Ladies and gentlemen, please give a warm welcome back to the $600,000, Grade 1 Pattison Canadian International Stakes at Woodbine!
Month: September 2021
Shear, Smith, Shulman, Byk Named 2021 NTWAB Award Winners
John Shear, who retired from his post as Santa Anita Park's paddock guard this year at age 100, will be honored along with retired Del Mar publicist Dan Smith, Turf writer Lenny Shulman and radio personality Steve Byk during the National Turf Writers And Broadcasters' 61st annual Awards Dinner Wednesday, Nov. 3.
The NTWAB Awards Dinner is the organization's only fundraiser and a portion of the proceeds of the event are used toward scholarships for prospective racing journalists and to support other Thoroughbred industry charities. The NTWAB Awards Dinner returns to its traditional date on the Breeders' Cup Week calendar after a one-year hiatus and will be held at the iconic Brigantine Seafood and Oyster Bar in Del Mar, California.
Shear will be honored with the Mr. Fitz Award for “typifying the spirit of racing”. During his time with Santa Anita, Shear was entrusted with keeping horses and patrons safe, and famously risked his life in that endeavor 10 years ago at age 90 to put his 5-foot, 115-pound body between a loose horse and a child–resulting in multiple fractures. He was one of the most recognizable employees at Santa Anita and worked as a paddock guard for nearly 60 years, retiring this past summer.
Smith, who served more than 40 years as full-time director of media relations at the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club, will be honored with the Joe Palmer Award for meritorious service to racing. Smith was at the forefront of Del Mar's innovations that attracted new fans and enhanced the experience of traditional customers, while always putting the racing product front and center. Prior to his career in media relations, Smith covered racing and other sports for the Los Angeles Times. Prior to his retirement in 2021, the Dan Smith Press Box was christened at Del Mar.
Shulman, the features editor at BloodHorse magazine for 20 years and the author of four books including “Justify: 111 Days to Triple Crown Glory,” will be honored with the Walter Haight Award for career excellence in Turf writing. Shulman also wrote “Ride of Their Lives,” a look at the troubled lives of some jockeys, and two novels, “Long Way From Home” and “Points.”
Byk, the host of the popular “At the Races with Steve Byk” show on SiriusXM, will be honored with the Jim McKay Award for career excellence in broadcasting. Byk's five-day-a-week news magazine has become a must-listen for many industry participants and fans. Byk began writing about racing in 2002, eventually developing DerbyTrail.com. He joined 'At the Races and Beyond' on Sirius in 2005 and took over the show in 2007.
Tickets for the NTWAB Awards Dinner, which can be purchased through EventBrite, are $80 for NTWAB members and Breeders' Cup credentialed media and $100 for non-members and guests. Invitations will be mailed to NTWAB members, and non-members can request an invitation by contacting Jessie Oswald at jboswald68@gmail.com.
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Getting Into Topgear
There will be further sorting of the juvenile pecking order on Friday, with Chantilly's six-furlong G3 Prix Eclipse featuring Hisaaki Saito's unbeaten Topgear (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}).
Having beaten TDN Rising Star Shaikha (Fr) (Ribchester {Ire}) in the 6 1/2-furlong Prix Irish River conditions race at Deauville Aug. 26, the Fabrice Chappet-trained colt is one of a clutch of unexposed types looking to break through in pattern company. They include Abu Khadra Stables' Fai Fai (GB) (Acclamation {GB}), an Andre Fabre-trained colt who scored on debut over that same course and distance Aug. 17, and Stall Ad Episas's Andreas Suborics-trained filly Best Flying (Fr) (Pedro the Great) who was impressive when winning over this trip also at Deauville Aug. 8 and when taking a valuable Baden-Baden sales race Aug. 29.
Also on the card is the G3 Prix Bertrand de Tarragon for fillies and mares over nine furlongs, where Fabre reintroduces Juddmonte's 'TDN Rising Star' Petricor (GB) (Frankel {GB}) following an absence since winning the Listed Prix Finlande over this trip at ParisLongchamp May 2. Also lining up are Godolphin's Aug. 6 Vichy and Aug. 29 Deauville scorer Sundoro (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}), a Henri-Alex Pantall-trained half-sister to Pinatubo (Ire) (Shamardal), The Aga Khan's Sept. 5 Listed Prix de la Cochere scorer Varkesha (Fr) (Pivotal {GB}) and Gemini Stud's Mar. 21 Listed Prix la Camargo winner Sweet Lady (Fr) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) who gets her autumn campaign underway.
Newbury's card features the seven-furlong Listed Dubai Duty Free Cup, where another 'TDN Rising Star' Albasheer (Ire) (Shamardal) stays on the comeback trail having finished second in a conditions event at Salisbury 24 days ago as he encounters a trio of Godolphin runners headed by the Mar. 6 G1 Jebel Hatta third Al Suhail (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}). It also stages the 41st Running of the Haynes, Hanson & Clark Conditions S., whose honour roll boasts the luminaries Henbit, Shergar (GB), Rainbow Quest, Unfuwain, King's Theatre (Ire) and Nayef. Ayr's two-day Gold Cup meeting sees the Listed British EBF Stallions Harry Rosebery S. and Listed Arran Scottish Sprint EBF Fillies' S. take centre stage, with the former a speed test for the juveniles including the exciting filly Peggy Sioux (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}), a Kevin Ryan-trained Sept. 1 Hamilton novice winner who sports the Guy Reed Racing silks.
Click here for the group fields.
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Graffard to Take Over Aiglemont For HH The Aga Khan
Following the retirement of Alain de Royer-Dupre at the end of 2021, trainer Francis-Henri Graffard will take over the training of the horses based at His Highness The Aga Khan's private training centre at Aiglemont. Situated in Gouvieux, Aiglemont is currently home to 80-90 Aga Khan-bred horses. Past champions bearing the green with red epaulettes trained at Aiglemont include Zarkava (Ire), Dalakhani (Ire) and Siyouni (Fr).
Graffard, a graduate of the Godolphin Flying Start, spent four years at the Darley Racing Office before becoming an assistant to Alain de Royer-Dupre. He went out on his own in 2011 and has celebrated top-level victories with Erupt (Ire), Bateel (Ire), Channel (Ire), Watch Me (Fr), In Swoop (Ire), Wooded (Ire) and The Revenant (GB). The young trainer was sent a few Aga Khan yearlings at the end of 2019.
Alain de Royer-Dupre started training out of Aiglemont for HH The Aga Khan after the passing of Francois Mathet in 1983. To date, Royer-Dupre has trained a total of 77 Group 1 winners for HH The Aga Khan and Princess Zahra Aga Khan including seven French Guineas, a Prix Vermeille, six editions of the Prix de Diane and G1 Prix Saint Alary, five G1 Prix du Jockey Clubs and a pair of G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winners.
Graffard will continue to operate out of Chantilly in addition to his new role. The Aga Khan Studs' close collaboration with their existing base of trainers, which includes Mikel Delzangles and Jean-Claude Rouget in France, as well as Dermot Weld, Michael Halford and Johnny Murtagh in Ireland, will also continue.
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