Tag: Racing

Top Stayer Stradivarius To Chase Historic Fourth Victory In Goodwood Cup

Stradivarius heads a field of seven runners entered for next weeks Al Shaqab Goodwood Cup on day one of the Qatar Goodwood Festival.

The Stayers King has become a household name in the racing world as a whole and next Tuesday he will look to tread where no horse has trodden before – a fourth visit to the Al Shaqab Goodwood Cup winner's enclosure.

A record in this race will be another glittering achievement on a CV that already consists of three Gold Cups, two Yorkshire Cups, one Doncaster Cup and one QIPCO British Champions Long Distance Cup.

Six rivals stand between the much-loved John Gosden-trained chestnut and a fourth victory on the Sussex Downs.

His most serious opponent appears the Aidan O'Brien trained Santiago. The progressive son of Authorized looked very smart when winning the Queen's Vase at Royal Ascot before stepping up again to win the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby last time out.

Other notable runners in the field include Nayef Road who was beaten 10 lengths in to second by Stradivarius in the Gold Cup, and Eagles By Day who ran out a ready winner of the John Smith's Silver Cup at York last weekend.

All eyes, however, will be on one horse as he bids to further cement his name into British racing folk-law.

Full Entries:

Eagles By Day, Euchen Glen, Nayef Road, Santiago, Spanish Mission, Stradivarius, Who Dares Wins

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Tom’s D’Etat Tops First Week Of Breeders’ Cup Classic Rankings

GMB Racing's 7-year-old Tom's d'Etat, winner of the Stephen Foster Stakes (G2), leads the first week of tabulated votes for the 2020 Longines Breeders' Cup Classic Rankings, a weekly rating of the top 10 horses in contention for the $7 million Longines Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington on November 7.

The Breeders' Cup Classic Rankings are determined by a panel of leading Thoroughbred racing media, horseplayers and members of the Breeders' Cup Racing Directors/Secretaries Panel. Rankings will be announced each week through October 13. A list of voting members can be found here.

In the Breeders' Cup Classic Rankings, each voter rates horses on a 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 system in descending order.

Tom's d'Etat, a Kentucky-bred son of Smart Strike, trained by Al Stall Jr., topped all Classic contenders this week with 292 votes. Earning a “Win and You're In” berth into the Breeders' Cup Classic with his runaway 4 ¼-length victory in the 1 1/8-mile Stephen Foster on June 27 at Churchill Downs, Tom's d'Etat scored his second triumph of 2020, following a win in the Oaklawn Mile Stakes on April 11.

Gary and Mary West, Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith's 4-year-old Maximum Security (243 votes) is in second place. Now trained by Bob Baffert, Maximum Security won the inaugural $20 million Saudi Cup in February. A bay son of 2013 Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) winner New Year's Day, Maximum Security was the 2019 3-year-old Male Eclipse Award winner. Maximum Security is expected to start in this Saturday's San Diego Handicap (G2) at Del Mar. Baffert won the Breeders' Cup Classic in consecutive years with Bayern (2014), American Pharoah (2015) and Arrogate (2016).

Sackatoga Stable's Tiz the Law (210 votes) is one of two 3-year-olds in the top 10. Ranked third, Tiz the Law is unbeaten in three starts this year, taking the Holy Bull (G3), the Florida Derby (G1) and the 1 1/8-mile Belmont Stakes (G1) on June 20. Trainer Barclay Tagg has pointed the New York-bred son of Constitution to the Runhappy Travers Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Course on Aug. 8.

W.S. Farish's 4-year-old Code of Honor is ranked fourth with 200 votes. Winner of the Westchester Stakes (G3), and a third-place finisher in the Metropolitan Handicap (G1), Code of Honor won both the Travers Stakes and The Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) before finishing seventh in last year's Breeders' Cup Classic for trainer Claude R. “Shug” McGaughey.

Garnering the fifth-most votes in the poll is Bloom Racing, Madaket Stables and Allen Racing's 5-year-old mare Midnight Bisou. The Steve Asmussen-trained dark bay daughter of Midnight Lute stormed from the back of the pack against male rivals in the Saudi Cup in January and finished second, just three-quarters of a length behind Maximum Security at the wire. Midnight Bisou (174 votes) continued her solid form in her return to the races last month, dominating the Fleur de Lis (G2) at Churchill Downs, for fillies and mares, romping to an 8 ¼-length victory.

CRK Stable's Honor A. P. is the second 3-year-old in the top 10 of this week's rankings, taking the sixth position. Trained by John Shirrreffs, who saddled Zenyatta to victory in the 2009 Breeders' Cup Classic, Honor A. P. (125 votes) won the Runhappy Santa Anita Derby (G1) on June 6.

Allied Racing Stable's By My Standards (122 votes) is next in seventh place. By My Standards has won two Grade 2 stakes this year for trainer Bret Calhoun. The 4-year-old bay son of two-time Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) winner Goldencents registered victories in the New Orleans Handicap and the Oaklawn Handicap before finishing second to Tom's d'Etat in the Stephen Foster.

Juddmonte Farms' 4-year-old Tacitus (92 votes), in eighth place, ended a long winless drought in his last start, rolling to a 8 ¾-length victory in the Suburban Stakes (G2) at Belmont Park on July 4. His trainer, Bill Mott, has saddled Breeders' Cup Classic winners Cigar (1995) and Drosselmeyer (2011).

R.A. Hill Stable and Gatsas Stable's 4-year-old Vekoma, is next in ninth place with 83 votes. Trained by George Weaver, Vekoma is unbeaten in three starts this year, two of those being Breeders' Cup Challenge Series races at shorter distances. The chestnut son of Candy Ride (ARG) won both the Runhappy Carter Handicap (G1), for the Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1), and the Runhappy Metropolitan Handicap (G1), for the Big Ass Fans Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1).

Rounding out the top 10 is the 4-year-old Improbable (82 votes), owned by WinStar Farm, China Horse Club International and SF Racing. Trained by Bob Baffert, Improbable won the 1 ¼-mile Hollywood Gold Cup (G1) at Santa Anita on June 6.

Breeders' Cup Classic Rankings – July 21, 2020*

RANK HORSE TOTAL VOTES FIRST-PLACE VOTES
1 Tom's d'Etat 292 17
2 Maximum Security 243 9
3 Tiz the Law 210 2
4 Code of Honor 200 2
5 Midnight Bisou 174 3
6 Honor A. P. 125 0
7 By My Standards 122 0
8 Tacitus 92 0
9 Vekoma 83 1
10 Improbable 82 0

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Nobody Puts Bode In A Corner: After Late Scratch In Monmouth Cup, Bodexpress Nominated To Whitney

After a late scratch from Saturday's Grade 3 Monmouth Cup, fan-favorite Bodexpress has been nominated to the Grade 1 Whitney Stakes at Saratoga on Aug. 1, reports bloodhorse.com.

The 4-year-old son of Bodemeister, best-known for his riderless romp in the 2019 Preakness Stakes, was scratched by the state veterinarian when it was noted that the colt was bleeding near his nostrils. Gustavo Delgado, Jr., the assistant and 31-year-old son of trainer Gustavo Delgado, said the blood was due to a scratch on Bodexpress' nose incurred while he shipped to Monmouth Park.

“This horse is full of stories, but this one is not because of him,” said Delgado Jr. “He behaved well and he was doing everything that he had to do. He came back good, scoped fine, and he's already home and walked this morning.”

Bodexpress jumped onto the racing scene with a second-place finish as a maiden in the 2019 Florida Derby, running just behind Maximum Security. He finished 13th in the Kentucky Derby, and spun back to run in the Preakness Stakes two weeks later. The temperamental colt reared and lost jockey John Velazquez at the start, then ran around the Pimlico oval on his own before he was eventually corralled by an outrider. The antics earned Bodexpress a large fan following on social media.

He returned to the races five months later, breaking his maiden at Gulfstream Park West, and concluded his sophomore season with a third-place finish as the favorite in the G3 Harlan's Holiday at Gulfstream.

In January, Bodexpress ran fifth in the G1 Pegasus World Cup, but finished an uncharacteristic 11th in the Gulfstream Park Mile one month later. He returned in March to be third in the G3 Hal's Hope, again as the post-time favorite.

Overall, Bodexpress' record stands at 2-3-2 from 13 starts for earnings of $359,500.

Read more at bloodhorse.com.

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