Tag: Racing

March 27 is the kickoff date for Japan's spring big-name races, a dazzling lineup of Grade 1 events that continue weekly, nearly nonstop until the end of June.

Starting things off is Sunday's Takamatsunomiya Kinen, a 1,200-meter (six furlongs) turf sprint staged at the left-handed Chukyo Racecourse. The 52nd running of the Takamatsunomiya Kinen has attracted 20 nominees, ranging in age from 4 to 8 and including six females and one gelding. Eighteen of those will find a berth.

This year's field is short on top-level winners compared to the past. Of the nominees, only a trio – Salios, Resistencia, and Grenadier Guards – have laid claim to a Grade 1 event, all as 2-year-olds. Other promising hopefuls are the winners of the important step races. From most recently run, the winners have been: Gendarme (Grade 3 Yukan Fuji Sho Ocean Stakes), Diatonic (Grade 3 Hankyu Hai), Meikei Yell (Grade 3 Silk Road Stakes), and Grenadier Guards (Grade 2 Hanshin Cup). Naran Huleg, Travesura, Sunrise Honest and Shine Garnet also finished in the Top 3 in those races.

The Chukyo 1,200-meter turf race starts in the backstretch. Once straightening for home, there are still 412 meters to go, with a hill starting just 70 meters later and rising nearly two meters over the next 100 meters.

Post time for the 52nd running of the Grade 1 Takamatsunomiya Kinen will be 15:40 local time, and it will be Race 11 on the Sunday card at Chukyo.

Here is a look at the expected top picks:

Grenadier Guards: The 4-year-old colt Grenadier Guards comes off a win of the Grade 2 Hanshin Cup over 1,400 meters. The colt has failed to finish in Top 3 only twice from his nine starts. He has one win and one third in his three Grade 1 bids thus far, all over the mile. Though he has two wins and two seconds in his four starts over 1,400 meters (seven furlongs), this will be his first time at 1,200 meters. His sire, the unbeaten 10-time G1 winner Frankel, raced primarily over the mile. Grenadier Guards, however, also has inherited the sprinter blood from his dam Wavell Avenue, who won the 2015 Breeders' Cup Fillies and Mare Sprint. The colt will go to the gate for the first time in three months with his new partner, jockey Yuichi Fukunaga. Fukunaga, who boasts three wins of the Takamatsunomiya Kinen, has ridden the fast work for the last two weeks.

Grenadier Guards has a record of 3-2-2 from nine starts, with earnings of US$1,842,490.

Resistencia: The 5-year-old daughter of Daiwa Major missed the winner's circle here last year by a neck, and in the Sprinters Stakes in early October, she finished second again two lengths off the winner. Both times she had raced from an outside gate. From her seven Grade 1 bids in Japan, Resistencia has won only once (the 2019 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies) and finished second four times. In her first trip abroad last December, the bay mare took on the Hong Kong Sprint, and despite surely being affected by the horrific accident in that race, she finished in second place again less than a length behind the winner. Racing for the first time since returning to Japan, Resistencia is expected to see a new partner, 23-year-old jockey Takeshi Yokoyama, who notched an astounding five Grade 1 wins last year.

Meikei Yell: A Mikki Isle-sired 4-year-old, Meikei Yell has five wins (three over 1,200 meters) from her nine starts and is taking on her fourth Grade 1. She finished fourth in last year's Sprinters Stakes, where she followed Resistencia over the line by nearly three lengths, but was ahead of Danon Smash. Returning from the Sprinters Stakes, she took on her first race to the left and captured the Grade 3 Silk Road Stakes. Trainer Hidenori Take attributes the win in large part to equipment changes that helped quiet the excitable filly.

“I plan to race her with the same equipment as last time. She is eating well and calmer now. I feel she understands a lot more now,” the trainer commented.

Salios: Salios returns to the track from a third-place finish in the Hong Kong Mile in December, and this time will be his first 1,200 meters race. The son of Heart's Cry has run in the eight Grade 1 events so far, but has won just one – the 2019 Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes. Raced primarily at the mile, Salios was also runnerup over the longer distances of the 2020 Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas) and Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby). Given his record, the 5-year-old would seem an unlikely candidate for a sprint, but trainer Noriyuki Hori believes that the horse has a good chance here.

“His inborn trait was one of the reasons I decided to run him here. His body type and footwork both lend themselves to short distances,” the trainer said.

Diatonic: The third-place finisher in the 2020 Takamatsunomiya Kinen, the Lord Kanaloa-sired Diatonic followed that with a promising victory in the Grade 3 Hakodate Sprint Stakes over the same distance. He took on the Sprinters Stakes in the fall, where interference factored in his 13th-place finish, but later, he was also found to have suffered a fracture. Diatonic returned 11 months later in the Grade 3 Keeneland Cup, before taking another four months off. He returned to the track in January this year and captured the Grade 3 Hankyu Hai in February. Trainer Takayuki Yasuda, who also trained Lord Kanaloa, is cautiously optimistic, saying the 7-year-old has improved from his last start.

“I think 1,200-meter is his best distance. This time it's a Grade 1 and the competition is stronger, so we'll be going in as a challenger. I want him to get a good start.”

Gendarme: With six wins from his 27 starts, the American-bred Gendarme heads into his sixth Grade 1 at the age of 7. Though he has yet to bag a big one, he did come close in the 2,000-meter Grade 1 Hopeful Stakes as a 2-year-old. His trainer Yasutoshi Ikee has gradually shortened his distance, and from his last six starts over the past year (all at 1,200 meters), Gendarme has scored two wins, his latest in the Grade 3 Ocean Stakes early this month at Nakayama.

Naran Huleg: A 6-year-old son of dirt champion Gold Allure, Naran Huleg has been highly reliable since last fall. He didn't miss the Top 3 in his last four starts including two Grade 3 events. He has yet to win a graded-stakes race, but he's gotten closer and is back at his best trip, a left-handed 1,200 meters race over turf.

Travesura: A surprise fourth as the 16th pick in last year's Takamatsunomiya Kinen, Travesura has had only two starts since, but finished second in both races over 1,400 meters – including last out in the Grade 3 Ocean Stakes. It is definitely a longshot, but if he could pull off a win this time out, it would be not only his first Grade 1 victory, but also the first for both trainer Yasuyuki Takahashi and expected jockey Katsuma Samejima.

Lotus Land: Also deserving mention is the American-bred 5-year-old mare Lotus Land. Proven consistent over 1,600-1,800 meters with six wins and three seconds from her 13 starts, she returned from three months layoff after the Mile Championship, and managed to top the Grade 3 Kyoto Himba Stakes last month in her first trip over 1,400 meters. She is looking light on her feet in work and in good shape for her first trip over 1,200 meters.

The post Japan: Son Of Wavell Avenue, Frankel Tries For Another Grade 1 In Takamatsunomiya Kinen appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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After being away from the races for more than 240 days, no one knew what to expect when Country Grammer resurfaced in the Group 1 Saudi Cup. But the 5-year-old entire son of Tonalist showed up in a big way finishing a bang-up second.

Now, Country Grammer seems to be thriving at Meydan racecourse as he looks to give Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert a fourth victory in this Saturday's Dubai World Cup. After spending Monday jogging quietly in the confines of the International Quarantine track, Country Grammer was on the muscle Tuesday as he passed the wire with great energy under the watchful eye of longtime Baffert assistant Jimmy Barnes.

“Country Grammer is a horse who will run all day and will definitely appreciate the two turns and the 1 1/4-mile distance of this race,” Barnes said. “He has always been a straightforward horse to train and nothing has changed with him here.”

Conditioner Doug O'Neill's fan favorite Hot Rod Charlie has had everything go his way since shipping out to Meydan racecourse on Jan. 19. A winner of the Al Maktoum Challenge Round 2 (G2) in his lone local start, he has strengthened up and certainly looked the part Tuesday coming onto the track around 7:15am accompanied as usual by the outrider pony.

'Chuck,' as he is affectionally called by his owners, had a very happy gallop Tuesday morning as he continues to tout himself around the track on a daily basis.

“We were so happy to be able to run him as a 4-year-old and glad we came over here when we did,” assistant trainer Leandro Mora said. “He is doing so good right now, he loves this track. He is very calm and quiet when making the walk to the track in the mornings but as soon as he steps on the track and the rider sits on his back he knows it is go-time and can get a little excited, but in a good way. Although he did give us a little scare last week when he and the pony were bucking and feeling too good by the wire launching himself in the air.”

After a 13-hour flight from Miami, Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher and the ownership connections of China Horse Club and WinStar Farm got a chance to see the presumptive World Cup favorite Life Is Good train for the first time at 5am on Tuesday. After backing up to the eighth pole the 4-year-old galloped 1 1/2 miles and, as has been the case all week, he got stronger as the gallop went along.

Amelia Green, the only rider who sits on Life Is Good's back, had to use all her strength to pull him up as he desperately wanted to continue on with his morning trackwork.

“I would be surprised if he wasn't like that to be honest,” Pletcher said. “Our flight was good and as soon as we arrived last night we went to the stables and saw Life Is Good and we were very happy with what we saw of him. He really looks like he has settled in well. I've learned some things over the years of coming here and one of them I think is to do all your work at home. I've breezed horses here in the past and I think maybe its been a little counter-productive so we will just have some gallops with him and participate in the night schooling session tonight and go from there.”

Aero Trem's trainer Antonio Cintra Pereira was happy to let his charge merely canter around the track and has no plans for any kind of serious work this week for the 6-year-old Shanghai Bobby entire, who was fifth in the Group 1 Saudi Cup at Riyadh on Feb. 26.

“Aero Trem is fit and is doing very well. He returned very well from the Saudi Cup and has continued his preparation for the Dubai World Cup and so far everything is going according to plan. So we are looking forward to him running in the big one in five days' time,” Cintra said.

The Bhupat Seemar-trained Remorse has been one of the more consistent names on the domestic circuit with a win and four runner-up placings in his five starts this term, the last of which was behind fellow Dubai World Cup hope Hypothetical, trained by Salem bin Ghadayer, in the Al Maktoum Challenge Round 3 (G1), which is contested over the same track and trip as the Dubai World Cup.

“Remorse is a lovely horse and has gone up from handicaps to Group Ones,” Seemar said. “He's a very honest horse and with a bit of luck and a good draw anything could happen really. He did a half mile gallop worked in company worked well and looks fit and healthy and is good to go.”

The post Dubai World Cup: Life Is Good ‘Settled In Well,’ Country Grammer Enjoying ‘Straightforward’ Preparations appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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The question everyone wants to know in Saturday's $400,000 Twinspires.com Fair Grounds Oaks (G2) in New Orleans, La.: what will 2021 juvenile filly champion Echo Zulu do for an encore in 2022?

Since hitting the racetrack last summer at Saratoga, the Gun Runner filly has been everything and more for her owners, L & N Racing and Winchell Thoroughbreds. She navigated her way through an undefeated juvenile season that included three prestigious Grade 1 wins, capped off with a dominating effort in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1).

Unbeaten from four starts, Echo Zulu was installed as a prohibitive 3-5 favorite on the morning line in the field of six. She has largely gone untested with a wicked front-running style, winning her four starts by a combined 22 lengths.

“We are excited to get started with her,” trainer Steve Asmussen said. “She is doing extremely well. She has put in some impressive moves over the racetrack and she just trains beautifully like she always has.”

She will break for the first time in her career from the rail post position under Joel Rosario in a field which also includes graded stakes winners Turnerloose and Hidden Connection.

“She drew the rail so we have to get away from there cleanly and Joel will have a good ways to the first turn to get her in good position,” Asmussen added. “She has handled everything extremely well that we have thrown at her up to this point.  We are giving the Fair Grounds Oaks its fair due. I don't want to talk about the next one until she runs in the Oaks here but certainly we have high hopes this year for her.”

Asmussen, who also trains the 7-5 morning line Louisiana Derby favorite Epicenter, has won the Fair Grounds Oaks three times previously – with Lady Tak in 2003 and for Winchell Thoroughbreds in 2005 with Summerly and again in 2014 with Untapable.

Contested at 1 1/16 miles on the main track, the Fair Grounds Oaks serves as a major prep for the Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1) and rewards points on a 100-40-20-10 scale. With 30 points earned in her wins in the Frizette (G1) and the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1), Echo Zulu is currently ranked sixth on the Kentucky Oaks leaderboard.

Echo Zulu will see a couple of familiar faces from the Breeders Cup in the gate in Sequist (8-1) and Hidden Connection (5-1), but Ike and Dawn Thrash's Turnerloose (6-1) poses a new threat off her victory last month in the Rachel Alexandra Stakes (G2) presented by Fasig Tipton.

Making her dirt debut in that race for trainer Brad Cox, Turnerloose worked out a favorable trip to upset the field at 17-1 odds under regular pilot Florent Geroux. Cox knows his filly will need an improved effort if she is going to get past the champion in the long Fair Grounds stretch.

“It's going to be a tough test, but we expect her to run well,” Cox said. “She's already earned enough points to get into the Kentucky Oaks. I guess it's better to run against her (Echo Zulu) now than if she had another month of training under her belt. We will take our shot. It's a short field and we should be in a good position. Hopefully we are more fit and the one race we had this year will carry us a little and she can get there.”

Having won the last two editions of the Fair Grounds Oaks with Bonny South (2020) and Travel Column (2021), Cox was quick to point out that Echo Zulu could be a one-of-a-kind horse.

“She's one of the best 2-year-old fillies I've seen in at least the last 10 years,” he lauded. “Danced in three grade ones and was impressive in all of them.”

Hidden Connection drew the outside post of the six entrants but that's far better than the outside 11-post she dealt with last time out as the favorite in the Rachel Alexandra. The daughter of Connect used her speed early to try and establish position into the clubhouse turn which set off some quick fractions up front. She gained a two-length lead past the three-eighths pole but couldn't hold off a trio of closers in the lane. She settled for fourth, but was only beaten a little over three lengths. Trainer Bret Calhoun expects his filly to improve in her second start off the layoff.

“I don't want to make excuses about her not being 100% (in the Rachel Alexandra), she couldn't overcome a few obstacles,” Calhoun said. “I didn't have her tight enough. I thought it was an okay race and was confident we would move forward. Since that race, everything has gone perfect. She's trained like I wanted her to, every work has been great, she's been herself the whole time. I think she's ready to take a step forward and be who she is and what we've always thought she was.”

Owned by Hidden Brook Farm and Black Type Thoroughbreds, Hidden Connection will again get the services of Reylu Gutierrez in the irons. Calhoun is keenly aware this may be the best time to take on the likes of Echo Zulu.

“If you're going to face the champ, this is the time to do it,” he said. “She's a great filly, but she is at a little bit of a disadvantage as far as recency goes.”

Recent Fair Grounds allowance winner Bernabreezy offers a longshot option from the barn of Matt Shirer. The daughter of Bernardini owns a pair of two-turn off-the-pace wins locally with a third-place finish in the Silverbulletday in January sandwiched in between those efforts for Nelson McMakin and Aaron Kennedy.

“She was a little bit on edge for the Silverbulletday,” Shirer admitted. “She was on her toes in the paddock a little bit more than I thought she would be. And when we sent her out for the post parade, I could tell she was really wanting to get after it. When she broke from the gate, she was a little bit too sharp. She wasn't rank, but she did throw her head once or twice going into the first turn.”

Bernabreezy rebounded nicely in her allowance win on Feb. 18 where she defeated Sequist, who was making her sophomore debut for trainer Dallas Stewart after being Grade 1 placed as a juvenile.

“We schooled her a bunch more going into the allowance the other day,” Shirer said. “And it just seemed like she was a lot more relaxed. She saved her energy. She just wants to sit back and make one big run. I thought she showed a huge turn of foot. James (jockey Graham) kind of cut the corner on the turn, and at the three-sixteenths she really accelerated. She passed horses and then geared down a little bit, so I need to make sure to teach her to keep going and finish through the wire.”

From post four, Fair Grounds' leading rider James Graham retains the mount.

Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher will ship in Stonestreet Stables' Favor to make her stakes debut here after a pair of wins this winter going a one-turn mile at Gulfstream Park. The 3-year-old daughter of Pioneerof the Nile has been the favorite in all three lifetime starts.

Pletcher was second last month in the Rachel Alexandra Stakes with Goddess of Fire.

The field for the Twinspires.com Fair Grounds Oaks (race 11 at 5:12 CST) with post position, jockey/trainer and morning line odds: L and N Racing & Winchell Thoroughbreds Echo Zulu (post 1, Joel Rosario/Steve Asmussen, 3-5 ML), earner of $1.48 million dollars from her four wins as a 2-year-old; Ike and Dawn Thrash's Turnerloose (post 2, Florent Geroux/Brad Cox, 6-1 ML), currently third on the Kentucky Oaks leaderboard with 50 points; Stonestreet Stables' Favor (post 3, Tyler Gaffalione/Todd Pletcher, 8-1 ML), making her two-turn debut; Nelson McMakin and Aaron Kennedy's Bernabreezy (post 4, James Graham/Matt Shirer, 8-1 ML) making her graded stakes debut; West Point Thoroughbred, Gervais Racing, Charles Pigg, Stewart Racing Stables, Tom Andres and Karen Kraft's Sequist (post 5, Junior Alvarado/Dallas Stewart, 8-1 ML) who is Grade 1-placed thanks to a third place finish in the Alcibiades (G1) at Keeneland last year; Hidden Brook Farm and Black Type Thoroughbreds' Hidden Connection (post 6, Reylu Gutierrez/Bret Calhoun, 5-1 ML) winner of the Pocahontas Stakes (G3) at Churchill Downs.

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