This feature provides a capsule look at three horses who are heating up on the Triple Crown trail and three horses whose chances for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve are not quite as strong as they were a week or two ago.
Month: March 2021
O’Neill Excited About Derby Trail Trio, Honored to Be Hall of Fame Finalist
Tom Pedulla is interviewing prominent owners, trainers and jockeys for America’s Best Racing as they travel the Road to the 147th Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve on May 1 at Churchill Downs.
Amateur Jockey Rob James Apologizes For ‘Wholly Inappropriate’ Actions In Viral Video
Amateur jockey Rob James issued an apology via The Irish Field on Tuesday, after a video depicting him astride a dead horse made the rounds on social media.
“I would just like of apologize for my actions which were wholly inappropriate and disrespectful to a lovely 5-year-old mare, who unfortunately suffered a sudden cardiac arrest while at exercise earlier that morning, April 30, 2016,” James said. “To try defending my stupidity at the time would add further insult and hurt to the many loyal people that have supported me during my career. I have caused embarrassment to my employers, my family and most importantly the sport I love.”
The Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board (IHRB) announced it would investigate the via, stating via Twitter: “We are aware of further social media content circulating and the matter is under investigation.”
The video of James follows the emergence of a picture of trainer Gordon Elliott astride a fallen racehorse, which caused the trainer to be banned the British Horseracing Authority.
Read more at The Irish Field.
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Japanese Horse of the Year Jungle Pocket Dead at 23
Japanese Horse of the Year Jungle Pocket (Jpn) (Tony Bin {Ire}-Dance Charmer, by Nureyev) passed away at Breeders' Stallion Station in Japan, Tokyo-Sports reported on Tuesday. The grandson of GII Del Mar Debutante S. heroine Skillful Joy (Nodouble) was 23.
Bred by Northern Farm and campaigned by Katsumi Yoshida, the May foal won two of three starts at two including the Sapporo Sansai S. in September of 2000 before a second-place finish in the Radio Tampa Hai Sansai S. Back in the winner's circle in the Kyodo News Service Hai, he was third in the Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas) before rebounding to take the Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) in May of 2001. Only third in the Sapporo Kinen that August and fourth in the Kikuka Sho (Japanese St Leger) that October, he claimed his Group 1 in the Japan Cup by a neck over T.M. Opera O (Jpn) (Opera House {GB}) that November. He was named Japanese Horse of the Year and Champion 3-Year-Old of 2001.
Shelved until March of his 4-year-old year, Jungle Pocket ran second in the G2 Hanshin Daishoten and filled the same spot in the Tenno Sho (Spring) in April. His final two runs were off-the-board finishes at Nakayama in the G1 Japan Cup and G1 Arima Kinen. The Katsumi Yoshida colourbearer was retired to stand at Shadai Stallion Station with a mark of 13-5-3-2 and $5,788,198 in earnings.
Besides standing at Shadai in the Northern Hemisphere, he moved to the Breeders' Stallion Station in 2013 and also shuttled to Rich Hill Stud in New Zealand for a few seasons. He sired 29 black-type winners, 16 of them at the group level. Among his best progeny were Group 1 winners Tosen Jordan (Jpn), Aventura (Jpn), Queen Spumante (Jpn), Jaguar Mail (Jpn) and Jungle Rocket (NZ). As a broodmare sire, Jungle Pocket's daughters have foaled 10 black-type winners, six at the group level. Although he does not have a Group 1 winner in that sphere yet, Group 2 winner Mikki Swallow (Jpn) (Tosen Homareboshi {Jpn}) ran third in the G1 Tenno Sho (Spring) and fellow Group 2 winner Solveig (Jpn) (Daiwa Major {Jpn}) was third in the G1 Sprinters S.
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