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Opera Singer Heads Oaks Entries; Stellar Selection for Coronation Cup

Fifty-eight entries for the Betfred Oaks on May 31 have been revealed, led by last season's champion juvenile filly Opera Singer (Justify). The G1 Prix Marcel Boussac winner remains the market leader despite the recent announcement by her trainer Aidan O'Brien that she may miss the 1,000 Guineas at Newmarket following a minor setback in training.

Her stable-mate Ylang Ylang (GB) (Frankel {GB}) is also among the 13 fillies to have been entered from Ballydoyle. Irish trainers Noel Meade, Jim Bolger and Dermot Weld have one entry apiece while Paddy Twomey has entered Purple Lily (Ire) (Calyx {GB}) and One Look (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}).

Ralph Beckett has the strongest representation among the British-based trainers with nine fillies engaged at this stage. These include the maiden winner Treasure (GB) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}), owned by the King and Queen.

Britain's champion training partnership of John and Thady Gosden, which won last year's Oaks with Lady Bamford's Soul Sister (Ire), has five entries, including Cheveley Park Stud's Regal Jubilee (GB) (Frankel {GB}), who is currently third-favourite for the fillies' Classic.

Making Dreams (GB) (Make Believe {GB}), the winner of Monday's G3 Prix Penelope at Saint-Cloud, is one of four entries for Karl Burke. She races in the colours of Nick Bradley Racing, the syndicate which fielded the 2021 Oaks runner-up Mystery Angel (Ire).

The sole French entry for the race is the Group 3-placed Dare To Dream (Fr) (Camelot {GB}), who is trained by Chantilly-based Irishman Gavin Hernon.

Friday's card for the Betfred Derby meeting includes the G1 Coronation Cup, which could see a rematch between the first two home in last year's Derby, Auguste Rodin (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) and King Of Steel (Wootton Bassett {GB}).

The reigning Coronation Cup champion Emily Upjohn (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) is also among the 23 entries, which include the St Leger winner Continuous (Ire) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}) and German Horse of the Year Fantastic Moon (Ger) (Sea The Moon {Ger}).

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Derby Attracts 20 Second Entries Led By White Birch

Fresh off of his victory in the G3 Ballysax S. on Sunday, White Birch (GB) (Ulysses {Ire}) leads 19 other colts as second entries for the G1 Derby at Epsom on Saturday, June 3. Owned by Chantal Regalado-Gonzalez and trained by John Murphy, the colt scored a half-length upset in the Ballysax at 22-1.

Several Derby second entries were also made by Charlie Appleby on behalf of Godolphin. Leading the sextet is GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf second Silver Knott (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), while listed winner Naval Power (GB) (Teofilo {Ire}), Military Order (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), Imperial Emperor (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), Flying Honours (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), and Ancient Rules (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) are also nominated.

There is also an American-trained entrant to the Blue Riband, whose connections also paid the £9,000 second entry fee–Ken McPeek entered two-for-two Mendelssohn's March (Mendelssohn). Already a winner on turf and dirt after victories at Fair Grounds and Oaklawn Park, he will race in the colours of Harold Lerner, LLC, AWC Stables, Nehoc Stables, and Team Stallion Racing Stable.

Ahmad Al Shaikh's Group 1-winning Dubai Mile (Ire), by 2018 Derby third Roaring Lion, has been entered by Charlie Johnston, who also declared Group 3-placed Dear My Friend (GB) (Pivotal {GB}) for Middleham Park Racing and Michael Lai.

Dubai Mile, who prevailed in the G1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud over 10 furlongs in heavy going in October, will contest either the G1 QIPCO 2000 Guineas at Newmarket on May 6 or the G2 Dante S. at York later in the month.

“Any 2-year-old that can win at Group 1 level leaves you dreaming over the winter about what they could achieve during their 3-year-old campaign,” said Johnston. “He's obviously going to be a flagship horse for us this year and one we're going to have realistic Classic ambitions with, so we're very much looking forward to him.

“You need these horses to compete at the highest level to put you in people's eyes and minds going forward and he's a big flagship horse that we need and want a big year from–hopefully he can deliver.”

“The Guineas is still on the table and Ahmad is quite keen for him to go there,” continued Johnston.

“For all the Dante is a significant race and the preeminent Derby trial, this horse has already won a Group 1 so his CV would be enhanced more by a placed effort in the Guineas than winning the Dante.

“He was only just touched off in the Royal Lodge over the Guineas course and distance and although I'm pretty certain he's going to come into his own over middle-distances this year, I wouldn't rule out his prep race being in the Guineas.

“They are the best two Derby trials and it will be one of the two races for him. Being a vanquished horse in the Guineas can often be the best Derby trial you can run.”

With these late additions, the total number of nominated horses for the Epsom showpiece has grown to 103. Entries were also released for the G1 Oaks (65 entries) and G1 Coronation Cup (19 entries), both held the day prior to the Derby, on June 2.

Of the latter entries, at least three are Classic winners in the form of Godolphin's Frankel (GB) pair of Adayar (Ire) and Hurricane Lane (Ire), and Juddmonte's Westover (GB).

Godolphin's 'TDN Rising Star' and G2 Duchess Of Cambridge S. winner Mawj (Ire) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}), GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf heroine Meditate (Ire) (No Nay Never), and G2 May Hill S. victress Polly Pott (GB) (Muhaarar {GB}) are some of the notable entries for the Oaks.

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Yearling Entry Stage for Derby to be Scrapped

The Derby will move away from its traditional yearling entry stage and will operate on a solely three-year-old entry system from the 2024 running of the Classic.

A statement released on Thursday by Jockey Club Racecourses, which owns Epsom Downs, home of the Derby and the Oaks, read, “The move comes following discussion with stakeholders and after a three-year-old only entry system worked well for the 2022 race, when the yearling entry stage due to take place in 2020 was not considered feasible due to the pandemic.

“As such, the yearling entry stage for the 2024 race which would traditionally take place in early December will not take place. Further information regarding the prize fund, entry stages and structure for the 2024 Derby will be available via the usual process and publications next year, including the Flat Pattern Book and Programme Book.”

In 2021, online car retailer Cazoo was announced as the new sponsor of the Derby meeting, but that arrangement has now come to an end. Next year's Derby, which closed for yearling entries last December, has a prize-money pool of £1.5 million. The remaining entry stages will be at the traditional stages next spring.

“The yearling entry system is something we have always considered annually before confirming, as we are constantly striving to ensure all aspects of The Derby are optimised for changing behaviours and trends within the sport and the wider world,” said Andrew Cooper, head of racing and clerk of the course at Epsom Downs.

“The pandemic gave us an opportunity to test whether a three-year-old system would work, and having consulted participants prior to, during and since it took place earlier this year, our view is that the increased flexibility that removing the yearling stage brings is more reflective of how trainers and owners now tend to operate.”

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CHRB Offers ‘Good Faith’ Leniency On Entries Unregistered With HISA

Early last month, Lisa Lazarus, CEO of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority, set industry tongues wagging when indicating that horses unregistered with HISA by the launch date of the Horse Racing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) would be scratched if entered to race.

With HISA D-Day now upon the industry, the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) offered guidance Friday about how it would be handling unregistered horses both this weekend and the weeks ahead, as per revised guidance from the HISA Authority.

The long and short of it is this: Should licensees show “good faith attempts” to register horses entered to race, the stewards will not scratch unregistered horses, said CHRB executive director, Scott Chaney.

For those licensees who refuse or have not attempted to register, their horses will be scratched, Chaney added.

Asked what evidence would constitute such a “good faith” effort, Chaney said that would ultimately be the steward's call.

“They're the only ones who can scratch at the track,” said Chaney. “The Authority's instructions were to be pretty lenient because obviously the roll-out's not perfect and registration is a work in progress.”

Chaney indicated that this waiver in California would cover this weekend as well as upcoming weeks–possibly through July.

“At some point, we're going to scratch no matter what, otherwise folks wouldn't be incentivized to register,” he said.

Part of the problem, explained Chaney, is a current lack of harmonization between the Jockey Club's InCompass system, used for entries, and the Authority's registration system.

Using Friday's entries at Pleasanton as a guide, Chaney estimated that about 50 horses and jockeys were flagged as unregistered.

Some were duplicates–the same jockeys riding in multiple races. But some were technical flags, he said.

“I remember one saying that Frank Alvarado wasn't listed as registered because when you enter through InCompass, his name in the program is Francisco Alvarado,” said Chaney. “There's lots of little problems like that where they don't match perfectly, a flag appears.”

With new racetrack safety rules going into effect Friday–such as modified crop rules, and veterinary documentation mandates–the CHRB also offered guidance on other new states of play for California's trainers.

Horses that are on the Vet's list for a length of time, but do not require an examination, workout or clear blood test for removal–like those that are simply sick–will be permitted entry while on the list, explained Chaney.

“For Vets' list [horses] that require anything other than time, they must be off the list before they can enter,” wrote Chaney, in an email.

According to Chaney, claimed horses that return a positive post-race test of any class will be voided unless the trainer specifically checks a box on the back of the claim form electing to take the horse regardless.

“Even if the new trainer changes his or her mind and would prefer to keep the horse, the claim will nevertheless be rescinded,” Chaney wrote, of any positive post-race test. “Our claim cards will take some time to catch up to the positive test rule but the rule goes into effect [Friday] nevertheless.”

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