There are no diagnostic or lameness evaluations recorded in the HISA Portal for Secret Rules since the horse was placed on the Veterinarians' List on Dec. 14, 2024.”

4) Mama's Dream: “Placed on the Veterinarians' List as injured on Dec. 27, 2024. Mama's Dream has not competed in a race since May 27, 2024. There are no diagnostic or lameness evaluations recorded in the HISA Portal for Mama's Dream since the horse was placed on the Veterinarians' List on Dec. 27, 2024.”

5) Jerry's Out: “Placed on the Veterinarians' List as unsound on Jan. 17, 2025. On July 12, 2025, Jerry's House was the subject of a void claim and, as a result, was placed on the Veterinarians' List as unsound. Jerry's House failed a Veterinarians' List workout (unsound) on Sept. 4, 2025, and last raced on July 12, 2025. There are no diagnostic or lameness evaluations recorded in the HISA Portal for Jerry's Out since the horse was placed on the Veterinarians' List on Jan. 17, 2025, until the horse was transferred out of the care of Mr. Rodriguez on or about July 12, 2025.”

6) King Freud: “Placed on the Veterinarians' List as unsound on Feb. 22, 2025. There are no diagnostic or lameness evaluations recorded in the HISA Portal for King Freud from the time the horse was placed on the Veterinarians' List on Feb. 22, 2025 until at least the time the horse was transferred to another trainer's care on July 26, 2025.”

7) Letter Perfect: “Placed on the Veterinarians' List on Feb. 8, 2025, with a requirement for a neurological examination. There are no diagnostic or lameness evaluations recorded in the HISA Portal for Letter Perfect since the horse was placed on the Veterinarians' List on Feb. 8, 2025. Additionally, the neurological examination requirement remains unmet.”

8) Frankie Hiccups: “Placed on the Veterinarians' List as unsound following the ninth race at Aqueduct on Feb. 28, 2025, where Frankie Hiccups has remained since that time. There are no diagnostic or lameness evaluations recorded in the HISA Portal for Frankie Hiccups since the horse was placed on the Veterinarians' List on Feb. 28, 2025.”

9) McDiesel: “Placed on the Veterinarians' List as unsound on May 25, 2025, where McDiesel remained until Oct. 27, 2025. There are no diagnostic or lameness evaluations recorded in the HISA Portal for McDiesel since the horse was placed on the Veterinarians' List on May 25, 2025.”

10) Spooky Lady: “Suffered an injury during a workout on June 1, 2025, and was subsequently placed on the Veterinarians' List as unsound. Six days later, Spooky Lady was found dead in her stall.”

11) Shesalittle Edgy: “Was the subject of a void claim on June 27, 2025, and, as a result, was placed on the Veterinarians' List as unsound (second time in a year). On Aug. 20, 2025, Shesalittle Edgy failed a Veterinarians' List workout as unsound and the Regulatory Veterinarian required radiograph diagnostics as a condition of Shesalittle Edgy being removed from the Veterinarians' List. There are no diagnostic or lameness evaluations recorded in the HISA Portal for Shesalittle Edgy since the horse was placed on the Veterinarians' List on June 27, 2025.”

12) Rudy Up: “Placed on the Veterinarians' List on June 29, 2025, as unsound. There are no diagnostic or lameness evaluations recorded in the HISA Portal for Rudy Up since the horse was placed on the Veterinarians' List on June 29, 2025.”

13) Political Spin: “Placed on the Veterinarians' List on July 16, 2025, as physically distressed. There are no diagnostic or lameness evaluations recorded in the HISA Portal for Political Spin since the horse was placed on the Veterinarians' List on July 16, 2025.”

14) Mr. Mendelssohn: “Placed on the Veterinarians' List on July 24, 2025, as unsound. There are no diagnostic or lameness evaluations recorded in the HISA Portal for Mr. Mendelssohn since the horse was placed on the Veterinarians' List on July 24, 2025.”

15) Funny Joke: “Placed on the Veterinarians' List on Aug. 3, 2025, as unsound. There are no diagnostic or lameness evaluations recorded in the HISA Portal for Funny Joke since the horse was placed on the Veterinarians' List on Aug. 3, 2025.”

16) Heavyweight Champs: “Died during or immediately following the seventh race at Aqueduct on Nov. 14, 2025. Heavyweight Champs suffered a catastrophic injury during the running of the race and in his fall brought down the #3 horse, Tarpaulin, seriously injuring Tarpaulin's jockey, Dylan Davis.”

As it related to Heavyweight Champs specifically, Brewster added, “At Belmont particularly, they [have] a team that watches the horses very specifically warm up, and there [were] no issues at all with the horse. It was something that happened and Ricardo said, one minute I'm sailing to victory. And the next minute he stumbled and went down. I [don't know] if it was the track or whether it was, maybe something happened [with] the loose shoe, he grabbed himself. We don't know. But there's nothing about the care treatment, vet attendance, diligence.”

When reached, HISA offered no comment as the case is a pending matter.

The post HISA Seeks to Suspend Top New York Trainer Rodriguez Related to Alleged Violations of ‘Cruelty’ Rule appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Woodbine Cares Horsepower Fund, a new grant program designed to support charities and not-for-profit organizations that champion horse welfare and strengthen the bond between horses and people, has been launched by Woodbine Entertainment.

Through the Horsepower Fund, local registered charities and not-for-profits across Ontario can apply for micro-grants of up to $5,000. These grants are intended to fuel initiatives that help people connect with horses through education, hands-on care, or innovative programs that highlight the role horses play in the racing community.

Applicants to the Horsepower Fund must be: a registered charity with the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) or a registered not-for-profit; be located within the local communities surrounding Woodbine Racetrack or Woodbine Mohawk Park; demonstrate a clear focus on equine welfare; provide evidence of strong fiscal management and governance practices; and have submitted final reports from previous years if a prior recipient.

Eligible charities can apply online here: https://form.jotform.com/251273988732266.

The post Woodbine Launches Horsepower Fund to Support Horse Welfare, Community Programs appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.