Graham Motion

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...

Churchill Downs will host two Grade III races to go with your turkey and gravy Thursday, while Del Mar will add its own graded event for dessert. The GIII Cardinal S. opens the holiday action in Louisville with a field of seven fillies and mares expected to go nine furlongs over the Churchill turf. CHP Racing's Saffron Moon (Malibu Moon), the 2-1 morning-line favorite, is making her first start against stakes company for trainer Chad Brown. The 4-year-old has three wins in four turf appearances and is coming off a...

In a movement spearheaded by Aron Wellman of Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Gary Barber, a group of 36 prominent horsemen have joined together in support of the fight against antisemitism. The horsemen have pledged a donation of a portion of their  Breeders' Cup earnings to the organization Stand Up to Jewish Hate. "Together, we support the fight against Jewish hate and antisemitism and stand with Israel's mission to eliminate all forms of terrorism," a statement from the group read. "In a united effort, we are committed to donating a portion...

Celebrating 40 Years of the Breeders' Cup John Henry famously didn't make it to the Breeders' Cup. Da Hoss famously did, after a two-year layoff with a mere allowance prep. In this industry, where geldings at the elite levels are the exception and not the norm, those geldings tend to become beloved fan favorites. Perhaps it's because they often have longer race careers than their compatriots whose breeding careers must be considered. Right up there in the lexicon of the special 31 geldings to have won a Breeders' Cup are...

Officials at the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) and the Jockeys' Guild have announced that members of the newly formed Jockey Mental Health Steering Committee and Advisory Council have been appointed. An inaugural meeting of the new groups will take place Tuesday, Oct. 3 at Columbia University in New York City. The Steering Committee, led by Ambassador Earle Mack, was created with a collective goal of driving research, programming, and resources towards jockey mental wellness initiatives. The steering committee members are as follows: Ambassador Earle Mack; Denali Stud's Craig...

5th-DEL, $38K, Msw, 2yo, 5 1/2f, 2:30 p.m. AMERICAN WAR HERO (Constitution) will make his first start for owner Boardshorts Racing. The dark bay colt brought $165,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Yearling Sale in July before running a furlong at 10.1 during the breeze show and then pinhooked for $625,000 at the OBS March Sale. The Graham Motion trainee is out of GISP Libby's Tail (Tiz Wonderful) who also produced a yearling colt by Improbable that went for $135,000 at the Keeneland September Sale to Michael Rullo. TJCIS PPS 5th-CD, $120K,...

In this series, the TDN takes a look at notable successes of European-based sires in North America. This week's column is highlighted by the victory of Queen Of The Mud during Belmont Park's card at Aqueduct this past weekend. Only Mud Larks Wanted Siena Farm, Michael Kisber, Peter Deutsch, and Stuart Grant's The Elkstone Group's Queen Of The Mud (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) won at the Belmont at the Big A meet on Thursday (video). Trained by Graham Motion, the daughter of Jawlaat (Ire) (Shamardal) was making her second start after...

Dodging raindrops, Tok Tok (Quality Road) ran home a winner in his second career race for Graham Motion after he broke his maiden over the grass sprinting at Colonial Downs by half a length July 27. Sent off as a 5-1 shot here, the bay colt broke alertly, moved to rail and then settled third into the first turn as filly Determined Sail (Bernardini) showed the way. Under a slow half at :50.17, Tok Tok launched his bid around far turn, was hemmed in briefly, but once free, he ran...

Jonathan Sheppard, an acclaimed Racing Hall of Fame trainer whose accomplishments extended from steeplechase race meets to the highest levels of Thoroughbred racing, died Sunday, Aug. 27, at his home in Hollywood, Fla. He was 82. The British-born horseman had retired from training early in 2021 with records that will, in several instances, stand forever. He was the National Steeplechase Association's all-time leading trainer by wins with 1,242 victories beginning in 1966, and his horses earned almost $25-million on the jumps circuit. Both are records. He was the steeplechase sport's...

Lexington, Kentucky native Alex G. Campbell Jr., who campaigned the likes of GSWs winner Karlovy Vary, Mean Mary and Bye Bye Melvin, died in Delray, Florida, Tuesday. He was 95. In addition to Karlovy Vary, who annexed Keeneland's GI Ashland S. in 2012, Campbell previously campaigned Turk O Witz, winner of the 1995 Santa Maria H. in addition to 1996 Big 'Cap scorer Mr Purple. Also running in his colors, dual graded stakes winner Ultra Brat, and Grade III victor It's Tea Time. A member of The Jockey Club for...

1st-SAR, $136k, Msw, 2yo, f, 1 1/16mT, 1:10 p.m. ET The Niarchos Family's Flaxman Holdings went to $1.3 million for GI Jenny Wiley S. heroine Daisy Devine (Kafwain) at the 2013 Keeneland November Sale, and her daughter CARINA NEBULA (Into Mischief) gets her first taste of the races Sunday. The versatile dam, who also won the 2011 GII Fair Grounds Oaks, is a 100% producer from five to the races, and Carina Nebula makes the trip up from Fair Hill, where she most recently breezed five furlongs over the all-weather...

A pair of Grade I events for 3-year-olds on grass will co-anchor a loaded 12-race program at Belmont Park Saturday. European invader The Foxes (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}), a narrow winner of the G2 Dante S. May 18 and fifth-place finisher after stumbling at the start in the G1 English Derby June 3, will make the trip across the pond for trainer Andrew Balding for the GI Belmont Derby Invitational. The 7-2 morning-line favorite, drawn widest of all in post 11, will square off against 10 rivals, including GII Pennine Ridge...