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Make Believe’s Mishriff Takes the Jockey Club

While John Gosden was overseeing the comeback of Enable (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) at Sandown, Clarehaven were making their considerable presence felt at Chantilly as Prince Faisal’s Mishriff (Ire) (Make Believe {GB}) captured the G1 Prix du Jockey Club. Impressive when dominating the June 6 Listed Newmarket S., the Nawara Stud homebred was ridden forward to a prominent position from his favourable draw by Ioritz Mendizabal and that made a world of difference due to the lack of a strong tempo. Eventually getting a gap inside the final furlong, the 15-2 shot hit the front 100 metres from the finish and surged away for a 1 3/4-length defeat of The Summit (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), with the G1 Poule d’Essai des Poulains hero Victor Ludorum (GB) (Shamardal) a neck back in third.

“John Gosden is without any doubt one of the best trainers in the world and just getting the call to ride was already an honour,” Mendizabal said. “He’s a top-class horse and I had the perfect trip. Mr Gosden told me not to break the action of the horse and to give him as much of a fluent trip than I could and that’s exactly what happened. He was perfectly relaxed after taking a little bit of a hold on the first turn and when he found the gap he really exploded. He was perfectly prepared for that and all I had to do was to finish the job. I think he’ll stay further and will have no trouble with a mile and a half. To win another Classic after all these years feels like the first time over again.”

Having been fourth over seven furlongs on debut at Yarmouth and third over a mile at Newbury in the space of 11 days in October, Mishriff bounced out of those encounters to score by 10 lengths over an extended mile on heavy ground at Nottingham in early November. Second to Full Flat (Speightstown) in the Feb. 29 Saudi Derby at Riyadh, he returned to Europe to put the subsequent Listed Fairway S. winner Volkan Star (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) in his place with a four-length success in the Newmarket. Close up behind Order of Australia (Ire) (Australia {GB}) and TDN Rising Star Ocean Atlantique (American Pharoah) initially as TDN Rising Star Victor Ludorum was forced to the rear after a tardy start, Mishriff was ideally placed as the pressure increased in early straight.
While Mickael Barzalona was winding up the 2-1 favourite Victor Ludorum on the outside with lengths to make up, Mendizabal was looking for racing room which was denied him at first. Switched to come around The Summit and baulking Pao Alto (Fr) (Intello {Ger}) in the process, he was level with Victor Ludorum 100 metres from the line but while the latter had used up all his gas to get on terms Mishriff had plenty left and settled the result quickly. The winner’s interference to Pao Alto prompted an inquiry, but the result was allowed to stand.

Gosden commented, “He is a lovely horse. The owner-breeder was very keen to go for the Prix du Jockey Club and Mr Mendizabal rode him beautifully after we discussed it this morning. I thought the most impressive part of the race was the last 100 metres. It is my first French Derby, but I’ve messed up a couple before! He has done nothing wrong really. He got left behind in Saudi Arabia, then finished the race strongly behind a horse that had Breeders’ Cup form. I’m fascinated trip-wise, as he got that extended mile and a quarter. Do we stay at that sort of trip, maybe we do. It was a great result.”

Ted Voute, racing manager to owner Prince Faisal, added, “I actually thought he was in a bit of trouble at one stage. It’s probably not his ideal ground, but he really picked up once he got into a good position. He has improved a lot from two to three–funnily enough, so did Make Believe. It’s obviously fantastic for the Prince that Make Believe has now sired a Classic winner for him. The way he finished there today, it looks like a mile and a half wouldn’t be a problem, so the [G1] Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe could be an option.”

The Summit was running another big race for the Henri-Alex Pantall stable and new owners Lily Chan Li Lei and Marc Chan, with this being a second Classic placing having finished in the same spot in the Poulains. “I had doubts about the trip, but with his dam being by Acatenango I thought he might,” his trainer said. “He almost did it, but we have no excuses–he was beaten by a better horse on the day and has run a great race. We’ll see how he comes out of it and decide what to do next.” Godolphin’s Lisa-Jane Graffard said of the real eye-catcher of the race, “Victor Ludorum was outstayed by a good winner, but the race wasn’t run to suit him and it all went wrong at the start. He showed a great turn of foot in the straight before finding Mishriff too strong near the line. He has still run very well and we will regroup before deciding any future plans.”

Mishriff hails from his sire’s first crop and becomes his first group 1 as well as Classic winner. He is currently the last known foal out of the useful Contradict (GB) (Raven’s Pass) who also produced the Listed Prix de Saint-Patrick winner Orbaan (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) and last year’s G3 Craven S. and G3 Supreme S. runner-up Momkin (Ire) (Bated Breath {GB}). The second dam Acts of Grace (Bahri) took the G3 Princess Royal S. and is one of four stakes winners out of the G1 Prix de Diane heroine and influential producer Rafha (GB) (Kris {GB}). Her leading performer is the G1 Haydock Sprint Cup-winning leading sire Invincible Spirit (Ire), while she is also responsible for another sire of note in Kodiac (GB) and his Listed Empress S.-winning full-sister Massarra (GB), whose progeny is headed by the Classic-placed Gustav Klimt (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}).

Sunday, Chantilly, France
PRIX DU JOCKEY CLUB-G1, €900,000, Chantilly, 7-5, 3yo, c/f, 10 1/2fT, 2:04.01, g/s.
1–MISHRIFF (IRE), 128, c, 3, by Make Believe (GB)
1st Dam: Contradict (GB), by Raven’s Pass
2nd Dam: Acts of Grace, by Bahri
3rd Dam: Rafha (GB), by Kris (GB)
1ST GROUP WIN; 1ST GROUP 1 WIN. O-Prince A A Faisal; B-Nawara Stud Company Ltd (IRE); T-John Gosden; J-Ioritz Mendizabal. €514,260. Lifetime Record: SW-Eng, 6-3-1-1, €679,493. *1/2 to Orbaan (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), SW-Fr; and Momkin (Ire) (Bated Breath {GB}), MGSP-Eng. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–The Summit (Fr), 128, c, 3, Wootton Bassett (GB)–Acola (Fr), by Acatenango (Ger). (€16,000 Ylg ’18 AROCT). O-Marc Chan & Mme Lei Li; B-SARL Jedburgh Stud (FR); T-Henri-Alex Pantall. €205,870.
3–Victor Ludorum (GB), 128, c, 3, Shamardal–Antiquities (GB), by Kaldounevees (Fr). O/B-Godolphin; T-Andre Fabre. €102,870.
Margins: 1 3/4, NK, 1. Odds: 7.50, 21.00, 3.00.
Also Ran: Dawn Intello (Fr), Port Guillaume (Fr), Pao Alto (Fr), Order of Australia (Ire), Fantastic Spirit (Fr), Hurricane Dream (Fr), Ocean Atlantique, Gold Trip (Fr), San Fabrizio (Fr), Chachnak (Fr), Ecrivain (Fr), Fort Myers, Pisanello (Ire). Scratched: Celtic Art (Fr). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

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Hot Summer And COVID-19 Could Lead To Rise In Cases Of Lyme Disease And EEE

This spring, COVID-19 caused the shutdown of many businesses and organizations, leaving people with much more free time than usual. With not many options to occupy themselves while still remaining social distant, people began spending more time outside.

Spring is also the time of year when the tick-borne diseases tend appear. There may be a surge in cases of diseases spread by ticks as people spend more time outside in warmer weather. Dr. Sam Telford, a professor of Infectious Disease and Global Health at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University in Massachusetts, has been collecting ticks from a variety of areas to test them for infectious diseases like Lyme disease, which affects both horses and humans.

The majority of tick-borne disease cases occur between June and August; dry weather can shorten the lifespan of ticks. Warm summer weather can lead to a surge in mosquito populations, which carry their own set of diseases, including Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE). EEE comes in three-year cycles, says Telford.

Many diseases carried by ticks and mosquitoes affect both humans and horses, as well as other companion animals. It's imperative that animals and humans be as protected as possible, which would include limiting standing water, checking for ticks daily, administering appropriate vaccines and applying insect repellents.

Tacitus Overpowers The Competition In Belmont’s Suburban

Juddmonte Farms' Tacitus rewarded the patience of Hall of Fame conditioner Bill Mott with a smashing return to the winner's circle in the 134th running of Saturday's Grade 2, $200,000 Suburban for older horses over the Belmont Park main track.

The 1 1/4-mile event rounded out an action-packed program of five graded stakes on Runhappy Met Mile Day at beautiful Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y., which was spearheaded by a wire-to-wire triumph from Vekoma in the Grade 1 Runhappy Met Mile.

Tacitus, a gray or roan son of multiple champion-producing stallion Tapit, arrived at the Suburban off a fourth-place finish in the Grade 2 Oaklawn Handicap on May 2, where he chased a leisurely pace over a speed-favoring track and made a four-wide move at the top of the stretch, closing enough ground to get fourth. Guided by Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez, who piloted E Dubai to a 2002 Suburban score, Tacitus broke sharply from his inside post and took back off a tepid pace set by 57-1 longshot Parsimony, who produced an opening quarter-mile in 24.68 seconds with eight-time stakes winner Mr. Buff just to his outside in second over the fast main track.

Parsimony and Mr. Buff raced alongside one another and extended their advantage to two lengths through a half-mile in 48.36 seconds with Tacitus in fourth just to the inside of Moretti. Around the far turn, Tacitus began making up ground under no urging from Velazquez and made a three-wide move through three-quarters in 1:10.82.

At the quarter-pole, Mr. Buff gave way while Parsimony was under an all-out drive by jockey Kendrick Carmouche. Velazquez remained cool, calm and collected aboard Tacitus who effortlessly went by the pacesetter around the three-sixteenths pole and glided home to a 8 ¾-length score in a final time of 1:59.51. Moretti closed to get second, a neck to the better of Parsimony in third.

Just Whistle, Mr. Buff and 2019 Belmont Stakes winner Sir Winston completed the order of finish. Forewarned was a late scratch in the post parade.

“He was going comfortable the whole way,” said Velazquez, who notched a fifth stakes victory this meet aboard Tacitus. “We had a little pressure in the first part of the race and little by little we kept reaching back and reaching back. I just wanted to be a little further back. Once we passed the five-eighths pole, I put my hands down and he got into a great rhythm. From there on, I knew he was comfortable, and in a position to win.”

The Suburban was a first trip to the winner's circle for Tacitus since taking the Grade 2 Wood Memorial in April 2019 at Aqueduct. He followed that victory with five straight placings against graded stakes company, including a third in the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby and runner-up finishes in the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes, Grade 2 Jim Dandy and Grade 1 Runhappy Travers. Tacitus also owns a graded stakes triumph in the Grade 2 Tampa Bay Derby last March at Tampa Bay Downs.

In his 4-year-old debut, Tacitus ran fifth in the inaugural edition of the Group 1 Saudi Cup on February 29 at King Abdulaziz Racecourse.

“We've put a lot into this horse,” said Mott, who previously won the Suburban with Wekiva Springs (1996) and Flat Out (2013). “We took him to some big races, and he's run some good races. We took him halfway around the world earlier this year looking for something like that [winning effort] in Saudi and in Dubai before they canceled the race [Dubai World Cup].”

Perhaps it was a change of equipment that made a difference for Tacitus, who raced with blinkers on for Saturday's race.

“It seems to make him level off a little more and stay in the bridle a little more,” Mott said.

The win marked a second stakes triumph on Runhappy Met Mile Day for Mott and Velazquez, who teamed up earlier on the card with Frank's Rockette to a victory in the Grade 3 Victory Ride.

Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano had no complaints regarding his trip aboard runner-up Moretti.

“Beautiful trip. That's just where we wanted to be; behind the two speeds. The race set up beautifully. We were just second-best today. Tacitus is a great horse,” Castellano said.

Returning $4.20 for a $2 win bet, Tacitus banked $110,000 in victory while enhancing his lifetime earnings to $2,817,500.

Named after an ancient Roman senator, the Kentucky homebred Tacitus is out of 2014 Champion Older Filly Close Hatches and is a direct descendant of 1982 Broodmare of the Year Best In Show.

Live racing returns on Sunday afternoon with a 10-race card. First post is 1:15 p.m. Eastern.

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Baffert 1-2 In Los Alamitos Derby As Uncle Chuck Defeats Thousand Words

Less than one month removed from a daylight debut win, Uncle Chuck stepped into stakes company and impressed again, easily capturing the Grade 3, $150,000 Los Alamitos Derby Saturday at Los Alamitos race course in Cypress, Calif.

Trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert for owners Mike Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman, Uncle Chuck, a 3-year-old son of Uncle Mo, tracked the pace outside Great Power for about six furlongs, looked like he might face a challenge from stablemate Thousand Words, but kicked away under Luis Saez to win by four lengths in 1:47.65 for the 1 1/8 miles.

The victory was the fourth in a row for Baffert in the Los Alamitos Derby and the fifth in seven years since daytime thoroughbred racing returned in 2014. The other winners include Gimme Da Lute (2015), West Coast (2017), Once On Whiskey (2018) and Game Winner last year.

The Los Alamitos Derby was added to the Road to the Kentucky Derby, with 20-8-4-2 qualifying points going to the four runners.

A $250,000 purchase out of the 2018 Keeneland September sale, Uncle Chuck, who is out of the Unbridled's Song mare Forest Music, paid $2.80 as the 2-5 favorite. There was no place or show wagering in a race reduced to four starters after Anneau d'Or was scratched due to illness.

A road trip could be next for the very promising colt, who has banked $120,000.

“That was good,'' said Baffert. “At the top of the lane, I thought Thousand Words might get him, but at least that horse ran better.

“We're just learning more and more about Uncle Chuck. He's still pretty green, but he's got gears. (Saez) was excited about him and I think he's one of the top riders in the country. He said Uncle Chuck is still learning and has got a lot of improvement in him.

“The colt was full of himself when he came back. It's exciting. He's learning quickly and he has brilliance. I was impressed.

“I think we just saw something pretty special and he's been special from day one. He's bred to be any kind.''

Thousand Words, who won the G2 Los Alamitos Futurity last Dec. 7, finished seven lengths clear of the maiden Cosmo as the 9-5 second choice. Great Power completed the order of finish.

Racing without blinkers for the first time since he scored in his sprint debut last Oct. 26, Thousand Words was seeking his initial victory since capturing the G3 Robert B. Lewis March 7.

Saez, who gained the mount on Uncle Chuck since Hall of Famer Mike Smith was at Belmont Park to ride McKinzie in the Runhappy Met Mile, had a double for Baffert as he also won the first race aboard debuter Mohemian Rhapsody.

“(Uncle Chuck) broke great and I just left him alone,'' said Saez. “He was doing it easy all the way. When I showed him the whip in the stretch he took off. He's a very nice colt.''

Racing resumes Sunday at Los Alamitos. Post time for the final day of the Summer Thoroughbred Festival is 1 p.m.

Through six days, Juan Hernandez tops the jockey standings with six wins, one more than Edwin Maldonado, who doubled Saturday. Baffert leads the trainers with four victories.

Apprentice Alexis Centeno, a native of Puerto Rico, earned his first U.S. win with Love Your Life in Saturday's second race.

Updated Kentucky Derby points leaderboard

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