Month: October 2023

WATCH: Ascot Crowd Cheers As King Of Steel Delivers Champion Win In Dettori’s British Swan Song

Frankie Dettori bid farewell to British racing in fairytale fashion Saturday as he brought King of Steel from last to win the QIPCO Champion Stakes (G1) at Ascot.

Sent off the 3-1 favorite, King of Steel had work to do turning for home, but Dettori galvanized his mount, who finished powerfully to run down Via Sistina (11-2) and score by three-quarters of a length. French challenger Horizon Dore (4-1) was two lengths further back in third.

King of Steel covered about 1 1/4 miles in 2:08:42 on turf rated as soft.

With the win, King of Steel secured an automatic, fees-paid berth to the Longines Breeders' Cup Turf (G1) Nov. 4 at Santa Anita as the race is part of the Breeders' Cup Challenge: Win and You're In.

The Champion Stakes win marked a significant success for the Amo Racing's Kentucky-bred King of Steel, who finally secured his Group 1 breakthrough after three near-misses at the highest level this year, most notably his second in the Epsom Derby June 3.

The victory also completed a double on the afternoon for Dettori, who was given a rapturous reception as he came back into the winner's enclosure.

Dettori said: “My emotions are all over the place, I can't believe it. The crowd got this horse over the line. I was doing my best on top, but the feeling that I got was incredible; thanks to all of you, you made me win this race and it's fantastic. I love you, a Hollywood script, I love you. I don't know how to feel at the moment, I don't know if it's real or……it was incredible.

“I struggled from the beginning of the race. I couldn't really get King of Steel to travel, he was stumbling – and then he started to come good. Then I got behind Mickael [Barzalona on Horizon Dore], who I thought was the horse to beat. Then I thought, 'Oisin [ Murphy, on Via Sistina] is going pretty good', so I got on his tail. When they kicked, they left me a little bit, but King of Steel just found a second wind, dug deep, the crowd got behind me and we got him over the line. What a feeling, I thought the first race the crowd was good but this was another level honestly, it was incredible. A fairytale ending for me, Ascot is my home.

“It is very hard to explain what I'm feeling now. I had the same surreal moment when I won my first Group 1 with Mark Of Esteem, when everything went dark. I know it's quite dark anyway, so that's not an excuse, but there's a feeling that, 'This can't be right'. It is very hard to explain my feeling. I thought I would cry, but I'm too happy to cry, to be honest with you. I didn't expect it – it's fantastic. What a day.

“The first race was mad; this was another level, to be honest with you. It was incredible – everyone was cheering for me. This was my last race, so they were all up for it. Amazing. After the race, people were singing, 'Oh, Frankie Dettori!'. That's one thing I'll miss and I can't take to America with me – I'm fairly new over there. But it's been memorable; from the beginning of the season, it's been tremendous. I wanted to finish at the top and I can't be more at the top than that. I'm very proud of my career and this year, it's been phenomenal. Can I go and have a beer now?

“I go to Santa Anita on Wednesday. I'll regroup, go to the States, and like I said, I'm moving there for good.”

Asked about whether, if King of Steel stays in training, he'd like to ride him again, Dettori said: “At the moment I'm focusing on my American adventure. I've got to make myself well known there and be there every day. I have no plans to come back to England.”

Winning trainer Roger Varian said: “King of Steel is a good horse, isn't he? And a tough horse. He has run great all year. He's done well to come from the back. Very tough. Good performance. Good ride, good effort by all the team. I haven't really had a debrief [from Dettori] – I've had a few hugs, but we'd need to watch it again.

“King of Steel is a very agile horse – I don't think his size has stopped him; I think the ground is hard for all of them. Big engine, big set of lungs — he's got to the line, hasn't he? Big heart, big effort.”

Kia Joorabchian of Amo Racing said: “I am sorry, I'm so emotional. Frankie the king of Ascot, King of Steel, he deserved that. What a ride, what a ride. Why is he retiring? What a ride. What an emotional moment, my family is here.

“I am so happy for Frankie, he deserved this more than anything in the world. To finish like that, I mean, he called me and said 'Can I ride King of Steel?' and I said, 'What can I say to that? Of course you can'.

“It's wonderful, what an incredible atmosphere. This is all for Frankie and he deserves it. What a career he has had and what an incredible performance. This guy King of Steel deserves it too, he's come second in the Derby and we've put him in some really tough tests and he's come through. I am so happy for the both of them. What an amazing training performance by Roger Varian, and Alex Elliott who first bought the horse.”

George Boughey said of runner-up Via Sistina: “She has run a blinder. Obviously, we were beaten by a superstar horse and a superstar jockey! I am delighted for Kia – he's a big supporter of the yard. We had a bit of dinner last night and we were talking about getting the one-two and I hoped it might be the other way! But she's a star and the best horse I've trained. She is in the mares' sale, so I imagine she will go there and I would love someone to buy her and send her back, because she could win a big one. She is obviously very, very high class.”

King of Steel is by Coolmore's Irish-based sire Wootton Bassett out of Eldacar (GB), by Verglas (IRE). He was bred in Kentucky by the Bonne Chance Farm, the Versailles, Kentucky division of leading South American operation Stud RDI, owned by Brazilian billionaire Gilberto Sayao Da Silva and Paulo Fernando de Oliveira. Offered by Gainesway at the 2021 Keeneland September Yearling sale, he was purchased by Amo Racing Ltd. for $200,000 and shipped overseas. Amo Racing's Joorabchian is an Iranian-born British businessman who is heavily involved in professional soccer in England as an adviser to a number of players.

The post WATCH: Ascot Crowd Cheers As King Of Steel Delivers Champion Win In Dettori’s British Swan Song appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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‘Something Special’: Ghost Hero Rolls Home Unchallenged In Oklahoma Classics Cup

Ghost Hero captured the biggest race on Remington Park's Oklahoma Classics Night card in fine style Friday–the $131,000 Classics Cup.

The 3-year-old Shaman Ghost colt won last year's Oklahoma Classics Juvenile and the Don McNeill Stakes last year at Remington before being soundly defeated there in the Springboard Mile to end the season. This year, he won the Lafayette at Evangeline Downs in Louisiana and Will Rogers Stakes Will Rogers Downs in Claremore, Okla., before returning to Remington Park and finishing 10th in the Oklahoma Derby (G3), but emphatically rebounded in the Classics Cup.

Under jockey Floyd Wethey Jr. Ghost Hero romped to a  7 1/4-length triumph while covering 1 1/16 miles in 1:45.37 on a fast track.

“He just bounced in his last race (Oklahoma Derby),” said trainer Jayde J. Gelner. “He had two big races before the Oklahoma Derby.”

Ghost Hero was sitting two lengths off the lead after a half mile in the Classics Cup, stalking pacesetter Kwontro (29-1), who eventually faded to last. Kwontro set early fractions of :23.25 for the first quarter mile and :46.93 for the half mile. Ghost Hero took over when he hit three-quarters in 1:11.67 and clocked a mile in 1:38.17.

Despite Ghost Hero's comfortable five-length led in early stretch, Wethey continued to urge on the winner through the stretch.

“I didn't want to hold anything back,” said Wethey, “and I didn't. My first win on him, I knew he was something special. I was going to stick with him (wherever he went).”

As Wethey returned to the winner's circle, he began tearing the flowers off the blanket of carnations placed over the horse's withers after the race and throwing them into the air in celebration. It was Wethey's second win of the night in the Classics, also taking the $76,000 Oklahoma Classics Lassie aboard Miss Code West.

The win marked Gelner's second trip to the winner's circle on the night, taking the $99,600 Oklahoma Classics Distaff Turf with Run Slewpy Run earlier in the evening. Ghost Hero gave Gelner his third career Classics win.

The 6-5 second choice, Ghost Hero is owned by Norman Stables (Robert Norman) of Thomasville, Ala. He improved his record to 13 starts, six wins, one second and one third for earnings of $326,282. He was purchased at the 2020 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Yearling Sale, where Fort Christopher's Thoroughbreds consigned him. The ticket was signed in the name of “Father and son”.

Number One Dude, as the 4-5 odds-on favorite, checked in second and was another 1 1/2 lengths ahead of third-place Absaroka (11-1), who won the race two years ago.

Ghost Hero ($4.40)  was bred in Oklahoma by Clark Brewster of Tulsa, Okla. His dam is the Super Saver mare Queen Buxley.

Also on the the Oklahoma Classics Night card, Boom Baby Flats won the $76,000 Juvenile, Dicey took the $99,600 Distaff Sprint, Stormieis Blue won the $111,000 Distaff Handicap, Fly to the Bank captured the $99,600 Sprint, and Eakly took the $99,600 OKC Turf Classic Handicap.

The post ‘Something Special’: Ghost Hero Rolls Home Unchallenged In Oklahoma Classics Cup appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Exercise Rider Alfredo Luevano Dies In Los Alamitos Training Incident

Alfredo Luevano, 53, died early Friday morning in a training incident at Los Alamitos Race Course in Cypress, Calif. Mr. Luevano was exercising a filly on the backstretch when the incident occurred. He was on the ground when assistance first arrived, while the filly ran off under her power. As of now, there have been no eyewitness accounts with any precise details on the incident. Mr. Luevano was rushed to Long Beach Memorial, where he was pronounced dead.

The horse, a 2-year-old filly named Fly From The Fire, was not injured. She had previously made five starts this year for trainer Mike Casselman and was entered in the seventh race here on Saturday night. Track management has since confirmed that Fly From The Fire will be scratched from this race as a precaution.

“On behalf of the Los Alamitos Race Course family, we express our deepest condolences to Mr. Luevano's family members and friends,” said Los Alamitos Race Course spokesperson Orlando Gutierrez.

Born in the city of Luis Moya in Zacatecas, Mexico, Mr. Luevano had a total of 33 mounts during his professional riding career with most of his rides taking place in Mexico and Colorado. He was issued an exercise rider license by the California Horse Racing Board earlier this year.

Alfredo Luevano is survived by his wife, Marisela Martinez, their children, Lisbet, Alfredo Jr., Alex, Aldo, and Camila, six grandchildren and his father, Augustine.

A moment of silence will be held in his memory before Sunday's race card at Los Alamitos.

The post Exercise Rider Alfredo Luevano Dies In Los Alamitos Training Incident appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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