On July 3, Live Oak Stud’s homebred World Approval won the Grade 1 United Nations Handicap at Monmouth Park, and while it was not his first stakes win – so there was nothing new there – his victory in the $300,000 event pushed him closer to the $1 million mark in earnings. With that victory, World Approval (by Northern Afleet) increased his earnings to $853,450 – and he’s just 4, and just getting started by most measures when looking at his siblings.

Zenyatta, the 2010 Horse of the Year, was confirmed by her connections on Thursday to be in foal to Medaglia d’Oro for 2017.

The foal will be the fifth for the newly elected Hall of Famer, who is owned by Jerry and Ann Moss and resides at Lane’s End in Versailles, Ky. The mating was initially announced in May.

It is the first time Zenyatta was paired with Medaglia d’Oro, who stands at Darley’s U.S. base in Lexington, Ky., for an advertised fee of $150,000. Zenyatta is a daughter of the late Street Cry, who was also on the Darley roster.

Cigar Mile winner Jersey Town was represented by his first winner when the 2-year-old filly Jay Wow won a $25,000 maiden-claiming race at Presque Isle Downs today.

Owned and trained by Wayne Rice, Jay Wow won the five-furlong race over four first-time starters by two lengths in the final time of :59.62. Jay Wow, the 8-5 favorite, was making her fourth start.

Out of Ima Soul Miss, by Perfect Soul, Jay Wow was bred by Charles Fipke, who bred and raced Jersey Town. Rice purchased by the filly for $2,500 at the 2015 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky October yearling sale.

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom, whose first foals born in the Southern Hemisphere will race in the 2016-2017 season, will not be standing at stud in Australia this year in order to rest from dual hemisphere shuttle duties the past three years.

Animal Kingdom will remain at Darley in Lexington after he completes the current breeding season. The son of Leroidesanimaux had stood at Arrowfield in Scone, Australia, the past three years and will return to that farm for the 2017 breeding season.

The American experiment with synthetic surfaces did not end well. While it is arguable that the synthetic alternative was oversold and adopted in some venues without much aforethought, it is pretty much inarguable that those surfaces achieved their stated objective of reducing catastrophic front leg injuries, though they may have increased less catastrophic injuries in other parts of the equine anatomy.

Champion sprinter Cherokee Run, who went on to sire a pair of champions, has been euthanized due to declining health in his advanced age. Cherokee Run, a son of Runaway Groom, was 26.

Cherokee Run entered stud at Jonabell Farm, which was then owned by the Bell family, in 1996, and became a Darley stallion after the facility was purchased by Sheikh Mohammed in 2001. The stallion continued to call the Darley stallion barn home after being pensioned in the fall of 2009, residing alongside fellow pensioners Holy Bull (25) and Quiet American (30).

Giant Gizmo has arguably the fastest-growing résumé among Canada’s stallion ranks and could give it another high point Sunday if morning-line favorite Amis Gizmo runs up to expectations in the Queen’s Plate.

The youngest member of Canada’s top 15 sires by 2016 progeny earnings currently sits in fourth on that list with fewer runners than the three horses immediately ahead of him and behind him. A Queen’s Plate winner could take Giant Gizmo to the summit in that group.

Amis Gizmo

Giant Gizmo-Galloping Ami, by Victory Gallop

Queen’s Plate favorite Amis Gizmo, who has won five of six career starts, is looking to land a major victory Sunday for young stallion Giant Gizmo.

-- Edited Press Release –

Continuing its collaboration to raise funds for important causes, the Breeders’ Cup and Maker's Mark announced that Old Friends Farm, home to some of the most popular retired Thoroughbred racehorses, has been named the official charity beneficiary of the 2016 Breeders’ Cup World Championships and will be offering a limited edition, commemorative Zenyatta bottle of Maker's Mark.

The Jockey Club held its seventh Welfare and Safety of the Racehorse Summit at Keeneland on Tuesday, and once again it offered some sound advice for trainers, some good information for owners and breeders, plus statistics on how racing is safer today than ever before, in part due to developments from previous editions of the conference. The one-day conference attracted some 200 people to Lexington, and was simulcast online. The event covered a variety of topics that included safety of racing surfaces, nutrition, racing regulations, medications, biosecurity, and equine health.