August, 2023 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Feed The Flame To Prep For The Arc In The Prix Niel

Kingman (GB)'s Group 1 winner Feed The Flame (GB) will prepare for a start in the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe in September's G2 Prix Niel, according to trainer Pascal Bary.

All three of the colt's wins have come at ParisLongchamp, with a winning April debut parlayed into another victory in a Class 2 affair later that month. The 'TDN Rising Star' ran fourth in the G1 Prix du Jockey Club in June, prior to bouncing back in the Grand Prix du Paris on Bastille Day.

“Tres bien, he is very well,” said Chantilly-based Bary of the Jean-Louis Bouchard runner. “He's to run on the 10th of September in the Prix Niel. He needs that [run over course and distance] before the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. He knows the course very well now, he has won there three times.”

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Eldar Eldarov Remains on Track for the Irish St Leger

Last season's Cazoo St Leger winner Eldar Eldarov (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) will try and add the Irish equivalent during this year's Irish Champions Festival.

“The target for him is to go to the Irish St Leger and that is very much still on the cards at the moment,” said Chris Wall, racing manager for owners KHK Racing Ltd. “He's grand and it's all systems go for that.”

The 4-year-old was originally slated to contest the G3 St Leger trial earlier this month, however, was subsequently declared a non-runner after not travelling well.

“We don't know why because he's never had that problem before,” he explained. “He got upset travelling and they thought rather than carry on to Ireland they would bring him home. I think they had got into north Wales just beyond Chester.

“The worry was if you put him on the ferry and it deteriorated into something like colic then you are in the middle of the sea and you can't do anything about it. He just got his knickers in a twist about something so they brought him home.”

Trained by Roger Varian, Eldar Eldarov was second in his seasonal debut in the G2 Yorkshire Cup S. in May before finishing seventh in the G1 Ascot Gold Cup the following month. Most recently, he was fourth in the G1 Goodwood Cup S. on Aug. 1.

Varian indicated that KHK Racing-owned Sakheer (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}), the winner of last fall's G2 Mill Reef S., is likely to resurface later this fall in the QIPCO British Champions Sprint Oct. 21. He was last seen finishing 13th in the G1 Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot June 23.

“He's had a few niggly things after Ascot, but he's back in work and we're hoping to run him in something this autumn,” said Wall. “I don't think he'll be ready for the Haydock [Betfair Sprint Cup Sept. 9], that's not far away now so he won't make that. But we hope we might have him back for a run perhaps in the Champions Sprint and we'll go from there.

“It's been one of those years really where things haven't quite gone his way, but we hope we can get him back on track and if not we'll have to hope things go right for him next year instead.”

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Kentucky Downs Raises Takeout One Percent, In Part To Offset HISA Costs

Kentucky Downs, which has historically been known for having some of the lowest takeout rates in the country, will be raising its takeout on straight wagers and exotics this year, in part to offset its bill from the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA).

Ted Nicholson, vice president of racing at Kentucky Downs, sat down with an interview with the Daily Racing Form's Matt Hegarty on Aug. 28 to review what's ahead for this year's meet at the Kentucky track which features all-turf racing and high purses.

Nicholson explained that non-HISA costs of running a race meet have also gone up in recent years, and that even with the one point increase, Kentucky Downs has a lower blended takeout rate than other major racetracks, including those in California, New York, and elsewhere in Kentucky.

The track's total handle has gone from $30.2 million in 2017 to $80.2 million last year, with a change of two additional race days. A big part of that change, according to Nicholson, was coordinating post times so as not to step on Saratoga or Del Mar. Post time coordination is a change horseplayers have asked for repeatedly from all major tracks for many years.

Read the complete interview at The Daily Racing Form

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Keeneland To Host 1,800 Elementary Schoolers For Field Trips To Learn About Thoroughbreds

Keeneland today is resuming its popular Fifth Grade Field Trips and will welcome a total of 1,800 fifth grade students from public and private schools in Fayette County through Friday to participate in a two-hour interactive tour designed to expand their knowledge of Keeneland and the Thoroughbred industry in Kentucky.

This marks the resumption of the multi-day educational program for the first time since 2019. Keeneland has offered the Fifth Grade Field Trips in this format for a total of 10 years.

“We are so excited to resume the Fifth Grade Field Trips because we've missed the energy and enthusiasm of the students and the opportunity to share the Thoroughbred industry with them,” Keeneland President and CEO Shannon Arvin said. “This event is a fun way for students to hear about the historical, economic and cultural significance of Keeneland and the Thoroughbred industry and to learn about the variety of jobs in racing. For many students, these tours will be their first exposure to Keeneland and their first chance to touch a horse. Keeneland thanks our partners for helping us share the importance and the allure of the horse industry.”

Approximately 450 students will participate each day in the tour, which will begin at 10 a.m. in the Sales Pavilion with a welcome by Keeneland Senior Director of Operations and Community Relations Kara Heissenbuttel. Students then will watch a video about Keeneland and participate in a mock Thoroughbred auction. Next is a tour of themed educational stations around the grounds, where students will learn more about Keeneland and facets of the Thoroughbred industry.

Everyone will receive a book titled “Racing & Sales” with information about Keeneland, the history of Thoroughbred racing in Lexington, the life of a Thoroughbred, the economic impact of Kentucky's Thoroughbred industry and more. Pages include QR Codes for more information.

Keeneland's partners for the event are Amplify Horse Racing; Brook Ledge Horse Transportation; Godolphin; Kentucky Derby Museum; Life Adventure Center; Locust Trace AgriScience Center, part of Fayette County Public Schools; North American Racing Academy, affiliated with Bluegrass Community and Technical College; The Lignelli Family Foundation; University of Kentucky Equine Science Program; and Visit Horse Country.

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