Tag: People

The decision of veteran jockey Julien Leparoux to make the journey to Belmont Park just after the close of the spring/summer meet at Churchill Downs proved to be a wise one. His heady ride aboard longshot Classic Causeway in the Grade 1 Caesars Belmont Derby Invitational earned Jockey of the Week honors. The award, which is voted on by a panel of racing experts, honors jockeys who are members of the Jockeys' Guild, the organization which represents more than 1050 active, retired and permanently disabled jockeys in the United States.

Trainer Ken McPeek gave a leg up to Leparoux on Classic Causeway who was making his turf debut just two weeks after the 3-year-old colt's third place finish in the G3 Ohio Derby.

Breaking from post four in the field of 12, Classic Causeway led by a head over European runner Royal Patronage and the Todd Pletcher-trained Grand Sonata. Classic Causeway never looked back, holding a two-length lead at the eighth pole as a wall of rivals took aim and tried in vain to overtake the duo. Final time for 1 1/4 miles was 1:59.99 with Classic Causeway rewarding his backers with a $55.50 payoff. The win was Leparoux's 50th career Grade 1 and eleventh graded stakes win at Belmont Park.

“The plan was to go to the lead,” said Leparoux. “The only time I was a little worried was in the first turn when Joel (Rosario on Royal Patronage) was kind of head-to-head with me. When he took back, my horse just got to cruising and was happy to be on the lead. I was getting him to relax nicely and switch off. It was a good run for him. He was actually feeling pretty fresh today. It was Kenny's idea to wheel him back on the grass, and it paid off today for sure.”

Leparoux is the 2006 Eclipse Award winner as Outstanding Apprentice and the 2009 Eclipse Award winner as Outstanding Jockey, one of only four jockeys to win both awards. He became just the fourth jockey to win 500 races at Keeneland in 2021 and is Keeneland's leading active jockey with numerous leading rider titles.

On June 4, 2022, Leparoux became the fifth rider to win 1,000 races at Churchill Downs. Leparoux, a native of France, will ride full time at Saratoga when the meet opens on July 14.

Other nominees for Jockey of the Week were Florent Geroux with two stakes wins at Horseshoe Indianapolis, Brain Hernandez, Jr. with two stakes wins, Paco Lopez who led all jockeys in wins with 10, and Irad Ortiz, Jr. who won the Grade 1 Belmont Oaks Invitational.

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Trainer Frank Lucarelli saddled his 2,000th career winner on Sunday when he sent out River Kat to win the fourth race at Lone Star Park. The 3-year-old Washington-bred filly by Dontmesswithkitten won the $7,500 maiden claimer by a nose under Jansen Melancon. One race later on the Lone Star card, Lucarelli got his 2,001st winner with Sargent Kline, and in Sunday's fifth race at Emerald Downs, Lucarelli notched number 2,002 with Ms Parkside.

Lucarelli, 65, has training operations in both Washington and Texas. He notched his first career victory in Washington State in 1979, and ranks first in wins at Emerald Downs and has seven training titles at the Auburn track.

The trainer spoke with Eli Sports Network, the leader of High School Sports coverage in Southwest Washington, after the victory.

“This day didn't seem very possible the first year I was training, because I was wondering if I was going to get enough horses to be doing this job,” Lucarelli said. “My first win ever was at Portland Meadows. I had one horse, and I lived in a little travel trailer. I probably over-trained her; she was probably ready to run a month before I ran her! I won that race the first time I ran her, and after that I took quite a while to get to my second win.

“It's an eye-opener right away; this business is tough. Anybody that's done it knows it… I've been fortunate to have clients that have stuck with me through a lot of years.”

According to a story on the Western Washington University website, Lucarelli was born in New York but the family moved to Washington state when he was just three years old. His father became part-owner of a horse stabled at Longacres in Renton, Wash., and Lucarelli would join his father every Saturday for trips to the racetrack.

Lucarelli decided that after his baseball career, he'd become a horse trainer. As pitcher for the WWU team, he threw the only perfect game in the program's history on Apr. 9, 1977.

Two-and-a-half years later, Lucarelli would saddle his first winner on the racetrack.

The entire Washington Thoroughbred industry was on edge when Longacres shuttered in 1992, and racing was not held in the Western part of the state again until Emerald Downs opened in Auburn in 1996.

“Ron Crockett opening this track literally saved my family and myself, so I'm thankful for that,” Lucarelli said. “We've had a great run here at Emerald Downs… I hope I have a lot more wins in the barn here. Washington has been great.”

In 2019, Lucarelli became the first trainer to win 1,000 races at Emerald Downs, and also won the first five races on an eight-race card, a track record.

The top horse Lucarelli trained was Gallant Son, only the second-ever horse from Emerald Downs to race in the Breeders' Cup when he started in the Juvenile in 2008.

“Gallant Son is just a phenomenal horse,” Lucarelli said. “He won stakes races until he was 9 years old, Horse of the Year [at Emerald], ran in the Breeders' Cup and got beat four lengths.

“His name is number one. ”

Watch the full interview with Eli Sports Network here:

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Cindy Hutter, an exercise rider and the wife of trainer George Weaver, was injured on July 3 when the horse she was exercising on Saratoga's Oklahoma Training Track collapsed and died, pinning her underneath for a time.

Just over a week after the accident, Hutter is stable but remains in a coma, Weaver told the Daily Racing Form. Doctors' primary concern is a “significant brain injury” suffered in the accident. Hutter is able to respond to voice commands, but has yet to open her eyes.

Weaver said his wife is in for a lengthy recovery.

“We're going to coach her to get her back to herself as best we can,” Weaver told DRF. “Right now we cannot assess the extent of the damage and probably won't get an idea of the recovery we can expect for a year, maybe more. Everybody is different when it comes to brain injuries of this nature. They just don't know. Her condition is stable. She's healthy. She's got some broken ribs, a broken collarbone, all that stuff, but that's all insignificant compared to the brain injury. All that really matters now is her brain injury healing.”

Hutter was galloping Vindatude, a 3-year-old Mshawish filly owned and bred by her husband.

Read more at the Daily Racing Form.

The post Cindy Hutter Suffered ‘Significant Brain Injury,’ Still In Coma After Saratoga Training Incident appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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The 2022 Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup on Saturday, Aug. 6, is set to feature some of the leading jockeys from around the world as a star-studded line up has been assembled for the unique team competition.

No fewer than ten nations will be represented across the four teams for the 21st renewal of the event at Ascot with riders from Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Canada, France, Italy, Germany, Spain, Britain and Ireland competing for the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup.

Italian star Frankie Dettori, the winning-most active Royal Ascot jockey, will captain the European team, four time winners of the competition. Dettori will be making his 11th appearance in the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup and first since 2016.

Frankie Dettori said: “It's been a few years since I've ridden in the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup and I'm looking forward to it. I love Ascot and it's always a great day so I hope people put it in their diary and come along to have a good time and enjoy something a bit different.

“The European team looks really strong. I remember when we won it in 2014 it was a really special day and hopefully we can lift the trophy again this year.”

He will be joined by compatriot Antonio Fresu as well as last year's Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner Rene Piechulek from Germany and nine-times champion Spanish jockey Jose-Luis Martinez.

The Great Britain and Ireland team will be captained by Jamie Spencer, who is one of just a handful of jockeys to have ridden more than 2,000 winners, including 26 at Royal Ascot. He will have Danny Tudhope, who enjoyed an excellent Royal Ascot this year with four winners, Neil Callan and Kieran Shoemark alongside him.

The Ladies team, victorious last year for the third time, will once again be captained by Hayley Turner and she will be joined by last year's Alistair Haggis Silver Saddle winner Nicola Currie and multiple Royal Ascot winner Hollie Doyle. The side is completed by Canadian star Emma-Jayne Wilson, who has appeared at the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup six times, including when on the winning side in 2015.

Hayley Turner said: “I love the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup, it's always one of my favourite days of the year. It's great for the event to have lots of international riders travelling over for the day again and I'm excited to have Emma-Jayne back again on our team.

“Winning last year for the third time was really special as they let me keep the trophy which I've now got at home. The Ladies look strong again with Hollie and Nicola so hopefully we can retain the crown and win the new trophy as well.”

The Rest of the World team features two of Japan's leading riders at the moment in Takeshi Yokoyama and French-born Christophe Lemaire who represents Japan as a JRA licensed jockey. They are joined by three-time Melbourne Cup winner Kerrin McEvoy from Australia and New Zealander Jason Collett, who has enjoyed a superb season in Sydney.

Nick Smith, Director of Racing and Public Affairs at Ascot Racecourse, said: “This is an exciting year for the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup which is breaking new ground with an extended race programme, more jockeys riding and more prize money on offer than ever before.

“In fact, with £500 available to the horses that finish 11th or 12th, and no entry fees, it is all upside for running in these unique races. Additionally, we will also have our stable bonus scheme in operation for the second time following the King George, with £20,000 going to the three leading trainers on the day and £5,000 to their staff.”

Colm McLoughlin, Executive Vice Chairman & CEO of title-sponsor Dubai Duty Free, said: “The change in format this year represents another exciting innovation in the evolution of the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup and further widens the international appeal of this unique event.

“We are looking forward to welcoming back some familiar faces and those making their debuts in the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup which promises to be more competitive than ever.”

The Teams

Great Britain & Ireland

• Jamie Spencer (Captain) – Ireland – More than 2,000 career winners including 26 at Royal Ascot. Six appearances at the Shergar Cup and ridden five winners.
• Danny Tudhope – Great Britain – Enjoyed an outstanding Royal Ascot this year with four winners. Only appearance in the Shergar Cup came in 2019.
• Neil Callan – Ireland – Multiple Group 1 winning jockey in Britain and more than 300 winners during nine-year stint in Hong Kong. Ridden at the Shergar Cup twice before.
• Kieran Shoemark – Great Britain – Group 1 winning jockey with Lady Bowthorpe last year and enjoying another excellent season. Yet to ride in the Shergar Cup.

Rest of the World

• Christophe Lemaire (Captain) – Japan – French-born jockey who was the leading rider in Japan five years in a row between 2017-2021. Has won Group 1 races in Japan, Dubai, Australia, France and Britain. Only previous appearance in the Shergar Cup came in 2011.
• Takeshi Yokoyama – Japan – The 23-year-old is one of Japan's rising stars and hit the headlines when partnering Efforia to three Group 1 victories last year including the Tenno Sho and Arima Kinen. First Shergar Cup appearance.
• Kerrin McEvoy – Australia – One of the leading riders in Australia for more than 20 years, winning three Melbourne Cups including on Cross Counter in 2018 for Charlie Appleby. This will be his third Shergar Cup appearance.
• Jason Collett – New Zealand – Enjoyed a superb season this year riding three Group 1 winners and is now one of the go to jockeys in Australia having made the decision to move there from New Zealand in 2010. This will be his Shergar Cup debut.

Ladies

• Hayley Turner (Captain) – Great Britain – The all-time leading rider at the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup. From 14 appearances, she has won the competition three times and the Silver Saddle twice in 2018 and 2019.
• Hollie Doyle – Great Britain – Multiple Royal Ascot and Group 1 winning jockey. Two Shergar Cup appearances, including when winning in 2018.
• Nicola Currie – Great Britain – Two winners on the day saw her claim the 2021 Silver Saddle and help the Ladies to Shergar Cup victory on her competition debut.
• Emma-Jayne Wilson – Canada – Multiple Graded Stakes winning jockey in Canada with more than 1,700 winners in her career. Six Shergar Cup appearances including when on the winning side in 2015.

Europe

• Frankie Dettori (Captain) – Italy – Winning-most active jockey at Royal Ascot with 77 winners, twenty English Classic successes and three-time Champion Jockey in Britain. Ten Shergar Cup appearances and on the winning side for Europe in 2014.
• Rene Piechulek – Germany – 2021 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner on Torquator Tasso. Making his Shergar Cup debut.
• Antonio Fresu – Italy – Hugely successful in the UAE for the last six seasons, never appeared in the Shergar Cup.
• Jose-Luis Martinez – Spain – Nine times Spanish Champion Jockey, ridden more than 1,200 winners including in Spain, France, Dubai, Italy and Morocco. First Shergar Cup appearance.

Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup format

The 2022 Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup programme will consist of eight races with 12 runners in each race made up of three jockeys from each team. Every jockey will therefore have six rides across the day. Points are awarded on a 15, 10, 7, 5, 3 basis to the first five horses home.

The allocation of rides is determined by a series of ballots and once again leading racing analyst and broadcaster James Willoughby will oversee the process.

Record prize-money for the day will be on offer this year totalling £550,000 with money paid down to 10th place and appearance money for 11th and 12th in every race.

Additionally, £25,000 worth of bonus prizes for the leading stables based on points accrued in the competition will be awarded, split between the trainer and stable staff as follows:
1st – £10,000 to trainer / £2,500 to stable staff
2nd – £7,500 / £1,500
3rd – £2,500 / £1,000

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