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Donna Herrick, a beloved and enduring presence in the Southern California racing community and a pillar of Del Mar, died April 15 at the age of 97, surrounded by family.

Presumptive Kentucky Derby (G1) favorite Renegade had his penultimate work before the first Saturday in May April 16 at Palm Beach Downs.

Sovereignty and Journalism are not alone in the April 18 Oaklawn Handicap (G2) as competitors with Kentucky Derby (G1) experience. Publisher and White Abarrio also raced in the first leg of the Triple Crown with less distinction.

Hip 1112, a half sister to 2025 champion female sprinter Shisospicy by grade 1 winner Yaupon, will be among Julie Davies' offerings on the final day of the Ocala Breeders' Sales Spring 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale April 17.

At the end of the third session of the Ocala Breeders' Sales Spring 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale, Monique Delk, on behalf of Vincent Viola's St. Elias Stable, went to $925,000 to secure a speedy daughter of Liam's Map.

Hip 840, a filly by Bolt d'Oro out of grade 2-placed, grade 3 winner Gas Station Sushi, becomes the fourth seven-figure sale during the Ocala Breeders' Sales Spring 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale, after Bill Childs bought her for $1.3 million.

Tommy Wente Jr. celebrated a career-defining moment at the OBS Spring 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale April 16. His homebred Speaker's Corner colt, co-bred with Scott Stephens, drew an $875,000 bid—the highest price ever for a homebred sold by Wente.

Fasig-Tipton has cataloged 143 entries for its April Digital Sale. Bidding is now open and will close April 21 beginning at 2 p.m. ET.

For the 152nd Kentucky Derby (G1), oddsmaker Nick Tammaro's current projection lists Renegade at 9-2, Commandment at 5-1, and Further Ado at 6-1.

Melbourne Cup (G1) winner Half Yours is on track to resume in the All Aged Stakes (G1) at Randwick Racecourse April 18, with connections mapping an ambitious and somewhat unconventional return against elite weight-for-age opposition.

Applications for The Jockey Club Thoroughbred Incentive Program's two annual awards, the Thoroughbred of the Year Award and the Young Rider of the Year Award, are now open.

1/ST president Aidan Butler implores the Thoroughbred industry to put its support behind the SAFE Act, showing a "firm commitment to equine welfare."

When it comes to horses suffering severe injuries, there are those that fall into a gray area. They may be seriously hurt and unable to resume their racing careers, but that doesn't mean they can't be saved.

However, that usually means expensive surgeries, long rehabilitation periods and no guarantees that they will ever be able to have second careers.

What should an owner do? Euthanize the horse or go the extra mile and do what it takes to save them? It's a difficult decision, and one that many owners have faced. Often, and primarily because of the expenses involved, the decision is made to put the horse down.

But now, there is another option. A new initiative, HISA Equine Recovery Foundation (HERF), has begun its mission, which is to provide critical assistance for Thoroughbred racehorses that have sustained career-ending but treatable injuries. HERF accepts injured horses into its program from owners who otherwise might have chosen to euthanize them. They are sent to the Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital, where the surgeons perform the operations for free. All other costs of the care and rehab of the horses are paid for by HERF. Rood & Riddle is one of the many equine hospitals and surgeons that will be included in the HERF network. The Network will also include transportation companies, rehabilitation farms and aftercare facilities. It will be an inclusive network and everyone that would like to participate is encouraged to reach out.

While HISA kick-started the charity, it is not funding it. HERF relies on private donations. HERF has received several six-figure donations from individuals and organizations to get it going. HISA employees also contributed out of their own pockets, raising $30,000. Not a single HISA employee declined to make a donation. HERF will also be relying heavily on in-kind donations from people who can provide products and services that HERF needs (vanning, stabling, etc.)

HERF will act as a program not unlike the one started by 1/ST Racing in 2021 in which the racing company works with surgeons and veterinarians to make the assessment as to whether an injured horse is a good candidate for surgery and a successful outcome. If the horse passes the test, and the owner is unable to make a financial contribution, the costs will be covered. NYRA also has a program to assist horses in need.

“What we want to accomplish is to be able to say that if a horse does not have a catastrophic breakdown that truly requires it to be euthanized immediately because it just would be inhumane not to, there are options,” said Mandy Minger, the Executive Director of HERF. “That horse can be transported back to its stall, given pain medicine, and receive radiographs with a surgical consultation so that the owner and trainer can make the best decision possible for that horse. And if they decide not to proceed with the surgery, but the horse is a good candidate for surgery, the connections have the ability to sign the horse over to the foundation. We will cover all expenses for transporting the horse to the surgical hospital, all costs associated from there on with the surgery, with the rehab, and ultimately through entering an aftercare program. If the horse has to live in a sanctuary its whole life, we will find a way to find that horse a very soft landing spot.”

HERF Board Member and former nurse Griffin Johnson with Dr. Ali Broyles after surgery at Rood &Riddle. Johnson has created a social media campaign to bring awareness to HERF's cause | courtesy HERF

According to HERF Chairman of the Board Joe DeFrancis, the foundation is filling a need, protecting vulnerable horses.

“The goal of HERF is to fulfill what I would describe as a hole or a gap in the existing equine welfare infrastructure,” DeFrancis said. “There are horses that suffer career-ending injuries that are not necessarily fatal for medical reasons, but either for financial or logistical reasons, are being euthanized. Whereas if timely and proper medical treatment were to be applied, the horse could survive and could possibly go on to another career outside of horse racing. Maybe not in some cases, but at the very least survive and not have to lose its life. That is what HERF is designed to do. The basic purpose of HERF is to provide funds that will address this problem.”

This is not for the top-shelf horses in the sport, ones that can go on to be sires or broodmares, where it makes economic sense to bear the costs of saving horses who can be bred and generate income. It is meant to be a safety net so no horse is left behind.

“We want people to give these horses to us and we want owners to feel like it's a no-judgment zone,” Minger said. “I think the vets are excited for this type of program to be here as a safety net for the horses.”
HERF has officially been in business for less than two weeks and has yet to focus on promoting the project. But the word is out and horses are arriving in quick order. DeFrancis estimated that the foundation will, at the outset, take in an average of one horse per week, and expects that number to grow substantially with time. They are seeing horses with condylar fractures, sesamoid injuries, slab fractures, and in one case, a cardiac issue.

“This program, specifically, is fairly new, and it is my understanding that it is geared towards certain racetracks,” said Dr. Ali Broyles, who has performed surgeries on two HERF horses at Rood & Riddle. “Finances are a consideration for people when they have horses with injuries. The nice thing about this program is that there are some horses with injuries that maybe we can repair that will make them, not necessarily a good candidate for a racehorse, but definitely a better candidate for a second career. There's a fair number of horses who will benefit from it and can go on and contribute to the horse industry in a different way. So it's exciting to be a part of this project.”

In the best-case scenarios, the horses will be able to go on to a second career. But, for some, that will not be an option.

HERF board member Katherine DeFrancis gets some love at Bonita Farm in Maryland, which will serve as a rehab farm for the organization | courtesy HERF

“Will they be pasture pets or riding horses? It will be a combination of both,” Minger said. “It will depend on whatever their individual recovery allows them to do. Right now, we believe that with the three horses we've taken in with condylar fractures, it looks very good for them going on to some type of a riding career.”

Minger added that HERF will also look to have some of its graduates go on to careers as therapy horses.

The industry has made impressive strides when it comes to aftercare and the number of horses who are sent to slaughter has dropped significantly. That's due, in large part, to the good work being done by the dozens of aftercare organizations that have sprung up over the last 20 years or so. But the problem many face is how to fund their operations.

That will be an issue for HERF, as well, and maybe even more so than what other groups face because what HERF is doing is expensive. DeFrancis said HERF will need “upwards of a million dollars” annually to accomplish its mission.

HERF has launched its pilot program in the Mid-Atlantic, Arkansas, Illinois, and Ohio regions, with the goal of operating at all 41 HISA thoroughbred tracks within the next 12 months.

“There's no doubt in this day and age, we have to go the extra mile and literally look behind every tree and under every rock to do everything we possibly can to promote and enhance equine health, safety, and welfare,” DeFrancis said. “What HERF will do is provide a vehicle for what I'll call the kings of our sport, or even the common person that can spare 10 bucks, to provide funding that will allow us to provide medical care for those horses that suffer a career-ending injury and have no further future as a racehorse.”

DeFrancis has long been an advocate for the horse and has been at the forefront of the aftercare and retirement causes. He believes that HERF is all about the sport evolving and doing everything possible to save an injured horse. He says that has to be the new way forward.

“We are looking to fill a gap in the existing industry infrastructure to provide for equine health, safety, and welfare,” he said. “This is something that was falling between the cracks and it shouldn't have. That's the bottom line. We're now in the 21st century and if we want to have a future as a sport and as a business, we have to do things differently. That's the most important thing. The old ways of doing business in the 20th century, while they were justified by basic economics, are now no longer acceptable due to today's societal norms.”

For more information on HERF, visit www.equinerecovery.org.

The post Giving Injured Horses a Chance to Survive: That’s What HERF Is All About appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

After open letters to the industry Thursday from 1/ST President Aidan Butler and The Jockey Club backed the Save America's Forgotten Equines (SAFE) Act, Breeders' Cup Limited also voiced support.

Breeders' Cup Limited supports the Save America's Forgotten Equines (SAFE) Act, a bipartisan piece of legislation that would permanently prohibit the slaughter of American horses for human consumption and end their export for that purpose abroad. This measure represents a critical step toward ensuring all horses, regardless of their stage of life, are treated with decency and care.

Breeders' Cup Limited has long prioritized equine safety and welfare through industry-leading safety protocols, veterinary oversight, and collaboration with regulators. We join 1/ST Racing, The Jockey Club, and more than 225 co-sponsors of the SAFE Act in urging Congress to enact this important legislation, reaffirming a national commitment to the humane treatment of horses.

The post Open Letter to the Industry: Permanently Prohibit the Slaughter of American Horses appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Donna Herrick, a beloved and enduring presence in the Southern California racing community and a pillar of the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club, passed away peacefully Wednesday at the age of 97, surrounded by family.

Alongside her late husband Bill, Donna was deeply devoted to Thoroughbred racing for more than four decades. Together, they were not only passionate owners but also among Del Mar's most loyal patrons, maintaining a fifth-floor suite for more than 30 years and becoming fixtures of the seaside track each summer.

Their impact on the sport extended well beyond their presence. As owners, the Herricks campaigned several accomplished runners, including Grade II winners Magnum (Arg) and Nuclear Debate; and several Grade III winners including Robyn Dancer who was twice third in the Breeders' Cup; Classy Women; Lasersport; and Short Route. Magnum also delivered a memorable performance when finishing a thrilling second in the GI Santa Anita Handicap behind Lava Man.

Medici Code captured the 2007 running of the GII Del Mar Derby. Years later, that legacy came full circle as their daughter, Susie Galland, racing in partnership with Little Red Feather, returned to the Del Mar winner's circle when The Padre (Ire) captured the 2025 Del Mar Derby in an emotional continuation of a family tradition deeply rooted in the track they loved.

Donna's influence on racing lives on through her family. Her son Joe is a trainer, continuing the hands-on horsemanship that defined the Herricks' approach to the sport. Her daughter Susie remains actively involved as an owner, while Joan and George Scott also carry forward their own family's racing interests. Together, they represent a new generation guided by the same passion, integrity, and love for the game that Donna and Bill embodied.

More than her success on the track, Donna will be remembered for her warmth, generosity, and the deep relationships she built within the racing community. To many, Del Mar was simply a summer destination, but to Donna, it was home.

She is reunited with her beloved husband Bill, with whom she shared a lifetime of memories in racing and beyond.

Donna is survived by her children Kathy (Terry) Lathrum; Joan (George) Scott; Bill (Rose) Herrick; Leann (Jim) Van Langen; Susie (Britt) Galland; and Joe (Erin) Herrick, as well as 20 grandchildren and 25 great-grandchildren.

Their legacy endures not only in the record books, but in the family and community they helped shape.

The post Long-Time SoCal Owner Donna Herrick Passes Away at 97 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

After closing in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic and never reopening, local interests in Burns, Oregon are attempting to get Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse racing going again at the Harney County Fairgrounds in that rural, high-desert town, with the hope of regaining a three-date spot on the state's 2027 summer circuit.

“The community is highly motivated to reinstate racing,” Oregon Racing Commission executive director Connie Winn said during the board's monthly meeting on Thursday.

Ideally, Burns, a county-seat town of 2,700 that is known as the “gateway to the Steens Mountains,” would revert to its traditional late July meet, which it last conducted in 2019.

The fairgrounds there has continued to host an annual five-day fair and rodeo around Labor Day.

Given the erosion of racing throughout the Pacific Northwest and the total collapse of the neighboring Northern California fairs circuit, Oregon has defied the odds by tenaciously retaining a foothold on mixed-meet racing with a four-stop seasonal circuit.

For 2026, Oregon will have race meets at:

• Union (Eastern Oregon Livestock Show): June 12-14.
• Grants Pass Downs: June 20, 21, 27, 28 and July 3-5.
• Prineville (Crooked River Roundup): July 15-18.
• Tillamook County Fair: Aug. 5-8.
• Grants Pass: Sept. 13, 14, 20, 21, 27, 28 and Oct. 4, 5, 11, 12.

Winn reported at the Apr. 16 meeting that she and other commission staffers recently toured the fairgrounds to see what would be needed to get the facility in shape to host racing.

“The list is long. These are the highlights,” Winn said.

“Improving the track surface and overall condition. They have a very clay-rich track. And no work has been done on it in six years. They would probably need a lot of sand and other work on it to get it into shape,” Winn said.

“They completely demolished their paddock and jockeys' room. So both of those would have to be rebuilt. And they need a starting gate. So they have some really big purchases,” Winn said.

“On a plus, where the paddock and jockeys' room used to be, they've built a gigantic pole barn that can be multi-purpose for many different things. A portion of that is open on three sides. It could even be used as a really nice covered paddock, so it may not be as bad as it sounds,” Winn said.

The post Closed for Seven Years, Harney County Fair in Oregon Seeks to Race in ’27 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Following 1/ST President Aidan Butler's open letter to the industry Thursday outlining 1/ST's support for the Save America's Forgotten Equines (SAFE) Act, The Jockey Club expressed additional support of the SAFE Act and the future of horse racing, pledging to advance landmark legislation and see it become law. 

The Jockey Club stands with 1/ST President Aidan Butler and his colleagues at 1/ST for their support of the SAFE Act and their recent, highly effective work to gain attention for this critical issue for the future of horse racing. We pledge to work with 1/ST and others in the industry to advance this landmark legislation and finally see it become law.

To date there are more than 225 co-sponsors of the SAFE Act. Thank you to lead supporters Representatives Vern Buchanan (R-FL) and Jan Schakowsky (D-IL). The Jockey Club renews our call for House leadership to pass this bipartisan legislation for the benefits of the American economy and a strong American sports tradition. We encourage all members of the Thoroughbred community to express their support for the SAFE Act, especially now as interest in the sport is at its greatest during the Triple Crown season.

The Jockey Club has partnered with the Final Stretch Alliance to End Horse Slaughter and other racing industry groups by directly making our case for the SAFE Act to House and Senate leadership.

We have joined animal welfare groups in support of their Hill efforts, including, since 2016, being a member of the Humane World for Animals' (formerly HSUS) National Horse Racing Advisory Council, which with others in animal welfare has lobbied Congress to both ban slaughter in the U.S. and make it a crime to transport America's horses out of the country for slaughter. In addition, we work closely on this issue with the Center for Humane Economy and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

The SAFE Act is one necessary aspect of the safety and welfare of our sport's central figure–the Thoroughbred. The Jockey Club is a longstanding and principal supporter of Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance and similar efforts, such as the Thoroughbred Incentive Program, to care for and give Thoroughbreds a career after their racing and breeding roles are over. We continue to encourage all in the Thoroughbred industry to make the safety and wellbeing of the Thoroughbred our top priority.

The post Open Letter to the Industry: The Safety and Wellbeing of the Thoroughbred appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

by Jessica Martini & Stefanie Grimm

OCALA, FL – With vibrant trade throughout the day, the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's Spring 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale concluded its third session Thursday with figures still well ahead of its 2025 renewal and on track for a record-setting gross, average and median ahead of the auction's final session Friday. A filly by Bolt d'Oro became the auction's fourth million-dollar juvenile when purchased by Bill Childs's CSLR for $1.3 million. The session-topper was consigned by Raul Reyes's Kings Equine.

Through three of four sessions, 478 horses have grossed $77,715,000 for an average of $162,584 and a median of $75,000. The average is up 13.7% from the corresponding 2025 figure and the median is up 15.4%.

Both average and median are ahead of the auction's record figures for each metric. The 2025 Spring sale concluded with its third straight record average of $139,343, while the auction's record median of $70,000 was set in 2024. With one day of selling still to come, the Spring sale is just $14,414,000 short of its record gross of $92,129,000 set in 2022.

Through three sessions a year ago, 482 horses had sold through the ring for a gross of $68,940,000, an average of $143,029 and a median $65,000.

From 916 catalogued juveniles, 593 have gone through the ring with 115 failing to meet their reserves for a buy-back rate of 19.4%. That figure was 18.4% at the same point a year ago.

“It's been tough,” bloodstock agent Lauren Carlisle admitted of the market in Ocala this week. “The high-end horses are extremely high. There is really not a lot of middle. So if you see one you want to buy–especially the colts–it's the same story it always is. You have to spend.”

The final session of the OBS Spring sale gets underway Friday morning at 10:30 a.m.

A Fine Meal Indeed: Gas Station Sushi's Bolt d'Oro Filly A $1.3-Million Delicacy

Eight years ago, Spendthrift Farm went to $675,000 to purchase GSW Gas Station Sushi at the 2018 Fasig-Tipton November Sale. She subsequently visited several of the farm's top young stallions for her early covers and struck gold Thursday when her 2-year-old Bolt d'Oro filly (hip 840) reached $1.3 million on a final bid from CSLR's Bill Childs at OBS April.

“Her speed [made her stand out],” said Ned Toffey of the Spendthrift-bred. “She's obviously a lovely filly. I think Into Mischief mares are really popular right now. But most of all, bottom line is just how she breezed. She breezed so well. She was so efficient; it looked effortless, but very fast. And her gallop out was very strong. So she did everything the right way.”

Hip 840 | OBS/VidHorse

Consigned by Kings Equine, the bay filly impressed during her under-tack preview last week, working a furlong in :9 4/5. Toffey's expectations were exceeded with the price as he acknowledged how strongly she'd come into this week's sale.

“[The price was] probably a little stronger [than we had in mind],” Toffey said. “We thought she was a nice filly, but I think, over the last month and then since she's been here, she's done nothing but get better and better. And that's the way the sale goes a lot. [It depends on] how they come into the sale. She very much came in here the right way.”

Trainer Danny Gargan was thrilled to have such a promising juvenile join his string later this year at Saratoga, saying that Childs had waited for the right moment Thursday to pick up the filly they thought was the best in the sale.

“This is the only horse we've bought so far,' Gargan said. “We passed on several trying to wait for her. I thought her breeze was tremendous. She's a very, very good-looking individual. Her hind leg, her gaskin. We thought she was the best filly in the sale. And we just had to wait. We're lucky enough we were able to buy her.”

OBS March grad Gas Station Sushi won the GIII Beaumont Stakes at Keeneland and also placed in the GII Eight Belles Stakes, banking over $187,000 on the track before joining the Spendthrift broodmare band. From four foals to race, she has two winners.

“She's got a pretty good pedigree,” Gargan said. “We were expecting her [price] to be a little bit more actually. But we're lucky, we were the last ones bidding. So I'm really excited that she'll be coming to me at Saratoga.” @SGrimmTDN

Viola All in on Liam's Map Filly

Vinnie Viola's St. Elias Stable added a daughter of Liam's Map (hip 915) to its roster when Monique Delk bid $925,000 to acquire the filly for the operation late in Thursday's session of the OBS Spring sale. The gray filly, who worked a quarter-mile in a bullet :20 2/5 during last week's under-tack preview, was consigned by Tom McCrocklin. McCrocklin had purchased her for $120,000 at last year's Fasig-Tipton October sale.

Hip 915 | OBS/VidHorse

Viola's wife, Teresa, campaigned Liam's Map, winner of the 2015 GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile, along with West Point Thoroughbreds.

“We are big fans of Liam's Map for obvious reasons,” Delk said. “We always look at his babies and like to support the sire.”

The filly is out of Honor Hop (Honor Code) and from the family of multiple Grade I winner Palacio de Amor.

“This filly was big with a beautiful body,” Delk continued. “She looks more like a colt to me. She has a lot of substance to her. And she breezed lights out. There wasn't much not to like.”

Of the market at OBS this week, Delk added, “We've been outrun a few times on some big purchases. We try to stay disciplined. We have a lot of horses, so it's not like we are in need. But if there is something that we love, we are usually in the mix.”

Delk said a trainer for the filly was still undecided.

The result continued a string of strong results for McCrocklin this week. The horseman sold a filly by Omaha Beach, purchased for $400,000 at Fasig October, for $900,000 Tuesday. Thursday he sold a filly by Ghostzapper, acquired for $100,000 at Keeneland last September, for $750,000, and a filly by Oscar Performance, purchased for $125,000 at Fasig-Tipton Saratoga, for $675,000. @JessMartiniTDN

Chu's Baoma Corp Gets Her 'One Filly A Year' At OBS April

A bay daughter (hip 754) of third-crop sire McKinzie became Susan Chu's Baoma Corp “one filly of the year” after bloodstock agent Donato Lanni signed the ticket at $900,000.

Out of E Built This City, the Wavertree Stable-consignee blitzed her furlong in a sales co-fastest time of :9 3/5.

Hip 754 | OBS/VidHorse

“This horse is for a wonderful, wonderful lady, Susan Chu,” Lanni said. “They're [Susan and her husband Charles] wonderful people. We all need a lot of luck to have really good horses, and she seems to have a lot of luck. She creates her own luck too.”

Lanni has signed plenty of OBS tickets for Baoma Corp, picking up another $900,000 filly last year by Curlin who became GSW and 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' Himika (Curlin). Two years back, another filly came home to the Chus for $850,000 and became GISW Tenma (Nyquist).

Out of a winning City Zip mare, this filly was purchased by Red Wings (the partnership of Paul Reddam and Ciaran Dunne) for $155,000 as a Keeneland September grad and is a half to stakes-placed Fulminate (Get Stormy).

“We try to buy [Susan] one filly every year and I was saying, 'that's the one',” said Lanni. “I'm happy we got her. She breezed really, really well. Everybody saw what she went in and she came back excellent. She vetted, physically she looked good, mentally she looked good. She just jumped over every hoop, and there are some big hoops they have to jump. It's a premium when they do what they do, and you have to pay for that. But I'm happy we got her. I love her. I wasn't sure if we were gonna get her or not, but you never know what's going to happen. It's a crazy sale. Just when you think it's not going to get crazier, it gets crazier, which is a good thing.”

Lanni indicated that the progeny of McKinzie, such as MGISW and 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' Chancer McPatrick, continue to perform well through their 2-year-old season and beyond.

“McKinzies seem to have speed,” Lanni said. “They seem precocious and then they seem to come back as 3-year-olds and they want to go two turns. I think he's getting things done at the farm. He went up, had a really good start, but he's coming on. He's continuing his success. It's good to see. I feel good about buying McKinzies.” @SGrimmTDN

'A Grown Man': Speaker's Corner Colt Joins Casse Barn

A colt by Speaker's Corner (hip 704) will be joining the barn of trainer Mark Casse after bloodstock agent Lauren Carlisle signed the ticket on the youngster at $875,000 Thursday at OBS. Carlisle, who was sitting next to Casse during the bidding, was acting on behalf of an undisclosed client.

“[Casse] loved the colt,” Carlisle said. “And I liked him, too. I just followed his lead.”

Hip 704 | OBS/VidHorse

The bay, from the first crop of GI Carter Handicap winner Speaker's Corner (Street Sense), worked a furlong in :9 4/5 during last week's under-tack preview. He is out of graded-placed Danessa Deluxe (Summer Bird) and was bred by Tommy Wente, Jr. and Scott Stephens and consigned by Omar Ramirez Bloodstock.

“He's a beautiful horse,” Carlisle said. “He's a grown man. He's a big, robust horse. We are thinking big. Hopefully, dirt, two turns that would be great. You know how it goes, you hope for the best.”

Godolphin homebred Speaker's Corner, who stands at Darley for $10,000, had another standout result Thursday when a colt by the sire consigned by Julie Davies (hip 770) sold for $500,000 to Flanagan Racing. @JessMartiniTDN

Wente Doubles Up at OBS Thursday

Tommy Wente added to his ever-expanding list of astute transactions with a pair of impressive scores within minutes of each other at OBS Thursday. Through Omar Ramirez's consignment, he sold a colt by Not This Time (hip 679) for $450,000 to D.J. Stable. Wente had purchased the colt for just $4,000 at last year's Fasig-Tipton October sale. Wente and Ramirez returned a few hips later to sell a colt by Speaker's Corner (hip 704) for $875,000 to Lauren Carlisle, agent. Wente co-bred the colt with Scott Stephens and had purchased his dam, Danessa Deluxe (Summer Bird), for $7,000 at the 2023 Keeneland January sale.

“I had four really good yearlings last year and he was one of them,” Wente said of hip 704. “Two of them went to Bob Baffert and one of them went to Michael McCarthy for some money. And then this colt here, the Speaker's Corner, was the best of the four. But I just couldn't get him to the sale. He had some growing issues. He was a big horse. We were down to the last sale and I had to scratch him out.”

Tommy Wente and Omar Ramirez flank Ramirez's sister, Claribel | Courtesy Tommy Wente

Wente re-routed the colt to the 2-year-old sales and, on Ramirez's recommendation, picked up a new partner in Robby Norman, co-owner of GI Santa Anita Derby winner So Happy (Runhappy).

“He just needed the time,” Wente explained. “He is a big horse, but he's a very athletic horse who went really fast. He went in :9 4/5 with a gallop-out in :32 1/5. Freaky athletic for a big horse like that.”

Timing was also key to Wente's other success Thursday.

“The Not This Time was kind of a crazy deal,” Wente said. “I was at Fasig-Tipton one day and I saw this black thing come in and I knew it was a big stud fee. He was sitting at $3,000 and they were asking for $4,000. So I hit it one time. The next thing I know, they dropped the hammer. So I took the ticket and I gave it to Omar. I said, 'Omar, here you go. Here is your half, and I don't want any bills.' Omar smiled and grabbed the ticket.”

Wente added, “He had knee problems. He had some vetting problems. But again, a horse that needed some time, needed some clean up. He cleaned up really well and the horse just took off. He never looked back. He grew and he's beautiful.”

Reflecting on the two results, Wente said, “Today was just a really good day.” @JessMartiniTDN

Sabby Racing Steps Up To The Plate For Omaha Beach Filly

The momentum for progeny by Omaha Beach carried through into Thursday morning when the seventh horse through the ring, a daughter (hip 623) of the Spendthrift Farm-based stallion, hammered down for $825,000 to Sabby Racing.

Purchased as a Fasig-Tipton October Yearling Sale grad and consigned Thursday by Jesse Hoppel, the filly, who worked a quarter-mile in :20 3/5,  was a nice return on the $130,000 investment Hoppel made six months ago.

“I keep expectations low, they're easier to exceed that way,” Hoppel admitted. “But I love her. I hope she goes to a good home and lives up to the expectation. [Her breeze] was phenomenal. She just skipped. She's really reliable. Great mind on her. Anything you ask of her, she does it.”

Hip 623 | OBS/VidHorse

Omaha Beach has seen plenty of success with his daughters at OBS April thus far with the highest-priced filly during Tuesday's opening session at $900,000 to Spendthrift Farm and Alex & JoAnn Lieblong picking up another filly for $650,000 Wednesday.

This filly was the first purchase of the sale for Sabby Racing, who was active last year, picking up two juveniles for $250,000 and a third in partnership with Eclipse Thoroughbreds for $560,000.

“I bought her for Sabby Racing, Hal and Allison Mintz. It's hard for me to feel good or bad about prices that are $825,000,” bloodstock agent Seth Morris said with a laugh. “All I could do is go through the sale and try to find the top quality horses. We certainly use the data from the workouts and the gallop outs, the physicals and the pedigree. Hal's always liked Omaha Beach and we've never been able to find him something. This is the one that kind of checked the boxes for me. I think, if you do right by her, she's really going to be a spectacular filly.”

Morris indicated that this filly's work, where she matched the second-fastest quarter-mile of the sale, was part of what set her apart from the rest of the field.

“Her work speaks for itself,” Morris said. “I mean, she went in :20 3/5 with a good gallop out. If you just watch the rider's hands, he's just sitting chilly, which is what I want. I don't want a horse that's all out and falling all over the place. If you're looking at the actual times, you really have to differentiate between :20 2/5 and :20 3/5, because so many of the horses, with this track and the level of consignors, get them to all kind of bunch up time-wise. So you have to separate them in some way and she separated herself. Visually, she checked all the boxes and on the shank, I loved her. I thought she improved every day.”

This was the first big splash purchase for Sabby Racing who Morris said was prepared to step up and fight for the one they wanted.

“I'm obviously ecstatic that Sabby is willing to spend that kind of money to get top quality horses,” Morris said. “We participated in the sale earlier [last year] at the $95,000 and $100,000 level for what we thought were really nice horses that just had limitations on pedigree because they were Florida-breds. But this one we knew we'd have to go to bat for a little bit, especially knowing some of the people that were bidding against us. So we're really happy to acquire the filly and we'll see what she can do.” @SGrimmTDN

'Control' Colt Has Wycoff in New York State of Mind

Kirk Wycoff admitted he had thoughts of racing a New York-bred colt by Mind Control (hip 805) this summer at Saratoga, but the colt proved too popular to keep when selling for $700,000 to the bid of Justin Casse Thursday at OBS. The dark bay was purchased for $55,000 at Keeneland last September and entered to the ring in Ocala with a spiffy :9 3/5 work for the Grassroots Training and Sales consignment of Jody Mihalic and David McKathan.

“My wife actually brought the farm staff to Keeneland that day and picked him out as a show horse because he was so pretty,” Wycoff said. “Dave McKathan okayed it and she went inside and bought him. So all credit to Debra.”

Hip 805 | OBS/VidHorse

The colt is from the first crop of Mind Control (Stay Thirsty), a three-time Grade I winner who stands at Rockridge Stud/Irish Hill and Dutchess Views Venture for $6,000.

“We like New York-sired horses,” Wycoff said. “We are breeding with Leinster in New York at Mountain View Farm and we like to race them.”

The colt is out of the unraced First Valentine (Flatter) and from the family of Grade I winner Mor Spirit.

“He had prepped here in :9 4/5, so it wasn't a surprise,” Wycoff said of the colt's bullet work. “The surprise was that he galloped out in :20 flat. He's a real racehorse.”

Of Mind Control's first foals, Wycoff said, “I have looked at a lot of them. We bid on a few. We'd like to get a couple more. I think they are nicely shaped horses.”

As for his expectations Thursday, Wycoff said, “We had kind of decided we'd race him in the range that we usually race, which is $200,000-$300,000. After that it was up to the buyers. But we would have been very happy to put a saddle on him at Saratoga.” @JessMartiniTDN

The post $1.3-Million Bolt d’Oro Filly Tops Lively Day of Trade at OBS appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

This wasn't easy. Since Hawthorne last ran a Thoroughbred race, checks have bounced to harness horsemen, the Illinois Racing Board pulled the plug on last year's Standardbred meet, the owners have declared bankruptcy, and there still has been no concrete news on when or how a casino might be built at the track. Way back in 2019, legislation was approved that allowed Illinois racetracks to operate casinos. Hawthorne's casino project has remained in limbo ever since.

Hawthorne filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Feb. 27, a move that actually helped pave the way to having a 2026 Thoroughbred meet. It allowed Hawthorne to distance itself from some of its creditors and allowed the track to secure temporary funding of around $16 million from JDI Loans.

Racing will resume Sunday, three weeks later than the meet was supposed to begin, and the total number of racing dates has been cut from 63 to 57. If the opening-day card is any indication, filling races might be a serious problem. Hawthorne was able to schedule just seven races on a card that attracted just 42 horses. According to Chris Block, the president of the Illinois Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association, there are between 400 and 410 horses on the grounds. He also said that the daily average purses will drop from about $130,000 to $110,000.

Block, who has expressed numerous times his fears that Hawthorne will not be able to continue to operate, is at least pleased to see that racing is set to return to the Chicago area.

“To get racing going again will definitely help our horsemen, who have been waiting for quite some time with so much uncertainty,” Block said. “At least we have something to look forward to here, getting the meet started.”

Will the meet continue through the scheduled closing day, Nov. 1?

“I have guarded optimism,” Block said.

He is wary. Block believes that the best chance Hawthorne has is for the Carey family, which has operated the track for more than 117 years, to step aside and sell the track to a company or an individual who has the financing and the wherewithal to fast-track the casino project.

“I think you need to find a buyer for Hawthorne Park to keep it as a racetrack and a racino, or it's going to be closed,” Block said. “There's an avenue where an entity comes in, doesn't want the Carey family involved, and buys it outright and takes it forward as a track, and builds a casino and makes it a racino operation. I go to bed every night and I wake up and go 24 hours a day hoping and praying that there's going to be an entity that comes in here and buys Hawthorne, keeps it as a racetrack, builds a racino, and helps rebuild Northern Illinois racing over the next few years. ”

That's one scenario. Another is that the Careys take on a partner that can finally get the project going and a casino open within a reasonable period of time.

Appearing before the Illinois Racing Board in January, Hawthorne Assistant General Manager John Walsh expressed optimism that a deal would soon be reached.

“We're working with a new partner, someone nearby, someone interested in Illinois and Illinois racing, who really wants all of this to succeed and move quickly,” Walsh said.

But Hawthorne ownership and management have not issued an update regarding their pursuit of a casino partner in months.

Still another scenario that Block envisions is perhaps the most dire one. He believes the track could be sold to a company interested only in its value as land and, therefore, will not pursue a future that includes horse racing.

“There's the possibility that it just gets sold outright for its ground and only for the ground,” Block said. “And, therefore, the track would close and be demolished. And that would mean the end of Thoroughbred and Standardbred racing in Northern Illinois. That would be the scenario that would be the end for us.”

Block doesn't try to hide his frustration.

“I've sugarcoated a lot of stuff over the last seven years, kept my mouth shut and just tried to march forward to give the Careys the room to be able to do what they can do,” he said. “But we should never have been in this position. We should not. And we are. Hawthorne is still a very good location for a racino. It's just whether or not somebody's willing to come in and take the risk seven years after the gaming bill was approved and the license was granted, with there now being more competition for the gaming dollar than ever. That's the question. This is basically just a dead industry, and we're just trying to hope that within the next 60 days there's a savior that comes in and saves us all. That's the bottom line.”

The first race of the 2026 Hawthorne meet, one that consists of just four horses, kicks off Sunday at 2:40 p.m. Central time. Will it mark the beginning of the end or the start of a new and better era for Hawthorne, the last remaining racetrack in the Chicago area? It shouldn't take long to find out.

The post Hawthorne Set to Re-Open But Horsemen Still Skeptical About Its Future appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Later in Thursday's session, Hip 840, a daughter of Bolt d'Oro, brought $1.3 million from Bill Childs. Consigned by Kings Equine, the filly is out of GSW Gas Station Sushi (Into Mischief).

Bred by Spendthrift Farm, the Feb. 22 foal breezed in :9 4/5 during last week's under tack show.

Spendthrift purchased Gas Station Sushi for $675,000 at Fasig-Tipton November in 2018. The mare, a half-sister to GSP Miss Costa Rica (Hit It a Bomb), is the dam of Starlit Daydream, who in turn produced SW Sandy Bottom (Omaha Beach).

The post Daughter of Bolt d’Oro Brings $1.3 Million at the OBS Spring Sale appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.