In an exhibition of pure sprinting prowess, Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid al Maktoum's Battaash (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) brought all his power to bear on his rivals on Friday to register back-to-back successes in Goodwood's G2 King George Qatar S. Despite the contrasting ground conditions to the easy turf he encountered 12 months ago and the obvious questions posed by defeat in the June 19 G1 King's Stand S. at Royal Ascot, the bay attracted heavy support as the 8-11 favourite and was in front before he had raced two...
The 17th edition of the Claiming Crown, held Saturday at Gulfstream Park, generated total handle of $10,118,000--up 0.57% from 2014 despite rainy conditions which caused four races to be taken off the turf. Gulfstream was hosting the event for the fourth year. "We're extremely pleased with the success of Saturday's Claiming Crown," said P.J. Campo, General Manager of Gulfstream Park and Vice President of Racing for The Stronach Group. "We had big fields and tremendous participation from horsemen throughout North America. We're confident the numbers would have been even more...
Over 200 two-year-olds, one of them a St Mark's Basilica half-brother to G1 Derby winner Anthony Van Dyck (Galileo), have been catalogued for the Arqana Breeze-Up Sale. Breezes will take place over the Deauville turf on Thursday May 7 from midday, before the sale begins at 11 a.m. on Saturday, May 9. Set to sell as lot 174, the bay is also a half-brother to G1 Railway Stakes heroine Bounding (Lonhro), while multiple group winner and sire Kuroshio is under the second dam. Other choice lots include lot 19, a...
The catalogue for the Arqana Online March Sale set for 3-5 p.m. on Wednesday, March 25, is now available. Leading the three-strong group is debut winner Nity Galeste (City Light) (lot 1), who took a 1900-metre race at Chantilly. Related to top-tier winners Potri Pe (Potrillazo) and Mukhalif (Caerleon), he is joined by Nippon Go (Beaumec De Houelle) (lot 3). From the family of AQPS graded winners Hispanic Moon (Spanish Moon) and Jordans (Coastal Path), he has a bumper win and novice victory to his credit. Rounding out the catalogue...
Arqana has revealed sponsorship details for the upcoming season, which features the addition of three Listed races at regional tracks - La Teste de Buch, Craon and Marseille-Borély racecourses. The sponsorship includes the Prix Milkom at La Teste de Buch on August 26, the Critérium de l'Ouest at Craon on September 5 and the La Coupe de Marseille at Marseille-Borély on September 14. Arqana president Olivier Delloye said, "We are very pleased to sponsor these three prestigious races and to partner with the racecourse societies of La Teste, Craon and...
As part of his official duties, Keeneland's Director of Sales Operations Dean Roethemeier was attending the races Saturday at Meydan in Dubai at the same time that drone and missile attacks launched by Iran were hitting nearby. While he said he never felt unsafe, he noted that his biggest worry was, with the Dubai International Airport having been shuttered, how he was going to make it back home? But after a long, complicated journey, he had made it to Amsterdam on Tuesday and was expecting to land at the Cincinnati...