Top News | Horse Racing Free Tips

Status of Cave Rock and Faustin? Baffert: ‘Don’t Know’

The training and next-race status of sophomore 'TDN Rising Stars' Cave Rock (Arrogate) and Faustin (Curlin) remained unclear Thursday, with trainer Bob Baffert texting a “Don't Know” emoji when asked to outline the game plans for the colts respectively slotted at Nos. 5 and 6 on the most recent TDN Top 12 rankings for the GI Kentucky Derby.

The two were apparently not among a contingent of at least 11 other 3-year-old colts transferred out of Baffert's care prior to a Feb. 28 deadline that would have enabled them to accrue qualifying points and race in the May 6 Derby.

Those transitions were necessitated by a ban imposed by Churchill Downs, Inc. (CDI), that prohibits Baffert's trainees from garnering qualifying points or racing in the Derby while under Baffert's control.

CDI first imposed that two-year punishment in June 2021 because of a string of drug positives in horses Baffert trained, including two in CDI's most prominent races, the 2020 GI Kentucky Oaks and the 2021 Derby.

On Feb. 17, a federal judge denied Baffert a preliminary injunction that the Hall-of-Fame trainer had sought to be eligible to race in this year's Derby.

A Mar. 1 report by Ron Flatter in Horse Racing Nation quoted Baffert say saying that Cave Rock and Faustin were “still under my care” without any elaboration on their next-race targets.

Cave Rock was the beaten favorite when second in last November's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile. That's the lone loss in his impressive four-race career, which includes Grade I victories in the Del Mar Futurity and American Pharoah S. He has two registered works this year, most recently going four furlongs in :49.40 (18.22) at Santa Anita Feb. 20.

Faustin is 1-for-2, having registered a stylish win on opening day of the Santa Anita winter/spring meet and a second in the Jan. 29 GII San Vicente S. He worked twice in February, most recently going five furlongs in a bullet :58.80 (1/46) at Santa Anita Feb. 18.

The post Status of Cave Rock and Faustin? Baffert: ‘Don’t Know’ appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Jack Wolf Joins the TDN Writers’ Room Podcast

As the managing partner of Starlight Racing, Jack Wolf is a part of a team that can always be counted on to have several prospects for the GI Kentucky Derby. That's the case again this year as the trio of Starlight, SF Racing and Madaket Stables will have horses in Saturday's GII San Felipe S., the GIII Gotham S. and the John Battaglia Memorial. To discuss those runners and Starlight's philosophies when it comes to trying to acquire Derby candidates Wolf was the Green Group Guest of the Week on this week's TDN Writers' Room podcast presented by Keeneland.

As was the case last year, the Starlight horses have been transferred to trainer Tim Yakteen, who is taking over for Bob Baffert. Baffert, due to a ban imposed by Churchill Downs, is not eligible to run horses in this year's Derby.

“We sort of went down this road last year and it seems to be working,” Wolf said. “The transfer seems to be working a lot more smoothly than last year. Last year, Bob was also serving a suspension (from the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission). We're fortunate to have Bob working with us and trying to continue on to have these particular horses be eligible for the Derby points. Bob, (SF Racing Managing Partner) Tom Ryan and Tim have done a great job working together to try pull this off up to this point.”

Among the four Starlight horses that will be running in Derby preps this weekend, Wolf wasn't shy about listing who he believes is the best. It's San Felipe starter National Treasure (Quality Road), who is coming off a third-place finish in the GIII Sham S.

“I got on him as a Derby horse a couple of months before the end of the year,” Wolf said. “I just like how things are setting up for him, hopefully, for the next three races. I just really like the horse. He's not peaking too soon. Bob Baffert always says you get Derby Fever in January and February. But you don't know what you have until April comes around. So even though this horse may have a little case of second-itis, I think from a pedigree standpoint and the way he's been set up for the San Felipe he's our best hope. That's who I have my money on.”

Starlight, SF Racing and Madaket were among the first major owners to pool their resources at the sales, which mas become a growing trend in the sport. That means more competition for the trio when it comes to acquiring expensive horses, but Wolf said he believes his team can outperform their rivals.

“We've got better bloodstock agents and better operation than the other ones,” he said. “But, yes, they're buying a lot of stock. Mike (Repole) and Vinnie (Viola) put a little bit more money into it than we do. Maybe we put a little bit more money into it than the group Brad Cox has assembled. I like those guys. It's fun to compete with them and have at it.”

Elsewhere on the podcast, which is also sponsored by Coolmore, Lane's End, the Pennsylvania Horse Breeders Association, XBTV, and West Point Thoroughbreds, Randy Moss, Zoe Cadman and Bill Finley took a look back at the win by Confidence Game (Candy Ride {Arg}) in the GII Rebel S. and trainer Keith Desormeaux's knack for developing modestly priced sales horses into stars and a looked ahead to this week's major races, including the GII Fountain of Youth S., the GII San Felipe S. and the GI Santa Anita H. In other news, the team discussed the reinstatement of controversial trainer Rick Dutrow and a TDN column by Sid Fernando that reasons that SGF-1000, the drug Jason Servis has admitted to using on his horses, is not a performance-enhancing drug.

The post Jack Wolf Joins the TDN Writers’ Room Podcast appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Bidding Now Open for Fasig-Tipton March Digital Sale

Fasig-Tipton has catalogued 36 entries for its March Digital Sale, which may now be viewed at digital.fasigtipton.com. Bidding is now open and closes Tuesday, Mar. 7 at 2 p.m. ET.

The catalogue features horses of racing age, breeding stock, 2-year-olds, and yearlings. There are offerings located throughout the United States, including California, Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, New York, Ohio, and West Virginia. Additional offerings are located in Canada and Puerto Rico.

“Our first monthly digital sale of 2023 has come together very well,” said Leif Aaron, Fasig-Tipton Director of Digital Sales. “We are featuring some very nice in-form racehorses, as well as quality breeding stock, including Ek Haseena, the dam of last week's impressive Saudi Derby winner Commissioner King.”

Entries include:

LADY FLURRY (Lord Nelson) (Hip 2): Three-year-old stakes-placed racing/broodmare prospect was a nine-length winner on debut last year at Louisiana Downs, streaking under the wire just three-hundreds of a second off track-record time. In her second start, the Louisiana-bred placed in the Louisiana Cup Juvenile Fillies S.

TERRIER (Into Mischief) (Hip 6): Three-year-old Into Mischief colt broke his maiden on debut at Santa Anita Feb. 10.

WARRANTY (Artie Schiller) (Hip 8): Young stakes-placed half-sister to multiple graded stakes winner Imprimis, offered in foal to Eclipse Champion 2YO Male Game Winner.

EK HASEENA (Songandaprayer) (Hip 10): Multiple stakes-placed mare is the dam of four winners to date, including recent G3 Saudi Derby winner Commissioner King (Commissioner), offered in foal to Jimmy Creed.

The catalogue also includes mares in foal to Maclean's Music, Known Agenda, Tiz the Law, and Independence Hall.

To create an account or register to bid, prospective buyers should visit digital.fasigtipton.com.

The post Bidding Now Open for Fasig-Tipton March Digital Sale appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Jockey Alex Canchari Passes Away

Midwest-based jockey Alex Chanchari passed away Wednesday at the age of 29.

His passing was confirmed in a tweet by Canterbury Park, where Canchari had 334 career winners.

“Alex Canchari achieved his dream as a jockey, following in the footsteps of his father and brother,” the tweet read. “The news of this talented and genuine young man's death has deeply saddened the Canterbury Park family.”

Though no cause of death had been revealed by Thursday morning, it appears that Canchari's death involved mental health issues.

“My heart physically hurts,” his sister, Ashley, wrote on Facebook. “I'm so sorry you were in so much pain Alex and thought there was no other way out. I know you're happy again with Dad. I don't even know what else to say, this is an unbelievable loss.”

The Canchari family has had to deal with a number of devastating setbacks in recent years. Family patriarch Luis Canchari, who came to the U.S. from Peru and was a jockey and a trainer, passed away in December of 2020. That same year, Canchari's brother Patrick suffered a traumatic brain injury in a car wreck near Turf Paradise. Doctors told his family the injury could keep him in a vegetated state the rest of his life, but he has made notable progress in recent months.

“This family has gone to hell and back several times,” said Terry Meyocks, president and CEO of the Jockeys' Guild.

Canchari, a native of Shakopee, Minnesota, where Canterbury Park is located, began his career in 2011. He had one of his best years in 2012, winning 101 races. He had 1,044 wins during his career and has career earnings of $28,619,989. Canchari had not ridden since Oct. 2 at Prairie Meadows.

Canchari's death came about seven weeks after jockey Avery Whisman passed away at 23. Whisman's family also brought up mental health issues when discussing his death.

“We've been talking to HISA about jockeys and the mental health issues they face since November,” Meyocks said. “It's on the top of our list and is something that needs to be discussed. This is a tough game. Hall of Fame jockeys win at 18-20 percent and regular jocks when less than that. They get taken off of horses. The foal crop is down and there's fewer opportunities for them. With the daily trials and tribulations of being a jockey it's clear to see why depression sets in.”

The post Jockey Alex Canchari Passes Away appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post