Tag: Horse Racing

Longines HKIR Notebook: Inferno Out of the Sprint

Barree Stable’s Singapore-based Inferno (Aus) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}) has been scratched from Sunday’s G1 Longines Hong Kong Sprint at Sha Tin after being found to be lame in his left front leg by Hong Kong Jockey Club veterinarians Tuesday.

Very little went as planned for Inferno on his trip over to Hong Kong. The air conditioning in the horse float that transported Inferno from Kranji Racecourse to Changi Airport about 30 minutes away broke down and the horse was subjected to the heat for three hours. He then had to endure the four-hour flight up to Hong Kong and making matters worse, connections were dealing with a foot issue in the 24 hours prior to departure. Inferno galloped well over the Sha Tin all-weather Monday morning, but the decision to come out of the Sprint was not a difficult one for trainer Cliff Brown.

“Inferno became distressed after the air-conditioning in his box broke down. He was melting in the heat at the airport for three hours,” Brown told the Singapore Turf Club’s Michael Lee. “Luckily, [Singapore Turf Club veterinary surgeon] Dr Dan Shaw and [assistant-trainer] Tony Lane were able to hose him down and sedate him as he was getting so upset.

“From the way the trip has unfolded, it was a really bad start, and once he arrived in Hong Kong, things got worse when he didn’t eat properly for three nights. To top all that, the day before he left, he had a small foot issue. I thought it would get right, and he actually cantered fine yesterday, his work was fine.

“But all in all, he was not coming right, and as I needed him to gallop tomorrow, I’ve decided to pull the pin early. We’re coming home. The horse already had this foot issue, and in hindsight, maybe I could have pulled the pin there and then,” Brown concluded.

Inferno is the winner of eight of his nine starts in Singapore, including an impressive score in the Lion City Cup Oct. 25. Hong Kong’s second leading rider Zac Purton now picks up the mount on Amazing Star (NZ) (Darci Brahma {NZ}), who moved off the reserve list and into the field when Perfect Match (Aus) (Not A Single Doubt {Aus}) was taken out Monday. Also joining the field is Stronger (Aus) (Not A Single Doubt {Aus}), who gives trainer Douglas Whyte a first runner at the HKIR.

Fast Work for Golden Sixty, Classique Legend…

A pair of locally based runners that will carry favourtism in their respective races put in some fast work over the turf course Tuesday.

Golden Sixty (Aus) (Medaglia d’Oro), who figures a warm choice in the G1 Longines Hong Kong Mile, went five furlongs on the turf and was allowed to roll through the final 400 metres, clocking a final sectional of :23.2 with regular rider Vincent Ho in the saddle.

“Both Vincent and me are pleased with his trackwork performance this morning,” said trainer Francis Lui, who saddled Lucky Bubbles (Aus) (Sebring {Aus}) to a runner-up effort in the 2016 Sprint, but is still in search of a maiden HKIR winner. “We will arrange him another gallop this Friday and that will be an easy work.”

Classique Legend (Aus) (Not A Single Doubt {Aus}), last-out winner of The Everest at Randwick Oct. 17 and the likely choice in the G1 Longines Hong Kong Sprint, was a modest third in a 1000-metre barrier trial last week, but looked to have improved from that after finishing 800 metres of work in :23.1 Tuesday morning.

“He had a nice half-mile gallop, he had a companion lead him out and he quickened up nice, he ran home in 23 (seconds) and he did it nice and easily,” said trainer Caspar Fownes. “Vincent Ho, who galloped him this morning, was very happy with him– he’s getting there now, he looks good–I can’t do any more with him.”

 

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Breeders’ Cup Presents Connections: ‘Was This A Grade 1?’

Kendrick Carmouche celebrated when he crossed the wire first aboard the Jack Sisterson-trained True Timber in Saturday's Grade 1 Cigar Mile at Aqueduct, but it wasn't until he was jogging back to the winner's circle that the 36-year-old jockey recognized the full scope of his accomplishment.

“Was this a Grade 1?” Carmouche asked, voice full of emotion. “Oh, this is my first Grade 1!”

Asked to relive that moment during a telephone interview, Carmouche's voice wavered before he found the right words.

“What you see (in that video) is just half of it,” he explained. “There was so much that was built up to get up to this point of my career, so much push and so much fight, and not only a Grade 1, but the Cigar Mile. It's just unbelievable. I didn't even know it was a Grade 1 until I came back, because I don't look at the top of the program. I just look at the horses.”

A favorite of fans and fellow jockeys alike, Carmouche has mastered the art of being tough during the races while still retaining a high level of sportsmanship and humility on the ground.

His emotional win in the Cigar Mile came after more than 20,000 career starts and over 20 years in the saddle, but it wasn't Carmouche's only milestone achievement of the weekend. On Sunday, the veteran jockey wrapped up his first New York riding title. 

“I give thanks to everyone who put a good effort into supporting me and pushed me along to win this meet. I'm very appreciative,” Carmouche said. “I seized the opportunity at hand and I'm grateful for all the trainers and owners for letting me show other people that I can win races. I'm very blessed to say that I've come to New York five years ago and I got a title for the fall meet.”

Carmouche has now won 3,314 races since first acquiring a jockey's license. The son of jockey Sylvester Carmouche had spent years following his father around to different racetracks across Louisiana on the weekends, watching and learning everything he could about the sport he loved. 

Some of his favorite memories come from the small bush tracks, though one mount during a match race when he was 15 years old was enough to convince him to stick to exercise riding on a sanctioned racetrack.

“It was fun to watch it every single Saturday and Sunday of my life, and it was the best weekend any kid could have ever had,” Carmouche remembered. “It was just all friends, people coming together and having a good time. People played cards, ate good food, and just enjoyed each other; it was all good people and good memories. It got me where I'm at today.”

When Carmouche earned his apprentice jockey's license at 16, he spent four months riding in his home state, but his first real break didn't come until a family friend suggested he try Pennsylvania.

“My father told me to never pass up an opportunity,” Carmouche said. “You know, my father never really taught me about riding, he just told me to pay attention and listen. If I did have a question he gave me an answer, but mostly I just followed that.”

Over the next 14 years, Carmouche earned seven riding titles at Parx Racing.

He also rode all around the Northeast during his twenties, and remembers well the grind of long days on the track. There were days he would wake up to work horses at Delaware Park before riding the afternoon card there, then drive down to Charles Town in West Virginia to ride another six or seven races that evening. All that time he'd eat little besides a few ice chips, just enough to keep up his energy.

“This a hard world, but I'm from Louisiana, and working hard is the first thing they teach you in life,” Carmouche explained. “I got two kids, I gotta lead the way.”

Since his move to New York in 2015, Carmouche's accomplishments include receiving the 2017 Mike Venezia Memorial Award, the prestigious honor awarded to jockeys who exemplify extraordinary sportsmanship and citizenship.

With these latest two accomplishments under his belt, Carmouche said he's humbled by the faith others have put in him.

“It's just been such a journey,” said Carmouche. “I love the people and the racehorses, and the jockeys. I love everything about it.

“Believe me when I tell you, your dreams can come true. You just gotta believe in your skills. You have to stick to a couple things in life and just drill on it, and just know that if you keep fighting in life you can keep strong and your dreams can come true.”

It was extra special to share the triumphs with his agent, Kevin Bubser. Carmouche brought him into the racing business, but the two have been best friends longer than they've been business partners. 

“I knew what I was getting into,” Carmouche said, laughing good-naturedly. “We get mad at each other, but then we forget about it in the next 30 seconds. That's my boy; he's a good guy. He's getting really good at his craft, and I'm doing my part as a rider. 

“I wish he was here with me; I just want to give him a hug! He's just a big teddy bear. He's 6'5” and he's solid, my brother with another mother.”

The distance from his agent and from the backstretch has been one of the most unique challenges presented by 2020, but it won't be the most difficult memory Carmouche has of this year. 

In June, after watching the video of George Floyd's death at the hands of four police officers, Carmouche found himself unable to sleep for four nights until he shared a video of his emotions on social media.

“It is very sad to see what is going on in the world,” Carmouche said in the video, tears streaming down his cheeks. “I have a white wife and two kids and it's sad to see that it just never ends. It just never ends.”

Racism isn't something he's experienced on the racetrack, Carmouche said, but he can't deny that the rest of the world often sees color before anything else.

“I feel some type of way about things that are still going on in 2020, and I just don't understand some people,” he lamented. “The way I was raised is everybody is one, we don't have different colors. That's the way I've always felt.

“I don't want my kids to keep going through it. Come on guys, let's just make it better for our kids and move on. Peace and love, that's what we need more of out in the world.”

The post Breeders’ Cup Presents Connections: ‘Was This A Grade 1?’ appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Fire’s Finale Returns From Two-Month Layoff To Capture Pennsylvania Nursery Stakes

Fire's Finale came from last with a half mile to go, swept past eleven rivals and went on to win Monday's $80,000 Pennsylvania Nursery Stakes for state-bred 2-year-olds at Parx Racing by a length. It was the second win in seven starts this year for the Jump Start colt, his first stakes victory, and pushed his freshman earnings to just over $101,000.

After a busy schedule, making six starts though mid-October, trainer Kelly Breen opted to rest Fire's Finale for nearly two months before returning to the races for the Nursery. Breaking his maiden in that sixth start here at Parx, winning in a special weight over a sloppy track, maybe he had started to figure things out. Returning to the work tab at Belmont in November, he posted a bullet work at five-eighths on Nov. 17 and then impressed with another bullet work at half-mile on Nov. 25, the 2-year-old working the best of 92 that day.

The colt's late season development continued into the Nursery.

Taken back in the early part of the race by winning jockey Mychal Sanchez, Fire's Finale began to make headway as the race entered the far turn. Able to make a run on the inside of horses in the bulky field, he followed the move of Kidnapped as they rounded the far turn. While Kidnapped got first run on the two tiring front runners, Just a Thought and Beren, Fire's Finale was still moving well and coming off the turn was able to angle out for a clear path and started to kick into high gear in the final furlong. Kidnapped held the lead briefly in the stretch, but Fire's Finale surged past with about 70 yards to go and moved away at the end to win by a full length.

The final time for the seven furlongs on a fast track was 1:25.35.

Owned by Kenwood Racing and Degaetano and Pastore, Inc., Fire's Finale went off at odds of 11-1 and returned $25.80 to win.

Kidnapped, the 5-2 second choice, was next to last early, ran a terrific race with another big run from the back but simply could not hold off the winner and settled for second. Just a Thought (18-1) in a pace duel with Beren, held on for third.

The post Fire’s Finale Returns From Two-Month Layoff To Capture Pennsylvania Nursery Stakes appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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‘Sunshine Bonus’ Attracting Out-Of-State Interest To Santa Anita Meet

With its traditional Winter/Spring opener set for Saturday, Dec. 26, Santa Anita's newly announced Sunshine Bonus program is attracting out-of-state horses as trainers and horseman also consider a 10 percent raise in overnight purses which will enable The Great Race Place to distribute $533,000 on a daily basis.

The Sunshine Bonus, which provides several significant incentives, including an immediate payment of $3,000 to the owner of any eligible horse making their first start at Santa Anita, has garnered the attention of horsemen nationwide.

“We're getting more and more interest from people out of state,” said Chris Merz, Santa Anita's Director of Racing. “Robert Falcone, Jr., who is based in New York, was here a couple of years ago and he's here again with a string of horses. With our new turf chute and the overall course in pristine condition, we're going to be able to offer the best wintertime turf racing in North American, without question. Additionally, when you look at the 10 percent increase in overnight purses and the very significant added money provided by the Sunshine Bonus program, people are thinking about us like maybe they haven't in many years now. We're very encouraged.”

Falcone, Jr., who first came to Southern California for the 2017 Breeders' Cup Sprint at Del Mar with Mind Your Biscuits while an assistant to Chad Summers, is excited to be back in Arcadia.

“I've got 25 horses, mainly claiming horses, a few allowance and a couple stakes horses that we've brought out from Belmont Park,” he said. “A lot of factors went into making the move. This is a nice environment and the people here are very accommodating. Obviously, the Sunshine Bonus is very important and with the 10 percent increase in overnight purses, we realized the purses this winter at Santa Anita are a little better than at Gulfstream. We had a great experience when we came out here with Mind Your Biscuits and when he won the Malibu that year (2017), it was just tremendous and we ended up having a very successful winter.

“This is an unbelievable place to train horses and with the new turf chute, the grass racing is going to give us a lot of options. To be honest, I felt like I really wanted to help the program here. Santa Anita has been through so much and now, it looks like everything is going in the right direction. The changes that have been made can be difficult at times, but this new approach is what's needed in this game.”

In addition to providing a $3,000 starter's bonus to eligible out-of-state horses, Santa Anita's Sunshine Bonus will also award a 35 percent bonus, above regular purse money-won, to eligible horses in their first five Santa Anita starts.

For additional information on Santa Anita's upcoming Winter/Spring Meet, please visit santaanita.com, or call (626) 574-RACE.

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