Speightstown’s El Terreno Blitzes Over Gulfstream Tapeta To ‘TDN Rising Stardom’

Given the dominance she showed when blowing away a field of Presque Isle maidens by 11 lengths in fast time on her six-furlong debut Oct. 25, the connections of El Terreno (Speightstown–Palma, by Malibu Moon) would hardly have been dismayed when Friday's second race from Gulfstream Park was washed off the turf and onto the synthetic surface. Accordingly smashed into 2-5 favoritism, the Castleton Lyons homebred duly obliged with another commanding performance, this one good for 'TDN Rising Star' honors.

Kicked straight into the lead by Irad Ortiz, Jr., El Terreno set the pace from a couple of paths off the inside down the backstretch and got her opening quarter-mile in a solid :22.15. Traveling well in hand on the turn with her jockey riding high in the saddle, the dark bay opened up on her rivals into the final furlong and was never out of a high gallop while reporting home an eased-down, 4 1/4-length winner. Bubbly Champagne (Bee Jersey), who just missed in the Our Dear Peg S. two starts back and the second choice here at 33-10, made some late headway from the latter half of the field to round out a chalky exacta while never any sort of danger to the winner.

“She was very impressive. She did everything on her own,” the winning jockey commented. “She broke out of there. I didn't have to ask her. She was quick and then she relaxed. Turning [for] home, I just motioned to her and showed her the stick one time and she finished on her own.”

A 25th 'Rising Star' for the sadly lost Speightstown, is out of a half-sister to Argentinian stakes winner and Group 1-placed Meguial, the dam of GISW I Want Revenge (Stephen Got Even), SP A Story of Revenge (Tale of the Cat) and Meg Fitz (Tapit), whose son Real Men Violin (Mendelssohn) was runner-up in last month's GII Kentucky Jockey Club S. at Churchill Downs.

Palma, bred in New York by Newtown Anner Stud, was purchased for $500,000 at the 2015 Keeneland September sale by Castleton Lyons, where her sire stood from 2004-2007 after relocating from Country Life Farm in Maryland. From 2008 to his death in May 2021, Malibu Moon resided at Spendthrift Farm.

The mare's yearling colt by Volatile was knocked down to Starlight Racing and Harrell Ventures for $135,000 at this year's Fasig-Tipton Kentucky July sale and she foaled a Knicks Go filly this past Mar. 18 before visiting Dialed In.

2nd-Gulfstream, $61,000, Alw (NW1X), Opt. Clm ($75,000), 12-15, 2yo, f, 5f (AWT) (off turf), :55.67, ft, 4 1/4 lengths.
EL TERRENO, f, 2, by Speightstown
1st Dam: Palma, by Malibu Moon
2nd Dam: Meguial (Arg), by Roy
3rd Dam: Starry Night (Arg), by Fitzcarraldo (Arg)
Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, $54,600.
O-Castleton Lyons; B-Castleton Lyons & Kilboy Estate (KY); T-Christophe Clement. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV. Click for the free Equineline.com catalog-style pedigree.

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FX And New York Times To Team Up On Documentary Series That Will Focus On Racing’s Problems

FX, a division of Disney Entertainment, has announced that its series “The New York Times Presents” will feature a documentary called “Broken Horses” that will examine “the systematic issues, questionable practices and urgent calls for change that have shaken horse racing to its core.” The series will air sometime in 2024 and will be shown on FX and Hulu.

FX has posted a short video on-line featuring Arthur Hancock, who says: “We've got to get rid of the bad actors in the sport and we've got to get rid of all these drugs.” That is followed up by a recording of two individuals discussing how a horse “galloped” after given a substance that one of the individuals admitted was a doping agent.

Over the last several years, The New York Times's coverage of horse racing has been extremely negative and focused on breakdowns and doping, so the sport should be prepared for the FX documentary to pick up on the same themes and to cast a harsh light on the sport.

According to press release issued by FX, New York Times reporters Joe Drape, Melissa Hoppert, Rachel Abrams and Liz Day investigated the period surrounding this year's Triple Crown races when an unusually high number of horses broke down.

The press release continues: “With confidential documents and recordings and exclusive interviews, “Broken Horses” provides a vivid tour of the business and political forces that control the Sport of Kings and resist measures to implement changes that could decrease horse deaths. It is a story of reckless breeding and doping, of compromised veterinarians and trainers, and of fans who are drawn to the sport's beauty and pageantry but increasingly wonder how long one of America's oldest sports can continue to have its social license renewed.”

Executive Producers are Esther Dere, Jason Stallman, Liz Day, Sam Dolnick, Stephanie Preiss, Ken Druckerman and Banks Tarver. Dere also serves as the Showrunner of “The New York Times Presents.” Rachel Abrams is Senior Producer.

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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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