After a last-out fourth in the GI Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff where she was defeated only three-quarters of a length by longshot Marche Lorraine (Jpn) (Orfevre {Jpn}), GISW & MGSP CLAIRIERE (Curlin) starts her 2022 season Wednesday at the site of some her greatest successes. Prior to her defeat in the Breeders' Cup, she took the GI Cotillion S. Sept. 25 at Parx and, earlier that season, captured the GII Rachel Alexandra S. Feb. 13 and was a close second in the GII Fair Grounds Oaks Mar. 20, both at today's 1 1/16-mile distance. The newly turned 4-year-old has been training lights out, including a bullet five-furlong work Feb. 28 in :59 3/5, the fastest of 24 works at the distance, for trainer Steve Asmussen.
“In all honesty, all we need to do is be a length better than we were last year,” Asmussen said. “She couldn't be giving us any more confidence with the way she's training. It's worked out really well for Stonestreet, having two nice fillies in Pauline's Pearl and Clairiere. With an ideal spot to start Clairiere in a conditioned allowance race, we will see which one of the two gets to run in the Apple Blossom.”
Clairiere adds Lasix for the first time Wednesday and picks up Joel Rosario for the ride. To get the win, she'll need to hold off both the aptly named SUPER QUICK (Super Saver) as well as TIZAFEELIN (Jimmy Creed) who each ride respective three-race win streaks into Wednesday's allowance. TJCIS PPs
Saturday's GII Azeri S. at Oaklawn Park features several of the most prominent figures in the Distaff division each lining up to get their first graded stakes win of the 2022 season.
The reigning champion sprinter and winner of the 2021 GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint Ce Ce (Elusive Quality) returns to the two-turn distance after spending much of her 2021 season at seven-furlongs. She's been plenty successful at this distance before, including a win the 2020 GI Apple Blossom at Oaklawn Park and two third-place efforts in the GII Santa Monica S. and the GI Clement L. Hirsch S. in late summer 2020. Ce Ce has already catalogued career earnings of over $1.7m to date and keeps regular rider Victor Espinoza aboard for trainer Mike McCarthy. Her most recent start was a runner-up finish to the Bob Baffert-trained Merneith (American Pharoah) where she posted a career-high 101 Beyer Speed Figure, her second straight triple-digit figure. She adds Lasix back after nearly a year of racing without it.
Also adding Lasix again for the first time in a year is 2020 GI Kentucky Oaks winner Shedaresthedevil (Daredevil) who returns to the Azeri after a winning it to kick off her four-year-old campaign a year ago. Freshened since a last out sixth after tracking a brutal opening pace in the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff Nov. 6, Shedaresthedevil will surely look to use this race as she did last year to springboard herself into another successful season. That sixth-place effort was her only off-the-board finish in 2021, where she also posted four wins, each in graded stakes company along with a third behind Letruska in the GI Ogden Phipps S. No stranger to the 1 1/16-mile distance, her previous wins include the GIII Locust Grove S., the GI Clement L. Hirsch S. over GI winners Venetian Harbor (Munnings) and As Time Goes By (American Pharoah), and the GI La Troienne S. Jockey Florent Geroux retains the ride for trainer Brad Cox.
Standing in the shadow of both previously mentioned mares but a near millionaire herself is Pauline's Pearl (Tapit). The gray filly comes into the Azeri off of back-to-back wins in the Zia Park Oaks and the GIII Houston Ladies Classic, both at the 1 1/16-mile distance, as well as a second-place in the GIII Remington Park Oaks. As a 3-year-old last season, she took Oaklawn Park's richest race for fillies in the GIII Fantasy S. and spent nearly her entire season in graded stakes company where she only finished out of the money once, finished eighth behind Malathaat (Curlin) in the GI Kentucky Oaks. Joel Rosario rides after piloting her in her most recent start, and she also regains Lasix for trainer Steve Asmussen.
One of the greatest riders in the history of the Australian turf, Glen Boss, officially brought the curtain down on his illustrious career with a final victory aboard Raeed (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) in the second of four legs of Friday's stc International Jockey Challenge at King Abdulaziz Racecourse in Riyadh. But the veteran reinsman was outdone by his South Australia-based compatriot Caitlin Jones, with the pair finishing first and third. For her efforts, Jones earned first-place prizemoney of US$100,000.
Jones, who calls Morphettville in Adelaide home, has been riding in Dubai this winter, most notably as the partner of the Will Clarken-trained He's A Balter (Aus) (Spirit of Boom {Aus}), a latest fourth in the G2 Blue Point Sprint. Jones was making her first visit to Saudi Arabia to participate in Friday's event, which pitted seven male riders against their female counterparts. In addition to a victory in the third leg of the challenge (see below), she was runner-up in the opening leg and finished on 25 points, three clear of Joel Rosario, who capped a double on the afternoon with success in the final leg.
Caitlin Jones wins leg three aboard #5 Koheylan Alkheil
“To win a series like this, doing it on the world stage, there is nothing more rewarding,” said Jones. “My filly in the last race ran well enough to get points, but we got a winner earlier in the night and had a second straight off the bat, so it has been a really awesome experience for me.
She continued: “It is sensational for Australia that myself and 'Bossy' have won races here tonight. I had some really nice horses to help and I have to thank those connections, and the racecourse has been presented perfectly. My opportunity came from being over in Dubai and I was actually invited as a reserve– there was another girl in front of me but she couldn't make it. I found out last Friday I'd got an email to say that I was coming.
“I have a lot of people to thank, especially trainer Will Clarken who brought me to Dubai to ride his horses, and without that I would not be here tonight. To be rewarded with this is overwhelming.”
Rosario, who rides Midnight Bourbon (Tiznow) in Saturday's G1 Saudi Cup, was thrilled with his result.
“It means a lot to finish second in this Jockey Challenge,” the Dominican said. “It already meant a lot to be part of it and I want to thank everyone for having me. It is special for me to be here in Saudi. I'm very blessed. It was very nice to win a race in the Challenge, so that was very good. It's unique to be here, to ride against the best in the world.”
Boss originally announced his retirement from the saddle in November 2021 following a 37-year career that included three wins in the G1 Melbourne Cup and an additional four in the G1 Cox Plate.
“I don't feel sad that it is over,” Boss said, reflecting on his retirement. “I was happy to come and do this and if I'd won, it would have been fantastic but it wasn't about winning really. I got a few tingles today, so that was good.”
In three years of the stc International Jockey Challenge, it has twice been won by female jockeys, with Sybille Vogt of Switzerland landing the inaugural series and Ireland's Shane Foley taking the title last year. Foley won the first leg of the 2022 Challenge, commenting: “I was lucky here last year, and obviously we picked up where we left off.”
Jockey Joel Rosario's huge 2021 saw his mounts rack up $32,944,478—more than $3.6 million more than 2018, 2019 and 2020 Eclipse Award winner Irad Ortiz, Jr.—and the 37-year-old from the Dominican Republic celebrated his first Eclipse Award as outstanding jockey Thursday evening. Among Rosario's noteworthy wins last year were the GI Longines Breeders' Cup Classic aboard Knicks Go and GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies on Echo Zulu. He was also the regular rider of Jackie's Warrior.
California-based Jessica Pyfer was named outstanding apprentice jockey. She booted home 59 winners with $2,857,333 in 2021 earnings and led all North American apprentices in earnings during the year.
