Seven horses are entered in the $300,000, Grade 1 Runhappy Malibu Stakes, one of six stakes races, all graded, which make up Sunday’s opening day card for Santa Anita Park’s winter/spring meeting.
Month: December 2021
Irish Prizemoney To Increase In 2022
Prizemoney in Ireland will reach €64.8-million in 2022, an increase from 2021 and second only to 2019 levels. That prizemoney will be paid out over 390 fixtures.
Horse Racing Ireland's 2022 budget also includes an increase in funding for the IRE Incentive Scheme, which will pay out €1.3-million in vouchers for Irish-bred horses at Irish sales; the scheme was worth €1.1-million this year. HRI will also increase funding for the point-to-point sector to a record €2.5-million. HRI will increase funds directed to industry education and training to €13.4-million, and approved a new €12-million racecourse capital development scheme.
“This is a strong budget which has its focus on restoring prizemoney, supporting growth for those earning their living in racing and breeding, investing in integrity and equine welfare, as well as a racecourse capital programme which is centred on ensuring appropriate industry facilities,” said Suzanne Eade, chief executive of HRI. “Framing the budget for the industry for 2022 was not without its challenges, but I'm very happy that we have been able to support the 390 fixtures scheduled for 2022 and with it the opportunities for horses and people at all levels of the industry, while at the same time increasing average prize money and bringing the total on offer to owners back to its second-highest level historically. We know from our ownership base the importance of prize money in attracting new people into our industry and retaining the owners already there, and in tandem with the prize money restoration, we will be investing in ensuring that owner base stays strong.
“Like most companies, we would have hoped to have been framing the industry budget for 2022 with the Covid-19 pandemic behind us but that sadly isn't the case. The impact of Brexit is far from behind us either in terms of its impact on the racing and breeding sector, so we had little hesitation in retaining the IRE Incentive Scheme for 2022 given the tremendous success it achieved in its first year of operation, with an uplift in the number of vouchers that will be paid out next year.
“After experiencing such huge difficulties in 2020 and early 2021, it was heartening to see the strong sales in the second half of the year, confirming the huge confidence there is in our product. There are other challenges too because of Brexit and insurance is one that we, and many other, industries are facing. We have extended our support to Point-to-Points to €2.5m–its highest level ever–recognising that insurance costs are a particular challenge in this sector.
“HRI is also conscious of the need to improve standards for all those working in the industry, especially when they go racing. We will therefore be launching a new €12m industry focused racecourse capital development scheme covering projects to be undertaken in 2022/23 to which HRI will provide €4.8m by means of 40% grant aid. This scheme will target improvements in key industry areas of the racecourse infrastructure such as the weigh room and stable yard, as well as financing work on the racetrack itself including the enhancement of watering systems.”
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Life Is Good Could Head To Saudi Cup After Pegasus Start
Life Is Good, a horse Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher describes as having “unlimited potential,” is on track for an epic battle with Knicks Go in the Pegasus World Cup next month, before connections consider a possible bid for the $20 million Saudi Cup.
Pletcher, who has had a phenomenal 2021, has identified four potential contenders for the world's most valuable race on Saturday, Feb. 26, any of which would become his first runners in Saudi Arabia.
The 54-year-old Texas-born trainer has been delighted with Life Is Good since his jaw-dropping 5¾ length win in the Breeders' Cup Mile at Del Mar last month.
“He's in great form and is training superbly like he always does. We're targeting the Pegasus right now and keeping an eye on both Saudi and Dubai,” said Pletcher. “We were very impressed [with his Breeders' Cup win], he threw it down from the beginning and ran some super-fast fractions. Everything he has done has always indicated that more distance will not be a problem.”
Knicks Go, who finished fourth in this year's Saudi Cup, will bid to end his career on a high by defending his Pegasus World Cup crown at Gulfstream Park next month after an impressive win in the Breeders' Cup Classic last time. Pletcher is clearly looking forward to the battle in Florida.
He said: “They are two horses with the same racing style, it really should be a thriller. We hope we come into it in good form and let our horse do his thing.”
The Saudi Cup would represent a different challenge for Life Is Good as a one-turn mile and an eighth contest, but that doesn't seem to worry Pletcher.
“It's a challenging race, we know that, but he ran very well in the Kelso at Belmont over a mile, so it should suit him fine,” he said. “We don't see the extra distance being a problem. The Pegasus is the plan, we can then make a decision after that.”
Happy Saver, a three-time winner at Belmont Park over a variety of distances, was a close second to Maxfield in the Grade 1 Clark Stakes at Churchill Downs last month and is another who could take in the Pegasus before potentially flying to Saudi.
“He just missed in the Clark, but he regained his best form and it was a big effort,” said Pletcher. “We're keeping an eye on the Pegasus for him and he'll be nominated for Saudi. He's a versatile horse, as he showed when winning the Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont which isn't a true two-turn race.”
Dr Post was well beaten in the Clark Stakes last time but is another who could follow a similar route.
“We'll nominate him for Saudi as well. We were a little disappointed in his Clark effort, he just didn't seem to handle the surface that day,” said Pletcher. “It was a hard track to make up ground, but he was second to Tiz The Law in the 2020 Belmont Stakes and we think the set up in Saudi would suit him.”
“The Pegasus is also an option for him. We'll just see how it plays out, how everyone trains and keep our options open.”
The final horse Pletcher is considering for The Saudi Cup, for which entries close on Jan. 5, 2022, is Fearless who won the G3 Holiday Stakes at Gulfstream Park on Saturday.
“He was an impressive winner at the weekend. He hasn't run in a Grade 1 yet, so he may not get invited, but he's always been a solid horse and we're trying to break through to the top level.”
While a runner in The Saudi Cup would be a first for Pletcher, he is clearly giving it careful consideration. He said: “It depends on the individual horse. Life Is Good has had some time off which helps. It's great to have these opportunities, it's proven to be a very attractive race.”
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Virtual Longines World Racing Awards Presentation Scheduled For Jan. 25
The 2021 Longines World Racing Awards will be held virtually on Tuesday, Jan. 25, 2022. The ninth edition of the ceremony will celebrate the Longines World's Best Racehorse, the Longines World's Best Horse Race, and the Longines World's Best Jockey of the 2021 season. The event is organised by the Swiss watch brand Longines and the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA).
The Longines World Racing Awards will be released on multiple digital platforms including the social media accounts from Longines and the IFHA. The ceremony will reveal the highest-rated horses in the Longines World's Best Racehorse Rankings for the year as well as the Longines World's Best Horse Race.
The Longines World's Best Racehorse Rankings are established by international handicappers according to the performance of the horses in top races. The highest rated race is determined by averaging the rankings of the first four placed horses. In the previous edition, Ghaiyyath was crowned the Longines World's Best Racehorse, while the Juddmonte International Stakes (G1) was named the Longines World's Best Horse Race.
Ryan Moore, the 2021 Longines World's Best Jockey, will also be honored during the ceremony. The awarding of the Longines World's Best Jockey title is based upon performances in the 100 highest-rated Group 1 and Grade 1 races as established for the year by the Longines World's Best Racehorse Rankings Committee. The scoring incorporates races from Dec. 1 of the previous year until Nov. 30 of the current year.
The full list and further information on the Longines World's Best Racehorse Rankings are available on the IFHA website ifhaonline.org.
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