Phoenix Thoroughbreds

Amer Abdulaziz Salman, the founder and chief executive of Phoenix Thoroughbreds, has been jailed for 15 months in the U.S. for conspiracy to commit money laundering. The news first appeared in The Racing Post. The piece says that Abdulaziz, 61, was sentenced by judge Edgardo Ramos in the Southern District of New York for his role in the OneCoin fraud. He was jailed at the Loretto Federal Correctional Institution, a low-security facility in Pennsylvania July 11 with a release date of Oct. 20, 2026, according to the Federal Bureau of...

SARATOGA SPRINGS - On Saturday, there were three $100,000 maiden special weight races at Saratoga Race Course. All of them were won by a 2-year-old with prior experience. On Sunday the beat continued as Malus (Into Mischief) rolled to a three-length win in his second career start. Originally scheduled for the Mellon Turf Course at 5 1/2 furlongs, it was moved to the main track at the same distance because of Saturday rain. And it was just what Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher ordered. Malus, ridden by Hall of...

A pair of late entries have been added to Tuesday's Fasig-Tipton November Sale. Stakes-placed Malibu Mischief (Goldencents), in foal to Triple Crown winner Justify, is catalogued as hip 270. The 7-year-old mare is consigned by Paramount Sales. The 3-year-old filly Make the Boys Wink (More Than Ready) won a Churchill Downs allowance race Saturday for Phoenix Thoroughbreds and trainer Brendan Walsh. Consigned as hip 271, she is consigned by Denali Stud. The Fasig-Tipton November Sale will be held Tuesday, beginning at 2 pm.

Never afraid to try something different or to think outside the box, trainer Kenny McPeek is preparing Tiz the Bomb (Hit It a Bomb) for a trip to the U.K. that could include starts in the G1 Qipco 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket on Apr. 30 and G1 Cazoo Derby at Epsom on June 4. The story was first reported by Thoroughbred Racing Commentary. "Who wouldn't want to win a race like the English Derby?" McPeek said. "It would be special, really special. What was it that Tesio said? The entire...

Lucky Seven Stable's Smile Happy (Run Happy) and Phoenix Thoroughbreds LTD's Tiz the Bomb (Hit It A Bomb) breezed in company at Gulfstream Saturday morning ahead of a likely encounter in the GIII Holy Bull S. Feb. 5. GSWs Smile Happy and Tiz the Bomb were timed in :46.32 seconds, the third fastest of 83 workouts recorded at the distance Saturday. "It was a nice maintenance work," said trainer Kenny McPeek. "They went a little quicker than I wanted them to. I gave them instructions to go in about :48,...

KILDARE, Ireland--Galileo (Ire) may be gone but his influence will loom large for decades to come and, for the next few years, in the sale ring too. With a Galileo filly atop the leader board, bought for €1.5 million by MV Magnier, it felt like business as usual at the Orby Sale, back in its rightful home in Ireland after a Covid-induced move to England last year. It goes without saying that a yearling by Galileo will be out of a decent racemare or producer and lot 152 is the...

Michael Dubb and Michael Caruso's Doctor Jeff (Street Boss), a first-out winner in a six-furlong off-turf maiden special weight at Belmont Park July 10, will step right up to graded company as the 2-1 morning-line favorite in Saturday's GII Saratoga Special S. The chestnut colt earned a Special field-high 78 Beyer Speed Figure for his 2 1/4-length debut win and he has recorded three breezes over the main track at Saratoga, including a bullet five-furlong work in :59.61 Sunday, for trainer Rudy Rodriguez. "I'm just very happy with the way...

Phoenix Thoroughbreds' Crazy Beautiful (Liam's Map) is the 6-5 morning-line favorite while facing eight rivals in the 1 1/16-mile GIII Delaware Oaks at Delaware Park Saturday. The gray filly, tabbed a 'TDN Rising Star' following a win in the Runhappy Debutante S., was second in last year's GIII Pocahontas S. and GI Darley Alcibiades S. and began 2021 with a runner-up effort in the GII Davona Dale S. before claiming her first graded victory in the Mar. 27 GII Gulfstream Park Oaks. A troubled 10th in the Apr. 30 GI...

by Bren O'Brien/TDNAusNZ The Aquis Group and the Fung family have indicated they will end their Thoroughbred racing partnership with Phoenix Thoroughbreds after it was confirmed that Phoenix's prize money had been frozen in New South Wales and Victoria. The Australian Financial Review has reported that Aquis had not been informed that Phoenix's prize money had been frozen in Australia's two biggest racing states and, having failed to get answers from the Dubai-based operation, will seek to end the relationship. Aquis told the AFR that it was left in the...

Following on from Friday's news that Racing NSW would place a freeze on prizemoney won by Phoenix Thoroughbreds horses until money laundering allegations are resolved in the U.S., Racing Victoria has followed suit. Phoenix Founder Amer Abdulaziz was named in a U.S. federal court trial in November 2019 as allegedly being involved in a money laundering operation and as having stolen €100-million from OneCoin, a sham cryptocurrency he purportedly helped to run. Abdulaziz and Phoenix Thoroughbreds have denied the allegations. A spokesperson for Racing Victoria told TDN AusNZ, "While these...

Action has been taken in Australia against Phoenix Thoroughbreds for the first time since the organization's founder Amer Abdulaziz was accused of money laundering in the U.S. in November of 2019, with Racing New South Wales Chief Steward Marc Van Gestel telling ANZ Bloodstock News that it will freeze all prizemoney won by Phoenix horses until the "matter has been resolved in the U.S., or until such time that it's been resolved to our satisfaction." Abdulaziz was named in a U.S. federal court trial in November 2019 as allegedly being...

Winless since last August, 'TDN Rising Star' Crazy Beautiful (Liam's Map) marked her return to the winner's circle in style, taking Saturday's GII Gulfstream Park Oaks. Sent off at 5-2 while searching for her first graded stakes victory, she was settled at the back of the compact field as 6-5 choice Con Lima showed the way through initial fractions of :24.16 and :48.69. Rallying from the back as the field compressed approaching the quarter pole, the Ken McPeek trainee strode through the center of the group and continued to gain...