The grey colt, who finished second in the GI Haskell Stakes in his last start on July 18, will be ridden for the first time by Hall of Fame jockey Johnny Velazquez.

“Look, he is one of the best 3-year-olds of his generation and we want to give him the chance to go the classic distance of a mile and a quarter,” trainer Chad Summers said by phone Thursday afternoon. “We'll let the results speak for itself on Aug. 29.”

Summers said the decision was made after a 20-minute call with members of Espoir USA, an international group that bought the horse from former owner Al Gold for an undisclosed–but enormous–price after the Preakness.

“It was a team decision,” Summers said. “All systems go. We are on the same page.”

Velazquez worked Napoleon Solo last week and it was decided that he would be the pilot in the Travers. He replaces Paco Lopez, who had ridden Napoleon Solo in his last three starts.

“Johnny is a guy who has been there and done that,” Summers said. “We love the job that Paco did for us in the Preakness and I would think there would be a chance Paco could be reunited with him at some point. We are going with a Hall of Famer who has more Grade I races than anybody.”

Earlier Thursday, Napoleon Solo worked a bullet four furlongs in 47.67 seconds (1/41) with regular exercise rider Emily Elingwood aboard. He came onto the main track at 5:30 a.m. and did what he normally does.

He ran fast.

Summers said the colt has been working “great” since he arrived in Saratoga following the Haskell.

“We have always felt he had an affinity for this track,” Summers said after the Thursday morning work. “He has put on weight since he got here, and he has been touting himself. I don't think he could have had three better breezes than he has since the Haskell. We think he is coming into this race the right way.”

Napoleon Solo began his career at Saratoga, breaking his maiden by 5 1/4 lengths last summer.

What Summers wants to do is give his colt a chance to be 3-year-old champion. The clear-cut favorite right now is Travers-bound Golden Tempo (Curlin), winner of the GI Kentucky Derby and GI Belmont Stakes.

Napoleon Solo's resume this year shows four starts, one win and a second (in the GI Haskell Stakes). A win in the Travers–no easy feat because the field will be a tough one–could put him in the conversation with the Breeders' Cup looming at Keeneland in the fall.  But Golden Tempo is currently way in front.

Besides Golden Tempo, Napoleon Solo will have to contend in the Travers with the likes of  GII Jim Dandy winner Renegade (Into Mischief), Sea Strike (Midshipman), winner of the Curlin Stakes, GII Louisiana Derby victor Emerging Market (Candy Ride {Arg}), longshot GI Haskell Stakes champ Baby Vino (Vino Rosso), GIII Tampa Bay Derby winner The Puma (Essential Quality), Silent Tactic (Tacitus) who was third in the Jim Dandy,  GIII Indiana Derby winner Leading Change (Gun Runner) and maiden Ocelli, who was third in the Kentucky Derby and fourth in the Preakness.

Napoleon Solo has never run against Golden Tempo or Renegade, who figure to be the top two betting choices on the Travers morning-line. Entries will be drawn for the Midsummer Derby on Sunday.

“If you want to be champion, you have to show up,” Summers said “If you are not in the Travers, you're not champion. I still think it goes through Golden Tempo. Even if we were to run and win the Travers, you have to do the next step and beat older horses in the Breeders' Cup.”

Brown Taking on Counting Stars With Fresh Face

Without a doubt, there is one 3-year-old filly that towers over the other five that have been entered in Saturday's 146th running of the GI, $600,000 Alabama Stakes at Saratoga Race Course.

Always a Runner (outside) My Gun's Loaded (inside) | Sarah Andrew

Counting Stars (Honor A.P.), winner of a pair of GI stakes at Saratoga this year (Acorn and Coaching Club American Oaks) is the 1-2 favorite. And for good reason. None of the others have won a stake race, let alone a Grade I. Combined, the other five fillies have won seven races; Counting Stars has won six.

On paper, the Alabama looks like a colossal mismatch. Ah, but that's why the races are not run on paper.

Chad Brown, who knows a thing or two about getting a filly ready for the big stage, is coming to the Alabama with a lightly raced horse named My Gun's Loaded (Gun Runner). She has only run three times–two of them while in Brown's barn–and the leading trainer at the Saratoga meet is going to give his filly a puncher's chance against the top filly of the division.

My Gun's Loaded began her career with Steve Asmussen and ran once, last December at Oaklawn Par, where she finished eighth. Owner Douglas Scharbauer transferred her to Brown for her 3-year-old season.

Brown took his time with her and debuted her at Saratoga on Belmont Stakes Day, June 6. She broke her maiden in a seven-furlong race by 4 ½ lengths and then won a 1-mile allowance by three lengths at the Spa on July 24.

Even though she has the least amount of starts of any in the Alabama, My Gun's Loaded was made the 3-1 second choice on the morning line, set by David Aragona.

“I am excited about this race,” Brown said outside his barn at the Oklahoma Training Track. “I have a lightly raced horse, but she is fresh. The big question for her is can she get a mile and a quarter?”

Brown has won the Alabama twice–the most recent with Randomized (Nyquist) in 2023.

Earlier this year, Brown won the prestigious GI Kentucky Oaks with Always a Runner (Gun Runner), who defeated Counting Stars that night in Kentucky. Since then, Always a Runner has been no match for that rival.

She was second to her in the Acorn by 3 1/4 lengths and then was second in the Coaching Club American Oaks, 4 1/2 lengths behind.

“We are going to try with a fresh horse this time with a horse that is in great form,” Brown said. “The two times I have run her, she has run exceptionally well, albeit in one-turn races. But she is by Gun Runner, and these horses get classic distances, generally. She could not possibly be training any better.”

Irad Ortiz Expected Back Saturday for Alabama

After being absent for a big chunk of the Saratoga meeting, jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. is expected to return just in time to ride Counting Stars (Honor A.P.) in Saturday's GI, $600,000 Alabama Stakes.

Ortiz, the four-time defending Saratoga riding champion, has had a frustrating summer at the Spa. After missing the first six days of the meet due to suspension (five days) and a riding date out of town (one), he was injured on Whitney Day, Aug. 8.

He was involved in an incident during the post parade of the seventh race on Whitney Day that resulted in severe swelling in his left foot. He has not ridden since. When he returns on Saturday, he will have missed 15 days of the meet.

His agent, Steve Rushing, said Ortiz is scheduled to breeze a horse at the Spa on Friday and then ride three races on Saturday and four on Sunday.

“Every day he is making progress,” Rushing said Thursday morning at the Oklahoma Training Track. “The swelling has come down, and he is about 90 percent. We will keep it light the first few days and then go full from there.”

Ortiz has ridden Counting Stars in his last two starts–wins in the GI Acorn Stakes and GI Coaching Club American Oaks. Had he not been able to return in time, Rushing said the contingency plan was to have Jose Ortiz ride the filly.

Rushing said that Ortiz and his brother, Jose, who he also represents, will be leaving Saratoga after Travers Day, Aug. 29, and head to Kentucky Downs to ride. He said that Irad will not return to Saratoga for any of the final seven days of racing, but Jose is scheduled to ride here on Sept. 4.

After Thursday's card. Jose Ortiz led the standings with 59 wins, 12 more than Manny Franco, who, according to his agent John Panagot, is remaining in Saratoga for the rest of the meet.

“Obviously, it's the premier meet in the country,” Rushing said. “It's definitely important to win it. Irad missed so many days … for him to have 30 wins at this point is pretty impressive.”

The post Saratoga Notebook, presented by NYRA Bets: Napoleon Solo Will Run in Travers, Velazquez Will Ride appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

“So impressive, it was our first 2-year-old winner (this year),” winning owner Seth Klarman said in the winner's circle on Saratoga Live. “Great to get her going and see what she could do. It's just like spring training in baseball, there's always a dream, and when they continue on, you're really excited. It's nice to see one validate our confidence.”

4th-Saratoga, $115,000, (S), Msw, 8-20, 2yo, f, 6 1/2f, 1:18.73, ft, 13 1/2 lengths.
CASH BURN (f, 2, Nyquist–Three Hawk {SP, $172,328}, by Violence) Sales history: $370,000 Ylg '25 SARAUG. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $63,250. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel Racing.
O-Klaravich Stables, Inc.; B-Ned Williams, Mike Matese & Jack Murray (NY); T-Chad C. Brown.

makes her move through traffic and wins R4 by 10+ lengths for trainer Chad Brown, piloted by Flavien Prat. pic.twitter.com/eCRNBYHsG8

— TwinSpires Racing (@TwinSpires) August 20, 2026

The post New York-Bred Cash Burn Sizzles in Debut at the Spa appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Casse couldn't help but glow when discussing the ultra-talented Nitrogen, laying out the strategy behind pointing her to the GII Locust Grove Stakes as a stepping stone toward the Breeders' Cup. He also discussed a few precocious 2-year-olds eyeing the turf at Kentucky Downs and had a check-in with OBS graduate Counting Stars as she puts the finishing touches on her preparations for this weekend's GI Alabama Stakes.

Some of the horses featured in the video are previewed below.

NITROGEN (4, f, Medaglia d'Oro — Tiffany Case, by Uncle Mo)

No introduction needed for this champion and DJ Stable homebred.

She was second to Sovereignty (Into Mischief) and went from ninth to second in the national standings, which was what we were trying to accomplish. I felt like everybody looked at her as a very good filly. I wanted them to look at her as a great filly and I think we accomplished that.

We were originally thinking the GI Spinster for her, but now we're thinking the GII Locust Grove at Churchill because of the timing. She likes six weeks between races and if we go in the Locust Grove, the timing will be a little better for the Breeders' Cup.

AND ONE MORE TIME (4, f, Omaha Beach — Complicated, by Blame)

Live Oak Plantation-owned filly looks to get a fourth career stakes win in Saturday's GII Ballston Spa Stakes.

She belongs to Mrs. Weber and just won the De La Rose here. She was a Grade I winner at two and has an impeccable pedigree. She's a half to several graded stakes winners, including GISW Simply In Front (Summer Front).

CLASSIC Q (4, f, Classic Empire — Lovely Em, by Scat Daddy)

Gary Barber, Blue Crevalle Racing and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners-owned filly has scored back-to-back wins in the GII Churchill Distaff Turf Mile Stakes and GI Just a Game Stakes.

I bought this one for my wife and Hugh Daly, our dear friend, as a yearling for $40,000. She has made $1.4 million and is getting ready to run in a turf sprint for older fillies at Kentucky Downs.

SILENT TACTIC (3, c, Tacitus — Magical Sign, by Gun Runner)

Silent Tactic in Saratoga | Sarah Andrew

The $500,000 OBS April graduate campaigned by John Oxley is pointing for the GI Travers Stakes.

I thought he ran extremely well finishing third in the GII Jim Dandy and he should run even better in the Travers. He won the GIII Southwest, was second in the GI Arkansas Derby and has won over a million dollars. I feel good about him.

COUNTING STARS (3, f, Honor A.P. — Paynterbynumbers, by Paynter)

The $150,000 OBS April graduate and West Point Thoroughbreds star runs in this weekend's GI Alabama Stakes

She could become the third filly ever to win three Grade I races at Saratoga in one meet. She's already won two, the Coaching Club American Oaks and the Acorn, and I can't say enough great things about her. She's a trainer's dream.

MEASURE (3, f, Essential Quality — Fateer, by Eskendereya)

Gary Barber, Bridlewood Farm and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners-campaigned filly looks to get first win since November maiden win in the Alabama

She was third in the CCA Oaks behind Counting Stars and I think she's one of our up-and-coming stars. She's a filly we've been really high on, but she's taken a little bit of time because she wants more ground. She's going to love the mile and a quarter.

NEW YORK SPECIAL (3, f, Curlin — Achalaya, by Bellamy Road)

Owned by Gary Barber, she makes her fourth career start in Friday's Fleet Indian Stakes.

This is a half-sister to Casa Creed (Jimmy Creed). She broke her maiden in her second start and was third in [the Suzie O'Cain Stakes]. She's kind of been a later developer. She's a big, tall, lanky filly that is just now starting to figure it out. As a 2-year-old, she didn't have a clue, but she's figuring it out.

HARBAUGH (2, c, Not This Time — Courteous, by Midnight Lute)

Purchased by DJ Stable for $450,000 at the OBS April Sale was runner-up in his last start. Runs on Sunday at Saratoga.

He was second in his second start here at Saratoga and is eventually going to Kentucky Downs.

Vissino is expected to try the turf at Kentucky Downs next | Coady Media

VISSINO (2, c, Preservationist — Treat, by Summer Front)

A $30,000 OBS March purchase campaigned by Blue Crevalle Racing and Quintessential Racing Florida, the colt will make a turf debut in his third start.

He broke his maiden first time out at Churchill Downs and then was second in the GIII Sanford here. He's doing great and is getting ready to go to Kentucky Downs to try grass.

The post Down the Shedrow with Mark Casse, presented by OBS appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

The post read: “Has anyone seen these new PP's with vet work? Also, how can I get them?”

That led to an investigation that led to more investigations that concluded with serious allegations from the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) against horse owner, gambler, handicapping contest player and college professor Marshall Gramm. Gramm has admitted that he was the one who had exploited vulnerabilities in HISA's cyber security to obtain confidential horse health records not just on Deterministic and Griffin's Wharf, but on millions of records, HISA says. On Monday, HISA charged Gramm with multiple rule violations and has referred the matter to law enforcement officials, asking them to look into whether or not he committed fraud.

So how did Imperio, who does not own any part of either horse, get hold of the information that led to one of the biggest scandals in horse racing history?

It all started with a phone call from a friend, whose name Imperio would not divulge, who was participating in a handicapping contest that centered around the Belmont Stakes Festival at Saratoga. There were two–one run by XpressBet and the other by NYRA Bets.

Has anyone seen these new pp's with vet work?
Also how can I get them? pic.twitter.com/hln6tvAb8x

— Michael Imperio (@MImperioRacing) June 9, 2026

Gramm had two entries in the XpressBet contest and finished with a bankroll of $0 in both. In the NYRA Bets contest, Gramm finished second with a bankroll of $37,328. He earned $35,250, plus a seat in the Breeders' Cup Betting Challenge. There was a $5,000 buy-in to enter the contest, which means he made an additional profit of $32,328 with his actual wagers. HISA has reported that it will compensate the contest players who finished behind Gramm and will seek restitution from Gramm to pay the players.

According to Imperio, one gambler noticed that someone was using PP's that contained veterinary information and took screenshots of the past performances of Deterministic and Griffin's Wharf. Those screenshots were passed around until they landed with Imperio's friend and were forwarded on to Imperio. Imperio said he does not know if the person using the PP's was, in fact, Gramm.

The gambler sent the screenshots to Imperio, believing that, as a horse owner, he might be able to help solve the mystery.

“So he sent it to me,” Imperio said. “He goes, 'Michael, you're a horse owner. Can you get these? Is this out?' And I said, 'No, it's impossible. You can only get your own horses.' This whole thing broke because some gamblers in the contest figured that someone else was cheating them. That's how this whole thing happened.

“There's a story I heard that a guy told his friend he saw somebody on their iPad and he said, 'What the hell is this?' And he took a couple of pictures. Some were blurry. I don't know how many pictures he took, but those were only two that I got. If I had gotten more, I would have posted them.”

Imperio said he logged into the HISA portal to check to see if the veterinary records on his horses were available to him and says they weren't because he is only a minority owner of the horses in his stable and only the managing owner is privy to the information. In Imperio's case, that is trainer Rudy Rodriguez.

Imperio said he might feel differently about the situation if it had not involved a handicapping contest.

“If you were betting a Pick Five, nobody cares because you're betting against the house,” he said. “They're getting their takeout. But you go to a contest and people are putting up their own money. Whoever saw this originally was in that contest with this guy. That's when they got mad. They thought, 'you're betting against me and robbing me.' I think the funniest part is this was all uncovered not by HISA, but by gamblers that were mad they were getting cheated.”

Imperio said he is also upset that the information might have given Gramm an edge when it came to claiming horses.

“To me, it's the claiming horse part,” he said. “I gave an analogy to someone and I said, 'It'd be like this: I go to my safe deposit box. I open the box that ain't my box. He worked in someone else's boxes. Do I have the right to go to everybody's boxes? No.'”

Imperio said that he is surprised that Gramm is fighting the charges.

“(HISA) offered him a great deal and he didn't take it,” he said. “That's the part I don't understand.”

The post How Owner Michael Imperio Broke The Story of PP-Gate appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Friday, August 21, 2026
Ellis 2, Moc, $53k, 2yo, 6f, 1:19 p.m.
Horse (Sire), Sale, Price ($), Breeze
Cairo Charlie (Cairo Prince), OBSAPR, 40,000, :10 2/5
C-Paul Sharp, agent; B-Chad Schumer, agent

Junction (Girvin), OBSAPR, 55,000, :10 1/5
C-Wavertree Stables Inc (C Dunne), agent; B-Joe Sharp, agent

Saratoga 5, Msw, $115k, 2yo, (S), 5.5fT, 3:26 p.m. ET
Pyralis (Epicenter), OBSMAR, 150,000, :10
C-Sequel, agent for Chester Broman; B-MyRacehorse.com, Stamatis Stables, Sean O'Connor

Royal Reserve (Central Banker), OBSAPR, 325,000, :10
B-McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds, agent; B-Kimmel/Sallusto, agent for Winning Move Stable/IEE

Saratoga 6, Msw, $115k, 2yo, f, 8.5fT, 4:00 p.m. ET
Funny Words (Omaha Beach)-MTO, FTMMAY, 90,000, G
C-Lucan Bloodstock (K Keegan), agent; B-Anthony Perri

Get My Good Side (Life Is Good)-MTO, FTMMAY, 140,000, G
C-Niall Brennan Stables, agent; B-Starladies Racing

Ellis 9, $100k, Msw, 2yo, 6f, 4:42 p.m. ET
Bombarino (Yaupon), OBSAPR, 140,000, :10
C-Omar Ramirez Bloodstock, agent; B-Nick J Hines, agent

Borax (Army Mule), OBSJUN, 240,000, :9 4/5
C-S G V Thoroughbreds (Steven Venosa), agent; B-Clark Brewster, Bill & Corinne Heiligbrodt/K Reimer

Moonfire (Yaupon), OBSAPR, (195,000), :21 2/5
C-Caliente Thoroughbreds, agent; B-RNA

Staunch (Liam's Map), FTMMAY, 300,000, G
B-Randy Miles, agent; B-Case Clay Thoroughbred Management

The post Summer Breezes, Sponsored By OBS: August 21, 2026 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Second over a mile here on debut and over this seven-furlong trip at the Qatar Goodwood Festival, the 2-5 favourite who shares a similar profile to her multiple Group 1 and dual Classic-winning dam was sent to the front three out by Wayne Lordan. Kicking off the bend, the homebred stayed on strongly for a 1 1/2-length success from the newcomer Zenith Blaze (Kingman), Juddmonte's first runner from the Joseph O'Brien stable.

In a race hosting potential several smart prospects, there was another 1 1/4 lengths back to the third-place dead-heaters Isle Of Capri (Wootton Bassett), a Donnacha O'Brien trainee who was another behind Alpha at the Curragh, and the Ger Lyons-trained Villaray (Showcasing).

“She's a filly that's crying out for a mile,” stable representative Chris Armstrong said. “Just the way the programme presented, we thought we'd bring her here and Aidan thought she'd be very hard to beat. The plan is to step her up to a mile. She could be a very high-class filly going forward. Come the end of the year, she could be a filly for something like the Fillies Mile or the Boussac.”

Wootton Bassett x Love

The regally-bred So Lovely opens her account under @waynemnlordan in the opener at @LeopardstownRC pic.twitter.com/zZIapgjwzs

— Racing TV (@RacingTV) August 20, 2026

Love, who also broke her maiden at the third attempt here before going on to glory five times at the highest level including in the 1,000 Guineas and Oaks, is kin to the Lowther and Cherry Hinton Stakes winner Lucky Kristale (Lucky Story) and Galileo's Group 3 winners Peach Tree and Flattering. Lucky Kristale has produced the Prix Niel-placed Bravais (Frankel) while her full-siblings are responsible for the Group and Graded-Stakes-placed Serenity Prayer (Dubawi) and Clever Again (American Pharoah).

Also connected to the Group winners Arabian Gleam (Kyllachy), Pogo (Zebedee) and Noble Champion (Lope De Vega) and the Japanese heavyweights Sol Oriens (Kitasan Black) and Vin De Garde (Deep Impact), she has visited Justify in each of the last three years, with a yearling filly produced so far.

1st-Leopardstown, €22,000, Mdn, 8-20, 2yo, f, 7fT, 1:27.35, g/f.
SO LOVELY (f, 2, Wootton Bassett {GB}–Love {Ire} {MG1SW-Eng, G1SW-Ire}, by Galileo {Ire}) Lifetime Record: 3-1-2-0, $39,569. O-Derrick Smith, Mrs John Magnier & Michael Tabor; B-Orpendale/Chelston/Wynatt (KY); T-Aidan O'Brien.

The post Love’s Daughter So Lovely Off The Mark At Leopardstown appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

The catalogue already features the stallions Golden Horde, Taj Mahal, Van Beethoven and Dave.

One share each is available in stakes sire Armor, based at Haras de Bouquetot, Haras de Colleville's group sire Goken, and Haras du Hoguenet's Jigme, who has his first juveniles.

Haras de Beaumont's duo of Puchkine, who welcomed his first foals this term, and current juvenile sire Sealiway round out the five stallions with shares on offer.

The final new lot is a breeding right in dual-purpose sire Latrobe, who is based at Haras de la Tuilerie.

The post Stallion Shares Added to Aktem Stallion Online Sale appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

With these supplements, a total of 4,642 horses have been cataloged to the September sale, which runs 12 sessions through Sept. 26.

The post Half-Sister to Champion Forte One of Two Added to Keeneland September Book 1 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Owned by Gallagher Bloodstock for his victory in the £150,000 Moet and Chandon International at Ascot in July, the three-year-old gelding was sold privately afterward. He is traveling to enter quarantine at Harry Charlton's yard, and will travel Down Under with Charlton's G1 Melbourne Cup chance Wine Dark Sea (Ulysses).

Osborne told the Press Association: “Will Bourne completed the deal acting for Ciaron Maher and the new connections have the idea of taking him Down Under to aim at the race that Lake Forest (No Nay Never) won for William Haggas two years ago.

“It is a four-year-olds only seven-furlong race and while Amazing Journey would have a little bit to go to match Lake Forest he is improving fast.”

He added, “That is part of the job and it gives us immense satisfaction to be able to buy a thirty grand yearling and sell it on for a significant sum. When this happens it is very much a success, so I'm pleased for Pat Gallagher who now gets a period of 'free' racing.”

Amazing Journey will become a Southern Hemisphere four-year-old on arrival to Australia, with the Melbourne Spring Carnival at Randwick in Sydney kicking off their season.

The post Amazing Journey Aiming For The Golden Eagle After Private Purchase appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Thomson joins Churchill Downs from Pernod Ricard, where he held senior global and regional marketing leadership roles across some of the world's best-known premium wine and spirits brands. Over more than 20 years, he has led brand strategy, marketing innovation and high-profile collaborations across sports, entertainment and culture, including partnerships with the Melbourne Cup, FIFA, Wimbledon, the Australian Grand Prix and the Rugby World Cup.

The post Eric Thomson to Lead Churchill Marketing and Partnerships appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Walton recalls seeing this principle in action years ago at Spendthrift Farm. The notoriously headstrong Malibu Moon was a model citizen for his regular groom, but whenever that handler went on vacation, the rest of the stallion team played rock-paper-scissors to see who would be tasked with turning the horse out. When Walton took over as stallion manager at Gainesway Farm in 2022, he brought that philosophy with him. He cycled through a few different grooms with star sire Tapit before finding the right fit and took the same approach with Karakontie, another stallion who demands a steady hand.

To handle the former European classic winner and Breeders' Cup champion, Walton turned to Zeferino Escobedo. Escobedo, a native of Mexico with almost as much experience in the business as his longtime boss, followed Walton to Gainesway three years ago. His two charges are the mild-mannered Grade II winner Charge It and the far more complex Karakontie.

“Zefe is a very good groom,” Walton said. “He doesn't show a lot of emotion and is very laid back. Horses like that. If you bring Karakontie down to show and Zefe has him, he stands better. If somebody else brings him down to show, he may not stand as good. They have a lot of respect toward each other. A lot of the old-school stallions are like that. They're one-person kind of guys and they like having their one groom.”

Speaking in Spanish, Escobedo said that when he first took over caring for the sire, Karakontie made him earn his trust.

“When I arrived, because I didn't know him, the horse was very strong,” Escobedo recalled. “The first time I worked with him, he scared me a lot because I did not know him. He was always trying to bite me. He is really strong, but I like working with the ones that have a strong temperament.”

Bred in Japan by the Niarchos Family, Karakontie spent the majority of his racing career in France. Trained by Jonathan Pease, the son of Bernstein captured a pair of stakes races at two, including the G1 Grand Criterium, before returning at three to claim the G1 French Two Thousand Guineas. His defining moment on the racetrack came later that year when he shipped to Santa Anita for the 2014 Breeders' Cup.

Celebrating a win in the 2014 Breeders' Cup Mile | Horsephotos

Off at long odds of 30-1 in the GI Breeders' Cup Mile, Karakontie launched an explosive rally from wide off the turn, split rivals in the stretch and prevailed by a length over fellow French-campaigned Anodin (Ire) (Anabaa). He etched his name in the record books as the first Japanese-bred horse to win a Breeders' Cup race, opening the floodgate for other Japanese runners on the world stage in the years that followed.

The regally bred bay retired to Gainesway the following year, continuing a farm tradition pioneered by founder John Gaines of importing elite European turf bloodlines to enrich the American pool, and he has been an anchor of the Gainesway roster in the years since.

No one on the farm's stallion crew would go so far as to characterize Karakontie as difficult. He is an easy keeper with no real vices and is a consummate professional in the breeding shed. But he does seem to enjoy keeping his caretakers on their toes.

“You never know what you're going to get,” Walton explained. “Some days he'll come out to show and stand like a statue and other days he'll come out and he won't stand up. He loves to be turned out and he loves to run. In the paddocks he has Olympiad on one side of him and Muth on the other. He always tries to get them to run with him. He's an instigator, you could say.”

That alertness and grit have translated to his offspring, as Karakontie has built a record of 16% stakes horses over his 11 years at stud.

While his progeny have achieved graded wins on both surfaces, his leading earners have unapologetically shined on the turf with graded stakes winners like Princess Grace, Spendarella and None Above the Law. His latest star Roja won this year's GII Intercontinental Stakes.

On the walk with groom Zeferino Escobedo | Sara Gordon

Karakontie's crowning achievement as a sire is his daughter She Feels Pretty. An Eclipse Award Champion Turf Female with five Grade I wins and over $2.55 million in earnings, she capped her brilliant campaign with a runner-up effort in last year's GI Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf.

“She had a lot of heart like he did,” Walton said. “I've watched his Breeders' Cup Mile several times because he was a longshot. He was all the way on the outside. I think there were 14 horses in the field and he had a heck of a run. That kind of goes with his character. He's got a lot of heart.”

She Feels Pretty came within a length of it, but for now the search continues for a son or daughter who will inherit not just Karakontie's tenacity, but his title as a Breeders' Cup champion.

The post Hands on History: Karakontie and the Power of a Steady Hand appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

“You knew after going a couple of furlongs it was going to be messy and passing the three [furlong marker] I thought the pacemaker was gone,” said Juddmonte's Barry Mahon. “Colin [Keane] had to commit probably a bit sooner than he wanted. He had to chase her down a little bit, so she was always going to be vulnerable to something closing late, but she's gutsy and knows where the line is. She put her head down and it wasn't pretty, but she got the job done and that's the main thing. Fast ground, slow ground, she's just very versatile and the ultimate pro now. She's fully matured now at five years of age and keeps answering all the questions, so it's wonderful.”

With connections' G1 Juddmonte International hero Item also in the mix for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, Mahon spoke of future logistics. “We have the horse from yesterday, so whether he'll go to the Arc and we wait for Ascot [and the G1 British Champions Fillies & Mares] with this filly, we have to sit down and discuss all that,” he added. “It's a nice problem to have. Item is definitely a top-of-the-ground horse and he got away with the good-to-soft here yesterday. Colin said this filly doesn't enjoy the softer ground as much as she did last year and felt she enjoyed the faster ground in Ascot more than she did today. I wouldn't have thought we'd run both in the Arc, but that will be the owners' decision. Ascot was always the target with this filly and it would make sense to sidestep the Arc if the ground is good, but that's a big 'if'. She probably will retire at the end of the year and whether she'll finish at Ascot, or whether she'll go to the Breeders' Cup, there's a lot of variables to work out.”

The 10-11 favourite was settled way off the pace of this Breeders' Cup “Win and You're In” in seventh as Ballydoyle's G1 Oaks third Sugar Island (Dubawi) established a clear lead up front. Leading the pursuit to reduce the rabbit's 20-length buffer in the straight, she used up more energy than ideal in getting to the front approaching the final furlong and was running on vapours as Newtown Anner's G1 Irish Oaks third powered home late to make it a pixel-splitter on the line.

Last year's winner Minnie Hauk (Frankel) stayed on in pleasing fashion to finish 2 1/2 lengths back in third, herself 3 1/2 lengths clear of G2 Ribblesdale victrix Earth Shot (Time Test) in fourth.

“We are thrilled,” said Newtown Anner Stud's PJ Colville after Sparan Nua's runner-up finish. “We went to Leopardstown on a fact-finding mission and just wanted to drop her back to a mile last time. She races a little bit lazily sometimes and we thought a mile might just sharpen her up for today. We just got a little bit squeezed a furlong-and-a-half out and that just maybe stopped our momentum for a second. She showed a lot of guts and the wheels are back on, but I'm not yet sure where we will go. We will speak to Jim [Bolger] and Maurice [Regan], but she could go to the [G2] Blandford over a mile-and-a-quarter, the [G1] Prix de l'Opera in France and then you have the [G1] Fillies & Mares at Ascot. She seemed to handle the ground, she got through it so that's important coming into the autumn.”

Reflecting on the run of last year's winner Minnie Hauk, Aidan O'Brien said, “She ran very well. Sugar Island was there for everyone, so that did not affect Minnie Hauk's performance.”

King George winner Kalpana follows up – – in a remarkable £600,000 Group 1 Legends Global Yorkshire Oaks! @yorkracecourse pic.twitter.com/vkbvtUt5uB

— Racing TV (@RacingTV) August 20, 2026

Pedigree Notes
Kalpana is the eighth of 11 foals and leading performer from a half-dozen winners produced by Listed Prix Petite Etoile victrix Zero Gravity (Dansili), herself a full-sister to G1 Grand Prix de Paris-winning sire Zambezi Sun and the dual stakes-placed Shared Account.

Zero Gravity is also a half-sister to G2 Prix Guillaume d'Ornano victor Kalabar (Kahyasi) and the multiple Group-placed G2 Prix Eugene Adam runner-up World Heritage (Kahyasi).

Shared Account, in turn, is the dam of four stakes performers headed by dual Group 3 winner Better Together (Oasis Dream) and G3 Prix des Reservoirs and GIII Athenia Stakes victrix Pocket Square (Night Of Thunder).

The winner, who hails from the family of G1 July Cup and G1 Prix de l'Abbaye hero Continent (Lake Coniston), is kin to a yearling filly by Chaldean.

Thursday, York, Britain
LEGENDS GLOBAL YORKSHIRE OAKS-G1, £600,000, York, 8-20, 3yo/up, f/m, 11f 188yT, 2:36.00, g/s.
1–KALPANA (GB), 135, m, 5, by Study Of Man (Ire)
                1st Dam: Zero Gravity (GB) (SW-Fr), by Dansili (GB)
                2nd Dam: Imbabala (GB), by Zafonic
                3rd Dam: Interval (Ire), by Habitat
O-Juddmonte; B-Juddmonte Farms Ltd; T-Andrew Balding; J-Colin Keane. £340,260. Lifetime Record: MG1SP-Ire, 18-9-6-2, $3,645,538. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Sparan Nua (Ire), 126, f, 3, Dawn Approach (Ire)–Sparanai, by Leroidesanimaux (Brz). O-Newtown Anner Stud Farm; B/T-Jim Bolger. £129,000.
3–Minnie Hauk (Ire), 135, f, 4, Frankel (GB)–Multilingual (GB), by Dansili (GB). (€1,850,000 Ylg '23 GOFOR). O-Derrick Smith, Mrs John Magnier & Michael Tabor; B-B V Sangster; T-Aidan O'Brien. £64,560.
Margins: SHD, 2HF, 3HF. Odds: 0.91, 25.00, 4.00.
Also Ran: Earth Shot (Ire), Tattycoram (GB), Johanna Walsh (Ire), Sugar Island (Ire), Inis Mor (Fr), Legacy Link (GB).

The post Juddmonte’s Kalpana Clings On From Sparan Nua In Thrilling Yorkshire Oaks, Minnie Hauk Third appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

He increased his Timeform rating from 123p to 128p. This puts him one up on Juddmonte International third Constitution River (Wootton Bassett) at 127. Item's new rating confirms himself as a high-class colt and the leader of his age group, following Bow Echo (Night Of Thunder)'s retirement earlier this summer.

Timeform's Andrew Asquith said, “It looked a mouth-watering renewal of the Juddmonte beforehand and, while we didn't see either Ombudsman or Constitution River breaking through the 130 barrier, Item still produced a high-class performance to prevail.

“He was worth more than the head winning margin, too, doing well to reel in Almaqam – who traded at 1.01 in running on Betfair – given he didn't get the smoothest passage through.

“Item should have no problem staying a mile and a half on this evidence and this performance puts him in the Arc picture, provided the ground isn't too soft, while he's now also eligible for the $5-million bonus should he win the G1 Japan Cup later this year.”

The post Item Rated Highest 3YO In Training After Juddmonte International Score appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Left at the back on the unfavoured part of the track from the outset, the even-money favourite who had brushed aside Group 1 company on quick ground at The Curragh 11 days earlier was playing catch-up under Ryan Moore even before she was badly hampered passing two out.

What followed was hard to fathom, as she went from a game-over scenario to in front within the space of a furlong before bounding into clear daylight to win in a time marginally quicker than the preceding Lowther. Six lengths separated her from the 80-1 outsider Battle Fever (Sands Of Mali), with Speed Of Sound (Sioux Nation) 3/4 of a length away in third.

“She's obviously a very good filly, but we weren't sure about soft ground,” Aidan O'Brien said. “They went very fast and she's best ridden that way. It would have been easy to put her away, but she came out of the race well and this is a great initiative, so we came here instead of the Group 2 as she's already a Group 1 winner. She's a Cheveley Park filly and then she could go to the Breeders' Cup over a mile.”

Moore added, “She's very professional, they went hard early and I got a bit pushed down, one rolled on top of me but I got out in plenty of time. It's not ideal when you get a trip like that, but she's a Group 1 winner and won easy. She was always doing it very easy.”

The Group 1 winner Sun Goddess comes from nowhere and runs away with the huge-money Harry's Half Million By @Goffs1866! @yorkracecourse pic.twitter.com/H5ZpY7TOT3

— Racing TV (@RacingTV) August 20, 2026

Sun Goddess is currently the last known foal out of the unraced Etoile Bleu (Starspangledbanner), a half-sister to the four-times South African Group winner Gibraltar Blue (Rock Of Gibraltar) and the Phoenix Sprint Stakes winner Scream Blue Murder (Oratorio). The latter's Listed-winning and Group 2-placed daughter Too Soon To Panic (Gleneagles) is the dam of the recent Prix Jean Prat and Jersey Stakes hero Thesecretadversary (St Mark's Basilica).

Thursday, York, Britain
HARRY'S HALF MILLION BY GOFFS (COND), £596,145, York, 8-20, 2yo, 6fT, 1:13.47, g/s.
1–SUN GODDESS (IRE), 130, f, 2, by Sioux Nation
                1st Dam: Etoile Bleu (Ire), by Starspangledbanner (Aus)
                2nd Dam: Holly Blue (GB), by Bluebird
                3rd Dam: Nettle, by Kris (GB)
TDN Rising Star. (£120,000 Ylg '25 GOFFUK). O-Derrick Smith, Mrs John Magnier, Michael Tabor & Westerberg; B-Owenstown Bloodstock Ltd; T-Aidan O'Brien; J-Ryan Moore. £293,184. Lifetime Record: G1SW-Ire & GSP-Eng, 6-4-2-0, £606,975.
2–Battle Fever (Ire), 128, c, 2, Sands Of Mali (Fr)–Miss Gradenko (GB), by Foxwedge (Aus). (£50,000 Ylg '25 GOFFUK). O-Allan Kerr & Partner; B-Ballyhane Stud; T-Kevin Ryan. £117,321.
3–Speed Of Sound (Ire), 123, f, 2, Sioux Nation–All Speed (Ire), by Camacho (GB). (€42,000 Wlg '24 GOFNOF; £70,000 Ylg '25 GOFFUK). O-Phil Cunningham; B-D & E Phelan; T-Richard Spencer. £58,661.
Margins: 6, 3/4, NK. Odds: 1.00, 80.00, 40.00.
Also Ran: Pride Of Toledo (Ire), Satellite Of Love (Ire), The Bookkeeper (Ire), Secret Society (Ire), Thebesthasyetocome (Ire), It Dunt Marra (GB), Rollthedicebaby (Ire), Vollering (Ire), Quillan (Ire), Furturra (GB), Glorious Game (GB), Weekend Roar (Ire), Tokaido (GB), Kodiak Breeze (Ire), Niewiadoma (Ire), Innichen (Ity), Mind Those Steps (GB). Scratched: Where Love Lives (Ire), Blake's Monarch (Ire).

The post Sun Goddess Sensational In The Harry’s Half Million appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Stable Recovery, launched by Frank Taylor and Christian Countzler to help individuals recover from substance abuse, support them on their path to sobriety and find meaningful employment within the Thoroughbred racing industry, is NTWAB's Bill Mooney Award honoree. The Bill Mooney Award recognizes those who have demonstrated “courage in the face of tremendous adversity.”

The honorees will be recognized at the NTWAB's annual awards dinner Oct. 28 at Malone's Prime, located at 3373 Tates Creek Road in Lexington. The annual awards dinner serves as the NTWAB's sole fundraiser. A portion of the event's proceeds will fund Thoroughbred industry charities and internships for prospective racing journalists.

Tickets for the NTWAB Awards Dinner can be purchased online. Ticket prices are $85 for NTWAB members and Breeders' Cup credentialed media, and $115 for non-members and guests. Full tables are also available for purchase.

The post Team Golden Tempo to be Honored by NTWAB appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Buried behind the main group by jockey Billy Loughnane as he switched from the stands' side to the centre, the 3-1 second favourite was eventually delivered on the far rail to overhaul the 9-4 market-leader Star Of State (State Of Rest) and prevail by half a length. Juddmonte's blueblood Jolivette (Wootton Bassett) was a further length behind the Joseph O'Brien-trained TDN Rising Star in third.

Beaten in Newmarket's Duchess Of Cambridge Stakes following her Royal Ascot success, Vefa Ibrahim Araci's 400,000gns Tattersalls Craven Breeze-Up purchase was putting matters right here with her rider blaming himself for her last defeat. “I thought Joseph's filly would stay and I got it wrong at Newmarket, as she's a filly who enjoys having a target for as long as possible,” Loughnane said. “Ascot to Newmarket is a quick turnaround and she's had a bit of time after that to strengthen up and relax. She might get a little bit further in time, but at the moment she's all about speed.”

George Boughey has only the sprint tests in mind for the moment. “She's all about speed and it'll be the Cheveley Park now and maybe on to the Breeders' Cup after,” he said. “She needs that bit of trouble in running and she'll love it in America. I do think when we see her back in trip at five, we might see an even more explosive filly so it'll be the Sprint Turf at Keeneland rather than the mile.”

“We had a bit of a gameplan to try and come across, we wanted to get on the back of the ones that we thought were going to take us closest into the race,” he added. “She needs to find a tail, get into a bit of trouble and massive credit to Billy as he did exactly what we tried to do at Ascot. The ground slightly dampened the enthusiasm, but she got away with it.

Despite sticking to the speed tests at two, Boughey was not ruling out training Libertango for the 1,000 Guineas in the spring. “I think naturally you have to train a horse for a race like the Guineas, but the Commonwealth Cup is there for her to come back to,” he explained. “My suspicion is that she will look very fast when it comes to the trials and we go Pavilion before Royal Ascot, but all cards are on the table at the moment.”

Joseph O'Brien said of Star Of State, “She's proven she's a high-class filly today and we think the bestis yet to come. The winner is obviously a top-class filly and she picked our pocket a bit, but I like ours long-term. Undoubtedly she'll stay further than this, but there's no rush to lock in to her next target. I think she's an exciting filly for the future.”

Libertango is delivered perfectly to strike in the £250,000 Group 2 @SkyBet Lowther Stakes! @yorkracecourse @loughnane_billy | @gbougheyracing pic.twitter.com/J9R22zy6xg

— Racing TV (@RacingTV) August 20, 2026

Pedigree Notes
Libertango is the first of three current foals out of the dam, all by No Nay never, with Ein Gedi (Oasis Dream) being a full-sister to the owner's Solario Stakes winner Aktabantay and half to the Prix Imprudence-winning Spanish champion two-year-old filly Reina Madre (Kingman). The second dam Splashdown (Falbrav), who captured the Ballymacoll Stud Stakes, is kin to the Height of Fashion winner Cosmodrome (Bahri) and Theatrical's Graded-Stakes-placed sire Tadreeb.

Her yearling colt was a €620,000 purchase by Rob Speers for Old Mill Stud during Monday's session of the Arqana Deauville August Yearling Sale, while her 2026 offering by the sire is a filly.

The post Libertango Wins The Lowther, Breeders’ Cup In Her Sights appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

“McGaughey colt can run.”

U. S. S. Valor (c, 2, War of Will–Spangled Banner, by Tiz Wonderful) received some high praise from DRF's Clocker Report following consecutive B+ breezes for Hall of Famer Shug McGaughey ahead of his 6 1/2-furlong unveiling at the Spa Aug. 8.

Backed at 5-1 in a deep-looking maiden special weight in the lidlifter on Whitney day, the Team Valor International homebred was carried in at the break from his rail draw and was steered out in time by Tyler Gaffalione to avoid hitting the rail leaving the chute.

An inside sixth and traveling nicely through an opening quarter in :22.38, Gaffalione was forced to gently tap on the brakes rounding the far turn.

Guided out at least four wide at the top of the stretch, U. S. S. Valor raced a bit greenly and remained on his left lead as they straightened for home.

U. S. S. Valor | Tod Marks

Gaffalione got U. S. S. Valor to switch over in deep stretch and the long-striding bay came rolling down the center while finishing up in a field-best :30.87 to complete the trifecta–beaten just three-quarters of a length–behind the promising duo of Gaudreau (Nyquist) and Coach Pope (Tapit).

U. S. S. Valor earned an 88 Beyer Speed Figure for the effort, one point less than the winner.

“Shug told me in the paddock, 'I don't think we're gonna win here, but we'll stretch him out at Belmont and he'll win there,'” Team Valor International Founder/Chief Executive Officer Barry Irwin said.

“He ran a remarkable race and rather than wait for Belmont, we're gonna run him back at Saratoga. Hopefully, he'll break his maiden and then we can go on from there.”

U. S. S. Valor returned to the worktab with a four-furlong bullet in :48 (1/22) over the Oklahoma training track Aug. 19.

“For a horse that is built like him to have as much gas as he's got and do it in a controlled way, we just have the highest dreams possible for a horse like this,” Irwin said.

The son of 2019 GI Preakness Stakes winner War of Will was produced by the winning Tiz Wonderful mare Spangled Banner and hails from the family of MGISW Curalina (Curlin).

The 15-year-old broodmare, also responsible for the GISP Expressman (Liam's Map), was acquired by Irwin's operation for $225,000 at the 2022 Fasig-Tipton August Digital Sale. Bred to Tiz the Law for 2027, she has been entered in this fall's Keeneland November sale, per Irwin.

“I put her in the sale to take advantage if this horse does what we hope he could do,” Irwin said.

Since launching 'Second Chances' in 2017, 78 maidens have been featured in these pages (through 2025), producing 24% graded stakes winners, 36% stakes winners and 49% stakes horses. The series has introduced nine future winners at the top level, led by 2025 Horse of the Year and dual Classic winner Sovereignty (Into Mischief), 2023 Horse of the Year Cody's Wish (Curlin) and fellow two-time Breeders' Cup winner Golden Pal (Uncle Mo).

GAUDREAU breaks his maiden in the opener on Whitney Day under Flavien Prat for trainer Chad Brown. pic.twitter.com/qmx4DrG12B

— NYRA () (@TheNYRA) August 8, 2026

The post Second Chances: U. S. S. Valor – ‘We Just Have the Highest Dreams Possible for a Horse Like This’ appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

“Vandeek sustained an injury to a tendon in his hind limb while undergoing quarantine in Victoria,” Arrowfield Stud said of the Prix Morny and Middle Park Stakes winner in a statement. “Following consultation with the veterinary team responsible for his care, it has been determined that the injury and the rehabilitation period required will prevent Vandeek from undertaking stallion duties during the 2026 Southern Hemisphere breeding season.

“Vandeek continues to make encouraging progress and is expected to make a full recovery.”

The half-brother to G1 Irish 2000 Guineas hero and GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf victor Gstaad (Starspangledbanner) stands at Cheveley Park Stud in the Northern Hemisphere, where his first foals arrived this spring. Their Wootton Bassett half-sister will be offered at the Tattersalls December Foal Sale.

The post Vandeek To Miss Southern Hemisphere Covering Season With Tendon Injury appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

=5. REAL BULLET (GB)
Mehmas (Ire) – Aldana (GB), by Slade Power (Ire)
Timeform performance rating: 90

Trained by George Boughey, Real Bullet made it two from two when winning the 6f novice run at Windsor on August 10, showing much-improved form to follow up his debut success over the same course and distance four weeks earlier. At the line he was two lengths clear of Wateera (Dandy Man), who was favoured in the betting as the 8-11 favourite but ultimately had no response when brushed aside by this strong-travelling son of Mehmas in the final furlong.

Karl Burke's Wateera has since taken her form up another notch when finishing third in the Listed St Hugh's Stakes at Newbury, while Real Bullet has reportedly been gelded ahead of his hat-trick bid in the coming weeks. The first winner out of Aldana, who won twice over 6f when trained by Simon Crisford, he must be considered a useful prospect for owner-breeder Shaikh Duajj Al Khalifa.

Two from two!

Real Bullet (Mehmas) does it nicely for the @loughnane_billy and @gbougheyracing combination at @WindsorRaces… pic.twitter.com/sFp2lcWMfa

— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) August 10, 2026

=5. SHAKESPEARE (GB)
Dubawi (Ire) – Lady Bowthorpe (GB), by Nathaniel (Ire)
Timeform performance rating: 90

Won in recent years by the subsequent Group 1 winners Al Riffa, Diego Velazquez and Delacroix, the 7f maiden run at the Curragh on August 9 appears to have delivered another bright prospect this year in the shape of Ballydoyle blueblood Shakespeare, who put his experience to good use to get off the mark at the third attempt.

Making all to win by a length and a half with a bit in hand, the son of Dubawi and G1 Nassau Stakes heroine Lady Bowthorpe was followed home by a pair of promising newcomers from the Joseph O'Brien stable in Benown (Starspangledbanner) and Loughrea N Roll (Lope De Vega). It's a maiden which promises to throw up its fair share of winners, with Shakespeare – who cost his connections 1.7 million gns at Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale – not one to underestimate when he steps up in grade given the progress he's made with every run so far.

Guidenstown Stud Irish European Breeders Fund Maiden @curraghrace
Curragh – Maiden – 2 ans – 1408m – 13 Pts – 25 000 €

Shakespeare (m2) (Gb) R L Moore
(Dubawi (Ire) @DarleyEurope – Lady Bowthorpe (Gb) par Nathaniel (Ire))

A P O'Brien… pic.twitter.com/T9G2AF7wVj

— French and International Horse Racing (@Vincenzo0612) August 9, 2026

4. MINSTER MAN (IRE)
Blackbeard (Ire) – Spurofthemoment (GB), by Brazen Beau (Aus)
Timeform performance rating: 91

First-season sire Blackbeard is now up to 12 individual winners in Europe at the latest count, with Robert Cowell's Minster Man appealing as potentially one of the most promising we've seen so far after his 5f novice win at Musselburgh on August 7. He was sharply away there and then showed a good attitude when tackled entering the final furlong, ultimately winning by nearly two lengths in a decent time.

In victory, Minster Man paid a handsome compliment to Boughey's Evenfall (Harry Angel) (102p), who had given him a fairly comprehensive beating when they were making their respective debuts at Yarmouth on July 23. Evenfall looks destined for bigger and better things, having maintained her unbeaten record in style when following up in a 6f fillies' conditions race at Newbury on August 14.

As for Minster Man, he remains with potential in his own right and is one to look out for in a nursery. A £78,000 purchase at the Goffs UK Doncaster Breeze-up Sale, he has a bit to recommend him on pedigree, too, with his dam being a half-sister to the eight-time winner and G2 Prix du Gros-Chene third A Momentofmadness (Elnadim).

Off the mark

A quick double for @PMulrennan as he guides Minster Man (Blackbeard) to a maiden victory for @cowellracing @BritishEBF | @MusselburghRace pic.twitter.com/AYlNWEFaZ9

— Racing TV (@RacingTV) August 7, 2026

3. BIN JAHWAR (IRE)
Ghaiyyath (Ire) – Tasaday, by Nayef
Timeform performance rating: 93

A three-runner race contested solely by newcomers isn't the easiest to assess, but even a cautious view of the form shown by Bin Jahwar, an eight-and-a-half-length winner of the 1m novice run at Newmarket on August 15, suggests that the son of Ghaiyyath could be something out of the ordinary.

Sent off the 1-3 favourite to make a successful debut, Bin Jahwar only needed to be shaken up to stride clear of his two rivals in imperious fashion from two furlongs out, producing a powerful, front-running performance that was reminiscent of his sire in his pomp. Certainly, he looked full value for his nomination as a 'TDN Rising Star', with the large 'P' attached to his Timeform master rating (93P) underlining that he is open to significant improvement.

Looking ahead, something like the G2 Royal Lodge Stakes could be on the agenda this autumn for Bin Jahwar, who is bred to stay further than 1m in time. The Godolphin homebred is the fifth winner out of the G2 Prix de la Nonette scorer and G1 Prix de l'Opera second Tasaday, with the others including the G2 Prix Chaudenay hero Manobo (Sea The Stars) and G2 Celebration Mile runner-up Turgenev (Dubawi).

Ghaiyyath newcomer , who holds a Royal Lodge entry for @godolphin, cuts loose in the @betway-sponsored @BritishEBF novice stakes @NewmarketRace

99 winners for the season, now, for @loughnane_billy … pic.twitter.com/GrXhOdBBO0

— Racing TV (@RacingTV) August 15, 2026

=1. NABATI (IRE)
Night Of Thunder (Ire) – Pronouncement, by Declaration Of War
Timeform performance rating: 94

Nabati, a stablemate of Bin Jahwar at the Charlie Appleby yard, made the most of a good opportunity to resume winning ways at Newmarket on August 7, justifying odds of 2-5 but not without giving his supporters a few anxious moments. Indeed, it was only in the final strides of that 6f novice that the son of Night Of Thunder edged to the front to get the verdict by a head, beating the equally promising Tawakal (Starspangledbanner) (94p), an impressive debut winner at Nottingham the previous month.

In pure form terms, Nabati didn't need to be at his best to make it two wins from three starts, having already run to a useful level when beaten just a neck behind Arapaho Gold (Bayside Boy) (101p) in the Listed Rose Bowl Stakes at Newbury on July 17. As such, his Timeform master rating of 100p remains unchanged, with the way he shaped on the July Course suggesting that a step up to 7f could be the way to go to unlock further improvement.

Bought for 850,000gns at Book 1 of the October Yearling Sale, Nabati is the second foal out of the G3 Ballyogan Stakes runner-up Pronouncement, with the first being Chicago Call (Oasis Dream), who also hit the crossbar at Listed level when second in last year's Blenheim Stakes. This colt is worth following in his search for a black-type breakthrough in the coming weeks.

Favourite Nabati (Night Of Thunder) beats Tawakal in the Carling Novice Stakes to provide Billy Loughnane, Charlie Appleby and Godolphin with a double on the card pic.twitter.com/ykHzvew9fQ

— Newmarket Racecourses (@NewmarketRace) August 7, 2026

=1. PUSH THE BOAT OUT (IRE)
Kodi Bear (Ire) – Brief Angel (Ire), by Dark Angel (Ire)
Timeform performance rating: 94

A pair of newcomers came to the fore in the 6f maiden run at the Curragh on August 9, with Michael O'Callaghan's Push The Boat Out showing a good deal of ability in beating Marco Polo (Night Of Thunder) – the apparent Ballydoyle second string on jockey bookings – by over a length. Interestingly, the runner-up has been declared for Friday's G2 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Gimcrack Stakes at York, very much having caught the eye at the Curragh when running on well under a considerate ride.

Push The Boat Out, meanwhile, proved more streetwise on debut, albeit he was perhaps a shade keener than ideal, racing on the heels of the early leaders. With that in mind, it was to his credit that he still looked strong at the finish, staying on well to collar the eventual third, New Bond Street (Havana Grey), close home. Returning to the Curragh just seven days later, New Bond Street was then seen finishing third again in the Listed Juvenile Sprint Stakes over 5f.

That suggests there was a bit of substance to the form of this big-field maiden, with Push The Boat Out certainly appealing as one who will be worth his place in a higher grade. Here's hoping he can develop into a smart colt for O'Callaghan, who bought the son of Kodi Bear for 85,000gns at the Tattersalls Guineas Breeze-up Sale. Poignantly, O'Callaghan signed for him under the name 'Michael and Harvey', in tribute to his close friend and business partner John Fleming, who had tragically died just a week earlier.

LOTS to like

Grey Kodi Bear colt Push The Boat Out shines on debut for the @MDOCallaghan team, who have Celeron running in the feature later on the card. @GuidenstownStud | @IrishEBF_ pic.twitter.com/spxUOvrKxu

— Racing TV (@RacingTV) August 9, 2026

The post Timeform’s Top Juveniles: Push The Boat Out A Smart Prospect For Kodi Bear appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

The separate HISA Authority and FTC filings, dated last week but just docketed Aug. 17, were the expected next moves in an ongoing lawsuit that dates to 2021 and has already once resulted in the Supreme Court telling three lower appeals courts to re-examine earlier decisions in light of a similar case that the Supreme Court had ruled on in 2025.

The original litigation out of the Fifth Circuit was spearheaded five years ago by the National Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association (NHBPA) and 12 of its affiliates against the HISA Authority and the FTC.

For the better part of the last five years, both sides in this lawsuit–and in two similar federal cases challenging HISA that also reached the Supreme Court level but were remanded–have sparred over the non-delegation doctrine, which bans Congress from delegating legislative power to federal agencies without an “intelligible principle” to guide the exercise of agency discretion.

Three separate appeals courts–the Fifth, Sixth and Eighth Circuits–have all agreed that HISA's rulemaking structure is constitutional. Only the Fifth Circuit has disagreed, in part, by consistently opining that HISA's enforcement provisions are unconstitutional.

“All parties agree that the Fifth Circuit's outlier judgment warrants review,” stated HISA's Aug. 10, 2026 writ of certiorari, which is the formal term for asking the Supreme Court to take up a case. “Given the intractable conflict over the facial constitutionality of HISA's enforcement provisions, only this Court can provide an authoritative nationwide ruling on that issue of legal and practical importance.”

The HISA petition continued: “Two administrations have supported HISA. Two bipartisan Congresses have embraced it, including through an amendment in late 2022 that fortified the FTC's oversight. And all but one of the federal courts that have resolved an identical challenge to the amended statute have reached the same conclusion: HISA is constitutional.

“The Fifth Circuit contradicted that consensus, holding that HISA's enforcement provisions facially violate the private-nondelegation doctrine. That decision–embracing the most extreme assumptions about the HISA regime, including hypothetical applications of provisions that have never been exercised–ignores this Court's caution against wiping out broad swaths of federal legislation on a facial basis. It also disregards the many ways Congress purposefully subordinated the Authority's implementation of HISA to the FTC's substantial oversight.

“Moreover, the decision [issued June 11] brushes aside cautionary signals this Court already issued in this very case,” the HISA petition stated.

Eric Hamelback, the NHBPA's chief executive officer, issued the following statement via email when asked for comment.

“The fact that both HISA and the Federal Trade Commission have now asked the Supreme Court to review the Fifth Circuit's decision underscores the importance of the constitutional questions the National HBPA and its affiliates have raised for years.

We welcome Supreme Court review because this case is ultimately about something much bigger than HISA. It is about the constitutional limits on government power and whether Congress can give a private organization the authority to investigate, prosecute, adjudicate and impose penalties on American horsemen without meaningful federal supervision.

The Fifth Circuit has now reached the same fundamental conclusion multiple times: the FTC's oversight of HISA's enforcement authority comes too late to make that private enforcement power constitutional. The Sixth Circuit has reached a different conclusion, creating precisely the kind of conflict that warrants resolution by the Supreme Court.

We have never objected to the goals of safety, integrity and accountability in Thoroughbred racing. We have consistently argued that those goals must be pursued within the Constitution.

Horsemen should not have to surrender their constitutional rights in order to have a safe and honest sport.

After more than four years of litigation, we believe the Supreme Court should take this case and provide a definitive answer.

The National HBPA is prepared to see this process through. Our position has remained consistent from the beginning: safety and integrity matter, but so does the Constitution.”

A year and a half ago, the three cases out of the Fifth, Sixth and Eighth Circuits had all been appealed up to the Supreme Court level.

Then, on June 30, 2025, the Supreme Court issued nearly identical “summary dispositions” for all three lawsuits involving the constitutionality of HISA, telling each respective appeals court that it wanted them to re-examine their rulings in light of a relevant decision the Supreme Court had just issued on June 27, 2025.

The new precedent that the Supreme Court told the Fifth, Sixth and Eighth Circuits to consider involved a case titled Federal Communications Commission (FCC) vs. Consumers' Research.

In that case, the Supreme Court justices, by a 6-3 vote, rejected arguments that the funding mechanism for a service that provides subsidized telecommunications services for low-income customers, rural hospitals, schools, and libraries violated the non-delegation doctrine. The Supreme Court also rejected a claim that the FCC delegated too much authority to a private company to administer the program.

The Sixth Circuit was the first to act on the Supreme Court's remand in a case led by the states of Oklahoma, West Virginia and Louisiana. On Dec. 17, 2025, the Sixth Circuit upheld the constitutionality of HISA for a second time.

Those states (plus a handful of other plaintiffs who first signed on to the original lawsuit back in 2021) have already asked the Supreme Court to re-examine that second Sixth Circuit constitutionality ruling, via a writ of certiorari dated May 15, 2026.

In it, the states and the other plaintiffs claim that the Sixth Circuit “erroneously” analyzed the application of the private non-delegation doctrine to the Act.

In the Eighth Circuit anti-HISA case, the plaintiffs are executives with the Arkansas and Iowa HBPA chapters.

That lawsuit involves a 2024 appeals court opinion that had affirmed a ruling out of a lower federal court in Arkansas denying a preliminary injunction the horsemen had sought to halt HISA and its Anti-Doping and Medication Control (ADMC) program.

Now approaching the 14-month mark since the Supreme Court remanded the case, the Eighth Circuit is the lone remaining appeals court yet to issue any revised HISA ruling. There have been no entries on that court's docket for this case since June 17.

The post HISA Authority and FTC Again Ask Supreme Court to Take Up ‘Outlier’ Constitutionality Opinion appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

It was his first race since March.

The colt had battled a foot problem all spring.

He was going up against two of the titans in the division in Renegade (Into Mischief) and Commandment (Into Mischief).

“I went into it thinking if we got beat eight lengths to those horses, it would be a good thing,” Casse said outside his barn at the Saratoga backstretch Wednesday morning. “Then, at about the eighth pole, I was thinking he might win this thing.”

Silent Tactic, owned by John Oxley and ridden by Luis Saez, did not win but he ran well, finishing third, 2 1/2 lengths behind Renegade and two lengths off Commandment.

Not a bad effort at all and now, it's full speed ahead to the $1.25-million GI Travers Stakes a week from Saturday.

Wednesday, Silent Tactic worked five furlongs in 1:01.34 (2/7) with Edwin Soto on his back. They worked in company with 4-year-old filly Nerazurri (Protonico) and Reynaldo Dumont. She is being pointed to the $500,000 GI Personal Ensign on Travers Day.

Silent Tactic is never going to blow anyone away with his morning works, but Casse liked what he saw from him Wednesday.

“I was going to breeze him a half and then I decided to go five-eighths because he is not exceptionally fast,” he said. “I wanted him to get a little blow and get something out of it. If you watched him work, you would think he is a $25,000 claimer.”

Before the Jim Dandy, Silent Tactic was last seen running second behind Renegade in the GI Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn on March 28. Nagging problems with a foot knocked him out of the GI Kentucky Derby and then the GI Preakness Stakes.

Casse decided then to aim for a Saratoga summer campaign and here they are.

The bruised foot is behind them, and the Travers is in full view in front of them.

“I definitely came away from the Jim Dandy feeling the best I have ever felt about him,” Casse said. “I feel very good about him going into next week.”

It's Always a Long Walk for Shisospicy

Every morning, Shisospicy (Mitole) takes a long walk to work.

The 4-year-old filly, trained by Jose D'Angelo, is led out of her stall at Clare Court and begins the journey to the Oklahoma Training Track, which is about a 20-minute walk. She is accompanied by exercise rider Jose Rivera and assistant trainer Angel Ayala and, when he's here, D'Angelo.

Shisospicy in a recent work on the Oklahoma | Sarah Andrew

The trainer flies into Saratoga whenever Shisospicy works. He comes from wherever he happens to be with his other divisions– California, Florida, Kentucky or Virginia.

The 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' has had three works on the Oklahoma this summer, the most recent being Sunday when she went four furlongs in :47.95 (1/50).

It would be much easier to just head over to the main track to work or gallop as it is a stone's throw from Clare Court to the main. But the Oklahoma is where Shisospicy trained last summer when D'Angelo was stabled there.

“She trained there every day last year and I like that track because it is a little deeper (than the main),” D'Angelo said. “It is a very good place for her to get fit.”

That worked out well because Shisospicy was the champion female sprinter of 2025 after she became the first 3-year-old filly to win the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint. She also won the G2 Music City Stakes against 3-year-old fillies at Kentucky Downs.

Just as she did last year, D'Angelo is using Saratoga as a summer springboard to the fall. Shisospicy did not run here last year but trained here following a dismal 15th place finish in the G1 Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot.

This year, Shisospicy was on the shelf early with an infection and, once she got back to training, she finished last in the GII Unbridled Sidney Stakes at Churchill Downs on May 1, Kentucky Oaks Day. She came out of that race “very, very sick,” D'Angelo said, and that necessitated some time off at Gainesway Farm in Kentucky.

D'Angelo hopes another summer at the Spa propels her to another strong fall. Shisospicy's next race could come in an allowance race at Churchill Downs in the middle of September to prepare her to defend her title at the Breeders' Cup at Keeneland.

“She has been special since day one, she just does things different than other horses,” D'Angelo said. “We are not too far to get to the place we want to get with her. I am very happy with her progress.”

Shisospicy has won six of 10 career starts and has a second and a third. Her career earnings are $2,095,270.

“She is the kind of horse that makes you wake up earlier,” D'Angelo said,  “because you want to see her.”

He said it depends on “how she runs” but there are plans to run Shisospicy, owned by Morplay Racing LLC, next year. The long-range goal would be to make a trip to the Middle East, something that could not happen this year.

Twinkle Town on Track for the Hopeful

If his first two starts are any indication, the future is bright for the aptly named Twinkle Town (Take Charge Indy), a 2-year-old colt in the barn of Kenny McPeek.

Owned by Four G Racing, LLC, Twinkle Town has won both his starts by a combined 12 1/4 lengths, The most recent was the GII Saratoga Special Stakes on Aug. 1 when Twinkle Town and jockey Jose Ortiz came home a six-length winner in the 6 1/2-furlong race.

Twinkle Town in the paddock just prior to the Saratoga Special | Sarah Andrew

What looms on the horizon is the seven-furlong $300,000 GI Hopeful Stakes on Sept. 6, the final Sunday of the Saratoga meet.

“He has such early natural speed,” McPeek said outside his barn. “I do think he is a horse that wants to go longer. You can't make a horse go :21 and :45 (seconds, the fractions Twinkle Town ran in the Saratoga Special), and that is certainly not in my style. He is just fast.”

Four G Racing is comprised of Lance Gasaway, Daniel Hamby III and Valley View Farm and they owned 2024 GI Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan (Goldencents), also trained by McPeek.

Twinkle Town is the nickname of Star City, a small rural town in Lincoln County in Arkansas where Gasaway lives. He, along with fiancé Bobbi Jo Harris, were in Saratoga for the Saratoga Special and are expected back for the Hopeful.

“They are on a bit of a roll,” McPeek said of Gasaway's group, which also bred Twinkle Town. “It's a tough game, but when you get a good horse, it's a lot of fun.”

The group hopes the good times continue to roll in the Hopeful. After that, there is the Breeders' Cup to think about that, and dare say, is it too early to start thinking about next spring?

“Well, not really,” McPeek said. “I think you can expect that, assuming he stays healthy, he will be competitive at a high level all fall. Next spring is another deal. We will have to retool him from a sprinter to a route of ground.”

The post Saratoga Notebook, presented by NYRA Bets: Casse Feeling Good about Silent Tactic as He Works Toward Travers appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Warner C. Lusardi, the San Diego construction magnate, major philanthropist and longtime civic benefactor, passed away peacefully, surrounded by his family. He was 94.

Mr. Lusardi was a devoted horse racing enthusiast and a valued member of the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club Board of Directors, serving with distinction since 1988. Throughout his nearly four decades of service, he provided steadfast leadership, thoughtful counsel and an unwavering commitment to the success of Del Mar and the Thoroughbred racing industry.

He and his father, Pete, founded Lusardi Construction in 1958, starting the company out of the garage in their San Diego home. Over the decades, Lusardi Construction grew into one of the region's largest and most successful builders, completing thousands of projects totaling millions of square feet across Southern California.

Mr. Lusardi was a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley and served in the U.S. Navy as a member of the Civil Engineer Corps. He was also a licensed General Engineering and General Building contractor and a Registered Civil Engineer.

He and his wife, Debbie, were married for 54 years prior to her passing in 2024.

The Lusardi's took great pride in their philanthropic work throughout the community. Their contributions included sponsorship of the Curebound Cancer Challenge, a fundraiser to fight cancer that has generated over $25 million since its start in 2013. Most recently, they served as the lead benefactors of the expansion of Scripps Memorial Hospital Encinitas, providing a $25-million gift that led to the construction of the Lusardi Tower, enabling the hospital to increase its capacity from 187 to 235 patients and enhance integrated inpatient, surgical and maternal care services.

The post San Diego Construction Magnate, Del Mar Board Member Lusardi Dies appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

The following rulings were reported on HISA's “rulings” portal and through the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit's (HIWU) “pending” and “resolved” cases portals.

Resolved ADMC Violations
Dates: 08/12/2026
Licensee: Miguel Penaloza, trainer
Penalty: A fine of $500; imposition of 1.5 Penalty Points.
Explainer: Vet's list medication violations for the presence of Methocarbamol—a class C controlled substance—in a sample taken from Cody Pass on 6/24/26.

Pending ADMC Violations

08/18/2026, Charlton Baker, trainer: Pending medication violation for the presence of Lidocaine–a class B substance–in a sample taken from Rock Steady Babe, who won at Finger Lakes on 7/15/26.

08/18/2026, Geneveive Londono, trainer: Pending medication violation for the presence of Acepromazine–a class B substance–in a sample taken from Shriner, who finished sixth at Belterra Park on 6/21/26.

08/14/2026, Alexis Silva Martinez, trainer: Pending medication violation for the presence of Methamphetamine–a banned substance–in a sample taken from Dandy Day, who won at Emerald Downs on 6/20/26.

08/14/2026, Mark Scott Tubbs, trainer: Pending medication violation for the presence of Phenylbutazone–a class C controlled substance–in a sample taken from Go Lent Go, who finished sixth at Emerald Downs on 6/6/26.

08/13/2026, Jose Camejo, trainer: Pending medication violation for the presence of Dexamethasone–a class C controlled substance–in a sample taken from Glacial Power, who won at Belterra Park on 7/19/26.

08/13/2026, Angel Quinoz, trainer: Pending vets' list medication violation for the presence of non-inhalation Albuterol–a banned substance–in a sample taken from Bonita Rough on 7/10/26.

Read more on this story here and here.

Crop Violations

Colonial Downs

Tais Lyapustina – reporting date August 14; $250 fine, one-day suspension, on appeal stay requested

Delaware Park

Cipriano A. Gil – reporting date August 15; $500 fine, two-day suspension

Jorge F. Hernandez – reporting date August 15; $250 fine, one-day suspension

Del Mar

Antonio Fresu – reporting date August 14; $500 fine, one-day suspension

Ellis Park

Francisco J. Arrieta – reporting date August 13; $500 fine, four-day suspension

Finger Lakes

Sofia L. Vives – reporting date August 19; $500 fine, two-day suspension

Joel Cruz – reporting date August 18; $500 fine, two-day suspension

Keiber J. Coa – reporting date August 18; $250 fine, one-day suspension

Jose A. Ventura – reporting date August 18; $500 fine, two-day suspension

Gulfstream Park

Miguel A. Vasquez – reporting date August 17; $500 fine, two-day suspension

Edwin Gonzalez – reporting date August 17; $100 fine

Parx Racing

Jomar Torres – reporting date August 14; $500 fine, two-day suspension

Penn National

Sebastian A. Orellana – reporting date August 17; $250 fine, one-day suspension

Saratoga

Tyler Gaffalione – reporting date August 14; $2,000 fine, four-day suspension, on appeal stay requested

Thistledown

Humberto Haldar – reporting date August 13; $250 fine, one-day suspension

The post Weekly National Rulings For Aug. 13-19, 2026 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

7.24 Newcastle, Novice, 2yo, f, 7f 14y (AWT)
SPIRITED GESTURE (GB) (Kingman {GB}) earned TDN Rising Star status as her full-brother Calyx had at Newmarket on debut, but while her sibling went straight to the Coventry she is kept to novice company for her second start by the Gosdens. This should be well within the grasp of the Juddmonte homebred if she is able to replicate her first effort, even allowing for her penalty.

The post Sun Goddess Looms Over Harry’s Half Million Field appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Boughey joined this week's TDN Writers' Room Podcast presented by Keeneland. He was the Gainesway Guest of the Week.

When asked to address why he brought a horse back in 13 days and worked her in between starts, Boughey acknowledged that European trainers don't always see eye-to-eye with American trainers.

“Obviously, different jurisdictions around the world do things differently and for me it was quite a normal preparation,” Boughey said. “We tried it earlier in the year when she went to Saudi Arabia. She ran at Lingfield on the all-weather and then ran 13 days later in the Middle East. So she had to ship out there, train out on the track for a week and then run, and she seemed to handle it very well. In my opinion, that set her up beautifully for this summer. The style of racing was obviously very different in England, but being able to take those two races very quickly meant that the Glens Falls and the Christophe Clement looked like a beautiful setup for her.”

Boughey confirmed that Survie will make her next start in the GI Breeders' Cup Turf rather than the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf.

“The mile-and-a-half distance in the Turf is a massive thing for her,” Boughey said. “I had intentionally been running her a bit short for a while knowing that she's already won a Group 2 in France over 12 furlongs. So her stamina was assured. We just wanted to build up to that. So I'd kick myself if I ran in a shorter race in the Filly & Mare Turf and she didn't quite get there.”

Bow Echo was retired due to an injury to his left front fetlock. Undefeated in six career starts, he was considered the best miler in Europe.

“I think you kind of get used to it as a trainer, the highs and lows of it,” he said. “But I've made it sort of my thing through my career not to get too high and not to get too low on success and failure. Bow Echo was an amazing horse and I might go a long time to find another one like him.”

The “Fastest Horse of the Week” was GIII Iselin Stakes winner Bishops Bay (Uncle Mo), who earned a 106 Beyer figure. The Fastest Horse of the Week is sponsored by WinStar Farm, the home of the outstanding stallion Constitution.

Elsewhere on the podcast, which is also sponsored by the PHBA, 1/ST TV and West Point Thoroughbreds, much of the discussion among Randy Moss, Bill Finley, and Zoe Cadman centered on the Marshall Gramm scandal. Gramm was charged with multiple rules violations by HISA over unauthorized access to confidential horse health information.

“Marshall, what the hell were you thinking?” Finley said. “This was a very dumb move.”

Questions were also raised as to whether or not HISA had the proper security measures in place that would have kept Gramm from being able to access the information.

The team also reviewed Survie's big win in the Christophe Clement and the magnificent performance by the filly Luster (Knicks Go) in the King's Plate.

Click here to listen to the podcast and click here to watch the podcast.

The post George Boughey Joins TDN Writers’ Room, Team Discuss Gramm Situation appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Thursday, August 20, 2026
Saratoga 4, Msw, $115k, 2yo, f, (S), 6.5f, 2:54 p.m. ET
Horse (Sire), Sale, Price ($), Breeze
Chic in Motion (Mo Donegal), OBSAPR, 45,000, :10 3/5
C-Little Farm Equine LLC, agent; B-Mary K Thomas

Early Returns (Early Voting), FTMMAY, 80,000, G
C-McMahon of Saratoga TBs, agent; B-Country Life Farm, agent

The post Summer Breezes, Sponsored By OBS: August 20, 2026 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Continuing the trend for records tumbling at Arqana this week, the Chachnak smashed the previous V2 high of €200,000 in 2023 – just a couple of days after Coolmore set a new bar for the sale company's flagship August Yearling Sale when paying a massive €4.6 million on a close relation to star stayer Scandinavia. 

A son of Kingman, Chachnak stood for as low as €3,000 in 2025 and it was his promising results with small crops of runners that convinced Nataf to take Antoine Bellanger's charge so seriously. 

The agent said, “I saw every horse in this sale with no exception and he was my number one. The number one needs to get a number one price. He was a little bit outstanding for me. I thought he would sell for somewhere between €200,000 and €400,000 but, at this level, you never can tell. You have to pay big money for horses like this.”

Nataf added, “Chachnak started off the hard way. I like horses like this – you have Fairy King, Danehill Dancer and so many others who started off the hard way and proved themselves by upgrading mares. Those sort of stallions climb step by step and I think Chachnak is one of them.”

As well as a new top lot, the V2 session posted a massive 19% jump in turnover to €4,522,500 while the €34,523 average climbed by 22%. The median stayed the same at €25,000 while the clearance rate was up marginally to 86%. 

Commenting on the top lot, consignor Bellange said, “He is a cracking horse – very well developed, very professional and by quite an exciting stallion to use, so it's good advertising for the stallion. A very nice individual. We expected a good price, but no, this is a big surprise.”

Sioux Nation Filly Caps “Big Week” For Dubois At €250k

Burgeoning bloodstock agent Louis Dubois capped a memorable week at Arqana by signing for the €250,000 Sioux Nation filly from Haras de l'Hotellerie to go into training with Miguel Clement in America.

“The plan for this filly is to go to America, where she will be trained by Miguel Clement. She has a beautiful page – a Sioux Nation filly out of a black-type Wootton Bassett filly and she's a great mover as well,” Dubois said.

He added, “We can see a lot of improvement in her so we are just very happy to have secured her. That was our maximum bid, so happy days. She definitely stood out the most to me in this sale. We tried to buy one in the main sale but couldn't manage to get one, so we're very happy.”

Dubois has been making waves all week. After being announced as the new Goffs agent for America, he saw his St Mark's Basilica filly – who he sourced for €98,000 from that sales house last winter – rock into €300,000 when selling to George Boughey during the main sale.

He concluded, “Look, it's been a big week for me in every way. I've got the new role with Goffs as their American agent, and I also had a fantastic pinhook with a St Mark's Basilica filly, who sold for €300,000. Now, we have secured this filly, which is the top-priced horse in the sale. So, yes, I am very excited and there are a lot of good things coming up.”

Ghaiyyath Filly Highlights Excellent Sale For Etreham

The decision to target V2 with a strong draft paid off for Haras d'Etreham with eight lots selling for €466,000, headed by a €200,000 Ghaiyyath filly to Pia Brandt. 

Nicolas de Chambure commented, “The main sale is very strong so it's nice to bring some horses to V2. It gives people a bit more time, and, yeah, we always love that feeling of a strong sale. With this filly, I just thought that her pedigree may not be strong enough for her to shine in the main sale, so we decided to hold her back. We are delighted because so many people have been keen to see her and it worked out.”

Delloye Not Ruling Out Running Golden Ticket Idea At Another Arqana Sale

Arqana president Olivier Delloye has not ruled out the prospects of the Golden Ticket initiative, which provided buyers of 10 randomly selected lots during the opening session of the August Yearling Sale with a €30,000 voucher to be reinvested on another lot, to be implemented at another Arqana sale in the future. 

The Golden Ticket is the brainchild of Delloye, who not only dreamed up the idea in a bid to do something special to mark the 20th anniversary of the sales house's existence, but to set a strong tempo from the outset of the August Sale. To that degree, he believes the initiative was a resounding success. 

“It worked well,” Delloye reflected during Wednesday's session. “I think it was a bit of fun on the Saturday and we could see some people excited to get the vouchers, even on expensive horses. I'm still happy to see €30,000 earned to be spent on another horse. So I think that was good for the atmosphere and good for the start of the sale.”

There were 10 Golden Voucher tickets allotted randomly to the horses slated to sell on Saturday. One of those horses was withdrawn while another failed to sell. All told, there were eight vouchers handed out which in theory should cost Arqana €240,000. However, Delloye said he must wait before the invoices are circulated before he knows for sure just how much of the  €240,000 was recirculated into the market. Nevertheless, he said he feels the sales company got a good bang for their buck and is therefore not ruling out going forward with the idea at another premier sale in the future. 

Delloye explained, “As far as I know, at least five or six had already been spent by Monday evening, which is good. I think it was a good investment on our part because it helped get the sale off to a good tempo. It was nice to try something new, eventful and fun for clients. It brought a bit of atmosphere to the opening day of the sale, which can sometimes be a little sleepy.”

He added, “When the idea was conceived and launched, it was really only brought in for the August Sale to celebrate Arqana's 20th birthday. We don't know if it is something that we will reintroduce at another sale but at the moment, it wasn't something that was intended to be replicated. We'll see whether it has any impact on the brand and on the sales results. But, why not? I'm a pretty flexible guy so I won't rule it out. But for this moment, there is no commitment for us to do it at every sale.”

The Golden Ticket was one of many initiatives that Arqana ran this week. As well as organising private planes from Saratoga and Ireland, there were lavish parties, complementary lunches and champagne receptions. A substantial investment that Delloye was repaid in the record-breaking trade that saw over €65.5 million spent at its flagship sale for the first time. 

Delloye concluded, “It has been at the very heart of this August Yearling Sale for many years to try to make this week in Deauville enjoyable and memorable for people making the trip.

It's important to have the end users on site and not rely only on professionals, trainers or agents. We are lucky to organise sales here in Deauville. We know how nice it is in August, with all the racing. When we manage to bring people here to Deauville for a week of inspections and sales, it is really up to us to try to deliver a great experience for them. We have the Arqana Series, which is organised with that objective in mind. The parties we organise, the Golden Ticket and a few other initiatives – such as inviting people to the sales ground for lunch the day before the sale – are all part of it. There are many small things. I think they are genuinely appreciated by people. When you combine them all, they make people feel welcome and well looked after, and that adds to the atmosphere of the sale.”

Buy of the Day

Perhaps not a sire that many people outside of France would be overly familiar with, but the Texas colt that Paul Harley paid €75,000 for out of Haras de Castillon was one of the standout athletes on show on Wednesday. On the face of it, €75,000 looks punchy but there are a couple of reasons why it makes sense. Texas has had a couple of interesting horses in France, including the full-sister, La Belle Isola, who is likely to get black-type on the evidence of her fifth-place finish in a Listed contest at Deauville last week. She is already a winner over 6f but her yearling brother has loads of scope and, being from the family of Melbourne Cup winner Dunaden, is likely to excel over a trip in time. 

Thought for the Day

Anyone who has a nice yearling to sell over the coming weeks and months in Europe will have taken a lot of encouragement about what played out in Deauville over the past week or so. As well as a very strong top end to the market in the main sale, the middle – and even the bottom – of the market held up well right through to the end of V2. Okay, we don't know how many trainers in Britain and Ireland will be going to the yearling sales with a loaded gun. The first clues of that will be provided at Goffs during the Premier Yearling Sale. But there will be a lot of encouragement to be taken from the fact many breeze-up handlers – who on the whole endured a difficult season – got in on the action at Arqana this week. Taking everything into consideration, there are plenty of positives to carry forward into the yearling sale season from France. 

The post Arqana’s Run Of Records Continues With “Outstanding” €265k Chachnak Colt In V2 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

The Jockey Club's recent pledge of greater transparency presents an opportunity. For generations, many in the Thoroughbred industry have had little understanding of how one becomes a member of The Jockey Club. With their recent announcement that they are going to “remove Marshall Gramm,” The Jockey Club now has industry participants asking about the process that exists for removing a member. If transparency is to be more than a talking point, now is the time to answer those questions.

What criteria are used to select new members? Who makes those decisions? What standards govern the suspension or removal of a member, and what due process protections exist? These are not unreasonable questions, particularly when membership in The Jockey Club remains one of the most influential positions in our industry.

The Jockey Club occupies a unique position within North American racing. Through its control of the breed registry and its significant role in the commercialization and monetization of Thoroughbred data, its decisions affect owners, breeders, consignors, racetracks, and countless others who make their living in this business.

With that influence comes a responsibility to be accountable not only to its members, but also to the broader industry. Greater transparency regarding its membership and governance processes would be a meaningful step toward demonstrating the openness that The Jockey Club now advocates.

Transparency is most meaningful when it begins with the institutions asking others to embrace it.

Respectfully, Max Hodge

Max Hodge is Vice President of Client Services at Fasig-Tipton

The post Letter to the Editor: Jockey Club Transparency appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

“The more [DJ Stable General Manager] Jon Green and I looked at it, we thought the timing of this race was better for her,” Casse said. “Obviously, our biggest goal is the Breeders' Cup. This gives her a little more time between that race and the Breeders' Cup. We originally said we would run her in the Spinster, but looking at her patterns and where and how she runs her best, the Locust Grove seemed to make more sense.

“She already has a race at Keeneland [a win in the GII Appalachian Stakes on the turf], so it's not like she hasn't run there. This is more about timing.”

Casse said Nitrogen came out of the Whitney in “fantastic shape.”

“I got emotional after the Whitney and I didn't understand why I was so emotional,” Casse said. “I don't listen to handicappers and stuff, but a couple days prior to the race a guy that is pretty well known said that he wouldn't be surprised if she were to run last. To that point, that had never entered my mind. Now, this is my child. I worried if I were putting her in a place where I might embarrass her. That thought never occurred to me and then it was in my mind. When she ran so well, I was relieved.

“In the NTRA poll, she went from ninth to second after the race. That tells you something. If we had run her in the Shuvee and won, she would have stayed at ninth.”

The post Change of Plans: Nitrogen to Go Next in Locust Grove appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

5 (tie)-ZEITLOS, SAR, 8-14, Smart and Fancy Stakes, 5 1/2fT VIDEO
Beyer Speed Figure-93
(m, 6, Curlin–Thyme for Roses {Aus}, by Redoute's Choice {Aus})
O-Peter Leidel. B-Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings (Ky). T-Steve Asmussen. J-Jose Ortiz.
Curlin mares age like fine wine, and at six, the consistent Zeitlos remains as tasty as ever on turf or dirt. She broke a 10-race losing streak while again capitalizing on the occasional class relief. She is 1-for-11 in graded stakes (she won the GII TCA in 2024), but now 8-for-14 in allowances or ungraded stakes like this one. Leidel–previously partners with Stonestreet in brilliant turf sprinter Lady Aurelia–bought Zeitlos as a yearling from Stonestreet for $350,000, then raced her as partners before bidding $775,000 to buy out Stonestreet at Fasig-Tipton last December.

4-BIT'S TIGER MAGIC, DMR, 8-13, Allowance, 5fT VIDEO
Beyer Speed Figure-94
(m, 5, Smiling Tiger–Magic School, by In Excess {Ire})
O-Griffin Racing. B-Harris Farm and Mike/Jeanne Lepore (Cal). T-Peter Miller. J-Juan Hernandez.
Her first start off the bench in January didn't go well and she needed five-plus months before breezing again, but she rebounded Friday to lead from start to finish and run her lifetime record to 5-for-9. Her 94 Beyer was her career-best by two points–and her 92 Beyer was last Aug. 10 also in a five-furlong turf allowance at Del Mar.

Survie | Sarah Andrew
3-SURVIE, SAR, 8-15, GI Christophe Clement Stakes, 1 1/2mT VIDEO
Beyer Speed Figure-98
(m, 5, by Churchill {Ire}–Sotteville {Fr}, by Le Havre {Ire})
O-Michael Tabor. B-Franklin Finance SA (Ire). T-George Boughey. J-Manny Franco.
Survie unleashed another wicked rally to blow past American rivals–this time males. When she was only 3 1/2 lengths back after her first six furlongs in 1:19.46 on yielding ground, the leaders were target practice. She's the first U.S. winner for fast-rising Newmarket-based 34-year-old Boughey, who now has designs on the GI Breeders' Cup Turf. Coolmore's M. V. Magnier signed a 1.9-million guineas ticket (about $2.6 million) to acquire her in December at Tattersalls and she has since raced in the names of partner Michael Tabor and his wife Doreen. Formerly known as the Sword Dancer, the race was recently renamed to honor the late Clement, and his son Miguel hoped to win it with Tawny Port, who finished fifth of six. But Survie's victory was the next-best result for the Clement family. Prior to her sale, she had been trained in France by Christophe's brother Nicolas.

2-SHOOT IT TRUE, SAR, 8-13, Allowance, 5 1/2fT VIDEO
Beyer Speed Figure-100
(f, 4, Munnings–To the Moon Alice, by Malibu Moon)
O-Ice Wine Stable and Smart Choice Stable. B-Old Tavern Farm (NY). T-Wesley Ward. J-Jose Ortiz.
After a series of strong stakes efforts in defeat, Shoot It True only needed to hold form to dominate this allowance, and she did at 3-5 odds. Her 100 Beyer was her best yet, following her previous solid figs of 96-95-95-94-93. Given her dam, better names for her might have been Honeymooner, Kramden or Gleason, but those were already taken.

1-LUSTER, WO, 8-15, King's Plate, 1 1/4m (Tapeta) VIDEO
Beyer Speed Figure-102
(f, 3, Knicks Go–Ruby Frost, by The Factor)
O-Gainesway Stable and Andrew Rosen. B-Ravie Sugrim & Joannie Dass (Ont-C). T-Josie Carroll. J-John Velazquez.
Her sales prices ($50,000 as a weanling, $80,000 as a yearling) muted expectations–she wasn't favored in her debut. But Luster is very special. The 40th filly to win Canada's premier race, she has wrapped up a Sovereign Award and might not be out of contention for an Eclipse Award as North America's champion 3-year-old filly in a division clearly led at the moment by Counting Stars. But she'd definitely have to beat Counting Stars in the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff on dirt, and veteran Carroll has run only three horses in the Breeders' Cup and none in the past eight years.

The post Six Speedy Females, for the Week of August 10-16 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.