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Special Reserve Faces Off With Streaking Just Might In Friday’s Phoenix

Paradise Farms Corp. and David Staudacher's Special Reserve headlines a field of seven sprinters entered Tuesday for Friday's 169th running of the $250,000 Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix (G2) going six furlongs on the main track. Friday is opening day of Keeneland's Fall Meet, which marks the track's 85th anniversary.

Scheduled as the eighth race on Friday's 10-race program with a 5:10 p.m. ET post time, the Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix is a Breeders' Cup Challenge race with the winner receiving a fees-paid berth into the $2 million Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) to be run Nov. 6 at Del Mar.

Trained by Mike Maker, Special Reserve has compiled a 6-4-2-0 record in 2021 and enters Friday's race off a runner-up effort in the Alfred G. Vanderbilt (G1) at Saratoga on July 31. In his lone Keeneland start, Special Reserve was second in this spring's Commonwealth (G3).

Joel Rosario, who was aboard in the Vanderbilt, has the mount Friday out of post position six.

Looming as the main threat to Special Reserve is Griffon Farms and trainer Michelle Lovell's Just Might.

Winner of his past four starts, all coming in stakes, Just Might enters Friday's race off dirt victories at Colonial Downs and most recently at Churchill Downs. Colby Hernandez has the mount from post four.

The field for the Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix, with riders and weights from the inside, is:

Quick Tempo (Sophie Doyle, 118)
Mucho (Reylu Gutierrez, 120)
Endorsed (Julien Leparoux, 120)
Just Might (Hernandez, 120)
Aloha West (Jose Ortiz, 120)
Special Reserve (Rosario, 120)
Sir Alfred James (Corey Lanerie, 120)

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Report: Aquis Group Cutting Ties With Phoenix After Failure ‘To Be Honest And Transparent’

Following last week's announcement that New South Wales and Racing Victoria have frozen the prize money of horses owned by Amer Abdulaziz' Phoenix Thoroughbreds over allegations of money laundering, the Aquis Group has decided to cut ties, reports the Australian Financial Review. A group operated by Hong Kong billionaire Tony Fung, Aquis owns multiple horses in tandem with Phoenix, including G1 Golden Slipper winner Farnan, as well as 19 horses purchased at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale in January.

Aquis' decision is predicated by the fact that Phoenix did not disclose the actions of racing authorities to freeze prize money.

“That conduct of Phoenix has failed to meet our expectations,” a spokesman for Aquis told the AFR. “Any true co-owner should inform their partner of such action by authorities. Phoenix failed to be honest and transparent with us over the prize money freeze, which has rendered the relationship untenable.”

Phoenix reportedly is not permitted to race in France, United Arab Emirates or the United Kingdom. No state racing commissions in the United States have taken regulatory action against Phoenix.

Phoenix continues to be active at U.S. bloodstock sales, including the $1.2 million bid by Phoenix agent Gerard Butler to buy out a partner in stakes winner Lady Apple last November at Fasig-Tipton. Shannon Arvin, president and CEO of Keeneland, released the following statement concerning Phoenix being allowed to participate in sales after court documents filed by a federal prosecutor in a money laundering case involving the multi-billion-dollar OneCoin cryptocurrency scam, accused Abdulaziz of being a money launderer for OneCoin.

“Keeneland is aware of the allegations that may involve Phoenix Thoroughbreds and is monitoring the situation,” said Arvin. “However, it is our understanding that Phoenix Thoroughbred has not been indicted by a grand jury, let alone convicted on any allegations. Keeneland will continue to follow any developments in this matter, and certainly will comply with any regulatory or legal action or direction from a governing authority.”

Since the money laundering accusations were made in federal court against Abdulaziz, it is believed that he has not traveled to the United States from Dubai, where he resides.

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Phoenix Not Permitted to Race in UAE

Phoenix Thoroughbreds and Phoenix Ladies Syndicate have been barred from racing in Dubai, the Racing Post reported on Thursday. Phoenix, which is already prevented from racing in the UK and France, does not have any runners in Dubai yet and last raced in the UAE in 2020. In November of 2019, Phoenix's founder, Amer Abdulaziz Salman was named in an alleged money laundering and fraud scandal in New York in connection to the crypto currency Ponzi scheme OneCoin. Phoenix denies all claims.

“We have the horses in the stable but we're not able to run them,” trainer Satish Seemar, who trains for Phoenix in Dubai, told Racing Post.

The post Phoenix Not Permitted to Race in UAE appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Turf Paradise, Arizona HBPA Agree To 84-Day Meet In 2021

Turf Paradise and the Arizona Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association (AZHBPA) have agreed to resume live racing at the Phoenix-based oval with an 84-day meeting running from Jan. 2 through May 1, 2021.

The meet will run on a five-day a week schedule, Saturday thru Wednesday. Horsemen can arrive Nov. 19 for stall preparations and then bring horses into the stable area Nov. 25. Training will begin Dec. 2.

Following months of negotiations between the AZHBPA and Turf Paradise management, following a March 14 cancellation of the live meet in progress due to the Coronavirus, the two sides were able to craft a 26-point agreement. The forum for on-going discussions between the two sides was provided by Rudy Casillas, the Director for the Division of Racing, the state's regulatory body for the sport.

In a letter penned by Casillas and addressed to Bob Hutton, President of the AZHBPA and Jerry Simms, the owner of Turf Paradise, he said: “Many thanks to both of you for finally reaching terms to allow for the racing industry to move forward. The Licensees and horseracing patrons will be pleased.”

“The AZHBPA is all about live racing,” said Hutton. “The AZHBPA is enthusiastic to help provide the opportunity for horsemen to race close to home and be with their families. Racing close to home will help eliminate unnecessary travel expenses and financial anxiety for our members.”

“We're happy for our horsemen that they're going to be racing,” said Simms. “Unfortunately we still have to deal with Covid-19, and we will. We thank Rudy Casillas for bringing us together and getting this done.”

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