1st-Saratoga, $136K, Msw, 2yo, 5 1/2f, post time: 1:10 p.m. ET PIRATE (Omaha Beach) has been made the 4-5 morning-line favorite in the Saturday opener from the Spa and is bred to be any kind. The $350,000 Keeneland September acquisition by Starlight Racing and Harrell Ventures is the latest foal from Peter Blum's Treasure (Medaglia d'Oro), herself a debut second going this distance on Saratoga debut for Jimmy Jerkens in August 2014, who has since gone on to become a prized member of the Blum broodmare band. A mid-march foal, Pirate is a half-brother to the Starlight part-owned National Treasure (Quality Road), an impressive first-out winner over a sprint distance at Del Mar last September and better known for his gate-to-wire victory in the GI Preakness S. May 20. Treasure is also the dam of Ultimate (Speightstown), who most recently came from off the speed to take the Iowa Sprint S. at Prairie Meadows July 7. TJCIS PPs
During a season that saw him become the richest-ever horse and most prolific winner of Group 1 races in Hong Kong history, Stanley Chan Ka Leung's Golden Sixty (Aus) (Medaglia d'Oro) was named Horse of the Year in the jurisdiction for an unprecedented third straight season during a black-tie affair held Friday evening at the Grand Ballroom of the Rosewood Hotel.
The son of Gaudeamus (Distorted Humor) won four of his five trips to the post during a well-managed 7-year-old campaign, his only loss coming at the hooves of the very talented California Spangle (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) when looking for a third consecutive victory in the G1 Longines Hong Kong Mile in December. In one of the most anticipated races in recent memory, Golden Sixty squared off with his Mile conqueror and G1 Longines Hong Kong Cup romper Romantic Warrior (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}) in the G1 Stewards' Cup in January, a race in which Golden Sixty had a 16-race winning streak snapped in 2022. The three top-rated horses in Hong Kong had the race to themselves when push came to shove, and $2.50 (3-2) second favourite Golden Sixty proved equal to the task with a one-length defeat of $2 (evens) pick Romantic Warrior.
It was $1.50 (1-2) Romantic Warrior and $2.30 Golden Sixty in the G1 Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup over a 2000-metre trip that was sure to favour Romantic Warrior. But Golden Sixty had the final say yet again, scoring by a head (video), before adding his ninth Hong Kong Group 1 tally with a third straight win in the G1 FWD Champions Mile in April (video), also securing champion miler honours. Golden Sixty, who will train on as an 8-year-old, has a record of 25-2-1 from 29 starts and earnings of nearly US$18.8 million to date.
Other luminaries to have been named Horse of the Year on multiple occasions include Silver Lining (Aus), Quicken Away (Ire), River Verdon (Ire), Fairy King Prawn (Aus), Silent Witness (Aus), Ambitious Dragon (NZ) and Beauty Generation (NZ). The first two named were also three-time Horses of the Year, but non-consecutively.
Romantic Warrior did not go home empty-handed, as his efforts were rewarded with champion middle-distance horse honours for the second straight season. He managed to bounce back from his Gold Cup effort–for which he was reportedly not 100%–to defend his title handsomely in the G1 FWD QE II Cup to lock up his championship.
But for an unlucky defeat when favoured in the G1 Longines Hong Kong Sprint, Lucky Sweynesse (NZ) (Sweynesse {Aus}) would have given Golden Sixty a tussle for Horse of the Year. As it was, the 4-year-old had a much more rigorous campaign that Golden Sixty, winning seven of his nine starts, including a maiden Group 1 in the Centenary Sprint Cup (1200m) and additional elite-level successes in the Queen's Silver Jubilee Cup (1400m) and Chairman's Sprint Prize (1200m). He carried 135 pounds to victory in the G3 Sha Tin Vase H. June 4, spotting his rivals 14 to 20 pounds. With no standout horse among those that competed in the Classic series, Lucky Sweynesse was also recognized as champion 4-year-old.
Russian Emperor (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) was the only Hong Kong horse to win a race on foreign soil this season, having impressed in the HH The Amir Trophy in Qatar, but it was his victory over Romantic Warrior in his title defence in the G1 Standard Chartered Champions & Chater Cup (2400m) that secured the 6-year-old the award as champion stayer for the second year in a row.
Howdeepisyourlove (Aus) (Deep Field {Aus}) finished his first Hong Kong preparation with four wins from 12 starts and was named champion griffin (2- and 3-year-old horses unraced upon arrival into Hong Kong). His rating lifted from the standard debut mark of 52 to 96 by season's end. Beauty Eternal (Aus) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) saw his rating rise from 52 to 117 to be named the most improved horse. Third as the favourite in the BMW Hong Kong Derby, he closed the season with a pair of victories at Group 3 level.
Trainer John Size won a 12th Hong Kong premiership, while Zac Purton will be crowned champion jockey for the sixth time after breaking Joao Moreira's record 170 victories for a season. He currently sits on 176 heading into Sunday's final meeting of the season, 82 clear of Vincent Ho, who received the Tony Cruz Award as leading homegrown jockey. Purton also became the second rider in history to register better than 1600 winners in Hong Kong, joining Russian Emperor's trainer Douglas Whyte.
Some of the most highly anticipated races during the summer racing season are the 'baby' races during the boutique meetings at both Saratoga and Del Mar and at Ellis Park, which attract its fair share of high-priced offspring from a variety of top national outfits.
Summer Breezes highlights debuting 2-year-olds at those meetings that have been sourced at the breeze-up sales earlier in the year, with links to their under-tack previews. To follow are the horses entered for Saratoga and Ellis Park Saturday:
Saturday, July 15, 2023 Saratoga 1, $136k, 2yo, 5 1/2f, 1:10 p.m. ET Horse (Sire),Sale,Price ($),Breeze Arteta (Take Charge Indy), FTMMAY, 170,000, see below C-White Pine Thoroughbreds, agent; B-Kerri Radcliffe, agent Saisir Le Jour (Arrogate), OBSMAR, 55,000 (PS), click C-Eddie Woods, Agent; B-Richie's World Stable LLC Special Element (Copper Bullet), OBSAPR, 260,000, click C-Envision Equine, agent; B-Pin Oak Stud
Ellis 3, $70k, 2yo, 5 1/2fT, 1:43 p.m. ET McVicker (World of Trouble), OBSMAR, 20,000, click C-Longoria Training & Sales, Agent; B-Marsico Brothers Racing Rapid Grey (Constitution), OBSAPR, 160,000, click C-GOP Racing Stable Corp; B-TMC
In this continuing series, we take a look ahead at US-bred and/or conceived runners entered for the upcoming weekend at the tracks on the Japan Racing Association circuit, with a focus on pedigree and/or performance in the sales ring. Here are the horses of interest for this weekend running at Chukyo and Hakodate Racecourses:
Saturday, July 15, 2023 3rd-HAK, Â¥10,480,000 ($76k), Maiden, 3yo, 1200mT MERITITES (f, 3, American Pharoah–Gem Gem, by Tapit) was well beaten on Hanshin debut over seven grassy furlongs June 18, but improved markedly to finish a close third over this course and distance July 2. A $140,000 purchase by J S Company out of the 2021 Keeneland September Sale, the bay filly is out of a winning half-sister to 2009 GI Alabama S. winner Careless Jewel, whose mercurial daughter Reframe (American Pharoah) was a listed winner on the turf last summer at Tokyo. On behalf of Charles Fipke, R. J. Bennett went to $625,000 for Gem Gem in foal to Uncle Mo at the 2016 Fasig-Tipton November Sale. B-Charles Fipke (KY)
3rd-CKO, Â¥10,480,000 ($76k), Maiden, 3yo, 1400m VAN VISTA (f, 3, Justify–Vanquished, by Empire Maker) failed to land any sort of blow when down the field in a nine-furlong newcomers' event on turf at Hanshin last December and switches to a dirt sprint for her first start since. Though the dam produced a pair of talented turf horses in the form of MGSW Takeover Target (Harlan's Holiday) and SW Ladies' Privilege (Harlan's Holiday)–the dam of recent GIII Manila S. winner More Than Looks (More Than Ready)–Van Vista hails from the deeper family of dirt MGISW Critical Eye (Dynaformer). Van Vista was bought back on a bid of $285,000 at KEENOV in 2020, but was another JS Company purchase at KEESEP the next fall, hammering for $525,000. B-Forging Oaks Farm (KY)
