Horse Racing | Horse Racing Free Tips

First Foal Is A Colt For Pleasant Acres Stallions’ Gunnevera

Pleasant Acres Stallions is excited to announce the arrival of Gunnevera's first foal – a colt out of Brass Cat (Bluegrass Cat / South Wing, by Dixie Brass).

Gunnevera began his stallion career at Pleasant Acres Stallions in 2021 and stands for $6,000. He retired with six wins from 21 starts – where he hit the board in a total of six Grade 1 events – with earnings of $5,561,800 and an average of $264,848 per start.

Gunnevera had an exciting career, beating multiple Grade 1 winners including Always Dreaming, West Coast, Practical Joke, and Classic Empire – as well as betting two stallions currently standing in Florida twice each – Girvin in the Grade 1 Travers Stakes and the Kentucky Derby, and Seeking the Soul in the Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes and the G1 Woodward Stakes.

“Gunnevera started life off as a bottle-fed orphan at 10 days old. The big chestnut colt went on to race, win, and place at the highest level and in some of the most prestigious races around the world,” said Helen Barbazon. “It's very exciting to see him produce such an exceptional colt in his first crop. We look forward to following this beautiful foal's career.”

Gunnevera was a precocious 2-year-old that won the G2 Saratoga Special Stakes one month after winning his maiden special weight. He then went on to win the G3 $1-million Delta Downs Jackpot Stakes just three months later.

At three, he captured the G2 Xpressbet Fountain of Youth Stakes and then finished third in the G1 Florida Derby. In the same year, Gunnevera won Gulfstream's black type Tangelo Stakes and was runner-up in the G1 Travers Stakes, as well as the G2 Lambholm South Holy Bull Stakes. As a 4-year-old, he placed second in the G1 Woodward Stakes and the G1 Breeders' Cup Classic, and third in the G1 Pegasus World Cup Invitational. His last race was the G1 Dubai World Cup Sponsored by Emirates Airline in 2019, where he placed third.

The colt's dam – Brass Cat – by Bluegrass Cat – is out of South Wing, by Dixie Brass. She has already produced one winner from one starter – the 2019 Hard Rock Gold – who broke his maiden in his second start at Laurel Park.

The post First Foal Is A Colt For Pleasant Acres Stallions’ Gunnevera appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

‘Athletic Looking And Healthy’: First Foal Is A Colt For Horse Of The Year Authentic

Spendthrift Farm's reigning Horse of the Year Authentic, Into Mischief's Kentucky Derby and Breeders' Cup Classic hero of 2020, sired his first reported foal Sunday when a colt was born at Taylor Made Farm in Nicholasville, Ky.

“This is a really nice foal out of a maiden mare. Correct, nice body, good angles, athletic looking and healthy. We are very happy,” said Taylor Made's Frank Taylor.

Bred by Marie Jones, the black or gray colt is the first foal out of the Old Fashioned mare Streak of Luck, a stakes winner and multiple graded-placed earner of $352,109.

Streak of Luck was purchased for $620,000 at the Keeneland November sale last fall while carrying the colt. She was one of eight mares in foal to Authentic that sold for half a million dollars or more.

Authentic was named the 2020 Horse of the Year and Champion 3-Year-Old Male in North America after capturing wins in the Kentucky Derby, Grade 1 Haskell Invitational Stakes, G2 San Felipe Stakes and G3 Sham Stakes over fellow 3-year-olds. The fast son of Into Mischief closed out his championship campaign by defeating older horses gate to wire in the Breeders' Cup Classic in 1:59.60, breaking American Pharoah's track record at Keeneland.

Authentic retired to Spendthrift with earnings of $6,191,200 – ranking him 29th all-time among Thoroughbreds by earnings. He proved to be the most popular among first-season stallions in 2021, covering 229 mares from a quality first book that yielded a 3.06 Comparable Index – tops among all freshmen. Authentic is also the runaway leader at the sales as a covering sire, with in-foal mares selling for an average of $396,481 to date. He is set to stand his second season at stud in 2022 for a fee of $70,000 S&N.

The post ‘Athletic Looking And Healthy’: First Foal Is A Colt For Horse Of The Year Authentic appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Riding A Dream Academy Accepting Applications For Second Residential Week

Applications have today opened for the Riding A Dream Academy's second Residential Week which is aimed at supporting talented young riders aged 14-18 from underrepresented communities, diverse backgrounds and those that ride at urban equestrian centers.

The Academy, which is funded by the Racing Foundation, was set up following Khadijah Mellah's win in the Magnolia Cup at Goodwood when she became the first British Muslim woman to win a UK horserace. It aims to help broaden diversity and inclusion in racing by providing opportunities for other young people. The Residential Week acts as a fun introduction to British horse racing and will once again be held at the British Racing School (BRS) from Monday, May 30 to Friday, June 3. The closing date for applications, via the website www.ridingadreamacademy.com/the-residential-week, is Sunday, Feb. 13.

So far the Academy has supported 18 young riders from underrepresented groups and urban equestrian centers through its first Residential Week in 2021, and the Khadijah Mellah Scholarship which runs for a year and currently has eight students. To date, 72% of the Academy's cohort have come from diverse ethnic backgrounds.

ITV presenter Oli Bell, who co-founded the Academy alongside Great British Racing's Naomi Lawson said, “At the Academy we are passionate about providing opportunities for young people from diverse backgrounds, who have learnt to ride at an urban equestrian centre or city farm so that we can help to make racing more diverse and inclusive. We are thrilled to have supported so many talented riders so far and are looking forward to welcoming our next Residential Week group later this year. We'd love to uncover more stars of the future but more than that, this is about giving opportunities to people who might not otherwise have had it and showing what a wonderful sport racing is.”

Feedback from students and parents has been incredibly positive with one student rating the week, “100/10. Having an experience like this has really enforced what I want to do. I LOVED it.” A parent also said, “I can't praise the week highly enough – it's a ground-breaking opportunity that has educated me more in a week than all the years I have been trying to find out what potential there may be for my child in the horsey world.”

Andrew Braithwaite, Finance Director at British Racing School said, “Everyone involved at the British Racing School in the Academy has thoroughly enjoyed hosting the students on the Residential and the Scholarship and it is simply wonderful to see young people being given the opportunity to get involved in racing and experience the thrill of riding thoroughbreds – both groups have been an inspiration. There are obviously a range of initiatives within racing aimed at widening access and giving opportunity to those from underrepresented backgrounds but I would venture few will have as much impact as this.”

Whilst on the Residential Week students benefit from the brilliant coaching of the British Racing School instructors and learn to ride racehorses for the very first time. They learn how to hold the jockey position and bridge their hands, whilst also learning how to look after our horses. Students also have the chance to find out more about the sport by going to the races, visiting studs and other racing establishments and going up onto Newmarket's famous gallops.

The post Riding A Dream Academy Accepting Applications For Second Residential Week appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Pennsylvania Horse Racing Association Offers Educational Foal Watch Program

Through the end of April, the Pennsylvania Horse Racing Association (PHRA) is giving adults and kids across the Commonwealth an educational opportunity to watch what could be the next generation of champion racehorses being born through its free, live foal cams.

The foal cams are streamed live from Pine Grove-based Blackstone Farm, where 60 expectant mares are expected to give birth from now through the spring.

This year, PHRA is inviting elementary school teachers and students to take a virtual educational field trip to Blackstone Farm for a fun day where they can “bring a horse to class” via a video call. Students will have the opportunity to gain a closer look at the expectant mares, the new foals, and learn about the variety of jobs needed on the farm during foal season. Online educational activities will accompany the virtual field trip. Elementary school teachers who are interested in bringing this virtual educational activity into their classroom can register for more information at https://pennhorseracing.com/foalcams-education.

“We are excited to once again be able to provide horse racing enthusiasts, new fans, and students the opportunity to witness the beauty of a foal being born through our foal cams,” said Pete Peterson, president of the Pennsylvania Horse Racing Association. “The addition of our virtual field trips provides elementary school classrooms the opportunity to learn more about the foaling season, and provide students a fun, educational activity that highlights the breeding basics and the various jobs needed on the farm when a foal is born and raised.”

Visitors tuning in to the PHRA's foal cams can watch the live camera feeds and will see the expectant mares in their stalls as they anticipate the arrivals of their foals, day-to-day interactions between the mares and their caregivers, and — when the timing is right — the opportunity to witness the births of the next generation of racehorses. In addition to the foal cams, the PHRA website includes breeding basics, videos, interactive polls and gender reveals.

Follow PHRA's Facebook and Instagram for live foaling season updates.

The post Pennsylvania Horse Racing Association Offers Educational Foal Watch Program appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post