Tag: Racing

Veteran rider David Cohen has been very active in the recent mornings on the backside of Churchill Downs working several horses for outfits such as Whit Beckman, Robertino Diodoro, D. Wayne Lukas and Dallas Stewart.

“I decided to stay at Oaklawn until the end so it was a little slow to get going at Churchill since I missed Keeneland,” said Cohen, who was inducted in the 2021-22 class of the Southern California Jewish Sports Hall of Fame. “We've started to pick up business the last week or so and things are moving again. I just have to keep working hard and grinding away.”

Cohen is one of only a few Jewish jockeys in the country. One of the most notable is Walter Blum, who was inducted into racing's Hall of Fame in 1987 and won the 1971 Belmont Stakes aboard Pass Catcher.

In 2014, Cohen suffered a fractured leg which set him back several years until his fulltime return in 2018. The 37-year-old jockey has ridden primarily in New York and the Mid-Atlantic region of the U.S. for the majority of his career but has found a new home on the Kentucky circuit under the representation of Doug Bredar.

One of Cohen's mounts Saturday is Grade 1-placed Ava's Grace in the $200,000 Shawnee Stakes at Churchill Downs. The two-time winning 4-year-old filly finished second in last year's $600,000 Fantasy Stakes (G3) at Oaklawn and enters the race from a third-place finish in last month's $750,000 La Troienne presented by Signify Health (G1). In both races she was defeated by Shawnee Stakes heavy 3-5 morning line favorite Pauline's Pearl.

“She seems to be coming into the race in good shape from the La Troienne,” Cohen said. “We're excited about her chances.”

The Shawnee Stakes will go as Race 7 on Saturday's 11-race card dubbed as “Stephen Foster Preview Day.” First post is 12:45 p.m.

Here is the complete field for the Shawnee from the rail out (with jockey, trainer and morning line odds):

1. Temper Time (Ricardo Santana Jr., Dale Romans, 20-1)
2. She's All Wolfe (Francisco Arrieta, Donnie K. Von Hemel, 15-1)
3. Ava's Grace (Cohen, Robertino Diodoro, 7-2)
4. Army Wife (Tyler Gaffalione, Mike Maker, 9-2)
5. Pauline's Pearl (Luis Saez, Steve Asmussen, 3-5)
6. Crazy Beautiful (Brian Hernandez Jr., Kenny McPeek, 6-1).

The post ‘Things Are Moving Again’ In Kentucky For Veteran Rider David Cohen appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Aidan O'Brien is one of the greatest modern day trainers and he now holds the record for most British Classics of all time. Tuesday gave him his 41st British Classic after clinching an exciting renewal in the Cazoo Oaks this Friday at Epsom Downs.

O'Brien surpassed John Scott's record of 41 wins, registered between 1827 and 1863.

“It's an honor for me to be in this position,” O'Brien told racingpost.com. “Everybody puts in so much work, literally day and night, so it's unbelievable for the whole team to be able to enjoy a win like this.”

Clear favorite, Emily Uphjohn, appeared to slip out the starting stalls and was consequently left at the back of the field. Despite an extraordinary recovery throughout the race, the favorite was held off by the Ballydoyle filly on the line.

The post Tuesday On Friday: Oaks Win Gives Aidan O’Brien Record 41st British Classic appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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With a fourth straight Sydney metropolitan century and seemingly a sixth Sydney jockeys' premiership in the bag, Kiwi jockey James McDonald is preparing to jet off to England for a seventh appearance at the Royal Ascot meeting later this month.

McDonald will partner champion sprinter Nature Strip in the Group 1 King's Stand Stakes on June 14 and Home Affairs in the G1 Platinum Jubilee Stakes on June 18.

He rode Nature Strip to win a three-horse jump out at Flemington last Friday, finishing alongside Home Affairs and the Anthony and Sam Freedman-trained Artorius, who is also Royal Ascot-bound.

He compared the jumpout favorably to when the pair tackled a similar assignment leading into their one-two finish in the G1 Lightning at Flemington in February.

“It's been very hard for Home Affairs to get ready because of the wet tracks in Sydney but as soon as he hits fast ground, he improves lengths so it was great to see him trial as good as he had against Nature Strip before the Lightning. He was brilliant,” McDonald said.

“If you take a line through that, we know he's on target. Nature Strip is absolutely airborne. He couldn't be going much better. He's just thriving at the moment. Both horses are going as well as they were leading into the Lightning, which is a good sign.”

McDonald couldn't hide his excitement about returning to Royal Ascot and riding at one of the world's premier weeks of racing.

“It's one of my favorite places anywhere in the world to ride. It's the first time I've gone over there with really quality horses I've had an association with before and they have got to be genuine chances in their respective fields. I'm really looking forward to it.

“Every year I've gone there, apart from the Godolphin days when I was still probably only third in line, I've always gone there picking up spares just to be part of the carnival, whereas this time I've got two Australian horses that look as good a chances as any in their races.

“At the moment I can't take outside rides until the visa comes through. It would be good to get it because there are some nice Australian horses heading up there that I'd love to ride over there too.”

The post Australia’s Nature Strip ‘Absolutely Airborne’ In Final Preparations For Royal Ascot appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Sunday Racing Co. Ltd.'s Schnell Meister (GER), the 2021 NHK Mile Cup (G1) winner, and Koichi Nishikawa's Cafe Pharoah, seeking his second Breeders' Cup Challenge Series victory this year, headline 18 starters entered for Sunday's 1-mile Yasuda Kinen (G1) at Tokyo Racecourse. The Yasuda Kinen winner will receive an automatic starting position and fees paid in the US$2 million FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile (G1) through the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series: Win and You're In.

The Breeders' Cup Challenge Series is an international series of 82 stakes races whose winners receive automatic starting positions and fees paid into a corresponding race of the Breeders' Cup World Championships, which is scheduled to be held at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Kentucky, on Nov. 4-5.

Schnell Meister, trained by Takahisa Tezuka, finished third in last year's race, less than a length behind the winner Danon Kingly (JPN). Prior to that race, Schnell Meister, a 4-year-old son of Kingman (GB) out of the Soldier Hollow (GB) mare Serienholde (GER), won the NHK Mile Cup by a nose over Songline (JPN) for his fourth career win. After last year's Yasuda Kinen, Schnell Meister continued his solid form by winning the 1 1/8-mile Mainichi Okan (G2) at Tokyo. He closed out 2021 with a second-place finish to Gran Alegria (JPN) in the Mile Championship (G1) at Hanshin on Nov. 21. In his lone start this year, Schnell Meister finished eighth in the 1 1/8-mile Dubai Turf (G1) at Meydan on March 26. ”The change to the Tokyo 1,600 meters is a plus,” said Tezuka to the Japan Racing Association, expressing confidence in his colt's return to familiar surroundings and to the mile distance. Christophe Lemaire will ride Schnell Meister, breaking from post nine.

Koichi Nishikawa's 5-year-old Kentucky-bred Cafe Pharoah, son of 2015 Triple Crown winner, Longines Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) winner and Horse of the Year American Pharoah, earned a Win and You're In berth for the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic when he won the 1-mile February Stakes (G1) on dirt at Tokyo on Feb. 20 by 2 ½ lengths. Trained by Noriyuki Hori, Cafe Pharoah's successful title defense in the February Stakes was his sixth win in 11 starts. However, the Yasuda Kinen will be just his second start on turf. His first try on a grass course was on July 18, 2021 in the 1 ¼-mile Hakodate Kinen (G3) at Hakodate Racecourse, where he finished ninth. Cafe Pharoah will start from the rail and will be ridden by Yuichi Fukunaga.

“From the looks of his run in the Hakodate Kinen, I'd say he can handle the turf and he is suited to Tokyo,” said Hori. “His coat and muscle tone are good. Physically and mentally, he's got it all together.”

Tatsue Ishikawa's 4-year-old Soul Rush (JPN) has won his last four starts, and all at one mile. His trainer, Yasutoshi Ikee, decided to forego running the son of Rulership (JPN) at longer distances and the results have paid dividends. Since December, Soul Rush has won a Class 1 race at Chukyo, the Christmas Cup and the Shunkyo Stakes at Nakayama, and culminating with a half-length win, after overcoming a late break from the gate, in the Group 2 Yomiuri Milers Cup at Hanshin on April 24. The Yasuda Kinen will be Soul Rush's second start at Tokyo. He finished fourth in the 1 3/8-mile Shinryoku Sho in April 2021 over the course. Suguru Hamanaka has the mount, breaking from post 14.

Like Soul Rush, Tsunefumi Kusama's Elusive Panther (JPN) has also won his last four starts but by contrast, all of them have been at Tokyo, and three at the mile distance. A 4-year-old son of Heart's Cry (JPN), Elusive Panther made an impressive 2022 debut in capturing the 1-mile Tokyo Shimbun Hai (G3) on Feb. 6. Back in 14th in a 15-horse field, Elusive Panther rocketed the final three furlongs in 33.1 seconds to defeat favored Songline by 1 ¾ lengths. Elusive Panther will be ridden by Hironobu Tanabe from post eight.

Over the past four years, female runners have finished either first or second in the Yasuda Kinen, and in 2020 standout fillies Gran Alegria (JPN) and Almond Eye (JPN) took the top two positions. Three females coming out of the May 15 Victoria Mile (G1) at Tokyo ― Songline (JPN), Fine Rouge (JPN), and Resistencia (JPN) ― have been entered for Sunday's race.

Sunday Racing Co. Ltd.'s 4-year-old Songline made a big splash in Saudi Arabia in February when she won the 1351 Turf Sprint (G3) against males at King Abdulaziz Racetrack for her fourth victory. In her next start, the Victoria Mile, which was a Challenge Race for the Maker's Mark Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1), she finished fifth, just two lengths behind Sodashi (JPN). That performance was representative of her reliably-good form at Tokyo for trainer Toru Hayashi. A daughter of Kizuna (JPN), Songline broke her maiden at Tokyo in September 2020, just missed defeating Schnell Meister in last year's NHK Mile Cup, and won the 1-mile Fuji Stakes (G3) last October. Kenichi Ikezoe has the mount, breaking from post 13.

Genichi Matsui's 4-year-old Fine Rouge, also by Kizuna, recovered from a bauble in midstretch in the Victoria Mile and closed strongly in the center of the course to finish second, which was her third consecutive runner-up finish in Group stakes competition. Trained by Tetsuya Kimura, Fine Rouge defeated males last September in the 1 ¼-mile Shion Stakes (G3) at Nakayama by 1 ¾ lengths. She closed out 2021 finishing just a half-length behind Akaitorino Musume (JPN) in the Group 1 Shuka Sho on Oct. 17. In her 2022 debut, Fine Rouge finished second to Elusive Panther in the Tokyo Shimbun Hai (G3). Yutaka Take will ride Fine Rouge, starting from post seven.

Top sprinter Resistencia, third in the Victoria Mile, is a 5-year-old daughter of Daiwa Major (JPN) racing for owner Carrot Farm Co. Ltd. Trained by Takeshi Matsushita, Resistencia has won five races and has five second-place finishes in 15 starts. She won last September's 6-furlong Sankei Sho Centaur Stakes (G2) at Chukyo, and then stepped into Group 1 company in her next two starts, finishing second in the Sprinters Stakes at Nakayama on Oct. 3 and finishing second in the Longines Hong Kong Sprint at Sha Tin on Dec. 12. Resistencia will be ridden by Takeshi Yokoyama from post 16.

As a part of the benefits of the Challenge Series, Breeders' Cup will pay the entry fees for the winner of the Yasuda Kinen to start in the FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile. Breeders' Cup will also provide a travel allowance for all starters based outside of North America to compete in the World Championships. The Challenge winner must be nominated to the Breeders' Cup program by the pre-entry deadline of Oct. 24 to receive the rewards.

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