Breeders' Cup Challenge Series | Horse Racing Free Tips

Diamond Jubilee Win Gives Dream Of Dreams Guaranteed Spot In Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint

Saeed Suhail's Dream Of Dreams (IRE) put the agony of two previous near-misses behind him to capture the six-furlong G1 $975,000 Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot near London, England, and earned an automatic berth into this year's $1 million Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint through the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series.

The Breeders' Cup Challenge Series is an international series of 84 stakes races whose winners receive automatic starting positions and fees paid into a corresponding race of the Breeders' Cup World Championships, which will be held at Del Mar racetrack in Del Mar, California, on Nov. 5-6.

As part of the benefits of the Challenge Series, Breeders' Cup will pay the entry fees for Dream Of Dreams to start in the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint, which will be run at five furlongs at Del Mar. Breeders' Cup will also provide a travel allowance of $40,000 for all starters based outside of North America to compete in the World Championships.

Dream Of Dreams, a chestnut gelding by Dream Ahead out of the Dansili (GB) mare Vasilia (GB), and trained by Sir Michael Stoute, had experienced two defeats by a head in the Diamond Jubilee in the last two years. In 2019, he fell narrowly short of catching Blue Point (IRE), and, in 2020, finished just too late to catch Hello Youmzain (FR).

After last year's Royal Ascot defeat, Dream Of Dreams won three of his next four starts, which included his Group 1 breakthrough in the G1 Betfair Sprint Cup. Today, he doubled his Group 1-winning record, and made it four wins out of the last five, when mastering the front-running Glen Shiel (GB) inside the final furlong to win by a length, under jockey Ryan Moore.

Dream Of Dreams completed the 6 furlongs in 1:14.87 on a course listed as soft. Art Power (IRE) finished third. Prerace favorite Starman (GB) was a non-runner because of the ground conditions.

“Michael has been great to me throughout my whole career,” said Moore. “He's got this horse, who is 7 now, to perform three times in a row here. It's great that he's able to win today. He's been a great horse. He's got better every year. A stiff six with cut in the ground is perfect for him.”

Stoute gained his only other success in the race with Dafayna (GB) in 1985 when it was a Group 3 race known as the Cork And Orrery Stakes. His second triumph with Dream Of Dreams was the 82nd Royal Ascot victory for the meeting's winningest trainer. Dream Of Dreams also became one of only two 7-year-olds to win the race since 1946 and the joint oldest.

“The horse really deserves it,” said Stoute. “He's a top-class sprinter. In the previous two years, one more stride and he wins, but that's not what it's about, you've got to get there first. I am really happy for him today. He's a very untypical sprinter. He goes down so relaxed; he is almost pulling up. It's a great thrill.

“I was pretty hopeful from two furlongs out because he finishes well. He's actually a very effective horse over seven furlongs as well. He won a Group 1 last year and he's won Group races but it's been very frustrating he's been beaten so narrowly.

“As he's got older and more mature, he has relaxed more and got better. The team has done a great job with him. He has been pretty consistent, getting beaten a head two years running. He doesn't run too many below par races.”

Dream Of Dreams left Archie Watson, trainer of Glen Shiel, standing in the runner-up spot for a second day after a Royal Ascot Group 1.

On Friday, Watson's Dragon Symbol (GB) had been demoted to second after being found to have caused interference to the U.S. challenger Campanelle (IRE), trained by Wesley Ward, when finishing first past the post in the G1 Commonwealth Cup.

“Glen Shiel has probably put in a career-best performance today,” he said. “He got closer to the winner than he did at Haydock last year. I'm delighted he has backed up his Group 1 win [in the G1 British Champions Sprint ] with another very solid run at this level. He's shown that that wasn't a one-off and he can now go through the rest of the year in these six-furlong Group 1s and we can be confident he'll run well in them.”

Dream Of Dreams joins Casa Creed, winner of the Grade 1 Jaipur Stakes at Belmont Park on June 5, as the first two runners to earn automatic starting positions into this year's Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint.

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NBC Sports to Provide Royal Ascot Coverage

NBC Sports will provide live coverage of this week's Royal Ascot meeting, beginning Tuesday at 8:30 a.m. Daily telecasts of the full five-day Royal Meeting will air on NBCSN through Friday and conclude Saturday on NBC (9 a.m. ET) and CNBC (11 a.m. ET).

In total, NBC Sports will present nearly 25 hours of coverage over the five days.

This week's Royal Ascot meeting includes four “Breeders' Cup Challenge Series–Win and You're In” races: Tuesday's G1 Queen Anne S., Wednesday's G1 Prince of Wales's S., Thursday's G1 Norfolk S., and Saturday's G1 Diamond Jubilee S.

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Royal Ascot To Feature Four Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series Races Again In 2021

Great Britain will host the first four races of the 2021 Breeders' Cup Challenge Series to be run in Europe this year when the prestigious Royal Ascot meeting opens at Ascot Racecourse on Tuesday, June 15.

The Breeders' Cup Challenge is an international series of stakes races, whose winners receive automatic starting positions and fees paid into a corresponding race of the Breeders' Cup World Championships, which will be held at Del Mar racetrack in Del Mar, California, on Nov. 5-6.

As part of the benefits of the Challenge Series, Breeders' Cup will pay the entry fees for the winners of four races to start in the $2 million Grade 1 FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile, $4 million Grade 1 Longines Breeders' Cup Turf, $1 million Grade 2 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint, and $1 million Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint. Breeders' Cup also will provide a travel allowance of $40,000 for all starters based outside of North America to compete in the World Championships.

This will be the fourth consecutive year that Breeders' Cup Challenge Series races will be held at Royal Ascot. A crowd of 12,000 spectators per day will be admitted under coronavirus pandemic restrictions.

Tuesday's 1-mile, $563,000 Group 1 Queen Anne Stakes, a “Win and You're In” qualifier for the G1 FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile, features some of Europe's leading older milers headed by Palace Pier (GB).

Palace Pier, winner of the Group 1 St James's Palace Stakes at last year's royal meeting, could meet Order Of Australia (IRE) and Lope Y Fernandez (IRE), first and third in the 2020 G1 FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile, as well as former G1 Queen Anne winner, Lord Glitters (FR).

Palace Pier, owned by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed al Maktoum and trained by father and son John and Thady Gosden, who will be operating as a training partnership for the first time at Royal Ascot, has won seven out of eight and recorded two comfortable victories in 2021, including in the Group 1 Al Shaqab Lockinge Stakes last month.

“He is a lovely horse who has done everything right in his life,” said John Gosden. “He only missed the autumn of his 2-year-old career. He prepped in a Newcastle race last year and came out and won the St James's Palace Stakes. He did everything right last year until the end when he ran on very soft autumn ground (in the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot). He hated that, lost a shoe and got left.

“He's come back well this year. We are back there. It will be different ground again but we are happy with him.

“He did handle that ground (good to soft) in the Lockinge and I've got to be clear that maybe a horse like Lope Y Fernandez did not. Back now on summer ground I think you will see a lot more horses come into play that maybe weren't happy on the ground.”

Lord Glitters, now age 8, finished fourth in the Lockinge in his first start since returning from a successful trip to Dubai. Trainer David O'Meara said: “He ran fine in the Lockinge. There were a few younger horses ahead of him and Palace Pier looked unbeatable, but Lord Glitters likes the straight track at Ascot so hopefully he runs his race again. He is better at Ascot than at Newbury.”

Wednesday's feature, the $991,000 Group 1 Prince of Wales's Stakes, will be contested by another single figure, yet high-class field.

Last year's first and second Lord North (IRE) and Addeybb (IRE) have been engaged but Addeybb is unlikely to run unless there is significant rain, which is not forecast.

The race could mark the return of Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith, and Mrs. John Magnier's 4-year-old filly Love (IRE), who in a short but unbeaten 3-year-old campaign won the Group 1 1,000 Guineas, Group 1 Oaks at Epsom, and the Group 1 Yorkshire Oaks, as well as Mrs. A. M. Swinburn's Audarya (FR), winner of the Grade 1 Maker's Mark Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf at Keeneland in November.

Last year's first and second Lord North (IRE) and Addeybb (IRE) have been engaged but Addeybb is unlikely to run unless there is significant rain, which is not forecast.

HH Sheikh Zayed bin Mohammed Racing's Lord North ended the year finishing fourth in the G1 Longines Breeders' Cup Turf, and returned to the winner's circle with victory in the Group 1 Dubai Turf at Meydan in March this year.

“He's a great character, he's in good form,” said John Gosden. “He's back on quicker ground. I think it's a fascinating race. Love has been waiting for this type of ground. She was exceptional last year but she raced with her own sex.”

A decision on Audarya's participation was expected over the weekend with trainer James Fanshawe saying: “She goes on all ground. I wouldn't want it rock-hard but hopefully on the second day of Ascot it won't be.”

The 11-time Royal Ascot winner Wesley Ward will be seeking a third victory in the Group 2 Norfolk Stakes, a “Win and You're In” for the G2 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint, in which Golden Pal was beaten a neck before going on to capture the G2 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint at Keeneland last year.

Ward is set to be represented by Kentucky-breds, Lucci, with John Velazquez named to ride, and Nakatomi, who will be ridden by Britain's champion jockey Oisin Murphy, in the US$113,000 contest at 5 furlongs.

“At home, we have been working Lucci and Nakatomi together,” said Ward. “Nakatomi was coming out on top, but then they had a workout in Newmarket on the Limekilns and Lucci turned the tables. He just bounced straight through to the front and would not give up the lead.”

The David Ward homebred Starman (GB) has won four of five and is favorite to secure his first victory at the highest level in the 6-furlong $991,000 Group 1 Diamond Jubilee Stakes. Starman, a bay son of Dutch Art (GB), won York's Group 2 Duke of York Stakes last month, in which he beat Nahaarr (IRE) by a neck.

“He is a massively exciting horse,” said his trainer Ed Walker. “He is a big imposing horse with that presence, a real head-turner in the string. He's obviously very good as well. Everything has gone well since York.

“Nahaarr got pretty close to us at York and Dream Of Dreams (IRE) is a G1 winner. I kind of feel that they both are probably at their best with a bit of dig in the ground so I think if it's good, fast summer ground it will play into our favor slightly.”

The race will also mark the return of Bearstone Stud Ltd.'s Glass Slippers (GB), who will be having her first start since winning the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint last year. Fifth in the Group 1 King's Stand Stakes (G1) last year, she will be running over 6 furlongs for the first time since August 2019.

“She showed towards the end of the year she was seeing out the 5-furlong trip well,” said Adam Ryan, son and assistant of trainer Kevin who won last year's Group 1 Diamond Jubilee with Hello Youmzain.

“She has done everything there is over 5 furlongs with her Group 1 wins, so it's worth a try at 6 as it could open up plenty of other options.”

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Danon Kingly Wins Yasuda Kinen, Qualifies For Breeders’ Cup Mile

Danox Co's 5-year-old Danon Kingly (JPN), at 47-1, defeated 5-year-old mare and odds-on favorite Gran Alegria (JPN) by a head in Sunday's 1-mile, $2.68 million Grade 1 Yasuda Kinen on turf at Tokyo Racecourse. With this victory, Danon Kingly gained an automatic berth into the $2 million, Grade 1 FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile through the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series.

The Breeders' Cup Challenge Series is an international series of stakes races whose winners receive automatic starting positions and fees paid into a corresponding race of the Breeders' Cup World Championships, which will be held at the Del Mar racetrack in Del Mar, California, Nov. 5-6, 2021.

As part of the benefits of the Challenge Series, Breeders' Cup will pay the entry fees for Danon Kingly, a son of Deep Impact (JPN), trained by Kiyoshi Hagiwara and ridden by Yuga Kawada, to start in the FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile, which will be run at 1 mile over the Del Mar turf course. Breeders' Cup also will provide a travel allowance of US$40,000 for all starters based outside of North America to compete in the World Championships.

Danon Kingly, making his first start of the year, improved his record to six wins in 12 starts. In registering his first Group 1 victory, Danon Kingly completed the mile in 1:31.7 over a course listed as good to firm.

In the 71^st Yasuda Kinen, Danon Kingly crushed defending champion Gran Alegria's high hopes of a consecutive Yasuda Kinen title. Breaking from stall 11 in a field of 14 runners, Danon Kingly traveled two-wide in mid-pack a couple of lengths in front of the favorite while Daiwa Cagney (JPN) led the field. Still near the rear at the final bend, Danon Kingly took a center-lane path and unleashed a determined stretch run climbing the Tokyo course hill to finally draw even with 2019 Yasuda Kinen winner and second-choice, Indy Champ (JPN), and Schnell Meister (GER) at the front. The only female in the field, Gran Alegria, ridden by Christophe Lemaire, was far back but finally loomed up inside 100 meters. While Indy Champ and Schnell Meister weakened after a brief rally in the final strides, Danon Kingly narrowly held off the strong challenge from Gran Alegria by a head margin.

‟He felt a bit tense first entering the track but he had good rhythm during the trip and had plenty of horse left,” commented winning rider Kawada. “He responded just as I hoped turning the last corner and ran well after that. Although he hasn't been able to put in his best results in the past, he has definitely demonstrated his true strength today and I'm happy to have been a part of it in my first time in the saddle.”

On target to notch her second Yasuda Kinen title, Gran Alegria was reserved fourth from the rear and found herself trapped behind a wall of horses in the straight. She finally weaved through horses to reach contention in the last half-furlong and dug in fiercely, but was too late. Three-year-old and fourth pick Schnell Meister took a wide trip down the backstretch sitting outside of Indy Champ while gradually making headway up to fifth before hitting the top of the stretch. With the eventual winner on his outside and runner-up behind him, this year's Grade 1 NHK Mile Cup winner ran strongly to reach the front 100 meters out and joined a brief rally with three older foes but lacked the final kick. Schnell Meister finished a half-length behind Gran Alegria in third.

Danon Kingly kicked off his career with three wins, including the Grade 3 Kyodo News Hai before finishing third in the Satsuki Sho (Grade 1 Japanese 2000 Guineas, 2,000m) and a second in the Tokyo Yushun (Grade 1 Japanese Derby, 2,400m) in 2019. He won the Grade 2 Nakayama Kinen in February 2020, was third in the Grade 3 Osaka Hai, and seventh in last year's Yasuda Kinen. He was given long break after running a disappointing 12th in the Grade 1 Tenno Sho (Autumn, 2,000m) last November.

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