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World’s Best Racehorse: Equinox Rolls To Victory In ‘Win & You’re In’ Takarazuka Kinen

Overwhelming favorite Equinox, currently the top-rated horse in the Longines World's Best Racehorse Rankings, won this year's $3,628,000 Takarazuka Kinen (G1) Sunday at Hanshin Racecourse in Japan to extend his top-level winning streak to four, which includes the Tenno Sho (Autumn), the Arima Kinen last year, and the Dubai Sheema Classic in March this year.

With the Takarazuka Kinen victory, Equinox earned an automatic starting position and fees paid into the $4-million Longines Breeders' Cup Turf (G1) in November at Santa Anita through the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series: Win and You're In.

The Takarazuka Kinen, like the Arima Kinen, is a “Grand Prix” event, in which the runners are selected by an online fan poll–Equinox garnered the most votes and emphatically delivered on expectations. The 2022 Horse of the Year, Equinox also became the 16th horse to complete the Grand Prix double.

Breaking smoothly from stall five under Christophe Lemaire on Sunday, Equinox was eased back to second from last and continued to travel near the rear in the backstretch, saving his strength for the right time. The Kitasan Black colt gradually advanced turning the last two corners the widest, displayed a powerful turn of foot in the lane, passing his rivals one by one, and sustained his speed after taking the lead passing the 200-meter pole to hold off the strong challenge by Through Seven Seas and win by a neck.

Time for the 2,200 meters (about 1 3/8 miles) was 2:11.2 on turf rated as good to firm.

“Though we were unable get a good position toward the front due to the fast pace at the beginning, the horse was relaxed in the rear and I wasn't worried at all,” Lemaire said. “As the inner track condition was not so good, we made bid from the outside early and turned wide to the straight where he stretched really well. Hanshin's inner course is tricky, and Takarazuka Kinen is a difficult race to win even for champion horses, so I'm very happy that I was able to win the race with the No. 1 horse in the World's Best Racehorse Rankings. I realized again how strong he is. I hope to win more big races with him in autumn.”

Bred by Northern Farm, campaigned by Silk Racing Co. Ltd., and trained by Tetsuya Kimura, Equinox is out of the King Halo mare Chateau Blanche.

Through Seven Seas, 1oth choice at 55-1 odds in the 17-horse field, settled in the very rear with Kenichi Ikezoe in the saddle and steadily advanced position behind Equinox rounding the last corners. Though meeting traffic entering the lane, the 5-year-old Dream Journey mare weaved her way through the horses and closed in on Equinox with the fastest closing speed but was second-best.

Second choice at 8-1, Justin Palace, unhurried around 12th and traveling in front of the winner, closed in on the front-runners from the outer route after the third corner, dueled with Equinox at the top of the stretch and, although failing to keep up with the winner, sustained his late charge to secure third place just before the wire by a head.

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Belmont at Big A Fall Meet Offering 40 Stakes Worth $8.8M

The Belmont at the Big A Fall Meet will offer 40 added-money events worth nearly $8.8 million, officials from the New York Racing Association announced Saturday.

Due to ongoing capital improvements at Belmont Park, the fall meeting will be staged for the second straight season at Aqueduct from Thursday, Sept. 14 through Sunday, Oct. 29, and will feature three Grade I events and a half-dozen 'Win and You're In' qualifiers in a variety of Breeders' Cup divisions.

The GIII Fasig-Tipton Jockey Club Oaks over 11 furlongs on turf, the final leg of the Fasig-Tipton Fillies Turf Triple, kicks off the stakes action Saturday, Sept. 16, and the program scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 30 will feature four graded events, highlighted by the $500,000 GI Joe Hirsch Turf Classic at a mile and four panels on the grass. That card also includes the GII Woodward S., the GII Gallant Bloom S. and the GII Vosburgh S., offering the winner a spot in the field for the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint. An additional pair of qualifiers are set for Sunday, Oct. 1, both for the juvenile set at 8 1/2 furlongs on turf, the GII Miss Grillo S. for fillies and the GII Pilgrim S. for the boys.

The 'Win and You're In' action continues Saturday, Oct. 7, with the running of the $500,000 GI Champagne S., a Breeders' Cup Juvenile prep, and the filly counterpart, the $400,000 GI Frizette S. The card also includes the GIII Belmont Turf Sprint, the GIII Fasig-Tipton Waya S. and the GIII Jockey Club Derby, shortened from a mile and a half to a mile and three-eighths. The Sunday, Oct. 8, program features the last of the Breeders' Cup qualifiers, the GIII Futurity S., a feeder into the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint, as well as the GII Beldame S. and the GIII Matron S.

The one-mile GII Kelso S. has been renamed the Forty Niner S. and will offer the top three finishers all-expenses paid berths into the GI Cigar Mile H. during the Aqueduct fall meeting. The Oct. 28 card also includes the GII Mother Goose S., previously held during the spring/summer meet at Belmont, the Listed Awad S. and the Listed Pumpkin Pie S.

The Belmont at the Big A meeting concludes with Empire Showcase Day, the richest events of which are the Empire Classic and Empire Distaff, each worth $250,000.

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McPeek Double-Handed For ‘Win & You’re In’ Stephen Foster With Smile Happy, Rattle N Roll

Lucky Seven Stable's multiple graded stakes-winning colt Smile Happy headlines an accomplished field of eight older horses entered for next Saturday's 42nd running of the $1-million Stephen Foster (G1) at Ellis Park.

Run at 1 1/8 miles, the Stephen Foster will go as Race 10 of 11 at 4:26 p.m. (CT). First post is 11:45 a.m. The Stephen Foster is the centerpiece of a six pack of stakes events Saturday at the Henderson, Ky. track. The other featured races on the program are the $400,000 Fleur de Lis (G2), the $400,000 Wise Dan (G2), the $225,000 American Derby (Listed), the $225,000 Kelly's Landing (Listed), and the $225,000 Tepin.

Smile Happy won his second career Grade 2 contest on Kentucky Oaks Day May 5 at Churchill Downs when he powered home to a two-length score in the Alysheba. As a 2-year-old, Smile Happy was victorious in the Kentucky Jockey Club (G2) before he tested the Road to the Kentucky Derby. The son of Runhappy qualified for last year's Kentucky Derby (G1) but finished eighth behind Rich Strike. Trained by Kenny McPeek, Smile Happy's 4-year-old record includes an allowance victory and a third-place finish in the Oaklawn Mile (G3). Jockey Corey Lanerie will have the mount aboard Smile Happy in the Stephen Foster and the duo will break from post No. 5.

Another top entrant in the Stephen Foster is Smile Happy's stablemate Rattle N Roll. Also owned by the Mackin Family's Lucky Seven Stables, Rattle N Roll won the $225,000 Blame Stakes (G3) in his most recent start. Prior to his 1 ¼-length score in the Blame, Rattle N Roll was victorious in the Pimlico Special (G3) and Ben Ali Stakes (G3). Jockey Brian Hernandez Jr., who has been aboard both Smile Happy and Rattle N Roll in their most recent starts, will have the mount from post 4.

Godolphin's Grade I winner Proxy will ship in to Ellis Park for the Stephen Foster. Trained by Mike Stidham, Proxy narrowly got by Last Samurai to win the Oaklawn Handicap (G2) in late April. Among Proxy's other accolades in his career includes a three-quarters of a length win in last fall's Clark Stakes (GI) at Churchill Downs. The well-traveled Proxy has five career wins from 16 starts and has banked earnings of $1,775,970. Joel Rosario will ride Proxy and break from the rail.

Steve Moger's Stilleto Boy achieved Grade I glory two starts ago in the Santa Anita Handicap (G1). The speedy son of Shackleford is based in California for trianer Ed Moger Jr. but has traveled to tracks throughout the country including Oaklawn, Prairie Meadows, and Gulfstream Park. Stilleto Boy was the pacesetter in the Oaklawn Handicap but could not hold off Proxy and Last Samurai. Among the other notable victories in Stilleto Boy's include the 2021 Iowa Derby and the 2022 California Stakes (G2). Hall of Fame rider Kent Desormeaux will make the journey from California to Henderson for the mount and break from post 2.

Another horse that could show speed in the Stephen Foster is Gary and Mary West's West Will Power. Trained by Brad Cox, West Will Power dueled on the lead in the Alysheba but gave way late to Smile Happy. Prior to the Alysheba, West Will Power dominated six rivals by 4¾ lengths in the New Orleans Classic (G2) at Fair Grounds. Jockey Flavien Prat will ride the six-time winner from post 6.

The complete field for the Stephen Foster Stakes from the rail out (with jockey and trainer):

1. Proxy (Joel Rosario, Mike Stidham)

2. Stilleto Boy (Kent Desormeaux, Steve Moger)

3. Speed Bias (Luis Saez, Ron Moquett)

4. Rattle N Roll (Brian Hernandez Jr., Ken McPeek)

5. Smile Happy (Corey Lanerie, Ken McPeek)

6. West Will Power (Julien Prat, Brad Cox)

7. Last Samurai (Cristian Torres, Wayne Lukas)

8. Happy American (James Graham, Neil Pessin)

The Stephen Foster is a “Win and You're In” Challenge Series event for the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1). The winner of the Stephen Foster will receive an automatic entry to the 2023 running of the Classic and have their pre-entry and entry fees waved along with a travel stipend if they are traveling outside the state of California. The Breeders' Cup World Championships will be held at Santa Anita on Nov. 3-4.

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World’s Top-Rated Racehorse Equinox Takes On 16 Rivals In ‘Win And You’re In’ Takarazuka Kinen

Silk Racing Co. Ltd.'s 4-year-old Equinox (JPN), the top-rated horse in the latest Longines World's Best Racehorse Rankings, headlines the field of 17 runners for Sunday's 1 3/8-mile Takarazuka Kinen (G1) at Hanshin Racecourse. The winner will receive an automatic starting position and fees paid into the $4 million Longines Breeders' Cup Turf (G1).

The Breeders' Cup Challenge Series is an international series of 80 Graded/Group stakes races whose winners receive automatic starting positions and fees paid into a corresponding race of the Breeders' Cup World Championships, scheduled to be held Nov. 3-4 at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California.

Trained by Tetsuya Kimura, Equinox has taken the world by storm with three consecutive Group 1 victories. After winning the Tenno Sho (Autumn) at Tokyo and the Arima Kinen at Nakayama to close out 2022, the son of Kitasan Black (JPN) produced a front-running tour de force March 25 in the 1 1/2-mile Dubai Sheema Classic at Meydan, winning by 3 1/2 lengths in course-record time. The victory improved his record to five wins in seven starts and vaulted him to the top rating of 129 in the World's Best Racehorse Rankings by the International Federation of Horse Racing Authorities (IFHA).

Among the challengers expected to face Equinox is Masahiro Miki's 4-year-old Justin Palace (JPN), a long-distance specialist who comes into the race off a 2 1/2-length win April 30 over Deep Bond (JPN) in the 2-mile Tenno Sho (Spring, G1) at Kyoto. That victory was his fifth win in 10 starts. Trained by Haruki Sugiyama, the son of Deep Impact (JPN) also has a win over the course this year, taking the March 19 Hanshin Daishoten (G2) at 1 mile and 7 furlongs.

Sunday Racing Co. Ltd.'s 5-year-old mare Geraldina (JPN) is a six-time winner who also has a Group 1 victory over the course. Trained by Takashi Saito, the daughter of Maurice (JPN) captured last November's Queen Elizabeth 2 Cup (G1) at Hanshin. She started next in the Arima Kinen where she mounted a late drive in the lane to finish third, 4 lengths behind Equinox. Geraldina will look to improve upon two sixth-place finishes at 1 1/4 miles this year in the April 2 Osaka Hai (G1) at Hanshin and in the April 30 Fwd Queen Elizabeth II Cup (G1) at Sha Tin in Hong Kong.

Carrot Farm Co. Ltd.'s 6-year-old Vela Azul (JPN) reached his career zenith last year when he captured the Japan Cup (G1) at Tokyo Racecourse by three-quarters of a length for trainer Kunihiko Wantanabe. But the son of Eishin Flash (JPN) could not maintain that form in the Arima Kinen, where he finished 10th. He looks to rebound off a 13th-place finish in the March 25 Dubai World Cup (G1) at Meydan, his only race of 2023 thus far.

Another horse looking for his first win of the season is Hirosaki Toshiro HD Co. Ltd.'s Ask Victor More (JPN). A 4-year-old son of Deep Impact, Ask Victor More won last October's Kikuka Sho (Japanese St. Leger, G1) at Hanshin for trainer Yasuhito Tamura. In his two starts this year, Ask Victor More finished ninth in the Nikkei Sho (G1) at Nakayama and 11th last time out in Tenno Sho (Spring).

As a part of the benefits of the Challenge Series, Breeders' Cup will pay the entry fees for the winner of the Takarazuka Kinen winner to start in the Longines Breeders' Cup Turf, which will be run at 1 1/2 miles at Santa Anita. Breeders' Cup will also provide a travel allowance for all starters based outside of North America to compete in the World Championships. The Challenge winner must be nominated to the Breeders' Cup program by the pre-entry deadline of Oct. 23 to receive the rewards.

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