Today's Edition

When Marvin Little, Jr. passed away in July of 2017, the legendary horseman left one goal unfulfilled. The breeder of 1991 GI Preakness S. and GI Belmont S. winner Hansel wanted that missing jewel in the Triple Crown. A year plus later and Little's daughters Teresa and Marilyn hope to accomplish that dream on behalf of their late father. The sisters will take a first step in their mission with their first consignment under the Little's Bloodstock banner at the Fasig-Tipton October Sale. "The one dream my father had, he...

Jockey Andrea Atzeni is a late scratch from Champions Day after he failed to have a suspension delayed. Atzeni picked up a two-day ban, to be served Oct. 20 and 21, for a riding offence at ParisLongchamp on Oct. 6, which was reciprocated by the British Horseracing Authority, as is customary. Atzeni was approved earlier this week to have one day of the ban moved-which is generally permitted for bans in Britain four days or fewer-but because French stewards only allow jockeys to use this option once a year, and...

John Gosden's Clarehaven Stables have assembled a trophy haul from seven of this year's British Group 1 races, with another Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe also added to the coffers, but all that may just be the preamble to a Qipco British Champions Day gala performance from four of the yard's five dominant members on Saturday. All of them, Cracksman (GB) (Frankel {GB}), Roaring Lion (Kitten's Joy), Lah Ti Dar (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) and Stradivarius (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) present a formidable array of equine aptitude and will start...

First, the facts, bare and unvarnished: In 2017, 17% of the 37,483 flat races in the United States were on turf, up from 5% of 71,454 races in 1991. I wrote about this shift to turf and its relationship to the breeding industry here in March. At face value, this is a significant increase, but it's bigger than I thought, because turf racing at some of the most prestigious race meets is even more impactful when filtered for quality. After removing claiming races from totals and using only races with...

NEWMARKET, UK--Now this is a proper horse sale. A place to sort the wheat and chaff—and not just among the horses, but among buyers too. No more hiding behind the blatant pages and physiques of last week; or the commercial sires who had tended to dominate Book 2 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale. The first of two Book 3 sessions brought out the traders and trainers, the horsemen with an eye that reaches deeper than their pockets. Time after time, the name on a mid-priced docket matched that of...

Jim "Mattress Mack" McIngvale has been known for his innovative nature, his enthusiasm, his philanthropy, and for owning some fast horses. Now he's about to make his mark as a stallion owner. Runhappy, the brilliant champion sprinter he owned who won the GI 2015 Breeders' Cup, will be represented for the first time at this fall's breeding stock sales as 23 of his weanlings will go through the ring. Mattress Mack was our guest on this week's TDN podcast, brought to you by Taylor Made. Below are excepts from that...

Cracksman (GB) (Frankel {GB}) will face seven rivals in Saturday's G1 Qipco Champion S., with stablemate Roaring Lion (Kitten's Joy) not amongst them as connections opted to send the latter to the G1 Queen Elizabeth II S. Crystal Ocean (GB) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) is the chief rival to Anthony Oppenheimer's defending champion, who will sport blinkers for the first time in the main event, while Qatar Racing's G1 Eclipse S., G1 Juddmonte International S. and G1 Irish Champion S. hero Roaring Lion encounters 14 opponents including the leading filly...

NEWMARKET, UK--In the words of the song: "Now I'm returning with gold in great store." For with the first crop of No Nay Never (Scat Daddy) making such an electrifying start on the track, those who were ahead of the curve at the foal sales last year are now reaping the dividends. In the final session of Book 2 at the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, these included one old master of pinhooking in Willie Browne; a most promising recruit to the same trade in Morna McDowall; and, outstandingly on the...

Barretts hosted its final auction Tuesday with the 2018 Fall Sale at the Fairplex Park in Pomona, CA. A total of 139 horses sold for $1,419,700 during the single-session auction. "I felt the sale itself was pretty weak," said Barretts General Manager Kim Lloyd. "The stronger out August Sale got, the weaker this sale got. Our select sale has gotten stronger every year and in turn this sale weakened every year. The horses perceived as less desirable are very hard to sell and we found that to be true [Tuesday]."...

Feet up, lolling back in his chair, it would be hard to sit behind a desk with a more casual mien than John G. Sikura. But not for a moment does that glint of steely engagement fade from his gaze, from those windows onto a mind--forever questing, forever questioning--that must be counted one of the most acute and independent on the contemporary American Turf. "You have no idea what's going to work until it works," he says with a shrug. "You can have all the opinion you want; you can't...

In the midst of trade at Book 2 of its October Yearling Sale on Wednesday, Tattersalls released the catalogue for its December Foal Sale on Nov. 28 to Dec. 1. The 1,175 foals set for sale include a pair of colts by Dubawi (Ire)-out of Group 1 winner and producer Nightime (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) (Lot 1006) and Group 3 winner Lily's Angel (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) (Lot 930), respectively-from The Castlebridge Consignment, and Galileo has one filly catalogued: Lot 1010, a full-sister to triple Group 1 winner Decorated Knight (GB)....

Certainly relative to last week, this is considered "a trainer's sale"—but it sure helps if you train for Sheikh Hamdan. Two-thirds of the way through Book 2 of the Tattersalls October Sale, his Shadwell Estates have accumulated no fewer than 30 yearlings for 4,880,000gns at a median of 160,000gns—very nearly three times that of the sale overall. Shadwell already seem certain to top this catalogue for the fifth year running, and very likely with a bigger spend. Not terribly surprising, perhaps, if you can find a horse as fast as...