Tag: Racing

Almond Eye First Japanese Horse To Capture Eight Grade 1 Titles

Overwhelming favorite Almond Eye showcased another compelling performance and claimed a back-to-back Tenno Sho (Autumn) title on Sunday, the first since Symboli Kris S in 2002 and 2003. While she is now the sixth horse to mark seven JRA-G1 wins, the 5-year-old Lord Kanaloa mare has gone down in history to become the first JRA horse ever to capture eight G1 titles over turf including the 2019 Dubai Turf.

This is the sixth triumph by a filly/mare this year in G1 races opened to both male and female runners, renewing the record of five set in 2008. Following the Victoria Mile victory with Almond Eye, trainer Sakae Kunieda now boasts a total of 18 JRA-G1 wins while jockey Christophe Lemaire has now 32 JRA-G1 wins in his pocket, his latest registered last month in the Sprinters Stakes with Gran Alegria. This is Christophe's third consecutive Tenno Sho (Autumn) victory following the 2018 version with Rey de Oro and 2019 with Almond Eye, and fifth consecutive Tenno Sho victory, a new JRA record, which includes the 2019 and 2020 Spring version with Fierement.

Almond Eye was placed in handy position, in fourth to fifth, after breaking from stall nine while Danon Premium led the field two to three lengths in front of Daiwa Cagney and Kiseki in that order. Chasing the three into the stretch, the star of the show had no trouble finding her stride, steadily accelerating to inherit the lead from Danon Premium just after the furlong pole and pulled away while holding off the strong enclosure of Fierement for a half-length victory.

“Today, the mare was relaxed before the start and we were able to break well. She showed a great turn of foot in the straight but ran out of steam a bit climbing the hill. The others were gaining on us but she didn't give up. I have to admit, to win the eighth G1 title was a big pressure, but she didn't let us down—her performance was awesome. Her future lay in the hands of the owner and trainer but I would very much like to ride her again,” commented a slightly teary Christophe Lemaire after the race.

Fifth pick Fierement traveled in around 10th behind Chrono Genesis and switched to the outside after struggling to find a clear path at the top of the stretch. Accelerating impressively with the fastest last-three-furlong speed and although unable to tag the winner, this year's victor of the spring version dug in well to cross the wire a neck in front of Chrono Genesis for second.

Second favorite Chrono Genesis sat in front of Fierement in the early stages, circled wide for the stretch run and with the second-fastest late drive, swooped pass the pacesetter less than 100 meters out but was caught by the runner-up at the wire.

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Study: Whip Use Doesn’t Improve Steering, Finishing Times In Races

Researchers say a new study published in the open-access journal Animals fails to support the most common justifications for whip use in Thoroughbred racing. The research team was led by cultural anthropologist Dr. Kirrilly Thompson and its third author was Dene Stansall, horse consultant for the animal rights group Animal Aid in Britain. The team set out to examine whether whips improved a rider's ability to steer, prevent interference, and to ride horses out to their best ability.

Whip use is believed to give every horse, jockey, owner and trainer an equal chance of winning. Researchers say that the idea of whip use being critical to racing integrity is a cultural belief and that its actual impact on steering and safety have not previously been scientifically studied.

For the study, the team looked at stewards' reports for 125 British flat races that included 1,178 jockeys and their horses. Of these, 67 races were considered “hands and heels” races, where whips were carried but not used, and 59 races where whip use was permitted.

The team compared stewards' reports between hands and heels races and conventional races and determined there was no significant difference between the two groups as far as interference or drifting on course or reported incidents of jockey misbehavior. Steward reports in both categories indicated an urgent need to improve steering, which prompted the team to suggest racehorses be better trained to respond to weight shifting or opening a rein to prevent drifting.

The team also found no statistical difference between finishing times in hands and heels versus conventional whip races, which researchers interpreted to mean that horses were no more compelled to maximum performance by use of the whip. The study did not appear to examine differences in an individual horse's performance in races with and without conventional whip use.

The team recommends whipping-free races could be adopted without compromising racing integrity. They also note that any costs to introducing whipping-free races would be exceeded by the benefits to horse welfare and public perception.

Read the full study here.

Read more at HorseTalk.

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Strongconstitution Completes Five-Win Day For Cedillo At Del Mar

Abel Cedillo said he was feeling “lucky” when racing began Sunday afternoon at Del Mar. He had nine races to ride on the nine-race card at the seaside track north of San Diego, Calif., and when he won the first one, he said his confidence went up.

By the time the day was done, the 31-year-old Guatemalan was brimming with conviction after he finished first five times, including a daring ride in the day's feature – the $75,000 Let It Ride Stakes aboard Roadrunner Racing or Sayjay Racing's Strongconstitution that got him home by a head.

The mile grass race for 3-year-olds unfolded well enough for Cedillo as he lay up close along the rail, but heading home he had to step on the brakes as the field bunched at the head of the stretch.  The rider looked outside, but quickly wheeled his Constitution colt alongside the fence where there was the smallest of holes. But both rider and horse were game and they dove on through and then held off Hronis Racing's Heywoods Beach for the score.

Finishing third three-quarters of a length farther back was MyRacehorse.com or Spendthrift Farm's Lane Way.

Strongconstitution ran the mile in 1:34.09 and returned $7.20, $4.20 and $2.80. Heywoods Beach paid $7.60 and $4.60 and Lane Way returned $2.80.

Cedillo's earlier winners on the card were 1st Race – Speilberg ($3.80); 2nd Race – War Path ($8.60); 4th Race – Freedom Lass ($13.00), and 5th Race – Chollima ($5.40).

The victory run puts Cedillo on the lead in the local jockey standings after two days of racing to start the 15-day Bing Crosby Season at Del Mar.

Racing returns to the seaside oval Friday with an eight-race card around five Breeders' Cup Championship races from Keeneland in Lexington, KY.

ABEL CEDILLO (Strongconstitution, winner) – “Five wins today, wow. I was feeling lucky and when I won a close one with that first one (Spielberg by a neck in the first race), I had lots of confidence. Then I rode with that confidence from there on out. I'd won five races on a single day once before up at Golden Gate Fields, but this is a first down here. My horse (Strongconstitution) ran strong in the stakes. We got through inside and he got it done.”

LEANDRO MORA, assistant to Doug O'Neill (Strongconstitution, winner) – “He was training really nice up to the race and that told us he was ready. We got pretty worried up to the last quarter mile because he got blocked pretty good. But when he got through on the rail we were praying for the other one (stablemate Rookie Mistake) get up there too, and it almost happened. Two winners, one a day (on opening weekend for Team O'Neill), which is nice and keeps everybody smiling”

FRACTIONS:  :22.32  :45.62  1:10.16  1:22.45  1:34.09

The stakes win was the first in the Let It Ride for Cedillo and his first of the meeting. He now has nine stakes wins at Del Mar.

The stakes win was the in the Let It Ride for trainer O'Neill and his first of the meeting. He now has 39 stakes wins at Del Mar.

The winning owners are Greg Helm ((Roadrunner Racing) of La Quinta, CA and Stephen Young (Sayjay Racing) of Baldwin Park, CA.

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