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Additional Covid Attendance Restrictions Announced For UK

As there is currently an increased rate of transmission of COVID-19 in the UK, British racing leaders have agreed with the UK Government to impose more stringent racemeeting restrictions beginning on Jan. 1, the British Horseracing Authority announced on Tuesday. Under the new restrictions, no owners will be permitted to attend Tier 4 race meetings and essential staff only are allowed at meetings in Tier 4 areas. In addition, no owners living in Tier 4 will be permitted to attend race meetings in Tiers 1-3. These restrictions also apply to Scotland in areas which are under Level 4 restrictions. Owners are also encouraged to check with individual racecourses before attending. Owners attending race meetings in Tiers 2 and 3 are reminded that they must comply with the BHA’s protocols, as well as national guidance.

The BHA’s Chief Medical Advisor, Dr. Jerry Hill, said on Tuesday, “Racing has worked hard to reduce the risk of transmission of the virus through the tough protocols people have followed when attending race meetings. With the NHS under pressure and a more virulent strain of COVID now circulating, we have agreed that these new restrictions are appropriate to the situation and will keep their use under review for Tiers 2 and 3. No one should attend at all if they feel unwell and any participant showing symptoms should immediately self-isolate and arrange a COVID-19 test.”

“Our priority since June has been to keep racing going as this is vital to the livelihoods of tens of thousands of people who depend upon our industry,” said the BHA’s Chief Operating Officer Richard Wayman. “We have worked hard with government to secure permission for owners to keep attending, with numbers restricted during the national lockdown. Owners are the lifeblood of our sport and we understand the disappointment these additional restrictions will cause. However, the measures, which will be kept constantly under review, will help reduce risk on the racecourse and ensure that racing is able to continue safely through these most challenging times.”

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Monomoy Girl Back To Work: Champion Mare Targeting Feb. 15 Bayakoa

Champion Monomoy Girl is back to work at the Fair Grounds in New Orleans, La., reports the Blood-Horse. The 5-year-old daughter of the late Tapizar breezed three furlongs in :37 flat on Dec. 27, her first work since earning a second Breeder's Cup Distaff win.

“It was just something to get her started, an easy three-eighths by herself,” trainer Brad Cox told the Blood-Horse. “We will start picking up the pace each week moving forward. We will probably do a half (mile) next week and prepare for the (G3) Bayakoa Stakes (on Feb. 15 at Oaklawn Park)—it's a race on Monday. That's our short term goal as of right now. That's what we're targeting with her.”

The seven time G1 winner was offered at the 2020 Fasig-Tipton November breeding stock sale following her Nov. 7 Breeder's Cup Distaff victory at Keeneland. Consigned by ELiTE Sales, the 2018 Champion 3-Year-Old Filly was purchased by Spendthrift Farm for $9.5 million. The new owners of the Eclipse Award-winning mare quickly announced that she would continue her racing career in 2021 with Cox, rather than immediately joining the farm's broodmare band.

Monomoy Girl has earned $4,426,818 on the track thus far, winning 13 of her 15 career starts.

Pletcher Gets An Unexpected Third Candidate For Pegasus Turf In Colonel Liam

Todd Pletcher ended his holiday weekend in a unique situation, reports the Daily Racing Form (DRF). After Colonel Liam's win in the $75,000 Tropical Park Derby at Gulfstream Park, the trainer could be gearing up to run three horses in the Pegasus World Cup Turf on Jan. 25.

Colonel Liam made light work of his rivals with a 3 1/2-length victory on Saturday, recording a final time of 1:40.95 for 1 1/16 miles. This was the son of Liam's Map's second win from three starts on the turf, and his first start since a fourth-place finish in the Saratoga Derby on Aug. 15.

“I thought it was an impressive race – he had to make a bit of an early move and kept going,” Pletcher told DRF. “He's really taken to the turf. We saw that when he won the allowance race at Saratoga. He got into a little trouble in the stakes at Saratoga. We gave him a little freshening, he came back and trained great, and we're really happy to have him back. Hopefully this earns him a spot into the Pegasus Turf. It is an invitational, so I'll lobby for it.”

Pletcher's other two candidates for the Pegasus World Cup Turf are recent allowance winner Social Paranoia and Grade 2 Ft. Lauderdale Stakes victor Largent. The first list of invitees will be announced on Jan. 3.

Japan: Fan-Favorite Filly Chrono Genesis Delivers Popular Repeat Victory In Arima Kinen

Voted first pick by a record number of 214,742 ballots, race favorite Chrono Genesis displayed a determined performance in capturing this year's Arima Kinen (the Grand Prix), her third G1 victory following the 2019 Shuka Sho (G1) and this year's Takarazuka Kinen (the Grand Prix, G1). The Bago filly has become the 15th horse and the second mare to dominate both Grand Prix races following Lys Gracieux last year (11th horse to win both races in the same year). Not only is it the first time in 60 years for a filly/mare to claim the Arima Kinen title two years in a row, but also the record set by fillies/mares to claim G1 races open to both male and female runners in a single season has now been extended to nine.

For the owner, Sunday Racing Co., Ltd., this is their fifth Arima Kinen title, the most in history, as they celebrate their ninth JRA-G1 victory this year alone (three with Gran Alegria, two each with Lucky Lilac and Chrono Genesis, one with Fierement and one with Grenadier Guards) which is also the most claimed in a single season. For both trainer Takashi Saito and jockey Yuichi Kitamura, this is the first JRA-G1 title since their Takarazuka Kinen win with the filly, and fourth and fifth overall, respectively.

The 16-horse field got underway with Babbitt taking the early lead, Authority and Blast Onepiece stalking the pace while Chrono Genesis camped way behind, around fifth from the rear. The gray filly made an early move gradually making headway in the middle of the backstretch and moved up on the field, entering the straight in third. After immediately picking off the tired pacesetter, Chrono Genesis tagged Fierement 100 meters out and battled stride for stride through the lane until the filly finally wore down the second favorite while holding off the strong-closing Salacia to prevail by a neck.

“All I wanted was her to be relaxed and her break wasn't that bad, she was in hand and ran in the same rhythm as before. Yesterday and today, I was in 2,500 meter-races here at Nakayama which enabled me to get warmed up with a good idea of how I wanted her to run. We haven't faced the two Triple Crown winners yet, but I hope she performs well and stays in the spotlight next season,” commented Yuichi Kitamura. “She was in good form and gave us a great impression before the race. I was worried that Yuichi might have made a too early bid, but he was confident and rode her beautifully, holding off the others. This is a dream come true and I have a feeling there will be many more,” added trainer Takashi Saito.

Sent off 11th favorite, Salacia broke from a wide stall before sitting in fourth from the rear right behind the eventual winner and was still trailing near the back when hitting the top of the stretch with a wide move. However, with a monstrous closing kick that was timed the fastest of the field, the five-year-old mare came looming up on the outside to challenge the dueling front runners and while a neck late to pin the winner, caught Fierement right before the wire to steal the runner-up trophy by a neck. Chrono Genesis and Salacia have become the first female runners to notch the top two places in the history of the race.

Moving up from mid-pack to second before hitting the backstretch and turning the final corners in good striking position, second pick Fierement entered the straight first but could not repel the determined challenge from the winner and was also caught right before the wire by the fast-closing Salacia to finish third.

Other Horses:
4th: (7) Lucky Lilac—sat 3-wide around 9th, gradually advanced, showed effort, no match for top 3 finishers
5th: (5) World Premiere—hugged rails around 5th, fell back turning final corners, quickened between horses
5th: (10) Curren Bouquetd'or—ran 3-wide around 8th, advanced to 3rd by final corner, lacked needed kick
7th: (8) Persian Knight—saved ground around 9th, angled out, showed belated charge
8th: (3) Crescendo Love—settled around 5th, dropped back rounding final corners, even paced
9th: (15) Ocea Great—sat 3-wide around 5th, showed brief effort until 100m marker
10th: (4) Loves Only You—raced around 9th, angled out but met traffic at early stretch, never a threat
11th: (16) You Can Smile—took economic trip near rear, showed little at stretch
12th: (6) Kiseki—was off slow, traveled 3-wide around 14th, advanced in backstretch, nothing left at stretch
13th: (1) Babbitt—set slow pace, faded after surrendering lead at top of stretch
14th: (12) Authority—tracked leader around 2nd, ridden after 3rd corner but outrun
15th: (11) Mozu Bello—broke poorly, trailed in rear, no factor
FF: (2) Blast Onepiece—stalked leader, fell back in backstretch, pulled up due to atrial fibrillation

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