The jockeys represented in Saturday’s 152ndBelmont Stakes at Belmont Park represent some of the best in the sport, including three prior Belmont Stakes-winning riders and two making their very first start in the classic. Read on to learn more about each jockey slated to compete in the Belmont, including their past history in the race and their overall accomplishments.
Tag: Racing
Royal Ascot Day Two: Lord North Shows Up For Gosden In Prince Of Wales’s Stakes
The second day of the 2020 Royal Ascot meeting was highlighted by the Group 1 Prince Of Wales's Stakes, a 1 1/4-mile contest for 4-year-olds and up. James Doyle and Lord North quicked impressively in the final furlong to win going away, defeating three previous Royal Ascot winners in Japan, Barney Roy, and Addeybb in the process.
Lord North, a 4-year-old son of Dubawi, was conditioned by trainer John Gosden for his 52nd victory at the Royal Meeting. The colt won a Group 3 race at Haydock on June 7 to kick off his 2020 season, and is now two-for-two on the year.
In Wednesday's first race, William Knight saddled his first Royal winner when Sir Busker was partnered to a 3/4-length success by jockey Oisin Murphy in the Silver Royal Hunt Cup. The 4-year-old by Sir Prancealot won his first start of the season on June 2 at Newcastle.
“(Sir Busker) was my first runner from the new yard, and my father died that morning, so he means quite a lot to me, this horse,” said Knight, who moved from West Sussex to Newmarket in May. “It is a great facility that we are in in Newmarket, and it's just lovely to have started off so well and to have my first Royal Ascot winner is the icing on the cake. Elated, very, very happy. It is such a shame that we can't enjoy it all with the owners, Kennet Valley, because they are such a lovely group of people; I'm sure there would have been a good booze-up in the car park afterwards, but we will have to wait and get home to do that.”
Ryan Moore scored his 60th victory at the Royal Meeting in the day's second race, piloting Aidan O'Brien trainee Russian Emperor to a half-length triumph in the Group 3 Hampton Court Stakes. The 3-year-old son of Galileo out of multiple Group 1 winner Atlantic Jewel (Fastnet Rock) may be considered for the Epsom Derby next out.
“He is a lovely colt, straightforward and with a good attitude,” said Moore. “He was very professional; he has had the benefit of a couple of runs this year and let us see if he will keep progressing. He has a very good pedigree – his dam was exceptional in Australia. I think he will be a nice horse going forward for the rest of the year.”
Jockey Jim Crowley rode his fourth winner of the week when delivering Hukum with a perfectly timed challenge to take the mile and a half King George V Handicap by half a length in the afternoon's third race. It was also a fourth win of the week for owner Hamdan Al Maktoum while it was a first ever Royal Ascot success for trainer Owen Burrows.
“As a kid and when I was battling around Fontwell and Plumpton 20 years ago, I would never have dreamed I would be here training a Royal Ascot winner for someone like Sheikh Hamdan,” Burrows said. “All thanks to him for having the trust in me to do the job. I was very fortunate to have had a great grounding at Sir Michael Stoute's where I was around good horses and you can pick up plenty – I have just been very fortunate.”
The post Royal Ascot Day Two: Lord North Shows Up For Gosden In Prince Of Wales’s Stakes appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
Busher Winner Water White ‘Ready To Go’ For Saturday’s Grade 1 Acorn
E.V. Racing Stable's Water White, last out winner of the Busher Invitational on March 7 at the Big A for trainer Rudy Rodriguez, will look to double up in Saturday's Grade 1, $300,000 Longines Acorn at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.
“She's doing well. Hopefully, she'll continue to train well over the next couple of days, but so far so good,” said Rodriguez.
Bred in Kentucky by Richard Forbush, the 3-year-old Conveyance gray graduated at third asking in November at Aqueduct ahead of a fifth in the Grade 2 Demoiselle at nine furlongs in December. She followed up with a five-wide second in the 1 1/8-mile Busanda in her seasonal debut in February ahead of her Busher breakthrough.
Water White has breezed six times since April 28 at Belmont Park, including a swift half-mile in 47.89 May 30 which was followed by another good half-mile in 48.66 on June 9, both efforts on the Belmont main track.
“I breezed her an easy half-mile the other day because she went pretty fast the work before,” said Rodriguez. “She's ready to go. We just have to keep our fingers crossed that we get a good trip.
“She's been working pretty steady,” added Rodriguez. “But they still need to get over there and compete.”
Rodriguez said he is hoping that Water White will be closer to the pace on Saturday.
“She's a grinding horse,” said Rodriguez. “She doesn't have much speed but I'm hoping she can be a little closer. The track has been playing for speed.”
The Acorn offers the winner 50 points toward the Sept. 4 Kentucky Oaks; Water White has 54 points currently and is eighth in the standings.
The veteran conditioner has enjoyed a good start to the Belmont Park spring/summer meet where he is currently fifth in the trainer standings with a record of 4-3-4 from 30 starts.
“The horses have been running very well. I have to thank my owners for being patient through the pandemic,” said Rodriguez.
The probable field for the Grade 1 Longines Acorn includes Casual (Steve Asmussen), Gamine (Bob Baffert), Lucrezia (Arnaud Delacour), Perfect Alibi (Mark Casse), and Pleasant Orb (Barclay Tagg).
The post Busher Winner Water White ‘Ready To Go’ For Saturday’s Grade 1 Acorn appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
Royal Ascot Day One: Circus Maximus Takes Queen Anne Thriller
The 2020 Royal Ascot meeting kicked off on Tuesday afternoon, run without spectators due to the ongoing effects of the global coronavirus pandemic.
Aidan O'Brien and Ryan Moore captured the first Group 1 of the five-day meeting in a thriller when Circus Maximus edged the John Gosden-trained Terebellum at the line to win the Queen Anne Stakes.
It looked as if Frankie Dettori would once again be centre stage at Royal Ascot as he coaxed Terebellum to the front around a furlong and a half out. However, Circus Maximus's stamina edge came into play 50 yards out as he dived past the Godolphin filly to win by a nose.
The Queen Anne was Moore's 59th win at Royal Ascot, and the second for the 4-year-old son of Galileo, who won the G1 St. James's Palace Stakes last June. The win also gave O'Brien his 150th Group 1 victory in the U.K.
Circus Maximus edges out Terebellum in an absolute thriller in the Queen Anne Stakes 🏆
Aidan O'Brien v John Gosden
Ryan Moore v Frankie Dettori
It doesn't get much better than this#RoyalAscot pic.twitter.com/eyjLsOVxpE
— Ascot Racecourse (@Ascot) June 16, 2020
The post Royal Ascot Day One: Circus Maximus Takes Queen Anne Thriller appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
