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Tapizar, Sire Of Monomoy Girl, Moves To Japan For 2021

Tapizar, a Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile winner and sire of champion Monomoy Girl, will relocate to Yushun Stallion Station in Japan for the 2021 breeding season, Racing Post reports.

The 12-year-old son of Tapit previously stood at Gainesway in Lexington, Ky., where he entered stud in 2013. From five crops of racing age, he has sired 231 winners and his runners have earned more than $22.4 million.

His most successful offspring is Monomoy Girl, the champion 3-year-old filly of 2018 and likely champion older mare of 2020. She won the Breeders' Cup Distaff during both campaigns, and her nine career graded stakes wins also includes the 2018 Kentucky Oaks. Last month, she sold to Spendthrift Farm for $9.5 million at the Fasig-Tipton November sale, and she will remain in training for 2021.

Other runners of note by Tapizar include Grade 2 winners Jeltrin and Amalfi Coast, and Grade 3 winners Honey Bunny, Project Whiskey, and Solidify.

Tapizar is best known during his own on-track career for his victory in the 2012 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile at Santa Anita Park. All three of his career graded stakes wins came at Santa Anita, also adding the G3 Sham Stakes and G2 San Fernando Stakes. In total, he won six of 14 starts for $972,632.

Tapizar is expected to arrive at his new farm in mid-January.

Two-Time Breeders’ Cup Turf Runner-Up Magical Could Make History In Dec. 13 Hong Kong Cup

Magical is among a stellar line-up of 45 horses selected for the HK$95 million (US$12.26 million) LONGINES Hong Kong International Races at Sha Tin on Sunday, Dec. 13.

Aidan O'Brien's superstar mare is just one of 17 Group 1 winners set to compete. The globetrotting daughter of Galileo is bidding to make history by becoming O'Brien's most prolific Group 1 winner with eight top-level wins – the most of any O'Brien-trained flat horse – and she is the headliner among a brilliant contingent of 15 overseas raiders aiming at this year's HKIR.

While the COVID-19 pandemic has created uncertainty around many international racing events, the strength of the international presence in this year's entries confirms that the Sha Tin Showpiece remains high on the agenda of international horsemen.

The LONGINES HKIR is the sport's global year-end spectacular and features the HK$28 (US$3.61) million G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Cup (2000m, about 1 1/4 miles), the HK$25 ($US3.23) million G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Mile (1600m, about one mile), the HK$22 (US$2.84) million G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint (1200m, about six furlongs), and the HK$20 ($US2.58) million G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Vase (2400m, about 1 1/2 miles). The Cup, Mile and Sprint are the world's richest G1 races on turf over their respective distances.

Magical is one of five in a powerful cohort from O'Brien, and victory in the Hong Kong Cup would set her apart from fellow O'Brien-trained seven-time G1 winning champions Rock Of Gibraltar, Minding, Yeats and Highland Reel as the Irish handler's most prolific winner at the top level.

Also among O'Brien's Ballydoyle brigade is G1 Breeders' Cup Mile winner Order Of Australia (Mile). Four-time G1-placed Lope Y Fernandez also heads for the Hong Kong Mile after a strong third in that Keeneland race, while this year's G1 Irish 1000 Guineas winner Peaceful takes to the Cup. G1 Grand Prix de Paris winner Mogul eyes the Vase, and victory would give O'Brien a record-setting third win in the Vase following the heroics of Highland Reel (2015 and 2017).

The exciting fields for the four Group 1 features include big-name Japanese contenders: the six-strong squad from Japan includes last year's Hong Kong Cup winner Win Bright, unbeaten at Sha Tin having also claimed the 2019 FWD QEII Cup, while Admire Mars returns to defend his Hong Kong Mile crown.

Also from Japan, G1 winning sprinter Tower Of London features, as does Danon Smash, who returns for a second tilt at the Hong Kong Sprint. Last year's G1 Victoria Mile winner Normcore features in the Cup along with Danon Premium, a G1 winner as a two-year-old and runner-up to Almond Eye in last year's G1 Tenno Sho Autumn.

Singapore will have sole representation in the form of two-time SIN G1 winner Inferno in the Sprint. The talented speedster has won eight of his nine career starts, and his Lion City Cup (1200m, about six furlongs) success came in race-record time (1:08.28), a half-second outside the course record set by dual Hong Kong Sprint winner (2007 and 2009) Sacred Kingdom in the 2009 KrisFlyer International Sprint over the same distance at Kranji Racecourse.

France has two entries, spearheaded by last-start G1 QIPCO British Champion Stakes runner-up Skalleti who is entered for the Cup. A 12-time winner from 16 starts for up-and-coming trainer Jerome Reynier, the five-year-old has three G2s and two G3s to his name, including a defeat of the subsequent Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner Sottsass at Deauville in August, while stablemate and 2019 Bahrain International Trophy winner Royal Julius joins him but contests the Vase.

A strong Hong Kong team is headed by Golden Sixty, whose G2 Jockey Club Mile success on Sunday (Nov. 22) made him only the fourth horse in Hong Kong racing history to win 10 consecutive races after Silent Witness, Beauty Generation and Co-Tack. Hong Kong's reigning Horse of the Year Exultant and dual previous Horse of the Year Beauty Generation bolster local hopes as they bid for their second and third respective wins in the Vase and the Mile, while top-level winners Waikuku and Southern Legend will also be in action.

The 2019 BMW Hong Kong Derby winner Furore will take to the Hong Kong Cup after defeating Exultant in the G2 Jockey Club Cup, while steely grey Hot King Prawn will face off with fellow grey Classique Legend, who arrives in Hong Kong rated 125 on the LONGINES World's Best Racehorse Rankings as the joint-highest rated sprinter in the world. He has joined the Caspar Fownes yard after an impressive conquest against seven individual G1 winners in the 2020 The Everest at Randwick Racecourse.

Andrew Harding, the Hong Kong Jockey Club's Executive Director, Racing, said: “The LONGINES Hong Kong International Races is firmly established among a select handful of the world's greatest international racing occasions. To have entries of this calibre in any year would be notable but this year's standard is remarkable given the challenge of the pandemic and all its attendant travel and quarantine issues.

“We are delighted that the quality of the selected runners for this year's LONGINES Hong Kong International Races is in keeping with our long-held commitment to deliver sporting excellence and Magical's participation is particularly exciting when you think of the significant slice of history that she could create for Aidan O'Brien.

“Exultant will look to recapture his Vase title, while the old marvel Beauty Generation adds intrigue to the Mile. Add in some top-class Japanese raiders and our leading local hope Golden Sixty and everything surely points to a thrilling afternoon of sport on Dec. 13.”

The post Two-Time Breeders’ Cup Turf Runner-Up Magical Could Make History In Dec. 13 Hong Kong Cup appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Siskin to Stand at Shadai Stallion Station in 2021

Classic winner Siskin (First Defence-Bird Flown {GB}, by Oasis Dream {GB}) will stand for ¥3,500,000 at Shadai Stallion Station in Japan, the stud announced on Tuesday. It was earlier revealed the Juddmonte homebred’s breeding rights had been sold to a group of breeders in June.

Trained by Ger Lyons, Siskin won his first five starts, breaking his maiden at Naas in May of his 2-year-old year and quickly adding a listed race later that month, before first tasting group success in the G2 Railway S. that June. He saluted in the G1 Phoenix S. two months later and was put away for the winter. The son of the winning Bird Flown returned at three to salute in the June 12 G1 Irish 2000 Guineas and was also third in the G1 Sussex S. in July. Fourth in the G1 Prix du Moulin later that summer, he was unplaced in the GI Breeders’ Cup Mile and his record stands at 8-5-0-1 and $566,021 in earnings.

Siskin’s dam is a half-sister to SW & GSP Barsanti (Ire) (Champs Elysees {GB}) and SW & MGISP Lockdown (First Defence), as well as the dam of U.S. Champion Older Mare Close Hatches (First Defence), herself the dam of MGSW and GI Belmont S. runner-up Tacitus (Tapit). His third dam won the G3 Ballyogan S. and foaled European Champion 2-Year-Old Xaar (GB) (Zafonic) among others notable runners.

The post Siskin to Stand at Shadai Stallion Station in 2021 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Lucky Lilac Becomes Fourth Mare To Win Back-To-Back Queen Elizabeth II Cup In Japan

Race favorite Lucky Lilac defended her title in Sunday's Queen Elizabeth II Cup in Japan to become the fourth mare to accomplish the feat following Mejiro Dober (1998-99), Admire Groove (2003-04) and Snow Fairy (2010-11) from Great Britain. She is the first horse to capture three G1 titles at Hanshin Racecourse, which include the 2017 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies (1,600m) and this year's Osaka Hai (2,000m).

After her Osaka Hai victory in April, the 2017 Best Two-Year-Old Filly finished sixth in the Takarazuka Kinen (G1, 2,200m) in June and third in the following Sapporo Kinen (G2, 2,000m) in August before claiming her fourth G1 title in this race. This win marked trainer Mikio Matsunaga's sixth career JRA-G1 title (including steeplechases) following Lucky Lilac's Osaka Hai victory. Jockey Christophe Lemaire who partnered with the mare for the first time captured his 33rd JRA-G1 win following his Tenno Sho (Autumn) title with Almond Eye just two weeks ago and his second Queen Elizabeth II Cup title following his win in 2008 with Little Amapola.

Breaking smoothly from the outermost draw, Lucky Lilac settled in mid-division behind Loves Only You, around 12th from the front, edged forward toward the end of the backstretch and continued to advance turning the corners wide. The defending champion immediately made bid entering the corner, assumed command 300 meters out and held off the strong charges from behind in the last 100 meters to cross the wire a neck in front.

“The outermost draw was a concern but we were able to race smoothly and advance our position from the third corner. She was very composed and gave her usual turn of speed. We took the front early in the stretch but she held on well until the end. She's a strong horse. She has been racing at the top level since her two-year-old season and I had confidence in her,” commented Christophe Lemaire

Fifth choice Salacia traveled wide toward the rear, around 14th, while eyeing the race favorite on the outside. The Deep Impact mare took a wide route rounding the final corner and dislodged a powerful late charge that timed the fastest last three furlongs to nail Loves Only You before the wire but was a neck short to finish second.

Third favorite Loves Only You traveled around 11th, made headway after being overtaken by the eventual winner and angled wide for the stretch run. The four-year-old bay showed the second fastest late charge to close in on the winner but had too much to make up while surrendering the runner-up seat to Salacia before the wire for third.

Other Horses:
4th: (12) Win Marilyn—tracked leaders in 3rd, ran willingly along rails, weakened in final strides
5th: (8) Centelleo—settled 3rd from rear, angled out, showed belated charge
6th: (4) Soft Fruit—sat in 5th, ran gamely until 200m pole, failed to sustain bid
7th: (5) Ria Amelia—tracked distant leader in 2nd, chased winner but weakened in last 200m
8th: (1) Shadow Diva—traveled around 7th along rails, outrun between 3rd and final corner, passed tired rivals
9th: (2) Something Just—took economic trip in 4th, boxed in turning last corners, even paced
10th: (16) Miss New York—ran around 9th, showed brief effort until 200m pole
11th: (14) Satono Garnet—settled in 2nd from rear, circled wide, never fired
12th: (3) Lune Rouge—saved ground around 9th, lacked needed kick while met traffic at 200m pole
13th: (15) Uranus Charm—sat 3-wide around 14th, advanced and entered in 3rd to lane, ran out of steam
14th: (9) Win Mighty—raced around 7th, met traffic 300m out, showed little
15th: (7) Rosa Glauca—broke poorly, hugged rails around 12th, found little room rounding last corners
16th: (6) Normcore—set pace, 5-6 lengths in front of rest of field in backstretch, faded after 200m pole
17th: (17) Espoir—traveled around 5th early, improved position, outrun after final corner
18th: (10) Caro Bambina—disadvantage at break, trailed in rear, no factor

The post Lucky Lilac Becomes Fourth Mare To Win Back-To-Back Queen Elizabeth II Cup In Japan appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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