Oaklawn Cancels Racing Week

After canceling its stakes-filled Presidents' Day Weekend cards due to inclement weather last week, Oaklawn Park has once again canceled racing for this coming week, which totals four lost days of racing from Thursday, Feb. 18 through Sunday, Feb. 21. The track announced in a tweet that the five stakes scheduled for this weekend will be moved to next week with further details to follow. Among the races that have now been postponed twice is the GIII Southwest S., which was expected to feature the 3-year-old debut of champion Essential Quality (Tapit).

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Agathe Capdepon Appointed Arqana Communication Director

Agathe Capdepon has been promoted to Arqana Communication Director, the sales company announced on Tuesday.

Capdepon began in the company's communication department in 2016. She holds degrees in literature and communication and is a qualified riding instructor. In addition, Capdepon, who previously worked at a news agency, is taking over from Alix Choppin, who will continue to collaborate with Arqana on a free-lance basis, organizing events to promote racehorse ownership in business circles. Megan Martins, in charge of digital communication, and Pauline Ritter, responsible for press relations and advertising, also work on the Arqana communications team.

“It is very much a seamless transition,” said Arqana CEO Eric Hoyeau. “We opted to promote internal resources as we are lucky to have a competent, creative and complementary team ready to take up all the required tasks. Agathe has been working consistently hard for the past four year and we are delighted to appoint her as head of communication.”

Added Agathe Capdepon, “I wish to thank Alix, alongside whom I have been learning the ropes during my first four years on the communication team, as well as Eric Hoyeau and Freddy Powell for their confidence. I am thrilled to be given this opportunity with the support of a skillful, dynamic and cohesive team.”

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International Sire Pivotal Pensioned From Stud Duty

Pivotal, the champion sprinter and multiple champion sire and broodmare sire, has been retired from covering duties.

The 28-year-old son of Polar Falcon has been a stalwart and flagbearer at Cheveley Park Stud since his retirement to stud in 1997.

Bred and raced by Cheveley Park Stud, he was trained by Sir Mark Prescott. A track record breaker as a 2-year-old, he was crowned champion sprinter as a 3-year-old, with the undoubted highlight coming in the Group 1 Nunthorpe Stakes at York, when prevailing by the narrowest of margins to become the first Group 1 winner to be both bred and owned by Cheveley Park Stud. Prior to that he had shown all his battling qualities and tenacity in winning the Group 2 King's Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Pivotal took up stallion duties at an initial fee of £6,000, and immediately proved popular with commercial breeders. He was a leading British based first season sire, and soon sired his first British Group 1 winner in Kyllachy, who followed in his father's footsteps in winning the Nunthorpe Stakes, before also retiring to stand at Cheveley Park Stud. Pivotal went on to quickly rise through the stallion ranks and was leading British-based sire by individual winners on no less than eight occasions, and was twice crowned leading British-based sire by earnings. To date Pivotal has sired 32 individual Group 1 winners, including the classic winners Sariska, Halfway To Heaven, Falco, Buzzword and Saoire, as well as Dubai World Cup winner African Story, and most recently a Group 1 brace on QIPCO British Champions Day with Addeybb and Glen Shiel winning the Champion Stakes and British Champions Sprint Stakes, respectively .

Already Pivotal's legacy is starting to live on through both his sons and daughters. He was crowned champion European broodmare sire 2017 to 2019, and his daughters produced the Group 1 winners Love, Magical, Golden Horde and One Master last season, as well as multiple Group 1 winners Cracksman and Advertise in recent years. He is also making an impact as a sire of sires, with seven of his sons having sired Group 1 winners to date, most notably Siyouni with last season's Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe victor Sottsass and Dewhurst Stakes winner St Marks Basilica.

A true legend in his own lifetime, the 'mighty' Pivotal will now enjoy a happy retirement at Cheveley Park Stud, where he will see out the rest of his years.

Managing director, Chris Richardson, said; “The story associated with the 'Mighty' Pivotal is truly extraordinary, considering he was the result of the very first covering his sire, Polar Falcon, was given. Thankfully, as a yearling, it was decided to retain him to race, rather than offer him for sale, as we did with the other yearling colts by Polar Falcon that year. Whilst in the hands of trainer, Sir Mark Prescott, Pivotal truly put Cheveley Park Stud on the map, giving owners David and Patricia Thompson their first Group 1 winner in the stud's famous red, white and blue colors. Having covered a relatively small book of mares in his first year, his resulting progeny excelled and inspired at all levels, which they have continued to do throughout his career, both domestically and internationally. On the world stage, Pivotal has excelled as a sire, a sire of sires and as a broodmare sire, to the highest level and all of us at Cheveley Park Stud have been so blessed to have been part of his life for 28 years. I think Triple Crown winner, Isinglass, whose stable Pivotal occupies, would have been very proud and we all wish Pivotal a well-deserved and happy retirement.”

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Race Named After Pat Smullen to Be Held at Jebel Ali

Following a directive by His Highness Sheikh Ahmed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Deputy Chief of Dubai Police and Public Security, the Pat Smullen Conditions S. will be held at Jebel Ali on Feb. 19, the racecourse announced on Tuesday.

The late Smullen, a multiple champion jockey in his native Ireland, passed away from pancreatic cancer last September. During his career as a jockey, he was the retained jockey for Jebel Ali Stables in Dubai from 2000-2002, and was also a stable jockey for His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Rashid Al Maktoum in Dubai during the 2004 winter season. Smullen organised the Pat Smullen Champions Race for Cancer Trials Ireland and raised more than €2.5 million in the process.

Mohammed Saeed Al-Shehhi, Director General of His Highness Sheikh Ahmed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Office said, “Pat Smullen is an icon who has left an indelible mark on the horseracing world. In Dubai, we celebrate and perpetuate legacy, and we are proud to participate in such a laudable event that is sure to bring the international horseracing community together. The race will be held yearly to honor the racing icon and will be sponsored by His Highness Sheikh Ahmed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum.”

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