Tag: Horse Racing

Gran Alegria Defends Title In Yasuda Kinen

Gran Alegria (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) should jump a warm favourite to become the first repeat winner of the G1 Yasuda Kinen since two-time Horse of the Year Vodka (Jpn) (Tanino Gimlet {Jpn}) when she squares off against 13 males in Japan's premier spring mile. The Yasuda Kinen serves as a 'Win and You're In' qualifying race for the GI Breeders' Cup Mile at the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in early November.

The 5-year-old, a daughter of Breeders' Cup winner Tapitsfly (Tapit), has won six of eight over the metric mile, having easily accounted for another two-time Horse of the Year in Almond Eye (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) in this event last season. She overcame late traffic trouble to add the G1 Mile Championship at Hanshin in November and resumed with a fourth in ground easier than she prefers in the Apr. 4 G1 Osaka Hai (2000m). She most recently decimated her peers in the G1 Victoria Mile over Sunday's course and distance May 16, but reportedly missed a bit of work thereafter and atypically did her final piece of work on the uphill gallop this past Wednesday.

“This is the first time she'll have only two full weeks between races, so her fast work this week was on the hill course and just fast enough to keep her tuned up,” said trainer Kazuo Fujisawa. “I didn't need her to go too fast so, with a horse in front, I told the rider it was fine if she caught him or not. She always tries hard and I think it was a good workout.”

 

Indy Champ (Jpn) (Stay Gold {Jpn}) took this event in 2019 and ran well to be third last year before being outfinished by the favorite in defence of his title in the Mile Championship. Last seen finishing a good third to Danon Smash (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) in the G1 Takamatsunomiya Kinen over an insufficient six-furlong trip, he gets back out to his pet distance Sunday.

“It won't be easy to beat the Victoria Mile winner,” trainer Hidetaka Otonashi admitted. “I'm hoping he'll rise to the challenge. I've tried many different things, many distances and find ourselves back at the mile. I want him to go out there and win.”

Salios (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}), winner of the G1 Asahi Hai Futurity (1600m) at two, was runner-up to Contrail (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) in the G1 Satsuki Sho (2000m) and G1 Toyko Yushun (2400m) last season and was a sneaky good fifth from the widest berth in the Mile Championship. Impossibly wide on the turn, he leveled out beautifully in the stretch, sprinting his final 600 metres in a race-fastest :33.1. He also may not have cared for the soft in the Osaka Hai last time.

It has been 10 years since 3-year-old Real Impact (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) stepped up to beat the older milers in the Yasuda Kinen, but Schnell Meister (Ger) (Kingman {GB}) will have support to do so this weekend. Each of his three wins have come over this specialist trip, including a narrow success from barrier 15 in the G1 NHK Mile Cup at headquarters May 9. Incidentally, Lauda Sion (Jpn) became the first Group 1 winner for Real Impact when taking out the 2020 NHK Mile Cup and lines up here on the heels of a victory in the G2 Keio Hai Spring Cup (1400m) at this venue three weeks ago.

The post Gran Alegria Defends Title In Yasuda Kinen appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Swiss Skydiver To Scratch From Phipps

Peter Callahan's Eclipse Award winner Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil), the joint second choice on the morning line for Saturday's $500,000 GI Ogden Phipps S. at Belmont Park, will be scratched from the race after spiking a fever.

“Unfortunately Swiss Skydiver had a 104 fever this morning. We are a scratch,” trainer Ken McPeek tweeted early Friday. “We've treated her to knock down the fever and will regroup later in the season.”

Last year's GI Preakness S. upsetter returned from her winter's rest to romp by 2 3/4 lengths in the GI Beholder Mile S. in her seasonal debut at Santa Anita Mar. 13, but was soundly beaten when third to Phipps favorite Letruska (Super Saver) in the GI Apple Blossom H. at Oaklawn Apr. 17.

Swiss Skydiver's defection leaves a field of five older females for the Phipps, a 'Win and You're In' qualifier for this year's GI Breeders' Cup Distaff at Del Mar. It was announced Thursday that last year's Distaff runner-up Valiance (Tapit) is also out of the Phipps.

 

The post Swiss Skydiver To Scratch From Phipps appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Neolithic Filly Fastest At Second OBS June Under Tack Session

Hip No. 344, Platinum Beauty, a gray or roan filly by Neolithic consigned by Rolling Meadows Farm, Inc., worked three eighths in :32 4/5 to post the fastest work at the distance at the second session of the Under Tack Show for Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's 2021 June Sale of 2-Year-Olds and Horses of Racing Age. Out of stakes winner Frost Princess, by Waquoit, she's a half sister to stakes placed Gran Greyfrost.

Hip No. 258, a daughter of Practical Joke consigned by Top Line Sales LLC Agent, turned in the session's fastest quarter, clocked in :21 1/5. The chestnut filly is out of stakes placed Devious d'Oro, by Medaglia d'Oro, a half sister to graded stakes winner Devious Intent.

Six youngsters worked quarters in :21 2/5.

  • Hip No. 204, a dark bay or brown filly by Connect consigned by Coastal Equine LLC (Jesse Hoppel), Agent, is out of C J's Gal, by Awesome Again, a daughter of graded stakes placed C J's Leelee.
  • Hip No. 283, Theregoesmydream, a chestnut filly by Social Inclusion consigned by Silvestre Chavez Thoroughbreds, Agent, is out of Eclipticalsrosette, by Storm Wolf, a daughter of stakes placed Sophisticated Sis.
  • Hip No. 296, Aztec, consigned by Journeyman Bloodstock Services, Inc. (Brent & Crystal Fernung), Agent, is a bay colt by Khozan out of Ephyra, by Corinthian, a half sister to graded stakes placed stakes winner Leonides.
  • Hip No. 324, a bay colt by Unified consigned by Fast Horses, is out of Flatter You, by Flatter, a half sister to Grade 1-placed Ma Can Do It.
  • Hip No. 328, a bay filly by Twirling Candy consigned by Halcyon Hammock Farm, Agent, is out of Folksy, by Midway Road, a half sister to stakes winner Supermason.
  • Hip No. 337, consigned by Victory Stable, is a gray or roan filly by Keen Ice out of Form Fitting, by Tapit, a daughter of stakes winner Fashion Girl.

Eight horses shared honors for the fastest eighth, stopping the timer in :10 flat.

  • Hip No. 242, a bay colt by Gone Astray consigned by Two Oaks Equine, is a half brother to stakes winning OBS graduate Diadura out of stakes winning OBS graduate Daytime Promise, by Five Star Day.
  • Hip No. 255, a dark bay or brown filly by Pioneerof the Nile consigned by Hidden Brook, Agent, is out of Desert Illusion, by Sky Mesa, a half sister to grade one stakes winner Dream Dancing.
  • Hip No. 313, Tap in Tune, consigned by Top Line Sales LLC, Agent, is a dark bay or brown filly by Macleans Music out of Fashion Tap, by Tapit, a daughter of graded stakes winner First Passage.
  • Hip No. 315, Speightful Sis, a dark bay or brown filly by Country Day consigned by Silvestre Chavez Thoroughbreds, Agent, is out of Fay Ro's Sis, by Pioneerof the Nile, from the family of champion OBS graduate Riker.
  • Hip No. 319, a bay colt by Quality Road consigned by de Meric Sales, Agent, is a half brother to stakes placed Burger and Fries (FR) out of Figarie, by Bernardini, a daughter of champion Flanders.
  • Hip No. 339, consigned by Omar Ramirez Bloodstock, Agent, is a chestnut filly by Palace out of Foxy Posse, by Posse, from the family of graded stakes placed stakes winning OBS June graduate Qahira.
  • Hip No. 345, also consigned by de Meric Sales, is a gray or roan filly by Street Sense out of Froyo Star, by Rockport Harbor, a half sister to Grade 1 winner Sweet Reason.
  • Hip No. 363, a dark bay or brown filly by Uncaptured consigned by Blas Perez Stables, Agent, is out of Goldenlegacy'shope, by Warrior's Reward, from the family of grade one stakes winner Cape Blanco (IRE).

Hip No. 271, Icy Storm, galloped through the stretch today, a winner at first asking in a maiden special weight test at Indiana Grand on May 3. The dark bay or brown colt, consigned by Silvestre Chavez Thoroughbreds, Agent, is out of Downton My Lady, by Pioneerof the Nile, from the family of graded stakes winner Sovereign Kitty.

The Under Tack Show continues Friday morning at 7:30 a.m. with Hip No.'s 371 – 554 scheduled to breeze.

To view the full under-tack show results, click here.

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SunRay Park Concludes 2021 Meet With 123 Percent Gain In Handle

The 2021 SunRay Park and Casino live racing season registered its most successful meet in history, reporting record gains in handle.

The 18-day stand which concluded on Sunday in Farmington, New Mexico yielded a staggering 123 percent gain in total handle. Presenting live racing for the first time since 2019, the Northern New Mexico track experienced record growth in their simulcast export operation.

SunRay's racing product appears to have found an entirely new national simulcast audience, finishing up a whopping 137 percent versus a 17 day, 2019 meet. Total handle of better than $7 million reflected an uptick of well over $3 million from previous meet figures.

On-track numbers managed to show impressive resilience while dealing with state imposed Covid-19 attendance restrictions. Despite the limitations placed on patron capacity throughout the property, on track handle still managed to increase by over 15 percent.

Upon conclusion of the meet, General Manager Bradley Boehm said: “We were incredibly pleased and humbled by the tremendous response from both our on and off track patrons. To receive this kind of reaction to our live racing program, after being shuttered for 11 months, is more than we could have ever expected. We look forward to applying this momentum to 2022 and beyond.”

SunRay Park traditionally runs their live race meet from mid-April to early June.

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