Oleksandra | Horse Racing Free Tips

Turf Sprint: Drysdale Has Oleksandra Fit Off The Layoff

Hall of Fame trainer Neil Drysdale, currently overseeing a stable of six horses at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y., said last-out Grade 1 Jaipur winner Oleksandra looked sharp in her six-furlong breeze Sunday in 1:14.04 on Big Sandy in preparation for the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint.

“She's doing very well,” said Drysdale. “She doesn't need speed because she's very fast. She worked in company behind another horse and started a half dozen lengths back and finished well.”

The ultra-consistent Animal Kingdom mare, Team Valor homebred, sports a record of 15-7-3-3 with purse earnings of $537,353. She rallied from last to beat the boys in the six-furlong Jaipur on June 20.

Oleksandra has worked six times on the Belmont main since October 2, including a trio of half-furlong breezes in close succession, ahead of a strong five-furlong effort in 1:01.58 last week.

“That was because of the layoff to get her fit,” said Drysdale regarding the busy work pattern. “We gave her some small easy works and then we've only done two serious works – this one and the last one.”

Oleksandra won the Grade 3 Buffalo Trace Franklin County in October 2019 in her only start at Keeneland.

“She's won down there and if it comes up a bit soft she doesn't mind,” said Drysdale.

A six-time Breeders' Cup winner, Drysdale won the 1992 Belmont Stakes with A.P. Indy and added a Kentucky Derby win to his ledger in 2000 with Fusaichi Pegasus.

The post Turf Sprint: Drysdale Has Oleksandra Fit Off The Layoff appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Oleksandra To Point For Troy, Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint Before She Is Offered At Auction

Team Valor International's Oleksandra came out of her Grade 1 victory over males in the Grade 1 Jaipur Stakes in good shape, except for a nick on a lower front limb as a result of runner-up Kanthaka bearing into her at the break.

Trainer Neil Drysdale has decided to leave her at Belmont Park instead of returning her to Southern California. She will point for the Grade 3 Troy Stakes going 5 1/2 furlongs on grass for a $200,000 purse on the Travers Stakes undercard on Aug. 8 at Saratoga.

The 6-year-old daughter of Animal Kingdom may have one more race before contesting the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint at Keeneland.

“That will be her last race for Team Valor,” said Barry Irwin of Team Valor International. “She will be offered for sale after the BC at an auction in Kentucky with an as-yet undetermined agent.”

William Nader of the Hong Kong Racing Club tendered an invitation to the mare for “the world's richest turf sprint on December 13” so it is possible the mare's new owner could race her there or in Dubai over the winter before sending her off to the breeding shed.

Oleksandra became the first Australian-bred to win a Grade 1 in North America since the Pattern Race scheme went into being in 1974.

Her 101 Beyer Speed Figure was bettered on Saturday's Belmont Stakes card only by runaway Grade 1 Acorn Stakes winner Gamine.

The post Oleksandra To Point For Troy, Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint Before She Is Offered At Auction appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Oleksandra To Remain in New York

Team Valor International’s Oleksandra (Aus) (Animal Kingdom), who came from last to defeat a field of males in Saturday’s GI Jaipur S. at Belmont, will not return to trainer Neil Drysdale’s Southern California base and will instead remain in New York. The Southern Hemisphere-bred 5-year-old sustained a nick on a lower front limb after eventual runner-up Kanthaka (Jimmy Creed) made contact with her at the break, but is in “good shape” otherwise, according to a release from Team Valor’s Barry Irwin.

Oleksandra, who became the first Australian-bred Grade I winner in the U.S. since the pattern race scheme came into effect in 1974, will train at Belmont Park, with the GIII Troy S. at Saratoga the next objective. According to the release she will have one additional start prior to the GI Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint, for which the Jaipur was a ‘Win and You’re In’ qualifier. Oleksandra was not an original nominee to the Breeders’ Cup, but was supplemented last week. She will then be offered at public auction.

“That will be her last race for Team Valor,” Irwin said. “She will be offered for sale after the Breeders’ Cup at an auction in Kentucky with an as-yet undetermined agent.”

Irwin said that Oleksandra has already received an invitation from the Hong Kong Jockey Club’s Bill Nader to participate in the G1 Longines Hong Kong Sprint in December and that her new owner could elect to run in that spot or in the 2021 G1 Al Quoz Sprint before sending her off to stud.

Oleksandra received a Beyer Speed Figure of 101 for the Jaipur.

The post Oleksandra To Remain in New York appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Australian-Bred Oleksandra Flies Late, Defeats Males In Jaipur

Team Valor International's Australian-bred mare Oleksandra made a last-to-first rally in the final quarter mile under Joel Rosario to beat males in Saturday's Grade 1 Jaipur Stakes, overtaking longshot Kanthaka in the final strides of the Win and You're In” Breeders' Cup Challenge Series race for the Turf Sprint division.

Kanthaka, who opened a lead in mid-stretch, held second, with Texas Wedge third and Stubbins fourth in the field of eight older runners.

Trained by Hall of Famer Neil Drysdale, Oleksandra covered six furlongs on firm turf in 1:06.80 and paid $6.50 to win.

Oleksandra is a 6-year-old mare by Animal Kingdom, who won the Kentucky Derby and Dubai World Cup for Team Valor. She was bred in Australia by her owner and produced from the Caesura mare, Alexandra Rose.

Pure Sensation, the 2016 Jaipur winner making his fourth appearance in the race as a 9-year-old, broke slowly and rushed to the front early, setting fractions of :21.33 and :43.62 for the opening half mile. Stubbins, in close pursuit, moved to the lead at the top of the stretch but after five furlongs in :55.10 was overtaken by Kanthaka.

Oleksandra was last as the field rounded the final turn, swung wide and overtook Kanthaka nearing the wire.

The post Australian-Bred Oleksandra Flies Late, Defeats Males In Jaipur appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post