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Oleksandra To Point For Troy, Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint Before She Is Offered At Auction

Team Valor International's Oleksandra came out of her Grade 1 victory over males in the Grade 1 Jaipur Stakes in good shape, except for a nick on a lower front limb as a result of runner-up Kanthaka bearing into her at the break.

Trainer Neil Drysdale has decided to leave her at Belmont Park instead of returning her to Southern California. She will point for the Grade 3 Troy Stakes going 5 1/2 furlongs on grass for a $200,000 purse on the Travers Stakes undercard on Aug. 8 at Saratoga.

The 6-year-old daughter of Animal Kingdom may have one more race before contesting the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint at Keeneland.

“That will be her last race for Team Valor,” said Barry Irwin of Team Valor International. “She will be offered for sale after the BC at an auction in Kentucky with an as-yet undetermined agent.”

William Nader of the Hong Kong Racing Club tendered an invitation to the mare for “the world's richest turf sprint on December 13” so it is possible the mare's new owner could race her there or in Dubai over the winter before sending her off to the breeding shed.

Oleksandra became the first Australian-bred to win a Grade 1 in North America since the Pattern Race scheme went into being in 1974.

Her 101 Beyer Speed Figure was bettered on Saturday's Belmont Stakes card only by runaway Grade 1 Acorn Stakes winner Gamine.

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After Weeks Of Negotiation, Arlington Park, Horsemen Come To Agreement For 2020 Meet

Live racing at Arlington Park in Arlington Heights, Il. will begin on July 23, as approved by the Illinois Racing Board during a special teleconference meeting on Monday.

That approval was held up by contract negotiations between Arlington representatives and the Illinois Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association, with the two sides close to an agreement several times over the past two weeks. The main sticking point had been the length of the contract; Arlington wanted a two-year deal, while the ITHA wanted to keep it to a single year.

After multiple rescheduled meetings of the IRB, the parties finally came to an agreement and signed a contract shortly before Monday's teleconference call. Live racing will begin at Arlington on July 23 without spectators, and racing a total of 30 race days on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays with daily post times of 2 p.m. or 2:30 p.m.

The Arlington Million will not be held in 2020.

On Monday's call, a recess of the meeting had to be called after Hawthorne Race Course's assistant general manager John Walsh suggested his track be awarded some dark host days, and the ensuing conversation became heated.

“Dark host days” award an increased portion of revenues collected from off-track betting on days without live racing. Walsh made the argument that Hawthorne had incurred costs of approximately $239,000 per month for the three months its backside was open while Arlington Park's remained closed, allowing horsemen to have a place to stable their horses during the pandemic.

Arlington representatives balked at the idea, arguing that reassigning dark host days would put the Arlington meet in jeopardy due to having to reassess purse money.

Following the 30-minute recess, a motion for Hawthorne to receive some of Arlington's dark host days was defeated 5-1. The motion to approve the existing Arlington Park/ITHA agreement then passed unanimously.

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Ward Outlines Future Plans for Ascot Runners

Wesley Ward runner Campanelle (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}), who won the G2 Queen Mary S. on Saturday, is being targeted at the G1 Prix Morny at Deauville in France later this summer. Ward was not on hand at Royal Ascot due to the ongoing coronavirus, but instead watched from his base at Keeneland.

He said, “The Prix Morny is where we’re headed [with Campanelle]. She’ll come home now and have a couple of gallops on the beautiful grass here in Keeneland, and hopefully then she’ll be ready to ship to Deauville. It’s actually a good trip for a horse, because you can fly direct from Chicago to Paris. I’m certainly hoping I’ll be able to go, too.”

Another Ward runner, Golden Pal (Uncle Mo), the G2 Norfolk S. runner-up, will be trained with an eye to the G1 Nunthorpe S. versus elders in August. Ward has sent out two bridesmaids in the sprint feature–Acapulco (Scat Daddy) and Lady Aurelia (Scat Daddy).

“I’ve spoken to the owners, and we’re going to aim for the Nunthorpe,” said Ward, who has a high-profile jockey booking in mind. “I’ve been second in the race twice, and it would be great to win it. Irad Ortiz, Jr. travelled over to ride Acapulco when she ran in it as a 2-year-old–because obviously the 2-year-olds carry a light weight. I would hope by the time York comes around, he’ll be able to travel over to ride Golden Pal–that’s the idea.”

G1 Commonwealth Cup S. second place finisher and ‘TDN Rising Star’ Kimari (Munnings), who was also runner-up in the 2019 Queen Mary, will not return to European shores and will instead be prepared with a Breeders’ Cup bid in mind.

“Kimari missed the break, and when you’re running at Royal Ascot that’s a severe disadvantage,” he added. “That’s her done in Europe this year. The Breeders’ Cup is in Keeneland this year–my local track–and we’ll work back from that. I might run her on the dirt at Del Mar and then aim to take on the boys on the dirt at the Breeders’ Cup.”

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Where to Watch/Listen: Horse Racing Coverage for June 25-28

The horse racing world like all other areas of society continues to make changes in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and public health crisis. Most racetracks currently operating are doing so without spectators, and have instituted strict safety screening protocols for essential employees who are already on the grounds to provide daily care for horses.