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Seabiscuit is considered one of horse racing's greatest longshot stories, so fittingly the $200,000 Seabiscuit Handicap (G2T) at Del Mar Nov. 29 was won by the race's longest shot: Call Sign Seven at 68-1.

Over the four days of selling, 646 lots sold for 37,893,400 guineas (US$52,671,826), down 13% year on year, while the average finished at 58,660 guineas (US$81,537), also down 13%, but the median came in at a record 30,500 guineas (US$42,395).

Group 1 winner Scorthy Champ will be standing at Barton Stud in 2026 as Tom Blain's team adds another aspect to the operation.

Satono Voyage set sail on a voyage that could find him at Churchill Downs in May with a victory Nov. 29 in the first leg of the Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby.

Lush Lips rewarded her new ownership as she landed a hard-fought victory in the Mrs. Revere Stakes (G2T) Nov. 28 at Churchill Downs.

Augustin Stables' homebred Truly Quality became the first horse in a quarter century to win back-to-back runnings of the Hollywood Turf Cup Stakes (G2T) when he rallied to score a 1 3/4-length victory Nov. 28 at Del Mar.

When Magnitude romped by 9 3/4 lengths in the Risen Star Stakes (G2) in February, he looked like a horse poised for racing success at Churchill Downs. That proved the case, except in the Nov. 28 Clark Stakes (G2) rather than the Kentucky Derby (G1).

The British Columbia provincial government told the horse racing industry in a Nov. 25 letter that all slot revenue sharing will end Jan. 31. The lost revenue is expected to hurt racing at Hastings Park and devastate the breeding industry.

Glorious Boy became the first black-type stakes winner for WinStar Farm's freshman sire Independence Hall in being declared the sole winner of the $100,000 Pulpit Stakes at Gulfstream Park Nov. 28.

Coolmore and Juddmonte traded seven-figure blows as a well-related son of Frankel fetched a cool 1.15 million guineas at the Tattersalls December Foal Sale Nov. 28. The sire had the top three lots on the third day of the sale.

Of 13 horses expected to fly into Southern California this week, only one didn't make the trip, according to Del Mar. Flights were grounded due to the FAA grounding MD-11 freighter aircraft for inspections and repairs.

HISA has issued a $6,000 fine and a 10-day suspension to trainer Danny Gargan for breezing a horse six days after it had received an intra-articular joint injection. The horse, the 2-year-old maiden Capo Di Tutti, experienced a fatal injury.

Grade 1 winner Hope Road appears strong to get a second consecutive win in the Bayakoa Stakes (G3) at Del Mar, while Hey Nay Nay faces a competitive field of juveniles earlier on the Nov. 30 card in the Cecil B. DeMille Stakes (G3T).

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The post Matriarch Highlights Turf Festival Finale appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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

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

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

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

The post Upstart’s For The Ladies Runs Up The Score To Graduate At Big A appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

Ag Bullet, bought back by owners Calvin Nguyen and Joey Tran at The November Sale at Fasig-Tipton when she fell short of her reserve when bidding halted at $2.9 million, may collect instead Nov. 30 in the $300,000 Matriarch Stakes (G1T) at Del Mar.

Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen starts Iroquois Stakes (G3) winner Spice Runner and dominant allowance winner Soldier N Diplomat in the Nov. 29 Kentucky Jockey Club at 1 1/16 miles on the Churchill Downs main track.

The Inglis Digital USA December catalog is highlighted by Brotha Keny, a 3-year-old Mo Town gelding whose steady climb up the ladder has led him to become a grade 3-placed, multiple stakes winner, with room to keep climbing at age 4.

Davyjonz's victory in the eighth race at Laurel Park on Thanksgiving Day put a tidy bow on a highly successful season of turf racing in Maryland.