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Spendthrift Farm's Tamara (Bolt d'Oro), winner of the GI Del Mar Debutante during her juvenile season, is expected to undergo surgery to have a bone chip removed from an ankle this week, trainer Richard Mandella told DRF Sunday.

According to Mandella, the 4-year-old daughter of champion Beholder is expected to mark her return to the races at the end of Del Mar's summer meeting.

In her sole start at three, the filly was last seen finishing a nose second in a six-furlong allowance at Del Mar in November.

Named a TDN Rising Star following a 2 1/4-length victory at Del Mar in August of her juvenile season, the bay galloped in the seaside oval's Debutante before exiting a seventh-place effort in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies at Santa Anita with an injury.

The post GISW Tamara to Undergo Surgery appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

CHC Inc. and WinStar Farm's John Hancock (Constitution), winner of last weekend's Sam F. Davis Stakes at Tampa, is unlikely to return for the oval's GIII Lambholm Tampa Bay Derby on Mar. 8, trainer Brad Cox told DRF Sunday.

Cox, who indicated that the 8 1/2-furlong race comes up a bit too quickly following the sophomore's latest win, indicated a bevy of options remain, including the Mar. 22 GII Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby, the GI Arkansas Derby or the GI Curlin Florida Derby on Mar. 29. On Apr. 5, the GI Toyota Blue Grass Stakes and GII Wood Memorial are also both options.

The late-starting colt won his career debut, a six-furlong test at Tampa Jan. 8, by three lengths prior to his latest score.

Finishing a half-length behind John Hancock last weekend, Owen Almighty (Speightstown) is expected to cut back in distance in his next start, Brian Lynch told DRF.

According to the trainer, a tilt at the Apr. 4 Lafayette Stakes at Keeneland prior to the GII Pat Day Mile at Churchill Downs on the Kentucky Derby undercard appears to be the most logical route for the Flying Dutchmen runner.

 

The post Sam F. Davis Winner John Hancock Likely to Bypass Tampa Bay Derby appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

My Racehorse's newly crowned Eclipse champion sprinter Straight No Chaser (Speightster) breezed five furlongs in :59 flat (3/98) over the Santa Anita main track Sunday morning and is set to board the first of two flights Tuesday which will carry him to Saudi Arabia for the $2-million G2 Riyadh Dirt Sprint (1200m) on Feb. 22. Hall of Famer John Velazquez has the return call.

“We gave him a little company just to kind of get him to relax and settle off a horse and he did it really nicely and finished up strong,” trainer Dan Blacker said by phone Monday afternoon. “He galloped out strong and it did it all in hand, it just comes so naturally to him. He's just a very talented horse.”

Straight No Chaser returned to the worktab in late December, and Sunday's move was his seventh since winning the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint on Nov. 2. He two breezes prior to that were timed in a bullet clocking of :59.20.

“We freshened him up after the Breeders' Cup with no races to point to in the interim,” Blacker explained. “We had the Middle East as a target for this year, obviously with the big purses and prestigious races, so we started gearing him up from just after Christmas.

The conditioner continued, “He puts a lot into his training, he's got himself fit pretty quickly. If you look at his worktab, it's very impressive and it's easy to think he's getting trained really hard. Those times are impressive, but for him those are very easy. He does it all in hand, the rider doesn't have to ask him, he's just a superior workhorse.”

Pending the outcome of the race, Straight No Chaser is also a candidate for the Apr. 5 G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen, but first things first, Blacker said.

“It's tough to say right now, we're just pointing at this race,” he said when asked about making the short trip across to Dubai. “We have to make a couple of plans depending on how he runs in the race, but hopefully that could be something we could do. It all depends on the horse, but that would be a potential goal.”

In other Saudi Cup undercard-related news, Gold Square's Grade I winner Howard Wolowitz (Munnings) drilled a half-mile in :46.95 (1/9) at Palm Meadows on Monday in advance of his appearance in the G2 1351 Turf Sprint. The Gold Square part-owned Jerome Stakes winner Cyclone State (McKinzie, G3 Saudi Derby) and Rattle N Roll (Connect, G1 Saudi Cup) complete the American challenge.

The post Champion Straight No Chaser Caps Saudi Preparations appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Returning from an eight-month layoff, Kentucky Derby (G1) fourth and Preakness Stakes (G1) third Catching Freedom begins his 4-year-old campaign in the $250,000 Mineshaft Stakes (G3) at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots Feb. 15.

Speed King won the 1 1/16-mile Southwest (G3) at 14.30-1 odds, upsetting Sandman, who was purchased for $1.2 million; Patch Adams, a horse who nearly broke Churchill Downs’ seven-furlong track record; and Gaming, an Eclipse Award finalist.

The Inglis Classic continued to perform relatively strongly despite pre-sale fears of a downturn, with the average only marginally down at AU$97,153, from $97,338 at the same point of last year's sale.

Dual champion Goodnight Olive successfully delivered her first foal Feb. 10, a colt by Not This Time born at John Stewart's Resolute Farm.

A draft of seven lots from the Aga Khan Studs, withdrawn from the Goffs February Sale following the recent passing of His Highness The Aga Khan, will be offered Feb. 12 in an online sale.

In this monthly BH Interview, Karen M. Johnson profiles young racing personalities

C2 Racing Stable, Agave Racing Stable, and Ken Reimer's champion female sprinter Soul of an Angel will bypass the $20 million Saudi Cup (G1) and remain in the United States to target the Madison Stakes (G1) at Keeneland.

Tony and Calvin McEvoy were the hardest hitters on Day 1 of the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale with the day's two highest-priced lots— an AU$400,000 colt by Wootton Bassett and an AU$360,000 filly by I am Invincible.

Artists are invited to submit their original works celebrating Preakness 150 and Pimlico Race Course for The Art of Racing 2025, 1S/T and the Maryland Jockey Club announced via press release Monday afternoon.

Having attracted more than 500 artists of all ages since its inception four years ago, original, two-dimensional artwork submissions for the 2025 contest were accepted beginning Thursday, Jan. 30 and will run through Friday, Mar. 14 on the Preakness website. Artists of all levels are welcome to showcase their interpretations of Pimlico, the Preakness, or Thoroughbred racing. Art produced by artificial intelligence (AI) will not be accepted for the competition. A full list of rules may be found here.

The contest will run four phases. The first is the submission phase, the second is the public voting period from Mar. 15 to Mar. 28, and the final judging will be conducted Apr. 2. The winner will be announced Tuesday, Apr. 8. The grand prize is includes $4,000, two VIP invitations to Preakness 150, and the selected artwork will be reproduced into merchandise with all proceeds benefitting Park Heights Renaissance.

The post ‘Art of Racing’ Competition Open for Preakness 150 Submissions appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

The Race Track Chaplaincy of America (RTCA) will host their 10th Annual Golf Scramble at the University Club of Kentucky in Lexington Tuesday, Apr. 15, the organization announced via press release Monday morning.

Set to begin at 1:00 p.m., a lunch will be provided at noon before the tournament as the RTC looks to create awareness and raise needed funds for the ministry. Registration fees include green fees, lunch, team photo, food after the round, golf gifts, etc. There will be various prizes awarded for a host of special games held during the event and each par three will have a hole-in-one prize. An award ceremony will follow. All proceeds go to support the network of RTCA chaplaincies nationwide.

To register or request sponsorship information, please contact the national service center of the Race Track Chaplaincy of America directly or visit their website.

The post Race Track Chaplaincy of America to Host 10th Annual Golf Tournament appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

'TDN Rising Star' Casalu (Caracaro) broke from the gate with winning in mind, and took the Listed Sweet Life Stakes nearly gate to wire in her downhill debut at Santa Anita.

Coming into the race with a victory going a mile over this course Dec. 28 in the Blue Norther Stakes, she'd run second two back Nov. 30 to Will Then (War of Will) in the GIII Jimmy Durante Stakes at Del Mar. It was her third graded black type behind placings in the GIII Sorrento Stakes on the main track Aug. 10 and GIII Surfer Girl Stakes last October.

Made the deserved 3-5 favorite by the betting public here, she never made it look like it was her first time on the downhill, leaping right to the lead coming out of the gate. Sailing through an opening fraction of :22.69 and then rating off the hip of Practical Dream (Practical Joke) as :44.44 was posted on the board, she pounced on that temporary leader after the crossover. Kicking on with it as the closers tried to catch her, she strode home confidently by 1 3/4 lengths over As Catch Can (Mo Town) and it was another 1 1/4 lengths back to Tequilaandtherapy (Mrazek) in third.

“It was pretty simple,” Flavien Prat said of his winning ride. “She broke well and as always was very professional. She got the job done. I was thankful to pick up the mount. I know Kazushi Kimura is out [currently sidelined with an injury] and I wish him a speedy recovery.”

 

Flavien Prat and CASALU ($3.20) were much the best in the $100,000 Sweet Life Stakes at @SantaAnitaPark. The filly by Caracaro (@CrestwoodKY) is trained by @BobBaffert.

Two-to-go today: https://t.co/5VcRa4VxbO pic.twitter.com/2Hsvucp2Vb

— FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) February 9, 2025

Casalu is the most accomplished for her dam thus far, but she is the second to claim black-type behind elder half-sister SP Twirled (Twirling Candy). Key d'Oro has three winners from four to make it to the track and her most recent is a juvenile colt by Vekoma. She is due to American Pharoah for 2025.

Their dam hails from the female line of GISW Key Phrase (Flying Paster), who produced SW Yankee Gentleman (Storm Cat) as well as the dam of GSW Half Ours (Unbridled's Song). Another of her daughters would go on to claim a line which yielded GSW Khancord Kid (Lemon Drop Kid), the dam of GI Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint heroine Bar of Gold (Medaglia d'Oro) and granddam of GSW Coinage (Tapit). She also produced the full-brother to the Breeders' Cup champion, the 2025 GI Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational Stakes victor Spirit of St Louis. This is the distant family of champion juvenile MGISW Shared Belief (Candy Ride {Arg}). Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

SWEET LIFE S., $102,000, Santa Anita, 2-9, 3yo, f, 6 1/2fT, 1:12.90, fm.
1–CASALU, 124, f, 3, by Caracaro
           1st Dam: Key d'Oro, by Medaglia d'Oro
           2nd Dam: Key of Sea, by Storm Cat
           3rd Dam: Key Phrase, by Flying Paster
($775,000 2yo '24 OBSAPR). 'TDN Rising Star' O-Michael E. Pegram, Karl Watson, and Paul Weitman; B-LLP PerformanceHorses, LLC (KY); T-Bob Baffert; J-Flavien Prat. $60,000. Lifetime Record: MGSP, 8-3-2-1, $234,546. *1/2 to Twirled (Twirling Candy), SP, $267,984.
2–As Catch Can, 122, f, 3, Mo Town–Just a Catch, by Justin Phillip. ($210,000 2yo '24 OBSAPR). O-Augustin Stables; B-Loren Nichols (FL); T-Jonathan Thomas. $20,000.
3–Tequilaandtherapy, 124, f, 3, Mrazek–Chexcess, by In Excess (Ire). O-Here We Go Brothers; B-Reddam Racing, LLC (CA); T-Doug F. O'Neill. $12,000.
Margins: 1 3/4, 1 1/4, NO. Odds: 0.60, 12.40, 9.80.
Also Ran: Schilflied, Practical Dream, Acquitted, Hey Lil Lady, Ce La Vi Charli, How About Pavel. Scratched: Going Deep.

The post ‘TDN Rising Star’ Casalu Sails Home in the Sweet Life in Downhill Debut appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

C2 Racing Stable, Agave Racing Stable and Ken Reimer's champion female sprinter Soul of an Angel (Atreides) is being pointed towards the Apr. 5 GI Madison Stakes at Keeneland, trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr. confirmed Sunday. The 6-year-old mare had been on the alternate list for the Feb. 22 G1 Saudi Cup and, had she kept that engagement, would have shipped to Riyadh on a Tuesday flight.

“She's not going for sure,” Joseph said of the overseas trip. “That's official. She's going to go to the Madison. We're going to give her a little freshening now that we're not going to Saudi and probably in a month or so we'll start back breezing her.”

Winner of last year's GII Ruffian Stakes and GIII Princess Rooney Invitational Stakes, Soul of an Angel earned her Eclipse championship with a win in the GI Breeders' Cup F/M Sprint. She was forced to close into a slow pace while finishing a narrowly beaten third in the Rampart Stakes at Gulfstream in December in her most recent outing.

She had three timed works following the Rampart, the last one a half-mile move in :47.80 Feb. 2.

“We won't breeze her every week because it's too far out from the [Madison],” Joseph said. “As it turned out at the last minute we probably could have gotten in at Saudi, but it was too late. We only ran in the Rampart with Saudi in mind. If I had to redo it, we would have given her a break then.”

The post Soul of an Angel to Target Madison appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Wynstock (Solomini), winner of the 2023 GII Los Alamitos Futurity, as well as last year's Los Alamitos Derby, has joined the barn of trainer Linda Rice. Bob Baffert had previously trained the 4-year-old on behalf of Edward Allred and Jack Liebau, who purchased him for $700,000 at the 2023 OBS April sale.

“He looks beautiful,” Rice said. “He shipped to the East Coast, and we sent him to Dr. Hogan and gave him a three-month break. He'd probably been in training for a year-and-a-half or better and I thought he might need a freshening, so he's just arrived back. I think he'll need between 60-90 days.”

“I tried to buy him as a 2-year-old and ended up with him by default,” Rice added with a laugh.

Wynstock was seventh in his final West Coast outing in the GII Twilight Derby last October at Santa Anita. He has won three of 10 starts for earnings of $244,740.

The post Wynstock Joins Rice Barn appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Thirteen stallions are offered in the Feb. 9-12 Maryland Horse Foundation Stallion Season Auction, including Blofield, Bourbon Courage, Cupid, Divining Rod, Endorsed, Engage, Friesian Fire, Galawi(Ire), Holy Boss, Kobe's Back, Mosler and Warrant.

A trio of 3-year-old graded stakes-winners—Journalism, Bullard and filly Look Forward—plus grade 1-winner Formidable Man, all trained by Michael McCarthy, were among 236 horses to record timed workouts Feb. 9 at Santa Anita Park.

Paul Braverman and Timothy Pinch's dual stakes winner Scorching worked five furlongs in 1:04.22 over the Belmont Park dirt training track Feb. 8 in preparation for the $300,000 Gotham Stakes (G3) at Aqueduct Racetrack March 1.

Jamie Melham delivered an emotional win when she steered Another Wil to victory Feb. 8 in the 1,400-meter C.F. Orr Stakes (G1) at Caulfield, a few days after what would have been the gelding's late breeder and owner, Col McKenna's birthday.