New Year's Eve

To look at him and to watch him, you would never know that New Years Eve (Night Conqueror) is, well, ancient. He's holding his weight and he still manages to run around his paddock when the mood strikes him. "He's doing amazingly well," said his owner, Julie Izzo. "But he has slowed down a bit." Of course he has. He's 38. [caption id="attachment_409848" align="alignleft" width="561"] New Years Eve | Sarah Andrew[/caption] As New Years Eve crept into his mid-thirties Izzo, who resides in Pennsylvania, began to do some research. Was...

The GII Edgewood S. on the Kentucky Oaks undercard became a milestone victory for owner Marc Detampel when his 'TDN Rising Star' New Year's Eve (Kitten's Joy) rallied from last to first in a competitive 10-horse field to claim the $500,000 turf contest. Detampel, who hails from Chicago, doesn't get the chance to see his racehorses on a regular basis, but when he visited New Year's Eve two weeks ago at Brendan Walsh's barn, his anticipation for the filly's next start grew. "I hadn't seen her in a while and...

First-time blinkers did the trick for 'TDN Rising Star' New Year's Eve, who uncorked a very impressive last-to-first rally to upend Friday's GII Edgewood S. on the Churchill turf. A head-turning debut winner Dec. 10 at Fair Grounds over three next-out graduates, the blaze-faced chestnut added a narrow optional claiming tally there Jan. 29. She was bounced around in the stretch of the Mar. 12 Allen Black Cat Lacombe S. back in NOLA Mar. 12, and had to settle for third that day at 9-5. More or less ignored here...

It seems nearly inconceivable that there is a stakes race for 3-year-old fillies that has not been won by trainer Chad Brown, but such is the case with Friday's $500,000 GIII Edgewood S. at Churchill Downs. It will be equally surprising if that statistical anomaly is not corrected, as the conditioner is represented by the top three choices on the morning line, though Mother Nature might have something to say about it, with daylong rains predicted. Klaravich Stables' McKulick (GB) (Frankel {GB}) was a poignant debut winner at Saratoga last...

Marc Detampel's New Year's Eve (Kitten's Joy) was overlooked at 11-1 in this career bow, but that won't happen in her next start after a good-looking graduation at Fair Grounds Friday. Squeezed out by her neighbors at the start, the chestnut raced near the back of the pack through opening splits of :24.41 and :50.24. Swung out to the center of the course in the stretch, New Year's Eve unleashed a furious late rally, sling-shotting past her competition to win going away by 1 1/2 lengths. Missoni (Flintshire {GB}) filled...

Following the news that the Irish Government has banned UK travel, no Irish-trained horses or Irish jockeys will compete in the UK through Dec. 31, Horse Racing Ireland announced on Tuesday. The travel ban will expire on New Year's Eve. In addition, declarations for UK-trained horses to race in Ireland will not be accepted during that time frame. "The concern from Government is very clear: these are exceptional times and a travel ban with the UK is a once-in-a-generation occurrence," said Horse Racing Ireland Chief Executive Brian Kavanagh. "Irish racing...