Breeders' Cup | Horse Racing Free Tips

Flaxman Holdings, Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith's Circus Maximus (IRE) and Godolphin's Terebellum (IRE), lead a field of 16 entered for Tuesday's US$317,000 Queen Anne Stakes (G1) on opening day of the Royal Ascot meeting. The Queen Anne winner will secure an automatic berth into the TVG Breeders' Cup Mile (G1) through the international Breeders' Cup Challenge.

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 is scheduled to be held at Keeneland Race Course, in Lexington, Kentucky, on Nov 6-7.

As part of the benefits of the Challenge Series, Breeders' Cup will pay the entry fees for the winner of the Queen Anne to start in the TVG Breeders' Cup Mile, which will be run at 1 mile over the Keeneland turf course. Breeders' Cup also will provide a minimum travel allowance of US$40,000 for all starters based outside of North America to compete in the World Championships. The Challenge winner must already be nominated to the Breeders' Cup program or it must be nominated by the Championships' pre-entry deadline of October 26 to receive the rewards.

The Queen Anne, run over a straight mile, is the first of four Breeders' Cup Challenge “Win and You're In” races to be conducted during the Royal Ascot meeting. The race will be televised by NBCSN and TVG on Tuesday at approximately 8:50 a.m. ET.

Circus Maximus, trained by Aidan O'Brien and ridden by Ryan Moore, will be making his first start since a fourth-place finish in last November's TVG Breeders' Cup Mile at Santa Anita. In 2019, Circus Maximus established himself among Europe's top milers when he captured the St James's Palace Stakes (G1) at the Royal Meeting, holding off King of Comedy (IRE) by a neck. That win came after a sixth-place finish in the 1 ½-mile Investec Derby (G1). After a second-place finish in the Qatar Sussex Stakes (G1) at Goodwood, and a seventh in the Juddmonte International (G1) at York, Circus Maximus earned his second Group 1 score in September by taking the Prix de Moulin (G1) at ParisLongchamp by a nose over Romanised (IRE).

In the Breeders' Cup Mile, Circus Maximus, the 7-2 third choice, made a bold move from eighth place in the stretch but was edged out for third.

“I think he ran a good race at the Breeders' Cup,” said Alan Cooper, Flaxman Holdings' racing manager. “There was a thought he might have finished third with a slightly clearer run but that's history. We need to focus on going forward and hope he is going to have a good 4-year-old career.”

Flaxman Holdings and the Niarchos Family have won the Breeders' Cup Mile six times, with Miesque (twice), Spinning World, Domedriver (IRE), Six Perfections (FR) and Karakontie (JPN).

Leading the challengers confronting Circus Maximus is the 4-year-old filly Terebellum (IRE), who will be taking on male rivals for the first time after five starts against her own gender. Trained by John Gosden, this brown daughter of Sea the Stars (IRE) out of the Elusive Quality mare Marvada (IRE), began her season on June 6 with an impressive win in the 1 ¼-mile Dahlia Stakes (G2) at Newmarket. Ridden by Frankie Dettori, Terebellum won last year's Group 2 Nonette Stakes at Deauville. She closed out 2019 with a very good effort against older fillies and mares in the 1 ¼-mile Prix de l'Opera Longines (G1) at Paris Longchamp, fighting for the lead inside the final 200 meters before winding up fifth, beaten 1 3/4 lengths.

Sheikh Abdulla Al Khalifa's Skardu (GB), trained by William Haggas, finished fourth behind Circus Maximus at Royal Ascot last year. A 4-year-old chestnut son of Sharmadal, Skardu, ridden by James Doyle, ran just once more in 2019, finishing fourth as the 2-1 favorite behind Duke of Hazzard (FR) in the Celebration Mile (G2) at Goodwood in August.

“He is in good shape but I am just a bit worried he might be underdone,” said Haggas. “We have had a lot of time with him but he is taking some getting fit. He is fit enough to run. James Doyle has been very happy with his work but my feeling is I am not sure whether he is quite there yet.”

Mrs. Fitri Hay's 4-year-old Duke of Hazzard, trained by Paul and Oliver Cole, has five wins in 15 starts, including his last three races, all at the one mile distance. Prior to taking the Celebration Mile, the chestnut son of Lope de Vega (IRE) won the listed Sir Henry Cecil Stakes at Newmarket and the Bonhams Thoroughbred Stakes (G3) at Goodwood. Duke of Hazzard will be ridden by P.J. McDonald.

One of the veterans in the Queen Anne field is the Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum-owned 7-year-old Mustashry (GB). Trained by Sir Michael Stoute and ridden by Dane O'Neill, Mustashry, eight for 18 lifetime, finished seventh in last year's race after being bumped in the stretch. Prior to the Queen Anne, the bay or brown gelding by Tamayuz (GB), won the 1-mile Lockinge Stakes (G1) at Newbury. He finished 2019 by capturing the 7-furlong Godolphin Stud & Stable Staff Awards Challenge Stakes (G2) at Newmarket in October.

Lightly-raced 4-year-old Fox Chairman (IRE), trained by Andrew Balding and ridden by Silvestre De Sousa, has not been off the board in four starts. Owned by King Power Racing, the Kingman (GB) colt was second last year to Sangarius (GB), as the 7-2 favorite, in the Hampton Court Stakes (G3) at Royal Ascot. He followed that performance by winning the listed Bet 365 stakes at Newbury in July.

Another group stakes-winning female entered for Tuesday is Mrs. R.J. McCreery's Billesdon Brook (GB), who won three races last year including the Group 1 Sun Chariot at Newmarket for trainer Richard Hannon. Ridden by Sean Levey, the 5-year-old daughter of Champs Elysees (GB) comes into the race off a second-place finish in the listed 1-mile Snowdrop Fillies' Stakes over the all-weather surface at Kempton on June 3.

Mrs. R.F. Johnson Houghton's 6-year-old gelding Accidental Agent (GB), the 2018 Queen Anne Stakes winner, also has been entered for trainer Eve Johnson Houghton and rider Charles Bishop.

The Queen Anne is the fourth race to award a Breeders' Cup Challenge berth this year for the TVG Breeders' Cup Mile. In January, Kantor, Blank, Sarkis & Yutar's 4-year-old gelding Vardy (SAF) won the L'Ormarins Queen's Plate (G1) at Kenilworth Racecourse in South Africa to gain the first berth in the division. Peter M. Brant's 5-year-old Raging Bull (FR) captured the Shoemaker Mile (G1) at Santa Anita Park in California on May 25, and on June 7, Sunday Racing Co.'s 4-year-old filly Gran Alegria earned an automatic starting position into Mile by taking the Yasuda Kinen (G1) at Tokyo Racecourse.

The post Circus Maximus, Terebellum To Vie For Breeders’ Cup Berth In Tuesday’s Queen Anne At Royal Ascot appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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She's a Julie added a second Grade 1 victory to her ledger, when displaying a powerful kick at the top of the stretch before running down Ollie's Candy to the inside of Point of Honor to win the 52nd running of the Grade 1, $300,000 Ogden Phipps by a nose Saturday at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.

Trained by Hall of Fame conditioner Steve Asmussen, the 5-year-old daughter of Elusive Quality earned a “Win and You're In” berth into the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Distaff on November 7 at Keeneland through the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series.

She's a Julie made amends after a poor result in the last out Shawnee at Churchill Downs, where she hopped in the air at the start, got out of position and was beaten 13 ¼ lengths.

Guided by jockey Ricardo Santana, Jr. from post 3 in the six-horse field, She's a Julie laid fourth, one length off of pacesetter Blamed, who recorded an opening quarter mile in 22.84 seconds with Ollie's Candy and stablemate Golden Award to her outside second and third, respectively.

With the half-mile in 45.98 seconds, Blamed extended her advantage to a length but began tailing off as the field came around the far turn as She's a Julie, under a hard drive by Santana, Jr., made a three-wide move.

As Blamed dropped out of contention, Ollie's Candy found herself 2 ½ lengths in front with She's a Julie gaining ground in tandem with Point of Honor. The duo battled to a head-bobbing finish, with She's a Julie stopping the clock in 1:40.27.

Point of Honor was a neck to the better of Ollie's Candy and it was another 8 ¼-lengths to Blamed, followed by Pink Sands and Golden Award.

The victory was a second Grade 1 triumph for She's a Julie, who won the Grade 1 La Troienne at Churchill Downs in May 2019. The victory was a fifth graded stakes win for She's a Julie, all of which took place at different racetracks.

“Everybody put a lot of effort into this filly. Steve [Asmussen] said he wanted me to go to New York,” said Santana, Jr., who has piloted She's a Julie in her last 14 starts. “She's doing well. I worked her and we were really happy with her. Steve knows what he's doing and I always listen to him. Today, she was feeling good. We got a great break. I sat in the spot I wanted. I knew she was going to give it to me, and she kicked it in. She gave me a nice kick.”

The win marked a ninth Grade 1 triumph for the jockey-trainer combo of Santana, Jr. and Asmussen.

Asmussen also won last year's edition of the Ogden Phipps with subsequent 2019 Champion Older Filly Midnight Bisou.

She's a Julie was saddled by Asmussen's assistant Toby Sheets, who oversees his New York division, and he admitted that he wasn't sure his mare won the photo finish.

“I had to watch it one more time to be sure [she had won.] It was very close,” Sheets said. “I said to Ricardo before the race that there was a lot of pace in there, and that's how the race unfolded. It was a very patient ride and the pace upfront helped. She ran super.”

Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano, aboard runner-up Point of Honor, admitted that the defeat was tough, but nevertheless was proud of his filly's effort.

“It was a tough beat. I'm not disappointed at all,” Castellano said. “She ran her race. I expected a hot pace and she did everything she could. It was a 'bob' and these are all competitive horses.

“I let the speed go and sat behind the horses,” he continued. “I popped her out and I thought I was going to go by. At the quarter pole, I was a little concerned. I was asking her and she didn't take off and I thought I was going to be third, but she kept running and ran a good race. You can't ask for anything more than that.”

She's a Julie returned $31.40 on a $2 win bet and banked $165,000 in victory while enhancing her lifetime earnings to $1,187,880. Her record now stands at 19-7-2-4 and includes wins in the Grade 3 Iowa Oaks at Prairie Meadows and Grade 3 Remington Park Oaks during her 3-year-old campaign as well as a triumph in the following year's Grade 3 Bayakoa at Oaklawn Park.

She is owned by Bradley Thoroughbreds, Tim Cambron, Anna Cambron, Denali Stud, Rigney Racing and Madaket Stables.

Bred in Kentucky by Godolphin, She's a Julie is out of the Dubai Millennium broodmare Kydd Gloves and comes from the same family as Grade 1-winner Bodemeister. She was purchased for $160,000 from the 2016 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, where she was consigned by Blandford Stud.

Live racing resumes Sunday with a 10-race card highlighted by the $100,000 Mike Lee for New York-bred 3-year-olds going one mile on the main track in Race 9 at 5:36 p.m. Eastern. First post is 1:15 p.m.

The post She’s A Julie Holds Off Point Of Honor To Win Ogden Phipps, Earn Breeders’ Cup Distaff Berth appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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