August, 2020 | Horse Racing Free Tips

COVID-19: Trainers Appleby, Bin Suroor To Skip Melbourne Cup

Due to concerns about COVID-19 and Melbourne's recent change to stage four restrictions, top trainers Charlie Appleby and Saeed bin Suroor have both decided to skip this year's Melbourne Cup in Australia, reports racingpost.com.

Both trainers for Godolphin, Appleby won the Melbourne Cup with Cross Counter in 2018. This year's edition of “the race that stops a nation” is scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 3.

“Charlie Appleby advised last night that because of the change to stage four restrictions, he wasn't comfortable sending his staff to Melbourne and Saeed has also advised he won't be coming,” Racing Victoria general manager of international operations Paul Bloodworth told racingpost.com. “It's a great shame. Saeed has been a regular in Australia for 30 years and Charlie certainly over the last five or six years so it's a shame they won't be able to compete.”

Leading owner Lloyd Williams is also considering missing out on the Melbourne Cup, he told racingpost.com on Wednesday. The six-time winner of the prestigious race has several hopefuls in training with Joseph O'Brien in Ireland, and concerns about staff safety while traveling are causing Williams to rethink his plans.

“It's too early to say, but travelling now is a greater consideration than it was 72 hours ago,” Williams told racingpost.com. “If there was any concern for staff travelling, I would not allow my group of horses to come – health is paramount.”

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Grade I-Winning Millionaire Concrete Rose to be Offered at Keeneland November

Grade I winner and millionaire Concrete Rose (f, 4, Twirling Candy–Solerina, by Powerscourt {GB}) will be offered as a racing or broodmare prospect during the premier Book 1 of this year’s Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale, which begins Monday, Nov. 9, and follows the Breeders’ Cup World Championships at Keeneland Nov. 6-7.

Concrete Rose has won six of seven career starts and has bankrolled $1,218,650, led by wins in the 2019 GI Belmont Oaks Invitational S. and Saratoga Oaks Invitational S. She will be consigned by Lane’s End, agent for co-owners Ashbrook Farm and BBN Racing.

“We’re excited to offer Concrete Rose as a racing or broodmare prospect with such great companies as Lane’s End and Keeneland,” Ashbrook Racing Manager Bo Bromagen said. “Working with them as partners gives us the greatest opportunity to showcase her.”

After RNA’ing for $19,000 as a KEENOV weanling, Concrete Rose brought $20,000 as a KEESEP yearling and $61,000 as a Fasig-Tipton Midlantic juvenile.

“Lane’s End proudly welcomes Grade I winner Concrete Rose back to our sale consignment, this time as a racing/broodmare prospect at Keeneland November,” Lane’s End Director of Sales Allaire Ryan said. “Concrete Rose was previously sold by Lane’s End at Keeneland September in 2017 and from the start of her racing career has been a banner sale graduate for us and for our versatile resident stallion Twirling Candy. To date, she is the sire’s leader of lifetime top performers with over $1.2 million in career earnings–more than Grade I-winning sons Gift Box and Collusion Illusion. We are thrilled for the opportunity to highlight our November consignment with a filly of her caliber. Her combined talent, looks and breeding will make her a sought-after prospect for any top-level program.”

Trainer Rusty Arnold added, “She is something to have in your barn. Great mind on her. She is not complicated. She is easy to train. You hear this from trainers, but she is one of those horses you just stay out of her way and she’ll say ‘I’ll get the rest done.’ She trained like a special horse, and she acted like a special horse.”

Out of the winning Powerscourt mare Solerina, Concrete Rose is from a family of successful North American and international performers. Her family includes Horse of the Year and GI Kentucky Derby winner Ferdinand.

“Concrete Rose is an extremely accomplished racehorse–one of the best of her generation in her division–and her future is exciting whether she returns to the racetrack or begins her career as a broodmare,” Keeneland President-Elect and Interim Head of Sales Shannon Arvin said. “Keeneland is thrilled for the opportunity to present Concrete Rose at the November Sale with all the support a performer of her stature deserves.”

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After Whitney Loss, Tom’s D’Etat Tied With Maximum Security Atop Breeders’ Cup Classic Rankings

San Diego Handicap (G2) winner Maximum Security and Tom's d'Etat, third in the Whitney Stakes (G1), are tied for first place with 281 votes in the 2020 Longines Breeders' Cup Classic Rankings, a weekly poll of the top 10 horses in contention for the $7 million Longines Breeders' Cup Classic (G1), which is scheduled to be held at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington on Nov. 7.

The Breeders' Cup Classic Rankings are determined by a panel of leading Thoroughbred racing media, horseplayers and members of the Breeders' Cup Racing Directors/Secretaries Panel. Rankings will be announced each week through Oct. 13. A list of voting members can be found here.

In the Breeders' Cup Classic Rankings, each voter rates horses on a 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 system in descending order.

Owned by Gary and Mary West, Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith, the 4-year-old Maximum Security moved up from second place last week to tie for the top spot. A winner in his first start for trainer Bob Baffert in the San Diego Handicap at Del Mar on July 25, Maximum Security is being pointed to the “Win and You're In” TVG Pacific Classic (G1) on Aug. 22, which will give the winner an automatic berth in the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic.

Tom's d'Etat, owned by Gayle Benson's GMB Racing, had been alone atop the Classic Rankings for the first two weeks. A 7-year-old bay son of Smart Strike, trained by Al Stall Jr., Tom's d'Etat had won four consecutive races, including the “Win and You're In” Stephen Foster (G2) prior to the Whitney at Saratoga, but stumbled at the start and could not overcome breaking last from the gate on Saturday, and wound up third.

The big mover in the rankings this week is the Whitney winner, Improbable (243 votes), who jumped from ninth to third place in the poll. Owned by WinStar Farm, CHC Inc. and SF Racing, Improbable is also trained by Baffert. The 4-year-old chestnut son of City Zip earned a “Win and You're In” automatic starting position into the Breeders' Cup Classic following his 2-length victory in the Whitney under jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. The win was Improbable's second Grade 1 triumph this year after taking the Hollywood Gold Cup at Santa Anita on June 6.

Belmont Stakes (G1) winner Tiz the Law (208 votes), one of two 3-year-olds in the top 10, remains in fourth place. Unbeaten in three starts this year, the Sackatoga Stable's star, trained by Barclay Tagg, is scheduled to start in this Saturday's Runhappy Travers Stakes (G1) at Saratoga.

Allied Racing Stable's By My Standards (144 votes), second in the Whitney, moves up two spots to fifth place. Trained by Bret Calhoun, By My Standards won the New Orleans Handicap (G2) and the Oaklawn Handicap (G2) before finishing second to Tom's d'Etat in the Stephen Foster.

W.S. Farish's 4-year-old Code of Honor (117 votes) drops from third to sixth this week after finishing a non-threatening fourth as the 5-2 second choice in the Whitney.

Bloom Racing, Madaket Stables and Allen Racing's 5-year-old mare Midnight Bisou (95 votes) was upset by Vexatious in Saratoga's Personal Ensign (G1) on Saturday, losing by a neck as the odds-on favorite. The Steve Asmussen-trained dark bay daughter of two-time Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) winner Midnight Lute falls two spots to No. 7.

Juddmonte Farms' 4-year-old Tacitus (93 votes) retains eighth place in the Classic Rankings for the third consecutive week. Trained by Bill Mott, Tacitus rolled to an 8 ¾-length victory in the Suburban Stakes (G2) at Belmont Park on July 4. He is expected to run next in the Woodward (G1) at Saratoga on Sept. 5.

The 4-year-old Vekoma, trained by George Weaver, moves up one spot to ninth place this week. Owned by R.A Hill Stable and Gatsas Stables, Vekoma is unbeaten in three starts this year, including two wins in Breeders' Cup Challenge Series races: the Runhappy Carter Handicap (G1), for the Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1), and the Runhappy Metropolitan Handicap (G1), for the Big Ass Fans Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1).

Rounding out the top 10 is a new shooter in Bruce Lunsford's 3-year-old Art Collector. Unbeaten in three start this year, including the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (G2) at Keeneland on July 11, Art Collector is expected to start in Sunday's Ellis Park Derby for trainer Tom Drury Jr.

CRK Stable's 3-year-old Honor A. P., second in the Shared Belief Stakes at Del Mar, dropped from sixth to 11th place.

Breeders' Cup Classic Rankings – Aug. 4, 2020*

RANK	HORSE	TOTAL VOTES	FIRST-PLACE VOTES
1	Maximum Security	281	13
1	Tom's d'Etat	281	13
3	Improbable	243	2
4	Tiz the Law	208	2
5	By My Standards	144	0
6	Code of Honor	117	1
7	Midnight Bisou	95	0
8	Tacitus	93	0
9	Vekoma	72	2
10	Art Collector	61	0

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Harrington to Test Promising Juveniles at Leopardstown

Jessie Harrington is keen to put some of her most promising juveniles to the test in an intriguing card at Leopardstown on Thursday which features the G3 Japan Racing Association Tyros S. and G3 Frank Conroy Silver Flash S. In the former, which has played host to the likes of Teofilo (Ire), New Approach (Ire), Rip Van Winkle (Ire) and Churchill (Ire) in recent times, she saddles Alpha Racing 2020’s impressive July 1 nine-length course-and-distance maiden winner Cadillac (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}), while Robert Scarborough and Susan Magnier’s Oodnadatta (Ire) (Australia {GB}) and the O’Callaghans’ No Speak Alexander (Ire) (Shalaa {Ire}) are currently scheduled to go in the Silver Flash.

“Cadillac seems in good form. We’ve an awful wet morning here, so the ground might end up turning soft, but I don’t think that will bother him–I think he’d be fine on any ground.”

Easy conditions may not suit Oodnadatta, however, who beat the subsequent G3 Marble Hill S. winner Minaun (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) and the July 28 11-length Galway maiden scorer Meala (Ire) (Epaulette {Aus) in a maiden also over this track and trip June 21. She may instead head for Saturday’s G3 Sweet Solera S., leaving the 6 1/2-length July 7 Roscommon maiden winner No Speak Alexander as the sole representative. “Oodnadatta is in good form, but it is a wet morning here today, so we might take her to Newmarket if the ground goes soft and just run the other filly at Leopardstown,” Harrington added. “No Speak Alexander is in good order. She improved from her first run to her second and I hope there’s more improvement to come.”

Aidan O’Brien has won nine of the last 10 renewals of the Tyros and 13 winners overall, while his tally is seven of the last 11 Silver Flash scorers and 11 in total. He has three colts in the Tyros, with Wayne Lordan booked for the maiden Van Gogh (American Pharoah) who was fourth on debut over this track and trip behind the re-opposing Masen (GB) (Kingman {GB}) and Charterhouse (GB) (Charming Thought {GB}). The latter was 66-1 when just denied by the Juddmonte rival there and trainer John Joseph Murphy sees him as a live outsider again in a year when the lesser-celebrated Irish stables are coming to the fore in the important juvenile staging posts. “He’s in tremendous form and I think he’s come on a lot from his first run,” he said. “You’ve got the horse that beat him there again and it does look a very hot renewal. We haven’t got a great draw and I hope they don’t get any more rain, as he definitely prefers quicker ground.”

Others to note in the Tyros are the Donnacha O’Brien-trained July 8 Gowran Park maiden scorer Southern Cape (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and July 11 course-and-distance maiden winner Vafortino (Ire) (New Bay {GB}) who hails from brother Joseph’s stable. Coolmore are well-represented in the Silver Flash by Ballydoyle’s July 19 Curragh maiden winner Snowfall (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) and Donnacha’s July 8 Gowran Park mile maiden scorer Shale (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), while Jim Bolger saddles the aforementioned Meala, Dermot Weld runs Moyglare Stud’s June 26 six-furlong Curragh maiden winner A Ma Chere (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) and Joseph O’Brien pitches in John Oxley’s TDN Rising Star Pretty Gorgeous (Fr) (Lawman {Fr}). She impressed over a mile at Bellewstown on the July 2 card which has already thrown up a subsequent luminary in the recent G2 Airlie Stud S. scorer Aloha Star (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}).

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