This feature provides a capsule look at three horses who are heating up on the Triple Crown trail and three horses whose chances for the 2023 Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve are not quite as strong as they were a few weeks ago. In the third edition of this blog for the 2023 run for the roses, the focus is on the previous two weeks of racing that featured five Kentucky Derby qualifying races.
Month: March 2023
Cheltenham Festival: Ireland earn early bragging rights after fascinating day one
The Cheltenham Festival certainly lived up to expectations on Tuesday, with Constitution Hill stealing the show thanks to his dominant performance in the Champion Hurdle.
Fashionable Fillies Luncheon To Be Held At Gulfstream Ahead Of Florida Derby
The Jockey Club Safety Net Foundation will be hosting the first Fashionable Fillies Luncheon in Florida at The Flamingo Room at Gulfstream Park on Friday, March 31, ahead of The Curlin Florida Derby.
The luncheon will honor Beverly Jochynek, senior executive vice president of Client Management, Xpressbet, and will offer wines by Notorious Wines, Florida-inspired food stations and passed hors d'oeuvres, and the opportunity to shop from vendors such as equestrian artist Alaura Allen, Christine A. Moore Millinery, and a virtual pop-up shop by Kent Stetson Handbags. Live music will be provided by Joanna Holstein, a Swedish singer/songwriter and keyboardist fusing pop, soul, and jazz.
“We are so excited to bring Fashionable Fillies to Florida, an area known for sunshine, bright fashion, and delicious food. We have partnered with the team at 1/ST before at Santa Anita Park, and they have amazing hospitality offerings at their racetracks, so we couldn't think of a better place than Gulfstream Park to host this event,” said Shannon Kelly, executive director of The Jockey Club Safety Net Foundation. “Beverly has been a great supporter of the event in its multiple locations. She is a smiling face, always willing to lend us a hand.”
All proceeds from the event will be earmarked by the foundation to benefit the backstretch, farm, and training center communities in Florida, and local chaplains' and horsemen's organizations will help ensure the funds are distributed to those most in need.
“The Fashionable Fillies Luncheon has been a successful fundraiser in Saratoga, Kentucky, and California,” said Kelly. “We hope that this event will follow suit. Safety Net assists those most in need in horse racing, and this fundraiser is crucial to our efforts because for many we are one of their few resources.”
Tickets ($150) and sponsorship opportunities are available at tinyurl.com/FFGP23.
The Jockey Club Safety Net Foundation is a charitable trust that provides, on a confidential basis, financial relief to needy members of the Thoroughbred industry and their families. Recipients of the Safety Net Foundation's support represent virtually every facet of the Thoroughbred industry, from jockeys, trainers, exercise riders, and grooms to office personnel and other employees of racetracks, racing organizations, and breeding farms. Assistance can come in any number of forms, including financial aid for basic living expenses such as rent and household bills, and for medication, surgical, and hospital costs. Since 1985, The Jockey Club Safety Net Foundation has provided more than $16 million in assistance.
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Graded Stakes Double Leads Flavien Prat To Jockey Of The Week Title
With two graded stakes wins for Flavien Prat at Santa Anita, including his first Grade 1 of the year, things are going in the right direction for the French-born jockey who has won the leading rider title at “The Great Race Place” nine times.
Those graded stakes wins led the panel of racing experts to vote Prat Jockey of the Week for March 6 through March 12. The award recognizes jockeys for riding accomplishments and who are members of the Jockeys' Guild, the organization which represents more than 1050 active, retired and permanently disabled jockeys in the United States.
On Saturday, Prat was aboard New Orleans-based invader A Mo Reay for trainer Brad Cox for the first time in the Grade 1 Beholder Mile. Breaking from position five in the field of eight accomplished fillies and mares, Prat had A Mo Reay racing in third behind Ganadora who took the early lead. Around the second turn, race favorite Fun to Dream collared Ganadora while Prat swung A Mo Reay four-wide into the stretch, chasing Fun to Dream. A Mo Reay closed the gap with every stride to nail Fun to Dream at the wire in 1:36.25.
“When you end up winning it is always better,” said Prat, who collected his third win of the day. “She really dug in when it was time to run, and she was travelling well all around.”
In Sunday's Grade 3 Santa Ana, trainer Simon Callaghan gave a leg up to Prat aboard Ballet Dancing going long for the first time. Breaking alertly from the far outside in the field of seven, Ballet Dancing tracked the pacesetter, Annaghlasa, to the quarter pole then took the lead to cruise to a 3 1/2-length win in 2:01.25 for the mile and one-quarter turf test for fillies and mares ages four and up.
“I watched some videos of her and talked to Simon,” said Prat. “She broke well, got ourselves into the race and I was travelling really well all the way around. She responded really well when I asked her.”
Prat was a finalist for the 2022 Eclipse Award for Outstanding Jockey and was the regular rider for Horse of the Year Flightline who accounted for three of Prat's 13 Grade 1 victories. Overall, Prat won 42 graded stakes in 2022.
Prat's competition for Jockey of the Week included Manny Franco who won a stakes race at Aqueduct in addition to five races on a single card, Antonio Gallardo who won the Grade 3 Florida Oaks, Irad Ortiz, Jr. with two graded stakes wins and led all riders in wins with 11 and Luis Saez who won the Grade 3 Tampa Bay Derby.
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