The reality…..   https://edition.cnn.com/2025/04/07/politics/video/us-recession-trump-treasure-secretary-quest-digvid https://edition.cnn.com/2025/04/08/politics/video/trump-tariffs-apple-iphone-prices-digvid

After having been in harness Racing for a very long time and owning a large number of good and not so good horses (first winner Sun King Claudelands Hamilton1970) one of our  current crop "Bet on Polly" has had a deadheat for 3rd and 2nd and now 1st all within the last 9weeks !!! (spooky  as never in 55 years have even had 1 DH )Maybe.., Polly just likes the Company, not complaining but our  nerves are a tangle on each DH waiting for the result (anyone match 3 deadheats in 2 months ? (and why called deadheats ?)

The New York Times Trump pressed ahead with a trade war President Trump is facing blowback from trading partners, businesses and investors over sweeping tariffs, with a new wave set to snap into effect today. Those include another 50 percent duty on China. As a result, tariffs on Chinese goods imported to the U.S. will be at least 104 percent. U.S. officials signaled that the administration was ready to negotiate deals but that would not stop stiff tariffs from taking effect. About 70 governments have approached the U.S. to try to roll the levies back, officials said in Washington. Talks are set to begin with Japan, South Korea and other nations. Trump said on social media yesterday that he had “a great call” with South Korea’s acting president about trade and tariffs. He also expressed optimism that a trade war with China could be averted. “China also wants to make a deal, badly, but they don’t know how to get it started,” Trump wrote. “We are waiting for their call. It will happen!” But China — which has threatened retaliatory tariffs against the U.S. — is not relenting. The Ministry of Commerce yesterday accused the U.S. of “blackmail” and declared that Beijing would “fight to the end.” Markets: The S&P 500 posted a big gain at the open of trading, but was down 1.6 percent at the close. Jason Karaian, our deputy business editor, said that the market turmoil “was partly because investors underestimated Trump’s willingness to follow through on steep tariffs.” Cars: Trump’s 25 percent tariffs on imported vehicles that took effect last week are prompting companies to stop shipping cars to the U.S., as well as shut down factories in Canada and Mexico and lay off American workers. More on Trump Elon Musk slammed Trump’s top trade adviser as “dumber than a sack of bricks” as their feud over tariffs escalated. The Supreme Court blocked a judge’s ruling ordering the administration to rehire thousands of fired federal workers. The tax authorities agreed to share migrants’ tax information with security officials trying to deport them. Oil and gas executives have offered little criticism of Trump and his tariffs. But in private, they are worried. Trump signed an executive order aimed at expanding the use of coal in the U.S. Track Trump’s actions since he took office.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday sided with the Trump administration and upheld the mass firing of tens of thousands of probationary federal employees, granting a request for an emergency administrative stay on a lower court order blocking the firings. The majority of the high court ruled that the plaintiffs, nine non-profit organizations who had sued to reinstate the employees, lacked standing to sue.  "The District Court’s injunction was based solely on the allegations of the nine non-profit-organization plaintiffs in this case. But under established law, those allegations are presently insufficient to support the organizations’ standing," the court said in an order. 

Oh come on Douggie boy the same old chestnut over and over ...no disrespect to our fantastic member Chestnut...Douggie you are very very boring, and tiring so maybe you need a spell for a rest, its all getting to much for you I feel.

Jockey Luis Saez, unseated in the second race April 8 at Keeneland after his mount bumped with another horse in midstretch, was in stable condition Tuesday afternoon and under evaluation by University of Kentucky HealthCare Medical Services.View the full article

Junko Kondo's Admire Daytona and Jim and Claire Limited's Heart of Honor, the respective top two finishers in the UAE Derby (G2), headline five 3-year-olds made eligible to compete in the 2025 Triple Crown with a late nomination fee.View the full article

The six categories selected by the Thoroughbred nominating committee for the 2025 Thoroughbred ballot are builder, female horse, jockey, male horse, trainer, and veteran—person or horse.View the full article

Future Is Now, last seen winning the 2024 Franklin Stakes (G2T) at Keeneland in October, returns April 13 as one of the favorites in the $350,000 Giant's Causeway Stakes (G3T). The 5 1/2-furlong turf sprint drew a field of 10 fillies and mares.View the full article

The Dubai World Cup's reach extended far beyond Meydan Racecourse, captivating a massive global audience via TV, digital platforms, and in-flight entertainment. Broadcast across 37 channels in 170 countries.View the full article

Less than 24 hours after La Cara won the delayed Ashland Stakes (G1), Casse was back in the winner's circle April 8 after Nitrogen topped a Casse-trained exacta in the $500,000 Appalachian Stakes (G2) April 8.View the full article

Maiden Watch: Week of March 31-April 6View the full article

The one in the Sydney Cup that surprises me is FRANCESCO GUARDI. I remember him winning the Moonee Valley Cup under JMac and he looked a star, but that was in 2022. He was one of the favourites for the Melbourne Cup after that win, but did nothing, and same the following year, and done nothing since. I can’t imagine Waller persevering with it unless he was showing something, so it is intriguing to see him there. Valiant King was similar and has probably taken time to acclimatise, but showed he was getting there last start.

I don't see why not it isn't as if any horse didn't have a fair chance.  So you would have similar thoughts about this race? https://loveracing.nz/Common/SystemTemplates/Modal/Video.aspx?v=http%3a%2f%2fwww.racingreplays.co.nz%2fmedia%2f202401%2fM4_WELL_R08_200124.mp4&i=%2fCommon%2fImage.ashx%3fw%3d565%26h%3d314%26a%3d1%26o%3d1%26z%3d1%26bg%3deeeeee%26p%3dhttp%3a%2f%2fwww.racingreplays.co.nz%2fmedia%2f202401%2fM4_WELL_R08_200124.jpg&r=Race 8 - HARCOURTS TEAM GROUP THORNDON MILE&rs=1&jwsource=cl    

On then to the final day of the Aintree Grand National meeting and a crowd of around 70,000 came to Liverpool's racecourse for its biggest day of the year. The weather remained fine, warm and sunny and the ground continued to be Good on the Mildmay course and Good to Soft on the Grand National track. Although the race over the big fences took centre stage, there were three Grade 1 championship races on a strong undercard. The Mersey Novices Hurdle over 4000m looked an open race and even more so with the late withdrawal of the 4-y-o LULAMBA due to the quickening ground. Support came for MIAMI MAGIC from the lesser known Stuart Edmunds yard,  the unbeaten HORACES PEARL and the Irish challenger HONESTY POLICY. After a frustrating week of places, Gordon Elliott, who often works in the shadow of Willie Mullins, got his Group 1 win as HONESTY POLICY cut down REGENT'S STROLL from the Nicholls yard and FUNICULI FUNICULAR from the Mullins stable in a close finish. REGENT'S STROLL was close to the pace throughout and battled on tenaciously but Mark Walsh brought HONESTY POLICY through and from three out always looked as though he was travelling the best - I'm not sure he found too much off the bridle but he did enough. This was the winner's first run in any kind of Graded race so this was a big step forward even though he was well fancied by the trainer. My each way play on REGENT'S STROLL returned a small profit and the horse looked to me as though he could make a decent chaser next year but the one to take out was probably the third who has had very little racing by comparison and found the hurly-burly of the Supreme too much on only his third run. A further 800m in distance looked to being out a lot of improvement and he looks a really interesting prospect. HORACES PEARL finished fifth, not beaten too far, and looks like another for whom a step up in trip would help. The Liverpool Hurdle over 4850m also saw a late scratching as TEAHUPOO, the Stayers' Hurdle runner up and favourite, was withdrawn because of the ground. Owners Robcour still had last year's third in this race, HIDDENVALLEY LAKE, but he faced, among others, the 2024 winner of this race, STRONG LEADER, on a retrieval mission after a couple of disappointing midwinter efforts on unsuitably slow ground. The first and third from 2024 were the first two this year but in the reverse order as HIDDENVALLEY LAKE beat STRONG LEADER who let himself down, in my view, by some indifferent jumping. Between this one, TEAHUPOO and the Stayers Hurdle winner, BOB OLINGER, Robcour have the kind of stranglehold on the staying hurdle division J P McManus enjoys in other parts of the jumping world. HIDDENVALLEY LAKE had run really well in defeat in the Long Walk at Ascot in December but had flopped badly on heavy turf in the Galmoy at Gowran Park. Back on this decent surface, HIDDENVALLEY LAKE turned a five length deficit to STRONG LEADER from 2024 into a three length victory. The second jumped indifferently and that did for him. JETARA was strongly supported at big prices each way before TEAHUPOO came out and those ante post players got a nice draw as she ran with credit in third. I thought she looked the winner two out but didn't quite get home. HOME BY THE LEE had been unlucky at Cheltenhham and was fancied to make amends here but he ran poorly and was pulled up a fair way out. Race favourite KITZBUHEL from the Mullins yard had never run beyond 3600m and he patently didn't stay this extended trip. After the excitement of the National, it's often a quiet end to the meeting but not so these days with the Maghull Novices Chase over 3200m which saw Arkle chase contender L'EAU DU SUD strongly supported after the late withdrawal of ONLY BY NIGHT. An impressive round of jumping and front running from KALIF DU BERLAIS to win this prize. He had been found out on much slower ground and over 4000m in the Scilly Isles at Sandown but this kind of ground is what he wants and while jockey Harry Cobden suggested post race trips up to 4000m would be fine for the horse you can't help but feel on this evidence the minimum trip will be the optimum. L'EAU DU SUD ran as though he'd done enough for the season and I'm sure he will be back next year. He was pipped for second by BROOKIE who ouran his 25/1 odds. The concluding Bumper capped a memorable day for Patrick Mullins as he steered home favourite GREEN SPLENDOUR who had finished fifth in the Bumper at the Dublin Racing Festival. He'll obviously be a novice hurdler of interest next season as will the second, DESTINATION DUBAI. A wonderful day for Team Mullins with five of the first seven home in the Grand National headed by NICK ROCKETT who had won the Thyestes and the Bobbyjo on his previous two starts but was largely untested on decent ground. I think GRANGECLARE WEST would have won but for hitting the last and the one from this year's finishers who could be a factor next year is SENIOR CHIEF.

Stodge - Middle Earth won his Australian debut, so he already has form on the board.

Favored at 2-1 to cross the wire first is Praetor, who enters the Lexington Stakes (G3) with a pair of wins going a mile over the dirt, including a 7 1/2-length romp in an allowance optional claimer at Gulfstream Park. View the full article

Patrick Reed previews the field for the April 11 Maker's Mark Mile Stakes (G1T) at Keeneland.View the full article

Overcoming a quality field that included two other top-10 sophomores, Journalism impressed with how he navigated trouble in the 1 1/8-mile Kentucky Derby (G1) prep. View the full article

It was a frigid morning at Churchill Downs April 8, but Rebel Stakes (G2) winner Coal Battle heated up his Kentucky Derby (G1) preparations by returning to the work tab for the first time since finishing third in the March 29 Arkansas Derby (G1).View the full article