Tag: Horse Racing

‘Great Horse To Have In The Barn’: Beverly Park Going For Ninth Consecutive Victory

Norman “Lynn” and Lola Cash's former $12,500 claim Beverly Park will attempt to notch his ninth consecutive victory Sunday in a conditioned allowance event at Churchill Downs.

Lynn and wife Lola burst onto the Kentucky racing scene in 2021. Lynn took out his trainer's license this year and entered Thursday with 134 starts and 25 wins. Along with being involved in racing, Lynn is extremely accomplished in the construction industry. He started Built Wright Homes as a small home construction and remodeling company that has expanded to serve several states across the country.

Lynn and Lola reside in Midway, Ky. but their horses have traveled to 10 racetracks so far this year. Many of their horses that run in Kentucky are under the care of veteran horseman Jerry Dixon.

“(Beverly Park) has just been a great horse to have in the barn,” Lynn said. “He's in great form and has been so awesome to us since we claimed him (at Belterra Park on Aug. 5). It's been an absolute thrill.”

Through racing Wednesday at Churchill Downs, the Cash's horses have made 13 starts at the Fall Meet with two victories. One of their wins was a $127,000 allowance race on Nov. 11 when Beverly Park cruised to a 5 ½-length score. The other was Wednesday when recent $62,500 claim Sir Alfred James held off the late charge of Long Range Toddy to win the featured $148,000 allowance event.

Beverly Park is the only horse in North America to have a perfect record from at least eight starts this year. The next highest horse is West Virginia-bred Muad'dib, who is 6-for-6. Greeley and Ben leads the nation in wins this year with a record of 14-11-2-0.

Beverly Park drew post No. 11 in Sunday's 6 ½-furlong featured event. The accomplished 4-year-old son of Munnings will be ridden by John McKee and face 10 rivals in Race 8 at 4:36 p.m. (all times Eastern). First post is 1 p.m.

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Aqueduct: Under 20’s Claiming Challenge Returns For Winter, SPring Meets

The Under 20's Claiming Challenge will return for the upcoming winter and spring meets at Aqueduct Racetrack.

The program, launched in 2018 and open to local trainers with 20 or fewer horses nationwide, will begin on Thursday, December 9, Opening Day of the Aqueduct winter meet which runs through Sunday, March 27. The Claiming Challenge will come to a close at the conclusion of the 15-day Big A spring meet, which spans Thursday, March 31 through Sunday, April 24.

The top-eight trainers in the contest will share a prize pool of $80,000, with the winner receiving $16,000. Stall allotments for the Aqueduct winter meet, along with those at the Saratoga and the Belmont fall meets, will be used to determine eligible trainers.

Trainers earn points based on their horses' performances in all winners' claiming races on the main track at Aqueduct from December 9 through the end of the Big A spring meet. Points will be tallied and records verified on May 23, and awards will be granted thereafter.

To retain eligibility, there can be no more than 20 horses on a trainer's roster at any given time, although a trainer's stable may grow above 20 horses through claiming activity. Trainers who had 21 or more stalls allotted in either of the previous two race meets will be ineligible for this year's contest.

Not all horses will be eligible for the contest, and only roster horses can earn points. A trainer may replace a claimed horse who was on their roster with another claimed horse. After a horse is claimed, it will be added to the trainer's roster only at the trainer's request.

Horses in for a tag in an allowance optional claiming race will qualify for contest points. Points are not earned in maiden, allowance, starter allowance or stakes races.

A horse that ends up on the stewards' list for poor performance will not earn the trainer points for that race. Horses that are running for 50 percent or less of the claiming price from their most recent start will only be eligible to earn 50 percent of the typical points for that race.

In addition, horses can only earn contest points for two races within a given 30-day time period. A horse may enter in additional races during that timeframe but will not earn contest points for those additional races.

Contest Point Structure:
Dirt Races – All claiming races for winners, including horses in for an optional tag:
1st Place – 6 points
2nd Place – 5 points
3rd Place – 4 points
4th Place – 3 points
5th Place – 2 points

Turf Races – All turf claiming races for winners, including horses in for an optional tag:
1st Place – 5 points
2nd Place – 4 points
3rd Place – 3 points
4th Place – 2 points
5th Place – 1 points

Trainer Bonuses:
The top-eight trainers in the contest will share in a prize pool of $80,000:
1st Place – $16,000
2nd Place – $14,000
3rd Place – $12,000
4th Place – $11,000
5th Place – $9,000
6th Place – $7,000
7th Place – $6,000
8th Place – $5,000

Important Dates at a glance:
November 27, 2021 – All contest applications due no later than 3:30 p.m.
December 2, 2021 – List of eligible contest trainers posted
December 9, 2021 – Contest begins; Aqueduct winter meet
February 15, 2022 – No additional horses may be added to earn contest points (unless replacing a claimed or injured horse)
April 24, 2022 – Contest ends; Closing day, Aqueduct spring meet
May 23, 2022 – Awards paid out

Past winners of the Under 20s Claiming Challenge:
2021 Belmont spring/summer – Mertkan Kantarmaci
2020-21 Aqueduct winter – Mertkan Kantarmaci
2019-20 Aqueduct winter – Eddie Barker/Mertkan Kantarmaci (tie)
2019 Belmont spring/summer – Mertkan Kantarmaci
2018-19 Aqueduct winter – Mertkan Kantarmaci
2018 Belmont spring/summer – Eddie Barker

For more information, please visit https://www.nyra.com/aqueduct/horsemen/.

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Moore, McDonald Lead International Cast For Longines IJC

Eight high-profile overseas jockeys will join four Hong Kong-based riders to compete for the HK$500,000 top prize in the Longines International Jockeys' Championship to be held at the iconic Happy Valley Racecourse on Hong Kong Island Wednesday, Dec. 8.

Ryan Moore is set to jet in to make a 15th appearance at the IJC, having dead-heated for the spoils with John Murtagh and Christophe Lemaire in 2009 before winning the title outright 12 months hence. Moore, who has finished on the podium four times since his most recent victory, currently sits atop the Longines World's Best Jockey standings, having partnered this season with the likes of G1 Prince of Wales's S. victress Love (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}); St Mark's Basilica (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}), four times a Group 1 winner this term; treble Oaks winner Snowfall (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}); and G1 Cheveley Park S. hero Tenebrism (Caravaggio), to name only a few.

New Zealand-born, but Sydney-based James McDonald comes into the IJC in flying form, as he rode a record-setting 10 winners during the Melbourne Cup Carnival, including the main event aboard Verry Elleegant (NZ) (Zed {NZ}), one of four top-level scores. McDonald is the clear leader for the jockeys' premiership in both Sydney and New South Wales.

Yuga Kawada is Japan's second-leading jockey by number of winners (trailing only Lemaire) and is winning with 28.3% of his rides, a remarkable strike rate on the very competitive JRA circuit. He helped make history for the island nation at the Breeders' Cup meeting, guiding Loves Only You (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) to a slashing landmark success in the GI Filly & Mare Turf at Del Mar. He also booted home 46-1 gamble Danon Kingly (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) in this year's G1 Yasuda Kinen at Tokyo.

Hollie Doyle and partner Tom Marquand make a return visit to Happy Valley this year. Doyle made a bit of history of her own at the 2020 IJC, becoming the first female rider to win one of the legs to finish in a share of third with Alexis Badel. The couple were fifth and third, respectively, in this year's British Flat Racing Jockeys' Championship.

South Africa's Lyle Hewitson makes his IJC debut this year, having recently secured a third South Africa Champion Jockey title in the 2020/2021 season.

Other foreign invitees include: IJC debuter Damian Lane (Australia) and Mickael Barzalona (France).

Defending champion Zac Purton and his arch-rival Joao Moreira–winner of the 2012 IJC when representing Singapore–fly the Bauhinia flag and will be joined by the highest-ranked rider in Hong Kong as well as the leading homegrown rider.

The four races that comprise the IJC are worth HK$6.2 million and each of the races–two Class 3 handicaps and two in Class four–is set to receive a 20% boost in prize money for the event. Trainers will also be incentivised to enter their horses, as a total of HK$350,000 will be split among the three trainers whose horses accumulate the most points.

The Hong Kong Jockey Club has gained approval from the HKSAR government to host the IJC and the weekend's Longines Hong Kong International Races with stringent COVID-related protocols in place.

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Like Father, Like Son at Meydan

The late Arrogate (Unbridled's Song) turned in arguably the most impressive effort in a G1 Dubai World Cup by a horse not named Dubai Millennium (GB), dropping back to last after being roughed up at the break, rallying wide on the turn and galloping past none other than Gun Runner (Candy Ride {Arg}) to win the 2017 renewal in jaw-dropping fashion. Taking Names became the first starter in Dubai for his GI Breeders' Cup Classic-winning stallion in Thursday's second race at Meydan, and while much more straight-forward, was similarly impressive in dotting up by an impressive 8 1/4 lengths on debut. He becomes the first 'TDN Rising Star' for Arrogate and his eighth winner overall

Ridden forward from gate four by Pat Dobbs, the Sheikh Obaid colourbearer argued the pace inside of Summer Is Tomorrow (Summer Front) for the opening three furlongs and held that spot at the fence as the field rounded the turn. Allowed to stride into the lead with 500 metres to race, Taking Names kicked in upper stretch, was a touch tardy switching his leads and scampered home under hands and heels riding to score by daylight.

“He was very good out of the gates,” Dobbs told Tom Stanley before weighing out. “He's bred to stay and he's got to the line very good. Very pleased. My lad's pretty fit. Shane Ryan has done a great job with him in the gates. Every time he goes in, he's getting better and he's getting more mature. This lad was very professional tonight and I'm delighted the way he's going.”

A $100,000 Keeneland September yearling acquisition, Taking Names was hammered down for $150,000 at this year's OBS June Sale after breezing a quarter-mile in :21 3/5.  A half-brother to Mani Bhavan (Storm Boot), GISW, $267,000; Hear the Ghost (Ghostzapper), GSW, $382,762; and Closing Bell (Tapit), SW & GISP-US, $560,582, Taking Names is out of a winning half-sister to MSW/MGSP Turkappeal (Turkoman), the dam of GSW Pink Champagne (Awesome Again). Third dam Silken Doll, a half-sister to GISW turfer Turk Passer (Turkoman), was responsible for Sovereign Award-winning 2-year-old filly Silken Doll (Storm Cat), whose champion son Speightstown (Gone West) has become an influential sire at WinStar Farm. Silken Cat was also the dam of the late MGSW/GISP Irap (Tiznow) and of Cableknit (Unbridled's Song), dam of G1 Maktoum Challenge R3 winner Capezzano (Bernardini).

Rehear is the dam of a yearling Honor Code Filly, a weanling colt by West Coast and was most recently bred to The Factor.

2nd-Meydan, AED82,500, Maiden, 2yo, 1200m, 1:12.32, ft.
TAKING NAMES, 128, c, 2, by Arrogate
1st Dam: Rehear, by Coronado's Quest
2nd Dam: Chief Appeal, by Valid Appeal
3rd Dam: Silken Doll, by Chieftain
Sales history: $100,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP; $150,000 2yo '21 OBSJUN. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, AED49,500. Click for the Emirates Racing chart and the free Equineline.com catalog-style pedigree.
O-Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum; B-W S Farish & Lazy F Ranch (KY); T-Doug Watson.

 

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