Horse Racing
In this continuing series, we take a look ahead at US-bred and/or conceived runners entered for the upcoming weekend at the tracks on the Japan Racing Association circuit, with a focus on pedigree and/or performance in the sales ring. Top-level action in Japan continues with Sunday's G1 Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) at headquarters, but American-bred activity is confined to Saturday at Kyoto in addition to Tokyo: Saturday, May 30, 2020 1st-TOK, ¥9,680,000 ($90k), Maiden, 3yo, 1600m ATLANTA TESORO (c, 3, Declaration of War--Quite Honestly, by Lion Heart) caught a rain-affected...
Not his time yet, surely. Can't be. A son of two-turn titan Giant's Causeway; a half-brother to late-blooming Liam's Map. Yet there it is, in black and white: three starters, two winners. Hopeful Princess hurtling just 4 1/2 furlongs at Churchill last week; and Swaggy George at Gulfstream the next day, circling the field into the stretch and sprinting four lengths clear. So while these remain the very earliest of days, Not This Time could not have made a more auspicious start to his stud career. On the one hand,...
Breeders' Cup in conjunction with The Jockey Club are launching a new national advertising campaign called 'Still. Running. Strong." to promote Thoroughbred racing as spectator-free racing resumes in various markets around the country during this time of the COVID-19 pandemic. "As more of our major venues get back to live racing and with people at home seeking diversion and entertainment, we wanted to be proactive about promoting the sport to a broader audience," said Drew Fleming, President and CEO of the Breeders' Cup. "Horse racing has a unique opportunity to...
Officials at the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club announced that the track will conduct racing on a Friday-Saturday-Sunday schedule through the entire summer and have pushed forward opening day from July 18 to July 10. The track will close with a four-day week ending on Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 7. The schedule is pending the approval of the California Horse Racing Board at its June 11 meeting. "We're coming back and we're going to put on the most unique show in Del Mar history," said Del Mar's CEO Joe Harper. "It's...
Keeper Ofthe Stars, a shocking 36-1 winner of the GII Buena Vista S. last out, proved that effort was no fluke and overcame a wide draw to score convincingly in Monday's GI Gamely S. at Santa Anita. Fourth in both the GII San Clemente S. and GI Del Mar Oaks last summer, the gray annexed the local GIII Autumn Miss S. two starts later and sandwiched a runner-up try in the local Lady Shamrock S. between sixth-place runs in the GIII Red Carpet H. and GIII Megahertz S. Off as...
Taking advantage of a scorching pace in front of him, Peter Brant's Raging Bull (Fr) (Dark Angel {Ire}) produced a slingshot, wide move on the far turn and kept on going to dominate the GI Shoemaker Mile S. Monday at Santa Anita, the first Grade I event at the Arcadia oval since it reopened for racing. The victory in the Win & You're In event punched Raging Bull's ticket to the GI Breeders' Cup Mile. Winning four of six to start his career as a 3-year-old, including victories in the...
8th-Santa Anita, $51,500, Msw, 5-25, 3yo/up, f/m, 5 1/2f, 1:03.61, ft. SECRET KEEPER (f, 3, Into Mischief--Candy Drawer, by Candy Ride {Arg}) propped and dropped jockey Abel Cedillo as they were beginning to parade for Monday's eighth race at Santa Anita, but she was all business during the running of the 5 1/2-furlong maiden, driving past heavily favored Fierce for Sul (Speightstown) in the final sixteenth of a mile to score by 2 1/4 lengths. Let go at 10-1, the homebred was relegated to a chasing and hard-ridden second as...
7th-Churchill Downs, $78,268, Msw, 5-25, 3yo/up, f/m, 6 1/2f, 1:16.56, ft. OCEAN BREEZE (f, 3, Curlin--Oceanwave {MGSP, $245,449}, by Harlan's Holiday) the actual post-time favorite at 9-5 over Union Maiden (Union Rags), powered away from her rivals to graduate by 8 1/4 lengths Monday at Churchill. Quickly into stride from her high draw, Ocean Breeze settled in an early fifth and got under way in earnest three wide at the half-mile. Cruising up while traveling well nearing the stretch, she was cut loose by Martin Garcia to take over three-sixteenths...
Like a championship-level pugilist deep into the 12th round of a heavyweight bout, Exultant (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) was a spent force entering the final furlong of Sunday's G1 Standard Chartered Champions and Chater Cup (2400m) at Sha Tin. But, calling on the resiliency, determination and toughness that have come to characterise his time in Hong Kong, the 6-year-old willed himself to the wire to win the 12-furlong affair for the second year running. His second Group 1 win of the season--he was exiting a similarly tough victory in the Apr....
Officials at Emerald Downs in Auburn, Washington, have released a revised stakes schedule for a 44-day meeting that runs June 22 through Oct. 4. The 85th running of the $100,000 GIII Longacres Mile S., as usual, is the focal point of the meet, but has been moved back to be run Sept. 13 on a program that also includes the Emerald Distaff S. The richest of the 14 remaining stakes is the $60,000 Gottstein Futurity S. for the 2-year-olds on closing day. The schedule features six stakes for 3-year-olds and...
The TDN recently took a lengthy dive into the business model of the average American trainer, and asked this question: "What, if anything, can be done to make this model a healthier, more efficiently run affair?" The answers garnered revolved around two central issues. One concerned reduced race-day opportunities leading to shrinking earnings, and the possible raising of day-rates to compensate. The other concerned the possible payment of monthly invoices up-front, to save trainers the pressure of covering the daily expenses for a minimum of 40-45 days. Other topics raised...
Just two trainers account for the seven runners signed on for Sunday's final Group 1 of the season in Hong Kong, the Standard Chartered Champions and Chater Cup over the metric mile and a half. One of them, the legendary Tony Cruz, sends out the three top-rated runners, including Exultant (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}), who--with a successful defence of his title--could earn front-runner status for local Horse of the Year. As strong as even in 2019-2020, the 6-year-old was third when looking for the repeat in the G1 Longines Hong Kong...