Grand National 2021: Livelovelaugh wins Topham Chase at Aintree
Livelovelaugh wins the Topham Chase to give Patrick and Willie Mullins a boost ahead of Saturday's Aintree Grand National.
Month: April 2021
Kentucky Derby Winner Orb Sold To Stand In Uruguay
Orb, the winner of the 2013 Kentucky Derby, has been purchased by a group of Uruguayan breeders and he will relocate to that country for the upcoming Southern Hemisphere breeding season.
The 11-year-old son of Malibu Moon will stand at Haras Cuatro Piedras, a farm owned by Uruguayan Breeders Association president Pablo Salomone. He entered stud at Claiborne Farm in 2014.
From five crops of racing age, Orb has sired 155 winners for combined progeny earnings of more than $10.9 million. His runners of note include Grade 1 winner Sippican Harbor and O Besos, who is currently pointing towards this year's Kentucky Derby after finishing third in the G2 Louisiana Derby.
“Orb was a wonderful horse with a great pedigree and look about him,” said trainer Shug McGaughey, who conditioned the horse for owners Stuart Janney and Phipps Stable. “He gave me many thrills, the ultimate one being his win in the Kentucky Derby. I am sure he will do very well as a stallion in his new home.”
Orb won five of 12 starts during his racing career, for earnings of $2,612,516. He became a top threat on the 2013 Triple Crown trail after winning the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth Stakes and the G1 Florida Derby, before winning the Kentucky Derby by 2 1/2 lengths as the post time favorite. He also finished third in the Belmont Stakes and the G1 Travers Stakes.
The deal was brokered by Marette Farrell and Sebastian Angelillo along with David Seguias.
“They are thrilled to secure a Kentucky Derby winner for Uruguay from Ruffian's family,” Farrell said. “This is a key international Phipps pedigree loaded with strong South American connections like Uruguayan champion 2- and 3-year-old filly Algecira Fever, and multiple G1 winner Siempre En Mi Mente, along with Suggestive Boy who was a three-time G1 winner in Argentina and then won the G1 Frank Kilroy Mile in the U.S. We wish him all the best and firmly believe he will establish himself as the top stallion down there.”
Like many U.S. stallions who have sold to South American breeding programs in recent years, Orb was purchased by a sizable group of Uruguayan breeders. The coalition that secured Orb includes Haras Bettina, Cuatro Piedras, Don Alfredo, Don Camilo, Don Bebe, Don Juca, El Arbolito, Entrevero, La Concordia, La Coluda, La Pomme, Los Apamates, Los Seis, Mocambú, Musa, Nijú (Brasil), San Miguel Queguay, Santa Delfina de la Candelaria, Santa MarÃa de Juncal, Sin Nombre, Stud Tinto y Celeste, Tsimbalar, Vaccaro (Brasil) and Viejo Molino.
“With Orb, for the first time, there is a very well-balanced union in which no partner exceeds 10 percent (ownership),” Angelillo said. “We believe that this is a first step on a path that definitely leads in the right direction.”
Orb will join a stallion roster at Haras Cuatro Piedras that also includes Hall of Famer and 2006 Horse of the Year Invasor. The farm has previously housed shuttle stallions including Smarty Jones, Real Quiet, and Trinniberg.
The post Kentucky Derby Winner Orb Sold To Stand In Uruguay appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
Robin Goodfellow’s Racing Tips: Best bets for Friday, April 9
Sportsmail's racing expert Robin Goodfellow dishes out his tips for Friday's meetings at Aintree, Sedgefield, Leicester and Kempton.
Saratoga to Open for Training Apr. 17
Saratoga Race Course will open for spring training at 6 a.m. Saturday, Apr. 17, the New York Racing Association announced Friday. The barn area at the Oklahoma Training Track will open to horsemen Thursday, Apr. 15.
To accommodate the completion of a major renovation of the Oklahoma Training Track facility, training will begin on the main track at Saratoga Race Course.
When training resumes at the Oklahoma in early May, horses and riders will be met with a completely reconstructed track featuring a limestone base, renovated surface layer and modernized drainage systems. In addition, the training track has been widened by 10-14 feet in most areas to address the increasing population of horses training over the Oklahoma annually from April-October.
Additionally, to enhance safety for exercise riders and jockeys, the inner rail at the Oklahoma has been replaced with a rider protection system designed by Horsemen's Track and Equipment.
“The Oklahoma Training Track renovation is an investment in the future of Saratoga Race Course that reflects NYRA's commitment to providing our athletes with the safest possible environment for training and racing,” said Glen Kozak, NYRA Senior Vice President for Operations and Capital Projects. “The Oklahoma is a special place in our sport, and these improvements will serve horses, riders and the racing community well for many decades to come.”
The renovation of the Oklahoma Training Track was modeled after the work that was done to the Saratoga main track in 2020.
“Track surfaces at Saratoga need to stand up to a wide variety of weather conditions, including incredibly intense storms that can hit with almost no warning,” Kozak continued. “The main track can now recover from these weather events much more quickly while retaining consistency from day to day. We are confident the result will be just as positive on the Oklahoma as we have seen on the main track.”
Dr. Mick Peterson and the Racing Surfaces Testing Laboratory (RSTL) served as consultants on the Oklahoma renovation, performing regular testing of the quality and composition of the new surface.
“NYRA prioritizes the scientific analysis and continuous data collection that have proven to result in consistent racing surfaces,” Dr. Peterson said. “It's a privilege to work on these types of transformative projects with the world class NYRA team led by Glen Kozak.”
The post Saratoga to Open for Training Apr. 17 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.
