The Grade 2 San Vicente Stakes takes a new spot on the racing calendar, having traditionally been run in February until the last two years when it was run the last week in January.
Month: January 2024
Eclipse Finalists To Be Announced on FDTV Jan. 6
The finalists for the 2023 Eclipse Awards will be announced live on FanDuel TV Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024, at noon ET, the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA), the National Turf Writers and Broadcasters (NTWAB) and Daily Racing Form (DRF) announced Thursday. Eclipse Award ballots were due by Jan. 3.
The awards, which honor excellence in Thoroughbred racing, are voted upon by the NTRA, represented by member racetrack racing officials and Equibase field personnel, NTWAB and DRF, and are produced by the NTRA. The announcement of the Eclipse Awards finalists on FanDuel TV is sponsored by John Deere, Keeneland and The Jockey Club.
The 53rd Annual Eclipse Awards Presented by FanDuel, John Deere, Keeneland and The Jockey Club will be televised live on FanDuel TV Thursday, Jan. 25, 2024, from The Breakers Palm Beach. The evening begins with the Keeneland Red Carpet show at 6:30 p.m. followed by the awards at 7:30 p.m. Britney Eurton, Acacia Courtney Clement and Nick Luck will co-host the ceremony and Caton Bredar will once again serve as announcer.
The evening will be capped by the announcement of 2023 Horse of the Year, the finalists for which will first be revealed during the ceremony.
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Where The Real World Begins, As Baker’s Dozen Clash In Zabeel Mile
The Dubai Racing Carnival continues at Meydan on Friday, with a pair of group races on tap for the turf milers and main-track sprinters, with the G2 Zabeel Mile the highlight of the nine-race card.
Godolphin's Real World (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) is the clear standout on ratings, and won this contest in 2022 before placing second in both the G1 Lockinge S. and G1 Queen Anne S. back on UK soil for trainer Saeed bin Suroor. Now seven, the gelding is aiming at a return to form after running a too-keen fifth in the G2 Al Rashidiya to fellow royal blue colourbearer Measured Time (GB) (Frankel {GB}) locally on Dec. 22.
“Real World won this contest a couple of years ago and ran two excellent races over a mile in Europe the same season,” trainer Saeed Bin Suroor said. “He has been running over further since but should appreciate the drop back in trip. It looks as though he has improved for his run in the Al Rashidiya.”
A former steady fixture in Italian group company, G3 Premio Ambrosiano hero Sean (Ger) (Excelebration {Ire}) now races in the Barratt Racing silks and will make the Godolphin runner's task more difficult.
“It's his first run for us so this is a bit of a fact-finding mission,” said Jamie Osborne, whose multiple Dubai successes include Toast Of New York in the G2 UAE Derby. “It's possible he will need further on this track.”
American ex-pat Doug Watson will saddle the Classic-placed San Donato (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) for Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum and he has drawn widest in stall 13. The multiple listed winner ran second in the Listed Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan National Day Cup at Abu Dhabi on Dec. 3.
“It's a bit tough from out there but it's a great race for him, albeit Real World is in there and Marbaan for Michael Costa,” said Watson. “I'm looking forward to seeing how he finishes. Hopefully he can get some nice splits from off the pace.”
The race is further enhanced by the presence of G2 Vintage S. hero Marbaan (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) for Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum and trainer Charlie Fellowes.
Sprinters Primed For Dubawi Stakes
In the G3 Dubawi S., one race earlier on the card, Watson will saddle both Sound Money (Flatter) and Colour Up (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}). The former won the G3 Mahab Al Shimaal on Super Saturday last March and was unplaced in the G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen on Dubai World Cup night, while the latter, a dirt-loving son of Mehmas, earned his first listed badge in the Al Garhoud Sprint last out on Dec. 8.
“Both Sound Money and Colour Up are in really good shape,” said Watson. “The draws are good for both of them; they're horses who don't need to go to the lead; they can settle off it. Colour Up has to step up a bit, with Mouheeb (Flatter) and Tuz (Oxbow) and Sound Money in there, so it will be interesting to see how he goes. I'm really happy with Sound Money and looking forward to getting him started.”
Successful in the G3 UAE 2000 Guineas at three and the Listed Al Garhoud Sprint over Group 3 winner Tuz at four in 2022, Sheikh Ahmed bin Rashid Al Maktoum's Mouheeb went winless in 2023.
“He's had a kind first half of season with the aim of heading towards 8f [1600metres] later on,” said trainer Michael Costa of Mouheeb. “He's a much more relaxed horse this year.”
Another Mahab Al Shimaal hero alongside Sound Money, Eastern World (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) will attempt to bounce back to form after making just one start in 2023–a 12th place to Tuz in the G3 Al Shindagha Sprint in February.
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Letter to the Industry: Roderick Wachman
The Thoroughbred industry continues to shrink and has a massive damage control and marketing issue.
As things stand, we look like a passenger ship on a collision course with an iceberg. There are many screams, but no well-funded, established industry organization appears to want control of the wheel.
Clearly the anti-racing lobby is well supported and now getting prime time slots on mainstream media.
If you are making a living from this industry as a sales company, stallion owner, farm owner, trainer, agent, pinhooker etc; or a provider such as a vet, feed company, van company, industry publication, supply vendor etc, you have a stake in its destiny. This is our livelihood and you likely have a substantial investment that is in grave danger of being significantly devalued at the very least.
We've all seen what happened to Greyhound racing, and horse racing seems to be on the same fateful path.
Anyone reading this should be asking themselves: What drew me to this wonderful industry and what am I doing to insure its future?
It is time for the agenda-driven squabbling to stop and for everyone to put their shoulders to the wheel and try to take control of our industry's destiny.
Light Up Racing has been started based on the successful Kick Up For Racing model in Australia in an effort to find alignment and provide a voice through fact based resources for those who want positive change as well as to protect and preserve this industry for future generations. For more information visit www.lightupracing.com.
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