Month: July 2022

Budding Turf Star Sharp Aza Tack Dominates Rivals In Monmouth’s Tyro Stakes

After Sharp Aza Tack's solid first-out maiden special weight turf score at Santa Anita, trainer Doug O'Neill was looking for a race as a set-up for the $500,000 Global Tote Juvenile Sprint at Kentucky Downs on September 8.

That race was Saturday's $100,000 Tyro Stakes at Monmouth Park, and it turned out to be little more than a public workout for the 2-year-old son of Three Chimneys' Farm resident sire Sharp Azteca.

Flashing impressive speed early and then even more dazzling power late, Sharp Aza Tack rolled to a 7¼-length win in the 81st edition of the Tyro Stakes to improve to 2-for-2 lifetime.

The winning time for the five furlongs over a turf course labeled as firm was :55.71.

“I decided to ship the horse to Monmouth Park after talking to owner Ron Arakelian (of Rr3 Racing),” said O'Neill. “We circled the Global Tote Juvenile Sprint at Kentucky Downs (at 6½ furlongs on the grass) for him and we thought `what is a good spot between the win at Santa Anita and the Kentucky Downs race?' The race at Monmouth Park was perfect. I have horses at Keeneland now and we thought the Tyro Stakes would be a good middle ground.”

Sent off as the even-money favorite in the field of seven juveniles, Sharp Aza Tack needed only minor early urging from jockey Jairo Rendon before dusting his rivals.

The decision to try the colt on the grass at the outset of his career, O'Neill said, was because “I didn't know if he was good enough to stay with some of the top baby sprinters on the dirt in California.”

He won his debut June 10 by 2¼ lengths on the turf at Santa Anita.

“I would be lying if I didn't say I was shocked at how well he raced that day,” said O'Neill. “He came out of it great so why would we mess around with surfaces? We didn't over-think it. It's not brain surgery.”

Rendon, who has 13 grass wins among his 21-win total for the year, said the only thing he knew about Sharp Aza Tack was from his one running line.

“I didn't know much about this horse since his only race was in California,” said Rendon. “I knew from the past performances that he is very quick from the gate. So I was expecting the same from him today – and that's what he did.

“The only thing Doug O'Neill said to me was, 'He's a quick horse. Just go.' Once he got into stride he took off. He won very easily in his second start and he won easily in his first start so it looks like he could be a good one.”

O'Neill said Sharp Aza Tack, a $100,000 purchase from RiceHorse Stable at the OBS March Sale of Two-Year-Olds in Training, took another step forward with his performance at Monmouth Park. Power Attack, who tried staying with Sharp Aza Tack through fractions of :21.49 and :44.12, was second, 1¾ lengths ahead of Bart's Dream.

Sharp Aza Tack returned $4.

“There were some good runners in there. I couldn't have been more impressed or more proud of the way he ran,” said O'Neill. “It's hard to be more impressive than he was.”

Sharp Aza Tack was bred in Kentucky by Joe Cowles and Emily Cowles. He is out of the Bernardini mare Que Chulo.

The post Budding Turf Star Sharp Aza Tack Dominates Rivals In Monmouth’s Tyro Stakes appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Emotion 100th Stakes Winner For Juddmonte Sire Frankel

Qatar Racing Ltd.'s Emotion became the 100th individual stakes winner for Juddmonte Farms sire Frankel with her win in the British Stallion Studs EBF Chalice Stakes Saturday at Newmarket.

In a Twitter post, Juddmonte noted Frankel, Great Britain's reigning champion sire, matched the record of breed-shaper Danehill as the fastest sire to reach the milestone in 2,402 days each. Frankel, who has seven crops of racing age, is a 14-year-old by Galileo out of Kind, by Danehill.

Saddled by the training team of John and Thady Gosden, Emotion reared at the start but led after the opening furlong in the 1 ½-mile test for fillies and mares. Ridden by Andrea Atzeni, she was headed before the first quarter but stayed prominent. The 3-year-old filly challenged for command over a furlong out then hustled to lead inside the final eighth and stayed on for a one-length triumph.

Emotion was bred in Great Britain from French Group 1 winner Molly Malone, by Lomitas. The mare also is the dam of French Group 2 winner Morgan Le Faye.

A two-time Cartier Horse of the Year and unbeaten in 14 career starts under the late Sir Henry Cecil, Juddmonte homebred Frankel reached a historic milestone in 2021 when he became the fastest stallion to achieve 50 Northern Hemisphere group winners.

Frankel stands at Juddmonte's Banstead Manor Stud in Newmarket.

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Watch: Flightline Works From Gate At Del Mar In Tune-Up For Pacific Classic

Undefeated Flightline drilled five furlongs from the starting gate Saturday at Del Mar in preparation for his expected start in the TVG Pacific Classic (G1) September 3 at California's seaside track.

Working in company with four-time winner Impossible Task, the 4-year-old Tapit colt easily dispatched his stablemate while covering the distance in :59.40, the third-fastest clocking of 89 moves at the distance.

“We wanted to get a good break today and that's exactly what we got,” trainer John Sadler's assistant Juan Leyva, who was aboard for the workout, told co-owner West Point Thoroughbreds' Jeff Lifson in a video interview on Twitter.

“The first jump was really good; I didn't ask him to go, I just let him do it on his own. He broke super, and I just gave him a loose rein up until the eighth pole when I had to snug him up a little so he doesn't go too fast. But he rated kindly, finished up his work with ease and then the gallop out was extraordinary.”

Sadler noted that Flightline was a bit slow to start in his most recent outing, the Hill 'n' Dale Metropolitan Stakes (G1) June 11 at Belmont Park, which he won by six lengths, but wanted to get a gate work into him prior to the Pacific Classic.

Flightline is owned by the partnership of Hronis Racing, Siena Farm, breeder Summer Wind Equine, West Point Thoroughbreds, and Woodford Racing.

The top-ranked horse pointing to the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) November 5 at Keeneland, Flightline is perfect in four lifetime outings, including the 2021 Runhappy Malibu Stakes (G1) at Santa Anita.

The post Watch: Flightline Works From Gate At Del Mar In Tune-Up For Pacific Classic appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Over £97 Million Bet Into World Pool In First Three Days Of Goodwood Festival

Wagering into the World Pool topped £97 million over the first three days of the Qatar Goodwood Festival. The gross turnover for World Pool bets increased by almost 66% when compared to 2021's figures of £59 million. World Pool, which is a collaboration of global totes, enables racing fans from all over the globe to bet into a single pool.

There were three World Pool “Moment of the Day” awards handed out, as well as £1,000 and a bottle of champagne to the racing staff who looked after the winning horse. The winners are as follows:

 

  • Tuesday, July 26: Willie Dwan, groom of Lord Riddiford (Ire) (Zebedee {GB}) who had his third win at the Qatar Goodwood Festival in the Class 2 Nicholson Gin H.
  • Wednesday, July 27: Jane Stanforth, groom of Oscula (Ire) (Galileo Gold {GB}), who won the G3 Whispering Angel Oak Tree S., having had six runs in 54 days.
  • Thursday, July 28: Hollie Thomas, groom of Royal Scotsman (GB) (Gleneagles {Ire}) who broke the 2-year-old track record when winning the G2 Richmond S.

The overall winner of the 16 “Moment of the Day” awards, will be announced as the “Moment of the Year” on QIPCO British Champions Day, with the winning yard receiving £34,000.

Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, Chief Executive Officer of the Hong Kong Jockey Club, said, “The stunning growth of World Pool continued with fantastic results at the Qatar Goodwood Festival. What is most pleasing to see is the resonance of the World Pool brand across all customer segments and geographies over the three days. It is clear that customers are seeing the true value of World Pool liquidity and stakeholders are seeing the true value of the funding mechanism which results in higher returns to the industry. We appreciate the efforts by Goodwood, UK Tote, our global partners and of course the participants to make it such a successful event.”

Adam Waterworth, Managing Director at Goodwood Racecourse, said: “We are delighted to see the significant growth in World Pool at the Qatar Goodwood Festival. As our most high-profile racing meeting of the year, it has always been our aim to ensure as many people as possible around the world can watch and bet on the excellent racing. As well as being a positive development for racing fans, World Pool is one of the most important initiatives in British racing from which Goodwood benefits, allowing us to reinvest in our prize money and racecourse experience.”

The post Over £97 Million Bet Into World Pool In First Three Days Of Goodwood Festival appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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