Today's Edition

Bill Nader is coming home. A former senior vice president and chief operating officer at the NYRA tracks, he left in 2007 to take the job as the executive director of racing for the Hong Kong Jockey Club. Recently, Nader announced that he would be leaving Hong Kong to return home. He says he will end his tenure with the HKJC in January and likely return to the U.S. in February. The TDN sat down with Nader to find out why he is leaving Hong Kong and what he plans...

Champion Shared Belief (Candy Ride {Arg}--Common Hope, by Storm Cat) passed away suddenly Thursday after a bout of colic. He was rushed to UC Davis Thursday morning where he underwent emergency colic surgery, but the veterinarians were unable to save him, according to co-owner Jim Rome. The dark bay had just recently returned to training after sustaining a hip fracture during the GII Charles Town Classic Apr. 4. (Click here for a video of his final gallop at Golden Gate Dec. 2). "Thoroughbred racing is a sport filled with the...

As suitcases were packed and the European sales caravan prepared to roll on for its annual end-of-season hurrah in Deauville, Tattersalls' Park Paddocks quieted considerably on Thursday after more than 2,000 horses of all ages had paraded through the famous sales ring throughout the last fortnight. Last year's record annual turnover for the company of more than 263 million gns could not quite be matched this time around, but the 2015 tally was still in excess of 262 million gns-- almost 85 million of which was bid over the last...

The TDN's Christie DeBernardis caught up with trainer Larry Jones to discuss his stable's established stars and promising up and comers. Find out the latest on Carolyn and Fletcher Gray's GI Cotillion S. winner I'm a Chatterbox (Munnings), who was last seen finishing eighth in the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff Oct. 30. Jones also provides updates on the Fox Hill Farms contingent, comprised of last term's GII Amsterdam S. winner Coup de Grace (Tapit); "TDN Rising Star" Cassatt (Tapit); recent Zia Park Distaff winner Thirteen Arrows (Indian Charlie), a half-sister...

Seta (GB) (Pivotal {GB}) was one of the stars of the headline day of the Tattersalls December Mares' Sale and her relation Farandine (GB) (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}) (lot 2247) had her own moment in the spotlight Wednesday, when sharing top billing at 190,000gns with Toujours L'Amour (GB) (Authorized {Ire}) (lot 2134). Farandine, another member of the Sarah Leigh dispersal, was offered on behalf of the executors of the late owner-breeder by Fittocks Stud, which is where she will return after being bought by Luca and Sara Cumani. There's not...

Al Shaqab Racing's TDN Rising Star Khozan (Distorted Humor--Delta Princess, by A.P. Indy), a half-brother to multiple champion Royal Delta (Empire Maker) who was unbeaten and untouched in two trips to the post during the winter months of 2015, has been retired and will enter stud at Brent and Crystal Fernung's Journeyman Stud in Ocala, Florida. A stud fee will be announced at a later date. Bred in Kentucky by Adena Springs, the dark bay colt was snapped up by Hartley/DeRenzo Thoroughbreds for $350,000 at the 2013 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale,...

Wavell Avenue (Harlington), a 10-1 upset winner of the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint at Keeneland Oct. 31 (video), will return to the races for her 5-year-old season in 2016, according to owner Michael Dubb. The dark bay is currently based in South Florida with trainer Chad Brown's Palm Meadows string. "She obviously completed with flying colors the test that we gave her and Chad [Brown] feels that we haven't seen the best of her yet," Dubb commented. "He wants to take his time with her. He wasn't...

The 2014 GI Wood Memorial was approaching and Dr. Russell Cohen not only wanted to win the race with Effinex (Mineshaft)--he wanted to make a statement. Cohen is a veterinarian who practices at the NYRA tracks, is a breeder and manages Tri-Bone Stables for his mother, Bernice, and he's an outspoken hay, oats and water advocate. He was determined to succeed without any drugs, particularly Lasix, and prove that it could be done. "That horse is probably 10 Beyer points below the top group of 3-year-olds and putting him on...

"Anyone for Hanky Panky?" That was the saucy opening gambit from auctioneer John O'Kelly and as it transpired there were plenty of takers from all over the world for the mare with the cheeky name and a serious pedigree. The regally bred daughter of Galileo (Ire), offered in foal to Dubawi (Ire), quite rightly led allcomers at Tattersalls when reaching a price tag of 2.7 million gns after a tussle between bidders Ibrahim Araci, Justin Casse, Fernando Diaz-Valdes of Don Alberto Corp., and John Warren. Not for the first time,...

Using a variation on the "necessity is the mother of invention" proverb, Bradley Thoroughbreds emerged from the recession with a change in emphasis in its business that has yielded terrific results. While Peter Bradley's Lexington, Ky. bloodstock agency has had plenty of success since it was established in 1995, the results of its racing partnerships--now about 40% of his company--have been especially noteworthy this decade. The most recent example is Watsdachances (Ire) (Diamond Green {Fr}) who sold for $900,000 on Nov. 2 at the Fasig Tipton November Sale after earning...

By Emma Berry and Catherine Austen An early pace-setter during Monday's opening session of the Tattersalls December Mares' Sale was George Strawbridge's winning daughter of Oasis Dream (GB), Incahoots (GB) (lot 1532), who will remain in training in France with Freddy Head after being bought by the Wertheimer brothers for 420,000gns through manager Pierre-Yves Bureau. "It's a family we know well but we have nothing left from it – we all make mistakes," explained Bureau of the half-sister to G1 Prix de l'Opera winner We Are (Ire) (Dansili {GB}) whose...

According to good old Wikipedia, a shaman is "a person regarded as having access to, and influence in, the world of good and evil spirits…Typically such people enter a trance state during a ritual, and practise divination…" Wiki also says the noun derives, by a complicated route, from a word meaning "fatigue, weariness, exhaustion, labor, toil, etc." In which case I am well qualified to have a go at a bit of forecasting the future: I am approaching a trance-like state following a very demanding schedule over the last few...