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Justify (Scat Daddy–Stage Magic, by Ghostzapper) won't be returning to stand at Coolmore Australia this spring and will remain at Coolmore's Ashford Stud in Kentucky where he will cover a select book of mares to southern hemisphere time late in the year.

“It's a similar situation to Frankel in England where they serve mares to southern hemisphere time,” said Coolmore's Tom Magnier. “We will be sending up some of our best mares and some of our clients here will have the opportunity to send their mares to him too.”

“Many of the mares that might have visited Justify here have already been booked into our G1 Golden Slipper winner Shinzo (Aus) whose retirement was announced a few days ago,” added Magnier. “We have had a fantastic response to him from our clients.”

The Triple Crown winner has enjoyed a productive year in both hemispheres, including Northern Hemisphere champions Just F Y I and City Of Troy, in addition to Grade I winners Hard to Justify, Aspen Grove, Opera Singer and Arabian Lion. In the Southern Hemisphere, he is responsible for Storm Boy and Learning to Fly in Australia. Overall, he has 28 black-type winners and 18 group/graded winners.

The post Justify to Remain at Ashford, Will Cover Select Mares on So. Hemisphere Time appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

A new HISA computer model to identify at-risk horses is being used by Churchill Downs officials to complement existing track safety nets, representatives from the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) and Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit (HIWU) announced during Tuesday's press conference on equine safety protocols in place for this year's GI Kentucky Derby and GI Kentucky Oaks.

“It's essentially a model that looks at 44 potential risk factors that might cause a horse to be at risk for injury,” said HISA CEO Lisa Lazarus, who added that the model assigns a “numerical” value to the horses analyzed.

HISA is currently beta-testing the system with regulatory veterinarians at roughly 10 tracks around the country, said Lazarus.

“But it is being provided to Churchill Downs' head of the Derby to be one of the tools that they are able to use with their sophisticated veterinary team and practices to help determine whether there are any horses at the Derby or on Derby Day that are at risk of being injured,” she said.

Though the system as a whole is still being beta-tested, “I would expect by the end of this quarter that it's available to any regulatory veterinarian,” a HISA representative explained on background during a follow-up conversation.

“Right now, it's grabbing the things that we already know are concerning,” the HISA representative added. “It's the 'what's-going-to-happen' that's so exciting, because we've never been able to think about using data before in this way.”

Experts have long identified specific factors that place a racehorse at increased risk of injury, including fatal injury. Some of these long-understood factors include sex of the racehorse, type and distance of race, and number of previous non-fatal injuries.

The 44 factors woven into the computer model, said Lazarus, include vets' list histories, if the horse has changed hands, any drops in class, and time between races.

According to the HISA representative, the model also looks at possible associations with the horse's veterinary treatment history.

“One of the things HISA can do that the state commissions couldn't necessarily do at this scale is look for associations with treatment records,” said the HISA representative, explaining how even in fairly closed racing populations like California, such processes were difficult to accomplish for logistical reasons.

“We can look at associations between this type of treatment pattern in the past and a poor outcome,” said the representative.

As to how the system works, a daily report is generated on every horse entered to race, said the HISA representative. This report assigns a number between 0 and 44 depending on the number of individual risk factors flagged by the system.

“It's got the horse's name, it has an aggregate number, and then it has the breakdown of that within the 44 risk factors,” the HISA representative explained.

When asked if a certain numerical threshold triggers a specific set of follow-up protocols, Lazarus said that regulators have broad discretion as to how they weave the model into their existing safety and screening practices.

“It's not a tool that's designed to say this horse has to be scratched. It's a tool that's designed to help the veterinarians on the ground do the most effective veterinary inspection they can,” said Lazarus.

“These are the horses you may want to spend extra time on when you're out on your rounds,” the HISA representative further explained. “Or, if you're in a jurisdiction that does post-entry screening and then goes and looks at the horses, like in California, maybe there's an extra horse you put on your list to go and look at before race day.”

The model, said Lazarus, is still being tweaked to ensure that horses at no increased risk of injury are inadvertently flagged by the system. “The reason why we haven't deployed it everywhere yet is because we're still improving it and making sure that it's at an optimal level,” she said.

“There's always a tension between a false positive and a false negative,” agreed the HISA representative.

“There are horses where there's a predictive value here [that] go out and don't just run credibly but run off the charts and win,” the HISA representative added. “But the harm in being wrong by saying 'this horse needs extra scrutiny' is a much lesser harm than in missing a horse.”

When asked about the accuracy of the model, the HISA representative said that HISA had got the percentage of “poor outcomes” down to the low single-digits. Poor outcomes, the HISA representative further explained, includes horses scratched on race day and other injury records. “It's not just fatalities.”

Currently, horsemen are not privy to the information generated by the model, said the HISA representative, while leaving the door open to such an eventuality. “That's just a policy discussion we haven't got to yet.”

The post HISA Trialing New 44-Factor Computer Generated Risk Model at Churchill Downs appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Frankie Dettori, who hasn't ridden in the GI Kentucky Derby since an off-the-board finish in 2000 aboard Godolphin's UAE Derby winner China Visit (Red Ransom), has picked up a mount in this year's Derby in West Paces Racing LLC, Danny Gargan, and GMP Stables LLC's Society Man (Good Magic). The news was first reported by Daily Racing Form Tuesday.

Trained by Danny Gargan, who also has MGSW Dornoch (Good Magic) pointing to the big race, Society Man was last seen finishing second Apr. 6 in the GII Wood Memorial S. at Aqueduct. He was ridden by Luis Rivera, Jr. to the runner-up finish behind Resilience (Into Mischief).

The Kentucky Derby is one of the few major races worldwide that has eluded the popular Dettori, who was originally scheduled to retire in 2023. The champion jockey instead moved his tack to the U.S. late last year and postponed retirement indefinitely.

The post Dettori to Ride Society Man in Derby appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Following weeks of protracted budget negotiations, the Legislature and Executive reached an agreement that led to the final bills being printed early in the morning on Saturday, April 20, and voting was finished later that afternoon.  As a result, the New York State Fiscal Year 2025 State Budget was finalized totaling $237 billion.

Our aim is always to protect and grow New York breeding and racing. There is a perpetual need for advocacy for our sport and industry which we hope you can help contribute towards.

NYTB and our legislative affairs team in Albany continue to work on your behalf to ensure New York’s thoroughbred breeding program and racing industry continue to be the best in the nation.  Below, please find updates from the 2025 state budget regarding New York’s horse racing and the thoroughbred breeding industry. These developments are in addition to accomplishments in recent years made possible from support by NYTB members such as:

• A state-backed loan for the redevelopment of a new and improved Belmont Park.
• Increased Breeder Awards offering up to 40 percent for New York Sired progeny and 20 percent for Non-NY-Sired progeny.
• Annual Fund Caps legislation that allows the Breeding Fund to payout program awards as advertised.

• Groundbreaking anti-slaughter legislation with the support of the entire racing industry.
• Continuing to prevent legislation that would impose sales tax on the sale on the purchase of thoroughbreds sold at auction in New York.
• Protecting of Racing support payments made from Video-Lottery Terminal revenue from Resorts World Casino at Aqueduct racetrack which ensures increased purse levels in New York and the overall increase in value of stallions standing in New York.

We are thankful and appreciate the support of Governor Kathy Hochul, Senator Joseph Addabbo, Jr. (D-15), chair of the New York Senate Racing, Gaming and Wagering Committee, Assemblymember Gary Pretlow, Jr. (D-89), chair of the State Assembly Racing and Wagering Committee, and all members of the New York Senate and State Assembly who continue to recognize the importance of horse racing to the New York State economy.

It is clear that New York farms, breeders, and all stakeholders in our program depend on the policymakers in our State Capitol. This year is especially important as all New York State legislators are up for election this coming November, and those who are aligned with our priorities and help us achieve our policy goals are looking to the NYTB PAC for our support.  Our PAC can only be successful if it receives support from members like you.

Personal donations to the NYTB PAC can be made payable to the NYTB PAC online here and mailed to:

NYTB PAC
P.O. BOX 5120
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. 12866

NYTB will continue our work on your behalf and appreciates your support in these efforts.

Regards,

Najja Thompson
Executive Director

New York Fiscal Year 2025 State Budget Thoroughbred Breeding Industry & Horse Racing Updates

 

• EXTEND USE OF CAPITAL FUNDS BY OFF-TRACK BETTING CORPORATIONS

If certain conditions are met, Capital OTB is authorized to use $1 million in Fiscal Year 2025, and Catskill is authorized to use up to $2.5 million towards:

• Expenditures necessary to accept authorized wagers;
• Past due obligations, including funds owed to: New York licensed or franchised racing corporations or associations, other racing associations or organizations for the costs of acquiring a simulcast signal,the New York State Thoroughbred Breeding and Development Fund Corporation, the agriculture and New York State Horse Breeding Development Fund, or the Harry M. Zweig Memorial Fund for equine research.

• EXTEND PARI-MUTUEL TAX RATES AND SIMULCAST PROVISIONS FOR ONE YEAR

• EXTEND NEW YORK JOCKEY INJURY COMPENSATION FUND, INC. AUTHORITY THROUGH 2027

• BELMONT AT SARATOGA MEET

  Extend certain licensing flexibilities for the Belmont Festival to apply while conducted at Saratoga Race Course (through December 31, 2026).

*Contributions to the NYTB PAC are not deductible for federal income tax purposes. Total contributions from a corporation or LLC may not exceed $5,000 per calendar year in the aggregate to all New York state and local candidates and committees. Any LLC that contributes will be required to provide the NYTB PAC with details regarding the LLC’S members and their ownership interests. It is strictly prohibited to reimburse another individual’s or entity’s contribution. All contributors must be either US citizens or permanent resident aliens (green card holders).

The post NYTB Legislative Update: 2025 NY State Budget Recap appeared first on New York Thoroughbred Breeders, Inc. News.

Maiden Watch: Week of April 15-April 21

For the 20 Thoroughbreds expected to compete in 2024 is one of the most important moments of their lives, and racing luck can make or break their Derby run from the start. Some of that luck comes from the luck of the post-position draw.

Tom Rooney, president and CEO of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, discusses its new Safety Runs First campaign and how the NTRA took inspiration from the National Football League.

Byron King's Top 12 on the Road to the Kentucky Derby, presented by Spendthrift Farm.

Keeneland's April Selected Horses of Racing Age Sale will begin at 6:30 p.m. April 26, closing day of the spring meet. Click for the online catalog or the full-sale form figures.

In a move that could serve as a model for other states, Kentucky lawmakers have passed legislation that will commit up to $250,000 a year to accredited aftercare of racehorses.

Champions Justify and Gun Runner join jockey Joel Rosario in heading up the newest members of the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame's 2024 class.

Safety, welfare, and integrity programs implemented throughout the Thoroughbred racing community are highlighted on SafetyRunsFirst.com.

The List: An Update and Review of the Top 25 General Sires List Rankings

Stephen Brunetti carried on his family's Thoroughbred breeding and racing legacy. He died April 22 at his home in Del Ray, Fla.

This year's event at New Vocations Racehorse Adoption Program's facility at Mereworth Farm is free and open to the public. Reservations are recommended.

The New York State Budget for the 2025 fiscal year totaling $237 billion was finalized Apr. 20, according to the New York Thoroughbred Breeders Tuesday.

Included among the 2025 State Budget includes updates pertaining to New York's horse racing and breeding industry:

• A state-backed loan for the redevelopment of a new and improved Belmont Park.
• Increased Breeder Awards offering up to 40% for New York Sired progeny and 20% for Non-NY-Sired progeny.
• Annual Fund Caps legislation that allows the Breeding Fund to payout program awards as advertised.
• Groundbreaking anti-slaughter legislation with the support of the entire racing industry.
• Continuing to prevent legislation that would impose sales tax on the sale on the purchase of thoroughbreds sold at auction in New York.
• Protecting of Racing support payments made from Video-Lottery Terminal revenue from Resorts World Casino at Aqueduct racetrack which ensures increased purse levels in New York and the overall increase in value of stallions standing in New York
• Extend Pari-mutuel Tax Rates and Simulcast Provisions for One Year
• Extend New York Jockey Injury Compensation Fund, Inc. Authority Through 2027
• Belmont at Saratoga Meet – Extend certain licensing flexibilities for the Belmont Festival to apply while conducted at Saratoga Race Course (through Dec. 31, 2026).

For the complete budget, click here.

The post 2025 NYS State Budget Finalized, Includes Thoroughbred Industry Updates appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Repole Stable's Fierceness (City of Light) made his first appearance over the Churchill Downs main track on a sun-splashed Tuesday morning. Under regular exercise rider Danny Wright, Fierceness galloped a mile during the 7:30-7:45 training window for Kentucky Derby and Oaks runners. Wright has been the regular morning partner for the defending juvenile champion since last summer at Saratoga.

“He looked smooth and handled it well,” trainer Todd Pletcher said of the morning's activity.

Winner of the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile and GI Curlin Florida Derby, Fierceness is scheduled to work Friday morning, weather permitting.

Pletcher indicated Fierceness would make a couple of trips to the starting gate as well as a couple of paddock schooling sessions next week.

Also making his first appearance on track Tuesday morning was Tami Bobo, Julie Davies and George Isaacs' Catalytic (Catalina Cruiser), who jogged a mile under exercise rider Olaf Hernandez. Trained by Saffie Joseph Jr., the Florida Derby runner up arrived at Churchill Downs Monday morning after vanning from South Florida. Catalytic is scheduled to work Sunday.

Also getting a first look at Churchill Downs, the Chad Brown-trained Klaravich Stables' Domestic Product (Practical Joke) galloped a mile and a half during the 7:30-7:45 training window for Kentucky Derby and Oaks horses. Partnered by Peter Roman, the GIII Tampa Derby winner, who was partnered by Peter Roma was accompanied by stablemate Sierra Leone (Gun Runner), winner of the GI Blue Grass S. and GII Risen Star S.

“The first day on the track was excellent. [Domestic Product] was moving well,” Brown said.

Sierra Leone had regular exercise rider Kriss Bon aboard. Sierra Leone is owned by the partnership of Peter Brant, Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith, Westerberg and Brook Smith.

The post Fierceness, Catalytic, Domestic Product Make First Appearances at Churchill appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Thoroughbred Club of America will host a “Speaker Series” event at its Lexington headquarters Apr. 25. The discussion about Equine Diagnostic Imaging and the impact on safety are aimed at owners, trainers, breeders, farm managers, bloodstock agents, sales companies, the racing media, and other industry participants. Discussion will center around a variety of subjects, including injury detection, the diagnostics approach of PET Scan, MRI, CAT Scan, Nuclear Scintigraphy and Digital Radiography and the benefits and limitations of each.

The moderator will be Dr. Chris Kawcak, and the panelists will include: Dr. Katie Garrett (AAEP President & Rood and Riddle Imaging Specialist); Dr. Will Farmer (Equine Medical Director Churchill Downs); Dr. Laura Kennedy (UKVDL Pathologist); Dr. Robert Hunt (Hagyard Equine Surgeon); Dr. Luke Fallon (Hagyard Equine Medical Institute); Dr. Matthew Coleridge (Davidson Surgery Center); and Dr. Stuart Brown (Keeneland Vice President-Equine Safety).

Open to all industry members, a cocktail period will be held from 5:30-6:15p.m., with the program running from 6:15-7:30 p.m.

The TCA address is: 3555 Rice Road, Lexington, Kentucky.

The post TCA Hosts ‘Speaker Series’ on Equine Diagnostic Imaging, Safety and Welfare appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Granpollo Stable's Grand Mo the First (Uncle Mo), aiming for the May 4 GI Kentucky Derby, breezed six furlongs at Gulfstream Tuesday while GI Kentucky Oaks aspirant, Stonehedge LLC's Fiona's Magic (St. Patrick's Day), also continued preparations in south Florida.

The Victor Barboza Jr.-trained colt, who finished a distant third behind early Derby favorite Fierceness (City of Light) in the Mar. 30 GI Curlin Florida Derby at Gulfstream, was timed in 1:16.48 under jockey Emisael Jaramillo before galloping out a mile.

“The six-furlong workout this morning, I really liked it,” Barboza said. “It was a good work for the horse. He came back to the barn very fresh. He's ready for the move to Churchill.”

Grand Mo the First is scheduled to travel to Churchill Downs Apr. 24.

“The horse will go to Kentucky Thursday in the night and will get there early in the morning,” Barboza said.

Jaramillo will follow Grand Mo the First to Kentucky next week. The 47-year-old jockey rode in his first Kentucky Derby in 2016, finishing far back aboard Gustavo Delgado-trained Majesto.

Grand Mo the First also finished third in the Mar. 9 GII Tampa Bay Derby, in which he was just a neck behind winner Domestic Product.

Fiona's Magic tuned up for the Oaks with a six-furlong breeze in 1:15.16 Tuesday morning.

“We've just been doing some strong, long gallops with her. We breezed three-quarters. I told [exercise rider Jose Ortiz] to just go easy and finish up a little bit down the lane,” trainer Michael Yates said. “I feel like we're going in the right direction. She was very relaxed and did it well within herself.”

Fiona's Magic, who qualified for the Kentucky Oaks with a second-place finish in the GIII Forward Gal S. and a victory in Gulfstream's GII Davona Dale S., finished off the board in the Mar. 30 GII Gulfstream Park Oaks.

“We learned absolutely nothing from that race,” Yates said. “We breezed her eight days before the race and scoped her. She scoped clean. Everything looked to be on 'go.' She had no nasal discharge. Everything was normal, but after the race, we scoped her, and she was loaded with mucus.”

Yates saddled Dorth Vader for a fifth-place finish in last year's Kentucky Oaks.

“Hindsight is always 20-20. What I learned last year is there's no way that's the right way. You just have to take care of your horse the best you can,” he said.

Yates opted to prepare Fiona's Magic at Gulfstream for her serious Kentucky Oaks preparation before shipping her to Churchill Downs Apr. 25.

“I just think you need to keep your horse in whatever atmosphere is best for them to keep them training well and moving forward,” Yates aid. “That's what we chose to do.”

A rider has yet to be engaged to ride Fiona's Magic in the Oaks.

The post Classic Contenders ‘Grand Mo’, Fiona’s Magic Work at Gulfstream appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Seven supplemental entries have been added to the Keeneland April Horses of Racing Age Sale to be held Friday evening following the closing day card at the Lexington track.

The latest entries to the auction include: Life Advice (Into Mischief), consigned by Gainesway, agent; Low Country Magic (Good Magic), a three-length winner in her Apr. 17 career debut at Keeneland, consigned by I. C. Racing, agent; Maghra (Ire) (No Nay Never), consigned by Grovendale Sales, agent; Now and Later (Candy Ride {Arg}), consigned by Claiborne Farm, agent;

Proud Mary (Point of Entry), runner-up in an allowance at Keeneland Apr. 20 in her season debut, consigned by Grovendale Sales, agent.

Also added to the sale is Save the Trees (Preservationist), who stormed home at Keeneland Apr. 19 to win his career debut going six furlongs on the dirt and earn an 11 3/4 Ragozin figure. He is consigned by Airdrie Stud, agent.

Tapthedrum (Tapit), a three-quarter brother to multiple champion Monomoy Girl, is consigned by Bridlewood Farm, agent, and will sell remotely from Bridlewood Farm in Ocala, Florida.

To view the entire catalogue, click here.

The post Keeneland Debut Winners Added to April Sale appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.