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Fasig-Tipton has cataloged 260 offerings for its February Digital Sale, which opened Feb. 19 and will close Feb. 24, beginning at 2 p.m. ET.

At the close of trade on the first day of the two-day sale, 138 yearlings sold at a clearance rate of 82%, with an impressive 22 lots making over AU$200,000. The aggregate rose 9.7% from last year's corresponding session to AU$14,737,500.

Agentes 305 will serve as the official Spanish channel for Parx Racing with daily commentary and handicapping, Spanish-language race calls and exclusive behind-the-scenes content featuring interviews with jockeys and trainers.

The newly unveiled Heaven and Horseshoes worship and community center by the Horseshoe Indianapolis backstretch exemplifies what can happen when horsemen, track leadership and regulators work together. 

Letters to the Editor, Feb. 19 edition of BloodHorse Daily

Shisospicy (Mitole), the champion female sprinter of 2025 and GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint heroine, has recovered from infection that forced her to skip last weekend's planned trip to Saudi Arabia.

“Shisospicy, she's perfect now,” trainer Jose D'Angelo said of the 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard.' “I don't think that we have enough time to prepare in the way that we would like to go to Dubai, so we are on standby with her.”

Last year's GI Breeders' Cup Sprint winner Bentornato (Valiant Minister), meanwhile, is on schedule to make the trip to Dubai for the $2-million G1 Golden Shaheen Mar. 28, per D'Angelo.

“Bentornato is doing great. I'm very happy with his [last] workout. We are planning to leave for Dubai on the 13th,” D'Angelo said. “I'm very happy with them. I'm sure that they're going to have a good year. Hopefully, we can get the trophy here from Dubai.”

The post Shisospicy ‘Perfect Now’ After Missing Trip to Saudi Arabia appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

The Euro/Middle East Road to the Kentucky Derby and the Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby continue Friday and Sunday, respectively, with the $217,760 Listed Dubai Road to the Kentucky Derby over 1900 meters and the $245,100 Listed Hyacinth Stakes going a one-turn mile at Meydan Racecourse and Tokyo Racecourse.

The seventh race on an eight-race card under the Friday night lights at Meydan, the Dubai Road to the Kentucky Derby lacks the presence of G3 UAE 2000 Guineas hero Six Speed (Not This Time), who is training up to the G2 UAE Derby on Mar. 28, but does include King Abdullah Bin A/Aziz and Sons' promising Salloom (Authentic).

Some poor manners at the gate saw the strapping bay scratched from his expected debut in December, but with a winning trial under his belt, the $175,000 Keeneland September yearling turned $600,000 OBS March breezer made light work of a one-mile maiden Jan. 30, making just about every yard to score by just under seven lengths en route to 'TDN Rising Star' presented by Hagyard honors. He is well clear of his 12 rivals on ratings, but given his antics at the stalls first time around, nothing can really be taken for granted.

“Salloom is doing great and I think he came out of the last race really well,” said trainer Bhupat Seemar. “He's ready to go again and take his chance, but I hope he behaves in the gate–that's the biggest thing.”

Omaha Front (Omaha Beach) is one of four others saddled by Seemar and enters off victories over 1400 and 1600 meters at Jebel Ali Jan. 17 and 31, while Brotherly Love (GB) (Zoustar {Aus})–the half-brother to last year's UAE Derby runner-up Heart of Honor (GB) (Honor A. P.)– needs to improve off a troubled eighth in the Guineas. The winner earns 20 points towards a Derby appearance. Click here for the form guide.

 

 

Koichi Nishikawa's Arcadia Cafe (Into Mischief) could go favored in Sunday's Hyacinth Stakes as he looks to join his commonly owned half-brothers Cafe Pharoah (American Pharoah) and Luxor Cafe (American Pharoah) as winners of the race, which offers 30 points to the first home.

A $550,000 Keeneland September acquisition, Arcadia Cafe graduated by 2 1/2 lengths over the Tokyo one-turn mile Nov. 1 and was last seen finishing third in the first leg of the series, the local Cattleya Stakes, behind Satono Voyage (Jpn) (Into Mischief)–third in last week's G3 Saudi Derby–and 132-1 outsider Don Erectus (Jpn) (Danon Legend), who also lines up here. Rachel King, who was aboard future Kentucky Derby participant Luxor Cafe last year for Noriyuki Hori, has the call on Arcadia Cafe.

Four last-start winners are headed by Iterrasshai (Jpn) (Mischievous Alex), a first-out third over course and distance in November and the five-length winner of a Nakayama maiden going 1800 meters on Dec. 13. Leading rider Keita Tosaki has the call.

Yu Pharoah (American Pharoah), a son of the turf Grade III-placed Limari (Medaglia d'Oro), is a maiden winner from eight starts on the grass and tries the dirt for the first time in his career.

The Hyacinth is the third of four legs on the Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby.

The post Derby Points Up For Grabs In Dubai, Japan appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

When the Maryland Million program, the brainchild of famed sportscaster Jim McKay, was launched in 1986, it was hailed as one of the most innovative and successful programs of its kind. It has been something that has been copied in racing states across the country. But when TK Kuegler took over as the president of the Maryland Million, he decided it was time to move the event forward, and make it bigger, better, and more lucrative.

“It's been kind of sleepy for 40 years,” Kuegler said. “Jim McKay launched it and no one ever did anything to enhance it.”

The Maryland Million announced a number of new incentives Thursday, which Kuegler promised are just the start of what he and his team have in mind to grow the event.

On Mar. 22, two starter races will give Maryland Million-eligible horses preference and Maryland Million-eligible horses will split bonuses for each race as follows: $5,000 to the highest finisher, $2,000 to the second highest finisher, $1,000 to the third highest finisher, $500 to the next four highest. These bonuses will be paid out by Maryland Million Ltd. and are not part of the purses. The races will be open to all horses, and the largest bonus will be paid to the Maryland Million-eligible horse that comes closest to winning.

“Forever, the Maryland Million has been a one-day event,” Kuegler said. “For all intents and purposes, there were no other benefits. If you had an eligible Maryland Million horse, which means you were sired by a Maryland sire, you got to race on the Maryland Million Day. It was and still is a great day. When I took over as president, I thought, 'That's great, but how do we make this even more valuable?' I said, 'Let's have races throughout the year where Maryland Million-eligible horse start earning extra benefits.' The first one of those will be on Mar. 22.”

Kuegler is planning to have more races throughout the year where Maryland Million horses will be eligible for bonus money.

“If everything goes well on Mar. 22, we fill the races, everything looks good, and the track is happy–we're going have another day like this in May, sometime around the Preakness,” he said. “We will have four more of those races. If that goes well, we will have a whole new Maryland Million Preview Day in September.”

Maryland Million Ltd. also announced new 5 percent Maryland Million bonuses for maiden winners. Beginning Mar. 1, 2026, any Maryland Million-eligible horse that wins a maiden race in Maryland will earn a 5 percent bonus on top of the winner's share of the base purse.

“I have a 100 percent commitment on that for at least the next three years,” Kuegler said. “It's not one of these things that will disappear on people. If they breed today to a Maryland sire, they're going to get that benefit.”

The hope is that the extra benefits will result in higher sales prices for Maryland-sired horses that go through the sales ring.

“This is a great move for both Thoroughbred owners and breeders in Maryland,” said Boyd Browning, Jr., the president and chief executive officer of Fasig-Tipton. “The new bonuses enhance the value of Maryland Million-eligible horses, and that should translate into higher prices in the auction ring.”

Kuegler is doing everything he can to help make the Maryland Million grow. Last year, he had a kick-off party for the event at the Oriole Park at Camden Yards, and he said that 2025 was the first time that every race on the program was sponsored.

“We can make this program massive,” he said. “I really believe that. We're just warming up. If you put some energy behind these things, usually people will follow.”

The post New President Has Ambitious Plans for the Maryland Million appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Fasig-Tipton has catalogued 260 offerings for its February Digital Sale and with bidding now open through Tuesday, Feb. 24, beginning at 2 p.m. ET. over half of the catalogue includes broodmares or broodmare prospects, the online auction said in a press release on Thursday.

If savvy bidders are in the market for a broodmare, then this month's sale certainly has a diverse buying bench.

For instance there is Paynterbynumbers (Paynter) (hip 3), the dam of MSW Counting Stars (Honor A.P.). Mill Ridge Sales is the agent for this broodmare and Miss Tapirado (Tapit) (hip 37), who was a $775,000 weanling turned $1.3-million 2-year-old in-training purchase. She is a full-sister to GSP Bourbon War as well as a pair of stakes performers in Australia.

When it comes to broodmare prospects Take Charge Macy (Take Charge Indy) (hip 10) could tick a number of boxes for buyers. Consigned by Taylor Made Sales, the 3-year-old filly broke her maiden at second asking for trainer Peter Miller in Hot Springs Feb. 8.

Other options include Strikingly Spun (Hard Spun) (hip 9), who is owned by Larry Hirsch's Highlander Training Center out of Sulphur Springs, Texas and is consigned by the center's longtime associates Elm Tree Farm (Jody & Michelle Huckabay). A multiple stakes placed 6-year-old, the Joe Sharp trainee won on both turf and dirt, and currently has over $400,000 in earnings. Highlander's Chairman & CEO Jeff Hooper says that the Fasig-Tipton Digital experience is top notch.

“We think the world of the team at Fasig-Tipton, and they are really the industry leader in this digital marketplace,” said Hooper. “Serious buyers gravitate to their sales and they have proven that these kinds of offerings are here to stay.”

Hooper added that the timing of the February sale for Highlander could not be better.

“She [Strikingly Spun] is a young mare and we wouldn't be offering her for sale, except that Larry [Hirsch] is focused on racing,” he said. “We sold five mares in November and will continue to point to the racetrack. That is what we do at Highlander. Offering her now at the beginning of breeding season really makes sense for us, and the fact that interested buyers can go see her at Jody and Michelle Huckabay's farm is another plus when it comes to convenience.”

Neom Beach (hip 1) | Coady Media

Digital sale offerings also include:

• Neom Beach (hip 1): The multiple stakes winning daughter of Omaha Beach with earnings of more than $745,000 to date is being offered as a racing/broodmare prospect by Jeffrey Bloom, agent;

 

• Sharons Beach (hip 7): A 3-year-old son of Omaha Beach ran an 89 Beyer at Santa Anita Jan. 23. He is entered in a maiden/optional claimer at Santa Anita on Friday, Feb. 20. Offered as a horse of racing age by ELiTE, agent;

 

• Gun Party (hip 31): A son of Curlin out of Grade I winner Carina Mia (Malibu Moon) has run multiple 90+ Beyers. The 5-year-old's extended female family includes MGSW Super Chow (Lord Nelson). Offered as a horse of racing age by Steve Asmussen, agent.

Making the catalogue is stock from the California and New Mexico operations of Kirk and Judy Robison, which is consigned by Arroyo Vista Farm and A & A Thoroughbreds.

Reductions continue for Starship Stables with Taylor Made Sales Agency as agent as do dispersals of repossessed horses with Mill Ridge Sales and Margaux Farm as agents. Mill Ridge will host an open house at their farm in Lexington, Kentucky for their offerings on Monday, Feb. 23, from 10 a.m. to 2 pm. ET.

“The February Digital Sale catalogue features 260 horses, led by especially strong contingents of racing and breeding stock,” said Leif Aaron, Fasig-Tipton Director of Digital Sales. “Offerings include stakes winners and producers, more than 70 horses of racing age, over 140 broodmares and broodmare prospects–including mares with foals at foot–and 34 'short' yearlings. We started the year off with a bang in January and we're looking forward to helping our customers achieve continued success in February.”

Click here to create an account or register to bid for the February Digital Sale.

The post Potential Broodmare Band Members Audition During Fasig-Tipton February Digital Sale appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Million-dollar earning Gigante, named 2025 Virginia-Bred Horse of the Year, headlines a slate of award winners whose connections will receive hardware for their efforts March 14 at Colonial Downs.

The reformatted Euro/Mideast Road to the Kentucky Derby returns to Dubai Feb. 20 but without Six Speed, the colt making the most noise this season at Meydan Racecourse, leaving the race wide open.

The Maryland Million announced Feb. 18 two new Maryland Million Races running March 22, each offering $10,000 in bonuses for Maryland Million-eligible horses.

The top seller, Dante Nonantais (Lot 355) set to continue his career in Australia after going the way of Narvick, Terry Henderson's OTI, and Melbourne Cup (G1)-winning trainers Tony and Calvin McEvoy.

Bred by owner/breeder Deborah Hancock, the flashy chestnut colt is out of the Tale of the Cat winner Miss Tattle Tale.

Samuel Marin's total of 13 wins for the week included a stakes race victory.

The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority has called a March 11 board panel hearing to address what it says is Churchill Downs Incorporated's refusal to pay millions of dollars of required assessments from four of its tracks.

The King's Plate Stakes is North America's oldest continuously run stakes race and is contested for a purse of CA$1 million.

The change moves Friday racing from its previous 4 p.m. PT start to 2 p.m. PT, creating a consistent post time throughout the week and providing fans, horsemen and women, and industry partners with a streamlined schedule.

Western Australia's premier yearling auction returns to the Swan Valley this week, with 358 lots cataloged for the Magic Millions Perth Yearling Sale, which gets underway Feb. 19.

Racing from Aqueduct and Oaklawn Park will be shown on "America's Day at the Races", while the John Battaglia Stakes will be shown on FanDuel TV.