Tag: Horse Racing

Champion Wonder Wheel Tops Kentucky Oaks Nominations

D J Stable's Eclipse Award and GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies winner Wonder Wheel (Into Mischief) is the marquee name among 103 sophomore fillies that were nominated at the first entry stage for the $1.25-million GI Longines Kentucky Oaks, to be run beneath the Twin Spires Friday, May 5, 2023.

The first stage of nominations closed Feb. 18, with a $200 payment. Any 3-year-old filly not among the original entries can become eligible with a fee of $1,500 due no later than Saturday, Apr. 15.

Wonder Wheel was four-for-five during her championship season in 2022, scoring in the GI Darley Alcibiades S. before prevailing by three lengths on Breeders' Cup Friday. The strapping dark bay made her seasonal debut in the Feb. 11 Suncoast S. at Tampa, where she missed by a neck to longshot and fellow Oaks aspirant Dreaming of Snow (Jess's Dream).

Others that figure prominently among the entries include 'TDN Rising Star' Julia Shining (Curlin), the full-sister to champion Malathaat who won last year's GII Demoiselle S. and was third in the Suncoast; Hoosier Philly (Into Mischief), winner of Churchill's GII Golden Rod S. last November; 'Rising Star' Pretty Mischievous (Into Mischief), upset winner of last weekend's GII Rachel Alexandra S.; recent G3 UAE Oaks victress Mimi Kakushi (City of Light); and the progressive GIII Forward Gal S. winner Red Carpet Ready (Oscar Performance).

A complete list of the Oaks nominees will be available here in due course.

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Folklore Colt Makes First Trip to Races at Nakayama

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 Hanshin and Nakayama Racecourses:

Saturday, February 25, 2023
1st-NKY, ¥10,480,000 ($78k), Maiden, 3yo, 1800m
KEEP SMILING (JPN) (f, 3, Quality Road–Weep No More, by Mineshaft) turned in an auspicious debut over this course and distance Dec. 17, sitting an inside trip before hitting the line strongly to be a sound second (see below, SC 4). The bay is the second foal from her dam, upset winner of the GI Central Bank Ashland S. in 2016 who was acquired privately after producing a War Front filly in 2019. Weep No More, a half-sister to Grade III winner Current and to the dam of the stakes-winning Half Is Enough (Frosted), is also responsible for a 2-year-old colt by the late Duramente (Jpn) that sold for better than $735,000 at last year's JRHA Select Sale. Keep Smiling's third dam is 2001 GI Kentucky Oaks winner Flute (Seattle Slew). B-Northern Farm

 

 

Sunday, February 26, 2023
2nd-HSN, ¥10,480,000 ($78k), Maiden, 3yo, 1800m
MYSTIC LORE (c, 3, Arrogate–Folklore, by Tiznow) cost DMM Dream Club Co. a half-million dollars at Keeneland September in 2021, and the fact the colt would appeal to Japanese interests is not surprising. Folklore, the champion of her generation and winner of the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies in 2005 for Bob and Beverly Lewis, is a half-sister to Rhodochrosite–by Arrogate's sire Unbridled's Song–whose place in the annals of Japanese racing is secure via the exploits of Triple Crown winner Contrail (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}). Folklore's Grade III-placed half-sister Delightful Quality (Elusive Quality) produced two-time Eclipse Award and four-time Grade I winner Essential Quality (Tapit). B-Lewis Thoroughbred Breeding LLC (KY)

 

 

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Baffert Runners Draw Inside And Out For Saudi Cup

A field of 13 was drawn Wednesday evening in Riyadh for the $20-million G1 Saudi Cup, to be contested over 1800 meters under the lights Saturday at King Abdulaziz Racecourse in the Saudi capital.

Commonwealth Thoroughbreds, WinStar Farm and Zedan Racing's Country Grammer (Tonalist) is back for another tour of the Middle East, having missed by a half-length in this event 12 months ago before landing the G1 Dubai World Cup some 600 miles to the east in Dubai. In stark contrast to 2022, the 6-year-old, who will carry the Zedan colors, enters the Saudi Cup with a tightener under his belt, as he proved a convincing winner of the GII San Antonio S. at Santa Anita Dec. 26 when reunited with World Cup-winning rider Frankie Dettori. The retiring Italian will be back in the saddle from stall 10 Saturday.

Trainer Bob Baffert's second runner is Zedan's wholly owned 'TDN Rising Star' Taiba (Gun Runner), who will be ridden from gate two by Mike Smith, just to the outside of Japanese speedball Panthalassa (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) and inside of last year's G2 UAE Derby hero Crown Pride (Jpn) (Reach the Crown {Jpn}), who will once again have the services of Australia's Damian Lane. Taiba also last raced Dec. 26, streaking clear late to prove a much-the-best winner of the GI Runhappy Malibu S. He returns to the nine-furlong trip over which he scored in last year's GI Santa Anita Derby and GI Pennsylvania Derby.

The two commonly owned sons of Quality Road were the last two to be allotted their barriers, as the very progressive Scotland Yard drew the four, while defending champion Emblem Road was left with gate eight. Both enter the Cup on the heels of victories, and in the case of Emblem Road, a good-looking success in his first appearance since finishing well-beaten in his turf debut in the G3 Grand Prix de Vichy in July.

Cafe Pharoah (American Pharoah) passed on a three-peat attempt in the G1 February S. over the weekend in favor of the Saudi Cup and will break from the widest alley in 13 with Joao Moreira at the controls.

The Saudi Cup-G1, $20,000,000, 4yo/up, 1800m (in post position order)

1–Panthalassa (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn})

2–Taiba (Gun Runner)

3–Crown Pride (Jpn) (Reach the Crown {Jpn})

4–Scotland Yard (Quality Road)

5–Sunset Flash (Ire) (Mayson {GB}) (f)

6–Jun Light Bolt (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn})

7–Remorse (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire})

8–Emblem Road (Quality Road)

9–Vin de Garde (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn})

10–Country Grammer (Tonalist)

11-Lagertha Rhyme (Ire) (Gutaifan {Ire}) (f)

12–Geoglyph (Jpn) (Drefong)

13–Cafe Pharoah (American Pharoah)

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Henny Hughes Colt Runs To Favoritism In Hyacinth S.

With soon-to-be-retired jockey Yuichi Fukunaga at the controls, Perriere (Jpn) (Henny Hughes) came to life entering the final furlong of Sunday's Listed Hyacinth S. at Tokyo Racecourse and proved far too strong for his rivals in picking up 30 points on the Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby.

Winner of his first two trips to the races, Perriere was made the 11-10 favorite for the Hyacinth in his first start since a third to G3 Saudi Derby hopeful Derma Sotogake (Jpn) (Mind Your Biscuits) in the second leg of the series, the Listed Zen-Nippon Nisai Yushun at Kawasaki Dec. 14. Alertly away from gate three, the blinkered bay colt hugged the fence in the second flight of horses and was patiently handled for the run into the final 600 meters. Steered out into the four path, Perriere had aim on the front-runners at the furlong grounds and came away in the final sixteenth of a mile to score by 1 1/2 lengths (see below, SC 3). Z Lien (Jpn) (Maurice {Jpn}) rallied for second at 51-1, while 45-1 chance Eclogite (Jpn) (Henny Hughes) nosed out second wagering choice Great Sand Sea (Into Mischief) for third. The final time for the one-turn mile on fast dirt was 1:37.2. With 36 points, Perriere is the leader in the series, with the Fukuryu S. (allowance) over nine furlongs at Nakayama Mar. 25 the final race.

Perriere is campaigned by Yuji Hasegawa, whose name has graced American bloodstock sales for the last several years. He purchased Vanishing Point (Tapit)–a full-brother to two-time Eclipse Award winner Unique Bella–for $1.5 million at KEESEP in 2019 and paid $750,000 for the Arrogate colt Poison Arrow at the same event in 2020. Hasegawa also races Open Fire (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}–Go Maggie Go), recent runner-up in the G3 Kisaragi Sho and a candidate for this year's Japanese Classics.

Purchased for ¥11 million at the 2021 Hokkaido Summer Yearling Sale, Perriere is the 43rd worldwide stakes winner for Henny Hughes and his 16th in Japan. The colt's third dam is two-time European champion Ski Paradise (Lyphard), winner in France of the G1 Prix du Moulin over a mile and runner-up to Lure in the 1993 GI Breeders' Cup Mile at Santa Anita.

 

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