Florida Legislature Approves Extension Of Racing And Breeding Funds

A tax package that will extend racing and breeding incentives in the state of the Florida, was approved Friday by Florida Legislature according to a release by the FTBOA. HB 7073, which was initially enacted in 2023, continues to provide state funding for HISA along with $20m in purses and/facility improvements split between Gulfstream Park and Tampa Bay Downs. It also gives $5m to the FTBOA for use as racing and breeding promotions and an additional $2.5m for Florida-bred racing incentives. In total, HB 7073 gives a boost of over $32.5m to the Florida racing and breeding industries.

“Once again, the legislative sponsors of last year's breeding and racing development program stepped up in a big way,” said FTBOA president George Isaacs. “I'd like to personally thank Marion County's Representative Stan McClain [R-Ocala] and Senator Blaise Ingoglia [R-Spring Hill] for continuing their support of this program. We have also enjoyed support from the state's legislative and industry leaders, including Representative Lawrence McClure [R-Dover].”

HB 7073 now goes to the desk of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis for further action.

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South African Heavy Hitters Arrive In New York With Breeders’ Cup Goal

A plane carrying 11 South African Thoroughbreds, among them current Equus Horse of the Year Princess Calla (SAf) (Flower Alley) and Breeders' Cup qualifier Beach Bomb (SAf) (Lancaster Bomber), touched down at New York's JFK Airport on Thursday, the Sporting Post reported. November's Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships at Del Mar are on the radar for several of the new arrivals, who will now spend two months in quarantine.

The first direct export flight from South Africa since 2003, the plan was chartered after champion owner/breederGaynor Rupert of Drakenstein Stud, her racing manager Kevin Sommerville, Robin Bruss of Northfields Bloodstock, Team Valor International's Barry Irwin, CTB Forwarding Pty., Ltd's Gerard Connolly and Mersant International New York joined forces to facilitate the trip. Originating in Johannesburg, the plane made a refueling stop in Barbados prior to touching down in the Empire State.

Rupert's homebred MG1SW Beach Bomb, already successful in the G1 Cartier Paddock S., a “Win And You're In” for the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf, anchors the Drakenstein quintet. Grade 3 winner Golden Hostess (SAf) (Gold Standard {SAf), also MG1SP, as well as GSW & G1SP Distant Winter (SAf) (What A Winter {SAf}), Hunting Trip (SAf) (Trippi) and GSP Coldhardstare (SAf) (What A Winter {SAf}) complete the fivesome.

Irwin, who experienced great success with South African exports previously and had chartered the final flight in 2003 with Bruss, sent a trio–Equus Champion 3-Year-Old Filly Bless My Stars (SAf) (Gimmethegreenlight {Aus}) who is also bound for the Filly & Mare Turf; GSW & G1SP Feather Boa (SAf) (Flower Alley); and former smart juvenile Eqyptian Mau (SAf) (Fire Away), a Grade 3 winner and Grade 1-placed at two.

Irwin told Sporting Post, “It has been meaningful to get this over the line since it is 20 years+ since the last time Robin and I did it. I hope that the results are just as successful.  It would have been nice if the enterprise received a bit more support from key players. But as the old saying goes, TISAB !This is South Africa, baby!”

Other owners were encouraged by the group to participate, with trainer Sean Tarry and owner Mario Ferreira sending the aforementioned five-time Grade 1 winner Princess Calla. She has a pair of Breeders' Cup options–either the GI Filly & Mare Sprint or the GI Mile versus males.

Tarry said on his website, “There is a lot of planning still to do. It wasn't a last minute decision, but I don't think there is a firm plan. She certainly has the option to race still. She took her run on Saturday very well [third in the G1 Wilgerbosdrift H F Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut S.] and she's sound. In terms of breeding I am sure the world will be her oyster.”

Hollywood Syndicate's 2023 Equus Champion Sprinter and MG1SW Isivunguvungu (SAf) (What A Winter {SAf}) was also on board. The 5-year-old gelding will target the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint. Completing the 11 visitors is Ridgemont Stud's MG1SW Make It Snappy (SAf) (Dynasty {SAf}), heroine of the G1 Cape Fillies Guineas and G1 Paddock S.

Breeders Cup's Josh Christian told the publication, “We are thrilled that the South African horses have arrived in New York on their way to the Breeders Cup World Championships! None of this would be possible without the help and support of Gaynor Rupert, Barry Irwin, Kevin Sommerville, Robin Bruss and Gerard Connolly.  We are looking forward to seeing them at Del Mar in November and having the best from South Africa, Asia, Europe and the America's will make the Breeders Cup a true world championship.”

Northfields Bloodstock's Robin Bruss, “The USA export route allows South African horses to compete almost up to flight date as Horse of the Year Princess Calla did on Saturday and was in New York four days later. The difference lies between the EU stance of pre-travel quarantine and USA's post arrival quarantine. South Africa is the 8th largest racing country in the world and established great success in the first decade of the 2000s winning Gr.1 races on four continents. Exports have been severely constrained for the past 10 years whilst waiting for difficulties in the pre-travel quarantine system to be resolved.  We are the sleeper in world racing, and we want to be back on the stage, win lose or draw. I pay tribute to Gaynor Rupert and Barry Irwin for their willingness to go the extra mile and make things happen and give thanks to the supporters of this venture including Breeders Cup, Ltd.”

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Domestic Product Can Give Brown A First Tampa Bay Derby

Trainer Chad Brown has started but three horses in the GIII Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby, none of which has finished better than sixth, but in the form of Klaravich Stable's Domestic Product (Practical Joke), he could very well be getting his picture taken Saturday afternoon.

Having won his maiden over nine furlongs at second asking at Aqueduct in late October, the next logical step was the Dec. 2 GII Remsen S., but he caught a rain-affected strip he may not have preferred and faded through the final furlong to finish a well-beaten seventh. As has been well documented, the oft-maligned Remsen has proved productive, with Dornoch (Good Magic) and 'TDN Rising Star' Sierra Leone (Gun Runner) winning 50-point Derby preps over the last several weeks. The 8-5 morning line second pick, Domestic Product ran on well to finish two lengths behind Hades (Awesome Slew) in the GIII Holy Bull S. Feb. 3.

Morplay Racing's No More Time (Not This Time) is the 7-5 pick on the strength of his 1 1/4-length defeat of the running-on 'TDN Rising Star' Agate Road (Quality Road) when a surprising favorite in the GIII Sam F. Davis S. over course and distance Feb. 10. Javier Castellano takes over at the controls from Paco Lopez on a horse whose speed figures remain very light.

Juxtaposed to Brown is trainer Todd Pletcher, who has won the Tampa Bay Derby no fewer than six times, including his first with Limehouse (Grand Slam) 20 years ago and Tapit Trice (Tapit) last March. Heartened (Street Boss) has not missed the top three in his four trips to the race, two each on turf and dirt. The bay most recently validated a quote of 40 cents on the dollar to break his maiden by a widening 4 1/2 lengths going this track's extended mile Feb. 10, and his 74 Beyer for that effort is not all that far off the 80 earned by No More Time in the Davis.

Florida Oaks A Tasty Appetizer

An intriguing field of 12 sophomore fillies is slated to go to post for Saturday's GIII Florida Oaks, and while Chad Brown is looking for a maiden win in the Derby one race later, his runners have taken the Oaks on three occasions, most recently with Dolce Zel (Fr) (Zelzal {Fr}) in 2022.

Klaravich Stables' Dynamic Pricing (Ire) (Night of Thunder {Ire}) is the preferred half of an uncoupled entry. A 170,000gns purchase at Tattersalls October in 2022 by Mike Ryan on behalf of Seth Klarman's operation, the bay filly was up in the nick of time to break her maiden at first asking at Aqueduct Nov. 4.  Dynamic Pricing returned to action at a generous 28-5 in the Feb. 3 GIII Sweetest Chant S. and came with a solid finish to cross the line third, beaten two necks by Life's an Audible (Audible) and the re-opposing Style Points (Oscar Performance).

Austere (Mendelssohn) was a debut winner on the turf at Ellis Park last August before taking out the valuable Kentucky Downs Juvenile Fillies the following month. Tyler Gaffalione managed to work out an inside trip from a high draw in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Nov. 3, and the dark bay was scarcely disgraced in fifth, beaten two lengths behind Hard to Justify (Justify).

Placed once from two sprint tries over the Saratoga main track, Waskesiu (American Pharoah) improved by several lengths when bounding away to graduate by 4 1/2 lengths at Aqueduct Nov. 18. Made the 9-5 favorite in the Jan. 6 Ginger Brew S., the Chiefswood homebred was a bit wayward out of the gates, then turned in a mostly even effort to be third. She has since worked well up at Payson Park.

Pletcher Ships A Pair In For Beholder Mile

Rare are the California shippers for non-Breeders' Cup events from the barn of Todd Pletcher, but the Hall of Famer is set to be represented by a pair of entrants in Saturday's GI Beholder Mile at Santa Anita.

Commenting that he 'is trying to save racing one horse at a time,' Mike Repole paid $1.4 million to acquire the dual graded-stakes winner Interstatedaydream (Classic Empire) from her previous owner Staton Flurry at Keeneland November just days after winning the Turnback the Alarm S. at Aqueduct. Frankie Dettori takes the ride on the Ontario-bred 5-year-old, while John Velazquez has the mount aboard 'TDN Rising Star' Green Up (Flatter), who–like her stablemate–exits a victory in Aqueduct stakes company, in her case the Nov. 5 Pumpkin Pie S.

Adare Manor (Uncle Mo) is the 5-2 favorite to give her sire back-to-back Beholder Mile winners following A Mo Reay last year. Also kept in training for a 5-year-old campaign, the Michael Lund Petersen colorbearer defeated Desert Dawn (Cupid) for her first elite-level success in the Clement L. Hirsch S. at Del Mar and added this track's GII Zenyatta S. in October before finishing seventh, but not beaten far, in the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff.

Arizona-bred Desert Dawn was winless in seven starts last term, including a runner-up effort in the GIII Bayakoa S. at Los Alamitos Dec. 15, but she got her 5-year-old season off on a high note with a one-length defeat of Coffee in Bed (Curlin) in the GIII La Canada S. Jan. 20.

Kinza Rates the Marquee in Santa Ysabel

'TDN Rising Star' Kinza (Carpe Diem) puts her undefeated record on the line against seven others in a renewal of the GIII Santa Ysabel S. that looks competitive on paper.

The $350,000 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic breezer belied debut odds of 11-2 to romp home by 7 1/2 lengths going six furlongs over this strip Dec. 29 and was made the even-money choice in the GIII Las Virgenes S. Feb. 10. The New York-bred set reasonable fractions beneath Juan Hernandez and was never truly in danger, scoring by two lengths, with She's a Tempest (Connect) another 1 1/2 lengths back in third.

Of the five last-out maiden winners looking to negotiate the hike into stakes company, Ultimate Authority (Practical Joke) shapes with the most promise. She has turned in a pair of cracking efforts around two turns–each good for a 90 Beyer Speed Figure–missing by a head to She's a Tempest in a mile maiden Jan. 5 before defeating Where's My Ring (Twirling Candy) by a half-length over the same distance Feb. 2. The latter also takes her chance here.

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Amplify Horse Racing To Host Spring Break Event

Registration is open for a Spring Break bus tour through Lexington, KY horse country hosted by Amplify Horse Racing, a nonprofit that spotlights industry education and career opportunities. The event, held Friday, April 5, will guide young adults age 13 and up through various places such as WinStar Farm's training center and Hallway Feeds before ending the day at Keeneland for racing on opening day. Tickets can be purchased here.

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