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Dubai World Cup Winner Victoire Pisa Retired

Victoire Pisa, winner of the 2011 Dubai World Cup Sponsored by Emirates Airline (UAE-I), has been retired from racing to stand at stud at Teruya Yoshida's Shadai Farm in Japan.

Patrick Valenzuela Announces Retirement

Kentucky Derby (gr. I)-winning jockey Patrick Valenzuela, 49, announced his retirement Dec. 9, agent Tom Knust confirmed.

Hat Trick Sires First Winner

Hat Trick, a Japanese-bred group I winner, came through with his first winner when his son Dabirsim won by 10 lengths at La Teste de Buch in France.

Valenzuela To The Top?

Jockey Pat Valenzuela, who rode Sunday Silence to victory in the 1989 Kentucky Derby, looks for a repeat aboard Comma to the Top.

Invincible Spirit Sets NA/European Record

Irish stallion Invincible Spirit closed out 2010 with a record but it was a record for the number of 2-year-old winners in a single year for a stallion standing in either North America or Europe.

Belmont: Tour of the Track Beneficial

For a trainer to find success in the 1 1/2-mile Belmont Stakes (gr. I) it might be good if their horse is familiar with 'Big Sandy.'

Through The Lens: '80s Flashback

Take a trip to the '80s as I revisit the victories by Ferdinand, Alysheba, Winning Colors, and Sunday Silence. As well as some of the other characters I found along the way.

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Unbeaten Mendip Tops UAE Derby Cast

Son of Harlan's Holiday one of three Goldophin interests in a full field of 3-year-olds battling for $2 million at Meydan.

Five Questions: John Asher

Churchill Downs' vice-president of communications discusses the activity in Pool One of the 2010 Kentucky Derby Future Wager.

Five Questions: Joe De Francis

Former president of the Maryland Jockey Club heads group that seeks to purchase the MJC from a bankrupt Magna Entertainment Corp.

Breeders' Cup Bracket Battles Round 2

Congratulations to Breeders' Cup Bracket Battles Round 1 winners. Round 2 voting is now underway. Cast your votes today and register for a chance to win weekly prizes from YouBet.com.

Top Japanese Stallion Agnes Tachyon Dead

Agnes Tachyon, the world's leading stallion by progeny earnings last year, died June 22 of apparent heart failure.

Mahubah's Corner: Unrivaled

For Sunday Racing Co., life could not be better. The partnership heads into the Derby with a colt that was not only sired by one Derby winner but is half-brother to another - talk about pedigree. And that colt won his final pre-Derby race impressively April 19 to establish himself as the probable favorite for the big race.

Hat Trick to Shuttle to Argentina

Hat Trick, who stands at John T.L. Jones III's Walmac Farm near Lexington, will shuttle to Argentina for the 2009 Southern Hemisphere breeding season.

Silent Name's First Foal

The first foal by Sunday Silence's son Silent Name is a colt born Jan. 17 at Frank Stronach's Adena Springs near Paris, Ky.

Daiwa Scarlet World Tour '09?

MAHUBAH'S CORNER, by Avalyn Hunter Daiwa Scarlet (JPN) staked out a place among racing's queens with a victory in the prestigious Arima Kinen (Jpn-I). Just the fourth female to win the race, her victims included just about every top Japanese male still in training, including 2007 Arima Kinen winner Matsurida Gogh (JPN); 2008 Japan Cup (Jpn-I) winner Screen Hero (JPN), and 2006 Japanese champion 3-year-old male Meisho Samson (JPN).

Sky Mesa Colt Tops; Day's Market off 36%

A weanling colt by Sky Mesa sold for $77,000 during the Nov. 14 session of Keeneland's November breeding stock sale. The day's gloomy final figures weren't any different from the rest of the sessions, with the gross off 36% from last year's figures.

Valenzuela Wins 4,000th Race

Patrick Valenzuela, whose career as a jockey has been both troubled and brilliant, won his 4,000th race Oct. 9. His milestone victory came at Louisiana Downs aboard Burst of Light in a one-mile allowance/optional claiming event.

Valenzuela Eyes Louisiana Downs Return

Jockey Patrick Valenzuela, on three years' probation for a California DUI and unable to apply for a riding license in that state until Dec. 31 of this year, plans to begin riding races at Louisiana Downs in Bossier City, La., according to a report in the Daily Racing Form.

Arrest Warrant Issued for Valenzuela

A warrant has been issued in a California county for the arrest of jockey Patrick Valenzuela, who failed to appear at a recent hearing associated with a charge against him for driving under the influence.

Tale of Ekati Takes Wood from War Pass

Charles Fipke's homebred Tale of Ekati may have turned in a sub-par effort in the Louisiana Derby (gr. II), but he sparkled at Aqueduct when he ran down War Pass in the final strides of the $750,000 Wood Memorial (gr. I) April 5.

Agnes Gold's First Foal

Agnes Gold, a Japanese grade II winner by Sunday Silence, was represented by his first foal from his initial North American crop when a colt out of the Alphabet Soup mare Call Out was born March 7.

The Art of Matsurida Gogh

MAHUBAH'S CORNER, by Avalyn Hunter

When Fumie Takahashi's 4-year-old colt Matsurida Gogh swept across the finish line of the Arima Kinen (JPN-I), all Japan was once again reminded of the loss of Sunday Silence. A member of the stallion's last crop, Matsurida Gogh's upset victory, his first in a group I event, placed an exclamation point on the legacy of Japan's greatest sire.

Grade II Winner Silent Name Retired

Silent Name, a grade II winner by Sunday Silence, has arrived at Frank Stronach's Adena Springs Kentucky near Paris, where he will enter stud for $7,500.

Vermilion Scores in Japan Cup Dirt

Sunday Racing's Vermilion saved ground on the backstretch and accelerated past the leaders in the final furlong to win the $2.4-million Japan Cup Dirt (Jpn-I) by 1 1/4 lengths on Nov. 24, in the process setting a new record on the Tokyo Racecourse main track.

'Major Repeats in Mile Championship

Favored Daiwa Major made it back-to-back victories in the US$1.85 million Mile Championship Stakes (Jpn-I) Nov. 18 with a gritty neck victory over Super Hornet on the turf at Kyoto Race Course.

Japan's Dr. Tadashi Iida Dead

Dr. Tadashi Iida, a well-known owner, breeder, and veterinarian in Japan and CEO of Chiyoda Farm, that country's major breeding and training facility, passed away Nov. 15 in his native land after suffering an apparent heart attack. He was 80 years old.

Zenno Rob Roy, Jungle Pocket Will Stay in Australia

Former Japanese champions Zenno Rob Roy and Jungle Pocket have been denied access to New Zealand and instead will now stand the remainder of the embattled Southern Hemisphere season in Australia.

Walmac to Stand Sunday Silence's Champion Son, Hat Trick

Hat Trick, a champion son of Sunday Silence, will stand at Walmac Farm near Lexington, Ky., in 2008. He ran a mile in Japan in 1:32.10.

Deep Impact Bred to About 230 Mares in First Season

With the Japanese industry continuing to wait for a dominant successor to perennial leading sire Sunday Silence, who died in 2002, much of their hope seems to have fallen on Deep Impact's bay shoulders.

Paulick Joins TRF Board of Directors

Ray Paulick, editor-in-chief of The Blood-Horse, has been elected to the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation's board of directors.

Daiwa Major Captures Yasuda Kinen, Asian Mile Series

Daiwa Major won his fourth grade I race Sunday with an impressive performance in the US$1.9 million Yasuda Kinen (Jpn-I) at Tokyo Racecourse, which also sewed up the 2007 Asian Mile Challenge for the 6-year-old Sunday Silence horse.

Silent Name Speaks Up in Commonwealth

Silent Name, making his initial start on a synthetic surface, won for the first time in more than a year when he dominated 10 foes in the $400,000 Commonwealth Breeders' Cup (gr. II) at Keeneland Saturday.

Take Wins Aboard Suzuka Phoenix, Extends Streak

Suzuka Phoenix broke through for his first group I win March 25 in the Takamatsunomiya Kinen at Chukyo racecourse just outside the Japanese city of Nagoya, enabling champion jockey Yutaka Take to claim a group I triumph for the 20th consecutive season.

Louisiana Downs 2007 Stakes Schedule Worth More Than $3.4 Million

A Super Derby day worth $1.3 million, a new Super Derby prelude day, Louisiana Downs champions day, and the richest prep race in the nation for the new Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf, highlight a stakes schedule worth more than $3.4 million at Harrah's Louisiana Downs in 2007. The racing season begins Friday, May 4 and continues through Oct. 20.

Deep Impact Repeats as Japan's Horse of Year

Deep Impact collected 287 of a possible 289 (97.9%) total votes in winning the 2006 Japanese Racing Association's Horse of the Year Award for the second year in a row.

Deep Impact Ready for Stallion Duty in Japan

Great expectations are hovering over Japanese Triple Crown winner Deep Impact as he prepares for his first season at stud, with Shadai Stallion Station officials hoping he will help ignite global interest in Japanese-bred horses.

Expectations High for Latest Addition to Japan Stallion Ranks

Great expectations are hovering over Japanese Triple Crown winner Deep Impact as he prepares for his first season at stud, with Shadai Stallion Station officials hoping he will help ignite global interest in Japanese-bred horses.

Deep Impact Retired; Japanese Star Won 12 of 14 Starts

Deep Impact demolished a field of Japan's best horses to record his seventh grade I win and end his career on a tremendous high in the Arima Kinen Sunday over 2,500 meters at Nakayama racecourse.

Ouija Board Set to Take on Deep Impact, Heart's Cry in Japan Cup

Ed Dunlop, the trainer of British star Ouija Board, got some good news when he talked to the champion mare's regular exercise rider earlier this week while she was preparing for Sunday's Japan Cup (Jpn-I).

Fusaichi Pandora Awarded Japan's QE II Cup

Fusaichi Pandora was awarded victory in Sunday's Queen Elizabeth Commemorative Cup (Jpn-I) at Kyoto racecourse when the undefeated 3-year-old filly Kawakami Princess was disqualified after finishing first.

Daiwa Major Posts Tenno Sho (Autumn) Upset

Daiwa Major earned his first grade I victory in 2 1/2 years when he captured the Tenno Sho (Autumn) over 2,000 meters at Tokyo racecourse Sunday.

Silent Name to Stand at Adena Springs

Silent Name, a grade II winning son of Sunday Silence, will retire to Frank Stronach's Adena Springs near Versailles, Ky., in 2007.

Youbet.com Named Super Derby Presenting Sponsor

Harrah's Louisiana Downs Casino & Racetrack has named Youbet.com as the presenting sponsor of the track's marquee race - Super Derby XXVII - to be held Sept. 23.

'Mood Squares Accounts in CashCall Mile

The Japanese star Dance in the Mood, whose connections were disappointed when she ran second in the 2004 American Oaks (gr. IT) on the Hollywood Park turf, provided redemption Saturday when she romped to victory in the $750,000 CashCall Invitational Mile (gr. IIIT).

Deep Impact Overwhelms Japanese Foes

As expected, Japanese champion Deep Impact won Sunday's Takarazuka Kinen (Jpn-I) before 80,000 spectators convincingly in his final domestic outing at Kyoto Racecourse prior to heading to France for the Prix de l' Arc de Triomphe (Fr-I) on Oct. 1.

Deep Impact Smashes Record in Tenno Sho

Deep Impact, Japan's 2005 Horse of the Year, justified his 1-10 price with a record-smashing win in the Tenno Sho (Spring) (Jpn-I) at 3,200 meters (1.98 miles) at Kyoto racecourse Sunday.

No Stopping Heart's Cry in Sheema Classic

Heart's Cry, partnered by Christophe Lemaire and trained by Kojiro Hashiguchi, gave Japan its second win of the Dubai World Cup meeting, leading all the way to capture the $5 million Dubai Sheema Classic (UAE-I) over 2,400 meters (about 1 1/2 miles) on the Nad Al Sheba turf Saturday night.

Sundrop Breaks Through in Cardinal 'Cap

Godolphin Racing's Japanese-bred Sundrop, vanned off after her last-place finish in the Emirates Airlines Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (gr. IT) last month, swept past the field in the stretch to win the $175,050 Cardinal Handicap (gr. IIIT) on the Churchill Downs turf Saturday.

Deep Impact Wins Japan Triple Crown

A record crowd of nearly 137,000 people at Kyoto Racecourse Oct. 23 witnessed Japan's sixth Triple Crown winner, the first in 11 years and only the second to have captured the series unbeaten.