Month: October 2021

Australia: The Everest Summit Is One Week Away

Everest Update: The Everest, the world's richest turf race, is just one week away. Last year's winner Classique Legend used a prep race prior to The Everest last year but is being trained up to the race in 2021. This Thursday afternoon, U.S. time, he has a crucial “barrier trial” (training race from the gate) with major Everest contender and last start winner, Eduardo so keep your eyes on Sky Racing World socials for a replay of the trial. Three Everest slots remain open, owned by Godolphin, Coolmore and James Kennedy. Godolphin's Paulele is entered in Friday night's 5th race and remains under consideration for The Everest. 

Friday Night's Feature Race: Race 8, the G1 $1,000,000 Spring Champion Stakes, for 3-year-olds at 1-1/4 miles. Wagering is headed by the exacta horses from the traditional prep race, the Gloaming Stakes, along with a filly who caused a massive Group One upset just last week. The trio can keep close tabs on each other, as they break from adjoining gates.

Hefty Price Tag: Profondo is Italian for “deep,” which describes the pockets belonging to the owner who paid $1.9 million for this colt. More likely, the name pays homage to his late sire, the Japanese racetrack-and-stud sensation Deep Impact (by Sunday Silence). Unraced as a 2-year-old, Profondo debuted with a seven-furlong maiden win on September 1st, before stepping up to nine furlongs in the G3 Gloaming Stakes. Sent off favorite, Profondo raced a bit keenly before hitting the front in the stretch, only to throw the race away by ducking in sharply. He lost narrowly to the more seasoned Head Of State (a son of American Pharoah), and the pair will be neighbors in the starting gate for Friday night's much-anticipated rematch. #1 Head Of State (gate 9) is 7-2, while #2 Profondo (gate 10) is 2-1 favorite.

Fillies Trending: While only three fillies have won the Spring Champion Stakes (first run in 1971), those wins have all come in the past five years (including 2020 winner, Montefilia, who won last week's G1 Metropolitan Handicap as a 4-year-old). #11 Never Been Kissed will attempt to replicate Montefilia's feat of last season, by winning the G1 Flight Stakes and the G1 Spring Champion Stakes “double.” Never Been Kissed was let go at 60-1 when winning the one-mile Flight versus her own sex. She is 4-1 third choice for Friday night's assignment against colts and is drawn directly inside Head Of State in gate 9.  

Selection: #2 Profondo

Supporting Stakes: Race 7, the Silver Eagle, is a $500,000 race for 4-year-olds and up at 6-1/2 furlongs. The program also features a pair of Group Two races and a pair of Group Threes. Friday night's 10-race card attracted a total of 140 entries (including Also Eligibles). First Post is 6.35pm Pacific.

Hot jockey(s): Reagan Bayliss was last Friday night's star, increasing his career Group One win total from three to five (Epsom Handicap and Flight Stakes). Hugh Bowman deserves an honorable mention for reaching a special milestone: by winning last week's other G1, the Metropolitan, Bowman became just the fourth Australian rider to register 100 Group One victories (exactly one quarter of Bowman's came aboard Winx).    

The Randwick card will be broadcast live on TVG this Friday night (First Post: 9:35pm ET / 6:35pm PT) alongside cards from Gold Coast, Eagle Farm and Goulburn. All races will be live-streamed in HD on the new Sky Racing World App, skyracingworld.com and major ADW platforms such as TVG, TwinSpires, Xpressbet, NYRABets, WatchandWager, HPIbet, DRF Bets and AmWager. Wagering is also available via these ADW platforms. Fans can get free access to live-streaming, past performances and expert picks on all races at skyracingworld.com. 

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Equibase Analysis: Good Effort The One To Catch In Vosburgh

Saturday's Grade 2, $250,000 Vosburgh Stakes is a “Win & You're In” for the Breeders' Cup Sprint. Although only drawing a field of five, there is not one horse entered who is without a chance to succeed. Since the group is small, I'll dispense with the normal listing of their qualifications and cover all five horses in detail.

Good Effort (IRE) has won eight of 29 career races, all on turf or all-weather. However, he has run big races on dirt, specifically when missing by a neck in a 13 horse field this past March in the Group 3 Mahab Al Shimaal Stakes in Dubai on a left handed course like the one at Belmont. Overmatched in the Group 1 Dubai Golden Shaheen Stakes after that, Good Effort (IRE) rebounded to miss by three-quarters of a length in a group 3 stakes in the U.K. after making the lead and holding on until very late in the race. Overmatched once more in the Group 1 Darley July Cup Stakes and the Group 2 King George Qater Stakes, the latter run at five furlongs on grass, Good Effort (IRE) rebounded to lead from start to finish in a very fast six and one-half furlong race in France on all-weather last month.

From January through November 2020, Good Effort (IRE) won four straight races, in three of the four making the lead shortly after the start and easily holding the front to the end. Adding blinkers to insure he does the same as in Europe and Dubai, considering he earned very consistent ™ Equibase® Speed Figures of 108 to 110 in his top efforts, Good Effort (IRE) has a shot to surprise the local contingent and win this year's Vosburgh Stakes in front running fashion.

Following Sea cuts back from seven furlongs to six furlongs which may be the key to a top effort. He finished third and well behind the top two finishers in the Grade 1 H. Allen Jerkens Memorial Stakes in August, but those two horses (Jackie's Warrior and Life is Good) both won their next starts in top stakes company. Before the Jerkens, Following Sea finished third when trying two-turns for the first time in the Grade 1 Haskell Stakes, an irrelevant experiment in my opinion. Prior to the Haskell, Following Sea won easily by six and one-half lengths at Belmont and prior to that he won by five and three-quarter lengths at this six furlong trip, earning a career best 110 ™ figure good enough to win this race. Cutting back to his best distance gives Following Sea a good shot to do just that and he's another likely to be a bit ignored in the wagering compared to others in this year's Vosburgh.

Firenze Fire is likely to be favored on the strength of his big effort at the end of August in the Grade 1 Forego Stakes. In the Forego, Firenze Fire went head-and-head with eventual winner Yaupon for the final quarter mile, even trying to bite his foe multiple times in the stretch run. That effort earned a strong 112 figure, similar to the 113 figure earned two races before that when second in the Grade 2 John A. Nerud Stakes at Belmont. Winner of the 2020 Vosburgh with a 116 figure, Firenze Fire shows up with his “A” game nearly every time he runs and must be respected as a contender.

Baby Yoda is one of two three year olds in the field, the other Following Sea. He is the most lightly raced horse in the group, having run four times, but he has improved markedly in each race, starting with an 84 figure effort, then 91, then 97 and finally 111 in his most recent race. That most recent effort on September 4 was visually impressive as Baby Yoda easily drew off to a four and one-quarter length victory. Trainer Bill Mott knows this young horse still has improving to do and that is why he puts him in a stakes race for the first time, as that 111 figure matches up well with the 112 figure Firenze Fire earned in the similar Grade 1 Forego Stakes one week before Baby Yoda's last win.

Jalen Journey has won eight of 16 career races including three of nine at this six furlong trip. All four of his stakes tries in the U.S. were excellent efforts, starting with a runner-up effort in the Grade 3 Smile Sprint Stakes in June 2019 in which he led late and missed by less than a length to a top sprinter in Diamond Oops. Since returning from Dubai in May of this year, Jalen Journey has finished first or second in all four races, most recently when crossing the line second but moved up to first in the Grade 3 Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash Stakes when the winner was disqualified for interference. That effort earned a 108 figure and just prior to that Jalen Journey earned a career-best 111 figure, another effort on par with the best of this group

Top Win Contenders:
Good Effort (IRE)
Following Sea

Vosburgh Stakes – Grade 2
Race 5 at Belmont Park
Saturday, October 9 – Post Time 2:45 PM E.T.
Six Furlongs
Three Years Olds and Upward
Purse: $250,000

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Racing’s Future In The Spotlight During Virtual IFHA Conference

Thursday featured the launch of the 55th International Conference of Horseracing Authorities, organized by the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA). Held virtually for the second consecutive year, the 2021 Conference examines global racing's evolution and future challenges. The Japan Racing Association (JRA) is the official partner of this year's Conference.

Video of the International Conference of Horseracing Authorities is available on the IFHA's website and social media platforms. Podcasts of the speakers are also available.

The keynote speech was given by incoming IFHA Chair Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, who was recently elected as the new head of the Federation following Louis Romanet's retirement. Following his speech, the Conference featured panels on digitalization and media; equine welfare; and climate change and sustainability. The Conference concluded with a tribute to Romanet, who is retiring after 27 years as Chairman and who was appointed to the honorary position of Chairman Emeritus effective Oct. 4, 2021.

“The 55th International Conference of the IFHA comes at a most significant time for our sport and the world,” said Engelbrecht-Bresges. “We face major macro challenges arising from the pandemic and climate change. More than ever, we must work together and harness the wealth of talent and expertise within our membership to not only face these challenges, but ensure that our sport thrives in the short, medium, and long term.

“This Conference gives us the opportunity to look forward at some key parts of the IFHA's strategy for the future. We are fortunate to have world-class speakers sharing their insights regarding digitalization and media, equine welfare, climate change and sustainability.”

Guest speakers at this year's Conference included Michael Mulvihill, executive vice president, head of strategy and analytics at FOX Sports; Jamie Stier, chair of the IFHA Horse Welfare Committee and Racing Victoria's executive general manager, integrity services; Di Arbuthnot, the chief executive for Retraining of Racehorses (RoR) and chair of the International Forum for the Aftercare of Racehorses (IFAR); and Allen Hershkowitz, a founding director and chairman of Sport and Sustainability International and environmental science advisor to the New York Yankees. Respected presenter Rishi Persad returned this year to serve as moderator.

The first International Conference of Horseracing Authorities was organised and hosted by the Société d'Encouragement in Paris, France, on October 9, 1967. Since 1994, the annual conference has been organised by the IFHA at France Galop. In 2019, the Conference convened delegates from more than 50 different countries with a number of other racing executives and media members in attendance. Historically held the day after the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (G1), the Conference transitioned to a virtual format in 2020 as the result of COVID-19.

About IFHA

The IFHA is the global leader for the international sport of Thoroughbred racing, seeking to promote all facets of the worldwide sport; protect the welfare of the equine and human athlete; and protect and grow its global social and economic significance for current and future generations.

Major areas of the IFHA's activities include:

  • Making and amending the International Agreement on Breeding, Racing and Wagering (the IABRW)
  • Policy development relating to welfare and safety of horses and riders
  • International Race Planning and Grading (“black type”)
  • World Rankings
  • The fight against Equine Prohibited Substances and Practices
  • Harmonization of Racing Rules
  • Certification of IFHA Reference Labs
  • Promoting commercial development of the racing industry globally

The IFHA is a foundation member with Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) of the International Horse Sports Confederation and is affiliated to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE).

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