Thoroughbred Daily News

8-year-old mare Kona Kai (Palace Malice) delivered surprise twin fillies by Oscar Performance Monday for Surfside Stables.

“They're doing well and getting stronger every day,” said breeder Debbie Appel.

Kona Kai and her fillies are currently at Rood & Riddle in Kentucky where they will stay under observation for the near future.

The mare was purchased as a yearling at Keeneland September by Surfside for $70,000 in 2018 and broke her maiden at Horseshoe Indianapolis in 2020, retiring after 11 starts with earnings of over $68,000. Kona Kai, a half-sister to stakes winner Party At Page's (Gemologist) and out of a half to the dam of G1SW Jungle Cat (Ire) (Iffraaj {GB}) and MGSP Texas Wildcatter (Monarchos), produced a full-sister to the twins last year.

 

On Monday, Kona Kai unexpectedly gave birth to twin fillies. Sire is OSCAR PERFORMANCE. All 3 are healthy and well. Our deepest thanks to Lori Hendrickson and team and Dr. Barr and everyone at @roodandriddle. This is the rarest of events. A small miracle. @millridgefarm pic.twitter.com/5euWtlYfqJ

— Surfside Stables (@surfsidestables) March 12, 2025

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Later in Wednesday's session, a colt by Freshman sire Independence Hall realized $1-million from Muir Hut Stables. Offered as Hip 404 as a member of the Eddie Woods consignment, the son of stakes placed Orecchiette (Harlan's Holiday) covered an eighth in :9 4/5 during last week's breeze session.

A $32,000 Keeneland November weanling, the Mar. 8 foal was purchased by Woods's Quarter Pole Enterprises for $165,000 at Fasig-Tipton last July. Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners bred the colt in Kentucky.

 

"We just thought he was an athlete." We have our first 7-figure baby of Day 2 at #OBSMarch with Hip 404, by Independence Hall, selling for $1 million to JPM Bloodstock from the consignment of @eddiewoods2yos. Will head to trainer Mark Glatt. (OBS Photo/Penelope P. Miller) pic.twitter.com/bKNIhic0dM

— OBSSales (@OBSSales) March 12, 2025

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Beginning with the upcoming March Digital Sale, Fasig-Tipton is raising the upset price for all of the company's live and digital auctions from $1,000 to $2,500. The upset price, or the minimum bid that can be made for a Thoroughbred offered at Fasig-Tipton auctions, has been in place since 2000.

“The $1,000 upset price was instituted 25 years ago, and the time has come for it to be raised in support of our industry's long-term commitment to Thoroughbred welfare,” said Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning.  “The value of the dollar has certainly increased over time, and by raising our upset price we are better ensuring responsible horse ownership for years to come.”

Fasig-Tipton has tentatively scheduled 11 live and eight digital auctions for 2025. Following digital auctions set for April and early May, the company will conducts its next live event, the Midlantic Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training, at the Maryland State Fairgrounds in Timonium May 19 and 20.

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The rate of fatal injury in equine athletes for 2024 was 1.11 per 1000 starts, the lowest rate since the creation of the Equine Injury Database (EID) back in 2009, according to the initial data analysis from the 16th year of reporting to the EID. Based on the 2024 data, 99.89% of all flat racing stats at racetracks participating in the EID were completed without a fatality.

Analysis of the EID, released Wednesday by The Jockey Club, was provided by Dr. Euan Bennett of the University of Glasgow and Professor Tim Parkin of the University of Bristol, who has been a consultant on the EID since its inception.

“It is remarkable and indeed gratifying to see the sustained improvement in these figures,” Parkin said. “It is a credit to all involved in the industry that such a significant improvement in the risk of fatal injury can be achieved off the back of the establishment of the EID and, of course, alongside lots of hard work from very many parties.”

Since March 2012, racetracks have had the ability to voluntarily publish their statistics from the EID to The Jockey Club website. Tracks that opt to publish those statistics report a rate of 0.88 fatalities per 1000 starts compared to the 1.27 per 1000 for tracks that elect not to publish. Additionally, racetracks not covered under the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) had a rate of 1.76 deaths per 1000 starts. As reported by HISA in February, the racing-related fatality rate at tracks subject to HISA rules came in at 0.90 per 1000 starts, aligning with the EID data. HISA reports race-related deaths after regulatory review.

STATISTICAL SUMMARY FROM 2009 TO 2024 RATE OF FATAL INJURY PER 1,000 STARTERS YEAR 2009 2.00% 2010 1.88% 2011 1.88% 2012 1.92% 2013 1.90% 2014 1.89% 2015 2.61% 2017 1.61% 2018 1.68% 2019 1.53% 2020 1.41% 2021 1.39% 2022 1.25% 2023 1.32% 2024 1.11% TOTAL % CHANGE 2009-'24 -44.5

The EID stats are based on injuries that resulted in fatalities within 72 hours from the date of the race. The stats exclude steeplechase races and are subject to some change owing to a number of considerations, including the timeliness of reporting. All data entered into the EID is scrutinized during a multi-level quality control process to ensure the completeness and accuracy of reporting. In 2024, approximately 99% of all Thoroughbred starts were entered into the EID.

The equine fatality rate as recently as 2009 was at 2.00 per 1000 starts and remained largely static through 2014, when the same figure came in at 1.89/1000. Since 2018, when the equine fatality rate was observed at 1.68 per 1000 starts, the rate has declined in each year bar one, where there was a slight uptick (from 1.25 in 2022 to 1.32 in 2023).

STATISTICS BY CATEGORY:

By Age

2-year-old: 0.9
3-year-old: 0.94
4+-year-old: 1.21

By Race Distance
< 6 furlongs: 1.20
6 – 8 furlongs: 1.12
> 8 furlongs: 0.98

By track surface
Dirt: 1.18
Turf: 0.88
Synthetic: 1.02

Races contested at trips of six furlongs or shorter saw the 'highest' fatality race at 1.20 per 1000 and dropped to 1.12 between six and eight furlongs and 0.98 at longer distances. The fatality race on dirt tracks was 1.18 per 1000, on synthetic tracks 1.02/1000 and 0.88 on turf. The fatality rate for horses four years and older was 1.21 per 1000, dropping to 0.94 for 3-year-olds and 0.90 for 2-year-olds.

The EID, conceived at the Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation's first Welfare and Safety of the Racehorse Summit, was launched by The Jockey Club in July 2008 and seeks to identify the frequencies, types, and outcomes of racing injuries using a standardized format that generates valid statistics, identifies markers for horses at increased risk of injury, and serves as a data source for research directed at improving safety and preventing injuries.

For trends of the EID since 2009, please visit jockeyclub.com/pdfs/eid_16_year_tables.pdf. The list of racetracks participating in the EID and detailed statistics from those tracks that voluntarily publish their results can be found at jockeyclub.com/default.asp?section=Advocacy&area=11.

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Lane's End's Senor Buscador (Mineshaft–Rose's Desert, by Desert God) has had his first mare checked in foal, the Kentucky nursery said Wednesday morning.

The first confirmed mare is Scandalous Song (Unbridled's Song–My White Corvette, by Tarr Road), owned by Greenfield Farms and Travis and Jacqui Gould. The 15-year-old is an unraced daughter of the stakes-winning and dual graded-placed My White Corvette, whose five winners include five-time Grade I winner Stardom Bound (Tapit), the Eclipse Award-winning juvenile filly of 2008.

Scandalous Song is herself the dam of three winners, including Zanesville (Tiznow), who amassed a record of 13-4-13 from 47 starts, including third-place efforts at three in the Prairie Mile and Super Derby Prelude for earnings in excess of $318,000.

Bred by Joe Peacock Sr. and Joey Peacock, Jr., Senor Buscador was victorious in seven of his 23 career starts, topped by thrilling victory in the G1 Saudi Cup in 2024. His five stakes successes also include the GII San Diego Handicap and GIII Ack Ack Stakes while he was also third in last year's G1 Dubai World Cup. Senor Buscador is standing his first season at Lane's End for $7,500.

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by Jessica Martini & Christina Bossinakis

OCALA, FL – The Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's March Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training opened Tuesday with a colt from the first crop of Grade I winner Maxfield (hip 119) leading the way when selling for $1 million to Japanese trainer Mitsu Nakauchida. The colt was consigned by Ciaran Dunne's Wavertree Stables.

At the end of the session, 117 juveniles had sold for $15,902,000 for an average of $135,915 and a median of $85,000.

At the conclusion of last year's opening session, 152 head grossed $20,844,000 for an average of $137,132 and a median of $73,500. With the inclusion of post-sale transactions, OBS's finalized figures from the 2024 opening session saw 167 horses gross $21,859,000 for an average of $130,892 and a median of $60,000.

“We're pleased to see that the average and median were up,” said OBS Director of Sales Tod Wojciechowski. “The good news is we still have two days of some really nice horses to sell. It's kind of hard to compare session to session, year to year. But it was a good start and we look forward to more good horses tomorrow and the next day.”

OBS

With 272 juveniles catalogued for Tuesday's session, 102 were withdrawn. Of the 170 head offered, 54 failed to meet their reserves for a buy-back rate of 31.8%.

The horses who sold Tuesday worked during Thursday's first session of the under-tack show last week and faced a persistent head wind. While the $1-million session topper shared the day's bullet furlong time of :9 4/5, the conditions and resulting slower times may have provided buyers with some bargains, according to Dunne.

“I think that, [the $1-million colt] aside, there is tremendous value here,” Dunne said. “And I don't mean this to disrespect anybody, but we've gotten so statistical and so analytical with our numbers, and our gallop-outs and our stride lengths that they've eliminated 80% of the catalogue before they even start to look at them. At the end of the day, the great horsemen through the ages, be it [D. Wayne] Lukas, or [Bob] Baffert, they bought on instinct. That's something that we can't ever lose sight of. Yes, it's an intangible and it's sometimes hard to sell. But the great horsemen have it. And I get it. It's a performance-based sale. But there are so many factors that go into that performance. And I think the guys who are willing to think outside the box are the guys who are going to do well in the end. Because the guys who are pigeon-holing themselves into statistics are always going to have to overpay because everybody has the same statistics.”

Hip 212, a full-brother to Cogburn | OBS

In addition to the session topper, also going the way of Japanese buyers Tuesday was the day's third highest-priced offering, a son of Not This Time who sold to Katsumi Yoshida for $650,000. Yoshida also purchased a filly by Upstart for $375,000.

The session's leading buyer was re-emerging Texas-based owner Leland Ackerley, who acquired four juveniles Tuesday for $1,175,000. Leading the quartet was a filly by Vekoma purchased for $425,000 from the Wavertree Stables consignment.

The OBS March sale continues through Thursday with sessions beginning daily at 11 a.m.

A Cool Million For Maxfield Colt

The gun-slinging started early at Tuesday's opening session of the OBS March Sale. Bidding from the back of the press box in the pavilion for a colt by Maxfield, agent Donato Lanni–accompanied by trainer Bob Baffert–reached in for the colt while Japanese trainer Mitsu Nakauchida threw down the gauntlet out back. When all was said and done, it was Japan that outlasted Team America and held the winning bid, extending to $1 million. Offered as hip 119, the colt breezed an eighth in :9.4 during Thursday's breeze session.

The Maxfield colt's work Thursday | OBS

“Physically, he looks really strong and his movement is really smooth–very nice,” explained Nakauchida, who also conditioned 2023 Japanese Filly Triple Crown winner Liberty Island (Jpn) and Grade I winner Serifos (Jpn). “I just liked everything about him.”

The session-topping juvenile was the sole purchase by Nakauchida during Tuesday's session.

He added, “I liked his breeze at first and then I looked at the physical and I really liked him. And he's by freshman sire Maxfield and he looks like he will be good.”

According to Nakauchida, “He is going to race in Japan and I hope we get lucky with him.”

Consigned by Wavertree Stables, the son of MSW and GSP Eyeinthesky (Sky Mesa) was bred by War Horse Place, who secured the mare in foal to War of Will in 2021 at the Keeneland November Sale.

A scene from the OBS March Sale | OBS

Offered at Keeneland last September, the Apr. 8 foal was purchased by Wavertree's Ciaran Dunne for a pinhooking partnership for $75,000.

“We were lucky enough to get him for what we got him for,” said Dunne. “He was just an easy horse to train. We had originally targeted him for April, but he was just forward and easy to deal with that he kind of pushed himself here. He breezed phenomenally. He vetted good, he showed good. And then we were fortunate enough to get two people who wanted him. That's what it takes. It exceeded all expectations. We just hope he's lucky for the guys at the other end.”–CBoss

Another Mule for Viola

Vinnie Viola's St. Elias Stable, which purchased Army Mule for $825,000 at the 2016 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic May sale, acquired a son (hip 81) of the 2018 GI Carter Handicap winner for $950,000 during Tuesday's first session of the OBS March sale.

Monique Delk | OBS

“We love Army Mule,” said Monique Delk, who signed the ticket on the colt on behalf of St. Elias. “So to be able to support the stallion like that with a horse that we love, we are really very honored.”

The juvenile is out of the unraced Diplomatic Miss (Violence), a daughter of multiple graded winner Miraculous Miss (Mr. Greeley). He was consigned by de Meric Sales and was bred by Machmer Hall.

Facing strong headwinds during the first session of last week's under-tack preview, the colt worked a furlong in :10 flat.

“The wind was a huge issue, so for a horse to perform like that under those conditions, made it even more spectacular,” Delk said.

Delk said a trainer was still to be determined for the youngster.

“He will get a little time off from here,” she said. “He will go to the farm for a little bit and kind of regroup. Then we will make decisions from there.”

Hip 81, an $950,000 Army Mule colt | OBS

Machmer Hall purchased Diplomatic Miss for $45,000 at the 2019 Keeneland January sale. Her 2-year-old colt had originally been slated to sell at last year's Keeneland September sale.

“We did his X-rays for the sale and he had a small fragment,” Machmer Hall's Carrie Brogden said of the decision to withdraw the colt from that auction. “He was a bigger version [Tuesday] of what he always was. He was always a magnificent horse.”

Diplomatic Miss died this year, leading Brogden to assert, “He will definitely be a Grade I winner because the mare died last month. She died of colic. But we are delighted that he will be part of her legacy.”

The mare leaves behind an Authentic yearling filly.

“I am not sure if we are in a rush to sell her,” co-breeder Sandy Fubini said of the yearling. “We'll see how this goes. We keep the broodmares and especially when they throw physicals like this. I really hope he is a star for [St. Elias], And then we will have the half-sister.” @JessMartiniTDN

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The TDN European division produced a wonderful article about our recently deceased friend Clem Murphy last Saturday. I wanted to offer a few observations from an American who respected and loved Clem for all the things he did not just in Europe, and the list is long, but for what he did here in America.

As background, I met Clem about 40 years ago, just as the Coolmore empire was exploding under John Magnier, with the help of a quiet young genius named Clem Murphy. Clem was part of the evolution of arguably the greatest Thoroughbred breeding and racing operation in history and he pulled the strings quietly and in the background throughout. Over time I realized Clem was involved in everything.

Clem was not somebody who criticized without solutions, or proposed solutions without rolling up his sleeves and making them happen. Clem identified problems, proposed solutions and fixed them. As an example, I was part of the Breeders' Cup to witness Clem do as much or more than anybody to improve the Breeders' Cup and American racing over the past 25 years; always quietly and effectively. His contributions to American racing make for way too long a list for this small letter, but suffice it to say he was involved in many of the improvements to racing internationally and the United States over the past 30 years; and this was not even his day job!

A few of my thoughts on Clem: He was highly intelligent, very determined, innovative, funny, always with the wry grin of one who loved humor, loved a Heineken every now and then, and he firmly and rightly chastised me on a couple of occasions to my benefit.

This great guy went too early, but he accomplished more in our business during his short time than most could in a number of lifetimes. My heart goes out to his wife Barbara and his whole family, as well to John, Susan and the Magniers who considered Clem to be very much a part of their family. Anybody and everybody who knew Clem respected him and will miss him. I will very much.

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Florida's polarizing decoupling legislation, which would remove a statutory requirement that Gulfstream Park and Tampa Bay Downs run a minimum number of live Thoroughbred races in order to operate the respective casino and card room at each venue, recently had its first reading in the House of Representatives and remains pending at the committee level in the Senate.

The bill has the backing and was launched at the impetus of Gulfstream's corporate owner, The Stronach Group (TSG).

But in a solidarity twist that supersedes his family's business ties, 92-year-old Frank Stronach, who founded TSG in 2011 but is no longer involved in any of the day-to-day operations of TSG's portfolio of racetracks, signed a letter to the editor published in the Mar. 11 South Florida Sun Sentinel that spoke out against decoupling, opining that, “To put it simply, it would end horse racing in Florida.”

Belinda Stronach is the chairman, chief executive and president of TSG. The rags-to-riches rise of her father, the Austrian-born Frank Stronach, has been well-documented within the racing industry.

Although the family patriarch today is much farther removed from racing's public spotlight, over the decades Frank Stronach has been honored with numerous awards during his ascendancy from a small-scale horse owner and breeder based in Canada to a global Thoroughbred power player.

His letter to the editor in the Sun Sentinel stated, in part:

“Fourteen years ago, I, along with my daughter, founded TSG, a horse racing, entertainment and pari-mutuel wagering technology company. Our most noted contributions to the horse racing industry include world-class courses like Santa Anita Park in California and Pimlico Race Course in Maryland, as well as Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach…

“It is from this profound place, with my love of the horse racing industry, a great respect for the Thoroughbred industry and owners, and the continued and unwavering support of the Florida Thoroughbred Horsemen, that I feel compelled to encourage the Florida Legislature not to pass legislation that would jeopardize the future of horse racing in Florida…

“My heartfelt opposition to this legislation comes from my love of the industry, the respect for the men and women in this sport, and the deep concern in what this legislation would mean for the future of horse racing in the state. To put it simply, it would end horse racing in Florida…

“I know that not everyone will feel the same passion for this industry that I do, but I do think we can all understand economic impacts. This legislation will mean that Florida will lose a lot, especially rural and agricultural areas of the state that contribute significantly to horses that are bred, raised and trained.

“I respect those who are pushing this legislation, and I respect my former colleagues at Gulfstream Park for their business interests that have led to this move, but I would say to them that this endeavor is not right. It's not right for the industry; it's not right for those who love horse racing; and it's not right for Florida,” Frank Stronach wrote.

Over the course of six decades, Frank Stronach enjoyed commercial success as an auto-parts magnate, and several of his early racing holdings were intertwined with the firm that he founded, Magna International.

As Frank Stronach's scope and scale of investment within Thoroughbred racing grew, he formed Magna Entertainment Corporation (MEC) in 1999 to keep his racing interests separate from the automotive business.

Belinda Stronach came on board with MEC in 2001 as its chief executive, although she briefly stepped away shortly thereafter for a run in Canadian politics.

After the Stronach family formed TSG, various factions of parents, siblings and grandchildren within the clan turned against one another, leading to a series of lawsuits in Canadian courts that began in 2018 and largely ended several years later with settlements of non-disclosed terms.

Essentially, the agreements entitled Belinda Stronach to remain at the helm of TSG, with full control of its horse racing, gaming, real estate and related assets, while Frank Stronach and his wife, Elfriede, took ownership and control of the family's stallions and breeding business, farm operations in North America, and European assets.

In January, under Belinda Stronach's leadership, TSG told Florida industry stakeholders it could guarantee racing at Gulfstream Park only through 2028 if the proposed bill to decouple Thoroughbred horseracing from casino licenses passes the state legislature.

A TSG consultant also told horsemen at a closed-door meeting that even if the decoupling bill does not pass, “there's no guarantee of when we will continue to race.”

A day after the Sun-Sentinel published the story, they appeared to have taken it down from their site.

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A colt from the first crop of Grade I winner Maxfield (hip 119) will be heading to Japan after selling for $1 million to the bid of trainer Mitsu Nakauchida during Tuesday's first session of the OBS March sale. The colt, who shared the :9 4/5 bullet during the first under-tack show last week, is out of multiple stakes winner and graded placed Eyeinthesky (Sky Mesa). He was consigned by Wavertree Stables and was purchased by a pinhooking partnership for $75,000 at last year's Keeneland September sale.

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GII DK Horse San Felipe Stakes winner Journalism (Curlin) was named the 3-1 individual favorite in pool 5 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager which opens Friday, March 14 and runs through Sunday, March 16. Joining him at 3-1 odds is the undefeated Good Cheer (Medaglia d'Oro) in the lone Kentucky Derby Oaks Future Wager which opens the same time.

Both pools feature $2 Win and Exacta wagering, as well as a separate Oaks/Derby Future Double linking selections in both races. The Kentucky Derby Future Wager closes Sunday at 6 p.m., while the Kentucky Oaks Future Wager remains open until 6:30 p.m.

The pool for the Kentucky Derby Future Wager includes 39 individual betting interests and an option for “All Other 3-year-olds” not listed while the Oaks pool features 40 other betting interested and an option for “All Other 3-year-old Fillies” not listed.

Among the other top interests in Pool 5 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager are a trio of Into Mischief colts including GII Coolmore Fountain of Youth Stakes winner Sovereignty, Eclipse Award-winning champion Citizen Bull and highly regarded San Felipe runner-up Barnes.

The sixth and final pool is scheduled for April 3-5.

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Colonial Downs Racetrack will host the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance during the weekend of the Virginia Derby and Virginia Oaks, set for Saturday, March 15, 2025. A longtime supporter of accredited aftercare, Colonial Downs will honor Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance with a named race on Virginia Derby Day. Following the race, a presentation will take place in the winner's circle, where the connections will receive a Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance blanket and gift bag. Also on Saturday, Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance will present Best Turned-Out awards for the Virginia Derby and Oaks. The Best Turned-Out awards are generously sponsored by Virginia HBPA.

“Virginia HBPA is pleased to continue sponsoring Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance's Best Turned Out Horse Awards during Virginia Derby weekend at Colonial Downs,” said Virginia HBPA Executive Director Glen Berman. “We are very proud to support Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance while also honoring the grooms whose care ensures that our horses look their best on race day.”

A representative from Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance will also be present to host the winners of the “Off to the Races” VIP Experience online benefit auction. This VIP experience was donated by Colonial Downs. The winners will enjoy premium dining, paddock passes and winners circle access for the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance race, and much more.

“Colonial Downs is excited to once again host Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance during Virginia Derby weekend,” said Senior Director of Racing, Colonial Downs Frank Hopf. “We appreciate and love highlighting the important work Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance does in providing funding and support for their accredited aftercare organizations.”

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Shortleaf Stable's 'TDN Rising Star' Quietside (Malibu Moon) returned to the Oaklawn Park worktab for the first time since taking the Feb. 23 GIII Honeybee Stakes, going a half-mile in :48 flat in the company of her stakes-placed stablemate Spankerboom (Mendelssohn).

“Just a maintenance work,” Ortiz said of Quietside, who covered her final quarter in :23.40 and galloped out five furlongs in 1:00.20 according to track clockers. “Spankerboom always works with her. It was a good work for both. After the wire, I let her gallop out a little bit. Galloped out a minute and change. It was extremely smooth. I've worked her before, but it's been a long time. After this, she feels like two different animals. She's an athlete. She came out of that race breathing a different type of air.”

Connections have Quietside pointed for a start in the Mar. 29 GII Fantasy Stakes, the final Oaklawn lead-up to the GI Kentucky Oaks on May 2.

 

Back to work Saturday morning at Oaklawn for 2025 G3 Honeybee winner Quietside (outside), who goes a half-mile in company under her trainer, @johnnyortiz24. @ShortleafStable homebred pointing for the $750,000 Fantasy Stakes (G2) March 29 at Oaklawn. pic.twitter.com/R4MS2nSdIR

— Robert Yates (@RobertYates1982) March 8, 2025

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Eclipse Award-winning juvenile colt Citizen Bull (Into Mischief) and the well-related Baeza (McKinzie) were each out for breezes Saturday morning as they prep for their respective next starts in the GI Santa Anita Derby on Apr. 5.

With former jockey Juan Ochoa in the irons, Citizen Bull went six furlongs in 1:12.60 for trainer Bob Baffert. The $675,000 Keeneland September yearling won three of his four outings in 2024, locking up his championship with a front-running, 3 3/4-length defeat of stablemate Gaming (Game Winner) in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Del Mar on Nov. 1. The bay kicked off his Classics campaign in style with a facile defeat of 'TDN Rising Star' Rodriguez (Authentic) in the GIII Robert B. Lewis Stakes Feb. 1.

Baeza, the half-brother to 2023 GI Kentucky Derby winner Mage (Good Magic) and to last year's GI Belmont Stakes hero Dornoch (Good Magic), will look to earn his way into Triple Crown consideration in the Santa Anita Derby. The $1.2-million Keeneland September purchase, who races for Lee Searing's CRK Stable and Grandview Equine, was a debut ninth on the turf at Del Mar at December, but has shown his true talent on the main track. Runner-up to Rodriguez in a one-mile maiden Jan. 4, the bay rolled home a 4 3/4-length graduate over the same course and distance Feb. 14. Baeza worked five-eighths of a mile in 1:02.20 with Hector Berrios up.

Also on the Santa Anita worktab was Madaket Road (Quality Road), a latest pacesetting second in the Feb. 23 GII Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn Park who drilled three furlongs in :37 flat.

 

Work of the Day from @santaanitapark—Baeza worked 5 Furlongs in 1:02.20 on March 8th, 2025, for trainer John Shirreffs. pic.twitter.com/YnSW2hVpl9

— 1/ST TV (@Watch1ST) March 8, 2025

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Spendthrift Farm and Repole Stable's Accelerize (c, 3, Omaha Beach–Motion Emotion, by Take Charge Indy) romped by daylight at first asking for 'TDN Rising Star' honors on Saturday's Tampa Bay Derby undercard.

Off at odds of 7-2, the $400,000 KEESEP yearling hit the ground running beneath Irad Ortiz, Jr. and cleared the field from his wide draw in post 12. He showed the way through fractions of :21.87 and :45.03 and blasted off at the top of the stretch to win going away by 7 3/4 lengths over favored Moment's Notice (More Than Ready). The final time for seven furlongs was a very sharp 1:21.20.

With Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher currently serving a seven-day suspension imposed by the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit after a horse from his barn tested positive for betamethasone, Accelerize's trainer of record is listed as his longtime assistant, Anthony Sciametta, Jr.

The Spendthrift Farm-bred Accelerize becomes the third 'Rising Star' for Omaha Beach. He is the first foal from the stakes-winning and three-time graded placed Motion Emotion. She is also responsible for a Yaupon filly of 2023 and a Cyberknife colt of 2024. She was bred back to Into Mischief for 2025. Spendthrift Farm purchased Motion Emotion for $800,000 at the 2020 FTKNOV sale. This is the extended female family of GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf heroine Shared Account (Pleasantly Perfect) and her daughter, GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf winner Sharing (Speightstown).

6th-Tampa Bay Downs, $32,000, Msw, 3-8, 3yo, 7f, 1:21.20, ft, 7 3/4 lengths.
ACCELERIZE, c, 3, by Omaha Beach
                1st Dam: Motion Emotion (SW & MGSP, $542,716), by Take Charge Indy
                2nd Dam: Golden Motion, by Smart Strike
                3rd Dam: Golden Tiy, by Dixieland Band
Sales history: $400,000 Ylg '23 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $18,240. Click for the Equibase.com chart and VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV. Click for the free Equineline.com catalog-style pedigree.

O-Spendthrift Farm LLC & Repole Stable; B-Spendthrift Farm LLC (KY); T-Anthony J. Sciametta, Jr.

Wow ACCELERIZE !
What a debut for this 3yo colt (Omaha Beach) today at Tampa Bay Downs, a very promising one with an easy victory, ridden by @iradortiz for the colors of @RepoleStable and @spendthriftfarm pic.twitter.com/MklBlCe6wx

— Agentes305 (@agentes305) March 8, 2025

The post Omaha Beach Firster Accelerize Romps for ‘TDN Rising Star’ Honors at Tampa appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

The Canadian Thoroughbred Horse Society (Ontario) (CTHS) will hold the 2025 Canadian Premier Yearling Sale, in collaboration with Woodbine, Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025, the CTHS announced Friday. The sale will be hosted at the Woodbine Sales Pavilion this year and again in 2026.

The four-day festival begins with a day of sales stakes racing at Woodbine Sunday, Aug. 24. Yearlings will be available for inspection on both the 25th and 26th before the sale begins Wednesday at 11 a.m.

Last year's sale demonstrated the continued strength of the Canadian breeding program, with competitive bidding and strong sales figures highlighting the demand for Canadian-bred talent. The 2025 edition promises to continue that tradition, providing an exceptional opportunity for buyers to acquire future champions and for breeders to showcase their finest yearlings.

The post Canadian Premier Yearling Sale To Be Held At Woodbine Aug. 27 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Friday's second of three under-tack previews ahead of next week's OBS March Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training witnessed no fewer than two dozen horses that broke the 10-second threshold among those who worked an eighth of a mile over the synthetic track. But it was hip 446, a filly by young Crestwood Farm stallion Caracaro (Uncle Mo) from the draft of On The Run Sales, agent, who was the fleetest of them all when stopping the clock in a slick :9 3/5 about three hours into the session.

A Feb. 28 foal bred in Kentucky by Pope McLean, Marc McLean and Pope McLean, Jr., the bay is the first foal out of the unraced Port Marazion (Point of Entry) and hails from the female family of 'TDN Rising Star' Faiza (Girvin), herself a $725,000 purchase out of the breeze-up sales in 2022, a Grade I winner that season and later sold for $4 million as a broodmare prospect. Hip 446 is set to make her second trip through a sales pavilion, having been bought back on a bid of $16,000 at last year's Keeneland September Sale.

The final time surprised even her consignor.

“I didn't know she would go that 9 and 3, I thought maybe she would go 10 flat or 9 and 4,” admitted On The Run's Moses Longoria. “I didn't expect that, so I was happy with that. I have another one for the next sale, but just have this filly here (for the March sale). She's a nice horse. She's real athletic and I always felt like she was going to be fast. I've just been babying her the whole time trying to save it until we got here. But she's great. It's a nice pedigree she has, and she's always felt real athletic the whole time. I've always liked her, she's always been a nice filly. I've just kept my fingers crossed.”

Of the 23 juveniles that covered their furlong in :9 4/5, six of those are consigned to the March Sale by Top Line Sales, who sent out two of three bullet workers (:9 4/5) during Thursday's breeze show.

While a pair of horses shared the fastest quarter-mile breeze on Thursday at :20 4/5 where a good many of the works were into a strong headwind, five horses bettered that clocking on Friday, with a trio going in :20 2/5.

Consigned by Caliente Thoroughbreds as agent, hip 325 is a chestnut son of Midshipman and Meetmeonline (Line of David), a half-sister to dual Grade II-winning turf sprinter and the successful New York-based stallion Bucchero (Kantharos). The latter is a half-sister to the dam of dual-surface Grade I winner World of Trouble (Kantharos). Bred in Kentucky by Lesley Campion and Nathan McCauley's River Oak Farm, hip 325 (breeze video) was a $140,000 purchase by Arroyo Bloodstock out of last year's Keeneland September Sale and the colt's 4-year-old half-sister Twirling Romance (Twirling Candy) made $485,000 at the 2-year-old sales in 2023.

Pick View LLC, agent, offers hip 364 (breeze video), a colt by Mor Spirit and the first foal from the winning Mopsicle (Liam's Map), who was purchased for $10,000 with this foal in utero out of the Fasig-Tipton December Digital Sale in 2022. After fetching $3,000 as a short yearling at this auctioneer's Winter Mixed Sale in January 2024, the colt, bred in Kentucky by Twin Oaks Bloodstock, was snapped up by Pick View for $62,000 at the OBS October Yearling Sale.

Hip 505 (breeze video) is a Florida-bred filly by Leinster–Sea Smoke (Tribal Rule) and is being consigned to the March Sale by Tom McCrocklin, agent. Bred by the consignor in partnership with Frank Mermenstein, the Mar. 23-foaled chestnut hails from the first crop of her sire (by Majestic Warrior), four times a winner in graded turf sprints and third in the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint. The filly's dam is a full-sister to GII Charles Whittingham Stakes winner Marckie's Water.

Hips 460, a colt by Win Win Win, and 538, a Liam's Map filly, each went a quarter-mile in :20 3/5.

The final breeze show for the OBS March Sale kicks off Saturday morning at 8 a.m. ET. The March Sale will be held over the course of three sessions Tuesday through Thursday, Mar. 11-13. For the complete catalogues and under-tack results, visit www.obssales.com.

 

Hip 446, who breezed in 9 3/5 during the second set of the #OBSMarch under tack show, getting loved on back at the barn. “She's real athletic and I always felt like she would be fast,” said consignor Moses Longoria. pic.twitter.com/itMp9Iqn0Q

— OBSSales (@OBSSales) March 7, 2025

The post Caracaro Filly Fastest Of the Fast During Second OBS March Preview appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Godolphin homebred and GII Coolmore Fountain of Youth Stakes winner Sovereignty (Into Mischief) is being pointed to the GI Curlin Florida Derby for his next start March 29.

“I think we're leaning very heavily toward the Florida Derby,” said Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott Friday. “We're 95 percent sure that's where we're going.”

Sovereignty earned 50 Kentucky Derby qualifying points for his Fountain of Youth victory by a neck over 'TDN Rising Star' River Thames (Maclean's Music), and is tied with 2024 2-year-old male champion Citizen Bull (Into Mischief) for second on the list with 60. The 1 1/8-mile Florida Derby offers points to the top five finishers on a 100-50-25-15-10 basis.

Mott said Sovereignty exited his comeback race well and has resumed training at his winter base of Payson Park.

“He looks good,” Mott said. “He's doing good and back on the track galloping.”

Mott will be bringing back another of his stable's stars next week in George Krikorian-homebred Just F Y I (Justify), the 2-year-old filly champion of 2023 who has not raced since finishing sixth in the GI Acorn Stakes last June at Saratoga.

Just F Y I, now four, is entered to return in an optional claiming allowance for older fillies and mares going one mile on the main track Thursday, March 13.

“We need to get started,” Mott said. “She's been away a long time and we decided to try an allowance race, although it's a very tough allowance race. It could be a stake, really.”

The race also features Grade II winner Gun Song (Gun Runner), runner-up to Horse of the Year Thorpedo Anna (Fast Anna) in last fall's GI Cotillion Stakes.

Just F Y I most recently went five furlongs in 1:02.60 (4/6) March 2.

“She's done well,” Mott said. “We've got some decent works in her but she's been away a long time, so we just need to get her started.”

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The under-tack show for the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's March Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training, delayed a day by weather and beset by a strong and persistent headwind when it opened Thursday, nonetheless got off to a fast start when the first horse on track, a colt by Charlatan (hip 176), worked a furlong in :9 4/5. Just a few minutes later, a son of another freshman sire, Maxfield (hip 119), equaled that time and the trio of bullet workers on the day was completed later in the first set by a colt by Maclean's Music (hip 238).

Consigned by Torie and Jimbo Gladwell's Top Line Sales, hip 176 is from the first crop of GI Arkansas Derby winner Charlatan (Speightstown) and out of graded-placed Hang a Star (Tapizar). He was bred by Newstead Corp.

Top Line Sales also sent out hip 238, who is out of stakes winner Katie's Kiss (Kantharos). The colt was bred by Torie Gladwell, Cincinnati Equine, Borrowdale LLC, Knollwood Farm and Valerie Dailey and was purchased in utero for $75,000 at the 2022 Keeneland November sale.

From the first crop of multiple Grade I winner Maxfield (Street Sense), hip 119 is consigned by Wavertree Stables. The bay colt, who was a $75,000 Keeneland September purchase, is out of multiple stakes winner and graded-placed Eyeinthesky (Sky Mesa).

“He's always been a really nice horse, hence his positioning in the breeze show today,” said Wavertree's Ciaran Dunne.

Wavertree sent out two juveniles by Maxfield to work Thursday. In addition to the bullet worker, the consignment was also represented by a filly (hip 290), who is scheduled to work Friday.

“I have two Maxfields and they are both in this sale,” Dunne said. “They are two very different horses. He's very sleek and lean and the filly is a bigger, rangier type. I don't see a lot of Street Sense in him. He's just a beautiful horse.”

Dunne admitted conditions were difficult during Thursday's first of what is now a three-day under-tack show. Hip 119 conducted his work into a significant headwind.

“I think he breezed in a 17mph headwind that popped up on the screen when he was going,” Dunne said. “And that was pretty typical of the day. It gusted as well, so some of them got a bit of a break and others just got the worst of it. From start to finish, it was a really tough day. But that's no one's fault. It's just the conditions that there were. I am sure that the astute horse buyers will sort through it and pick themselves out a couple who are going to be real value, especially if, as we are expecting, the wind changes and they have a tailwind tomorrow. It will definitely be two completely different racetracks.”

A pair of juveniles shared the fastest quarter-mile time of :20 4/5 for the session. First up was hip 19, a filly by Connect (Curlin) out of stakes-placed Catsadiva (Tale of the Cat). The bay filly, purchased for $20,000 at the Fasig-Tipton July sale, is consigned by Hoppel, LLC, agent. Equaling that time later in the session was hip 245, a colt by Fog of War out of stakes-placed Kiss the Lady (Quiet American). The colt, consigned by Omar Ramirez, was purchased by Luis Quevedo for $4,000 at the OBS Winter sale last year and RNA'd for $9,000 at the OBS October sale.

The under-tack show continues Friday and Saturday with sessions beginning at 8 a.m. The March sale will be held next Tuesday through Thursday with bidding commencing each day at 11 a.m.

The post Battling the Wind, Trio Share Fastest Furlong at OBS Thursday appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Chad Brown will have a pair of chancers, err, chances, to repeat in Saturday's GIII Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby.

'TDN Rising Star' Chancer McPatrick (McKinzie), a sensational, come-from-behind winner of last year's GI Hopeful Stakes and GI Champagne Stakes, will kick off his sophomore campaign in the 1 1/16-mile Tampa Bay Downs centerpiece, good for 105 points (50-25-15-10-5) on the road to the GI Kentucky Derby.

The Flanagan Racing colorbearer suffered his first career defeat finishing a disappointing sixth at a well-backed 2-1 while making his two-turn debut in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Del Mar Nov. 1. He will race with first-time blinkers while facing six rivals this weekend. Regular rider Flavien Prat will be aboard the 8-5 morning-line favorite.

“I was a little reluctant to make the change because he's got those two Grade I wins without them,” said Brown, who won last year's Tampa Bay Derby with subsequent GI H. Allen Jerkens Memorial winner and first-season Coolmore stallion Domestic Product (Practical Joke).

“He's overcome a lot in his races and wasn't helping himself with his early position at all. He's been running in spots and has enough raw ability and heart to get up there in time. I kept an open mind this off season about any improvements I could make and we tried him with blinkers recently and I did see him go a little bit better. He was definitely there for the rider the whole way, so we're gonna try it.”

Hailing from the first crop of McKinzie, Chancer McPatrick, a $260,000 FTKJUL yearling turned $725,000 OBSAPR breezer (:21), is out of the winning Bernardini mare Bernadreamy, a daughter of GI Darley Alcibiades Stakes heroine and GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies runner-up Dream Empress (Bernstein).

“He's done what you'd like to see from two to three, he filled out a bit and looks pretty good,” Brown said. “That said, he was always a pretty advanced horse mentally as a 2-year-old, which also contributed to him having so much early success. He always trained like an older horse.”

Brown will also get fellow 'Rising Star' Hill Road (Quality Road)'s 3-year-old season underway in the Tampa Bay Derby. The Amo Racing USA representative was transferred to Brown after rallying smartly for a longshot third over a surface playing quite kindly to speed in the Juvenile. He finished up in a field-best :30.02 that day, reporting home 4 3/4 lengths adrift of the wire-to-wire winner, champion Citizen Bull (Into Mischief).

“Him and Sierra Leone (Gun Runner) were really the only two horses that closed effectively all (Breeders' Cup) weekend,” said Brown, who, of course, saddled the latter to a powerful, off-the-pace win in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic as well as a near miss earlier in the year in the Kentucky Derby. “I was quite impressed with that given the track.”

Hill Road | Horsephotos

Hill Road, a $350,000 KEESEP yearling produced by a stakes-placed, Lemon Drop Kid half-sister to MGISW and promising young sire City of Light (Quality Road), made two prior starts for conditioner Adrian Murray on grass in Ireland, winning impressively on debut at Leopardstown and finishing seventh in the G1 Vincent O'Brien National Stakes at the Curragh.

Drawn one to the outside of Chancer McPatrick in post three, Hill Road will also race with first-time blinkers in the Tampa Bay Derby.

“(Hill Road) needed some time off as well after the Breeders' Cup,” Brown said. “He's a couple of weeks behind Chancer McPatrick as far as when I could get him on a work schedule, so he's not as fit. I elected to run him in here, because looking at the schedule, I'm not confident I'm gonna have the right kind of allowance or stakes race to serve as a good bridge. Whether he gets to the Derby or a different Triple Crown race, there needs to be some sort of bridge of development for me.”

Chancer McPatrick has posted six workouts at Payson Park base since having a “tiny flake” removed from a front ankle, including a four-furlong breeze in :48.80 (4/68) Mar. 1. Hill Road has breezed five times for Brown, most recently covering four furlongs in :49.20 (10/68) Mar. 1.

“Him and Chancer, neither of them have as many works that I would want given their 60-day breaks, which is more (time off) than you'd want to give a Derby horse in the off season,” Brown said. “But I want to give these horses a chance to make the Derby without going all in and potentially harming their development. This race at Tampa is a bit of a happy medium. It gives you enough time on paper to make the Derby and still have a chance for them to run really well in the race.”

Brown added, “I'd rather go into a race less than 100% fit like this, especially with horses that don't run on the pace, and have the option to go to the Derby or not and still have a horse for the year than to really tighten the screws trying to go for points and make up for lost time. If you fail doing that, not only do you lose the Derby, you lose the year.”

Chad Brown | Sarah Andrew

The very promising Praetor (Into Mischief), meanwhile, will also make his 3-year-old bow for Brown in a first-level optional claimer going a one-turn mile at Gulfstream Park Sunday. Campaigned in partnership by William H. Lawrence, CHP Racing and Gainesway Stable, the $725,000 KEESEP graduate was featured in these pages following a sneaky good debut third after an eventful start sprinting in the Saratoga mud, then held on to graduate by a neck over Sovereignty (Into Mischief)–yes, the same Sovereignty that everyone is still talking about after his head-turning win in last Saturday's GII Coolmore Fountain of Youth Stakes–going a one-turn mile at Aqueduct.

“He's another one, he looked like a very promising Derby prospect and I had to stop on him (last year),” Brown said. “No surgery, but he had an issue and wasn't right. He did beat Sovereignty and had the better of him with the way the track was playing at Aqueduct that day and being loose on the lead. To Sovereignty's credit, he was against everything and it was a close race. It's nice to see that he's coming out of a race with one of the favorites for the Derby right now. I think it's a good spot to start back at a one-turn mile, then go from there to see if he can get around two turns.”

Brown added that last year's previously mentioned champion 3-year-old colt Sierra Leone remains on target to return in the GII Oaklawn Handicap Apr. 19.

The post Led by Chancer McPatrick, Trio of Talented 3yos Returning for Chad Brown This Weekend appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

On the road to Oaklawn Park from his barn at Fair Grounds, Kenny McPeek seemed like a man without a care in the world when reached by phone in his car. And why should he? His Horse of the Year Thorpedo Anna (Fast Anna) will begin her 4-year-old year in the GII Azeri Stakes at Oaklawn and since last seen in the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff she has not missed a step.

“If she's every bit as good as she was as a 3-year-old I think we'd be satisfied,” McPeek said. “I don't know how much better you can get her from three to four. She's ultra special, as we all know. She's done everything right this winter. She's made an easy transition from three to four. We gave her a couple of months at our Magdalena Farm. Then she was able to train in Florida, some more in Louisiana and now she's going to run in Arkansas.”

McPeek is known for taking chances with his horses and accepting challenges most trainers would not. But that won't be the case in the Azeri. Beyond Thorpedo Anna, it's a pretty weak field. Grade III winners Wild Bout Hilary (Midnight Lute) and Recharge (Gun Runner) are the only other higher level winners in the field. Thorpedo Anna is 2-5 in the morning line.

“I thought it was a pretty conservative spot to bring her back in,” McPeek said. “She's only run against older horses one time. She's fond of the Oaklawn strip. We have a division there and, of course, the purse is a good one, $400,000. This race should propel her into the Apple Blossom, if all goes smoothly.”

While McPeek is relatively certain that the Apr. 12 running of the GI Apple Blossom Handicap will be next, he hasn't totally ruled out an appearance in the G1 Dubai World Cup Apr. 5.

“I haven't closed the door on going to the Dubai World Cup,” he said. “If she went out there and won by some silly amount and was ultra impressive, maybe I would be enticed. We've done all the vaccinations and checked in with the shipping companies. We haven't declined the invitation, but if you asked me today, we would probably go to the Apple Blossom.”

Once the spring is in the books, McPeek will consider the GI La Troienne Stakes at Churchill along with the many stakes races for older fillies run in New York.

“We'd like to stack her resume and her earnings,” he said. “You can't assume anything. You've got to hope she stays healthy. At this point everything we've asked her to do she done. That's been her modus operandi. She's just a lovely filly to be around.”

Thorpedo Anna outside of Fierceness in the Travers | Sarha Andrew

McPeek tried the GI DK Travers Stakes last year and Thorpedo Anna lost by a head to the top 3-year-old colt Fierceness (City of Light). Though she was beaten perhaps more so than in any other race, the Travers is what vaulted her to the Horse of the Year title. McPeek has made no decisions yet so far as whether or not she will try males again this year.

“It's too far away to think about running against colts,” he said. “Maybe at the end of the year. Let's see how her season goes. I'm not going to rush her into running against colts. We've got a lovely filly on our hands. Let's get through the spring and we can start worrying about some of those things in the summer. In this business you can't count your chickens before they've hatched. If you do you will be humbled real quick.”

After winning the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff and Horse of the Year, there's not a whole lot left for Thorpedo Anna to achieve. McPeek said the primary goal will be winning again at the Breeders' Cup.

“I'd love to think she can win another Breeders Cup race, whether it's the Distaff or the Classic. That would be an ultimate year-end goal,” he said.

And after the Breeders' Cup she may not be done. McPeek said the ownership group is seriously considering running Thorpedo Anna as a 5-year-old.

“We have not ruled out running her next year,” he said. “If you think about it, she is by a modest stallion, Fast Anna. We assume people aren't going to throw money at that at the sales. The fact she was a modest yearling, it's hard to say what she would bring at auction, so we might be more inclined to keep her and race her next year.

“I don't know in the long run if we would sell her,” McPeek said. “The partnership group has not had any notion to sell. We have had a lot of big offers. Its enticing, but at the same time this is the kind of horse where you really want to enjoy having her. We'll let her take us on this fantastic ride she has taken us on, and see how long it's going to last.”

The post Thorpedo Anna Raring To Go For 4-year-old Debut In Azeri appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.