The Breeders’ Cup announced a new partnership with Guardian Security to provide 24-hour security services surrounding the 2020 World Championships, scheduled for Nov. 6 and 7 at Keeneland. Over 100 security guards will be deployed to support the Breeders’ Cup Equine Security Team to help monitor activity in the barns, keep daily logbooks of who enters a stall and bolster overall stable and racetrack security while enforcing safety and integrity protocols.
“Protecting the welfare of our horses has always been an utmost priority,” said Dora Delgado, Breeders’ Cup Executive Vice President and Chief Racing Officer. “We firmly believe in the continued enhancement and enforcement of the security standards in Thoroughbred racing, and we hope to set the new benchmark in equine care through our partnership with Guardian Security.”
Jeff Blanton, Chief Operating Officer of Guardian Security, added, “Our goal at Guardian Security is simple–to provide world-class safety and security measures that guarantee the most seamless and high-quality horse racing experiences. Breeders’ Cup has long been known for its exemplary equine welfare protocols, and we’re honored to be working with them to build upon this strong foundation and create the safest and fairest World Championships yet.”
For more information on Breeders’ Cup’s equine welfare and safety standards, visit www.BreedersCup.com/safety.
The Grade 3, $100,000 Senator Ken Maddy Stakes this Saturday at Santa Anita Park brings together a field of seven fillies and mare turf sprinters, four of which have won their most recent race or the race just prior to it.
Among the group, Magic at Midnight will very likely be in front from the start given that she has lead decisively after a quarter mile has been run in all four career starts to date, winning all four although none were stakes. Among the horses proven at stakes level, Jo Jo Air leads the group as she won the similar Daisycutter Stakes in July at Del Mar. Aqua Seaform Shame and Biddy Duke have also run well at the level as they finished second and third, respectively, in the Unzip Me Stakes, restricted to just three year olds, last month over the course. An Eddie Surprise won the Wishing Well Stakes at the distance on the Santa Anita turf in her most recent race, eight months ago in February. Lakerball has been running in longer races throughout most of her career, but is winless since taking the Pike Place Dancer Stakes at Golden Gate in the fall of 2018. Zee Drop cuts back in distance after a fourth place finish in the Grade 2 John C. Mabee Stakes last month.
Jo Jo Air is definitely the most accomplished filly in the field in turf sprints, winning four from 12 races. Two of those were stakes victories and the most recent of that pair was the best race of her career. That came in the Daisycutter Stakes at Del Mar in July where she rallied from third and earned a 111 Equibase Speed Figure which was not only a career-best but the best in the field. Jo Jo Air then went to Pimlico to contest The Very One Stakes and apparently did not care for the soft turf, finishing sixth as the heavy favorite. Shipping back out from trainer Wesley Ward's home base in Kentucky into California for this race the same way she did for the Daisycutter and running on much firmer ground than compared to the Very One Stakes, Jo Jo Air could likely return to the form shown this summer and win the Ken Maddy Stakes.
Magic at Midnight will have to be caught as its obvious where she will be in the early stages. Having led by a length and one-half or more by the time a quarter mile has been run in all four of her races to date, and never looking back from there, Magic at Midnight could prove very brave on the front end once again. The only time she ran on turf, in August at Del Mar, Magic at Midnight earned a 103 figure, but that effort came off an 11 month layoff and so better still is possible.
An Eddie Surprise leads the field in career earnings at $341,952 and has won five of 20 races on turf in her career. Most of those were allowance level races, and she has nine runner-up finishes to go along with the five wins. Still, when last seen she won the Wishing Well Stakes at the distance of the Ken Maddy Stakes on the turf course at Santa Anita. That effort earned a 106 figure which is the second best in the field and if she can fire off the bench she could have a strong say in the outcome.
The rest of the field, with their best Equibase Speed Figures, is Aqua Seaform Shame (104), Biddy Duke (103), Lakerball (102) and Zee Drop (103).
Win Contenders:
Jo Jo Air
Magic at Midnight
An Eddie Surprise
Senator Ken Maddy Stakes – Grade 3
Race 8 at Santa Anita
Saturday, October 24 – Post Time 7:30 PM E.T.
Five and One-Half Furlongs on Turf
Fillies and Mares, 3-Year-Olds and Upward
Purse: $100,000
Racing Welfare marks its jumps season return with a ‘Virtual West Open Day’ Sunday, Nov. 8. Sponsored by Sporting Life, the Virtual West Open Day will offer video content from the region’s racehorse trainers as well as footage of racing’s premier horses, jockeys and personalities. Also featuring a jumps schooling session and insights from a vet and farrier on Instagram, the Virtual West Open Day will present a live point-to-point Facebook demo with Derek ‘Tommo’ Thompson from Chaddesley Corbett. For more information on the Virtual West Open Day, visit www.racingwelfare.co.uk/westopenday/.
Additionally, a Virtual Jumps Season Preview Evening will be held Thursday, Nov. 12. Hosted by Racing TV’s Nick Luck, and with Sporting Life’s Michael Shinners and National Hunt analyst Dave Ord, who will be offering a guide on the markets, the evening provides a look ahead to Cheltenham’s November Meeting and the ensuing jumps season. Also joining the panel of experts is National Hunt jockey Daryl Jacob. The preview evening will run from 7:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Tickets are £10 each. For more information, visit www.racingwelfare.co.uk/events/virtualjumpspreview.
All proceeds generated from the Virtual West Open Day and the Virtual Jumps Season Preview will benefit Racing Welfare’s COVID-19 Emergency Appeal. To find out more about the appeal go to www.justgiving.com/RWEmergencyAppeal.
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. Here are the horses of interest for a busy Saturday running at Kyoto and Tokyo Racecourse, including a pair by American Pharoah and the stakes debut of the exciting Vanishing Point. Sunday’s runners will feature in Saturday’s TDN:
Saturday, October 24, 2020 4th-KYO, ¥13,400,000 ($128k), Newcomers, 2yo, 1800m RUSSIAN SAMOVAR (f, 2, American Pharoah–Megalicious, by Songandaprayer), a $70K Keeneland November weanling, improved to be a $165K KEESEP yearling and was acquired by Katsumi Yoshida for $650K after breezing a quarter-mile in a green :20 2/5 at this year’s OBS March Sale. Bought back for $120K when offered in utero at KEEJAN in 2018, the April foal is a half to MSP My Sweet Stella (Eskendereya) and is out of a half-sister to MSW & MGSP Abbondanza (Alphabet Soup). Russian Samovar is bred 4×4 to Unbridled. B-Zayat Stables LLC (KY)
SATONO IMPULSE (c, 2, Tapizar–Allencat, by Storm Cat) is out of an unraced daughter of GISW Pharma (Theatrical {Ire}) who has already bred MSW Miss Frost (Curlin), the dam of MSP Torres Del Paine (Karakontie {Jpn}). The colt’s third dam is champion and MG1SW Committed (Hagley), whose son Hap (Theatrical {Ire}) was a six-time GSW and twice GISP and whose daughter Belva (Theatrical {Ire}) is the dam of champion MGISW English Channel (Smart Strike). A $60K KEEJAN short yearling, Satono Impulse fetched $135K as a Fasig-Tipton July yearling and was hammered down for $500K at OBSMAR after drilling a furlong in :10 flat. Tapizar is the sire of three winners from as many runners to date in Japan. B-Kendall E Hansen MD Racing LLC (KY)
5th-KYO, ¥13,400,000 ($128k), Newcomers, 2yo, 1200mT TOP THE BILL (JPN) (f, 2, American Pharoah–Top Decile, by Congrats) is the first foal from her dam, second in the GI Darley Alcibiades S. and GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies for Klaravich Stable and Al Stall, Jr. in 2014. Off the board in a pair of sophomore starts, Top Decile was purchased by Stronach Stables for $400K at KEENOV in 2015, remained in training and won one of four starts before selling for $950K with this filly in utero at KEENOV in 2017. Top Decile is the dam of a yearling filly by Heart’s Cry (Jpn) and a weanling filly by Daiwa Major (Jpn). B-Shadai Farm
9th-TOK, Ivy S.-Listed, ¥32,400,000 ($309k), 2yo, 1800mT VANISHING POINT (c, 2, Tapit–Unrivaled Belle, by Unbridled’s Song), a $1.5m KEESEP yearling and full-brother to two-time Eclipse Award winner Unique Bella, makes his second career appearance, having romped home by seven lengths over 2000 meters on Sapporo debut Aug. 2 (see below, gate 7). The gray’s dam, winner of the 2010 GI Breeders’ Cup Distaff (ex Ladies’ Classic), was purchased by Whisper Hill Farm’s Mandy Pope for $3.8 million in foal to Tapit at KEENOV in 2016. Leading rider Christophe Lemaire retains the mount. B-Whisper Hill Farm LLC (KY)
