WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 3, 2024

VALUE SIRES FOR 2024,
PART 5: 20-SOMETHINGS

FACING EXTORTION ALLEGATIONS,DEFENDANTS IN DEFAMATION LAWSUITCONTEND 'BAFFERT IS THE RARE
LIBEL-PROOF PLAINTIFF' by T.D. Thornton
The two defendants facing allegations of civil extortion anddefamation in a federal lawsuit initiated by trainer Bob Baffert
and his incorporated racing stable are contending that the caseshould be dismissed because "Baffert is the rare, libel-proof
plaintiff given his notorious history in the horse racing industry,"according to a discovery plan filed jointly by lawyers for all sides
in United States District Court (Southern District of California)
Jan. 2.
Baffert's legal team, however, is banking that dismissal won't
happen, and it told the court in the same document that it isanticipating the case should be able to be brought before a jury
a little more than a year after it was first initiated. Cont. p12

Army Mule | Sarah Andrew
by Chris McGrathToday we reach quite a crossroads in the market, between$20,000 and $29,999. It takes a degree of affluence to roll thedice at this level, but you'd do so hoping to reach blood of
genuine elite potential.
As usual, we've sieved out the new sires, having given them aseparate treatment at the outset. Instructively, however, it's atier dominated by stallions still in the early stages of theircareers. And there is an auspicious flux here. One or two, if
building on a promising start on the track, could conceivably
prove to be on their way to stardom.
Inevitably, there are also plenty of sires only trading at thiskind of fee because they have not yet been exposed on the
track. The reality is that few of these will ultimately hold out.
And while we've cheerfully highlighted value about a couple ofsires at a similarly untested stage, earlier in this series, that's
harder to do at this money.
But what these horses do generally have behind them, having
started with the sort of profile that merits a strong opening fee,is numbers.
Handsome as he is, for instance, and fast as he ran, it seemedstaggering that YAUPON should have covered as many as 242
mares for his debut in 2022, behind only Gun Runner.
Cont. p3

IN TDN EUROPE TODAYEURO RACING’S CRYSTAL BALL--10
PREDICTIONS FOR 2024
Brian Sheerin delivers 10 predictions for the European racing
year ahead, from potential Classic glory for young sires, to thepossibility of Yoshito Yahagi winning the G1 Derby.

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Wednesday, January 3, 2024

2023 in photos: December 30. MGISW millionaire Megahertz (GB) (Pivotal {GB}) poses forphotos last week at Kaz Hill Farm in Middletown, NY. Apostle (GB) (Ulysses {Ire}), the ninth
foal out of her full-sister Heaven Sent (GB), makes her debut Wednesday at Kempton. See
TDN Europe for more. | Sarah Andrew

KNICKS GO YEARLING BRINGS MOORE FULL CIRCLE

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13

Sabrina Moore's GreenMount Farm will offer its final consignment during next
week's Keeneland January Horses of All Ages Sale and, fittingly, the consignment's
three offerings kick off with a short yearling from the first crop of the champion
who put the Maryland farm on the map, Knicks Go.

BELFIORE RETURNS AS NYTHA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
After serving as Executive Director of the Florida Thoroughbred Horsemen's
Association, Andy Belfiore will be returning as the New York Thoroughbred
Horsemen's Association's Executive Director, effective Jan. 7.

14

TDN HEADLINE NEWS • PAGE 3 OF 16 • THETDN.COM

WEDNESDAY • JANUARY 3, 2024

Gun Runner has risen so fast that more affordable sons are
finding themselves quickly in the game, and this was one of(cont. from p1)
his breakout stars who beat a 37-year track record in the GI
But next time round, we saw another farm go to a dizzier level
Haskell S.
yet, allowing rookie turf
The sophomore frustrations ofsprinter GOLDEN PAL to
CORNICHE cannot have helped
entertain no fewer than 293.
his cause, so a book of 180 pays
Now we all understand how
tribute to the brilliance of his
this model works and breeders
championship campaign. As
embrace it with open eyes.
much as the way he dominatedSome will hit a home run, but
the crop as a juvenile, thethey're going to have to standpinhookers will be dwelling on his
out from a crowd. You all know
$1.5-million breeze as awhat the stakes are, and2-year-old (and 98 Beyer onwhether it can work in yourdebut). Some arcane names seed
program, and you don't needhis family, but the genes were allme preaching one way or thefunctioning in his dam, six-timeother. For the record, Yaupon
graded winner Wasted Tears
duly processed 36 of 40(Najran).
weanlings at an average
Yaupon | Sarah Andrew
Standing on a couple of farms$130,888/median $100,000.
that know how to keep a young
He had to settle for 202 mares last time, some of his 2022
stallion in the game, Golden Pal, Yaupon, Cyberknife andsupporters having doubtless flitted straight to Golden Pal; but
Corniche all take a trim in 2024 from $30,000 to $25,000.
others yet will have switched to his new studmate CYBERKNIFE,
Cont. p4
who mustered 223.

Value Sires for 2024: The 20-Somethings

TDN HEADLINE NEWS • PAGE 4 OF 16 • THETDN.COM

Value Sires, cont.
The industrial approach is long familiar at Spendthrift andAshford, but Juddmonte also played a candidly commercial
game with MANDALOUN, who opened with as many as 211
partners. So he has certainly been given every chance of riding
the luck he enjoyed when promoted from second for both his
Grade Is. He actually paid somewhat for that rather freakish
fortune, in that it distracted people from his inherent merit.
Meanwhile he's another taking a clip, in his case from $25,000
to $20,000.
These horses are slipstreaming a handful on the brink oflaunching their first runners. One who excelled at the sales was
WAR OF WILL, whose $117,202 average (for 61 of 77 sold)placed him third in the debutants' table (sales up to $650,000,$85,000 median). He duly retains his opening fee at $25,000.
War of Will appeals as a stallion for our times, as a Grade I
scorer on both dirt and turf, but the clincher is a Niarchos family
saturated with quality. A full subscription of 143 mares in his
debut book has predictably tapered a little since (112 and 84),
but the enthusiasm of the market is a huge plus for a horse whomust contend with its crass reservations about anything--even a
Preakness winner!--bearing a taint of turf.
Two others from his intake not only started out with very
similar books (157 and 159), but achieved an identical median of$53,500 with their first yearlings. That was better news for
GAME WINNER than TIZ THE LAW, in that they opened at$30,000 and $40,000, respectively. Their averages were very
similar too: the former sold 66 of 84 at $95,772, just behind thelatter with 64 sold of 70 at $99,835. They remain in step now,
both down to $20,000 for 2024.
It was Tiz the Law who rallied in his second book, to 218 mares
against 131 for Game Winner, and maintained an advantage of
131 against 96 last spring. Cont.

Maximus Mischief | Louise Reinagel

WEDNESDAY • JANUARY 3, 2024

2 0 2 1

G 1

B R E E D E R S ’

C U P

S P R I N T

AL HA W ESTHard Spun – Island Bound, by Speightstown

Breeders’ Cup Photo ©

from the FA P P I A N O family

FAPPIANO, a sire of sires, and a sprinter himself, with speed
and class, has left behind a high proportion of quality offspring.
His contribution to the breed will play out for years.
You never know from where the next may come . . .

L O V E . P E A C E . C O M PA S S I O N

2024 Fee: $8,500 LF Contact: Kim Poulin . ph: 859.231.0606 . kpoulin@millridge.com

TDN HEADLINE NEWS • PAGE 5 OF 16 • THETDN.COM

Value Sires, cont.

Vino Rosso | Sarah Andrew
He collected a series of stallion-making Grade Is-Champagne/Florida Derby/Belmont/ Travers--and might wellhave added the Derby if only it had been run at the normal datein 2020. That makes him look a lot of horse at this money.
As for Game Winner, he obviously offers commercial precocity
as an unbeaten champion juvenile, and very few of the crop
managed to close the gap on him at three.
How those behind this trio would love to see them emulate
MAXIMUS MISCHIEF, VINO ROSSO and FLAMEAWAY, who have
all just completed their freshman season in a way that has
earned an elevation in fee for 2024.
Spendthrift buddies Maximus Mischief and Vino Rosso
contested second in the first-season sires' table all the way to
the wire. The former--repeatedly advised as a commercial
no-brainer at $7,500--is hiked to $25,000 and Vino Rosso, having
been kept in the game in familiar fashion by halving to $15,000
from an opening $30,000, now inches back up to $20,000.
Inevitably their farm has succeeded in maintaining volume
behind both horses. In their fourth books, Vino Rosso covered
171 mares and Maximus Mischief 159. Pretty impressive, given
how many of their original supporters must have been the typethat annually jumps from one new sire to the next.
Vino Rosso, having himself thrived with maturity, has surprised
people with the precocity of some stock, but then you're goingto get many different flavors with no fewer than 155 named
foals in your debut crop!
His 23 winners actually represent an unremarkable
percentage, then, but where Vino Rosso does deserve credit isin mustering four to make the frame at Grade I level. Overall thishas been an unproductive class, in graded stakes terms, but atleast Vino Rosso has been coming up with the right caliber.
Cont.

WEDNESDAY • JANUARY 3, 2024

TDN HEADLINE NEWS • PAGE 6 OF 16 • THETDN.COM

Value Sires, cont.
Maximus Mischief has mustered a solitary graded stakes
placing, though of course he was dealing with relatively modest
materials when starting at a quarter of Vino Rosso's opening fee.
This is a big moment for him, in that he needs to capitalize on his
platform of 31 winners with an upgrade in mares at his new fee.
(Predictably enough, he has already launched the highest
percentage of named foals among all the freshman sires, at justabout two-in-three).
His yearling average held up well, with 57 of 67 sold at a$38,000 median (average $47,312) compared with $40,000(average $57,019, as much as anyone could have asked off a$7,500 conception) for 77 sold last year.
Vino Rosso's 75 sales from 98 yearlings offered from his
second crop achieved a $45,000 median ($55,558 average),
down from $61,000 ($94,287 average) for 112 sold on debut.
But his own template (and that of his own sire Curlin) is
encouraging for his stock to keep progressing now, andinterestingly both Vino Rosso and Maximus Mischief moved
their weanling prices back up compared with 2022.
Hats off to Flameaway, meanwhile, for getting closest to
breaking up the Spendthrift freshman monopoly. None of thequartet above him can match his four stakes winners, while hejoins only champion Mitole and Solomini in relieving the overall

WEDNESDAY • JANUARY 3, 2024

embarrassment of the class in at least managing one gradedstakes scorer.
It must be said that he had decent numbers behind him, with
109 named foals, but by the same token the pipeline will bemaintained by three-figure books annually since. Like Maximus
Mischief, he needs to seize the moment after making precisely
the same leap in fee, to $25,000 from $7,500. His second cropof yearlings didn't really reflect the fine start made by theirpredecessors, 41 of 54 changing hands at an unchanged medianof $30,000 (average $44,950, down from $49,340). But there
should be plenty of action to come from such a versatile horse,
who won at various trips on three different surfaces.
Auspiciously, his flagship Dreamfyre divided her two gradedstakes wins between six furlongs of dirt and a mile of turf.
Flameaway's third dam is a true matriarch in Europe and heoffers all the flexibility we should be seeking in a changing
landscape.
VALUE PODIUM
Bronze: BLAME(Arch--Liable, by Seeking the Gold)
Claiborne, $25,000
How many of the aspiring youngsters who dominate this tier
will end up achieving anything like as much as Blame? Cont.

TDN HEADLINE NEWS • PAGE 7 OF 16 • THETDN.COM

Value Sires, cont.
Entering his 13th season at stud, he has settled into the middleof this bracket as by far its most established operator. In fact,
he's become a rather unique horse at this level. Everyone else ispassing through, in one direction or the other. Blame is the only
one trading at this kind of money where you know definitively
where you stand. Others could yet turn out to have flattered todeceive, whereas he has found a fairly uncontested place amongproven sires, between the blue-collar strivers and theunaffordable elite.
He's actually had a modest year by his standards, with only
three stakes winners, albeit these did include a sixth Grade I
scorer in Wet Paint. But his lifetime rations are extremely solid:
6.5% stakes winners from named foals, 3% at graded stakes
level. His ratios are a match for the likes of Munnings, Street
Sense and Twirling Candy, to name just three sires too good tobe embarrassed by the comparison. And the big news with him
over the past couple of years is his precocious emergence as abroodmare sire.

Blame | Claiborne Farm
His breakout moment in this role was the GI Breeders' Futurity
S. at Keeneland in 2022, aptly sponsored by Claiborne, when thepair that dueled clear of a strong field--champion Forte(Violence) and the luckless Loggins (Ghostzapper)--were bothout of Blame mares. This is hardly a surprising development in astallion whose third dam is none other than Special (Forli {Arg}).
So for many programs--one that would like to keep a filly, forinstance, or just to prove a young mare--Blame will offer better
value than most horses in higher tiers. For the record, the niche
he has carved out for himself could be measured in 2023 by abook of 129 mares, plus a yearling average of $94,442 (up from$82,075)--both really solid for a horse at this level of the market,
at this stage of his career. Cont.

WEDNESDAY • JANUARY 3, 2024

TDN HEADLINE NEWS • PAGE 8 OF 16 • THETDN.COM

Value Sires, cont.

Oscar Performance | Sarah Andrew
Silver: OSCAR PERFORMANCE(Kitten's Joy--Devine Actress, by Theatrical {Ire})
Mill Ridge, $25,000
Cometh the hour, cometh the man.
Here's a horse that faced only one problem when retiring tostud, but one as significant as it was tiresome: the notorious
myopia of the domestic market regarding even high-class grassstallions. We all know how brutally difficult it is to stand a turf
horse in the Bluegrass. Even English Channel and Kitten's Joy
never quite cracked ringside prejudice sufficiently to obtainadequate reward for their outstanding records. But theconsecutive loss of both those horses, even as he started out,
nonetheless represented a big opportunity for Oscar
Performance. And while it's still early days, he's making a strong
case to step up as heir to his sire.
Oscar Performance covered 160 mares last spring, much hisbiggest book in his fifth season at stud. He had covered just 63
the previous year, but started out with a couple of three-figure
books, so there will be plenty of talent coming through-especially when you recall how he kept thriving as a runner--tokeep his name in lights, pending the arrival of the better stock
he should be producing now.
And here's something else he did this year, that would be noless exceptional in a commercial dirt stallion. Offering his third
crop of yearlings, he achieved an average of $79,959 (23 soldfrom 30; admittedly a $35,000 median was more in line with the$15,000 conception fee) up from $57,474 ($32,500) for his
second; and $43,149 ($26,000) for his first. In other words, he's
reversing the usual trend: his stock is gaining in value by theyear.
Why is this happening? Cont.

WEDNESDAY • JANUARY 3, 2024

TDN HEADLINE NEWS • PAGE 9 OF 16 • THETDN.COM

Value Sires, cont.
Well, as we said, it's still early in the piece. None of his stock is
yet at the same age as Oscar Performance when he won his
fourth Grade I in the Woodbine Mile. But he's now had two
crops to borrow the precocity he also required to win the GI
Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf, and they have together produced
eight graded stakes horses at a ratio (5% of named foals)
exceeded, in what looks a very strong intake, only by Justify; andmatched only by Bolt d'Oro.
Interestingly his principal earner to date is Red Carpet Ready,whose two graded stakes wins actually came on the main track-on which surface he's also had Tumbarumba win the Ellis Park
Derby and Deer District win a Churchill allowance by 10 lengths
before placing in the GII Amsterdam S. So second and third dams
by Mr. Prospector and Slew o' Gold are obviously having a saywhile, purely in terms of quality, his own mother has also
produced two additional graded stakes-winning siblings.
His second crop has produced dual graded stakes scorer
Endlessly, who looks aptly named for how far his sire may
advance from here. After returning to his opening fee of$20,000 last year, back up from $12,500, Oscar Performance has
now edged up to $25,000. If he can keep building from here, he
may reach a much higher level as breeders belatedly service an
expanding turf program.
Gold: ARMY MULE
(Friesan Fire--Crafty Toast, by Crafty Prospector)
Hill 'n' Dale, $25,000
This was a racetrack meteor--brief but bright--and now we're
immediately seeing persuasive evidence that he may be
replicating the freakish talent that we only glimpsed. It's not themost conventional profile, nor pedigree, but the functionality
cannot be in question. Cont.

Army Mule | Chelsea Durand

WEDNESDAY • JANUARY 3, 2024

IF YOUMYST
HIM IN 2023,
DON’T MAKE
THE SAME
MYSTAKEAGAIN…

The son of Ghostzapper was assessedas the world’s best racehorse after his
fast-time triumph in Dubai.
Mystic Guide: supported witha big, quality first book of 145
mares, including five G1 winners
or their dams. Just imagine.

TDN HEADLINE NEWS • PAGE 10 OF 16 • THETDN.COM

Value Sires, cont.
If Army Mule carries on the way he has started, enoughpeople are going to accept that reality for him to break into theelite. If so, doubling his fee from $12,500 last year is only going
to be a start.
Remember he had to muscle his way into an exceptionallystrong class of freshmen. Justify is soaring to stardom, eitherside of the water, and Good Magic came up with a Derby winnerat the first attempt. In his first two crops, sired at $10,000 and$7,500, Army Mule produced only 138 named foals. Of the five
above him in the cumulative earnings table, Mendelssohn has
323; Justify 309; Bolt d'Oro 238; Good Magic 226; City of Light
191. So guess what, some (but only some) of those have more
stakes winners. But in what ratios?
Start with his individual winners: 68 from 108 starters, 49% of
named foals. Justify is getting his at 28%; Good Magic 38%; Bolt
d'Oro 39%; Mendelssohn 36%; City of Light 30%.
Of these, 10 have won at black-type level: 7.3% of named
foals. Justify is operating at 6.5%; Good Magic matches Army
Mule at 7.5%; Bolt d'Oro is on 4.2%; and Mendelssohn 1.9%;
City of Light 3.7%. In terms of stakes performers overall, Army
Mule's 11.6% is only matched in the class by Bolt d'Oro.
Understandably, given the relative caliber of mares they will
have received, Army Mule can't quite see that performance

WEDNESDAY • JANUARY 3, 2024

through at graded stakes level. He only has two such winners,
among five placed. Moreover his farm was not even able topromote his Grade I breakout with One in Vermillion, the Allen
Jerkens S. having fallen into his lap in ghastly circumstances. But
someone needs to say that One in Vermillion has proved alegitimate graded stakes performer as a $26,000 yearling fromthe Arizona TBA Fall Mixed Sale. Army Mule also has Danse
Macabre, an $11,000 short yearling, close to millionaire status
after winning five of her first 10. (Incidentally, another nod to
our bronze medalist here: she's out of a Blame mare.)His debut crop had already done enough by last spring forArmy Mule to entertain 199 mares in his fifth season at stud, up
from 115 in 2022 and 83 the previous year.
His 2024 sophomores emerge from a crop of just 37 live foals,
so he may have to tread water briefly. But surely Army Mule isone of those rare stallions who do enough, early enough, tolock in the medium-term momentum required. Sure enough,he sold 28 (from 38) of his latest crop of yearlings for a median$67,500 and average $96,650, up from $51,000 and $69,272:
stellar returns for those who kept the faith for a $7,500
conception.
As a rule, I prefer a horse that has left no doubt as to his
resilience and Army Mule's entire career comprised barely four
minutes. Cont.

TDN HEADLINE NEWS • PAGE 11 OF 16 • THETDN.COM

Value Sires, cont.
But the talent that made him a six-length Grade I winner (114
Beyer) in that time was already luminous when he turned
himself from $35,000 yearling to $825,000 2-year-old. This farm
has a great record with these flashbulb talents, and there's arapidly rising tide to catch with Army Mule.

WEDNESDAY • JANUARY 3, 2024

would expect that they will excel with added distance. He seems
to throw a particular type and I know that he is booked full for
2024, so clearly I am not the only one who sees his future
potential. When I was at the Keeneland September sale thisyear, we had a nice colt out of Queenie's Pride (Special Rate)and the positive feedback I got from trainers and 2-year-old
consignors was surprising to me since it was so early in the year
for a son of Curlin that won the GI Breeders' Cup Classic as a4-year-old. Speaking of Curlin, what an emerging superstar sireof sires he is! That coupled with Spendthrift's eye-popping
accomplishment of a stallion farm leading home all top four
freshman sires for 2023 in North America, the future looks very
bright!
BRONZE:TIZ THE LAW(Constitution--Tizfiz, by Tiznow)
Coolmore, $20,000
GAME WINNER(Candy Ride {Arg}--Indyan Giving, by A.P. Indy)
Lane's End, $20,000
Bronze would be a tie between Tiz the Law and Game Winner.
Talk about racehorses! Tiz the Law won FOUR Grade Is as a2-year-old and 3-year-old! Cont.

The breeders have their say...
We asked breeders to weigh in on who their top picks were.
Carrie Brogden of Machmer Hall
GOLD: Army Mule
Gold would have to be Army Mule. He has had so muchsuccess from such modest mares that you have to pay attention.
If he can simply maintain what he has done so far until the big
gun crops come down the pipeline, he has the potential to be abreakout stallion. For example, we sold the dam of Grade I
winner One in Vermillion carrying him in utero for a paltry$4,500, bred on our share that I am probably going tocompletely regret selling earlier this year. He seems to offer
speed, soundness, heart and his good looks.
SILVER: Vino Rosso(Curlin--Mythical Bride, by Street Cry {Ire})
Spendthrift Farm, $20,000
Silver for me would have to be Vino Rosso. We have booked
three mares to him based on what he did with his first crop of
2-year-olds. Considering his own race record and breeding, I

TDN HEADLINE NEWS • PAGE 12 OF 16 • THETDN.COM

Value Sires (the breeders have their say), cont.
He is by a rising top-tier stallion in Constitution and thereception and physical attributes of his babies reminded me ofthe early crops of Constitution.
Game Winner, a 2-year-old champion, won THREE Grade Is as
a 2-year-old and is by the incredible sire of sires Candy Ride.
With the ones we had at Machmer Hall and that I saw at thesales, I personally felt that there was a lot of Candy Ride inthem. I was the underbidder on two really nice weanlings by
him and am still having non-buyer's remorse there. No crystal
balls of course, as I am constantly reminded of playing Geoffery
Russell's freshman sire contest every year, but both of theseyoung stallions have the race record and stock to step into thevery big shoes of both of their fathers.
John Greathouse of Glencrest Farm
GOLD: Blame
Blame was a gutsy racehorse and I think that=s what he getsyou. He=s sired six Grade I winners and has been consistent year
after year at the sales and at the races. He produces solid
individuals that are sound and can go two turns. Blame is also
starting to prove to be an excellent broodmare sire. Forte and
Wet Paint are prime examples of that. If you are looking to starta young mare, there aren=t many horses you can pick from thatstand for less than 30k and are as proven as Blame.
SILVER: Vino Rosso
Vino Rosso is great value at 20k. He=s third on the first-crop
sire list, but I think he=s far ahead of where most people
expected him to be at this point. He was a horse that was bettergoing two turns and I expected his progeny would be the same.
His offspring are smooth and athletic. He comes from a serious
family of runners. If his progeny improve going longer, we could
be talking about him like we were talking about Good Magic in
2023. There is real upside at 20k.
BRONZE: Maximus Mischief(Into Mischief--Reina Maria, by Songandaprayer)
Spendthrift Farm, $25,000
Maximus Mischief was one of the fastest 2-year-old sons ofInto Mischief, which is no easy feat. That precocity is showing up
with his 2-year-olds. He=s off to a terrific start with 30 winners
and sits second on the first-crop sire rankings. He has bred a big
book of mares every year, so I don=t expect him to slow down
anytime soon. I like that he gets a big, strong horse with plentyof bone which suits smaller mares. We have bred to him in thepast and will continue to support him this year.

WEDNESDAY • JANUARY 3, 2024

Baffert lawsuit, cont. from p1"This matter should be ready for trial approximately in
November of 2024," Baffert's counsel wrote in the joint
discovery plan. "Plaintiffs estimate that between five and eightdays will be needed for trial."
Back on Sept. 27, Baffert filed a suit against two New Jersey
residents, Justin Wunderler and Daniel DiCorcia, that asked forcompensatory damages in excess of $75,000, plus an award ofpunitive damages "to deter similar conduct by Defendants andothers" after purportedly suffering "mental anguish, anxiety,and duress Defendants have caused by virtue of their repeatedthreats to Baffert's business and family by means of theirunlawful statements."
The alleged extortion and defamation took the form of
repeated social media postings.
Among them, according to Baffert's complaint, were postings
written by Wunderler asking "his followers to bring dangerous
objects to hurl at Baffert and his family" at the 2023 GI Belmont
S., and another in which Wunderler posted "a picture ofBaffert's house in California."
As Baffert's complaint put it, "This lawsuit is the response to aseries of escalating threats and criminal conduct by Defendants
Justin Wunderler and Daniel DiCorcia against Plaintiffs Bob
Baffert and his family. Over the past several months, Defendants
have urged others to engage in violent behavior toward Baffert
and his family, baselessly accused Baffert of criminal conduct,
and attempted to extort Baffert and his family under threats to
his business, reputation, and occupational license."
Both defendants have denied the allegations and are seeking adismissal of the case. Cont.

TDN HEADLINE NEWS • PAGE 13 OF 16 • THETDN.COM

Baffert lawsuit, cont.

Bob Baffert | Horsephotos

Wunderler, however, did not initially file a timely legal
response after being served with his summons.
On Dec. 4, one of Baffert's attorneys, Clark Brewster, asked
the court to enter a default judgment against Wunderler for
failing to respond.
Wunderler subsequently obtained a lawyer and an answer was
filed Dec. 15. The judge denied the motion for default judgment
on Dec. 19 and ordered the case to proceed.
Next up is an "early neutral evaluation" conference Jan. 8 thatis designed to serve as a form of alternate dispute resolution,although neither party mentioned the likelihood of a settlementin the Jan. 2 joint filing.
Baffert's legal team, in Tuesday's joint plan, brought up someanticipated issues relating to discovery, allegedly because "Oneor more defendants in this matter have posted on social media
regarding their intent to seek discovery on matters beyond thescope of the Complaint."
Discovery is the formal legal process by which the parties in acase exchange information in advance about witnesses andevidence that each side intends to present.
The filing by Baffert's lawyers continued: "This case is about
Defendants' allegations of blood doping, the use of EPO, andtheir conspiracy to extort Mr. Baffert. Inquiries outside of these
topics will be irrelevant except to the extent necessary toresolve issues regarding Mr. Baffert's reputation."
The defendants were given an opportunity in the joint filing togive their positions on the topic of anticipated discovery issues.
"DiCorcia has nothing to add and no response to theamorphous comment above," the joint filing stated.
"Wunderler agrees to adhere to the scope and limits of
discovery [and] will adhere to any Court order regarding
discovery," the joint filing stated.

WEDNESDAY • JANUARY 3, 2024

KNICKS GO YEARLING BRINGS MOORE FULLCIRCLE AT KEENELAND JANUARY
by Jessica Martini
Sabrina Moore=s GreenMount Farm will offer its final
consignment during next week=s Keeneland January Horses of
All Ages Sale and, fittingly, the consignment=s three offerings
kick off with a short yearling from the first crop of the champion
who put the Maryland farm on the map, Knicks Go.
AIt=s a little bittersweet that this is going to be my lastconsignment,@ Moore admitted. ABut it will kind of come fullcircle, hopefully.@
Moore and her mother Angie co-bred Knicks Go and sold theson of the late Paynter for $40,000 as a weanling at the 2016
Keeneland November sale. He sold to the Korea Racing
Authority for $87,000 at the following year=s Keeneland
September sale.
Knicks Go went on to win five Grade I races, including the 2021
GI Breeders= Cup Classic, GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational, and
GI Whitney S., as well as the 2018 GI Claiborne Breeders=
Futurity and the 2020 GI Breeders= Cup Dirt Mile. The gray wasnamed Horse of the Year and champion older male in 2021 andretired to Taylor Made Farm the following year.
Knicks Go had 18 weanlings sell last November for an averageof $64,611 and a high of $220,000. With the turning of the year,
the stallion=s first yearlings sell at Keeneland next week andMoore=s GreenMount will offer the first of the group as hip 69
during the auction=s first session Monday.
AHe has this tenacious attitude,@ Moore said when asked if she
saw similarities between the yearling and his famous father. AHe
is a little hard-headed, but in the best way possible. He
definitely has his own opinions and he is a very confident colt. I
foaled him at my farm [in Maryland] and he came out brown
and I thought, >oh no!=@ Cont.

Knicks Go | Sarah Andrew

TDN HEADLINE NEWS • PAGE 14 OF 16 • THETDN.COM

Sabrina Moore, cont.
Moore continued: AI just had this dream in my head that I
would get this little gray Knicks Go baby. But other than that,body style, they are pretty similar. He is a stout individual and hecarries good body.@
After foaling the colt in Maryland, Moore picked up roots andmoved to Kentucky last fall.
AWe moved him down here and I can=t believe how much he=s
progressed in the last two months,@ Moore said. AHe is reallycoming on. If a pinhooker picks him up, I think they will be
thrilled with him in the next few months. He is really headed in
the right direction.@

Sabrina Moore | Katie Petrunyak
Of her move to Kentucky, Moore admitted it was a transition
that just made sense.
AIt had been on my radar the last few years,@ Moore said. AI
bred a really nice horse, but at the end of the day, that didn=t
get me far, at least financially. The Maryland circuit was reallystruggling and I had a lot of clients who were really struggling. It
felt like it was going in a direction that I didn=t think was going tobenefit me long term. So I just had to try to think about myfuture and where I wanted to be. And owning a farm in aregional market was just not going to do it.@
The decision to make the move to Kentucky was made easier
when some Maryland clients, Steve and Denise Smith,encouraged her to join them as their farm manager.
AThey just bought a really nice farm,@ Moore said. AIt=s the old
Fort Blackburn Farm on Old Frankfurt Pike. They were looking
for a manager and I was looking for a job. We=ve had thisrelationship for a long time, so I was really comfortable. I wasscared to come down here and get lost in the mix, but it=s been areally smooth transition. It=s been great.@
Now renamed Mesingw Farm, the operation is home to some
40 horses, as well as a racing stable of some 20 horses in

WEDNESDAY • JANUARY 3, 2024

training. Among the stable, the Smiths are co-owners of gradedstakes winner Danse Macabre (Army Mule), who is trained by
Kelsey Danner.
A[Smith] is getting close to retiring and this is his passion andhe=s always had his eye on doing this,@ Moore said. AThey aim to
keep the fillies and sell the colts. But if they bring them throughthe ring and it=s not what he wants, then he will race them, too.
He is aiming to try to build a really nice broodmare band.@As for Moore, she=s settling into a more relaxed way of life.
AI thought I wanted an office job for a while--I didn=t realize
how much I would miss working with horses,@ Moore said. AI was
so burned out. It was so hard to find help in Maryland. I had 50
horses for the last year and a half and it was me and one othergirl and sometimes another part-time person. It was unrealistic
and exhausting.@
Of her final GreenMount consignment, Moore said, AI will missit, but I am a little relieved to be done with it and to focus on mycurrent job right now full force. And go on from there.@
Moore retained one broodmare, a half-sister to Knicks Go, andshe is looking forward to seeing what the champion=s first
offspring can do on the racetrack.
AThey are falling into the hands of a lot of really niceprofessionals,@ she said of the stallion=s first crop. AIt will bereally exciting to watch them develop and hopefully they go on
and do big things.@
The Keeneland January sale will be held next Monday throughThursday with sessions beginning each day at 10 a.m.

BELFIORE RETURNS AS NYTHA EXECUTIVEDIRECTOR
Andy Belfiore will be returning as the New York Thoroughbred
Horsemen's Association (NYTHA)'s Executive Director, effective
Jan. 7, the organization announced Tuesday.
AAndy has a wealth of experience in all facets of the racing
industry,@ said newly elected NYTHA President Tina Bond. AIn
addition to her knowledge base, Andy's devotion to equine
welfare and aftercare are especially crucial in this period of oursport. We are very pleased that she will be rejoining the NYTHA
team.@
Belfiore started her career in racing on the backstretch at
Belmont Park, working as a hotwalker, groom and exercise rider,
before joining the Rick Violette stable as assistant trainer. Aftersix years as Violette=s assistant, she moved to the frontside at
the track, and spent five years in the communications andmarketing departments at the New York Racing Association(NYRA). Cont.

TDN HEADLINE NEWS • PAGE 15 OF 16 • THETDN.COM

WEDNESDAY • JANUARY 3, 2024

Andy Belfiore, cont.
Belfiore left NYRA in 1993 to take the post as editor-in-chief at
the Thoroughbred Daily News. During her tenure, the TDN grewfrom a four-page publication with just a few hundred
subscribers to a leader in the Thoroughbred industry. Named
Director of Communications for NYTHA in December, 2011, andExecutive Director in September, 2015, she was instrumental in
the creation of the TAKE2 and TAKE THE LEAD Programs.
She returns to New York after serving as Executive Director of
the Florida Thoroughbred Horsemen=s Association (FTHA) for
two years.
AThis is an exciting time to be a part of the racing industry in
New York,@ said Belfiore. AI thank the NYTHA Board andPresident Tina Bond for the opportunity, and I am looking
forward to working with such a great team.@
Full Count Felicia became the newest graded winner for Claiborne
Farm's War Front in the Suwannee River S. | Lauren KingFOR THE WEEK ENDING DECEMBER 31, 2023
ACTIVE NORTH AMERICAN-BASED STALLIONSAPPLICATIONS OPEN FOR 2024 THOROUGHBRED
MAKEOVER

Sire (Sire=s Sire)
#SWs
#GSW
Into Mischief (Harlan's Holiday)
141
68(High Class--Poinsettia S.)
War Front (Danzig)
115
67(Full Count Felicia--Suwannee River S.-GIII)
STANDING AT CLAIBORNE FARM $ CLICK HERE FOR MORENOMINATE A MARE $ EMAIL BERNIE SAMS
Italics indicate new activity, statistics include Northern
Hemisphere results only. Want to promote your stallion? Emailsuefinley@thoroughbreddailynews.com.

Applications are now being accepted for the 2024
Thoroughbred Makeover and National Symposium, presentedby Thoroughbred Charities of America, according to a Tuesday
release from the Retired Racehorse Project. The application canbe accessed at theRRP.org and must be completed by 5 p.m. EST
Jan. 19. Accepted trainers will be announced no later thanFeb. 15.
Entering its 10th year at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington,
the Thoroughbred Makeover features competition in 10
disciplines for recently retired Thoroughbreds in their first yearof retraining for a career after racing. A competition division is
also open to recently retired broodmares exiting the bloodstockindustry.
Horses and their trainers may compete in one or two
disciplines of their choice, including Barrel Racing, Competitive
Trail, Dressage, Eventing, Field Hunter, Polo, Ranch Work, Show
Hunter, Show Jumper and Freestyle (a freeform discipline
showcasing skills of the trainer=s choosing).
Horses and trainers will compete for more than $110,000 in
total prize money, plus the title of Thoroughbred Makeover
Champion, at the Kentucky Horse Park Oct. 9-12.

Follow the TDN staff on
Twitter
Thoroughbred Daily News
@SGrimmTDN@SteveSherackTDN@JessMartiniTDN@suefinley@CBossTDN@EquinealTDN@HLAndersonTDN@garykingTDN@JillWilliamsTDN@thorntontd@SarahKAndrew@QueenOfSuites@campbellparlay

TDN HEADLINE NEWS • PAGE 16 OF 16 • THETDN.COM

MARYLAND HORSE FOUNDATION LAUNCHESWINTER CLOTHING DRIVE
The Maryland Horse Foundation will kick off the new year witha clothing drive to collect warm winter clothing and riding attire
that will be distributed to young equestrians in need this winterseason. The clothing drive will run from Jan. 2 until the end of
March.
Recommended items are new or gently used hats, gloves,
scarves, pants, sweatshirts, long-sleeve shirts, tights, socks,
breeches, jodhpurs, and boots. All sizes are accepted. Items will
be donated to Baltimore-county based programs that offer
riding instruction to low-income students.
Unwrapped items may be dropped off inside the Maryland
Horse Library & Education Center located at 321 Main Street in
Reisterstown, Maryland. The Library & Education Center is openfrom 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Inquiries about donations or clothing distribution can bedirected to Jeanne Schnell via email atjeanne@marylandthoroughbred.com or (410) 252-2100
extension 113.

AMERICAN GRADED STAKES COMMITTEE REVIEWThe Via Borghese S., originally scheduled as a listed race tobe run over the turf, was automatically run as a non-listed
event when it was taken off the grass and moved to the Tapeta
at Gulfstream Park Dec. 26. After reviewing the race, theAmerican Graded Stakes Committee has reinstated the race's
listed status.

CAN’T WAIT TO GET YOURTDN BREAKING NEWS AND
RACE RESULTS?
Click Here to sign up for TDN Alerts

WEDNESDAY • JANUARY 3, 2024

UPCOMING MAJORNORTH AMERICAN STAKES
Date
Jan. 6
Jan. 7Jan. 14Jan. 20Race
GII San Vicente S.
GIII Santa Ynez S.
GIII Las Cienegas S.
GIII Lecomte S.
GIII Louisiana S.
GIII La Canada S.

Click here to access the TDN graded stakes calendar.

Track
SA
SA
SA
FG
FG
FG

Want to list your job?
Standard listing: $400

Multi listing: $350 each

• One printed ad on this page (date of your choice)• 30 day listing on our careers page: thetdn.com/careers• Job promoted through our social media channels• Two or more printed ads on this page (dates of your choice)• 30 day listing on our careers page: thetdn.com/careers• Job promoted through our social media channels

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for details or to post a job

SECOND-CROP STARTERS TO WATCH: WEDNESDAY, JAN. 3
2024 Stud Fees Listed
Audible (Into Mischief), WinStar Farm, $15,000
260 foals of racing age/20 winners/2 black-type winners
8-Mahoning Valley, 4:02 p.m. EST, Msw 6f, Blenheim Baby, 8-5

IN SOUTH KOREA:
Power Gunju, c, 2, Ghostzapper--One Night, by Distorted
Humor. Seoul, 12-30, Hcp. (C4), 1400m. B-David Ross (KY).
*$195,000 Wlg '21 KEENOV; $220,000 RNA Ylg '22 FTSAUG;$15,000 Ylg '22 FTKOCT; $25,000 2yo '23 FTMMAY.
VIDEO (SC 5)

Demarchelier (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), Claiborne Farm, $7,500
99 foals of racing age/12 winners/0 black-type winners
3-Charles Town, 7:57 p.m. EST, Msw 6 1/2f, Photo Finish, 6-5
Divisidero (Kitten's Joy), Airdrie Stud, $5,000
42 foals of racing age/4 winners/1 black-type winner
5-Turfway, 7:55 p.m. EST, Msw 6f, Proud Divi, 15-1
Heart to Heart (English Channel), Crestwood Farm
60 foals of racing age/4 winners/0 black-type winners
8-Mahoning Valley, 4:02 p.m. EST, Msw 6f, Halcyon Days, 8-1
Vino Rosso (Curlin), Spendthrift Farm, $20,000
309 foals of racing age/24 winners/2 black-type winners
3-Tampa Bay Downs, 1:19 p.m. EST, Aoc 1 1/16mT, Alcohol, 3-1$150,000 KEE SEP yrl; $75,000 OBS OPN 2yo

ALLOWANCE RESULTS:
6th-Mahoning Valley, $32,900, 1-2, (NW1X), 3yo/up, f/m, 1m,
1:41.58, my, 5 1/2 lengths.
LADY JASPER (f, 4, Exaggerator--Spun From Gold, by HardSpun) Lifetime Record: 15-5-2-1, $141,048. O-Blazing Meadows
Farm LLC & S G M Thoroughbred Racing LLC; B-Blazing Meadows
Farm LLC & Choice One Bloodstock (OH); T-Timothy E. Hamm.
5th-Golden Gate Fields, $31,027, (NW1$X)/Opt. Clm ($25,000),
1-1, 4yo/up, f/m, 5 1/2f (AWT), 1:03.21, ft, 2 1/2 lengths.
BERRY VALLEY (f, 5, Curlin to Mischief--Noe Valley, by Royal
Academy) Lifetime Record: 5-2-1-1, $55,588. O-Barbara DeLima;
B-Clifford DeLima, Barbara De Lima & Dennis Patterson (CA);T-Clifford DeLima.
7th-Mahoning Valley, $25,900, 1-2, (NW2L), 3yo/up, f/m, 6f,
1:13.73, my, 3 3/4 lengths.
PLANET FROLIC (f, 4, Blame--Frolic to the Wire, by Roman
Ruler) Lifetime Record: 9-2-4-1, $45,024. O/B-Steven Friedfertig(KY); T-Anthony Farrior. *$85,000 RNA Ylg '21 KEESEP.

© Copyright Thoroughbred Daily News.
This newspaper may not be reproduced in any form or by anymeans, electronic or mechanical, without prior written permissionof the copyright owner, Thoroughbred Daily News, LLC.
Information as to the American races, race results and earnings was
obtained from results charts published by The Jockey Club
Information Services and utilized here with their permission.

ADDITIONAL MAIDEN WINNERS:
Seeking Freedom, g, 3, Da Big Hoss--Seeking a Sunrise, bySeeking a Home. Mahoning Valley, 1-2, (S), 6f, 1:15.35.
Lifetime Record: 8-1-2-0, $36,480. B-Rodney C Faulkner (OH).
Time the Avenger, g, 4, Bolt d'Oro--Angry Ocean, by Giant's
Causeway. Mahoning Valley, 1-2, 6f, 1:12.74. Lifetime Record:
3-1-1-0, $21,359. B-E. H. Beau Lane & J. B. Orem (KY).

TDN NORTH AMERICAN • PAGE 2 OF 2 • THETDN.COM

WEDNESDAY • JANUARY 3, 2024

UPCOMING MAJORNORTH AMERICAN STAKES
Date
Jan. 6
Jan. 7Jan. 14Jan. 20

Blame, Planet Frolic, f, 4, o/o Frolic to the Wire, by Roman Ruler.
ALW, 1-2, Mahoning Valley
Bolt d'Oro, Time the Avenger, g, 4, o/o Angry Ocean, by Giant's
Causeway. MSW, 1-2, Mahoning Valley
Curlin to Mischief, Berry Valley, f, 5, o/o Noe Valley, by Royal
Academy. AOC, 1-1, Golden Gate
Da Big Hoss, Seeking Freedom, g, 3, o/o Seeking a Sunrise, bySeeking a Home. MSW, 1-2, Mahoning Valley
Exaggerator, Lady Jasper, f, 4, o/o Spun From Gold, by Hard
Spun. ALW, 1-2, Mahoning Valley

Race
GII San Vicente S.
GIII Santa Ynez S.
GIII Las Cienegas S.
GIII Lecomte S.
GIII Louisiana S.
GIII La Canada S.
Jan. 27
GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational
GI Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational
GII Inside Information S.
GIII Fred W. Hooper S.
GIII La Prevoyante S.
GIII Pegasus F/M Turf Invitational
GIII William L. McKnight S.
GIII Houston Ladies Classic
GIII John B. Connally Turf Cup
GII San Pasqual S.
GIII Southwest S.
Click here to access the TDN graded stakes calendar.

Track
SA
SA
SA
FG
FG
FG
GP
GP
GP
GP
GP
GP
GP
GP
GP
SA
OP

WEDNESDAY, 3 JANUARY 2024

RACING=S CRYSTAL BALL 10 PREDICTIONS FOR 2024

Rosallion: has big claims of Classic glory for his sire Blue Point
Scoop Dyga

By Brian Sheerin
Anyone who bets on racing will know too well the perils thatcome with predicting the outcome of a sporting event. But
what if we take it a couple of steps further and, for a bit of fun,try and gaze into the crystal ball and see what could be in store
for 2024?
From Frankie Dettori returning to the saddle in Europe to
Wathnan Racing continuing its march in Britain, here are 10
predictions--some fun and some serious--for the new year.

Dettori=s Groundhog Day To Continue Into 2024
We=ve all seen the movie Groundhog Day, haven=t we? The
one where Bill Murray gets caught in a time loop? Well, if you
haven't, the same script could well be playing out for realthrough Frankie Dettori's retirement [or lack thereof].
For all the people who had convinced themselves that Dettori
had achieved a dream send-off when guiding King Of Steel tovictory in the Champion S. at Ascot, there were just as many
people rolling their eyes at the idea that one of the world's
greatest riders was ready to set off into the sunset.
Cont. p3

JRA CALLS ON TOP EVENTER BOYD MARTINFOR EX-RACEHORSE CLINIC By Emma BerryAt no time has the issue of welfare within the horseracing
industry been more of an important topic, and that includes
what happens to horses beyond their racing careers.
Encouragingly, there is much work being done around the world
to ensure that retired racehorses are homed and utilised in arange of ways, from being companion horses through tocompeting at the highest level in other disciplines.
With a leaning towards the latter option, the Japan Racing
Association (JRA) hosted a clinic with leading event rider Boyd
Martin in the week before Christmas.
Based in America since 2007, the Australian-born Martin
recently collected his seventh Rider of the Year Award from theUnited States Eventing Association. Along with competing allover the world, he has been a regular visitor to Japan, where thethree-day clinic included tuition and advice in cross-country,
showjumping and dressage. Cont. p6

IN TDN AMERICA TODAYVALUE SIRES FOR 2024, PART 5: THE 20-SOMETHINGS
Chris McGrath’s Value Sires series continues with Part 5, stallions
standing for $20,000 to $29,999.

PUBLISHER & CEO
Sue Morris Finley @suefinleysuefinley@thetdn.com
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT
Gary King @garykingTDN
garyking@thetdn.com
European Editor
Emma Berry @collingsberry
emmaberry@thetdn.com
Associate International Editor
Heather Anderson @HLAndersonTDN

Wednesday, January 3, 2024

Business Development Manager
Alayna Cullen Birkett @AlaynaCullen
alaynacullen@thetdn.com
Associate European Editor
Brian Sheerin @BrianSheerin91
Cafe Racing
Sean Cronin & Tom Frarycaferacing@thetdn.com
Contributing Editors
Alan Carasso
Christina Bossinakis
Regular Columnists
Chris McGrath | John Berry
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Alycia Borer
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Ireland’s leading stallion farms open their doors for the 2024 ITM Irish Stallion
Trail on January 12-13. More info. | Yeomanstown StudITBA SEMINAR TO FOCUS ON NH BREEDING ISSUES

7

Issues surrounding jump breeding will be focal point of an upcoming
seminar given by the ITBA later this month.

KESSAAR ON THE MOVE TO ITALY AFTER SALE

7

A son of Kodiac (GB), Kessaar (Ire) won a brace of juvenile group races,
and is the sire of one stakes winner. He will stand at Scuderia Melissa
Cipriani on behalf of Renew Italian Breeding.

MEGAHERTZ RELATIVE TO STEP OUT AT KEMPTON
A son of Ulysses (Ire) out of a full-sister to multiple Grade I winner
Megahertz (GB) (Pivotal {GB}) will debut at Kempton on Wednesday.

8

TDN EUROPE • PAGE 3 OF 8 • THETDN.COM

10 Predictions For 2024 Cont. from p1
Of course, Dettori has committed to ride on in America for the
winter but, what happens after that? What happens if a
big-ticket ride becomes available for a Guineas or a Derby?
Don't tell me that Dettori, who arguably rode as well last year as
he has in years, is going to give up on that opportunity for thesake of staying true to his word?
The farewell tour served its purpose and generated a subplot
for almost every major meeting that Dettori rode at in 2023.
However, the thought that we have seen the last of Frankie inEurope is not something I'd be taking short odds on this year.

Classic Glory On The Cards For Blue Point?
From a bloodstock perspective, Blue Point hogged just as manyheadlines as Frankie did throughout 2023. Tipped by many toscoop first-season sire honours, Blue Point delivered in no
uncertain terms, coming up trumps with two genuine
top-notchers in Big Evs and Rosallion.
The latter has real claims of bagging Classic glory for his young
sire sensation this year and is just 12-1 to land the 2,000
Guineas. Big Evs proved he is a classy sprinter to look forward towhen bagging the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf and the likelihoodof him landing a major sprint in Europe is strong.
It's worth noting that Blue Point's most famous triumphs, hisback-to-back Royal Ascot successes in the King's Stand S. andDiamond Jubilee S. back in 2019, came in his five-year-old
campaign. The best may yet be to come from his progeny in2024 and beyond and, if he is to bag a breakthrough Classic
success, perhaps it may come through Rosallion in the Irish
2,000 Guineas provided City Of Troy stays away.

Bank On Sangster To Have A Big Year
Speaking of breakthrough successes at the highest level, there
is a chance that up-and-coming trainer Ollie Sangster can bag afirst Group 1 or even Classic victory with stable star Shuwari thisseason.
Grandson of the late Robert Sangster, Ollie has done his bit tokeep the family name in lights and enjoyed a stellar debut
season as a trainer by sending out 13 winners from 81 runners,
highlighted by the Fillies' Mile runner-up Shuwari.
According to those who know Sangster best, there are few
trainers who work as hard as the 27-year-old, who would bethoroughly deserving of a major day in the sun in 2024. Here's
hoping Shuwari can provide Sangster just that and her 1,000
Guineas claims would be greatly aided by the word soft
appearing in the going description.
Cont. p4

WEDNESDAY • 3 JANUARY 2024

TDN EUROPE • PAGE 4 OF 8 • THETDN.COM

Ollie Sangster | Keeneland

Tough Task For City Of Troy To Live Up To Lofty
Reputation
City Of Troy proved himself to be something out of theordinary as a two-year-old by going unbeaten in three starts,
culminating with a jaw-dropping performance in the Dewhurst.
It was after the Dewhurst where Aidan O'Brien described CityOf Troy as being the best two-year-old he has ever trained while
Michael Tabor took it up a notch or two by comparing the horse
to Frankel.
City Of Troy has generated much debate since that brilliant
Dewhurst display but perhaps it might be wisest to side with
Mick Kinane, who, in acknowledging the awesome talent the
Ballydoyle-trained colt clearly has, said that he still has a lot toprove in order to be compared with the likes of Sea The Stars
and Frankel.
Certainly at this juncture, City Of Troy would appear the most
likely winner of the 2,000 Guineas, which his generaleven-money odds reflects. However, whether we will be
speaking of him in the same ilk as Frankel come the end of theseason, now that is a big ask.
One thing that isn't up for debate is that Justify is quickly
confirming himself as a very serious stallion, not only in Americaand Australia, but also in Europe. Not long after City Of Troy
recorded his Dewhurst demolition, Justify's daughter Opera
Singer did something similar in the Prix Marcel Boussac.
Both horses sit at the head of the 2,000 and 1,000 Guineas
betting respectively and it will be fascinating to see how theircareers progress this term.

Japan To Win The Derby
Now this would be a bit of fun; what if Japan were to win the
Derby? Or, if I was to be more specific, what if trainer Yoshito

WEDNESDAY • 3 JANUARY 2024

Yahagi was to take out another major prize on the international
circuit by sending out a brother to Sottsass to score at Epsom?
You know, it's not impossible.
Shin Emperor is clearly bred for the job. Bought by Yahagi, who
has recorded major success at the Breeders' Cup, Dubai World
Cup and Saudi Cup meetings in recent years, for i2.1 million at
Arqana in 2021, Shin Emperor has always been held in highregard.
A Group 3 winner already in Japan, he went down by less thana length in the G1 Hopeful S. at Nakayama over the festive
period, doing his reputation no harm in the process.
Yahagi is famous for travelling his horses all over the world
and, in Shin Emperor, he has a colt who clearly fits the Derby
profile being a brother to the Arc winner Sottsass. In betting
terms, this is one of the more fanciful predictions for 2024, butwhat a story it would be.

Pinatubo To Emulate Blue Point
Sottsass, of course, is one of the first-season stallions thatmany enthusiasts are looking forward to this year. While hisstock has gone down extremely well, highlighted by the sale of ai525,000 colt at Arqana last year, it seems as though everyone
who is anyone is tipping Pinatubo to emulate Blue Point by
coming up trumps for Darley yet again.
Many of the top industry judges hitched their wagon to Blue
Point's wheel last year and we all know how that ended. The
same theme developed at the yearling and foal sales last yearwith Pinatubo and to a similar extent with fellow Darley stallions
Earthlight and Ghaiyyath. One thing's for certain: Darley appears
to hold all the aces with a view towards this year's first-season
sires' championship and, while it is only January, few people will
be betting against Pinatubo being a big success. Cont. p5

Pinatubo in his paddock | Darley

TDN EUROPE • PAGE 5 OF 8 • THETDN.COM

10 Predictions For 2024 Cont.
It should also be noted how well Hello Youmzain performed
with his stock at the sales in France. He could be well placed toclinch champion first-season honours in France.

Breeze-Ups To Stay Strong
Despite Market
Correction

WEDNESDAY • 3 JANUARY 2024

is Blandford Bloodstock's Richard Brown but, perhaps mostinteresting of all, will be the bloodstock agent's buying on behalfof Wathnan Racing.
Wathnan Racing embarked on ownership in Britain with anumber of statement victories,
none more so than when private
purchase Courage Mon Ami won
the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot onjust his fourth career start.
It's likely that Wathnan Racing,which is the ownership vehicleof the Emir Of Qatar, can gofrom strength to strength in
2024.

There were some toughmoments in 2023 and it's fair tosay that the yearling andbreeding stock sales were astruggle for many. Market
correction was a term we heard
plenty of as many of the key
Tough Times Ahead For
figures at some of the major
Smaller Breeders
sales in Europe settled back into
Ed Harper of Whitsbury Manor
pre-Covid levels.
Stud said something frightening
With that in mind, there is
Yoshito Yahagi | Emma Berryin a recent TDN Q&A. Whenunderstandably somecommenting on some of theapprehension heading into the new year and the first major
smaller clients of his who enjoyed a touch when selling foals by
metric into how well things are going in 2024 will come at thethe stud's superstar stallion Havana Grey, he revealed that forbreeze-up sales.
many, their big payday would be just enough to keep themBut just how much of a correction can we expect to see here?
going for just a few more years, such are the choppy waters the
There seems to be a huge demand for the ready-to-run horses
smaller breeders are navigating through right now.
and the breeze-up sales have never been a more popular
If you were to take an X-ray of the breeding game in its current
shopping outlet for international buyers than it is now.
form and peg it into the light, it wouldn't make for pretty
It should also be noted that unbeaten two-year-old and dual
reading, especially in Britain.
Group 1 winner Vandeek, who
That was there for everyone tosold to Anthony Stroud forsee on the first and last days of
625,000gns at the Craven
the foal sales at Tattersalls in
Breeze-Up Sale at Tattersalls lastDecember where many key
year, did his bit to fly the flag forstakeholders voiced their
this sector of the market.
concerns about the future of the
In many ways, the breeze-up
smaller breeder in Britain.
market could be viewed as
Of course, this is not a problem
something of an anomaly as,
exclusive to Britain, but Brexit
similar to the point-to-point
and the lack of small-timesphere, there should, in theory,buyers and pinhookers getting
always be a demand for a good
into the game compared tohorse.
Ireland clearly contributed to
The middle to upper tiers cansome of those frightening
be expected to be solid at thefigures.
breeze-up sales come the spring
Richard Brown | Zuzanna Lupa
It begs the question; for how
but it will be interesting to see
long can this continue? Where there is a will there's a way, andhow the median and clearance rates hold up.
in that same Q&A, Harper called on smaller breeders to take alook at themselves in the mirror when it comes to breeding
Wathnan Racing To Continue Its Marchhorses for the sales ring. Cont. p6
One man who is sure to be out in force at the breeze-up sales

TDN EUROPE • PAGE 6 OF 8 • THETDN.COM

10 Predictions For 2024 Cont.
Some will take that advice and reinvest but, inevitably, more
will slip away. It appears as though there could be some toughtimes ahead for the smaller breeders.

No Sign Of Polarisation Slowing Down Over Jumps
On a similarly depressing theme, there doesn't appear to be
any pause to polarisation in the markets, particularly when it
comes to the National Hunt game. There could be a different
winner to ever race at the Cheltenham festival and, chances are,people will still be honing in on the same two stallions at the
major store sales.
King George hero Hewick once again reminded that a goodhorse can come from anywhere. Shark Hanlon's 800 quid
wonder is by Virtual, a son of Pivotal and, without doing thehorse a disservice, is what many would describe as a non
descript stallion.
But here he is, siring the winner of one of the most importantjumps races of the year, and once again proving that the love ismore readily shared than what some would lead you to believe
over jumps.

JRA Ex-Racehorse Clinic Cont. from p1
Held in conjunction with Godolphin's Lifetime Care
programme, the programme also featured guest appearancesfrom top jockeys Christophe Lemaire and Hiroshi Kitamura to
discuss the versatility of the Thoroughbred.
"It's been absolutely brilliant," Martin told TDN as the clinic
wrapped up. "This is the fourth time we've done this clinic andit's awesome coming out to Japan, working with all the Japaneseriders with a lot of retired racehorses. There were 36 horses
here at the clinic and we were lucky enough to use the venue
where the Tokyo Olympics were held, right in the centre of thecity."
The work did not all take place in the saddle, however, withclassroom sessions supplementing the ridden phases in thearena. A number of the riders in attendance were repeat visitorsfrom previous clinics, and one former attendee now works for
Martin as the head rider at his stable in Pennsylvania.
"We had an awesome group of riders. They were all
passionate about restarting Thoroughbreds in their second
career once they've finished racing," he said.
"There was an assortment of off-the-track Thoroughbreds:
some that had not finished racing long ago, and then a few thathave been converted into sport horses for a couple of seasons.
We had six or seven groups, some Thoroughbreds looking tochange career into eventing, a number into showjumping, andthen a couple of groups of dressage."

WEDNESDAY • 3 JANUARY 2024

Martin is a fervent believer in the power of the Thoroughbred
in other disciplines, especially his own field of three-day
eventing. He speaks from experience, too, having campaigned
the American-bred former racehorse Blackfoot Mystery, agelding by Out Of Touch whom he took all the way to the
Olympics.
He said, "In the sport of eventing, our most influential phase is
the cross-country, where we need an animal that's got stamina
and endurance and athleticism to take us around the courses.
And the off-the-track Thoroughbred is the ultimate breed. The
horses are born and bred to gallop and run, and their spirit andnature is just a horse that gives its all. And if we can find ones
that are good at the dressage and showjumping, there's no
better horse in the world."
Martin continued, "I rode an off-the-track Thoroughbredaround the Rio Olympics in 2016. And through my success there,
I had to give a speech at the Preakness on how unbelievable thishorse was. Blackfoot Mystery came through a retired racehorse
programme.
"At the same time, the folks from Godolphin and the JRA andthe National Riding Club Association of Japan were really looking
to change the culture a bit in Japan and to make sure that thehorses had a second chance of a new career once they finishedracing here, and that's how I ended up getting involved.
"With the racing in Japan, there's a lot of longer-distance
racing. The Thoroughbreds here are bigger, stronger animals.
And they're just beautifully suited to a second career as a sport
horse because they are big-boned and they're tall and rangy,
and the majority of them have just wonderful movements."
Blackfoot Mystery went from being unsold when offered as ayearling to making three underwhelming starts on the track in
California before eventually finding his metier at five-star levelin eventing, the equivalent of being a Group 1 winner. Cont. p7

Boyd Martin with visiting jockeys
Hiroshi Kitamura and Christophe Lemaire

TDN EUROPE • PAGE 7 OF 8 • THETDN.COM

WEDNESDAY • 3 JANUARY 2024

JRA Ex-Racehorse Clinic Cont.
The fact that, with Martin, he represented America at the
Olympics at the age of 12 is also testament to the great
durability of Thoroughbreds, wherever their second walk of life
may take them.
"It's something I'm very passionate about, and I'm very
honoured and privileged that they'd have me out here to do
this," said Martin.
"This is the fourth year we've done it. And each year thequality of training and the quality of riding is getting better andbetter."Trainer and National Hunt breeder Lorna Fowler will host the seminar
Emma Berry

ITBA TO HOST SEMINAR ON CHALLENGES
FACING IRISH NH BREEDING
The Irish Thoroughbred Breeders' Association (ITBA) will stage
a seminar to discuss the issues surrounding jump breeding in the
country on Wednesday, January 17 at The Lord Bagenal in
Leighlinbridge, Co Carlow.
Entitled >Jumping into the Future: The Challenges Facing Irish
National Hunt Breeding', the debate will be led by trainer andbreeder Lorna Fowler of Rahinston Farm and Stud. The panel
consists of bloodstock agents Anthony Bromley and Bertrand Le
Metayer, breeder and stud owner Peter Molony, vet andconsignor Walter Connors, and Tattersalls Ireland director
Richard Pugh.
Doors will open at 6 p.m. and attendees are encouraged toarrive early to take advantage of a networking opportunity prior
to the start of the seminar at 6:30 p.m.
ITBA chair Cathy Grassick said, "I am excited at the prospect ofhearing from our expert panel on all issues relevant to ourindustry. This is a crucial time for the market and an important
event for everyone to voice their opinion."
William Flood, who chairs the ITBA National Hunt committee,
added, "This is a very important time for the industry in light ofrecent results at the sales. Our National Hunt committee hasgathered an expert panel to help talk through these important
topics."Those intending to attend the seminar must register via email
on ddeveney@itba.ie or by calling the ITBA on 045 877 543.
ITBA members and non-members are welcome to attend thisfree event, at which light refreshments will be provided.

KESSAAR ON THE MOVE TO ITALY
Former Irish-based stallion Kessaar (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}-Querulous, by Raven=s Pass) has been purchased by Renew
Italian Breeding and will stand at Scuderia Melissa Cipriani in
Castelnuovo Berardenga, Italy this year. Standing for i5,000,
the stallion will be administered by Mattia Cadrobbi andmanaged by Marco Bozzi and Guido Berardelli.
Bred by Tally-Ho Stud, the G2 Mill Reef S. and G3 Sirenia S.
hero was a 100,000gns Tattersalls October yearling, and raced in
the colours of Mohammed Al Qatami and Khalid Al Mudhaf
while trained by John Gosden. Winning three of his seven career
starts--all at two--Kessaar retired to Tally-Ho Stud in 2019.
Cont. p8

Kessaar | Tally-Ho/De Burgh Productions

TDN EUROPE • PAGE 8 OF 8 • THETDN.COM

Kessaar Cont.
His extended family features GII Pennsylvania Derby and GII
Ohio Derby winner and sire Gone Astray (Dixie Union), and hiseldest foals are 4-year-olds.
At stud, he has sired 46 winners anchored by Italian stakes
winner Melfi (Ire), who was third in the G2 Gran Criterium. His
first-crop filly Ipanema Princess (Ire) was third in the G3 Prix Six
Perfections, and he has an additional pair of stakes horses todate.
Standing alongside the Italian newcomer is Frankel (GB)=s halfbrother Morpheus (GB), who will command i3,500.

OBSERVATIONS
on the European racing scene

RELATIVE OF MEGAHERTZ SET FOR
KEMPTON DEBUT
17.30 Kempton, Nov, ,7,000, 3yo/up, f/m, 8f (AWT)Sir Mark Prescott representative APOSTLE (GB) (Ulysses {Ire}), is
the ninth foal out of dual G3 Dahlia S. victrix and G1 Matron S.
runner-up and dual G1 Falmouth S. placegetter Heaven Sent
(GB) (Pivotal {GB}), herself a full-sister to GI Yellow Ribbon S.
and GI John C Mabee H. heroine Megahertz (GB). Cheveley Park
Stud=s homebred chestnut, who is a half-sister to the stakesplaced duo Seven Heavens (GB) (Frankel {GB}) and Firmament(GB) (Cape Cross {Ire}), encounters one dozen rivals in thisdebut.

CONDITIONS RESULTS:
1st-Wolverhampton, ,5,700, Cond, 1-2, 4yo/up, 8f 142y (AWT),
1:51.32, st.
ROMANOVICH (IRE) (g, 5, Dark Angel {Ire}--My Favourite Thing{GB}, by Oasis Dream {GB}) Lifetime Record: 11-2-1-1, $11,062.
O-The Cross Racing Club; B-Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al
Maktoum (IRE); T-John O=Shea. *,17,000 3yo >22 TATAJ.
ADDITIONAL MAIDEN WINNERS:
Inner Temple (Ire), c, 3, Inns Of Court (Ire)--Teeline (Ire), by
Exceed And Excel (Aus). Wolverhampton, 1-2, 7f 36y (AWT),
1:29.19. Lifetime Record: 3-1-0-2, $7,212. B-Brian Canning &Tom Kelly (IRE). *i55,000 Ylg >22 TATIRY.

WEDNESDAY • 3 JANUARY 2024

Rubellite (Ire), f, 4, Iffraaj (GB)--Posh Claret (GB), by Royal
Applause (GB). Wolverhampton, 1-2, 9f 104y (AWT), 2:02.46.
Lifetime Record: 8-1-0-0, $4,020. B-Grasshopper Bloodstock(IRE). *40,000gns Wlg >20 TATFOA; 95,000gns Ylg >21 TATOCT;
9,000gns 3yo >23 TATAPR; 5,000gns 3yo >23 TATSUM.
Elusive Tiger (Ire), c, 4, Jungle Cat (Ire)--Purple Tiger (Ire), by
Rainbow Quest. Wolverhampton, 1-2, 9f 104y (AWT), 2:03.62.
Lifetime Record: 11-1-1-1, $8,736. B-Rabbah Bloodstock Ltd(IRE). *7,000gns 3yo >23 TATFEB. **1/2 to Taajub (Ire) (Exceed
And Excel {Aus}), MGSP-Eng, $397,056.

CONDITIONS RESULTS:
7th-Pau, i22,000, Cond, 1-2, 4yo/up, 10f (AWT), 2:04.30,
st.
PATRICK SARSFIELD (FR) (g, 8, Australia {GB}--Ultra Appeal{Ire}, by Lawman {Fr}) Lifetime Record: GSW-Ire, G1SP-Ger,
GSP-Fr & SP-Eng, 28-7-6-5, i267,644. O-Zacarias Sarmiento
Llovell; B-China Horse Club International (FR); T-Oscar Alberto
Anaya. *i140,000 Ylg >17 ARQAUG; 230,000gns 3yo >19 TATJUL;
37,000gns 6yo >22 TATAUT.
ADDITIONAL MAIDEN WINNERS:
Silpeny (Fr), f, 3, Penny=s Picnic (Ire)--Silly Lady (Fr), by Linngari(Ire). Pau, 1-2, 10f (AWT), 2:08.00. B-Mme Pascale Papon &Mme Delphine Guillemin (FR).
Le Phocea (Fr), c, 3, Zelzal (Fr)--Dreamtic (Fr), by Hernando (Fr).
Pau, 1-2, 10f (AWT), 2:05.40. B-Pierre Lamy & Horse & Feed
CV (FR). *i6,000 Ylg >22 ARQOCT.

Dane Robinson Looking Forward To Magics
Successful Trials For China Horse Club
Arabian Summer To Contest Millions
More Autumn Aims For Legarto
J-Mac Returns To Australia After HK StintGROUP ENTRIES
Friday, Meydan, Dubai, post time: 21:00p
ZABEEL MILE-G2, AED850,000, NH & SH 4yo+ & SH 3yo, 1600mT
SC
PP
HORSE
SIRE
1
3
Bright Melody (Ire)
Dubawi (Ire)2
8
El Patriota (Uru)
Ecologo (Arg)
312
El-Unico (Brz)
War Secretary
4
10First Constitution (Chi)Constitution
5
9
In Crowd (GB)Dubawi (Ire)6
1
Marbaan (GB)Oasis Dream (GB)7
6
Marshall Plan (GB)Golden Horn (GB)811
On The Warpath (GB)
Declaration Of War
92
Real World (Ire)
Dark Angel (Ire)1013
San Donato (Ire)
Lope De Vega (Ire)11
7
Sean (Ger)
Excelebration (Ire)124
Tamborrada (GB)Dubawi (Ire)135
Western Writer (Ire)
Shamardal

TRAINER
Bouresly
Olascoaga
Olascoaga
Al Mheiri
Bin Ghadayer
Costa
Al Shemaili
Aashour
Bin Suroor
WatsonOsborneBin Harmash
Seemar

JOCKEY
Hernandez Salas
Crowley
Da Silva
Pinheiro
Barzalona
Coen
Castano Mateus
Santiago
DemuroDobbs
De Vries
BeasleyO’Shea

WT
125
125
125
125
125
125
125
125
125
125
125
125
125

Friday, Meydan, Dubai, post time: 20:25p
DUBAWI S.-G3, AED700,000, NH & SH 4yo/up & SH 3yo, 1200m
SC
PP
HORSE
SIRE
1
7
Sound Money
Flatter
2
13
Tuz
Oxbow
3
9
Beolmaui Star (Kor)
To Honor And Serve
4
10
Colour Up (Ire)Mehmas (Ire)511
DemainMore Than Ready6
2
Eastern World (Ire)
Dubawi (Ire)7
4
Leading Spirit (Ire)
Exceed And Excel (Aus)8
8Magic Petition
Good Magic
9
6
Major Cinnamon
Tapiture
103MorningMunnings
11
5
Mouheeb
Flatter
1212Never Just A Dream (Ire)No Nay Never
13
1
Rawy
FrostedTRAINER
WatsonSeemarLyul Bark
WatsonGraffard
Bin Harmash
SeemarBin Harmash
Al Baidhaei
SeemarCosta
Mohammed
Al Mheiri

JOCKEY
Dobbs
O’SheaSeo
Buick
Barzalona
Beasley
Cosgrave
De Vries
Van Rensburg
MullenCoen
Pinheiro
Demuro

WT
127
127
125
125
125
125
125
125
125
125
125
125
125

*All posts are displayed in local time.