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Jockey Junior Alvarado and trainer Bill Mott partnered up again for another win on Saturday's Pegasus World Cup card as Grand Job (Justify) romped home as the favorite in the GII Inside Information Stakes.

Bred in Kentucky but debuted as a 2-year-old in Ireland for then-trainer Joseph O'Brien, the daughter of Coolmore super-sire Justify hit the board in three of four starts but failed to break through for the win. Imported to North America as a 3-year-old, Grand Job found her footing in her first start for newly-crowned Eclipse-winning trainer Mott, winning her first two starts in gate to wire fashion by a total of 13 1/4 lengths before finishing second as a 4-year-old in the GIII Royal Delta Stakes. A winner again going a mile on the local course in late March of last year, she went to the sidelines for eight months and resurfaced to finish eighth when weakening from the lead at Churchill Downs sprinting six furlongs Nov. 25.

Drawn outside Saturday and going off as the favorite in her fifth consecutive race at odds of 2-1, Grand Job had plenty of early speed up the backstretch, racing three wide with Jody's Pride (American Pharoah) and One Magic Philly (Good Magic) both to her inside on the run into the far turn as the half ticked by in :45.06.

Alvarado, positioned high in the saddle and motionless past the quarter pole, clearly knew what he had as Grand Job swept past both runners and was alone turning for home before she even kicked into high gear.

A few shakes of the reins kept her focused as she easily out-finished the closing 5-1 shot Sterling Silver (Cupid) under a hand ride for the stylish win. Claret Beret (Not This Time) filled out the trifecta at 15-1.

Mott and Alvarado teamed up three races earlier to win the GIII Fred W. Hooper Stakes with 'TDN Rising Star' Knightsbridge (Nyquist) as well as the day's second race, a maiden special weight win by Swing Vote (Constitution).

“We always felt she had it in her,” Mott said. “You could see from Knightsbridge's form and her form, when they won early on, they were probably uncontested. Coming out of maidens and one-other-thans, they looked pretty good. Now that they've had time, they've looked that good against stakes quality. It was good see. It's just had to do with her development.”

“It's been an amazing day,” said Alvarado of his fourth winner on the day. “I've been on very live horses, good horses that I've been riding. This filly today, she's been ready for quite a while She was ready for me today, and I was just a passenger.”

Pedigree Note:
A $105,000 yearling pick up out of Keeneland September for Fergus Galvin, Grand Job is the 29th graded stakes winner for Triple Crown hero Justify. First dam Sure Route was stakes placed three times in North America herself and has a perfect five-for-five strike rate runners to winners led by her first foal, Grand Job's three-quarter sister Divine Image (Scat Dady) who took down the G3 Range Rover UAE Oaks in 2019 for Godolphin. That mare has since produced a group winner in France in Al Zanati (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}).

Sure Route was culled for just $17,000 listed as carrying a full-sibling to Grand Job at the 2021 Keeneland November Sale. While she ultimately failed to produce a fail from that cover, she does have a now 2-year-old Gold Pal colt in the pipeline and was served by another Coolmore sire in Tiz the Law for this season.

 

Fourth victory today for jockey @JuniorandKellyA!
Grand Job easily wins the Inside Information S. G2 presented by @MyRacehorse. #GulfstreamPark #ChampionshipMeet pic.twitter.com/VQxrwb0qhk

— Gulfstream Park (@GulfstreamPark) January 24, 2026

Saturday, Gulfstream
INSIDE INFORMATION S. PRESENTED BY MYRACEHORSE-GII, $200,000, Gulfstream, 1-24, 4yo/up, f/m, 7f, 1:21.41, ft.
1–GRAND JOB, 118, m, 5, by Justify
            1st Dam: Sure Route (GB) (MSP, $201,163), by Ishiguru
            2nd Dam: Shore Light, by Gulch
            3rd Dam: Shawgatny, by Danzig Connection
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($105,000
Ylg '22 KEESEP). O-Bell Tower Thoroughbreds and Medallion
Racing; B-Fullbury (KY); T-William I. Mott; J-Junior Alvarado.
$116,560. Lifetime Record: 10-4-4-0, $325,726. *1/2 to Divine
Image (Scat Daddy), Hwt.-UAE- at 7 – 9 1/2 f., GSW-UAE,
$391,535. Werk Nick Rating: C.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Sterling Silver, 120, m, 7, Cupid–Sheet Humor, by Distorted
Humor. ($13,000 Ylg '20 FTKSEL; $975,000 RNA 6yo '25
FTKNOV). O-Mark T. Anderson; B-Mallory & Karen Mort (NY);
T-Anthony R. Margotta, Jr. $37,600.
3–Claret Beret, 118, m, 5, Not This Time–Bessie M,
by Medallist. ($85,000 Ylg '22 KEEJAN; $375,000 Ylg '22
KEESEP). O-Miller Racing LLC; B-Mitch Haynes (KY); T-Saffie A.
Joseph, Jr. $18,800.
Margins: 2 3/4, 2 3/4, HF. Odds: 2.10, 5.40, 12.90.
Also Ran: Her Laugh, Dazzling Move, Beyond Belief, Necessity, Jody's Pride, One Magic Philly, Indy Bay, Verity. Scratched: Patricia Ann. Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

The post Mott, Alvarado Partner For Another Win As Grand Job Romps In Inside Information appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Hallandale Beach, FL–With Saturday's racing action already in full swing, the afternoon's Pegasus World Cup races got underway with 15-1 chance Destino d'Oro (Bolt d'Oro) getting up late to win the GII Filly and Mare Turf over Crevalle d'Oro (Constitution).

Not particularly hurried coming out of the gate, the Brad Cox trainee broke well but was settled back near the back as 3-1 choice In Our Time (Not This Time) raced up to the front from her outside berth with And One More Time (Omaha Beach) and Movin' On Up (Accelerate) in close pursuit through an opening quarter mile in :23.43. With And One More Time gaining a slight edge over the favorite through a :46.87 half, Destino d'Oro still had a lot to do from well over 10 lengths back.

As And One More Time and In Our Time continued to exchange blows on the front end, Destino d'Oro was swung wide turning for home and began to unfurl her bay legs down the lane. Closing by leaps and bounds through the length of the stretch, she was up in time to score by a half-length over the closing Crevalle d'Oro with Movin' On Up hanging around to grab third.

“We broke and I knew she was probably going to come from off the pace,” said winning rider Junior Alvarado. “I thought I'm a little too far back having this much horse, so I'm going to have to start picking it up soon. When I switched leads at the three-quarter pole and was getting close at the five-eighths pole, I couldn't believe how much horse I had underneath me. She came with a helluva run at the end.”

A winner first out at Kentucky Downs in the summer of her juvenile season, she ran too good to lose, finishing third, in Keeneland's GII Jessamine Stakes in October. A winner in her 3-year-old debut in a Churchill allowance last June, she added a score in the GIII Pucker Up Stakes at Ellis Park in August.

Upped to 1 5/16 miles for the GIII Dueling Grounds Oaks at Kentucky Downs on Sept. 10, the bay faded to be eighth in the GI Queen Elizabeth Cup at Keeneland in October. In her most recent start, the Steve Landers-owned filly came home a head winner over And One More Time in the 8 1/2-furlong Tropical Park Oaks at Gulfstream on Dec. 13.

“She performed here last month and I was pointing for this after that,” said Cox. “I figured she ran well here and has been training really well at Payson since and she put in a big effort.”

Facing strictly 3-year-olds last season, Saturday's race represented the first time she was encountering older rivals.

“It's always a little bit of a concern [facing older horses]. There is always a bit of a concern but it's valuable to know going in if they have run well [over the local course] in the past.”

Asked about tactics going into the Pegasus, Cox explained, “I told [Junior] to play the break. She has won the [Pucker Up] when she broke really well, which caught us completely off guard and ran a great race that day. So I felt if she's up there, that's fine. She is honest and if she is in a good spot, she'll come running.”

Explaining her unusually flat performance at Kentucky Downs last season, Cox continued, “She was bottled up that day and we had to throw that out. When she came back for the QEII, she probably wasn't doing quite as well.”

“I was thinking about stopping on her, but she came out of the QEII well enough and we shipped her down [to Gulfstream] and I thought I'd back up on her a bit and she trained well. She ran well in the Tropical Park Oaks and she hasn't missed a beat since.”

While Cox hasn't pegged an exact race for the 4-year-old's next start, he expects her to return to Grade I company before long.”
“The goal would be to give her a shot in a big race like the Jenny Wiley Stakes at Keeneland this spring,” he said. “We'll probably need one more run before than, and since she ran well here, maybe she'll have a race here before that.”

 

Pedigree Notes:

The final foal out of GI Darley Alcibiades Stakes heroine Heart of Destiny, Destino d'Oro is a granddaughter of SP Doc's Destiny, dam of MGSP Brother Bobby (Out of Place). This is the family of GI Ashland Stakes winner Rosalind (Broken Vow).

 

#3 DESTINO D'ORO ($33.20) comes flying down the outside to win the $500,000 Pegasus World Cup F&M Turf Invitational (G2) at @GulfstreamPark. The daughter of Bolt d'Oro (@spendthriftfarm) was ridden by @JuniorandKellyA and is trained by @Bradcoxracing. Steve Landers Racing owns. pic.twitter.com/kctfGCiwX4

— FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) January 24, 2026

Saturday, Gulfstream Park
PEGASUS WORLD CUP FILLY AND MARE TURF INVITATIONAL S. PRESENTED BY THOROUGHBRED AFTERCARE ALLIANCE-GII, $490,500, Gulfstream, 1-24, 4yo/up, f/m, 1 1/16mT, 1:40.33, fm.
1–DESTINO D'ORO, 120, f, 4, by Bolt d'Oro
                1st Dam: Heart of Destiny (GISP, $242,089), by Lion Heart
                2nd Dam: Doc's Destiny, by Doc's Leader
                3rd Dam: Ventured, by Codex
($20,000 Wlg '22 KEENOV; $25,000 Ylg '23 KEESEP; $185,000 2yo '24 OBSAPR). O-Steve Landers Racing LLC; B-Hurstland Farm, Inc. & James H. Greene Jr. (KY); T-Brad H. Cox; J-Junior Alvarado. $285,000. Lifetime Record: 8-5-0-1, $829,884. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Crevalle d'Oro, 118, m, 5, Constitution–Sonoma d'Oro, by Medaglia d'Oro. ($60,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP; $220,000 4yo '25 FTDAUG; $500,000 4yo '25 KEENOV). O-TCC Stables LLC, Iavarone, Michael and Iavarone, Jules; B-Sandra Sexton (KY); T-Jose Francisco D'Angelo. $95,000.
3–Movin' On Up, 118, m, 5, Accelerate–Stifle Yourself, by Cairo Prince. O-Kenneth L. Ramsey; B-Estate Of Harvey A. Clarke (KY); T-Saffie A. Joseph, Jr.. $47,500.
Margins: HF, HF, HF. Odds: 15.60, 31.50, 7.30.
Also Ran: Whiskey Decision, Heredia (GB), Caitlinhergrtness, And One More Time, Proctor Street, In Our Time, Breath Away (GB), Ready for Shirl, Classic Q. Scratched: Awesome Czech, Candy Quest.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

The post Destino d’Oro Runs Down Rivals to Win Pegasus World Cup Filly and Mare Turf appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Litigation (Twirling Candy) posted four victories last season, with three in a row at one point, and he got right back to winning ways in his 2026 bow.

Breaking his maiden in the middle of his campaign last year, he picked up two additional wins in succession against allowance company sprinting on the grass, defeating GISW Troubleshooting (Not This Time) while he was at it, and rallied belatedly at Keeneland in October to miss collecting his fourth in a row. He redeemed himself two back Oct. 31 when he defeated a Churchill allowance group across town and post his best career figure to date with a 92 Beyer. Litigation was last seen Dec. 20 at this venue running sixth in the Janus Stakes after being jostled at the break, and checked at the three-eighths marker.

Made the lukewarm 5-2 favorite here, he watched the race unfold from eighth as 3-1 second choice Coppola (Into Mischief) set the early fractions of :20.79 and four furlongs clocked in :43.20 as the field launched rallies behind that leader coming off the bend. Swung seven wide in upper stretch, Litigation roared home in the final strides to nail 96-1 longshot Full Disclosure (Cajun Breeze) by a neck. My Boy Prince (Cairo Prince) matched strides with the lead group in the final yards, and lost the photo for second by a nose, having to settle for third.

During the running, around the sixteenth pole, Unconquerable Keen (Ire) (Clodovil {Ire}) clipped heels and lost the rider, completing the race without Umberto Rispoli and was collected by an outrider afterwards. The Stewards conducted a review of the running, but reported to not find any reason to alter the original order of finish.

Litigation is the third stakes horse for dam Argue behind his half-sisters Slimey (Quality Road), purchased by Japanese connections in 2023, and SW Quality Response (Quality Road), who was exported to Australia in 2022. All of the winner's half-siblings to make it to the races have gotten their picture taken, and all four sisters, including the two black-type mares, are winner producers. The first live foal after several years of poor breeding luck for Argue, Litigation has a juvenile full-brother in the wings. The mare is due to Blame in 2026.

 

GULFSTREAM PARK TURF SPRINT S. PRESENTED BY SEMINOLE HARD ROCK, $155,000, Gulfstream, 1-24, 4yo/up, 5fT, :55.03, fm.
1–LITIGATION, 120, c, 4, Twirling Candy–Argue, by Storm Cat. 1ST BLACK TYPE WIN. O-Stone Farm; B-Stone Farm (KY); T-Brian A. Lynch; J-Mario Gutierrez. $87,420. Lifetime Record: 9-5-1-0, $362,641. *1/2 to Slimey (Quality Road), SP, $265,964.
2–Full Disclosure, 118, g, 7, Cajun Breeze–Theladysaidno, by Concerto. O-Sherry Racing, Inc.; B-Shadybrook Farm Inc (FL); T-Mohamed Jehaludi. $33,200.
3–My Boy Prince, 122, g, 5, Cairo Prince–Hopping Not Hoping, by Silent Name (Jpn). (C$115,000 Ylg '22 CANSEP). O-Gary Barber; B-Murray Graham Smith (ON); T-Mark E. Casse. $14,100.
Margins: NK, NO, 1HF. Odds: 2.90, 96.40, 4.20.
Also Ran: Asher's Edge, And Uwish, Coppola, Sam the Sham, Incanto (Ire), Eamonn, Out On Bail, Unconquerable Keen (Ire). Scratched: Khaadem (Ire), Sosua Summer.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

The post Litigation Back to Winning Ways in Gulfstream Park Turf Sprint appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Less than 48 hours after Team Godolphin celebrated Horse of the Year success, among other plaudits, at the Eclipse Awards ceremonies in nearby Palm Beach, 'TDN Rising Star' presented by Hagyard Knightsbridge (Nyquist) kept the good times rolling, as he contested a hot pace outside of his less-experienced chief market rival Life and Times (Justify), got the better of that duel turning for home and kicked on gamely to take out Saturday's GIII Fred W. Hooper Stakes at Gulfstream Park.

Favored at 4-5 off a maiden success at the graded level in the seven-furlong GIII Mr. Prospector Stakes last time, the May foal bounced away alertly from gate six and argued the pace from the outside, as the rail-drawn Life and Times–big-figure winner of each of his two career starts to date–showed the way through an opening quarter mile in :23.64 down the chute and the duo were well and truly after one anonther after four furlongs in :45.25.

Going nicely in hand on the turn, Knightsbridge nosed in front under a hold at the five-sixteenths, opened a winning margin and held sway to the wire, as 26-1 Back Em Up (Take Charge Indy) spiced up the exotics. Life and Times managed to hold on for third.

“Our horse was on his game today,” said Bill Mott, who won his fifth Eclipse Award Thursday evening. “He's had his third race in this cycle and finally up to showing what we thought he could do. He's showed signs of that before. Some of his races have been very easy wins, but today was against the better field and he drew away from them pretty handily.”

Mott indicated that the GIII Gulfstream Park Mile on Feb. 28 could be next for his charge.

Named a 'Rising Star' when demolishing Churchill maidens by better than 10 lengths in November 2023, Knightsbridge took a course-and-distance allowance by nine lengths the following March, but was not seen again until that October, when he dead-heated for third in the GIII Perryville Stakes at Keeneland. Runner-up in a mile allowance here last Feb. 15, the dark bay resumed from a nine-month absence to take a muddy Aqueduct allowance Nov. 22 before romping in the Mr. P. last time.

Pedigree Notes:

Knightsbridge is one of 22 horses to strike at the graded level for his sire, and the cross over Bernardini has been a particularly potent one, resulting in top-level scorers champion Immersive, 'TDN Rising Star' presented by Hagyard Nysos and Gretzky the Great. Godolphin's 2024 GIII Stonestreet Lexington Stakes hero Encino is also bred on the same cross.

A half-brother to Grade I winner Speaker's Corner (Street Sense)–himself a winner of the Gulfstream Park Mile–Knightsbridge is out of an unraced daughter of $5.75-million Fasig-Tipton November acquisition Round Pond, who won the 2006 GI Breeders' Cup Distaff the same day the aforementioned Street Sense took out the Juvenile. Tyburn Brook is therefore a half-sister to GISW Highland Falls (Curlin), former UAE Group 1 winner Long River (A.P. Indy) and SW & GSP Lake Lucerne (Dubawi {Ire}). This is also the family of G1 Irish 2000 Guineas winner Black Minnaloushe.

Tyburn Brook is also the dam of the 3-year-old filly Lady Brompton (Street Sense) and a yearling full-brother to Speaker's Corner. She is due to produce a full-sibling to Knightsbridge in 2026.

Saturday, Gulfstream Park
FRED W. HOOPER S. PRESENTED BY VISIT LAUDERDALE-GIII, $150,000, Gulfstream, 1-24, 4yo/up, 1m, 1:35.12, ft.
1–KNIGHTSBRIDGE, 124, h, 5, by Nyquist
                1st Dam: Tyburn Brook, by Bernardini
                2nd Dam: Round Pond, by Awesome Again
                3rd Dam: Gift of Dance, by Trempolino
'TDN Rising Star' presented by Hagyard. O/B-Godolphin (KY); T-William I. Mott; J-Junior Alvarado. $90,210. Lifetime Record: 7-5-1-1, $379,755. *1/2 to Speaker's Corner (Street Sense), GISW, $739,963. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus* Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Back Em Up, 118, g, 4, Take Charge Indy–Archer City, by Silver City. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($37,000 RNA Wlg '22 KEENOV; $65,000 Ylg '23 KEESEP; $32,000 2yo '24 OBSMAR). O-Keough and Meaney, LLC and TCC Stables, LLC; B-Chris & Mackenzie Johnson (KY); T-Bobby S. Dibona. $29,100.
3–Life and Times, 118, g, 5, Justify–Silky Serenade, by Unbridled's Song. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. O-Michael B. Tabor; B-Chelston (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher. $14,550.
Margins: 4 3/4, 3HF, 1. Odds: 0.80, 26.70, 1.70.
Also Ran: Racing Driver, Tour Player, Steal Sunshine, Catalytic, Nelson Avenue. Scratched: Con Compania (Chi).
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

#6 KNIGHTSBRIDGE ($3.60) had plenty left late after an all out battle with Life and Times from the start to win the $175,000 Fred W. Hooper (G3) at @GulfstreamPark. The son of Nyquist (@DarleyAmerica) was ridden by @JuniorandKellyA, trained by Bill Mott, and owned by @godolphin. pic.twitter.com/lJJYndSS21

— FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) January 24, 2026

The post Knightsbridge Wins Battle and War In Fred W. Hooper appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Edited Press Release

Ahead of the OBSOnline January Sale and January Winter Mixed Sale, OBS has upgraded its internet bidding platform for both live and timed auctions.

For new users, please go to the login page bid.obssales.com/login and register to be a new bidder.

Instructions for NEW users:

• Go to the login page–bid.obssales.com/login
• Select the “Register Now” button
• Follow the prompts
• Be sure to check your emails for account activation invitations

 

For existing users, as part of the migration process, existing passwords could not be moved over. To regain access in the new platform, existing users will need to go to the login page bid.obssales.com/login and use the “Forgot Password” feature to establish a new password.

 

Instructions for EXISTING users:

• Go to the login page–bid.obssales.com/login
• Click “Forgot Password”
• Re-enter the email used for the existing account
• An email will be sent to the email address provided with a link to reset your password.
• Follow the prompts and you will be able to access the bidding platform.

 

If you do not receive a password reset email, please check your spam or junk folder.

The post OBS Updates Online Bidding Platform appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

There will be plenty of music at Gulfstream Park Jan. 24 on a typically festive Pegasus World Cup day. The DJs in the hospitality areas will probably be playing lots of pop and hip-hop. But on the racetrack, it could be Disco Time.

The son of Mineshaft won two grade 2 stakes and placed in three grade 1 stakes on his way to earning more than $1.5 million.

The nominees for the 2026 George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award include Tyler Baze, Alex Birzer, Julien Leparoux, Jareth Loveberry, and Tim Thornton.

Blackout Time, scratched by regulatory veterinarians from the Oct. 31 Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) at Del Mar, posted his first published workout since his withdrawal from that race in breezing 3 furlongs in :37 1/5 Jan. 23 at Fair Grounds.

Imperial Emperor booked a spot in the Dubai World Cup (G1) and Opera Ballo earned a start in the Dubai Turf (G1T) with victories on Fashion Friday at Meydan Racecourse Jan. 23.

Starke's finest moment in the saddle came when guiding Danedream to victory in the 2011 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (G1). The following year, he and the same filly won the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes (G1) at Ascot.

Six Speed, racing for new American owners, won the UAE Two Thousand Guineas (G3), surprising his jockey and trainer and moving one step closer to returning to the Bluegrass for the Kentucky Derby (G1).

The New York Racing Association is preparing to pass the torch to a newly reconstructed Belmont Park and goodbye to Aqueduct, ending more than a century of racing in Ozone Park.

The 2026 turf racing season will kick into gear with the Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational Stakes (G1T), the first top-level domestic grass stakes of the new year.

The Road, presented by Gainesway. A look at contenders on the Triple Crown trail.

The 2025 season didn't go as flawlessly for 2024 Horse of the Year Thorpedo Anna, but when pushed to her absolute limit in the Personal Ensign Stakes (G1), fans again saw the champion's heart.

Tom Ryan, the racing manager for SF Racing, tweeted Friday morning that Madaket Road (Quality Road) will not compete in Saturday's GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational at Gulfstream Park.

“Madaket Road won't participate in the Pegasus,” read Ryan's tweet. “He seems to have an abscess brewing – unfortunate timing. He will ship back to California shortly.”

SF Racing is co-owner of the 4-year-old colt who is trained by Bob Baffert. He was 10-1 in the morning line and is coming off a fourth-place finish in the GI Malibu Stakes. With the scratch of Madaket Road, Lightning Tones (Tonalist) will draw into the race.

Madaket Road won't participate in the Pegasus. He seems to have an abscess brewing – unfortunate timing. He will ship back to California shortly.

— Tom Ryan (@TomRyanKY) January 23, 2026

The post Madaket Road Will Scratch From Pegasus World Cup Invitational appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

On Thursday in Palm Beach, Bob Duncan was honored with a Special Eclipse Award for Career Excellence acknowledging his contribution to the sport of horse racing through his work at the starting gate.

I loudly applaud the NTRA, DRF and National Turf Writers & Broadcasters for recognizing Bob's unique talent and gift to racing with this award. I applaud Bob himself for his approach to his craft and the shining example he has set in handling horses with respect as partners in winning races.

Bob and his craft are known to anyone that has worked on a racetrack in the U.S.–myself included. But it was through his efforts with Quality Road as a 4-year-old that I came to better understand just how insightful, dedicated and generous Bob is with horses and people.

After being scratched at the starting gate for the 2009 GI Breeders Cup Classic and being reluctant to load on a plane to return from California to New York, Quality Road was branded as a talented but unpredictable rogue. At that time, as General Manager for Ned Evans Spring Hill Farm, the owner/breeder of Quality Road, I knew this label was inaccurate as did his trainer Todd Pletcher, jockey John Velazquez and anyone close to the horse.

Going forward, we employed Bob to reeducate Quality Road at the gate in an effort to allow him to reach his full potential. At a point where he could have been retired as a Grade I-winning, multiple track record setting 3-year-old known for bad behavior, instead, through Bob's work and wisdom, as a 4-year-old Quality Road won three more Grade Is, set another track record, redeemed his reputation and retired to stud with the highest stud fee of his intake year.

As a result, Quality Road bred high-quality mares making him champion freshman sire. He has gone on to become a leading stallion of multiple champions with 17 Grade I winners and counting, plus he will leave a positive and lasting mark on the breed.

None of this would have been possible without Bob Duncan. What he turned around in Quality Road, he has prevented happening in countless other horses. Bob's work ethic, empathy, nonverbal communication skills and innate respect for the horse as a sentient being, led to the development of a philosophy and approach to horse handling at the starting gate that has benefitted horses and horsemen for decades.

From my perspective though, Bob's biggest gift is the example he has set–an example of horsemanship, respect, partnership, empathy and understanding. Communicate with the horse in terms he can understand, not ignorantly expecting him to learn our language. Treat the horse with respect; like with people, it must be given to be reciprocated. Develop a partnership with the horse, not a dominant/submissive relationship, if you want him to give you his all. These examples and so many more to follow in our approach to horse handling.

In this day and age where the horse can be viewed as an asset to be developed, whose nature, athleticism and will must adapt to our schedule and expectations, Bob's example glaringly reminds us that taking care of the horse, putting the horse's best interests first is not only the ethical, moral and right thing to do, it just so happens to be good business as well.

On behalf of the horse, thank you Bob!

The post Letter To The Editor: Bob Duncan’s Example appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) has canceled Saturday's live racing program at Aqueduct Racetrack due to arctic temperatures and sub-zero wind chill values forecast to impact the metropolitan area throughout the day, the association said in a press release on Friday morning.

Additionally, Laurel Park in Maryland has also canceled their 10-race Saturday card due to the expected frigid temperatures.

As previously reported, NYRA has also shifted Sunday's live racing program to Wednesday due to a powerful winter storm expected to bring heavy snowfall to the region.

Saturday's featured Interborough Stakes will be brought back for Friday, Feb. 6, with entries to be taken on Saturday, Jan. 31.

The Big A will remain open for simulcasting on Saturday but closed to the public on Sunday.

Racing will resume at Laurel Park on Friday, Jan. 30.

The post Falling Temps: NYRA And Laurel Cancel On Saturday appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Godolphin may not have been a presenting sponsor of the 55th annual Eclipse Awards, but the international racing and breeding behemoth surely dominated the Jan. 22 presentations.