Blood-Horse

Finger Lakes, coming off a big 2022 in terms of growth of handle, enjoyed even greater success during the recently concluded 2023 race meet. Total handle increased by 18.7% to $120,541,745.

Del Mar will open its 2024 summer meeting on Saturday, July 20. The start of the meet is keyed by the San Diego Country Fair conducting its popular gathering a bit past its usual finale on July 4, going forward instead to Sunday, July 7.

Saffie Joseph Jr. had good reason to celebrate when he successfully defended his Championship Meet training title over Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher last season. But a spring and early summer period proved difficult for the trainer.

The collective investment by breeders from the Apple Isle will be on show when the majority of the state's best-bred horses are offered at next year's Magic Millions Tasmanian Yearling Sale.

A ceremony for the Thoroughbred Industry Employee Awards, organized by the British Horseracing Authority and sponsored by Godolphin, celebrates the hard work and dedication of employees from the racing and breeding industry. 

The Sporting Art Auction, a collaboration between Cross Gate Gallery and Keeneland, celebrated its 11th edition with gross sales of $2,826,671, headlined by the sale of LeRoy Neiman's iconic Secretariat, a signed oil on board dated '73, for $146,875.

Featured among five stakes worth $700,000 are the Starlet Stakes (G2) and Los Alamitos Futurity (G2).

The son of Into Mischief is a grade 1-placed stakes winner.

Maiden Watch: Week of Nov. 20-26

Following a judge's order setting oral arguments on a narrow set of issues, trainer Steve Asmussen's appeal of a suspension for two drug metabolite positives appears to be heading closer to a ruling—some five years after the alleged infractions.

The team behind Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G1T) hero Big Evs added an exciting prospect to their growing squad when Conor Quirke, bloodstock agent to RP Racing, went to 175,000gns for a Mohaather colt.

The 2023-24 Championship Meet gets underway on Friday while offering the first turf races at Gulfstream since the renovation of the grass course began in May.

The best-bred crop of champion New Zealand sire Proisir, the return of boom shuttler Satono Aladdin, and a number of must-have Savabeels are among the highlights of the 2024 New Zealand Bloodstock Karaka Yearling Sale.

Equinox is about as successful as any Japanese racehorse in recent years and is surely going to be an in-demand option whenever he retires to stud. At the same time, there is significant interest in continuing the 4-year-old colt's racing career. 

Mage, this year's Kentucky Derby (G1) winner, has been retired from racing and will begin his stallion career at Airdrie Stud for the 2024 breeding season, his connections announced in a release Nov. 27.  

Blue Grass Farms Charities has announced the launch of the Dr. Herb Riddle Dental Fund, which will benefit horsemen and women in need of dental care who do not have dental insurance, or additional income for such need.  

With the Kentucky Derby (G1) still 23 weeks away, the pari-mutuel field of "All Other Colts and Geldings from the 2021 Foal Crop" closed as the 6-5 favorite in Pool 2 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager.

Mr Fisk put himself on the map as a horse to watch in next year's older male division with a game win over Skinner in the $100,000 Native Diver Stakes (G3) at Del Mar.

Leon "Blue" Blusiewicz, a horse trainer of over 40 years, has died at the age of 92.

James "Jimmy" Alexander, a known and respected horseman, passed away peacefully surrounded by family Nov. 24.