Doug O'Neill

Vlahos (r, 3, Kantharos--Must Be Dreaming, by Run Away and Hide), a razor sharp debut winner for owner Dan Northrup and trainer Luis Mendez with a 98 Beyer Speed Figure at Santa Anita Mar. 9, has been purchased privately by Ty Leatherman and Todd Cady and transferred to Doug O'Neill. The sale price was not disclosed. The chestnut, a steal for $35,000 as a Keeneland September yearling, is aiming to make his next start in the $600,000 GII Pat Day Mile S. on the Kentucky Derby undercard. He has posted...

Juan Hernandez topped the riding standings and Doug O'Neill was the top trainer at Santa Anita's 46-day Classic Meet which concluded Sunday. For Hernandez, a 32-year-old native of Veracruz, Mexico, this was his fifth riding title at Santa Anita. He finished with 53 wins from 245 mounts and also led all jockeys in earnings with $3,683,348. "I just want to say thank you to everybody for all the support," Hernandez said. "All the owners, trainers and all the people on the backside. The grooms, the gallop boys, because they do...

Todd Cady and Ty Leatherman's TWO RIVERS OVER (g, 4, Tamarkuz--American Cowgirl, by Cowboy Cal) closed resolutely to pip dueling leaders Walk of Stars (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) and Isolate (Mark Valeski) and win the $1-million G2 Godolphin Mile. Walk Of Stars was 3/4 of a length back in second, only a nostril in front of a very game Isolate. It was the first group win for the 2023 Listed Zia Park Derby winner. Both defending Godolphin Mile winner Isolate and G2 Al Maktoum Classic second Walk of Stars flashed good...

Dual Classic winner and champion 3-year-old colt I'll Have Another (Flower Alley) has been donated to Old Friends by owner Paul Reddam. The 14-year-old former stallion arrived to the Thoroughbred retirement farm Wednesday. "Welcoming I'll Have Another is an auspicious and historic moment for Old Friends," said John Nicholson, president and CEO of Old Friends. "We are deeply grateful to Paul Reddam and Doug O'Neill for choosing Old Friends to care for this great champion and to celebrate his magnificent legacy with thousands of our annual visitors. Being able to...

Newgate (Into Mischief), recent winner of the GI Santa Anita H., was one of nine American horses to turn in breezes Saturday morning both domestically and abroad in advance of the Dubai World Cup meeting at Meydan Racecourse in two weeks' time. An $850,000 Keeneland September yearling, Newgate returned to the worktab for the first time since the Mar. 3 Big 'Cap, covering five furlongs in a bullet :58.20 (1/77) in the company of GIII Native Diver S. winner Mr Fisk (Arrogate) at Santa Anita. Frankie Dettori, who won his...

Triple Crown winner Justify (Scat Daddy) and 2017 Horse of the Year Gun Runner (Candy Ride {Arg})--both in their first year of eligibility--head a list of nine racehorses, six trainers and two jockeys who were named as finalists on this year's Hall of Fame ballot by the National Museum of Racing's Hall of Fame Nominating Committee Tuesday morning. Also on the ballot are: 2010 champion 3-year-old filly Blind Luck (Pollard's Vision), eight-time Grade I winner Game on Dude (Awesome Again), three-time Eclipse champion Gio Ponti (Tale of the Cat), 2011...

Last fall's GI Awesome Again S. winner Slow Down Andy (Nyquist--Edwina E, by Square Eddie) has reportedly suffered a sesamoid injury and has been retired from racing, according to a report in Daily Racing Form. The announcement was attributed to trainer Doug O'Neill, who also said the 5-year-old could possibly stand at stud this year. A homebred for Paul and Zillah Reddam's Reddam Racing LLC, Slow Down Andy defeated Defunded (Dialed In) and Senor Buscador (Mineshaft)--both set to contest the $20-million G1 Saudi Cup on Saturday--in the Awesome Again but...

Trainer Bob Baffert won seven consecutive editions of the GII Los Alamitos Futurity until that streak ended two years ago. The Hall of Famer will have half the field when Wynstock (Solomini), Coach Prime (Quality Road) and GSP Wine Me Up (Vino Rosso) line up for his barn on Saturday. Coach Prime was a $1.7 million Keeneland September yearling, and began to pay back owner Zedan last out with a 7 1/4-length win at Del Mar Nov. 10, earning him the status of 'TDN Rising Star'. As for his stablemates,...

Under the toughest of spotlights, the industry's collective eyes often turn to the stuff under foot. At least, that's what trainer Mark Casse did in a widely-shared TDN Q&A. "I think we really, seriously, need to look at more synthetic tracks," Casse said, triggering yet another cavalcade of commentary on the conceived benefits and blights of synthetic surfaces. "I believe in them. I believe they've got plenty of data to back that up." Former TDN writer Lucas Marquardt followed it up with an analysis of race-day fatality data through The...

Slow Down Andy (Nyquist), front-running winner of Saturday's GI Awesome Again S. at Santa Anita, will miss the GI Breeders' Cup Classic Nov. 4, according to a report in Daily Racing Form. Although he was sound following the Awesome Again, the 4-year-old came out of the race with some filling in his ankle and will get 60 days off. The Awesome Again was Slow Down Andy's first Grade I win and earned him a paid berth into the Classic as it was a "Win and You're In" race. He got...

On paper, it appeared that Pretty Mischievous (Into Mischief), coming into Parx's GI Cotillion S. off three consecutive Grade I victories for Godolphin and Brendan Walsh, held her rivals over a barrel. Despite that fact, Ceiling Crusher (Mr. Big) took full advantage of the soggy, sealed track by going to the front and never looking back enroute to a narrow victory over the 2-1 Classic winner. Breaking to the immediate inside of Pretty Mischievous, the 3-1 co-second choice flashed her usual early speed, leading Majestic Creed (Jimmy Creed) and Hoosier...

With 39 wins and over $3 million in earnings, jockey Juan Hernandez won his second straight summer meet title at Del Mar while trainer Phil D'Amato picked up his fourth trainer's title out of the last five years. Similar to 2022, the trainer's title came down to the final day. D'Amato went into the final day with a one-win lead over Baffert and two over Doug O'Neill. All three posted one winner on the day. D'Amato won the summer meet title for the second straight year with 21 victories. Last...