Tag: Horse racing news

Hollie Doyle Sets New Win Record For Female Jockeys In Britain

Hollie Doyle's achievement in setting a new record for winners in a calendar year by a female jockey has been warmly applauded by two of racing's most famous female faces.

Doyle's senior colleague Hayley Turner and TV presenter Francesca Cumani were among those to heap praise on Doyle after the popular rider broke her own record with her 117th success of 2020 at Kempton Park on Wednesday evening.

Doyle, 23, went one better than last year's mark of 116 when she partnered State Occasion to win a Polytrack nursery for trainer Ralph Beckett.

In a landmark year, Doyle became the first woman to ride a five-timer in Britain (at Windsor on Aug. 29) and has also recorded her first victories at Group-race level with Dame Malliot in the G2 Princess of Wales's Stakes at the Newmarket July meeting. Three more have followed on Extra Elusive (twice) and Certain Lad.

In addition, she joined Turner and Gay Kelleway and Turner as the only females to have ridden a winner at Royal Ascot when she scored on 33-1 shot Scarlet Dragon in the Duke of Edinburgh Stakes. She also has earned a retainer to ride as first jockey to owner Amad Al Sagar, best known as co-owner of 2007 Derby winner Authorized.

Turner was among the first to congratulate Doyle on her new record mark. “It's a fantastic achievement to have broken the record again,” she said, speaking to Great British Racing.

“Hollie is very driven and focused. She has an outstanding work ethic and attitude every young jockey should have. She has kept her head out the clouds and her hard work and results prove that.”

ITV Racing presenter Francesca Cumani sounded a familiar note in stressing that gender should not matter, saying: “I have made the point many times that I think gender is irrelevant when it comes to jockeys.

“For too long, female riders have not had the same opportunities as their male counterparts and have not had the chance to show the extent of their skills,” she went on.

“Hollie has proven that when given an opening she can be just as capable, if not more than any of her colleagues. She is pocket-sized but has talent for horses big and small that you can't measure. Her humility and affability hold her in great stead for further successes and more records.”

Doyle's achievement in beating her own record is all the more impressive when it is considered that racing was suspended for 75 days between March and June owing to COVID-19.

Reflecting on her latest landmark, she said: “When I broke the record last year in the back of my mind I was always thinking about breaking it again this year, as I didn't want it to be a one-off, so I'm delighted to have achieved that goal.

Doyle is currently fourth in jockeys' title race, which started only in June.

“When you think that we also missed two months of racing this year, it is amazing that I have been able to do it so quickly,” she added, speaking to GBR. “I want to thank all the owners and trainers that have supported me throughout this year, without them, none of this would have been possible.”

Lambourn-based trainer Archie Watson, who has provided more of Doyle's winners than anybody else, said: “Hollie is an incredibly hard-working and talented jockey. We have had over 100 winners together in a short amount of time and I am delighted that she is starting to gain the recognition she deserves.”

This story originally appeared on Horse Racing Planet and is reprinted here with permission.

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Red Knight Cruises To Stakes-Record Victory In Thursday’s Sycamore

Trinity Farm's homebred Red Knight surged to the front at midstretch and cruised to a 2-length victory over Postulation to win the 26th running of the $150,000 Sycamore (G3) for 3-year-olds and up on an overcast Thursday afternoon at Keeneland.

Trained by Bill Mott and ridden by James Graham, Red Knight covered the 1½ miles on a firm turf course in 2:28.81 to smash the stakes record of 2:29.55 established by Sharbayan (IRE) in 2003. It is the third victory in the Sycamore for Graham, who won in 2007 aboard Transduction Gold and 2013 on Najjaar.

Postulation led the field of 10 through fractions of :24.84, :51.08, 1:16.04 and 1:40.76 while Red Knight raced near the back of the pack.

On the far turn, Graham angled Red Knight off the rail and began splitting horses. He swung three wide into the stretch, collared Postulation at the eighth pole and drew clear for the victory.

“I saw what was happening around me,” Graham said. “Manny (Franco on Ziyad [GB]) moved out around the backside. Brian (Hernandez)'s horse (Eons) started to come out under pressure, and I split two horses and (Red Knight) came right back on the bridle, which was great. And then he accelerated turning for home. Everything went great. He was probably 2 lengths further back than I wanted to be, but it worked out.”

It was the first graded stakes victory for Red Knight, a 6-year-old New York-bred son of Pure Prize out of the Skip Away mare Isabel Away. The victory was worth $90,000 and increased his earnings to $732,158 with a record of 21-8-6-1.

Sent off as the favorite, Red Knight returned $6.80, $4 and $3. Postulation, ridden by Julien Leparoux, returned $6.80 and $4.20 and finished a head in front of Ziyad (GB) who paid $3.40 to show under Manny Franco.

It was another head back to North Dakota who was followed in order by He's No Lemon, Big Agenda, Aquaphobia, Eons, Split the Wickets and Morning Stride.

Racing continues Friday with a 10-day program beginning at 1:05 p.m. ET and featuring the 30th running of the $150,000 Pin Oak Valley View (G3) for 3-year-old fillies going 1 1/16 miles on the turf. The Pin Oak Valley View will be run as the ninth race with a 5:30 p.m. post time.

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Smooth Like Strait, Field Pass Face Off In Sunday’s Grade 2 Twilight Derby

Cannon Thoroughbreds homebred Smooth Like Strait returns to Southern California and will try to stretch his speed to a mile and one eighth on turf as he heads a field of nine sophomores in Sunday's Grade 2, $200,000 Twilight Derby at Santa Anita.

A resounding 2 ½ length winner of the Grade 2 La Jolla Handicap two starts back, Smooth Like Strait, who is trained by Michael McCarthy, finished fourth as the 6-5 favorite in a Grade 2 stakes at Churchill Downs on Sept. 5 and will likely vie for favoritism with midwestern invader Field Pass, who he faced on Sept. 5.

A two-time Grade 3 winner in Kentucky, trainer Mike Maker's Field Pass was a close third in the same race Smooth Like Strait was favored in Sept. 5 and he's won four out of his seven starts this year.

C R K Stable's Express Train, who showed much promise at age two, will be trying turf for the first time on Sunday in what will be his third start of the year for John Shirreffs and rates a big chance in what appears to be a wide open Twilight Derby.

SMOOTH LIKE STRAIT

Owner: Cannon Thoroughbreds, LLC

Trainer: Michael McCarthy

A Kentucky-bred colt by Midnight Lute, he made the lead turning for home in the Grade 2 American Turf on Sept. 5 at Churchill Downs, but tired late to be beaten four lengths. A gutty one mile minor turf stakes winner three starts back at Churchill Downs on May 23, he's won two out of his last three starts and was also a winner of the Grade 3 Cecile B. DeMille Stakes six starts back on Dec. 1, 2019. Smooth Like Strait is four for nine lifetime with earnings of $277,823 and he'll be reunited with Umberto Rispoli, who pointed him to victory in the La Jolla Handicap as the 4-5 favorite.

FIELD PASS

Owner: Three Diamonds Farm Trainer: Mike Maker

A Grade 3 winner going a mile and one eighth on synthetic Polytrack at Turfway Park on March 14, he notched his second Grade 3 win over a “good” turf three starts back at Keeneland on July 12. Most recently third, beaten 1 ¾ lengths in the Grade 2 American Turf Stakes at Churchill Downs Sept. 5, a race in which he rallied to wrest command from Smooth Like Strait in mid-stretch, he was a gate to wire winner of an ungraded stakes going 1 1/8 miles on turf four starts back on June 20 at Churchill. Field Pass, who defeated Smooth Like Strait by 2 ¼ lengths on Sept. 5, has demonstrated ample versatility and the ability to get the Twilight Derby distance. With an overall mark of 13-5-2-2, he's the leading money earner in the field with $472,610 and he'll no doubt vie for favoritism when ridden for the first time by Drayden Van Dyke.

EXPRESS TRAIN

Owner: C R K Stable, LLC Trainer: John Shirreffs

A $500,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase, this colt by Union Rags broke his maiden going one mile on dirt in his second start by 14 ¼ lengths and in his final start at age two, was a well beaten fourth at 5-2 in the Grade 1 American Pharoah Stakes at a mile and one sixteenth on Sept. 27, 2019. An impressive two length winner of a 6 ½ furlong allowance on Aug. 23, a race in which he overcame a stumble at the start, he flattened out a bit late when second, beaten three quarters of a length as the 4-5 favorite in a one mile allowance here Sept. 26. In what will be his third start off a long layoff, Express Train should be a tighter horse on Sunday as he tries turf for the first time in his sixth career start with regular rider Mike Smith aloft.

THE GRADE 2 TWILIGHT DERBY WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 9 of 10 Approximate post time 5 p.m. PT

  1. Farmington Road—Flavien Prat-124
  2. Express Train—Mike Smith—124
  3. Margot's Boy—Tiago Pereira—124
  4. Kiss Today Goodbye—Victor Espinoza—124
  5. Dominant Soul—Edwin Maldonado–124
  6. Smooth Like Strait—Umberto Rispoli—124
  7. Scarto—Juan Hernandez—124
  8. K P All Systems Go—Abel Cedillo–124
  9. Field Pass—Drayden Van Dyke—124

First post time for a 10-race card on Sunday is at 1 p.m. Santa Anita's races can be viewed live and free of charge at santaanita.com.

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