John Kimmel

by Jessica Martini & Stefanie Grimm OCALA, FL - The Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training rushed across the finish line with a lively session of bidding Friday and concluded its four-day run in Central Florida with a new sales record average and median and a gross just off last year's highwater mark. "It certainly felt like it picked up here at the end of the four-day stretch," said OBS Director of Sales Tod Wojciechowski. "It felt good. We were bumping up against a record [gross...

Every week, the TDN posts a roundup of the relevant Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) related rulings from around the country. Among this week's rulings, trainer Daniel Kenney has been banned18 months and fined $12,500 for possession of the thyroid drug, Levothyroxine, which HISA has listed a banned substance. Kenney's ban began on Oct. 5, 2023. In a brief explainer on the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit's (HIWU) website, HIWU Investigators allegedly found the Levothyroxine—otherwise known as Thyro-L—in one of Kenney's tack rooms at Arapahoe Park in Aurora, Colorado on Aug. 25, 2023....

Gokhan Kocakaya understood that this would be a challenge. In his native Turkey, he has won 2,910 races, was the leading rider for four straight years starting in 2019. He was riding in all of the major races and making a good living. But here he was on a chilly Monday morning galloping horses at Belmont Park, some 5,000 miles from home and in a place where almost nobody knows who he is. "I am new here," the 37-year-old jockey said through an interpreter. "I am not expecting to ride...

In a tweet sent out Tuesday afternoon, Gulfstream Park announced that Hall of Fame jockey Edgar Prado has retired. With 7,119 victories, Prado, 56, is the eighth winningest jockey in the sport's history. He has not ridden since the Jan. 6 card at Gulfstream. At deadline for this story, Prado had not returned a phone from the TDN, but told the Blood-Horse that he wanted to spend more time with his family. "It was getting harder and harder and I was wasting the time that I spent with my family,...

by Jessica Martini & Christina Bossinakis OCALA, FL-The Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's March 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale, which had four million-dollar juveniles a year ago, has matched that mark with another day to go as a colt by Good Magic topped Tuesday's trade with a sale co-record final price of $2 million. Bob Baffert, sitting in the press box alongside Donato Lanni while on the phone with Amr Zedan, made the winning bid, which matched the $2-million price tag of Chestertown (Tapit), who sold at the auction in 2019. "It...

Sean Flanagan, who has been active throughout both sessions of the OBS March sale, made his biggest splash of the auction when going to $1 million to acquire a colt by Twirling Candy (hip 433) from the Eddie Woods consignment. The juvenile, who worked a furlong in :9 4/5 last week, is out of graded-placed Divine Dawn (Divine Park), a full-sister to graded stakes winner Divine Miss Grey. The Quarter Pole Enterprises pinhooking partnership acquired the gray colt for $200,000 at last year's Keeneland September sale. Bloodstock agent Jeff Mackor...

Nearly three years following the tragic slaughter of The Lieutenant, as well as three other stallions located at Haras Barlovento in Peru, where he was standing for the 2019 southern hemisphere season, the New York-based half-brother to Triple Crown champion Justify (Scat Daddy) was represented by his first winner at Saratoga. A graded stakes winner who retired with a 4-2-1 record from 15 starts and $345,882 in earnings, The Lieutenant stood just a single season at Sequel Stallions New York where he bred a reported 46 mares before shipping south...

By Scott Finley After an opening day of casino and conventional gaming panels, the focus of Wednesday sessions was on developments in racing, including a review of the newly launched Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act and a thoughtful panel on how fixed-odds betting can positively impact the American horseracing industry. Lisa Lazarus, newly appointed CEO of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) spoke of the challenges her organization has faced in launching the initial phase of the Federal Statute that created HISA. Of the 21 states that host live...

1st-Saratoga, $88,000, (S), Msw, 8-12, 2yo, f, 5 1/2fT, 1:03.18, fm, 1 length. IM JUST KIDDIN (f, 2, Justify--Khancord Kid {GSW, $167,343}, by Lemon Drop Kid) scored here at second asking for the same connections of GI Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint shock winner Bar of Gold (Medaglia d'Oro), GISW, $1,551,000, becoming the eighth winner for her freshman sire (by Scat Daddy). Breaking well from the rail as the 4-5 favorite, the Kimmel trainee was outrun early but content to track from fourth behind :22.36 and :45.34 splits. Swung...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 1st-SAR, $88K, Msw, 2yo, f, (S), 5 1/2f, 1:05 p.m.   IM JUST KIDDIN (Justify), a homebred for prolific breeders Chester & Mary Broman, is a half-sister to GI Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint upsetter Bar of Gold (Medaglia d'Oro), who earned over $1.5 million in her career. She herself went on to produce GSW Coinage (Tapit) and $825,000 Fasig-Tipton Select Yearling Sale purchase Chulligan (Justify). Trained by John Kimmel, who also oversaw the career of her successful half-sister, Im Just Kiddin picks up...

2nd-Saratoga, $85,000, (S), Msw, 8-20, 2yo, f, 6f, 1:10.92, gd, 12 1/2 lengths. MAKIN MY MOVE (f, 2, Carpe Diem--Hard to Stay Notgo {MSW, $212,440}, by More Than Ready), bought back for $190,000 at OBS March after breezing in a bullet :9 4/5, likely left her breeders pleased with that outcome after running up the score impressively Friday. Backed down to 5-4 with some upbeat works and with leading rider Luis Saez taking the mount, the bay broke on top with Silver Fist (Iron Fist) and Trinity Titoli (Lord Nelson)...

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Even though he is healthy and enthusiastic, 91-year-old Gus Ziamandanis will not be able to attend his 70th consecutive opening day at Saratoga Race Course on Thursday, July 16. His quest for a remarkable personal milestone was stopped by New York State's coronavirus guidelines that prohibit spectators at professional sporting events. When he understood that it was unlikely that he would get into the grounds for the 10-race opener, Ziamandanis made a reservation for a table at Capital OTB's Clubhouse Race Book in Albany, 33 miles...