“He's doing amazingly well,” said his owner, Julie Izzo. “But he has slowed down a bit.”

Of course he has. He's 38.

New Years Eve | Sarah Andrew

As New Years Eve crept into his mid-thirties Izzo, who resides in Pennsylvania, began to do some research. Was there an older Thoroughbred out there? She has asked around, checked social media and touched base with Daily Racing Form photographer Barbara Livingston, who has looked high and far for an even older horse. As best as Izzo can tell, the horse she calls Axl (Izzo is a big Guns N' Roses fan) is in fact the oldest former race horse in the U.S.

“I found some people who claimed they had older horses, but when I asked for their Jockey Club names they disappeared or their horse wasn't a race horse,” Izzo said. “Barbara said that this has been a passion of hers for 25 years and she didn't know of an older horse. One lady said her horse was a day older. I asked what was the horse's Jockey Club name because I wanted to see if her horse and mine had ever been to the same tracks. She also disappeared on me.”

New Years Eve was born on March 17, 1986. His career was about as unexceptionable as it gets. He debuted on June 9, 1989 at the Nebraska racetrack Atokad Park. He ran 18 times, won two races and earned the grand total of $3,140.

None of which mattered to Izzo, who was looking for a pleasure horse and bought the gelding in 1993 when he was seven.

“He was literally my dream come true,” Izzo said. “My mother had a horse when I was born and she put me on a horse before I could walk. All I ever wanted was my own horse. I rode in stables during my childhood and teen years. But I was always riding other people's horses. My dream was to have a big bay Thoroughbred. In my brain, it had to be a big bay Thoroughbred. An ad popped up advertising him for sale and I knew, before I even saw him, that I was buying him. OTTBs (off the track thoroughbreds), they have always been my passion. I just love them. I love the fire. I love the power. I wanted a horse that was going to be fun and exciting and one where I wouldn't know what I was getting into every day. He was always that.”

New Years Eve at Atokad Park in 1991 | Durham Museum/Bob Dunn Collection

Izzo never tried to turn New Years Eve into a show horse. She was happy to just have him around and to be able to ride him whenever she wanted.

“He's never been in a show,” she said. “All I ever wanted was to have a horse where I could just go out and have some fun with them. I have done some trail riding and some light dressage with him. He loves to jump. Two years ago, he took off on a dead run in the pasture and decided to jump all the wild rose bushes. He will take himself jumping. He loves to jump.”

That Julie Izzo owns what may be the oldest living Thoroughbred in the U.S. probably isn't a coincidence.  She also owned  a Quarter Horse mare who lived to be 40. She believes the key to a horse having a long life is to keep them out of a stall.

New Years Eve and Julie Izzo | Sarah Andrew

“Since I bought him, he has almost always been pasture boarded,” she said. “I do not believe in keeping horses in stalls. I think it is a horrible thing to do to them. He was always pretty much out in the pasture as much as possible.  If you put them in a box and they are standing still trying to eat that means you're affecting their digestive system and you're affecting their respiratory system because they are stuck in a dusty building. It's not good for a horse mentally to be stuck in a box all day.”

Then there is his diet. Izzo is careful about what she feeds her horses.

“He went from eating a low protein sweet feed and having free access to hay,” she said. “Now, we've converted him over to Sentinel Senior. It's easier for him to digest. Like any horse at his age, he's starting to lose teeth. In fact, we're on the fence about starting to do some major extractions. Up until two or three years ago, he ate dry pellets and had access to all the grass he could eat. Now he gets a mash because his teeth have gotten bad enough where he's not going to be able to keep eating grass. He gets a mash twice a day with alfalfa cubes, Sentinel Senior and a couple of low-carb horse cookies that I throw in there. Plus, we give him a high-quality probiotic.

“I did a lot of research about their diets and read all the educational materials Cornell put out and have read books by people who know what they are talking about. People ask me all the time, what do you feed him? I tell them the feed is just one part of it. Obviously, genetics play a big factor and so does keeping him out of a stall.”

The only problem of late has been that Axl is alone after having the Quarter Horse mare as his pasture mate for 28 years.

New Years Eve | Sarah Andrew

“Sometimes I think he is lonely,” Izzo said.

But he keeps going, year after year. And while it can't last forever, Izzo continues to marvel at how healthy and spry her horse is. He might have a few more years left in him. From a horse who is special in his own unique way, you never know.

The post The World’s Oldest Thoroughbred? We Think We Have Found Him appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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#1 TWEETSTER ($5.00) breaks her maiden on debut in R8 at Oaklawn Park. @NormCasse trains this three-year-old filly by @CoolmoreAmerica's Practical Joke. @RSantana_Jr was in the irons for this powerful victory. pic.twitter.com/BXOfRJl4m5

— TVG (@TVG) March 29, 2024

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The story was first reported by John Cherwa in the Los Angeles Times.

With 1/ST set to close Golden Gate Fields on June 9, the future of Northern California racing is very much up in the air. Hoping to save racing in that part of the state, Pleasanton, a fair track, will ask the CHRB to approve a 10-week meeting that would run from Oct. 19 to Dec. 15.

If those dates are approved, it may complicate Santa Anita's efforts to reallocate revenue from simulcasting that is currently split between the northern and southern tracks. 1/ST is backing legislation that would reallocate simulcast money from Northern California to Southern California in the event that racing ceases to exist in the northern portion of the state. Santa Anita believes it needs the extra simulcast money to make racing viable in its part of the state.

Additionally, Santa Anita is hoping that with Golden Gate shutting down, many horsemen from that area will relocate to Santa Anita. If that happens, Santa Anita management believes it can add a fourth day to its weekly racing schedule and will be able to card races with bigger fields.

On Tuesday, Craig Fravel, the executive vice-chairman of 1/ST Racing and Gaming, sent a three-page letter to the CHRB, urging the Board not allocate the extra dates being sought by tracks that are members of the California Authority of Racing Fairs (CARF).

Fravel contended that if racing is approved at the CARF tracks “an analysis of alternatives for Santa Anita and San Luis Rey (training center) will be undertaken in short order. As noted, the current financial model and required capital expense make no sense and the consolidation of operations as discussed last year and at the January Board meeting is the only alternative that has been presented.”

Fravel also wrote that over the last five years Santa Anita has incurred operating losses in excess of $31 million while investing over $32 million in capital projects.

“The current model is simply unsustainable,” Fravel wrote.

Fravel also contended that the proposals being floated by the CARF tracks “is lacking in so much detail that it is difficult to understand what has been done over the last eight months and even more difficult to understand how the Board can be asked to put the entire thoroughbred industry in the state at risk by allocating dates on the basis of speculation.”

Fravel also said that allocating dates to the CARF tracks will lead to immediate purse cuts at Santa Anita and planned capital projects will be re-evaluated.

The post 1/ST Racing Says It May Sell Or Close Santa Anita appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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A panel of New York turf writers, broadcasters, handicappers, racing analysts and photographers will vote on each division and for the New York-bred Horse of the Year. The winners will be announced at the NYTB Awards Dinner sponsored by the New York Thoroughbred Breeding & Development Fund on Monday, May 13 from 6-9 p.m. ET. at Sacred Saratoga on the property of GMP Farm in Schuylerville. Former jockey and NYRA TV personality Richard Migliore will again serve as host.

“Our organization is excited to celebrate this year's nominees. All are deserving and represent the best in New York breeding and racing. This year's awards will be a special night at an exciting new location,” said NYTB President Dr. Scott Ahlschwede, D.V.M.

Tickets are available–$150 for NYTB Members and $175 for non-members–for purchase by clicking here or by calling the NYTB Office at (518) 587-0777.

“The New York-bred Divisional Championship Awards is a special night because it recognizes the very best in Thoroughbred breeding and racing in New York,” said Brian O'Dwyer, Chairman of the New York State Gaming Commission and New York State Thoroughbred Breeding & Development Fund. “On behalf of the New York State Gaming Commission and Thoroughbred Breeding & Development Fund we are proud to work with NYTB and look forward to celebrating the connections of New York-breds who achieved success representing the New York-bred program last year.”

Also to be honored at the Awards Dinner with 2023 awards will be Broodmare of the Year, Champion Steeplechaser, Trainer, Champion Jockey and Outstanding Breeder.

“NYTB's annual awards is our marquee event. This year's nominees are no exception reflecting the quality and strength of the New York-bred program,” said NYTB Executive Director Najja Thompson.

A list of the 2023 New York-bred divisional championship nominees by category follows:

Champion 2-Year-Old Male: Antonio of Venice (Laoban), El Grande O (Take Charge Indy), The Wine Steward (Vino Rosso), Wynstock (Solomini).

Champion 2-Year-Old Filly: Brocknardini (Palace Malice), Caldwell Luvs Gold (Goldencents), Cara's Time (Not This Time), My Mane Squeeze (Audible).

Champion 3-Year-Old Male: Allure of Money (Central Banker), Eye Witness (City of Light), Hejazi (Bernardini), Maker's Candy (Twirling Candy).

Champion 3-Year-Old Filly: Downtown Mischief (Into Mischief), Gambling Girl (Dialed In), Maple Leaf Mel (Cross Traffic), Stonewall Star (Flatter).

Champion Older Dirt Male: Bankit (Central Banker), Dr Ardito (Liam's Map), Sherriff Bianco (Speightster), Straight Arrow (Arrogate).

Champion Older Dirt Female: Classy Edition (Classic Empire), Know It All Audrey (Shackleford), Timeless Journey (Verrazano), Venti Valentine (Firing Line).

Champion Turf Male: City Man (Mucho Macho Man), Red Knight (Pure Prize), Spirit of St Louis (Medaglia d'Oro), Therapist (Freud).

Champion Turf Female: New Ginya (Tonalist), Runaway Rumour (Flintshire {GB}), Silver Skillet (Liam's Map), Whatlovelookslike (English Channel).

Champion Male Sprinter: Bold Journey (Hard Spun), Today's Flavor (Laoban), Rotknee (Runhappy), Thin White Duke (Dominus).

Champion Female Sprinter: Funny How (Overanalyze), Maple Leaf Mel, Rossa Veloce (Girolamo), Sterling Silver (Cupid).

The post 2023 New York-Bred Divisional Championship Nominees Released By NYTB appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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The purchase represents the first foray into the Australian market for Hill 'n' Dale. The farm's Jes Sikura was one of a number of people high-fiving others on the Waterhouse- Bott table as a round of applause broke out in the Magic Millions auditorium moments after auctioneer Clint Donovan brought the gavel down.

Offered by Widden Stud, the filly is the first progeny of the G2 Tristarc S. winner Madam Rouge (Aus) (Zoustar {Aus}), who collected six victories on the track. Her grand dam, Cabernet (Aus) (Al Maher {Aus}) also enjoyed a sextet of successes, headlined by the Listed Summond S. The damline doesn't end there, with great-grandam Golden Weekend (Aus) (Nine Carat) a talented 2-year-old performer and a producer of three foals to race for as many winners.

Sikura was visibly delighted and was quick to thank Johnson, whose relationship with Hill 'n' Dale was pivotal in bringing the group of successful purchasers together. “We really didn't have too much intention to get involved in anything when we came over here, but I have to give complete credit to Will Johnson,” Sikura said. “He's always at the top of his game, he finds the nicest horses in every sale and it wouldn't have happened without him, especially without Gai and Adrian putting together such a good group.

“Being by I Am Invincible, she really ticked all the boxes and we thought if there was some point to get involved, she was the one to do it with.

Trent Needham, Antony Thompson, Noel Greenhalgh, Will Johnson, Jes Sikura, Adrian Bott, Barry Bowditch with Gai Waterhouse, Maria Greenhalgh and Patricia Bourke | Magic Millions

“They [the auctioneer] were definitely fighting for the AU$1.8 million up there and we were shaking a little bit, so we were happy to get it at AU$1.7 million. She was worthy of every dollar and we're excited for the future.”

“It's great to have Jes in Australia and it's great to have that international investment from downtown Kentucky,” Johnson said. “A massive thank you to John Sikura and his family and a massive thanks to Gai, Adrian and Bruce Slade for getting to work because, as we know, these are expensive fillies, so you have to be organized. It's exciting times ahead.”

The AU$1.7 million sale wrote another chapter in the story of Widden Stud and Madam Rouge, with the leading nursery having bred her, sold her as a yearling, retained a share in her to race and then bought out some of their partners to secure her from the Magic Millions National Broodmare sale for AU$2.7 million back in 2022.

The post Hill ‘N’ Dale Partners To Buy AU$1.7 Million Topper At Magics appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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#3 CHANGE OF COMMAND ($4.20) holds off a fight from Cardinale to take Race 7 at @GulfstreamPark! This 3YO colt by Into Mischief (@spendthriftfarm) is trained by Shug McGaughey and was ridden by @jose93_ortiz. pic.twitter.com/BvIcBCIVdV

— TVG (@TVG) January 5, 2024

The post Into Mischief Colt Takes Command Late Over Gulfstream Allowance Types appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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“I think he's a long way from being done,” said trainer Horacio De Paz.

It's easy to see why De Paz doesn't think that age has caught up with Greeley and Ben and why he'll be bringing the horse back off of just one week's rest in the Gravesend. Greeley and Ben won last year's GIII Fall Highweight H. at the advanced age of eight and, after a layoff of nearly 12 months, has come back running this year. After finishing sixth in an allowance race at Laurel, he's won two straight, including the Dec. 23 Dave's Friend, also at Laurel.

Greeley and Ben began his career racing for trainer John Ortiz and won six times before being claimed for just $10,000 on March 7, 2021 by Karl Broberg. He won 13 of 17 starts for Broberg before he was claimed again and wound up in the barn of David Jacobson. He made three starts for Jacobson, his last in a 2022 $40,000 claimer at Saratoga. It was there that he caught the attention of his current owner, Darryl Abramowitz.

“His age didn't bother me,” Abramowitz said. “This game is about dreams and taking chances. I thought that for $40,000 the worst-case scenario was we'd have to drop him into a $20,000 claimer and we'd win and get our money back. You only live once.”

So Abramowitz spent the $40,000 to claim a horse who was eight at the time and, at least according to his Beyer numbers, was starting to slow down. Little did he know that the future for the gelding would include four wins in his next seven starts and two stakes wins, including his first graded stakes victory in the Fall Highweight.

“He's a combination of Mike Tyson and Cal Ripken,” Abramowitz said. “He's an iron horse and he's a fighter.”

Greeley and Ben | Coglianese

After winning the Fall Highweight, Greeley and Ben disappeared, but that would not prove to be the end of his career.

“He's an old war horse and as time has gone on he has come up with a few leg issues,” Abramowitz said. “Nothing serious. He just needed the time to heal up. Would other people spend 352 days on the shelf and spend all that money while he wasn't racing? I don't think so. I could have brought him back earlier, but if we did, we'd have to have dropped into a lower level of claimers. We coaxed him along and gave him the time that was necessary. He's sound and he's solid right now. With the way he's going he could keep running for another two years. This guy loves to run. He just thrives on it.”

Abramowitz initially had the horse with Jeffrey Englehart and then moved him into the barn of Faith Wilson for the Fall Highweight. The next move was to give him to De Paz, who has had him since September. Greeley and Ben could do no better than to finish sixth in his return race, but De Paz was not discouraged.

“When we got him he had to build back the foundation that he had lost,” the trainer said. “He carries good flesh, so we had to work past that. In his first race back, we figured we'd give him a race rather than just breezing him. We thought a race would do him more good than breezing him every week. That first run showed he still wanted to compete. He just got tired.”

Twenty-two days later, he won the allowance and followed that up with the win in the Dave's Friend, which upped his career earnings to $981,138. After that start, De Paz and Abramowitz started searching for a race. On whether they should enter him in the Gravesend, it came down to the question of, why not?

“That we're running here doesn't have anything to do with the rules in New York,” Abramowitz said. “We were watching nominations for this race and knew there would be a small field and I didn't think the race would be that difficult. At Laurel, he ran three solid furlongs. It was like having a spectacular workout. For the first three furlongs he was in the back just enjoying himself and having a good time. I knew he was going good and Horacio told me he's better than ever and is going extremely good. We looked at all the factors, like the $150,000 purse, and decided to give it a go.”

Abramowitz is so bullish on the gelding's future that he said if the horse runs well in the Gravesend he will consider sending him to the Middle East–Saudi Arabia and Dubai.

First though, they have to get past the Gravesend. On paper, Greeley and Ben is stepping up in class and could have a tough time in the six-furlong stakes. But Abramowitz doesn't think that will be the case.

“He fits in this race and I think he might surprise a lot of people,” the owner said.

Win or lose, Greeley and Ben's place in the sport has already been assured. Where else can you find an active 9-year-old who is still at the top of his game and has won more races than he has lost?

“It's a tremendous story,” De Paz said. “He's run at all these different racetracks and has run for different trainers and he's been honest for everyone who has had him. He's just a special horse.”

The post In His New York Swan Song, Golden Oldie Greeley And Ben Looks For 26th Career Win In Gravesend appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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In 2023, a total of 1,180 races were contested over 128 dates of racing compared to 1,198 races over 132 dates in 2022. Woodbine ran four less dates and 18 less races in 2023 due to an unprecedented number of cancelled race cards (five) because of extreme heat and poor air quality caused by smoke from forest fires across Canada. The average field size for those races was 8.2, the same as 2022, and above the industry average.

In Ontario, wagering on Woodbine Thoroughbred racing by customers across the province was down 6.2% ($81.8 million this season vs $87.2 million in 2022).

The decline in home market wagering was partially mitigated by a foreign market handle of $512 million, a decrease from $515 million in 2022, though still a remarkable gain from the previous record of $420 million in 2021. The $512 million in foreign market handle was supported by a strong U.S. dollar.

The average handle per race in 2023 was a record $519,597. This is an increase of $580 per race from 2022.

To address the increased competition from an emerging licensed sports betting market, Woodbine Entertainment announced a partnership with global sports betting leader bet365 prior to The King's Plate.

“We are operating on a very solid foundation that positions us well to manage the current industry and economic trends,” said Michael Copeland, CEO, Woodbine Entertainment. “We also have opportunities before us that have not been fully realized yet, like the integration of racing into licensed sportsbooks, which will have a positive impact.”

The post Woodbine’s 2023 Thoroughbred Meet Produces Mixed Results appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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That makes this a surprisingly congested zone, ample for separate assessment. And since clinging to a five-figure fee somewhat represents a show of faith, some of these sires tend to have a fair case in their favor. At a time when fees are widely perceived to be challenging, this is a nook that harbors some decent value.

It is broadly populated by three types. First are the veterans who have achieved an honorable viability over the years (and we know how difficult that is) but are now suffering the commercial prejudice in favor of fresher blood. On the other hand, we have a bunch of younger guns, typically riding out the bumps between the vogue of novelty and distrust of racetrack exposure. And then there are a few in between, horses in their prime who have settled into a workable niche that keeps them competitive with the next tier up.

The senior group is headed by a remarkable pair, both about to enter their 20th year at stud, with a body of work behind them that will forever embarrass the vast majority of this lot. And there's plenty of life left in MINESHAFT, judging from seven stakes scorers this year (one for each of his lifetime Grade I winners) at a ratio that Uncle Mo, Medaglia d'Oro and Tapit have barely matched. A 1-2 in the GII Cigar Mile showcased his continued prowess, both Hoist the Gold and Senor Buscador already owning wins at that level earlier in the year. The former is now in the millionaires' club, and will soon be joined there by the latter assuming he perseveres in 2024.

SKY MESA is still more neglected, yet similarly remains in the top 15 active sires by lifetime earnings, with ratios of black-type and graded stakes action that measure up respectably against all but the elite names. Remember that these old boys can draw some venerable influences close: Sky Mesa's first three dams are by Storm Cat, Affirmed and Round Table, yet the continued vigor of his family has been lately evinced by his half-sister's son Maxfield (Street Sense). Mineshaft's first three dams, meanwhile, are by Mr. Prospector, Hoist the Flag and Herbager (Fr)! Both Mineshaft and Sky Mesa have superb families and to be able to access their blood, relatively undiluted by the huge books nowadays flooding the gene pool, is a diminishing opportunity too obvious to any enlightened breeder to require the formal gilding of a place on the Value Podium.

Really I should have them both up there, but they covered 40 mares between them last year and that tide is hardly going to turn at this stage. Happily, we know them to be in good hands and they will remain long cherished once their service is finally over.

Ditto another veteran, MIDNIGHT LUTE, who had a few more mares than that pair last spring but again hardly the numbers commensurate with his five elite winners–including not just Midnight Bisou but more recently Smooth Like Strait, himself now launching a stud career at a bargain fee–and the solid ratios that also keep him inside the top 20 active sires.

At the other end of the spectrum, meanwhile, most of the younger sires are awaiting the emergence of their first runners. (By the way, don't forget that we gave the absolute beginners a separate assessment, at the outset of this series, highlighting the claims of one standing at this fee in COUNTRY GRAMMER.)

One of the younger guns that has already tested the water on the racetrack, however, has done so with quite promising results. For while COLLECTED found himself in a very competitive intake, his first sophomores this year included winners of the GII Del Mar Derby, GII Pennine Ridge S. and GII Black-Eyed Susan S.

Drain the Clock | Sara Gordon

Among several only just embarked on their new careers, INDEPENDENCE HALL and especially DRAIN THE CLOCK have some big numbers behind them–unsurprisingly, in view of the 101 Beyer clocked by the former in his record-margin romp in the GIII Nashua S., or the similar precocity displayed by the latter as prelude to his GI Woody Stephens success. TACITUS, HAPPY SAVER and IDOL were contrasting brands, on the margin of the elite around a second turn but amply demonstrating the functionality of their aristocratic genes. Happy Saver, in fact, has none other than Weekend Surprise replicated top and bottom: she's his third dam, while her son A.P. Indy is the damsire of Super Saver.

The latter has another son trading in this bracket in RUNHAPPY, whose fee slips despite producing a GI Hopeful winner in the $12,000 yearling Nutella Fella. We saw another glimpse of the real Smile Happy in the GII Alysheba S., meanwhile, and the stakes are now pretty minimal for those keeping the faith with Runhappy.

A couple of nuggets at this level are the Lane's End pair, THE FACTOR and TONALIST. The former had a quiet year by his very consistent standards, and needed to come down in line with his yearling yield, but there's no knocking a stellar lifetime ratio of two winners to three named foals. As for Tonalist, a single horse has blatantly distorted his earning power but what Country Grammer has represented much more fairly is all the toughness one would hope to inherit from Tapit over Pleasant Colony. It's heartening to see that this was recognized by as many as 115 mare owners last spring, twice as many as Tonalist entertained in 2021.

Another farm that demands a visit for those working to this kind of budget is Spendthrift. Admittedly its $10k trio have all long shed the novelty value prized by its more commercial clients, as was clear when their latest yearlings entered the ring. Continued demand in the breeding shed, however, suggests that people can glimpse a different type of value here.

Sure enough, on the track JIMMY CREED produced another three graded stakes winners including the evergreen Casa Creed, whose Fourstardave H. win was his fourth at the top level. Jimmy Creed is carving out a very viable place at this level, with his book back up into three figures last spring, and only narrowly misses joining one of his neighbors on the podium.

VALUE PODIUM

Bronze: HONOR A.P.
Honor Code–Hollywood Story (Wild Rush)
Lane's End $10,000

Honor A.P. | Sarah Andrew

This is our clear pick among the many young stallions whose farms are hoping that this kind of fee will prove only a foundation, once some actual runners can attest to their genetic prowess.

That, of course, is the reverse of the usual scenario. As a rule, the commercial market backs away faster and faster, the closer a stallion gets to the unsparing exposure of the racetrack. Everyone knows that most young sires will fail, and tries to ride their fleeting commercial momentum. If you truly believe in a horse, however, this is the time to double down.

Only where could you hope to find a combination of top-class pedigree, physique and performance for just 10 grand? Well, right here at Lane's End–that's where.

Honor A.P. beat the subsequent Horse of the Year at Santa Anita, and did so fair and square. He would surely have gone close to doing so again, but for his nightmare trip in the September “Derby”. The matter was left unresolved by his further misfortune, but nobody could deny that he had ticked the performance box in the little opportunity he had.

Physique? How does $850,000 Saratoga yearling sound?

And as for the genetic package, he's out of a Grade I winner (at both two and five) by a sire from one of the great modern families. True, Honor Code himself has proved a rather disappointing sire, to the extent that he recently became another far-sighted “rescue” by a Japanese industry prepared to play a longer game. Honor Code promptly came up with Honor Marie's GII Kentucky Jockey Club S. as something to remember him by, but his departure is probably good news for his son. It must have been difficult to launch Honor A.P. alongside his own sire, when the latter had failed to pull away into a higher tier of the market.

Honor A.P. now gets a clear run even as he prepares to launch his first runners. He made a perfectly solid sales debut, his 48 yearlings processed at $55,145 highlighted by a $375,000 colt. Just because Honor Code did not prove consistently potent, that doesn't alter the fact that Honor A.P. converted a stellar genetic legacy into something luminously functional on the track. Unsurprisingly he struggled for numbers in his third book, but we've been given every incentive to hang in there with a fee cut from $15,000. With luck, his quality will start to now take his mares past those floundering against the dull tides of quantity.

Silver: FROSTED
Tapit–Fast Cookie (Deputy Minister)
Darley $10,000

Frosted | Darley

Could it be that Frosted has finally reached a point where he becomes a value proposition?

There's no denying that he has been a letdown to this point. The fastest GI Met Mile winner in history retired with his 123 Beyer as the most expensive option of the 2017 intake, at $50,000, and averaged around $225,000 with his first yearlings. And here he is, after 344 starters, still waiting for that breakout Grade I winner.

In the meantime, his fee has slumped consecutively until settling at $10,000 last year. But if we reset our bearings accordingly, we'd have to concede that he has had a quietly productive campaign, his 18 black-type performers including three graded stakes winners (plus one in Australia). True, he's still benefiting from some of the classy mares he received early on: Keeneland Grade III winner Frost Point, for instance, is out of a Grade I-winning millionaire. So we'll have to see whether he can maintain this kind of output with rather lesser raw materials, but it's very striking that last spring Frosted moved his book up from 108 to 154.

Evidently the kind of commercial breeders who could not initially afford him have by no means given up on the gray, and it may be that a different kind of cocktail will shake some fresh flavors–as a sprint influence, for instance, and even as a turf one, as in the case of globetrotting Jasper Krone–out of a horse that once seemed to have the world at his feet. After all, he traded 66 of his latest crop of yearlings at $65,475, which would do very nicely indeed off this kind of fee; while one sold for $50,000 in the previous crop soared to $900,000 at OBS in April.

Frosted is still only on his fourth crop and that leaves ample scope for a market thaw.

Gold: CROSS TRAFFIC
Unbridled's Song–Stop Traffic (Cure The Blues)
Spendthrift $10,000

Cross Traffic | Spendthrift

This horse has endured some dazing fluctuations since being crowned champion freshman by multiple indices in 2018. His reward in 2019 was the attention of 188 mares at $25,000, up from just 60 at $7,500 the previous year. The resulting crop were juveniles of 2022, when 33 individual winners from 79 starters put him second in the all-comers' 2-year-old table, with no fewer than 13 of them earning black-type. And how did they follow through this year? Well, 63 of his 105 sophomore starters won, notably GI Ashland S. winner Defining Purpose. And another 3-year-old filly was on track for a stunning Grade I debut when taking her unbeaten spree of five (Saratoga maiden and stakes at two, another stakes and two graded stakes at three) into the Test S. Her name, you will scarcely need reminding, was Maple Leaf Mel.

From his older stock, Cross Traffic also produced homebred Here Mi Song to win the GIII Commonwealth S for a three-horse program that also includes her dam, an apt measure of the type of service he can perform for the smaller breeder.

Ludicrously, however, his 2020 book plunged by two-thirds and he ended up with only 28 live foals, of which a bare dozen started this year, leaving him submerged in the general sires' table despite 14 black-type performers. He must continue to ride out this slump after another couple of quiet years, but his book last spring responded to his 2022 deeds with a rally to 84.

The hope now must be that Cross Traffic can consolidate the second chance he has earned from those fickle breeders. It will assist his cause that the familiar precocity of his stock tends to be fortified with maturity, after the fashion of near-millionaire Ny Traffic who soaked up four campaigns. Cross Traffic himself, remember, raced only as a 4-year-old, when making up for lost time with a GI Met Mile second and GI Whitney success on just his fourth and fifth starts.

His family has some fairly exotic seeding, albeit no more so than the big horse on this farm. And it is full of runners, not least his dual Grade I-winning dam. She has additionally given Unbridled's Song the mother of Gulfport (Uncle Mo), who won the Bashford Manor by a dozen lengths last year before his promotion to replace Forte (Violence) in the GI Hopeful S. There's some real genetic vigor here, then, and Cross Traffic has now shown twice over-with his juveniles of 2018 and 2022-the kind of crop he can produce if only he's given the chance. And, at this kind of money, a proper, sustained chance is just what he deserves.

Sires At $10,000: Breeders Selections

Fabricio Buffolo | Keeneland

Fabricio Buffolo, Buffalo Bloodstock
Gold Medal: Happy Saver
I think he is a nice example of what a true American dirt horse looks like, especially with such an impressive and powerful shoulder. I think it's hard to not think about his name and not associate it with such a solid and sturdy front end. He was a very good racehorse who showed grit and resilience throughout his races against all the best in the country. He is an interesting young stallion.

Silver Medal: Midnight Lute
When considering the group of stallions with runners standing at $10,000, I think that he stands out with a solid percentage of black-type horses and black-type winners to runners, including five Grade I winners which is not usual at this price bracket.
He's quite versatile with his progeny having good performers on different surfaces and distances, and the key lies in finding a mare that can suit him physically.

Bronze Medal: Jimmy Creed
He is another horse that has done fairly well at this stud fee bracket getting a good percentage of black-type horses compared to others, including some with higher price tags. It's evident that the market can be quite tough on horses like him that have had a decent number of crops, but he has received continued support in the last few years attesting to the confidence that breeders have found in him.

The Factor | Lee Thomas

Elgin Hamner, Prime Bloodstock
Gold Medal: The Factor
If The Factor had not left for a couple of years, I believe he would be a constant top 25 sire. He's great value to have a shot at a good runner.

Silver Medal: Frosted
I was really high on him coming out, he's a strong horse with a strong race record. Love the Tapit over Deputy Minister. Now, he has established himself as a racehorse producer.
He's always top two or three of his crop and gets a bigger, stronger horse than The Factor. They seem to run anywhere and are selling ok. He just needed a couple of big horses earlier.

Bronze Medal: Goldencents
It's hard to make it as a sire, but they run early and often. They don't sell as well as they should (can lack size), but each one born could be a runner.

Honorable Mention: Honor A.P.
No runners yet, but the physical when he stamps them is pretty strong. We have to keep that A.P. blood going, it's the best two turn blood of the last 20 years, and he is one of the last of that line with a shot.

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Studying Stud Management at Kildalton College in county Kilkenny while apprenticing under trainers Mags Mullins and Pat Foley, Browne subsequently worked for leading trainer Jessica Harrington's stables in county Kildare followed by a stint with Segenhoe Stud in the Hunter Valley, Australia.

Prior to being accepted onto the Irish National Stud course, Loughnane completed an Honours Bachelors Degree in Equine Science at the University of Limerick. During that four-year period, he spent summer holidays and college work placement at Mount Coote Stud, where under the guidance of Luke Lillingston, he gained valuable foaling experience.

“I would like to thank all our generous sponsors,” said Erin Dilger. “We were delighted to be able to award a record number of seven scholarships for this year for our various programs and could only do it because of their support and contributions. We treasure our close relationship with the Irish National Stud which counts Gerry Dilger as a past graduate.”

Click here for more information.

The post Gerry Dilger Scholarship Recipients Named To The Irish National Stud Course appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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