Horse Racing

Early last week, a bill landed on the doorsteps of the nation's state racing commissions containing their portion of the money needed to fund the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) remit for next year. The total $72,509,662 amount is broken down four main ways: $58,108,758 to run the anti-doping and medication control (ADMC) program overseen by the newly minted Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit (HIWU); $3,654,830 towards HISA's racetrack safety program, which initially went into effect on July 1 this year; $5,466,709 to continue building the technology needed to...

In this continuing series, we take a look ahead at US-bred and/or conceived runners entered for the upcoming weekend at the tracks on the Japan Racing Association circuit, with a focus on pedigree and/or performance in the sales ring. The weekend's racing is highlighted by a high-class renewal of the G1 Tenno Sho (Autumn) at Toyko, and with plenty of U.S.-bred activity, here are the horses of interest for Saturday running at Tokyo and Hanshin Racecourses. Sunday's runners of note will appear in Saturday's TDN: Saturday, October 29, 2022 1st-TOK,...

A new study published this week in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association and funded by the Grayson Jockey Club Foundation, has found that horses racing on Lasix were 62% more likely to die within three days of racing than were horses running without the diuretic. Fatalities due to catastrophic musculoskeletal injury were not included in the study. The use of Lasix was one of 15 risk factors identified in the report. The study, relying on information from the Equine Injury Database, examined starts made by 284,387 Thoroughbreds...

Reigning GI Kentucky Derby hero Rich Strike (Keen Ice) tuned up for his appearance in the GI Longines Breeders' Cup Classic Nov. 5 with a five-furlong drill over the Keeneland main track early Tuesday morning. With Gabriel Lagunes in the irons for trainer Eric Reed, the chestnut broke off in :26.20 and completed his work in 1:02.60 before galloping out three-quarters of a mile in 1:15.60. "Slow and steady," Reed said of Rich Strike, a latest near-miss second to Hot Rod Charlie (Oxbow) in the GII Lukas Classic at Churchill...

'TDN Rising Star' Onesto (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), winner earlier this year of the G1 Grand Prix de Paris and narrowly runner-up to Luxembourg (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) in the G1 Irish Champion S.,  is set to make his final appearance of the season in the G1 Japan Cup at Toyko Racecourse. Onesto was last seen finishing ninth behind Alpinista (GB) (Frankel {GB}) in a heavy-turf renewal of the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe Oct. 2. The 3-year-old will be part of a three-pronged challenge from France to also include Simca...

A decade ago, trainer Jamie Ness claimed a filly named Parade of Colors for $5,000 at Laurel Park. She only ended up winning three lower-level races lifetime and only one for Ness, and when she retired at the end of 2012, Ness simply gave her away to breeder John Williamson III. But something about that filly resonated positively with Ness, and as he watched her offspring eventually reach the races as Maryland-breds, one in particular caught his eye: Ournationonparade, a son of Cal Nation, who won the 2019 Maryland Million...

Made the lukewarm 38-10 favorite for Saturday's GII Hill Prince S. at Aqueduct, Stuart Janney III's Celestial City (Uncle Mo) found his best stride entering the final eighth of a mile and outfinished Mackinnon (American Pharoah) for a maiden success at the stakes level. Exiting a local allowance victory Sept. 24, having previously dead-heated for the place spot behind the GI Breeders' Cup Mile-bound 'TDN Rising Star' Annapolis (War Front) in a paceless renewal of Saratoga's GIII Saranac S. three weeks prior, Celestial City bobbled slightly at the start and...

Sent away at a well-backed 7-2 in arguably the toughest and deepest 2-year-old maiden of the fall meet at Keeneland Friday afternoon, Spendthrift Farm and Frank Fletcher Racing Operation's Victory Formation (c, 2, Tapwrit--Smart N Soft, by Smart Strike) led past every pole to become the 10th individual winner and the first 'TDN Rising Star' for his Gainesway-based freshman sire (by Tapit). Hustled away from gate three by Luis Saez, Victory Formation headed off his rivals as the field linked up with the track proper and got the opening quarter...

4th-Keeneland, $97,670, Msw, 10-21, 2yo, 6 1/2f, 1:19.10, ft, 1/2 length. LUGAN KNIGHT (c, 2, Goldencents--Sly Roxy, by Speightstown) was outfinished by the impressive Protege (Good Magic) on Churchill debut Sept. 21 and was off at 97 cents on the dollar to go one better Friday afternoon. Away a touch slowly from the inside gate, the homebred tucked in just behind the leading trio in fourth down the backstretch and traveled on the bridle on the turn. The favorite was ridden for luck into the stretch and was stymied with...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 5th-KEE, $100K, Msw, 2yo, f, 6 1/2f, post time: 3:08 p.m. Hill 'n' Dale's Curlin has been good to Godolphin this season, having accounted for GI Forego S. upsetter Cody's Wish, and the 'Boys in Blue' take the wraps off the stallion's daughter POBLANO Saturday afternoon. Drawn the rail and pegged at morning-line odds of 12-1 that seem overlaid, the Apr. 16 foal is out of Kinda Spicy (A.P. Indy), perfect in two starts in an abbreviated racing career who has since gone on to...

With the winners of the first two legs of the Japanese Triple Crown--G1 Satsuki Sho hero Geoglyph (Jpn) (Drefong) and G1 Tokyo Yushun victor Do Deuce (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn})--targeting upcoming spots versus open rivals, Sunday's G1 Kikuka Sho (Japanese St Leger) looms a competitive affair, with a pair of colts from the penultimate crop of the last Deep Impact (Jpn)--who completed his own Triple Crown here in 2005--looming especially large. Deep Impact is already the sire of four Kikuka Sho winners. Justin Palace (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) was Group...

In this continuing series, we take a look ahead at US-bred and/or conceived runners entered for the upcoming weekend at the tracks on the Japan Racing Association circuit, with a focus on pedigree and/or performance in the sales ring. Here are the horses of interest for this weekend running at Tokyo and Hanshin Racecourses. The 3-year-old fillies' Classics concluded with last Sunday's running of the G1 Shuka Sho and the colts' division finishes up this weekend with the running of the G1 Kikuka Sho, the Japanese St. Leger over a...