July, 2022 | Horse Racing Free Tips

King George The Friday Focus

Despite all the top-level contests being done at the Qatar Goodwood Festival, Friday's action at the Sussex venue is almost as compelling with the G2 King George Qatar S. the fast and frenzied feature.

Now that Battaash (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) is in a deserved retirement, one of Britain's fastest five-furlong sprints is looking for a new ruler but at present he is not instantly recognisable in the void left by Shadwell's super-charged performer. Perhaps the best to hope for is an engaging spectacle as the July 2 G3 Sandown Sprint S. one-two Raasel (GB) (Showcasing {GB}) and Mitbaahy (Ire) (Profitable {Ire}) renew rivalry on this entirely different track.

The Horse Watchers' Raasel–who once raced in the Battaash colours–relished the uphill finish at the Esher venue to deny Hasan Mefareh Alajmi and Fawzi Nass's 3-year-old Mitbaahy by a neck, but he is also two-for-two in handicaps over this course and distance so must rate as a versatile as well as progressive performer. The syndicate's Chris Dixon revealed that the Breeders' Cup is in the syndicate's sights for the Mick Abbleby-trained 5-year-old. “Whatever happens here, so long as he comes out of it well, I think we'll be running in the Nunthorpe and we'll go from there. We'll think about the Breeders' Cup at the end of the season potentially as well, so it's exciting stuff and we're going to find out a lot more in the next couple of months, I guess,” he said.

“This is the race that we've always had our eye on, even before he ran in the listed race at Haydock,” Dixon added. “You know that bridge from handicaps to group races in five-furlong races isn't always massive and we know he likes Goodwood so much, so basically after he won his handicap there earlier in the season, we kind of thought this is where we'd come and it was just a case of how we got here.” Mitbaahy, a half-brother to the GI Del Mar Oaks heroine Going Global (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}), came to the fore with a win in Sandown's Listed Scurry S. June 11 and holds every chance of reversing the form with Raasel with age on his side.

Retrieval Missions

Also in the King George is the Hayses' Equilateral (GB) (Equiano {Fr}) and Khaadem (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}), with the latter looking the most intriguing. He took this meeting's Stewards' Cup in 2019 and appeared a revitalised character when making all in Newmarket's G3 Palace House S. Apr. 30, but left the stalls without his rider in Royal Ascot's G1 King's Stand S. June 14. There is nothing the like of Baaeed (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) in the G3 Bonhams Thoroughbred S. the Shadwell star won 12 months ago, but last year's G2 Champagne S. scorer and G1 Dewhurst S. and G1 Futurity Trophy third Bayside Boy (Ire) (New Bay {GB}) remains a class act despite finishing out of the frame in the G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains at ParisLongchamp May 15 and Royal Ascot's G1 St James's Palace S. June 14. “He ran well at Ascot in the St James's Palace, which is proving to be a strong piece of form and there is plenty to take from the race,” trainer Roger Varian said of Teme Valley and Ballylinch Stud's representative. We would look at that race as his first proper race of the season–the French Guineas was a bit of a non-event, so we think that piece of form at Ascot would present him with a strong chance in this race.”

Click here for the group fields.

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Belmont Fall Meet Will Be Held At Aqueduct Due To Construction

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) has announced that, due to the construction of vehicular and pedestrian tunnels designed to provide access to the Belmont Park infield, the 2022 Belmont Park fall meet will be held at Aqueduct Racetrack.

The 28-day Belmont at the Big A fall meet will begin on Thursday, September 15 and run through Sunday, October 30. Headlined by four Grade 1 races and four “Win and You're In” qualifiers to the Breeders' Cup in November at Keeneland, Belmont at the Big A will feature 23 graded events among 41 stakes worth $9.9 million in total purses. Live racing will be conducted Thursday-Sunday.

The construction of tunnels for vehicular and pedestrian access is a major capital improvement project that will unlock the 45-acre infield at Belmont Park. In addition to providing access for fans and the surrounding community, the tunnels will serve as a conduit to the infield for commercial vehicles allowing NYRA to completely reconstruct the Belmont main track and its two turf courses. The tunnels will also provide NYRA with the opportunity to consider the installation of a synthetic track in the future.

“This investment in the future of Belmont Park will transform our racing operations and pave the way for a broader re-imagining of the facility,” said Dave O'Rourke, NYRA President & CEO. “The shift to Aqueduct this fall will minimize the overall impact on the racing schedule, and ensure continuity for the Belmont spring/summer meet and Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets. We appreciate the patience of our horsemen and fans as we enter this period of transition at Belmont, and look forward to an exciting fall at the Big A.”

Construction on the tunnels will require the closure of the Belmont Park main track and turf courses at the conclusion of training hours on Sunday, August 7. NYRA expects main track and turf training to resume in April 2023. Construction on the racetracks will begin following the conclusion of the 2023 Belmont Park spring/summer meet, which will be held in its entirety at Belmont.

Following a three-week closure for annual track maintenance, the Belmont Park training track will re-open on Monday, August 8 and remain open throughout tunnel and track construction.

As part of the same round of capital improvement projects, NYRA will install a synthetic surface on the ¼ mile Belmont Park Pony Track. Expected to be complete in September, the Tapeta Footings track will provide a new all-weather training option and yield information and data on the performance of a synthetic surface in the weather conditions at Belmont.

The Oklahoma Training track will operate as normal, with scheduled turf training available throughout the fall.

The New York Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association (NYTHA) is responsible for advancing and protecting the interests of thoroughbred owners and trainers at Aqueduct Racetrack, Belmont Park and Saratoga Race Course. In his role as NYTHA President, Joe Appelbaum expressed support for the planned renovations and improvements to Belmont.

“NYTHA membership recognize the importance of modernizing Belmont Park and look forward to competing at a world-class thoroughbred racing venue,” said Appelbaum. “We will continue to work closely with NYRA to reduce any burdens on horsemen created by the temporary closure of the main track at Belmont.”

Belmont at the Big A will offer significant purse increases with a particular focus on adding value to conditions impacting the broadest group of owners and trainers. Accordingly, open allowance races will be run for six-figure purses while all claiming categories, New York-bred, and maiden races will enjoy purse enhancements.

Beyond the increases to the purse schedule, NYRA will introduce a new bonus program to further reward horsemen for competing at the fall meet. The Belmont at the Big A bonus will pay $500 to the owner and $500 to the trainer of any horse finishing outside of the top three in his/her first fall start provided the most recent start was during the 2022 summer meet at Saratoga Race Course. Stakes races at Aqueduct do not qualify for the Belmont at the Big A bonus.

The Belmont at the Big A stakes action will kick off on Saturday, September 17, with the closing legs of the Caesars Turf Triple Series: the Grade 3, $1 million Caesars Jockey Club Derby for 3-year-olds going 1 1/2 miles on the turf and the Grade 3, $700,000 Jockey Club Oaks for sophomore fillies. The Grade 3, $150,000 Pebbles at one-mile on turf for sophomore fillies will then be contested on Sunday, September 18.

The first New York-bred stakes of the meet will be the $125,000 Joseph A. Gimma on Friday, September 23, leading into a weekend that includes the Grade 3, $175,000 Athenia for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up competing at 1 1/8 miles on the turf on Saturday, September 24. The Saturday card will also include the $125,000 Ashley T. Cole, a nine-furlong turf test for state-breds 3-years-old and up. The following day will see fillies and mares 3-and-up sprinting 6 1/2 furlongs in the Grade 2, $250,000 Gallant Bloom, with the undercard rounded out by the $150,000 Bertram F. Bongard for New York-bred juveniles going seven furlongs.

The weekend of October 1-2 will be comprised of seven graded stakes with a pair of Grade 1s highlighting the Saturday card in the $500,000 Woodward for 3-year-olds and up going nine furlongs and the $500,000 Champagne for 2-year-olds running one mile. The Champagne affords the winner a spot in the Grade 1, $2 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile. The October 2 card will also include the Grade 2, $200,000 Miss Grillo for fillies at 1 1/16 miles on the turf, along with the Grade 3, $200,000 Belmont Turf Sprint Invitational for 3-year-olds and up going six furlongs on the turf.

Sunday, October 2 will be headlined by the Grade 1, $400,000 Frizette for 2-year-old fillies at one mile with a spot in the Grade 1, $2 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies up for grabs. The October 2 card will include the Grade 2, $200,000 Pilgrim for juveniles going 1 1/16 miles on the turf and the Grade 3, $300,000 Fasig-Tipton Waya at 1 3/8 miles for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up.

Top quality racing will continue on Saturday, October 8 with the Grade 1, $500,000 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic for 3-year-olds and up at 1 1/2-miles, along with the Grade 2, $250,000 Vosburgh, a seven-furlong sprint [previously run at six furlongs] for 3-year-olds and up, which offers a “Win and You're In” berth to the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Sprint. Rounding out the October 8 stakes action will be the Grade 3, $150,000 Matron at six furlongs on turf for juvenile fillies.

October 9 will offer the fall meet's final Breeders' Cup qualifier with the Grade 3, $150,000 Futurity for 2-year-olds going six furlongs on the turf providing a spot in the Grade 1, $2 million Juvenile Turf Sprint. Also on tap that day will be the Grade 2, $250,000 Beldame at nine furlongs for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up; and the Grade 3, $150,000 Knickerbocker for 3-year-olds and up going 1 1/8 miles on the turf.

On Saturday, October 29, the Grade 2, $300,000 Kelso, a one-turn mile for 3-year-olds and up will offer the top-four finishers a free nomination and starting fee in the Grade 1 Cigar Mile. The October 29 card will include the Grade 3, $200,000 Bold Ruler for 3-year-olds and up at six furlongs [previously run at seven furlongs] on the main track.

Additional graded races include the Grade 2, $200,000 Sands Point [October 15], Grade 2, $300,000 Hill Prince [October 22], and the Grade 3, $150,000 Noble Damsel [October 22].

Belmont at the Big A will close on Sunday, September 30 with the annual Empire Showcase Day, which will include eight stakes for New York-breds worth $1.6 million in total purse money. The lucrative card is highlighted by the $250,000 Empire Classic for 3-year-olds and up going 1 1/8 miles, and its counterpart the $250,000 Empire Distaff at nine furlongs for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up. Both the Empire Classic and Empire Distaff were previously run at 1 1/16-miles. Empire Showcase Day will also include four $200,000 stakes in the Sleepy Hollow, Maid of the Mist, Mohawk and Ticonderoga, along with a pair of $150,000 stakes in the Iroquois and Hudson.

For the complete Belmont at the Big A stakes schedule, visit https://bit.ly/3vmPaJP.

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Scots Wha’ Hae: Flying Juveniles Have Sackville On A High

GOODWOOD, UK–Goodwood has been especially glorious this week for Ed Sackville, wearing two slightly different hats as bloodstock advisor and agent.

First, Trillium (GB) (No Nay Never) blazed a trail in the G3 Molecomb S. for the Keswick family's Rockcliffe Stud, in which Sackville has played an active role in helping to assemble a broodmare band. The filly's success was followed on Thursday by victory in the G2 Richmond S. for Dr Jim and Fitri Hay's Royal Scotsman (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}), who was bought by SackvilleDonald for 125,000gns at Book 2 of last year's Tattersalls October Yearling Sale.

“I have been lucky enough to be able to buy some horses for Dr Hay in the last couple of years and I am so pleased that his trust in me has been rewarded,” said the agent.

Trained by Paul and Oliver Cole, Royal Scotsman has now won two of his four starts and was third behind Bradsell (GB) (Tasleet {GB}) and subsequent G2 July S. winner Persian Force (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}) in the G2 Coventry S. at Royal Ascot.

Sackville continued, “Royal Scotsman looks like a hugely exciting prospect. I know that Alex Cole and his father and brother were disappointed in the Coventry and obviously now he has shown his true colours. Also, when one looks at the form of the Coventry, it looks like it was an exceptional race.”

Paul Cole added of the colt, “Nothing worries him, he is a fantastic horse. There is the possibility of stepping up in trip, but he has a lot of speed and is out of a fast mare. I can't see anything around that has as much speed as him. There are very good races on the horizon such as the Morny and potentially York [the Gimcrack]. I'm not good at making quick decisions.”

While Cole mulls his options, trainer Richard Hannon will be doing similar in regard to Trillium, who is now a dual winner.

“[Wednesday] was equally exciting,” said Sackville. “It was obviously different in that she is a homebred for the Keswick family, and to me it was a truly important homebred in that the family had Snow Lantern last year, and Snow Lantern is out of [1000 Guineas winner] Sky Lantern who was originally bought as a yearling, whereas this filly Trillium is a granddaughter of Asaawir. When the Keswicks decided to form Rockcliffe Stud Asaawir was one of the foundation mares we bought from three original mares, so to win the Molecomb with a second-generation Keswick-bred filly is arguably more significant for the stud than winning the Falmouth Stakes with Snow Lantern.”

The fourth foal of Asaawir (GB) (Royal Applause {GB}) was the dual winner and Group 3-placed Marsh Hawk (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), who has now produced two black-type horses for Rockliffe Stud in Trillium and the Listed runner-up Mohawk King (Ire) (Siyouni {Fr}). Her Iffraaj (GB) colt foal will be consigned as lot 113 by Highclere Stud to the forthcoming Goffs UK Premier Sale.

“We still own Marsh Hawk, who is only a 10-year-old mare. She has an Iffraaj yearling going to Doncaster and a Wootton Bassett colt foal, and she is back in foal to the great No Nay Never,” Sackville noted.

“Trillium is a very exciting prospect. I think now that she is a group winner anything else is a bonus. We will probably aim her high, be it the Morny or the Cheveley Park or the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint.”

He added, “I think that the most important thing about these two horses is that they are owned by British-based owners who have put a huge amount into the business, and obviously we as an industry are hugely grateful for the international support that we get, but I think that it is nice to have some locally-owned, high-profile winners.

“The Arqana, Doncaster and Fairyhouse catalogues are already out online and I think that winners like these are a great reflection of the strength and depth of the British and Irish breeding industries.”

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Jockeys to Sign Souvenir Ellis Park Posters Saturday for PDJF

Jockeys will sign Ellis Park 100th season commemorative posters to raise money for the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund (PDJF) on Saturday.

The jockey autograph session is part of Jockeys Across America, where tracks across the country pay tribute to National Disability Independence Day and raise funds for and awareness about the PDJF.

The Ellis Park jockeys, as their riding schedules permit, will sign the full-color posters throughout the afternoon at a table between the paddock pavilion and the paddock. There is no charge, but donations will be accepted for the PDJF, a 501(c)(3) charity that currently provides financial assistance to approximately 60 former jockeys who have suffered catastrophic on-track injuries.

“This is a cause that is near and dear to our hearts,” said Jon Court, the dean of the Kentucky jockeys and a six-time Ellis Park meet leader. “We love our fans and invite everyone to come out and help us help our colleagues who sacrificed so much.”

“No other major sport allows so much access to its participants as horse racing does on a daily basis,” said Ellis Park General Manager Jeff Inman. “Our jockeys routinely sign autographs after races. Saturday provides an organized opportunity for fans to create a real keepsake by getting any number of riders to sign our souvenir century poster.”

Sunday is also HBPA College Day at Ellis Park with $1,000 scholarships and iPad mini/AirPods packages given out to full-time college students. Full-time students, including incoming freshmen, will receive a free Ellis Park/HBPA College Day ball cap just for registering for the drawings.

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