Thoroughbred Daily News

Overnight purses for the upcoming Spring/Summer Meet at Gulfstream Park will be increased in all categories from open handicaps to $6,250 claiming races with conditions.

Open handicap purses will rise from $60,000 last season to $74,000; $6,250 claiming races with conditions will jump from $17,000 to $20,000; open allowances will be $10,000 higher than 2023 levels, ranging from $61,000 to $63,000; entry-level allowances for Florida-breds will increase from $43,000 to $48,000; maiden special weight races will increase by $10,000 to $60,000; maiden special weight races for Florida-breds will go up from $40,000 to $48,000; maiden races for $12,500 claimers will get a boost of $6,000 to $25,000; starter allowance purses will increase from $3,000 to $9,000 (from $25,000 to $49,000); and the purse for a $50,000 claiming race for 3-year-olds will jump by $9,000 to $44,000.

“With the increased purses, grass racing, and our workers compensation program, Gulfstream is now the summer place to be,” said Florida Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association (FTHA) President Joe Orseno. “We are able to offer better purses and we hope this will encourage trainers and owners to keep horses at Gulfstream Park through the non-championship meet. A big thank you to 1/ST management and the FTHA purse committee for negotiating this competitive purse structure.”

Gulfstream will race four days a week from April to June and three days a week from July to November with turf racing throughout the spring and summer.

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New Darley America's stallions, champion Cody's Wish (Curlin) and Proxy (Tapit), have had their first mares scanned in foal.

Among the first mares bred to two-time GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile and recent Eclipse Award winner Cody's Wish is Kite Beach (Awesome Again), who is responsible for 'TDN Rising Star' and GII Rachel Alexandra S. victress Tarifa (Bernardini).

Proxy, a homebred son of the versatile Panty Raid (Include) who won the 2022 GI Clark S. and was third in last year's GI Breeders' Cup Classic, has gotten several mares in foal in his first month of covering, including Bursting in Air (Violence), a half-sister to 12 winners from 13 to race, including Grade III-winning juvenile Exfactor (Exchange Rate) and SW Market Magic (After Market). This is also the female family of top sire Good Magic (Curlin).

Cody's Wish is serving his first book of mares for a fee of $75,000, while Proxy's introductory stud fee is $25,000.

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The Oklahoma Training Track at Saratoga Race Course will open Thursday, Apr. 18, officials at the New York Racing Association (NYRA), with the barn area opening to licensed trainers and staff from Monday, Apr. 15.

As Saratoga prepares to host the 2024 Belmont Stakes Fesitval June 6-9, the main track will open one month earlier than customary on Monday, May 6.

Due to the ongoing construction at Belmont Park, there will be significant changes to the usual NYRA training schedule. The Belmont main track will remain closed for training through the spring and summer as NYRA reconstructs the dirt surface and both turf courses while finishing the installation of a new one-mile synthetic surface. The Belmont training track, synthetic pony track and a jogging barn will be open for daily training throughout the spring and summer.

In light of the construction, NYRA is waiving all stall rental fees at Saratoga for the spring training season beginning May 6, assuming all trainer accounts are current through the end of 2023.

The spring/summer and fall meets normally scheduled for Belmont Park will be run at Aqueduct, as previously announced.

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The GI Beholder Mile is being renamed the B. Wayne Hughes Beholder Mile in honor of the multiple champion's late owner, who passed away in August 2021.

Hughes, the founder of the Public Storage company and whose silks carried the same purple-and-orange color scheme, owned horses for five decades and was the proprietor of Spendthrift Farm from 2004.

Beholder, a daughter of Henny Hughes, was purchased for $180,000 at the 2011 Keeneland September sale and won a record 13 stakes races at Santa Anita, including the 2012 GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies and Breeders' Cup Distaffs in Arcadia in 2013 and 2016. A four-time Eclipse Award winner, she registered 12 Grade I victories and retired with earnings of $6,156,600. She was inducted into Racing's Hall of Fame in 2022.

“Santa Anita is proud to honor someone who gave so much to the sport,” said Nate Newby, Santa Anita Senior Vice President and General Manager. “Mr. Hughes was a true sportsman who made contributions in every aspect of the game. It only seems appropriate that his name stands alongside his greatest racemare in Santa Anita's most prestigious race for fillies and mares.”

Added current Spendthrift owner Eric Gustavson: “The team at Spendthrift, including Wayne's daughter Tammy and me, would like to sincerely thank Santa Anita for renaming the Beholder Mile. To have B. Wayne Hughes's name attached to such a prestigious race, named after his best race mare at his favorite place is an amazing way to honor him.”

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The third of four under-tack previews ahead of next week's Ocala Breeders Sales Company's March Sale of 2-Year-Olds In Training took place Friday, a session that produced the overall bullet times for both one-furlong and quarter-mile breezes.

Wednesday's opening breeze-ups were topped by a trio of horses that stopped clock in :9 4/5 for an eighth of a mile, a time that was matched by no fewer than 15 juveniles on Thursday. Those numbers were lowered Friday by a pair of horses, a Wavertree Stables Inc.-consigned filly (hip 448) from the first crop of Vekoma (Candy Ride {Arg}) and a colt (hip 529) by fellow freshman sire Tiz the Law (Constitution) consigned by Hartley/DeRenzo Thoroughbreds. Each covered an eighth of a mile in :9 3/5.

Randy Hartley went to $375,000 for the Tiz the Law colt from the Woods Edge Farm draft at Keeneland September, but only after a not-so-subtle push from his client Rich Mendez.

“At $350,000, honestly, I was done, but Rich goes, 'one more time,' because Tiz the Law was like his favorite horse,” Hartley explained. “So I did and we got him. $350,000 was kind of our number, but we loved him so much we stretched a little more because we were trying to find the best one there.”

The approach to the September sale was fairly straight-forward.

“We went to that sale to try to find the best Tiz the Law at the sale and we found him in Book 1,” Hartley said. “Peter O'Callaghan had him and he might have had other horses sell for more in Book 1, but I thought this colt was the best physical he had in that book. We stretched on him because we thought that Tiz the Law was such a great racehorse, we love Constitution too, but they're harder to buy. But we felt like we if had one of the best Tiz the Laws in  the 2-year-old market that the people that respected Tiz the Law would be trying to buy something that they like.”

Just a May 9 foal, the colt is a son of the Grade III-placed Our Majesty (Majesticpefection), herself a half-sister to a pair of black-type winners. Sun Bloodstock purchased Our Majesty for $375,000 in foal to Tapit at Keeneland November in 2019 and sold the Tiz the Law colt to Vanny Investments for $140,000 at Keeneland January in 2023.

Hartley was duly please with what he saw on the track Friday.

“He's quick and he kept going, some people had him in :19 and change galloping out,” he said. “He's a May baby. I don't push mine hard, he's even still a little chunky. I try to get my horses here sound and I feel like if I train them good, they'll give me everything they've got. Once they show me that they can take off and go, from there it's about fitness. We're super proud of him. He's only 22 months old, but he looks like a 3-year-old.”

The noted reseller believes there is a good buzz about the first crop of the 2020 GI Belmont S. hero.

“We only had this one and he's been our man the whole time. I would definitely buy some more,” he said. “When I see Tiz the Laws bringing $200,000 in January, that tells me that people are liking the way they're training. People are not going to buy them if they're not hearing that buzz. We thought a lot of this colt all season.”

If the Tiz the Law colt didn't exactly represent a 'bargain' price, Hoby Kight felt like the $100,000 that he gave at Keeneland September for a Justify colt from the consignment of Joe Pickerell's Pick View LLC certainly was. The Jan. 23 foal (hip 539) was bred in New York by Chester and Mary Broman.

“He was big and beautiful and he's got some pedigree,” Kight explained. “And Dr. Broman raises a really good horse, [Sequel Bloodstock's] Becky [Thomas] does a phenomenal job. He had a cut on his back leg on his pastern and his leg was still swollen from the cut. A lot of short-listers, they cut that horse and never get to see him and that's the sort of stuff I prey on. It's stuff that won't bother them and gets better, it was an old scar and was still kind of fresh. But everything else was there–beautiful horse, all the right angles. And Justify really heated up too, so everything went my way.”

Bred in New York by Chester and Mary Broman, the bay is a son of two-time stakes winner and Grade III-placed Pauseforthecause (Giant's Causeway)

Hip 539 was one of two to breeze a quarter in :20.2 Friday.

“I thought he worked lights out,” Kight said of the colt, who already stands 16.2 in his estimation. “Joe has done a remarkable job with him. Joe thought he was going to be sub-:21 the way he'd been training, so he was pretty optimistic.”

Hip 539 | Photos By Z

Tom McCrocklin consigns the afternoon's other :20.2 breezer, a filly by Munnings–Miss Majestic (Majestic Warrior) (hip 453), which he is offering on behalf of Florida breeder Peter Mirabelli.

“She's a beautiful filly, a great mover and she just does everything so smoothly,” he said. “I generally work my horses a quarter-mile just because I think makes for a more composed breed. I am not trying to disparage anyone else, but I find sometimes that the furlong breezes can end up being pretty frenetic. When people see me breeze one that isn't a quarter mile, they tend to raise an eyebrow.”

McCrocklin is also consigning a handful of the 40 2-year-olds in training that are being sold as part of the dispersal from the late Bob Lothenbach, who are just galloping through the stretch.

“I don't think it will be looked upon with skepticism or negatively,” McCrocklin said of the strategy to not ask the horses for any serious effort. “Mr, Lothenbach built and ran a high-class stable. The estate requested that none of the horses breeze, so we are just honoring their wishes, but I don't think it will negatively impact the horses or the way they sell.”

The final under-tack preview is set for Saturday morning beginning at 8 a.m. The March Sale begins Tuesday, Mar. 12 and runs for three days, with bidding beginning each day at 11 a.m. ET. For more, visit www.obssales.com.

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'TDN Rising Star' Locked (Gun Runner), the winner of last year's GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity, has come down with a knee injury that will prevent him from running in the upcoming Triple Crown races. The injury is not considered career-threatening.

The news of his injury was first reported by David Grening of the Daily Racing Form.

Aron Wellman, the managing partner of Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, the co-owners of Locked, described the injury as “a very minor ligament fray in the upper part of the left knee.”

Locked was first expected to make his 3-year-old debut in the GIII Sam F. Davis S. at Tampa Bay Downs Feb. 10, but missed that race due to a fever. Plan B was to run in last Saturday's GII Coolmore Fountain of Youth S. at Gulfstream but he was scratched by trainer Todd Pletcher, who was concerned with the way the colt trained the morning of that race.

“The morning of the Fountain of Youth, he didn't train like he normally does,” Wellman said. “He had trained exceptionally well in the weeks leading up to the Fountain of Youth. It was just that morning. It's a tribute to Todd's sharpness and his team for picking up on it. Any other trainer, he probably would have run. With Todd's attention to detail we weren't comfortable sending him over for the Fountain of Youth.”

On Monday, the colt was sent to Dr. John Madison in Ocala, who detected the injury.

“We trained him the day after the Fountain of Youth and he was better, but considering his profile and importance we decided not to take any chances,” Wellman said. “We sent him to Ocala and thanks to the state-of-the-art technology that exists now, they found the problem. No surgery will be required. He just needs time to let it reattach and heal, which is unfortunate because we're off the Classic trail. At the same time, we're thankful to Todd and his team for detecting it early enough so that this horse will still have a future. We're thankful to the vets up in Ocala, including Dr. Madison, who ran him through a body of tests. In the grand scheme of things we were fortunate because they are now able to detect injuries like the one he had. That couldn't have been done in the past.”

Thanks to state of the art technology, we've identified a minor ligament injury in Locked's left knee. Sadly, the Derby Dream is over, but thankfully @PletcherRacing caught the issue early and Locked will come back strong. The horse always comes first! #BelieveBig pic.twitter.com/o0ArPyPEd6

— Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners (@EclipseTBP) March 8, 2024

Wellman said the goal now will be to make the major 3-year-old races run in the summer, including the GI Travers S. at Saratoga.

After winning the Breeders' Futurity, Locked ran third in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile. The Fountain of Youth was to be his 3-year-old debut.

“Anybody who is in this game is in it with the dream of having a legitimate contender for the Kentucky Derby and the Classics,” Wellman said. “Locked fit that profile to a tee. We've been fortunate enough to have some legitimate Derby contenders in the past. I was fortunate to be part of the team with Animal Kingdom and Team Valor and we had some other horses who ran respectably in the race. But I don't know that we ever had a horse before who came into their sophomore season with the credentials and the profile that Locked had. We were really confident and had huge convictions that we had the right type of horse to really be effective in the Kentucky Derby at a mile and a quarter. Absolutely, this is a punch in the gut.”

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Laurel Park will open for a 15-day Spring meet beginning Friday, April 5. In a release from the Maryland Jockey Club, the meet, which will run through Sunday, May 5, will play host to a total of nine stakes worth over $950,000 topped by the Federico Tesio S., a 'Win and You're In' for the Triple Crown's middle jewel, the GI Preakness S. at Pimlico May 18.

Additionally, the Weber City Miss S. offers 3-year-old fillies the chance to nab a paid spot in the GII Black-Eyed Susan S. May 17. Laurel's current Heritage Meet continues through March 30.

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A tax package that will extend racing and breeding incentives in the state of the Florida, was approved Friday by Florida Legislature according to a release by the FTBOA. HB 7073, which was initially enacted in 2023, continues to provide state funding for HISA along with $20m in purses and/facility improvements split between Gulfstream Park and Tampa Bay Downs. It also gives $5m to the FTBOA for use as racing and breeding promotions and an additional $2.5m for Florida-bred racing incentives. In total, HB 7073 gives a boost of over $32.5m to the Florida racing and breeding industries.

“Once again, the legislative sponsors of last year's breeding and racing development program stepped up in a big way,” said FTBOA president George Isaacs. “I'd like to personally thank Marion County's Representative Stan McClain [R-Ocala] and Senator Blaise Ingoglia [R-Spring Hill] for continuing their support of this program. We have also enjoyed support from the state's legislative and industry leaders, including Representative Lawrence McClure [R-Dover].”

HB 7073 now goes to the desk of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis for further action.

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A plane carrying 11 South African Thoroughbreds, among them current Equus Horse of the Year Princess Calla (SAf) (Flower Alley) and Breeders' Cup qualifier Beach Bomb (SAf) (Lancaster Bomber), touched down at New York's JFK Airport on Thursday, the Sporting Post reported. November's Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships at Del Mar are on the radar for several of the new arrivals, who will now spend two months in quarantine.

The first direct export flight from South Africa since 2003, the plan was chartered after champion owner/breederGaynor Rupert of Drakenstein Stud, her racing manager Kevin Sommerville, Robin Bruss of Northfields Bloodstock, Team Valor International's Barry Irwin, CTB Forwarding Pty., Ltd's Gerard Connolly and Mersant International New York joined forces to facilitate the trip. Originating in Johannesburg, the plane made a refueling stop in Barbados prior to touching down in the Empire State.

Rupert's homebred MG1SW Beach Bomb, already successful in the G1 Cartier Paddock S., a “Win And You're In” for the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf, anchors the Drakenstein quintet. Grade 3 winner Golden Hostess (SAf) (Gold Standard {SAf), also MG1SP, as well as GSW & G1SP Distant Winter (SAf) (What A Winter {SAf}), Hunting Trip (SAf) (Trippi) and GSP Coldhardstare (SAf) (What A Winter {SAf}) complete the fivesome.

Irwin, who experienced great success with South African exports previously and had chartered the final flight in 2003 with Bruss, sent a trio–Equus Champion 3-Year-Old Filly Bless My Stars (SAf) (Gimmethegreenlight {Aus}) who is also bound for the Filly & Mare Turf; GSW & G1SP Feather Boa (SAf) (Flower Alley); and former smart juvenile Eqyptian Mau (SAf) (Fire Away), a Grade 3 winner and Grade 1-placed at two.

Irwin told Sporting Post, “It has been meaningful to get this over the line since it is 20 years+ since the last time Robin and I did it. I hope that the results are just as successful.  It would have been nice if the enterprise received a bit more support from key players. But as the old saying goes, TISAB !This is South Africa, baby!”

Other owners were encouraged by the group to participate, with trainer Sean Tarry and owner Mario Ferreira sending the aforementioned five-time Grade 1 winner Princess Calla. She has a pair of Breeders' Cup options–either the GI Filly & Mare Sprint or the GI Mile versus males.

Tarry said on his website, “There is a lot of planning still to do. It wasn't a last minute decision, but I don't think there is a firm plan. She certainly has the option to race still. She took her run on Saturday very well [third in the G1 Wilgerbosdrift H F Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut S.] and she's sound. In terms of breeding I am sure the world will be her oyster.”

Hollywood Syndicate's 2023 Equus Champion Sprinter and MG1SW Isivunguvungu (SAf) (What A Winter {SAf}) was also on board. The 5-year-old gelding will target the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint. Completing the 11 visitors is Ridgemont Stud's MG1SW Make It Snappy (SAf) (Dynasty {SAf}), heroine of the G1 Cape Fillies Guineas and G1 Paddock S.

Breeders Cup's Josh Christian told the publication, “We are thrilled that the South African horses have arrived in New York on their way to the Breeders Cup World Championships! None of this would be possible without the help and support of Gaynor Rupert, Barry Irwin, Kevin Sommerville, Robin Bruss and Gerard Connolly.  We are looking forward to seeing them at Del Mar in November and having the best from South Africa, Asia, Europe and the America's will make the Breeders Cup a true world championship.”

Northfields Bloodstock's Robin Bruss, “The USA export route allows South African horses to compete almost up to flight date as Horse of the Year Princess Calla did on Saturday and was in New York four days later. The difference lies between the EU stance of pre-travel quarantine and USA's post arrival quarantine. South Africa is the 8th largest racing country in the world and established great success in the first decade of the 2000s winning Gr.1 races on four continents. Exports have been severely constrained for the past 10 years whilst waiting for difficulties in the pre-travel quarantine system to be resolved.  We are the sleeper in world racing, and we want to be back on the stage, win lose or draw. I pay tribute to Gaynor Rupert and Barry Irwin for their willingness to go the extra mile and make things happen and give thanks to the supporters of this venture including Breeders Cup, Ltd.”

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Trainer Chad Brown has started but three horses in the GIII Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby, none of which has finished better than sixth, but in the form of Klaravich Stable's Domestic Product (Practical Joke), he could very well be getting his picture taken Saturday afternoon.

Having won his maiden over nine furlongs at second asking at Aqueduct in late October, the next logical step was the Dec. 2 GII Remsen S., but he caught a rain-affected strip he may not have preferred and faded through the final furlong to finish a well-beaten seventh. As has been well documented, the oft-maligned Remsen has proved productive, with Dornoch (Good Magic) and 'TDN Rising Star' Sierra Leone (Gun Runner) winning 50-point Derby preps over the last several weeks. The 8-5 morning line second pick, Domestic Product ran on well to finish two lengths behind Hades (Awesome Slew) in the GIII Holy Bull S. Feb. 3.

Morplay Racing's No More Time (Not This Time) is the 7-5 pick on the strength of his 1 1/4-length defeat of the running-on 'TDN Rising Star' Agate Road (Quality Road) when a surprising favorite in the GIII Sam F. Davis S. over course and distance Feb. 10. Javier Castellano takes over at the controls from Paco Lopez on a horse whose speed figures remain very light.

Juxtaposed to Brown is trainer Todd Pletcher, who has won the Tampa Bay Derby no fewer than six times, including his first with Limehouse (Grand Slam) 20 years ago and Tapit Trice (Tapit) last March. Heartened (Street Boss) has not missed the top three in his four trips to the race, two each on turf and dirt. The bay most recently validated a quote of 40 cents on the dollar to break his maiden by a widening 4 1/2 lengths going this track's extended mile Feb. 10, and his 74 Beyer for that effort is not all that far off the 80 earned by No More Time in the Davis.

An intriguing field of 12 sophomore fillies is slated to go to post for Saturday's GIII Florida Oaks, and while Chad Brown is looking for a maiden win in the Derby one race later, his runners have taken the Oaks on three occasions, most recently with Dolce Zel (Fr) (Zelzal {Fr}) in 2022.

Klaravich Stables' Dynamic Pricing (Ire) (Night of Thunder {Ire}) is the preferred half of an uncoupled entry. A 170,000gns purchase at Tattersalls October in 2022 by Mike Ryan on behalf of Seth Klarman's operation, the bay filly was up in the nick of time to break her maiden at first asking at Aqueduct Nov. 4.  Dynamic Pricing returned to action at a generous 28-5 in the Feb. 3 GIII Sweetest Chant S. and came with a solid finish to cross the line third, beaten two necks by Life's an Audible (Audible) and the re-opposing Style Points (Oscar Performance).

Austere (Mendelssohn) was a debut winner on the turf at Ellis Park last August before taking out the valuable Kentucky Downs Juvenile Fillies the following month. Tyler Gaffalione managed to work out an inside trip from a high draw in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Nov. 3, and the dark bay was scarcely disgraced in fifth, beaten two lengths behind Hard to Justify (Justify).

Placed once from two sprint tries over the Saratoga main track, Waskesiu (American Pharoah) improved by several lengths when bounding away to graduate by 4 1/2 lengths at Aqueduct Nov. 18. Made the 9-5 favorite in the Jan. 6 Ginger Brew S., the Chiefswood homebred was a bit wayward out of the gates, then turned in a mostly even effort to be third. She has since worked well up at Payson Park.

Rare are the California shippers for non-Breeders' Cup events from the barn of Todd Pletcher, but the Hall of Famer is set to be represented by a pair of entrants in Saturday's GI Beholder Mile at Santa Anita.

Commenting that he 'is trying to save racing one horse at a time,' Mike Repole paid $1.4 million to acquire the dual graded-stakes winner Interstatedaydream (Classic Empire) from her previous owner Staton Flurry at Keeneland November just days after winning the Turnback the Alarm S. at Aqueduct. Frankie Dettori takes the ride on the Ontario-bred 5-year-old, while John Velazquez has the mount aboard 'TDN Rising Star' Green Up (Flatter), who–like her stablemate–exits a victory in Aqueduct stakes company, in her case the Nov. 5 Pumpkin Pie S.

Adare Manor (Uncle Mo) is the 5-2 favorite to give her sire back-to-back Beholder Mile winners following A Mo Reay last year. Also kept in training for a 5-year-old campaign, the Michael Lund Petersen colorbearer defeated Desert Dawn (Cupid) for her first elite-level success in the Clement L. Hirsch S. at Del Mar and added this track's GII Zenyatta S. in October before finishing seventh, but not beaten far, in the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff.

Arizona-bred Desert Dawn was winless in seven starts last term, including a runner-up effort in the GIII Bayakoa S. at Los Alamitos Dec. 15, but she got her 5-year-old season off on a high note with a one-length defeat of Coffee in Bed (Curlin) in the GIII La Canada S. Jan. 20.

'TDN Rising Star' Kinza (Carpe Diem) puts her undefeated record on the line against seven others in a renewal of the GIII Santa Ysabel S. that looks competitive on paper.

The $350,000 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic breezer belied debut odds of 11-2 to romp home by 7 1/2 lengths going six furlongs over this strip Dec. 29 and was made the even-money choice in the GIII Las Virgenes S. Feb. 10. The New York-bred set reasonable fractions beneath Juan Hernandez and was never truly in danger, scoring by two lengths, with She's a Tempest (Connect) another 1 1/2 lengths back in third.

Of the five last-out maiden winners looking to negotiate the hike into stakes company, Ultimate Authority (Practical Joke) shapes with the most promise. She has turned in a pair of cracking efforts around two turns–each good for a 90 Beyer Speed Figure–missing by a head to She's a Tempest in a mile maiden Jan. 5 before defeating Where's My Ring (Twirling Candy) by a half-length over the same distance Feb. 2. The latter also takes her chance here.

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Registration is open for a Spring Break bus tour through Lexington, KY horse country hosted by Amplify Horse Racing, a nonprofit that spotlights industry education and career opportunities. The event, held Friday, April 5, will guide young adults age 13 and up through various places such as WinStar Farm's training center and Hallway Feeds before ending the day at Keeneland for racing on opening day. Tickets can be purchased here.

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Three months after a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge ordered the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) to set aside a 2020 stewards' decision and issue a new ruling disqualifying winner Justify from the 2018 GI Santa Anita Derby, a separate settlement has been reached that calls for the CHRB to pay $300,000 to Mick Ruis, the owner of runner-up Bolt d'Oro, and to order a redistribution for the $1-million purse of that stakes.

Dick Downey of the Blood-Horse was first to report the settlement on Thursday, citing details made public in court filings.

Neither the settlement nor the underlying lawsuit involved any direct claims against 'TDN Rising Star' Justify's then-ownership group (China Horse Club, Head of Plains Partners, Starlight Racing, and WinStar Farm) or the colt's trainer, Bob Baffert.

Although, as Downey pointed out in the Blood-Horse, “Presumably they retain the right to appeal the stewards' ruling” and the purse redistribution.

By winning the Santa Anita Derby, the undefeated Justify was able to earn necessary qualifying points to enter the GI Kentucky Derby. He then swept the remaining two Triple Crown races, the GI Preakness S. and GI Belmont S, but was retired from racing six weeks later after developing a left front ankle filling.

It wasn't until 15 months after Justify's Triple Crown romp that a September 2019 bombshell story in the New York Times revealed that Justify had tested positive for scopolamine after he won the Santa Anita Derby, and that the result had been kept hidden from the public.

The Times further reported that CHRB officials arranged to handle Justify's positive “differently than usual” by holding an August 2018 executive session hearing during which CHRB members voted unanimously not to disqualify Justify or to sanction Baffert because the positive test was the result of contamination linked to jimson weed.

The stewards subsequently claimed they had no jurisdiction on the matter as it had already been decided, a decision with which the CHRB later concurred.

Ruis then began what would turn out to be a years-long legal quest to have the result of the race overturned with Bolt d'Oro declared the winner, alleging that the CHRB failed to follow its own rules when it decided not to pursue penalties after Justify's positive test.

Carlo Fisco, one of Ruis's attorneys, told TDN via email Thursday evening that the settlement also will quell a separate civil case pending against the CHRB that sought monetary damages.

“We have settled our monetary claims against the CHRB, which now has the additional duty to recover and redistribute the purse to the rightful owners including our client,” Fisco wrote. “It was never about the money. I'm hoping we can all move on and put the actions in 2018 of a few bad actors behind us. It's all been settled save for the purse redistribution.”

According to the Mar. 5 court document that outlines the settlement, “within five days of [the CHRB] being served with the signed Judgment, the Board of Stewards will enter a new order disqualifying the horse Justify and redistributing the purse pursuant to Rule 1859.5 and ordering that all purse monies earned or awarded be returned to the Paymaster of Purses at Santa Anita within 30 days of their order. If the purse is not redistributed within 30 days, [the] CHRB shall use its best efforts pursuant to its rules [in] ensuring that the [court ruling] is upheld.”

The settlement filing states that the CHRB's obligations “are expected to be fully performed by CHRB using its best efforts as expeditiously as possible.”

The settlement also stipulates that “Nothing contained in this Agreement shall be construed as an admission of liability, any wrongdoing, or any violation of law.”

The post CHRB Settles with Ruis in ’18 Santa Anita Derby Dispute Involving Justify DQ appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

A total of 15 juveniles shared the bullet :9 4/5 furlong work time during the second session of the under-tack show for the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's March 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale Thursday in Central Florida.

Three of the bullet workers came from the Wavertree Stables consignment: a filly by Nyquist (hip 304) out of High Heeled Girl (Malibu Moon); a filly by American Freedom (hip 400) out of Limitless (Discreet Cat); and a colt by Shancelot (hip 421) out of Magnolias in Bloom (Flatter).

Wavertree also had a McKinzie colt who shared the :9 4/5 bullet time during Wednesday's first session of the under-tack show.

Eddie Woods sent out a pair of colts by WinStar Farm first-crop sires to share the bullet :9 4/5 time.

First up for the consignment was a chestnut colt by Promises Fulfilled (hip 316). Out of Hot Fun (Latent Heat), the Maryland-bred was purchased by the Quarter Pole Enterprises pinhooking partnership for $110,000 at last year's Keeneland September sale.

“I expected him to work well,” Woods said. “He is an amazingly good-looking colt by kind of an off-the-wall stallion, so to speak. I thought he would work really quick and he did. He's been like that from the first time we ever worked him. He just jumps right in there. He's a tall, leggy colt with great angles to him.”

Also working in :9 4/5 Thursday for Woods was a colt from the first crop of champion Improbable (hip 395). The bay is out of Libby's Tail (Tiz Wonderful) and was purchased by Woods on behalf of Michael Rullo for $135,000 at Keeneland September.

“The work was spectacular,” Woods said. “I can't always tell you a big horse like him is going to work in :9 4/5, but we expected a good work from him and he did that and then some. He galloped out great. He's a beautiful, big, long-striding horse. I think a lot of people are going to like him.”

The colt was one of two sons of Improbable to work the furlong in :9 4/5 Thursday. Also sharing the bullet was hip 325, a colt by the WinStar stallion out of stakes-placed Inaugurate (Empire Maker) from the Majestic consignment.

“As yearlings, I thought they were taller, leaner kind of horses,” Woods said of the progeny of Improbable he has seen. “But we had several in training here and they have come along really well. The one thing they do is move beautifully. They get across the ground really well. They are not huge, robust horses, but they are very athletic.”

For the second day in a row, a filly by Munnings from the Niall Brennan Stables consignment worked her furlong in :9 4/5. Hip 229 is out of Firefoot (Tapizar), a half-sister to graded winner Bandbox (Tapit). The 2-year-old, a $125,000 Keeneland September purchase, is a half-sister to stakes-placed Freeburn (Mitole).

Sharing in the bevy of bullets Thursday at OBS, a colt by Bolt d'Oro (hip 422) worked the furlong in :9 4/5 for Katie Miranda's White Lilac consignment. The bay colt is out of Maisie (Stay Thirsty), a half-sister to multiple graded winner Lovely Bernadette (Wilburn).

“The horse has always shown us positive things,” said Miranda. “He's had lovely breezes at the farm all year. I don't think we've ever had a bad breeze from him. And he prepped in :9 4/5 here [at OBS] last week.”

Asked to describe the colt, Miranda said, “He's a tank. He is an absolute tank. He looks like a Quarter Horse and he has muscles popping out of every part of his body.”

The colt was purchased for $150,000 at last year's Fasig-Tipton July sale by Brian DiDonato's Franklin Ave Equine on behalf of David and Jon Schlosser's Cliff Racing and Miranda and trainer Jena Antonucci's Horseology partnership.

“He was one of our stretch purchases of the year,” Miranda said. “Obviously, partnering with Cliff and Brian allowed that to happen. We had very high thoughts of him from the jump and he's proven it day in and day out. He's just a class act.”

Miranda and Antonucci have been working together for four years and this will be Horseology's second year of pinhooking partnerships.

“We have a good mixture of owners,” Miranda said. “Our big goal is to get new people involved. We do smaller shares to give people the ability to start at just a smaller level because this is an expensive game. We bought 10 [yearlings] for this year. The Bolt d'Oro is one of them. And we've got a pretty big group of owners involved, a mix of owners we have worked with for years and some new ones.”

Also earning the furlong bullet time Thursday: a filly by Caracaro (hip 225) consigned by Cesar Loya Training & Sales; a filly by Honest Mischief (hip 243) consigned by Jesse Hoppel's Coastal Equine; a filly by City of Light (hip 290) consigned by Top Line Sales; a colt by Violence (hip 301) consigned by New Hope AB; a colt by Twirling Candy (hip 398) consigned by GOP Racing Stable Corp.; a filly by Maximus Mischief (hip 418) consigned by Omar Ramirez Bloodstock; and a colt by Volatile (hip 420) consigned by Grade One Investments.

A pair of juveniles shared Thursday's fastest quarter-mile time of :20 4/5: a filly by Uncle Mo (hip 252) consigned by Pick View and a colt by Cajun Breeze (hip 271) bred and consigned by Tom McCrocklin.

While headwinds were a major factor later in Wednesday's first session of the under-tack show, conditions were more consistent throughout the second session Thursday, according to Miranda.

“The headwind yesterday was terrible,” Miranda said. “We probably had a much more consistent track today. They said it was going to be overcast–which to me means you can't see the sun. And there was just one cloud in the sky. Which was annoying just because the track gets so hot and sticky so quick. But the track seemed to play fair all day.”

Of wind conditions, Miranda said, “If anything we had a little bit of a tailwind at times, but definitely not the 12mph headwind people had to deal with yesterday.”

The under-tack show continues through Saturday with sessions beginning daily at 8 a.m. The March sale will be held next Tuesday through Thursday. Bidding begins each day at 11 a.m.

The post Bevy of Bullets at OBS Thursday appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Trainer Rusty Arnold has been suspended seven days and fined $1,000 after the 2-year-old filly he trains, Figgy (Candy Ride {Arg}), tested positive for a metabolite of Tramadol.

“I received notification and today am accepting the penalties for a horse in my care testing for a controlled substance under current HISA/HIWU regulations,” said Arnold in a letter circulated by the National Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association. “To be clear,” continues Arnold, “I have no issue that I have a positive post-race test. The problem is why it is a positive. We can't afford to just stand on the rail expressing outrage whenever one of our training colleagues gets ensnared in HISA and HIWU testing policies and penalties that defy common sense and ignore the realities of our environment. We need to speak not amongst ourselves but to speak up together to regulators–loudly–that the system in place is unfairly hurting livelihoods and reputations while doing nothing to make our horses and industry safer. I'm not anti-HISA (Horseracing Integrity & Safety Authority). But I'm very much against some of the policies they've put in place–and allowed its enforcement arm HIWU (Horseracing Integrity & Welfare Unit) to put into place–in determining drug and medication violations.”

Arnold said the drug was detected in Figgy's post-race test after her win in a Dec. 27 maiden race at Turfway, at a level of three nanograms per millileter of urine.

Tramadol is a narcotic used for moderate to moderately severe pain, according to the Mayo Clinic, which says it is also used to treat severe pain when opioids cannot be used or are not effective. It is often given post-surgery.

Officials at HIWU released a statement to TDN upon request. The statement read:

“A first-time presence violation for Tramadol, a Class B Controlled Medication under HISA's ADMC rules, calls for a period of Ineligibility of up to 15 days. This mirrors the penalty recommended for Tramadol in the ARCI's Model Rules, which predate HISA. Mr. Arnold chose to admit the violation, which reduces his period of Ineligibility to 7 days.”

Arnold continued: “I am accepting my penalty and will move on. However, I do 100 percent deny giving or instructing anyone on my staff to administer Tramadol to Figgy,” Arnold wrote. “We interviewed every person who came in contact with Figgy and no one had a Tramadol prescription. Figgy is under 24/7 state-of-the-art video surveillance supplied by Keeneland. This was offered to HISA, but they never responded to the offer to make that video available. We do not believe Figgy received Tramadol in our care.

“It is our belief that Figgy was contaminated with Tramadol either on the van ride to Turfway Park that day or in the receiving barn where she was in her assigned stall for approximately eight hours prior to her race. We have no control over those factors.”

Arnold said that he felt that HISA was unrealistic in its views and penalties for environmental contamination. “Horses are grazing animals,” he wrote. “They eat dirt. They love to lick smelly wet spots in stalls. They eat manure. They lick the walls of ship-in stalls. It is unreasonable to think we can control this.”

HIWU's statement to TDN continued: “HISA has introduced a cleanliness review of receiving barns into its racetrack accreditation visits and will continue to emphasize to racetracks the importance of maintaining the highest level of cleanliness standards in receiving barns to minimize any risks to horses.”

The post Arnold Receives Seven-Day Suspension for Tramadol Positive; Raises Contamination Questions appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Fasig-Tipton has catalogued 105 entries for its March Digital Sale, which may be viewed at digital.fasigtipton.com. Bidding is now open and will close Tuesday, Mar. 12, beginning at 2 p.m. ET.

The catalogue offers horses of racing age, breeding stock, 2-year-olds, and yearlings.

Daddysruby (Frac Daddy) (Hip 1), winner of the GI La Brea S. at Santa Anita Dec. 26, headlines the sale's catalogue. Her La Brea win capped an outstanding 3-year-old season in which she won five of six starts on her way to career earnings of $364,014. Now four, she is consigned as a racing/broodmare prospect by Bluewater Sales, agent.

“Consignors have supported our March Digital Sale with another strong group of entries,” said Leif Aaron, Fasig-Tipton's Director of Digital Sales. “We are particularly excited to offer our first current Grade I winner on the platform in Daddysruby. At just four years old, she has a lot of racing opportunities still ahead of her.”

Other horses of racing age entries of interest include two in-form graded stakes level older horses, as well as recently graded stakes placed racing/broodmare prospects.

Breeding stock offerings include mares in foal to Mitole, Violence, and Yaupon, as well as eight mares offered along with their 2024 foals at foot.

Sires of yearlings represented include Curlin, Flatter, and Tapit.

Fasig-Tipton February Digital sale topper Pounce (Lookin At Lucky) won the GIII Herecomesthebride S. at Gulfstream Park. The 3-year-old filly was purchased on Fasig-Tipton Digital by Resolute Racing just 11 days prior to her graded stakes win.

“Pounce's impressive victory this past weekend demonstrates the level of quality that can be found on our digital platform,” Aaron said. “Her buyer was rewarded with a quick return on investment, while the filly never had to leave her stall or miss a day of training to be sold.”

The post Led by GISW Daddysruby, Bidding Now Open for Fasig-Tipton March Digital Sale appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Kentucky Downs' King of the Turf Handicapping Challenge returns Sept. 7 with a new one-day format and is highlighted by six graded stakes each worth at least $1 million. The $2,500 per-entry buy-in includes $1,500 for the player's bankroll and $1,000 toward the prize pool. Based on 100 entries, the prize pool would be $100,000.

The first-place King of the Turf finisher will receive an entry to the 2025 National Horseplayers Championships (NHC) and an entry into the 2024 Breeders' Cup Betting Challenge (BCBC), worth $10,000. In addition, the winner gets the designation as National Turf Handicapper of the Year and receives the Global Tote King of the Turf Championship belt.

At least five NHC packages and two BCBC berths are guaranteed to be awarded to the King of the Turf's top finishers. Additional prizes will be awarded based on the total number of entries. The tournament host takes no money out of the entry fees, with 100% going to the prize pool and players' bankrolls.

The 2024 meet will also feature two Play-In tournaments on Aug. 29 and Sept. 1. These competitions will have a $300 and $400 entry fee, respectively. Each event will feature two 2025 NHC entries plus entries to the $2,500 King of the Turf finals. Additional prizes will be awarded based on the number of entries. Online qualifiers for the King of the Turf finals and the Play-In tournaments will be announced later.

“We reconfigured the King of the Turf Handicapping Challenge into a single-day extravaganza that will offer more prize money and more prizes,” said Ted Nicholson, Kentucky Downs' vice president for racing. “We think the format will be attractive to big bettors and contest players while also providing play-in tournaments with much smaller entry fees. With inexpensive and sometimes free online qualifiers to both the play-in and championship, everyone has a chance to try to be King of the Turf and get the Global Tote belt.”

Phil Lam, the 2023 King of the Turf winner, will be presented his personalized Global Tote belt at the NHC at Horseshoe Las Vegas (formerly Bally's) March 15-17.

Players must bet a minimum of $300 per race for at least five races on the 12-race card, utilizing win, place, show, exacta and daily double wagering. The contest is conducted via online wagering through FanDuel/TVG, Xpressbet, NJBets and HPI Canada.

Online qualifiers for entries into the play-in tournaments and the 2024 King of the Turf Championship will be announced later.

For more information, click here.

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The 25th National Thoroughbred Racing Association National Horseplayers Championship presented by Caesars Entertainment, Horseshoe Las Vegas, and Racetrack Television Network kicks off Friday, Mar. 15, running through Sunday, Mar. 17, at the Horseshoe Las Vegas. The field of an estimated 750 entries will yield one ultimate winner, who will go home with $800,000 and an Eclipse Award as the Horseplayer of the Year.

The NHC features more than 600 top horseplayers (including approximately 150 individuals with two entries), awarding nearly $4.5 million in cash and prizes. All qualifiers will receive a complimentary four-night stay at the Horseshoe Las Vegas and travel reimbursements which total more than $1 million. The complete field and total prize breakdown will be finalized following the Last Chance/First Chance Contest, held Thursday, Mar. 14 on the eve of the NHC.

New to the 25th NHC will be a Final Table livestream, co-hosted by Steve Byk and Rick Hammerle, that will be streamed on NTRA's X, YouTube, and Website for the final seven races of the Championship. Interested spectators will have the ability to watch and listen to the action unfurling all weekend long at the NHC. Rachel McLaughlin, Racing Analyst at Horseshoe Indianapolis, will be providing coverage throughout the weekend on all NTRA social media platforms.

Additionally, At the Races with Steve Byk will broadcast live on SiriusXM satellite radio (Sirius 219; XM 201) from the Horseshoe Las Vegas and online at www.stevebyk.com daily, from 9a.m.-12 p.m. ET/6-9 a.m. PT on Friday and Monday, with bonus NHC coverage at www.SteveByk.com/listen-live-SiriusXM slated for 2-8 p.m. ET/11 a.m.-5 p.m. PT) next Friday-Sunday. America's Best Racing and Hawthorne Racecourse will also be streaming live from the event.

Also new to the program will be the Silver Sunday Contest, available to all individuals competing in the tournament with no entry fee. Every individual will receive a maximum of one entry and will have to place mythical Win/Place bets throughout Mar. 17 on 10 optional and seven mandatory races (the seven mandatory races will coincide with the NHC Final Table). The top 25 highest bankrolls, including ties, will receive a share of $100,000 in prize money. The top five highest finishers will win an entry into the 2025 NHC and the top 10% will receive on track 2024 NHC Tour points. A “First Five” free-to-play online contest will be available to non-NHC participants and will offer five berths to the 2025 NHC.

Information on the 25th NHC can be found at www.ntra.com  including the 2024 full schedule of events and the 2024 Official Rules.

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New York-based trainer Leah Gyarmati voluntarily surrendered her license Mar. 1 and subsequently had her stalls at Belmont revoked by NYRA following separate incidents, according to a story first reported by DRF. Stewards scratched horses she had entered last weekend at Aqueduct and the 12 horses under her care were transferred to her former assistant trainer Marcelo Arenas, who took out his own license in 2021.

Gyarmati told the DRF's David Grening that she failed a breathalyzer after she was awakened by NYRA security when found sleeping in her truck, which was parked by Belmont's training track following training hours. She told Grening she had eaten a sandwich and drank two beers and was napping. Gyarmati, who was ordered by state officials to meet with a substance-abuse counselor by a specific date, indicated she was unable to schedule an appointment by that date and has since met with a counselor and was awaiting the counselor's report.

The DRF said that In a separate incident, a horse trained by Gyarmati reportedly recently exited the track lame and was returned to the barn by Gyarmati's exercise rider and stable employee. According to Gyarmati, she remained at the track with her other horses and later returned to her barn. NYRA contradicted her account to the DRF, citing that officials had to request radiographs of the horse and that she didn't return to the barn until the next morning when the vet returned for a follow-up examination.

“I showed up as soon as the last horse I was training finished training,” Gyarmati told DRF. “I came back to the barn, and the vet was X-raying the horse.”

Gyarmati confirmed to DRF that the horse underwent surgery to have one screw inserted to repair a fractured cannon bone and is convalescing on a farm.

“Following a thorough review of recent incidents, NYRA revoked all stalls previously granted to trainer Leah Gyarmati,” read a statement issued by NYRA spokesman Pat McKenna. “Subsequent to this action, Gyarmati voluntarily surrendered her New York State-issued owner, trainer, and exercise rider licenses and is not currently able to participate in Thoroughbred racing activities. NYRA retains the exclusive right to grant or revoke stall space at its properties at any time.”

Gyarmati, who has been training for 25 years, has never been cited for any violations in New York.

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The 2024 Thoroughbred Owner Conference hosted its first panel Mar. 5, with a discussion about how Thoroughbred owners can avoid, prepare for and survive an audit. The panel was sponsored by Mersant International.

Gary Falter, project manager for OwnerView, moderated the panel with guests Len Green, founder and chairman of The Green Group, and Frank Palino, Tax Controversy & Divorce Mediation, The Green Group.

The panel delved into the intricacies of how the Internal Revenue Service views horse and farm owners and how those owners can best prepare for tax season.

Other topics covered the importance of a business plan and an LLC, red flags for being audited, showing profit, and hobby and passive losses.

For the replay of Tuesday's Thoroughbred Owner Conference panel, click here.

Nine additional Thoroughbred Owner Conference virtual panels are scheduled for 2024. The next session, “Information Resources for Owners,” will be held Apr. 9 at 2 p.m. ET.

For the full schedule, click here.

There is no registration fee for the 2024 virtual conference series, but registration is required. For more information about the owner conference series, including the schedule of panels and registration, visit www.ownerview.com/event/conference  or contact Gary Falter at 859.224.2803 or gfalter@jockeyclub.com.

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Juddmonte Farms' recent G3 Burj Nahaar romper Laurel River (Into Mischief) will bypass the Mar. 30 G2 Godolphin Mile and will instead stretch out to 10 furlongs for the first time in the G1 Dubai World Cup, Garett O'Rourke, the manager of Juddmonte's American operation, told the TDN Thursday morning.

“It's worth a try. There's $12 million reasons to do it,” he said.

The homebred winner of the seven-furlong GII Pat O'Brien S. when under the care of Bob Baffert in 2022, Laurel River was favored in many circles for that year's GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile before being withdrawn on the eve of the race.

He joined the barn of leading trainer Bhupat Seemar in the second half of 2023 and made his local debut in the G3 Al Shindagha Sprint over 1200 meters Jan. 26, but weakened out to finish a disappointing seventh after racing handy. Laurel River was given another positive ride by Tadhg O'Shea in the G3 Burj Nahaar on Super Saturday Mar. 2, but this time continued to find and ran up the score to the tune of 6 3/4 lengths.

“When you have a horse of that age and they've been off a long time–and he had excuses in his first race-you do start to wonder, 'well, was it excuses or was it age catching up with him,'” said O'Rourke. “But Bhupat was pretty confident that the second start of the layoff would be the improvement and it was huge improvement. He's got a little bit of age on him, but he's a relatively fresh horse for that age. It looks like he's still got all of his ability and his enthusiasm for the game and Into Mischiefs, as they usually do, stay sound and have good longevity, so hopefully there's a couple of more years in him.”

While the Burj Nahaar is the course-and-distance lead-up to the G2 Godolphin Mile, connections put their heads together and opted for the less-conventional option in the World Cup.

“The plan all along was to go to the Godolphin Mile, but when Bhupat looked at who was going and saw that Saudi Crown (Always Dreaming) and Isolate (Mark Valeski)–who won it last year and is a confirmed front-runner as well–were both in there, he didn't want to get stuck in a speed duel,” O'Rourke explained.

For obvious reasons, there are plenty of obstacles to overcome.

“I feel like the 10 furlongs is a stretch for him, but that is a speed-favoring track and he might be the lone speed in there,” said O'Rourke. “Bhupat didn't really mind either way whichever way the family wanted to go, but he decided he wanted to get that easy lead. Looking at the field, it'll be the two Japanese horses [Ushba Tesoro {Orfevre} and Derma Sotogake {Mind Your Biscuits) and Senor Buscador (Mineshaft) and it doesn't seem to go very deep after that. If you're going to take a shot, even if there's a doubt about the 10 furlongs, it seems like the year to try it and we're keen to do it. He can have a long rest afterwards.”

On pedigree, Laurel River is a horse who could appreciate the World Cup trip. He is bred on the exact same cross as Juddmonte's GI Kentucky Derby winner and 'TDN Rising Star' Mandaloun and his first two dams are by the operation's Empire Maker and fellow GI Belmont S. winner Touch Gold. Laurel River's dam Calm Water is a full-sister to Emollient, whose big-race victories include the GI Juddmonte Spinster S. at nine furlongs on synthetic and a the GI American Oaks and GI Rodeo Drive S. going a mile and a quarter on the grass.

“It would suggest he is capable of doing it, but on pedigree, Elite Power (Curlin) should have gotten a mile and a half,” O'Rourke said with a laugh. “It's an indicator of what the genes should be, but it can't guarantee what the dominant genes are.

“He looks like a miler, he's a very strong, muscular horse. But some of those horses–on dirt anyways–if they're front-runners, they get stronger and they can get further as they get older. I think the key to him is being able to use that speed and get cruising out there in front and I would say, ideally eight to nine furlongs is his best distance. But older, stronger, front-runner–all those things can align and horses can get 10 furlongs with conditions in their favor.”

Win, lose or draw, O'Rourke indicated that Laurel River will train on next season, with an eye on the G1 Saudi Cup. There are no plans to return to the United States, he added.

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