Month: May 2021

Record Entries For Swedish Derby/Oaks

Over 500 horses are eligible for the 10-race 2022 Swedish Derby & Oaks Series which closed on Mar. 22, Svensk Galopp announced on Tuesday.

All the races are for 3-year-olds and run over three meetings on the Jagersro Racecourse dirt track with the exception of the Bro Park Sprint for Scandinavian-bred horses. Total prize money is almost €7.7 million and the races will be run between June and August. The Swedish Derby is worth in excess of €249,000, while the Swedish Oaks is worth almost €115,000 and the Altamira worth nearly €33,000. The entries are boosted by the inclusion of the full catalogs of the Goffs UK, Arqana and selected Tattersalls Breeze-Up sales. There is no supplemental entry stage for the Swedish Derby & Oaks Series.

Dennis Madsen Director of Racing for the Swedish Racing Authority said, “This year's record entry further endorses the innovative partnerships we have formed with the sales companies and demonstrates among the breeze-up consignors recognition of the value of an entry in the Swedish Derby & Oaks Series.

“We hope that many of the horses entered will remain after the next forfeit stage and that in addition to the horses that are imported into Scandinavia, new owners will take the chance to leave their breeze-up purchases in the series.”

“Sweden's reputation for providing good prize money and good quality racing continues to rise and last year's Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies' Turf winner Aunt Pearl whose dam, Matauri Pearl, ran her entire career in training in Sweden is one of many examples of class performers who can claim Swedish heritage.  Other notables include 2019 Swedish Derby contender, Tribhuvan, who only last weekend won the GII Fort Marcy S. at Belmont Park.”

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Japan’s Deep Bond To Be Aimed At Arc

Leading Japanese owner Koji Maeda of North Hills is planning a European raid for last weekend's GI Tenno Sho runner-up Deep Bond (Jpn}) (Kizuna {Jpn}).

The 4-year-old, who won the GII Hanshin Daishoten in March for trainer Ryuji Okubu, will be campaigned with the G1 Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe as his major target, with the aim of running in the G2 Qatar Prix Foy in the build up.

Maeda said, “It was vey brave effort from Deep Bond in the Tenno Sho, which is very tough race. While it was very quick ground at Hanshin on Sunday, the colt is by Kizuna, who finished fourth in Arc in 2013, and he can act on softish ground as well so I think he is a suitable horse to send France in the autumn.”

Deep Bond may not be the only representative of the Maeda family with France's most prestigious race on his radar. The owner also hopes that his G3 Prix Belle de Nuit winner Believe In Love (Ire) (Make Believe {GB}) can continue her progression from a successful 2020 campaign which saw her win five of her nine starts and finish third in the G2 Park Hill S. 

He added of the 4-year-old, who is trained in Newmarket by Roger Varian,” I hope the filly by Make Believe will progress well to become good enough to be an Arc contender as well.”

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Hey I’m In Cincinnati And The Bengals Have Some Troubled Players!

Just stepped off a small plane in Ohio as I begin my college football scouting trip and the Bengals are certainly raising the eyebrows of the locals in Cincinnati.

Why else would owner Mike Brown issue a public statement after the Bengals drafted former Virginia linebacker Ahmad Brooks? Second-year receiver Chris Henry and 2006 draft picks Frostee Rucker and A.J. Nicholson have been charged with criminal offenses in recent months. When they drafted them the Bengals were aware that all three got into trouble during their college careers.

Now Brooks is the talk of the town as he was booted off his college team by former Jets coach Al Groh and the chemistry of the team is coming into question. Coach Marvin Lewis has done an exceptional job but is coming under scrutiny for turning what seems like a blind eye to the situation.

The Miami Herald, citing two sources reported last month that Groh kicked Brooks (6-4, 259 pounds) out of the program for repeated drug test failures.

Linebackers coach Ricky Hunley attended Brooks’ pre-draft workout and was selected to conduct the session. Hunley was an assistant coach at the University of Florida in 2001 and is familiar with Brooks from those days as a potential recruit.

Wide receiver Chris Henry has been arrested four times since December on charges ranging from marijuana possession in Covington to felony gun charges in Florida. Defensive end Frostee Rucker, the team’s third-round pick in April’s regular draft, is facing spousal abuse and vandalism charges in Los Angeles. Fifth-round pick A.J. Nicholson was arrested in May in Tallahassee, Fla., on theft charges. The linebacker had been previously sent home by Florida State before getting to play in January’s Orange Bowl game for violating team rules.

Brooks, whose father, Perry, was a defensive tackle in the NFL with Washington from 1978-84, recorded 117 tackles as a freshman in 2003 to lead Virginia and he earned All-America honors as a sophomore with a season that included 90 tackles, eight sacks, 10 tackles for loss, two interceptions and 11 quarterback pressures.

His draft stock took a hit last season when he missed five games due to knee, ankle and back injuries. Brooks’ issues off of the field also hurt his draft status. He was arrested on marijuana possession charges in 2003 (he has completed a diversion program) to go along with the allegations of his failed drug tests last year. Greg Williams, Brooks’ agent, presented information to those in attendance at the player’s June workout that Brooks had passed drug tests the past two months.

Brian Simmons, David Pollack and Odell Thurman (last year’s top two draft picks) head up the Bengals pre-training camp depth chart as linebacker. Thurman missed last month’s mini-camp due to undisclosed personal reasons. Among the potential backups, only Hannibal Navies and Marcus Wilkins have more than three seasons of experience. Landon Johnson, a third-year player, has started 21 games and has shown the versatility to play all three positions

Bob Acton

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