For the sixth year in a row, America’s Best Racing is challenging some of the brightest minds in horse betting to come up with their top three picks for key races every weekend leading up to the 2022 Triple Crown and then continuing through the 2022 Breeders’ Cup World Championships. The handicappers face off in what we like to call the “Big Race Showdown.”
Month: September 2022
John Quinn: ‘Flying Five-Bound Highfield Princess The Best I’ve Trained’
John Quinn has showered star sprinter Highfield Princess (Fr) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) with praise and described the G1 Flying Five-bound filly as the best he's trained.
Highfield Princess is chasing a third Group 1 win on the spin when she lines out in Sunday's Flying Five S. at the Curragh, one of the feature races of Longines Irish Champions Weekend and Quinn, a native of County Tipperary who has been based in England for the majority of his racing career, is in no doubt that the speedball is the best he's trained.
That's not to say that Highfield Princess was always talked about in such vaunted terms. She may be one of the fastest racehorses around, but Highfield Princess would never have made big money at the sales, given she is noticeably off in front. However, Quinn has always had a soft spot for the way the filly goes about her business.
He recalls, “She had a nice demeanor as a 2-year-old but was backward. She's a typical Night Of Thunder, she's not correct in front and is well off on one, but, funnily enough, she's a wonderful mover. She has great fluidity. You get some horses who are not correct and they move terribly because they can't move any other way. But this filly stretches.”
Quinn added, “This is the best horse we've ever had. We've been lucky to have top-class Flat horses and a few top-class jumpers as well.
“We've had Cheltenham and Aintree winners, won the Queen Mary with Signora Cabello (Ire) (Camacho {GB}) and The Wow Signal (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) won the Coventry S. and was champion 2-year-old in France, so we've been lucky to have had some very good horses, but she's the best. She's a phenomenal filly.”
And this phenomenal filly sets a daunting standard at the Curragh on Sunday. She was a brilliant winner of the G1 Prix Maurice de Gheest at Deauville in August and was even better in landing the G1 Nunthorpe S. in rare style at York. While Quinn doesn't do confidence, he expects a bold show from his stable star this weekend.
He said, “These Group 1s, they're hard races to win and the rain is coming and there's a few horses in there that will appreciate the ease in the ground. We just want to get her down to the start on Sunday and take it from there.”
Quinn will also be represented on Irish Champions Weekend by Safe Voyage (Ire) (Fast Company {Ire}), who runs in the “Sovereign Path” H. at Leopardstown on Saturday.
It was at Leopardstown where Safe Voyage recorded one of his career highlights when landing the G2 Boomerang Mile at this meeting in 2020 and Quinn has already been in the winner's enclosure in Ireland this season when Mr Wagyu (Ire) (Choisir {Aus}) landed the Scurry H. at the Curragh in July.
In short, Quinn knows a thing or two about bagging big-race riches on home soil and, on returning home to Ireland with leading contenders this weekend, he added, “I love Ireland–I think about Ireland every day. I've been in England a long time but it's great to go back with nice horses. We only like to go back over when we think we have a big chance.”
Along with being well able to plunder big prizes on the track, Quinn has earned a reputation of being a good man to source a bargain off it, and recalls how neither The Wow Signal nor Liberty Beach (GB) (Cable Bay {Ire}) would have won any beauty pageants.
Despite this, both horses flew the flag for the Quinn stable with great distinction and the trainer is hopeful of picking up a few stars of the future at the yearling sales.
He said, “We got five at Doncaster, which is great, and Sean [son and assistant trainer] was at the Somerville Sale where we underbid a few. The first racing yard I went to when I was younger was Edward O'Grady's and my grandfather was a good stock man so I've picked up plenty down the years. We like a horse with a lot of quality and a bit of scope. You will forgive plenty in a horse if you think you can train them.
“I like to have a look at a horse from the side and like something with a good bit of heart room and a good hind leg. I've never had a good horse with a bad head–I hear some fellas saying they like a horse with small ears but I couldn't subscribe to that.
“Like everything in this game, you live and learn but you want a horse with a nice step, good bone and a nice outlook with a kind eye.”
He added, “The Wow Signal was incorrect in front but he was a phenomenal horse. Liberty Beach was another. She was ordinary enough to look at and had a very ordinary pedigree but, the minute she came into the yard, I said to Sean, 'I like the look of that, she could be a racehorse.' Highfield Princess would never have made big money but she always looked like a racehorse and that's what you want.”
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Private Creed Rallies Past Sharp Aza Tack To Win Kentucky Downs Juvenile Sprint
The instructions were simple enough for jockey Joel Rosario.
The Eclipse Award-winning rider was climbing aboard Private Creed for the first time in the fifth running of the $500,000 Global Tote Juvenile Sprint at Kentucky Downs Thursday afternoon in Franklin, Ky.
When he met trainer Steve Asmussen in the paddock, Rosario said Asmussen only told him one thing.
“Go win the race,” Rosario said with a smile.
Mission accomplished.
Private Creed, owned by Mike McCarty, ran down the favored Sharp Aza Tack to win the 6 1/2-furlong sprint by three-quarters of a length.
“We were very excited about this opportunity,” Hall of Famer Asmussen said. “Joel gave him a dynamite trip. The horse excelled today and, obviously, a very good finish. We love the outcome.”
Private Creed was making his third career start. He broke his maiden at Ellis Park and headed to Saratoga, where he was third in the Skidmore Stakes on Aug. 19. Both those races were 5 1/2 furlongs.
Asmussen then pointed him to Kentucky Downs and the son of Jimmy Creed answered the call.
“That was fabulous, to win a race of this stature at Kentucky Downs with a long time owner like Mike McCarty,” Asmussen said. “Very special. This was our target. This was extremely important to us and we're very proud of this.”
Sharp Aza Tack, trained by Doug O'Neill and ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr., was the 2-5 favorite after winning both of his career starts in front-running fashion by a combined 9 1/2 lengths. Both of those races – his maiden at Santa Anita and the Tyro Stakes at Monmouth – were at five furlongs.
Sharp Aza Tack broke alertly but conceded the early lead to 50-1 longshot Revere Note and jockey Rene Diaz. He set the early fractions of 22.13 and 46.54 with Sharp Aza Tack looming boldly right to his outside.
When Revere Note retreated, Sharp Aza Tack took over and Private Creed began his challenge. After racing four wide, he moved to the inside of Sharp Aza Tack, who had drifted in the stretch and the two battled it out to the wire. The final time for Private Creed, who was sent off as the 4-1 second choice, was 1:18.19.
“The one horse (Sharp Aza Tack) had so much speed,” Rosario said. “My horse was comfortable, he was happy where he was. He settled nicely going into the turn. For a second, I didn't know, as it took him a little time to get going. He just found another gear.”
Private Creed paid $7.58 to win and earned $310,000. Bred in Kentucky by Sierra Farm, Private Creed was a $155,000 purchase at the 2022 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-year-olds in training sale.
“Bought off Mason Springs (at) Timonium,” Asmussen said. “Just a lovely individual, great mind about him. And he has improved in all three of his races.”
Asmussen put blinkers on the colt for the first time.
“I thought the addition of blinkers moved him up,” he said. “He's a horse that Keith, my son, normally gets on and has gotten on him here, so it was quite the family win.
Asmussen said the $1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint at 5 1/2 furlongs and $1 million Juvenile Turf at a mile will be considered for Private Creed.
“In every one of his races, he has settled a little bit better,” Asmussen said. “He had a very good finish today. So, taking him a mile is a possibility.”
This was the first trip to Kentucky Downs for owner McCarty.
“I'm really happy about the present,” McCarty said. “And I hope I get happier about the future.”
Accident and jockey Isaiah Wiseman finished third followed by Bourbon Therapy and Gerardo Corrales and Revere Note.
Racing resumes Saturday with a 12-race card featuring six graded stakes. First post is 11:30 a.m. Central.
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Queen Elizabeth had ties to Australia’s best horse racing trainers and the Melbourne Cup
Horse racing was undoubtedly the Queen's favourite pastime - and Britain's longest-serving monarch enjoyed ties with some of Australia's leading trainers.
