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NTRA Renews Partnership Deal With John Deere

The National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) has renewed its sales and marketing partnership with John Deere for an additional three years, the association said in a release Friday.

The agricultural giant will continue in its role as the exclusive equipment supplier to the NTRA and also maintain its participation in the NTRA Advantage group purchasing program.

“John Deere tractors and horse racing go hand in hand,” said NTRA President and CEO Tom Rooney. “We are thrilled to renew our partnership with this great American company for another three years.”

As part of the agreement, NTRA members will continue to be able to purchase or lease John Deere agricultural tractors, equipment, and implements with preferred member discounts, warranty programs and competitive financing packages.

In 2022, the NTRA Advantage program topped the $1 billion sales mark with savings to the horse industry approximately $180 million since the inception of the NTRA's group purchasing arm just over twenty years ago.

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MGISW Caravel Retired, Date With Justify Scheduled

GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint heroine Caravel (Mizzen Mast) was retired to Kentucky's Hunter Valley Farm by the ownership group of Qatar Racing, Madaket Stables and Marc Detampel, and will be bred for the 2024 season to Justify, as first reported on the Lancaster Farming website by Mid-Atlantic Horse correspondent Sam Cavalieri.

Bred by Elizabeth Merryman and raised on her farm in Coatesville, Pennsylvania, Caravel is heading to the breeding shed after she RNA'd for $2.4 million at the Keeneland November Sale.

“The ownership group has very much kept me in the loop and it's been a lot of fun enjoying her successes,” said Merryman, speaking to Cavalieri. “I'm so glad that she's at Hunter Valley because I know the way she has wintered there the last few winters. She's loved it there.”

Caravel earned nearly $2 million as a 15-time winner, which included her longshot performance in the 2022 Breeders' Cup at Keeneland. The ownership group decided to race her as a 6-year-old this year, and she rewarded them with three more stakes wins, including another Grade I victory against the boys at Belmont Park in the Jaipur S.

“Caravel always has been a little bit of a freak of nature,” Merryman told Cavalieri. “She's incredible. She puts so much into her racing but from day one she had so much personality and talent. She's a once in a lifetime horse.”

Her dam Zeezee Zoomzoom (Congrats) was also set to be sold at the same Keeneland November, but Merryman couldn't part with her life-changing mare.

“It might not be the best business plan, but it was the right move for me,” Merryman told the publication. “The mare owes me nothing and she is really, really happy where she is. I didn't want to put her through the stress of shipping somewhere new. I was worried she might not take it that well and it might be really hard on her. I promised her a good life and didn't want to go back on it.”

The 11-year-old is currently in foal to Justify and has also produced the MSW Witty (Great Notion), who is bred, owned and trained by Merryman.

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Jantar Mantar Looks To Remain Unbeaten In Asahi Hai Futurity

It was announced just Thursday that American Classic winner Palace Malice (Curlin) would be joining the Japanese stallion ranks at Darley beginning in 2024, and Shadai Race Horse Co.'s US-conceived Jantar Mantar (Jpn) can provide his sire with a timely boost in Sunday's G1 Asahi Hai Futurity S. going a right-handed 1600 metres at Hanshin Racecourse.

A son of American Grade III winner India Mantuana (Wilburn) and bred on a variant of the wildly successful cross of Curlin over A.P. Indy-line dams, the dark bay colt debuted with an impressive 2 1/2-length victory going 1800 metres at Kyoto Oct. 8 and overcame a penchant to overrace with a fast-finishing defeat of Enya Love Faith (Jpn) (A Shin Hikari {Jpn}) and Namura Hooker (Jpn) (Suave Richard {Jpn}) to win the G2 Daily Hai Nisai S. over this distance Nov. 11 (see below, SC 2). Leading jockey Yuga Kawada takes over in the saddle Sunday afternoon from a low draw.

“There have been no problems with him, and his responses at the finish in training have been good, and he's moving well,” said trainer Tomokazu Takano. “He's had the same four-week period of time between races as he had before his last race. I'm not worried about it being his first time at the Hanshin track.”

Carrot Farm's Strauss (Jpn) (Maurice {Jpn}), whose dam Blumenblatt (Jpn) (Admire Vega {Jpn}) won the G1 Mile Championship S., demolished a field of Toyko newcomers by nine lengths in soft ground June 3, but was not seen again for four months, resuming with a third in the G3 Saudi Arabia Royal Cup at headquarters in October. He stepped out to nine furlongs in the G2 Tokyo Sports Hai Nisai S. Nov. 18 and returned to winning ways with a 1 1/2-length victory. Tom Marquand has the riding assignment from barrier 17 of 17 Sunday.

“He might be a 2-year-old, but he feels quite mature,” the jockey said. “He stood out among the other horses in his last race, so I hope he can run in a similar way to how he did last time.”

Danon McKinley (Jpn) (Maurice {Jpn}), a ¥220 million (£1.22 million/US$1.62 million) purchase out of last year's JHRA Select Sale, tries the mile for the first time, having easily won his 1400-metre unveiling over the Hanshin course Sept. 30 before overcoming a tardy dispatch to easily scoop a 1-win class conditions test over the same trip Nov. 19. His time of 1:20.7 was 0.6 seconds quicker than the 1400-meter split of the Mile Championship S. a few races later.

With Strauss drawn widest, it seems fitting that Ecoro Waltz (Jpn) (Black Tide {Jpn}) jumps from the inside box as he looks to make it three-from-three in his young career. He most recently carried Yutaka Take to a six-length victory in an 1800-metre conditions test at northern Sapporo Aug. 13.

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What Was Your Favorite Moment Of 2023: Pat Cummings

As 2023 draws to a close, the TDN is asking industry members to name their favorite moment of the year. Send yours to suefinley@thetdn.com

“The best moment from 2023 was the confirmation that the state of New York would be loaning NYRA nearly half a billion dollars to build a modern Belmont Park. I'd rate this occurrence as possibly the most positive development in the sport since the founding of the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance. The seeds of this were planted in the years before VLT revenue started flowing in New York and it was decided NYRA wanted a slice of that revenue to go to a capital expenditure fund instead of just diverting it all to purses. That foresight was so very necessary. The future of the sport in New York is bright and that's monumentally important for every other stakeholder in the sport.”
-Pat Cummings, National Thoroughbred Alliance

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