Thoroughbred Daily News

After burning up the track all last week during the under-tack shows, a colt by first-crop stallion Drain the Clock (hip 132) was the first for his sire to breach the seven-figure mark Tuesday at OBS March, selling to Pedro Lanz for $1.1-million. Lanz was bidding on behalf of the Saudi-based KAS Stable and said the colt would stay in the U.S. and be trained by Brad Cox.

“They are athletes. Incredible athletes,” Lanz said of the juveniles he has seen by Gainesway's Drain the Clock. When you see them, they are sharp. And I think they can go the distance. These horses' strides are very long and they sustained their speed.”

Bred in New York by Saratoga Glen Farm, LLC and Dean Purdom, the chestnut son of Making a Point worked a furlong in :9 4/5 for consignor de Meric Sales.

He'd been through the ring twice before, first selling as a weanling at the Fasig-Tipton New York Saratoga Fall Mixed Sale in 2024 for $120,000, then realizing $145,000 when de Meric picked him up at the Fasig-Tipton New York Saratoga Preferred New York Bred Yearling Sale last season.

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A colt from the first crop of champion juvenile Corniche (hip 95) quickly established a new high-water mark, selling to Legion Bloodstock for $1.35-million at OBS March Tuesday.

Out of Canadian champion 3-year-old filly Leigh Court, the colt worked a quarter mile in :21.

Bred in Kentucky by Speedway Stables, LLC, he was consigned by Pick View LLC who purchased him as a yearling at Keeneland September last year for $250,000.

Represented by his first crop of juveniles, 2021 champion 2-year-old colt Corniche stands at Ashford Stud.

“We bought a couple Corniches as yearlings and they're on Travis [Durr]'s farm and he loves them so far,” said Legion's Kristian Vilante. “We tried to buy a filly earlier in the day by Corniche. I think he stamps them, he's just putting out a beautiful horse. He should make it.”

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The Puma (Essential Quality) returned to his base at Gulfstream Park early Sunday morning after his win a day earlier in the GIII Tampa Bay Derby, and his connections reported that he came out of the race in good order. Though no firm plans have been made regarding his future schedule, Gustavo Delgado Jr., who is the assistant trainer to and son of trainer Gustavo Delgado Sr., said the GI April 4 Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland is one option the team is definitely considering.

“We're still undecided,” the younger Delgado said. “Let's see how he comes back when he hits the track again. Right now, eight weeks is a long time between races from here to the Derby, so we might go to the Blue Grass. That's what would make sense right now. It's a good feeling that we don't need the points anymore. We have secured a spot in the big race. That's a big relief. Basically, we have more room to do whatever we feel is the best, always having the Kentucky Derby in mind. Eight weeks is a lot, so we will definitely be aiming for another race between now and the Kentucky Derby.”

The Puma earned 50 points for his win at Tampa.

The Puma came into the race as a maiden and off a third-place finish in the Sam F. Davis Stakes, the major prep for the Tampa Bay Derby. He ran a much-improved race Saturday, winning by three-quarters of a length over GII Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes winner, Further Ado (Gun Runner).

“These horses continue to learn,” Delgado said. “They are so young. The last race was a learning experience.”

He also gave credit to jockey Javier Castellano. Castellano rode The Puma in his first start, a second-place finish behind the highly regarded Chief Wallabee (Constitution) in a Gulfstream maiden, but Edwin Gonzalez had the mount for the Sam F. Davis.

“Javier made a huge difference,” Delgado said. “He has been coming to the barn and breezing him and getting to know more about the horse and his running style and how to make him more effective. My dad and I told him to just let him get his rhythm, make one move whenever you feel like it is the right thing to do. Basically, that's what he did. He was last in the beginning of the race, but that turned out to be a good thing. He was a good last because you could see that he was in a good rhythm and grabbing the bit properly and making a steady move little by little.”

Should The Puma make it to the Derby, he will be the second horse the Delgados have sent to the race since 2023. The first was Derby winner Mage (Good Magic). The Puma was purchased for $150,000 at last year's OBS April sale. Mage was bought for $250,000 in 2022 at Fasig-Tipton's 2-Year-Old Midlantic Sale.

“The main thing for us is that we want to go to the Kentucky Derby,” Delgado said. “It is not easy. It's a very difficult thing to do, especially with the kind of operation that we have. We don't get good horses sent to us. We have to go to the sales and scout the horses and sometimes invest in the horses ourselves with our own money.  To be in this position again is gratifying. We were in the paddock yesterday and we saw the Coolmore guys, the Spendthrift guys, Mike Repole. I was thinking, 'Look at how much money these guys spend on their operations.' Going back to the Derby with a horse we developed and selected at the sales is a good feeling.”

Delgado said that the horse was named after his father, whose nickname is “The Puma.”

“We call my dad The Puma all the time,” Delgado said.  “When we saw that the horse was talented and showing progress and we couldn't find a name that we all liked we decided to name him The Puma. It's a good thing that when we named a horse after my dad that he turned out to be a graded stakes winner going to the Derby. We could have named a horse after him and the horse could have turned out to be a $5,000 claimer.”

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I have been reading the opinions of many respected people who have invested greatly in the racing industry and have been involved in it for decades. Many of their observations about the state of the sport and the organizations that are supposed to lead it are correct. I would like to share what I have discovered over the past few years.

I have been involved in breeding and racing Thoroughbreds for more than 40 years, and I care deeply about the future of this industry. Like many others, I have watched the steady decline in horse racing and have long believed that our sport desperately needs a coordinated national marketing effort.

With that goal in mind, I founded The Heart of Horse Racing, a 501(c)(3) national marketing campaign built around storytelling and authentic voices from within our sport. Through professionally produced videos and interviews with trainers, jockeys, owners, outriders, analysts, and others who dedicate their lives to the horse, we aim to show the public what makes this sport so special and to introduce a new generation of fans to racing.

The campaign includes a comprehensive marketing strategy and an investor deck outlining how we can reach new audiences and grow the fan base of horse racing.

Over the past two years, I have personally presented this initiative to several of the industry's leading organizations. I presented the plan to the board of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, where I serve as a board member. While there was interest, no funding commitment was made.

I also presented the proposal to New York Racing Association, where I serve on the board. Again, no funding commitment was made.

I spoke with representatives of Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association, who expressed support but did not commit financial resources. I had a lengthy meeting during the Saratoga meet with Everett Dobson of The Jockey Club and shared the investor deck and marketing strategy.

He asked that I arrange a meeting with the firm working on the project, which I did, but nothing further has occurred.

The Breeders' Cup organization never returned my calls.

Meanwhile, a number of industry participants have stepped forward to support the initiative, including Fasig-Tipton, The Green Group, the Finger Lakes HBPA, the Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association, members of the jockey colony, and several private individuals.

My purpose in sharing this is not to criticize any one organization, but to highlight a much larger issue. The organizations that represent and lead our sport are funded by the very people who work within the industry–owners, breeders, trainers. Yet too often they operate independently rather than collaboratively, and meaningful opportunities to promote and grow the sport are missed.

Horse racing is facing intense competition for the entertainment dollar from sports betting, prediction markets, and other emerging forms of gaming. At the same time, internal divisions and fragmented leadership continue to weaken our ability to present a unified message to the public.

If we truly want to preserve this historic sport, we must begin working together and investing in initiatives that expand the fan base and tell the story of racing to the world. The Heart of Horse Racing campaign was created to do exactly that. The time has come for our industry's leadership to move beyond discussion and begin supporting solutions that will grow and sustain horse racing for future generations.

Click here if you would like to learn more or make a donation.

Tina Marie Bond is the President of the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association.

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Daniel Alonso's Skippylongstocking (Exaggerator), who acted up badly on the plane that was meant to transport him to California for Saturday's GI Santa Anita Handicap and was subsequently scratched, is possible for one of two races over the coming weeks.

“I always look at it as everything happens for a reason. No regrets,” said trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr., who saddles three horses in Saturday's Barbados Gold Cup in his native country. “He'll probably run at Oaklawn in the Essex, or he'll run at Gulfstream in the Ghostzapper. I'm going to work him when I get back.”

The 1 1/8-mile GIII Essex Handicap will be run Mar. 21 at Oaklawn Park, while the 1 1/16-mile GIII Ghostzapper Stakes will be renewed a week later on the undercard of the $1-million GI Curlin Florida Derby Mar. 28.

Skippylongstocking was last seen defeating stablemate White Abarrio (Race Day) in the GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes Jan. 24.

Trainer Ian Wilkes reports that both Just Basking (Arrogate) and Burnham Square (Liam's Map) have emerged from their efforts Feb. 28 in good shape and laid out plans for the near future.

Winner of the 2024 Iowa Oaks and third in that year's GI Alabama Stakes, Just Basking was third to 'TDN Rising Star' presented by Hagyard Senza Parole (Gun Runner) in a one-mile dirt allowance Jan. 15 and came with a late charge beneath Javier Castellano to take out the GIII The Very One Stakes by a half-length. She could make her next appearance in the GIII Bewitch Stakes at Keeneland on Apr. 24.

“It's a little later in the meet, but she's a light filly,” Wilkes said. “She ran hard, and I just don't want to reel her back here too quick because it's a long year. She's run twice here now, so we'll look ahead to Keeneland.”

Burnham Square was having his first run since a cracking runner-up effort in the GIII Nashville Derby last Aug. 30 and got home well over an insufficient trip to round out the exacta in allowance company. Wilkes has the Whitham homebred pointed for the GIII Elkhorn Stakes at Keeneland on Apr. 18.

“Burham Square ran a real good race. Was I ready to run him? Probably not, but there was nothing in the next book for him and I wanted to get a race into him here,” Wilkes said. “He came out of it good, which was the main object. He came out good and his gallop-out was tremendous. He'll go to the Elkhorn now.

“It's always a relief when you get them back, but the way he trained I had confidence,” Wilkes said. “He's trained very well. He didn't miss a beat and hasn't missed a beat and has just trained better this year than last year, and he trained good last year. It's exciting. I hope I don't jinx him. We'll just keep going forward. Distance is going to be his friend. He'll get stronger as they go [longer].”

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Fixed-odds wagering has already made it to states like New Jersey and Colorado. It could also be a fixture in Kentucky thanks to a bill just introduced into the state legislature by Republican Representatives Matthew Koch and Michael Meredith.

HB 904 is a sweeping piece of legislation with several key components designed to essentially expand and modernize the gambling infrastructure in the state.

The contextual background of this bill appears to be an attempt to seriously grapple with the impacts from Computer Assisted Wagering (CAW) on the betting pools.

Unlike the fluctuating odds that make up pari-mutuel betting, fixed-odds wagering is a form of betting in which the payout odds are set and agreed upon at the time the wager is placed. Crucially, they do not change.

Under this legislation, a new “purse stabilization fund” (to supplement existing purses at live meets) would be supported by a 15% tax on fixed-odds betting conducted on-track, online or via mobile apps.

Among other aspects, the bill requires tracks and tote companies to adopt new modern technologies to streamline and expedite betting cycles times. Right now, tote machines across the country update at varying times–typically anywhere between 10- and 30-second cycles.

More specifically, the bill requires them “to include commercially reasonable access to the betting odds for retail bettors by Apr. 1, 2027.”

The bill also attempts to essentially decouple wagering providers from the prediction market, which is the ability for bettors to make speculative bets on the outcomes of future events.

“A track or association that holds a license to conduct horse racing, sports wagering, or a licensee offering fantasy sports contests under this chapter or its affiliate shall not participate in or contract with platforms that offer events contracts through a prediction market or have a beneficial interest in the proceeds of prediction markets,” the bill states.

Last year, fixed-odds wagering was also legalized in West Virginia. It followed New Jersey, where it debuted at Monmouth Park in 2022.

“I remember us having discussions [on fixed odds] in committee going back 10 years,” said Damon Thayer, a veteran lawmaker with 22 years serving the Kentucky State Senate.

“As a fan, I like it. I know when I go to England and Ireland for racing, which I do annually, I prefer to go to the bookmakers so I can shop and get the best price,” he added.

“It may be a reaction to the CAWs,” speculated Thayer, about some of the motivation behind HB 904. “There's a lot of justifiable angst out there amongst horse players about the CAWs and their effect on late-changing odds.”

Earlier this year, HB 39 was introduced into the state legislature that sought to put CAW players on as even a playing field as possible with average retail players in Kentucky's pari-mutuel wagering pools. It hasn't advanced through the legislature.

The current legislature adjourns on Apr. 15, making it a tight timeframe to pass such a sweeping bill during the current session. Lawmakers are scheduled to reconvene in early June for an interim session that will run through December.

“That's when the joint committees of House and Senate can meet monthly… They have the purview to discuss bills that have been filed, as well as those for the future,” explained Thayer, about the interim session.

“I don't know if they're going to try to push House Bill 904 through right now, or if they're just trying to get it out there for discussion heading into that interim period,” he said. “Representative Koch and Representative Meredith are two of the best minds in the general assembly on all issues related to gaming. I worked with them on HHR and sports betting and pari-mutuel tax reform. They're really thoughtful guys, and I don't think they would do anything to harm horse racing.”

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Jockey Serafin Carmona remained hospitalized at CHI-St. Vincent in Hot Springs following a spill in Thursday's ninth race at Oaklawn Park.

Carmona, riding for the first time at Oaklawn this season and with five wins to his credit, was aboard 84-1 Balandeen Storm (Balandeen) in a state-bred maiden $50,000 claimer and was making a move on the far turn when he was shut off and clipped heels, throwing Carmona to the ground. The horse got up and jogged away before being caught by the outrider and was vanned off the track.

Carmona was transported to the hospital via ambulance and has been diagnosed with head and neck injuries and was on a ventilator as of Friday afternoon.

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So-called prediction markets have become all the rage across a wide swath of topics, from election results to gas prices to the amount of snowfall might occur in a given place.

The Kentucky Derby and horse racing at large? That topic was the subject of a panel entitled 'Prediction Markets and Wagering: An Emerging Threat To Horse Racing and Interstate Horseracing Act Revenue' during Thursday's session of the National HBPA Conference at Oaklawn Park.

Speakers agreed that prediction markets have the ability to dwarf even sports betting in America. The prediction-market platform Kalshi reportedly took in more than $500 million in trading volume on the Super Bowl. Bloomberg has reported that Polymarket took in $529 million on the timing of U.S. strikes in Iran. And Polymarket reportedly took in $1.2 million overseas on the 2025 Derby.

Prediction markets, which are not subjected to state gaming taxes and do not have the consumer protections built into state regulation, say that they offer something akin to futures contracts. They insist this does not constitute a wager and the danger to horse racing is real, experts agree.

“I think that the prediction market is a real threat to the horse-racing industry unless we handle it correctly,” said Dennis Drazin, the chairman and CEO of Darby Developments, which operates Monmouth Park.

So pervasive are the prediction markets that FanDuel and DraftKings have jumped in. But Churchill Downs has suggested court involvement should prediction markets try to offer contracts on the Derby. Horse racing's cause is aided by the Interstate Horseracing Act of 1978, which gives horsemen the right of approval or refusal to have their betting signal sent across state lines.

According to panelists, there are better than 60 lawsuits pending and the consensus is that the issue will advance all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, a final decision years down the road.

“I think we have a very strong case, because we have federal laws that control this,” said Drazin, joining the panel via Zoom. “It's not something that's trying to create state law. And I think as things go on, this has been a very important week.

“There were two very important decisions by the federal court saying that, basically, the prediction market does not preempt state law, and they dismissed those cases and sent them back to the state court. So I think certainly there's a lot to be said and a lot to be litigated.”

Drazin said a class-action suit would be the optimal means of pursuing a remedy.

“We need to be prepared to decide how we're going to deal with this,” said Drazin. “My recommendation is that those of us who want to participate, we head to the federal court and assert our rights under the Interstate Horseracing Act. But the industry is going to have to make some decisions.”

But Jason Johnston, the sportsbook manager for WarHorse Gaming in Nebraska, is of the opinion that peacefully coexisting might be the way forward for the racing industry.

“If there's not a hard block, they [prediction markets]'re going to swing for the fences, and it's going to escalate fast,” Johnston said. “Just look at how much Kalshi has changed over the last nine months from a consumer experience.

“The other backup plan would be get ahead of it, try to find a partnership with it and get a piece of the pie. Because I think Kalshi and Polymarket are just going to try to run through everybody and just get what they can get, just like they've done in other sports and states, and deal with the lawsuits later.”

Dave Basler, the executive director of the Ohio HBPA, agrees with Drazin that litigation might be the ultimate answer, but Michele Fischer, a wagering consultant and vice president of SIS Content Services, believes that prediction markets could be beneficial to horse racing.

“We missed the mark with sports betting for the horse-racing industry,” she said. “It's a highly regulated form of gambling, and that's something that's still on the table for horse racing. I think that the conversation needs to be a little wider. We sit here and look at all the threats, which they all can be. But where are those opportunities for this new market we've been talking about for 20 years? Where are all the eyeballs that we wanted on horse racing? What are they watching?”

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MAD HOUSE (g, 4, Vekoma–Stifled Heiress, by Munnings) was last seen fading to the back in the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint at Del Mar last November, but before that he'd strung together a respectable tally of four consecutive victories which culminated with him taking home the hardware in the Sept. 20 GII Gallant Bob Stakes at Parx.

Made the 3-5 heavy favorite here for his seasonal bow, Mad House went right to the front and never looked back after :21.94 and :44.42 sectionals, rolling home by 3 3/4 lengths in a crisp 1:08.85–only .18 off the 14-year-old track record. Dreaming of Kona (Fast Anna) was a well-beaten second.

The victor is the most accomplished of his siblings as the second to the races and the only black-type earner, but his eldest half-sister is a winner. Stifled Heiress has a juvenile colt named Gaelic Legacy (Leinster) to her credit as well as a yearling full-brother to that one. She is due back to that stallion for a third time in 2026.

6th-Tampa Bay Downs, $51,900, Alw (C)/Opt. Clm ($100,000), 3-6, 4yo/up, 6f, 1:08.85, ft, 3 3/4 lengths.
MAD HOUSE (g, 4, Vekoma–Stifled Heiress, by Munnings)
Sales history: $47,000 2yo '24 OBSAPR. Lifetime Record: GSW, 11-5-1-1, $318,015. O-James Thares; B-Jean White, Wavertree Farm & SGV Thoroughbreds,LLC (FL); T-David VanWinkle.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

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Gulfstream Park and the Florida Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association (FHBPA) are currently developing a 2026 fall racing schedule designed to provide expanded opportunities for Florida-bred horses with fewer restrictions, 1/ST Racing said in a press release on Friday.

As part of this effort, FHBPA President Tom Cannell expressed strong support for owners purchasing Florida-bred 2-year-olds at the upcoming Ocala Breeders' Sales (OBS).

“We are committed to providing prospective owners of these 2-year-olds with a quality and worthwhile racing schedule,” Cannell said. “While the full schedule is still being finalized, it will include stakes races designed to reward Florida-bred horses across the board.”

Gulfstream and the FHBPA recently reached a new racing agreement extending through 2028, reinforcing a shared commitment to maintaining a strong and competitive racing program in South Florida. Both organizations are actively working to retain and attract trainers and owners to make the destination their racing home.

“Gulfstream Park remains a top-tier racetrack, and we will demonstrate our continued commitment to the owners, trainers, and horses that compete here,” Cannell added. “This initiative will help dispel the many rumors about our immediate racing future, and we look forward to putting our best foot forward.”

Gulfstream Park Executive Vice President David Duggan echoed that commitment and emphasized the track's focus on strengthening the Florida-bred program.

“We value the important role Florida-bred horses play in the success of Gulfstream Park and the broader Florida racing industry,” Duggan said. “Working together with the FHBPA, we are focused on creating a racing schedule that offers meaningful opportunities for owners, trainers and breeders while continuing to position Gulfstream Park as a premier racing destination.”

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For the second time the accomplished Touchuponastar (Star Guitar) was named by the Louisiana Thoroughbred Breeders Association as the LA-bred Horse of the Year, the organization said in a letter that was sent to its members on Friday.

The gelding, who secured the same honor in 2023, turned in a stellar 2025 which included a handful of wins against black-type state bred company and also a victory in the GII New Orleans Classic at Fair Grounds.

Bred by Coteau Grove Farms, Touchuponastar is owned by former NFL quarterback Jake Delhomme's outfit Set-Hut and is trained by Jake's brother Jeff Delhomme. The stable star also took home the top 4-Year-Old Male award for 2025.

“It is truly an honor to receive the Louisiana bred horse of the year,” said Jake Delhomme. “This horse has brought so much joy to my family and everyone involved. We're blessed and lucky to have him still running competitively at the age of seven.

Concerning Touchuponastar's 2026 path moving forward, Delhomme said, “Looks like we're going to be pointing towards the final weekend of the Fair Grounds meet. There's a couple of races there with the New Orleans Classic and then the Star Guitar Stakes. We will aim for those two and decide what's best for him. Really happy with his work on [this past] Tuesday. He's doing extremely well.”

The rest of the 2025 Louisiana champions are:

• 2-Year-Old Colt or Gelding: Our Moneyman (Mr. Money);
• 2-Year-Old Filly: Little Miss Curlin (Curlin);
• 3-Year-Old Colt or Gelding: Smoken Wicked (Bobby's Wicked One);
• 3-Year-Old Filly: Secret Faith (Aurelius Maximus)
• 4-Year-Old/Up Male: Touchuponastar
• F&M 4-Year-Old/Up: Free Like a Girl (El Deal);
• Stallion of the Year: Star Guitar (by Quiet American);
• Broodmare of the Year: Jean (Macho Uno);
• Breeder of the Year: Coteau Grove Farms;
• High Percentage Breeder Award: J. E. Jumonville Jr. and Bunny Jumonville.

Award presentations will take place at the annual banquet, held in conjunction with the R.E.A.P. benefit, which is tentatively scheduled for Aug. 1 at Evangeline Downs.

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The first mare scanned in foal to McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds undefeated new sire Showcase (by Uncle Mo) was reported, the farm said via a Friday press release.

New Year's Wish, a stakes-placed daughter of New Year's Day trained by Linda Rice, was purchased by McMahon. The chestnut was the last horse selected by Rice's father Clyde before he passed away.

Named a 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard,' after his 7 1/2 length debut win, Showcase took home the 2024 GII Saratoga Special Stakes.

Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher said, “Showcase possessed enormous natural ability paired with an explosive turn of foot. He was our 2-year-old that year, a colt who displayed professionalism, athleticism, and the kind of natural speed that consistently stands out at the highest levels.”

“Showcase has taken very well to his new job, having covered 20 mares to date, and is being strongly supported by the syndicate,” said Joe McMahon. “We could not be more thrilled to stand this outstanding son of Uncle Mo out of a full-sister to Volatile, another Grade I sire with a recent Triple Crown prep winner.”

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Tickets to attend the Aug. 15 running of the 167th King's Plate at Woodbine Racetrack are now on sale to the public, according to a press release from the track on Friday.

Pricing starts at $35 CAD (plus taxes and fees) for general admission, which grants access to the grandstand and apron. Those seeking a grandstand seat can choose from Reserved Grandstand, Paddock Club and Loge (Box) seating.

Click here for more information.

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Each year, our team at Taylor Made does a S.W.O.T. analysis for our business. The “T” represents threats, and we have consistently listed the shrinking foal crop as an existential threat to our business. We realize one farm alone cannot stop the tide of breeders exiting our industry, but we are trying to do what we can through our Premier Mare Program. We believe that breeding and raising thoroughbreds can be every bit as gratifying as racing them. Through PMP, we bring like-minded people together to buy quality mares which can produce foals to be presented and sold at the Select Fasig Tipton and Keeneland Sales. Our minimum investment is $50,000, which opens up breeding for the top echelon of the market to a much wider audience. This program offers education about the industry along with full access to our farm and all its resources. We want our new customers to discover the joy our industry can bring for them, their family, and friends.

Five years ago, we set out on a quest to marry our institutional knowledge with technology to create the Taylor Made Mating App. This tool operates a database that recognizes conformational traits of the top 50 stallions in North America. The database also compiles each stallion's tendencies to pass on certain traits to their foals, and checks mares' compatibility with the stallions selected and assigns a score. We create a short list of stallions which fit each mare from a pedigree perspective. Then, we ask the app to rank those stallion options to get the best physical match.

Below are a few of the mares in our PMP group along with our mating plans for 2026.

ZIA'S SONG, 8, Kitten's Joy—Awesome Flower, by Flower Alley. Will be bred to Sierra Leone.

We purchased Zia's Song in 2022 in foal to Gun Runner. At the time, she was a 4-year-old carrying her first foal. She is a half-sister to Cyberknife (Gun Runner), winner of the GI Arkansas Derby and GI Haskell Invitational, as well as to the stakes-placed Tapit Shoes (Tapit). Her dam is a multiple stakes winner and graded stakes-placed.

Our Mating App evaluates 20 physical traits. Zia's Song provides substance and hip, while needing additional size, body length, and correct knees and fetlocks. Once all 20 traits are entered, the program analyzes compatibility across our stallion database.

Matches above 30 points are considered strong. Zia's Song matched 31 points with Not This Time, and that resulting yearling sold for $350,000, despite some veterinary considerations. She is currently in foal to Constitution, another 31-point match. Constitution's son Mindframe was her highest-rated match at 38 points. He is a horse we will consider strongly for 2027.

For the upcoming season, we are returning to the Gun Runner-line with Sierra Leone, who matched Zia's Song at 32 points in our app. With Cyberknife appearing in the first dam and Sierra Leone proving himself a brilliant racehorse, this was a mating we felt particularly confident in and excited about.

DIAMOND ORE, 8, Tapit—Bubbler, by Distorted Humor. Will be bred to Vekoma.

The Premier Mare program is focused on identifying mares capable of producing Saratoga and Book 1 and 2 yearlings, and Diamond Ore perfectly fits that profile. An 8-year-old stakes-placed Tapit mare, we purchased her in foal to Charlatan in 2022, and the resulting yearling sold for $550,000 at Saratoga in 2024. Diamond Ore is a half-sister to Champion 3-Year-Old Arrogate and also a half-sister to stakes winner Osare (Medaglia d'Oro). With her exceptional sire pedigree, the primary goal in mating her is to find the ideal physical match. She doesn't need much: adding some size, body length, and hip is ideal. She will provide the rest.

She has already produced a beautiful Nyquist yearling filly, matching exceptionally well with a 35-point score. Diamond Ore is currently in foal to Into Mischief, a mating that scored 34 points.

SIMPLY ENCHANTING, 5, Nyquist—Enchante, by Bluegrass Cat. Will be bred to Gun Runner.

Simply Enchanting was purchased out of the Fasig-Tipton November sale this year for $450,000 in foal to Curlin (a 35-point score in our program). She checked all of the boxes in terms of physical, her sire, and who she was in foal to. She is Black-Type placed and a three-quarter sister to multiple graded stakes winner Envoutante (Uncle Mo), who was a $1.8 million dollar mare in 2024 who is now being bred to top stallions. We felt that if we got a nice Curlin, we have the potential to recoup most of our purchase price on the first foal and have a top-quality mare who can produce quality foals yearly. We have this mare booked to Gun Runner, who also scored very strongly in our program (31 points).

JUSTA WARRIOR, 6, Justify—A Z Warrior, by Bernardini. Will be bred to Mindframe.

Justa Warrior was purchased privately in foal to Life is Good. This mare is an “A” physical by a top young stallion in Justify. She was very precocious, which we valued. She was a stakes winner at two, and she comes from a very deep and active family. Her first foal was very nice and we loved him all along. We sold him in Book 1 of the 2025 Keeneland September Sale. Unfortunately, he came up with a few X-ray issues that kept us from getting what we wanted for him, but he still brought $150,000. Her second foal is a filly by Gun Runner, and we have very high hopes for her. She is a beautiful physical with a great walk. She will be a Saratoga or Keeneland Book 1 filly and we are expecting big things from her. Unfortunately, Justa Warrior didn't get in foal to Not This Time for a 2026 foal, and she is booked to Mindframe (36 points!) for this season.

TWINKLING, 13, War Chant—Unhurried, by Out of Place. Will likely be bred to Not This Time.

Twinkling was a deal that our dear friend Stuart Angus put together. At the time of the purchase, her first two foals were either graded-stakes winners or graded-stakes placed. Her then 2-year-old, Olivia Twist, was two-for-two and showing signs of being equally as good as her two half-brothers. She too would go on to be a stakes winner and graded stakes placed but more importantly, her older half-brother, Skippylongstocking, would go on to win 11 graded stakes races including this year's running of the GI Pegasus. At the time, she was in foal to Authentic on a June cover. The resulting filly would go on to sell for $500,000 as a yearling, and her current 2-year-old, a filly by Not This Time, sold for $1 million to Repole Stables in the September Sale. She is currently in foal to Curlin. This mare has produced quality stakes horses by Exaggerator, Mshawish, and Liam's Map. While we are still mulling our options for 2026, we are seriously considering Not This Time based on the gorgeous yearling we sold by him in 2025.

THE QUEEN'S MG, 4, Thousand Words—Show Queen, by Grindstone. Will be bred to Not This Time.

This most recent PMP acquisition was a graded stakes winner at Saratoga at two, and came back to win a GII at Gulfstream at three. She is a beautiful physical and comes from a very deep family. We thought this mare would be the perfect fit for Not this Time, and we are very excited to see what her future holds. This mare fits the physical profile of many of the dams of Not This Time's best runners. Her match with him scores a strong 34 which gives us confidence she will get her career started with every opportunity to get a runner.

The post 2026 Mating Plans: Taylor Made’s Premier Mare Partnerships appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

A filly by Nyquist and colt by Yaupon realized the co-fastest eighth in :9 3/5 on Day 2 of the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's March 2-year-old in Training Sale's under-tack show on Thursday.

Offered as Hip 391, the day's fastest-working colt is out of unraced Stand Back (Giant's Causeway), the dam of Grade II winner Step Forward (Speightstown). The Florida-bred hails from the family of Grade I winners Cavorting (Bernardini) and Clairiere (Curlin). He is consigned by Raul and Martha Reyes' Kings Equine.

“I expected something good, but we never was to say [they will go] in :9 3/5 or :9 4/5 because you don't want to jinx the poor horse,” said Raul Reyes. “I did expect him to go fast because he's been very quick the whole time. Also, being by Yaupon, I expect him to have natural speed.”

A $110,000 buy by Scott and Evan Dilworth at Keeneland in November of 2024, the colt RNA'd for $235,000 when offered at that venue last September.

Reyes explained, “One of the reasons the owner didn't sell the horse [as a yearling] was because he felt the horse had ability and he wanted to keep him for the 2-year-old sales.”

Already in the 2-year-old sales' game for 25 years, Kings Equine recorded a first with Thursday's co-fastest eighth of a mile worker.

“That was the first time I had a horse go in :9 3/5 in my life,” Reyes said. “I've had a lot of horses go in :9 4/5 but never that fast.”

According to Reyes, the reason for that somewhat surprising fact is likely because the body under-tack appearance is as important as the listed breeze itself.

“Right now, the majority of the bloodstock agents clock the horses galloping out,” he explained. “It's become pretty much a standard thing now. Going fast an eighth, that's pretty good. But it's better if you also have a good gallop out too.”

Heading the fillies during Thursday's session, Hip 372 is out of Smooth and Savvy (Lucky Pulpit), a half-sister to Grade I winner Smooth Like Strait (Midnight Lute). This is the extended family of GISW Siphonic (Siphon (Brz) and Laragh (Tapit) in addition to Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan (Goldencents).

A member of the Wavertree Stables consignment, the Mar. 26 foal was purchased for $300,000 at Keeneland September last year.

Hip 284, a filly by Drain the Clock registers the fastest quarter at OBS on Day 2 | OBS| Photos by Z

Leading the fray with the track-record equaling quarter mile in :20 1/5 was Hip 284, a Kentucky-bred filly by Drain the Clock. Out of the 9-year-old Queen of Aces (Street Boss), the Apr. 4 foal is from the extended family of Kentucky Oaks heroine Dispute (Danzig).

“We knew she was fast,” said Jesse Hoppel. “We let her run and found she was faster than most of them here. She had a good day.”

Represented by his first crop of juveniles in 2026, the Maclean's Music stallion stands for $10,000 LFSN at Gainesway.

“I have a lot of Drain the Clocks right now, her and several others in training and to tell you the truth, I can't think of one I don't like,” he said.” I have another colt [Friday] that is going to breeze pretty good. I think all in all, the sire might be a pretty decent stallion. I haven't found one (Drain the Clock) I didn't like yet.”

Asked why the decision was made to work a quarter rather than an eighth, Hoppel explained, “Some horses by themselves are self-motivated and they'll do it on their own. Those horses who want to do it by themselves and are naturally aggressive, they like doing it and those are the horses I try to send farther because they like it. If you like your job, you do it better.”

Hoppel also was responsible for the second-fastest quarter-mile worker at OBS on Thursday, a colt by Mo Town (Hip 299) who completed the task in :20 2/5. A $40,000 Keeneland November purchase in 2024, the colt is out of the listed-producing mare Reckon (Into Mischief).

“That horse has been unreal,” Hoppel said. “I bought him as a baby and was thinking I would call somebody and get a partner on the way home. And I ended not calling anybody and keeping him for myself. He just grew up and got better and better and better. You pull him out on the end of the shank, he's absolutely striking. Fellow consignors that I respect on the way up to the chute were asking 'Who's that?' He's just a physically imposing individual.”

The under-tack show continues through Saturday with sessions beginning each day at 8 a.m. The OBS March sale will be held next Tuesday through Thursday. Bidding begins each day at 11 a.m.

The post Yaupon, Nyquist Juveniles Work Co-Fastest Eighth, Drain the Clock Filly Posts Top Quarter on Day 2 of OBS Under Tack appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

With a field size of just over 130, the Organization of Racing Investigators (ORI) meeting smashed their previous attendance record as they convened the 30th annual conference at Tampa Bay Downs on Sunday, Mar. 1.

Over the course of the three-day event, members soaked up presentations centered on integrity issues for equine athletes, traded their craft with one another through fellowship and made new connections that will be essential once they return to their respective jurisdictions.

A survey of the Tampa roll call reflects the organization's regional diversity that emanates from racing commissions to track security, plus there was a healthy international contingent. At this year's event conference goers hailed from Europe, South Africa, Canada and also East Asia–including Japan, Hong Kong and South Korea.

Don Ahrens, one of the founders of the organization, said that ORI has really morphed over the past three decades which has led to better communication between groups like regulators, racetracks and horsemen.

“The personal contact that was established by a mere 22 investigators who first met in Oregon when the idea of ORI took shape all those years ago is alive and well today,” Ahrens said. “We've steadily built something based in education and the affiliations we continue to make form a strong, cooperative network. This not only helps our members, but we spend significant amounts of time disseminating knowledge to other entities and that strengthens relationships across boundaries.”

Presentations during the conference shift each year, but what remains constant is the program seeks to push the envelope when it comes to innovation. How to use data and AI to strengthen equine security, an investigator's role in aftercare and combating  corrupt practices around the racetrack were just some of the themes covered during the sessions.

“The annual ORI conference is one of my favorite meetings to attend,” said Dr. Angela Pelzel-McCluskey, an equine epidemiologist for the USDA. “It continues to be the best place for our top racing investigators in the country to share information, improve their skills and support each other in their combined goal to protect the health and welfare of the horse.”

On the Tampa program, Dr. Pelzel-McCluskey provided an update in her talk about how Equine Infectious Anemia (EIA) in the national herd makes the racing sector a high-risk population and particularly susceptible to blood-borne disease transmission.

Highlighted in her presentation were two outbreaks of EIA in 2024 and 2025. According to Dr. Pelzel-McCluskey, also of interest to investigators were eight EIA cases in Thoroughbreds involving contaminated blood, plasma or biologic products which were illegally imported from other countries.

ORI conference chair Deanna Nicol of Tampa Bay Downs added that important topics like Dr. Pelzel-McCluskey's provide members with essential information for their own toolkits.

“The dedication to safety, security and integrity that this group of individuals display and incorporate into their daily routines, and how hard everyone strives to work together is focused on creating a proactive environment for the sport,” Nicol said. “The camaraderie at the conference creates unique bonds among the group.”

During the Monday evening program, which featured a keynote address by Florida Thoroughbred Breeders' & Owners' Association Administrative Vice President Steve Koch, ORI established a pair of new commendations–the Hanna Hagler Outstanding New Member Award and the Melvin Bell Distinguished Service Award.

Hagler was a law enforcement agent with the Oklahoma Horse Racing Commission, who was diagnosed with cancer and passed away last year. The inaugural award was given to New Jersey Racing Commission investigator Kara Vesci.

Bell, a former police officer in Dallas, was an investigator for 20 years with the Texas Racing Commission until his death in 2022. Keeneland's Billy Fryer, himself a retired Lexington police officer, was named as the recipient.

ORI's highest honor, the John F. Wayne Lifetime Membership Award, was bestowed on Director of Enforcement for the Pennsylvania State Horse Racing Commission Jason Klouser.

During the conference, a raffle held for the attendees yielded over $3,000, which was donated to Thoroughbred aftercare.

Next year's ORI meeting is set to be hosted by Santa Anita Park.

The post 30th Investigator Conference At Tampa Fields Largest Attendance Ever appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

By any measure, Steve and Denise Smith's Mesingw Farm, which celebrated just its fifth anniversary in December, had a banner year in 2025. From the sales ring, where the operation sold its first seven-figure yearling, to the racetrack where it had a graded-stakes placed juvenile at Saratoga in August and a Breeders' Cup starter in November, Mesingw was hitting on all cylinders. The momentum has carried into the new year with the Mesingw-bred Explora (Blame) a leading choice for the GI Kentucky Oaks following her win in the GIII Honeybee Stakes last Sunday. The Smiths will be hoping the success continues in Ocala where they will offer a pair of fillies through Tom McCrocklin's consignment at the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's March Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale next week.

“Tough to beat,” Denise Smith said when asked to assess 2025. “It was a pretty darn good year. I don't think anybody in their right mind would be disappointed in how last year went.”

Denise was a school district superintendent in Saratoga with no involvement in racing when she first started dating Steve, but she quickly joined in on his dream of breeding Thoroughbred racehorses.

“As we started dating and the relationship got more serious, I said one of my dreams was to have a horse farm and breed Thoroughbreds and race them,” Steve recalled. “Long story short, we ended up coming to Kentucky. This is where it all happens. We are happy we did. We bought a small farm in Athens, not too far from Juddmonte. The idea was to have five or six select broodmares. We started with lower level broodmares because we didn't want to make mistakes with very expensive broodmares.”

What started as a plan for five or six broodmares soon escalated and with a broodmare band that currently numbers some 30 head, Mesingw Farm needed a new home.

“We have had good guidance with people we've associated ourselves with,” Steve said. “When were first introduced down here, it was actually Bayne Welker from Fasig-Tipton that we met and got to know and he's been a guiding person for us all along. He is the one, when we bought the first farm in Athens, who said where you want to be is between Versailles and Midway. We bought too many mares, we outgrew our first farm and we ended up purchasing Lane's End yearling division farm on Old Frankfurt Pike. They called it the Fort Blackburn Division. That's where our horses are stabled now.”

Looking back at the farm's trajectory, Steve added, “There is no why. I just wanted to do it.”

Meringue | Coady Media

The Smiths say their operation is a mix of breed to race and to sell, as exemplified by their success at Saratoga last summer where their homebred Meringue (Frosted) finished second in the GIII Adirondack Stakes just days before they sold a colt by Good Magic for $1.6 million at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale.

“That was my dream in the breeding business,” Denise said of the sale result. “To sell a million-dollar yearling. And hopefully at Saratoga, because that's my home town. That was beyond our wildest expectations.”

As for Steve, he dreams of a victory on the First Friday in May.

“I am filly guy,” he said. “A lot of people ask me if I want to have a Derby horse and I say I want an Oaks horse. I wouldn't turn down a Derby horse, for sure, but fillies are our thing.”

He could soon check that box, too, if Explora continues on her path towards Churchill Downs. The Smiths purchased Collections Choice (Bernardini), with the future Honeybee winner in utero, for $75,000 at the 2022 Keeneland November sale. It was a productive sale for the couple, who also purchased Catbrier (Street Sense), with future 'TDN Rising Star presented by Hagyard' Meringue in utero, for $32,000 at that same auction.

The Smiths sold Explora for $22,000 at the 2024 Keeneland September sale and watched as the filly returned the following year to sell to Mike Pegram, Karl Watson, and Paul Weitman for $350,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic May 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale. The filly won the GII Oak Leaf Stakes and was second in the GI Del Mar Debutante and GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies last year before cementing her position near the top of her division in the Honeybee.

“We're proud of her,” Denise said of Explora. “We wouldn't be good breeders if we weren't producing graded stakes winners. That's the goal for all breeders, to be producing graded stakes winners.”

Steve admitted to some complex emotions watching a horse he bred head towards the Kentucky Oaks carrying someone else's colors.

“Probably a lot of mixed emotions,” he said. “Obviously, I will be so proud of her. And it will just drive me to try to get there again.”

Explora | Coady Media

The experience of selling Explora and watching her blossom into a graded-stakes winner with Classic ambitions, the Smiths have adjusted their program. When they thought they weren't getting the best price for their yearlings last fall, they weren't afraid to bring them home.

“What we did this year was a direct result of Explora,” Steve said. “I should have kept her and got her breezing and evaluated her ability at that stage of the game, even if we would have sold her and stayed in for part.

“So we kind of adjusted our model a bit. It all turns with the yearling market and what we think our yearlings are worth. We try not to be slanted, but we know what we have. We get a chance to see them race around the field, we know how they move. The yearlings we did not think the right number was there on the reserve, we just kept.”

Denise adds, “A good example is Meringue's half-brother by Oscar Performance. He was in the Keeneland sale and when it came to the day of the sale, he only had four vettings. We were shocked. So we scratched him and sent him into training. He is a good horse and we are not going to devalue him in any way. We know what we have.”

Predictably, the new approach has led to a larger class of newly turned 2-year-olds for the operation, which currently has 19 horses in training. Two of the juveniles who were taken home from the yearling sales last year will hit the track at OBS this week. Scheduled to work Friday is Candy Illusion, a filly by Twirling Candy (hip 453). She is out of Tizanillusion (Tizway), a daughter of graded-placed Hermione's Magic (Forest Wildcat), and RNA'd for $75,000 at Keeneland last September.

“As soon as Tom McCrocklin realized she didn't sell, my phone rang right away,” Steve said of Candy Illusion. “He asked what we wanted for this filly. And I said, 'I am not sure, Tom. I think I am going to keep her, but I will send her to you.'”

Expected to breeze Saturday is Flaming Martini (Flameway) (hip 728), a daughter of Eiswein (Klimt). The Smiths purchased the mare as a yearling and she raced in their Elements Racing colors.

“She broke her maiden first time out and oddly enough, just never ran that race back,” Steve said Eiswein. “So we bred her. We sold the mare in foal last year, but we kept the filly just because we liked her physical.”

For the Smiths, racing is a game of patience and it's the horses who always come first.

“It took forever to get Stellify (Justify) to the races and we would start with her, have to stop, start with her, have to stop,” Steve says of the graded stakes winner who took them to the Breeders' Cup last year. “I can't give enough credit to Brad Cox. He was patient. And he would say the same about us. He would say we are the most patient owners in the world. Really, I am not, but if you don't have patience in this business, the horses will make you have patience. You just have to take that pill and swallow it and do the best thing for the horse from a physical standpoint.”

That horse-comes-first philosophy starts right with the farm's name.

“When we moved to Kentucky in December of 2020, we were trying to decide what to name the farm,” Denise said. “I researched the native American history in Central Kentucky and I was reading all of the legends. Mesingw is the spirit guardian of the forest and the animals. He basically tested the character of hunters and young braves who would go into the forest hoping to find him to have their character tested. If they were pure of heart and took good care of the animals and were respectful, then they would have a successful hunt and if they weren't, if they were greedy or let animals suffer unnecessarily, then he would make accidents happen to them. We kind of liked that. If you treat animals well, they will treat you well.”

If 2025 was anything to go by, it would seem Mesingw is well-pleased with the Smiths. And with Stellify and Meringue still on the bench to resume racing this year, a graduate aiming for the Kentucky Oaks, and a host of racing and sales prospects just getting started, the best could be yet to come for Mesingw Farm.

The post After ‘Tough to Beat’ 2025, Mesingw Farm Ready for More in 2026 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Fresh off an action-packed Saturday at Gulfstream Park, Bill Mott wasted no time returning to the routine at his Payson Park base. The Hall of Fame trainer was back on the track the following morning to oversee Horse of the Year Sovereignty (Into Mischief) progressing toward his 4-year-old debut.

The Godolphin homebred worked four furlongs in company in :49.80. Mott described the breeze as “workmanlike,” noting that it was exactly the type of effort he has come to expect from the three-time Grade I winner.

“He's not a spectacular workhorse unless you ask him for it,” Mott explained. “He'll do whatever you want him to do. It's really what I expected and what I wanted. He finished up well enough and had a useful gallop out.”

After a commanding victory in last year's GI Travers Stakes, Sovereignty's sophomore season ended prematurely when he spiked a fever a few days before the Breeders' Cup Classic. The son of Into Mischief spent some time at Godolphin's rehabilitation and training barn with Johnny Burke at Keeneland before returning to Mott's string at Payson just after the first of the year. Sunday's breeze marked his third work back.

Mott indicated that Sovereignty will likely return to the starting gate in the GII Oaklawn Handicap on April 18. The GII Alysheba on Kentucky Oaks Friday is a secondary option, though that race is also the tentative target for Sovereignty's new stablemate Baeza (McKinzie). The 4-year-old arrived at Mott's base two weeks ago following the passing of his previous trainer John Shirreffs.

Baeza breezes for John Shirreffs on Feb. 15, 2026 at Santa Anita | Horsephotos

Of Baeza, who is co-owned by CRK Stable and breeder Grandview Equine, Mott said, “He could potentially go to the Alysheba. I know the Oaklawn Handicap was a consideration for the connections, but we've got a ways to go to get him ready.”

Last year, Baeza was third to Sovereignty in the GI Kentucky Derby and GI Belmont Stakes and runner-up behind him in the GII Jim Dandy Stakes before he earned his own Grade I score in the Pennsylvania Derby. Mott said he plans to keep the two colts separate for as long as the calendar allows, though he acknowledges their paths will converge this fall if all goes according to plan.

“If we have to run against each other, we will,” Mott said. “I don't like running against myself but they have different ownerships and those people deserve to run their horse where they have the best chance. Eventually the long-term goal would be looking at the end of the year, you hope they have to run against each other in the Breeders' Cup Classic and you hope they both make it there.”

Baeza recorded his first work for Mott on Feb. 26, going four furlongs in :49.20. The son of 2024 Kentucky Broodmare of the Year Puca (Big Brown) was last seen running sixth in the Breeders' Cup Classic and he recorded three works under Shirreffs earlier this year.

“It was nice to be considered for Baeza, but I wish I wasn't the trainer of him right now,” Mott shared. “I'm glad to have him in the barn and it's a feather in our cap that we've been chosen, but I'd rather that John had him and be competing against him. We lost one of the good guys and we'll do the best we can with the horse.”

The Mott barn's impressive depth in the older dirt male division is further bolstered with the ultra-fast 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' Knightsbridge (Nyquist), who dominated in last Saturday's GIII Gulfstream Park Mile Stakes. Another Godolphin homebred, the 5-year-old was under wraps in the stretch of his 11 1/4-length victory and he earned a 112 Beyer Speed Figure.

Knightsbridge and Junior Alvarado dominate in the GIII Gulfstream Park Mile Stakes | Lauren King

Mott reported that Knightsbridge returned to Payson Park in good order and said the next step is to elevate the three-time Grade III winner to Grade I competition. He will likely target the seven-furlong Churchill Downs Stakes on Kentucky Derby day, followed by the GI Metropolitan Handicap at Saratoga on June 6.

Knightsbridge was a winner on debut late in his juvenile season and scored a nine-length win at Gulfstream Park in his next start the following March. He was sidelined twice over the next year and a half before getting his first win of the current four-race streak last November.

“We thought we were going to be a big factor in the GII Pat Day Mile, which I was excited to run him a flat mile at Churchill Downs on Derby weekend,” Mott said. “In his last work, he came up with a minor injury and we just had to give him time. We've had to do that on more than on occasion, but finally we've got three [graded stakes] races in a row with him now. We feel like we have a little momentum and he's been coming out of those races good, so maybe he's ready for the stiffer tests that are ahead of him.”

Knightsbridge is a half-brother to Darley sire Speaker's Corner (Street Sense), who, like his younger sibling, won the GIII W. Fred Hooper Stakes and Gulfstream Park Mile. Mott said he sees similarities between the two grandsons of champion Round Pond (Awesome Again) and added that for now, Knightsbridge will stick to the mile distance.

“Speaker's Corner was very good at a flat mile, and Knightsbridge has proven that he's very good at a flat mile,” he noted. “He's a slightly different body type, but this is a gorgeous horse. Well-muscled, but very balanced. Right now we've got no reason to go beyond the mile because there's a good race at seven furlongs and a good race at a mile. He's pretty well proven that he can be effective at that and I think it would be foolish to try to stretch him out right now. Perhaps maybe later in the year, we'll give it a try. I know the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile at Keeneland is a mile, but it's a two-turn mile, so that's a little different configuration for any of them that have been running one-turn races.”

Commandment and Chief Wallabee in the GII Fountain of Youth Stakes | Lauren King

A few hours after Knightsbridge put on a show last Saturday, Mott was represented in the feature race by Chief Wallabee (Constitution). The Mott barn, which captured last year's GII Fountain of Youth Stakes with Sovereignty, had to settle for a hard-fought second this time around. After racing four wide around the turn and dueling with Wathnan Racing's Commandment (Into Mischief), Chief Wallabee came up a neck short in only his second career start.

“I was very pleased with the effort for him to run that well off of having just one one-turn race ” Mott reported. “He ran more or less a winning race, lost a little bit of ground around the last turn but put in a very nice run. You'd have to believe that he's going to keep improving a little bit with each race.”

Chief Wallabee is the first horse that Mott has trained for Kentucky-based owners Michael and Katherine Ball, whose most notable runner is multiple graded stakes-winning millionaire Limousine Liberal (Successful Appeal).

Mott shared that Chief Wallabee will likely target the March 28 GI Florida Derby.

“There are four or five races to choose from all within four or five weeks from now,” he said. “The easiest one for us to get to would be the Florida Derby. They'll all be on the list, and we'll sort it out with the owners and see if we can come up with a plan.”

The post Bill Mott Outlines Plans for Sovereignty, Knightsbridge, Baeza, Chief Wallabee appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

With Eclipse Award-winner Nitrogen (Medaglia d'Oro), who will be heavily favored in Saturday's GII Azeri Stakes at Oaklawn, having won her 2026 debut in the GIII Bayakoa Stakes, D.J. Stable could well be on its way to another successful year. But not everything has gone right in 2026 for the Green family and its stable. Two of its most prominent horses–Sandman (Tapit) and Ewing (Knicks Go)–have been surprisingly disappointing in recent races.

In hopes of getting them back on track, the stable will be sending both to Mark Casse's farm in Ocala to see if the trainer can fix what appears to be broken. Ewing has already arrived in Ocala, and Sandman will travel there next week.

Sandman won last year's GI Arkansas Derby, but has lost six of his races since. He made his 4-year-old debut in a Feb. 7 allowance Oaklawn, finishing fifth. He came back in last Saturday's GIII Razorback Handicap, also at Oaklawn, where he never picked up his feet, finishing sixth. He was beaten 18 lengths.

“Sandman is going to head back to Ocala for reevaluation,” said D.J. Stable General Manager Jon Green. “We were disappointed in the fact that it just didn't seem like he was giving his all in the most recent race. In the allowance race, we were kind of writing it off to the fact that he was down on the rail and he didn't have a chance to stretch his legs like he likes to because he's a big, leggy horse. He also got cut up from actually hitting other horses in the course of that race. So, we were willing to pass on that. The Razorback really disappointed us. He is 100 percent sound, so it's not a matter of soundness issues. We're hoping it's more a mental issue or that there's just something we're missing. He's a happy horse, but he's not giving it his all.”

Green said the plan is to regroup and bring Sandman back to the races at some point this year.

“There are not any plans to retire him at this point,” he said. “That's for the simple reason that we feel like he's got running and racing left in him. We're always going to side with the horse. If he tells us at this point in time that he's happy with his accomplishments, being a Grade I winner and making $1.5 million, then he owes us nothing. But if there is a way for us to figure out his mindset and he shows us that he does want to continue to race, hopefully Mark Casse will unlock whatever is concerning him.”

Ewing (Knicks Go) was off for more than six months after winning the GII Saratoga Special Stakes. He returned Feb. 21 and also turned in a flat performance, running sixth in the Ozark Stakes at Oaklawn as the 3-5 favorite.

“With Ewing, we're doing the same thing,” Green said. “He came out of his race and he was sound. The light just didn't go on. So, we sent him back to Ocala. They're both going to be on kind of the same journey in a sense, and that is to figure out how to get the light to turn back on. There will be an ongoing evaluation of both horses.”

The Greens are hoping for better things from Nitrogen on Saturday. A versatile 4-year-old, she finished off her year with a win in the GI Alabama Stakes before finishing second behind older horses in both the GI Spinster Stakes and the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff. But Green was quick to acknowledge that the Azeri does not look like an easy spot.

“Any time you're in a Grade I or Grade II-caliber race, there are always horses in there that you are concerned about,” he said. “The Azeri is no different. Of the six horses she will be facing, the lowest money-earner in the race is Perfect Shot, and she's made more than a half-million dollars. There are a couple of Grade I winners in there. You should always be recognizing who else is in the race and what they can do. There are some legitimate fillies in there. There are some tremendous fillies in there, and there's a reason why they are still racing–it's because they do have talent.”

Before the Bayakoa, Casse had stated that Nitrogen wasn't fully cranked up for that race. For that reason, Green believes she can run a better race Saturday.

“Going into her last race, she was about 80 percent fit,” Green said. “She's close to 100 percent fit now and doing really well. We have high expectations for her, but they still have to run the race in the afternoon.”

The post D.J. Stable To Send Sandman, Ewing To Ocala To Be Reevaluated appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Breeders' Cup Limited has joined with Brown Advisory, an independent investment management and strategic advisory firm serving individuals, families, nonprofits, institutions, and financial intermediaries worldwide, as an official partner of the 2026 Breeders' Cup World Championships, the group announced Thursday.

Under the agreement, Brown Advisory becomes the name-in-title partner of the $1 million GI Brown Advisory Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf.

“We are delighted to welcome Brown Advisory as a new official partner of the World Championships,” said Drew Fleming, President & CEO of Breeders' Cup Limited. “With a strong global presence and a client-first approach, Brown Advisory shares our commitment to excellence and to engaging a world-class audience.”

“We are thrilled to partner with the Breeders' Cup as we extend our longstanding support of racing and equestrian sport to the preeminent international event in Thoroughbred flat racing,” said Mike Hankin, Co-CEO of Brown Advisory. “Breeders' Cup and Brown Advisory share a global footprint, a focus on innovation, and a commitment to building meaningful partnerships. We look forward to this year's Brown Advisory Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf.”

The post Brown Advisory To Sponsor Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf In 2026 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.