Tag: Racing

Fort Erie Hosting Its First Massachusetts-Bred Stakes Race On Tuesday

On Tues, July 21, Fort Erie Race Track will be hosting a Massachusetts-bred Stakes race for the first time. The Rise Jim Stakes will have six contenders for a $35,000 guaranteed purse. The race is for four-year-olds and upwards, foaled in Massachusetts and registered with the Massachusetts Thoroughbred Breeders Association (MTBA).

Dr Blarney, trained by Karl M Grusmark for owner Joseph DiRico is the heavy favorite, with 20 career wins in 28 starts, and $628,000 in career earnings. Jockey Emile Ramsammy will be in the irons, taking over the reigns for Dr Blarney's veteran jockey, Tammi Piermarini. The seven-year-old chestnut gelding by Dublin out of Dr. Capote is the reigning champ of the Rise Jim Stakes, taking the crown in the last three runnings of the race.

The MTBA reached out to Fort Erie in the fall to build a partnership that would allow Fort Erie to host a selection of Massachusetts-bred thoroughbred races throughout the year, after Suffolk Downs race track in Boston shut down at the end of last season.

Due to COVID-19, it has been more challenging to host the races than was anticipated, however arrangements have been made that will allow us to do so safely. All six horses will be shipped across the border in one van. Fort Erie's regular jockeys have been called to ride the stakes race, and local grooms and trainers will be responsible for the horses while they are at Fort Erie. Only the van driver will be coming across with the horses, and will be required to quarantine while in Canada.

“We were happy to establish this partnership with the Massachusetts Thoroughbred Breeders Association to help support Mass-bred racing. We need to do what we can to support thoroughbred racing across North America,” said Tom Valiquette, chief operating and financial officer of the Fort Erie Live Racing Consortium. “With purse money and no where to race, and a track with racing capacity in need of horses, this partnership works well for all parties.”

Racing begins at 1:10 p.m. on Tuesday and continues to be spectator-free. Wagering is available in Ontario through HPI Bet, or fans can watch online at http://forterieracing.com/streaming-and-replays.

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Enable To Seek Historic Treble In Saturday’s King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes

Enable will face a select field of seven rivals in Saturday's King George VI and Queen Elizabeth QIPCO Stakes.

The world-class mare will seek to secure her third victory in the race – a feat that has never been achieved before by any horse.

Having won races all over the world, this race falls very much as part of Enable's plan to secure a historic third win in the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.

Her reappearance run this season came earlier in the month in the Coral-Eclipse where she went down battling to a match-fit Ghayyaith. Since that race connections have reported that she is back where they want her, with assistant trainer Thady Gosden saying “She's very well at the moment, working nicely and has come on a lot for her run at Sandown.”

“At the moment things are going very smoothly. Her attitude is very good at home and physically she's improved a lot.”

Standing in her way will be six rivals from Aidan O'Brien's stable and one additional runner from her own stable.

Of the O'Brien sextet, the obvious challenges come from another star-mare in Magical and colt, Japan. Magical was last seen winning the Pretty Polly Stakes over in Ireland, and is no stranger to a match up with Enable – this would be their sixth meeting with Enable leading 6-0.

Japan has also encountered Enable a couple of times, finishing close to her in both the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and also the Coral-Eclipse at Sandown.

Of the other O'Brien horses, Magic Wand has engaged in plenty of high-class battles around the world so would be an ideal candidate. Anthony Van Dyke was the winner of a thrilling 2019 Investec Derby so has the pedigree to thrive in this race.

Enable's only runner outside of the O'Brien stable comes from her own stable in Fanny Logan. The progressive four-year-old was last seen winning at Ascot when securing a competitive Hardwicke Stakes at the Royal meeting.

Full Line-up:
Anthony Van Dyke, Enable, Fanny Logan, Japan, Magical, Magic Wand, Sir Dragonet, Sovereign

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