With so many stakes for 3-year-olds bunched together in a small time period, it was inevitable that at least one of them would come up with the short end of the stick in terms of graded stakes talent. From the looks of it, Saturday’s $350,000, Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks at Saratoga is the one.
Tag: Racing
6-Year-Old Exultant Named Hong Kong Horse Of The Year
Exultant's outstanding exploits during the 2019/20 season earned the multiple Group 1 victor the Hong Kong Horse of the Year award at a special presentation function held at Sha Tin Racecourse on Thursday, July 16.
The Tony Cruz-trained 6-year-old was also named Champion Middle-Distance Horse and Champion Stayer for the second consecutive year.
Exultant is the first horse since River Verdon in 1991/92 to win the Horse of the Year title in the same season as capturing both the G1 FWD Queen Elizabeth II Cup and the G1 Standard Chartered Champions & Chater Cup. Only two other Hong Kong champions, Top Grade and Quicken Away, have achieved the same feat.
The five-time G1 winner showed uncommon class and resolution during the campaign, in which he finished in the frame in all of his seven starts. In addition to his two G1 wins, the Teofilo gelding also took the G2 Jockey Club Cup and the G3 Centenary Vase Handicap, and was placed in the G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Vase, the G1 Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup and the G3 Sa Sa Ladies' Purse Handicap.
Golden Sixty was the deserving winner of the newly-introduced Four-Year-Old Champion award. The Francis Lui-trained galloper became only the second horse after Rapper Dragon to win all three legs of the Four-Year-Old Classic Series, including the BMW Hong Kong Derby.
The Medaglia d'Oro gelding went through the season unbeaten with seven wins, and also tasted his first Group success in the G3 Chinese Club Challenge Cup Handicap. Lui's stable star matched brilliance with versatility, with his wins ranging from 1200m to 2000m.
Golden Sixty also secured the bulk of the public vote to claim the Most Popular Horse title.
Two-time Hong Kong Horse of the Year Beauty Generation lost his outright crown but was named Champion Miler for a remarkable third season in a row. The Road To Rock seven-year-old remained a significant force at the highest level, and completed a hat-trick of wins in the G1 Queen's Silver Jubilee Cup. John Moore's stable standout also won the G3 Celebration Cup for the third time in succession; and earned three G1 placings with his seconds in the Stewards' Cup and the FWD Champions Mile, and third in the LONGINES Hong Kong Mile.
Beat The Clock was named the season's Champion Sprinter for the second year. The John Size-trained six-year-old was a dual G1 victor this term, claiming the LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint and the Centenary Sprint Cup, a race he also won in the 2018/19 season. The Hinchinbrook gelding continued to be a model of consistency with two wins, one third and one fifth from just four starts this term.
Good Luck Friend was named the season's Champion Griffin after securing four wins from six starts. The Ricky Yiu-trained three-year-old achieved his career highlight to date in a Class 3 1200m at Sha Tin, defeating seasoned gallopers to achieve a rating of 85.
The Jimmy Ting-trained Amazing Star was named the season's Most Improved Horse. He started the campaign on a rating of 58 and rocketed 42 points to a mark of 100 after four wins in just six starts.
Ricky Yiu was honored with the Champion Trainer title. The battle for the championship was settled at the season finale and Yiu was most deserving of his first title, having led for most of the season and repelled all challengers with a final total of 67 wins.
Zac Purton was crowned Champion Jockey for a fourth time. The Australian rider had a fantastic season of achievements, including becoming the only rider in history to have won every Group 1 race on the Hong Kong calendar thanks to Exultant's score in the FWD QEII Cup.
Vincent Ho won the Tony Cruz Award as the season's leading homegrown rider and also won the public vote to earn the Most Popular Jockey of the Year accolade.
Retiring trainer John Moore was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award for his great contribution to Hong Kong racing over almost 50 years.
The post 6-Year-Old Exultant Named Hong Kong Horse Of The Year appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
Summer Assault Wins Mystic Lake Derby At Canterbury Park
Jockey Jareth Loveberry had a very good night at Canterbury Park in Shakopee, Minn. He won the $100,000 Mystic Lake Derby on the Summer Front gelding, Summer Assault, for trainer Michele Boyce and owners Kevin Marko, Last Call Racing Partnership, Union Park Thoroughbreds and Cherrywood Racing Stables II. He also won the $50,000 Honor the Hero Stakes, going gate to wire in 54.77 seconds aboard favorite Wellabled while setting the five furlong turf record.
Summer Assault beat favorite Angelus Warrior by one length, riding the rail to the finish line, covering one mile on the firm turf in 1:34.15, the fastest time in nine renditions of the race. “He sat nice and relaxed off the pace,” Loveberry said. “He was a little hesitant when we [turned] for home. But he took off and finished strong. He finished good.” Summer Assault paid $6.40 to win.
Wellabled, who paid $3.20 to win, is trained by Larry Rivelli for owner Carolyn Wilson. Chief Cicatriz finished second by one-half length while making his first turf start for trainer Shawn Davis.
Tut's Revenge and rider Roimes Chirinos tracked pacesetter Primo Touch before taking the lead in upper stretch and holding off challenges from favorite Temple and second-place finisher Giant Payday to win the $75,000 Mystic Lake Mile by a head in 1:33.17, a course record time for one mile on the turf. Tut's Revenge is trained by Clinton Stuart for Claim To Fame Stable. He paid $12.80 to win.
Streak of Luck wired the $75,000 Lady Canterbury field, ridden by Leandro Goncalves. The 5-year-old gray mare paid $14.80 to win. She is owned by Carrie Brogden, James Keogh and Roncelli Family Trust and is trained by Kelly Ackerman.
“She broke sharp. I couldn't believe I was going so easy and nobody came up to me,” Goncalves said. “I was thinking like, wow, they're going to be in trouble. When I called on her she took off. She was just much the best today.”
Ask Bailey won the one mile on the turf $50,000 Northbound Pride Oaks, charging from last to first and drawing away to win by 4 1/4 lengths under Francisco Arrieta for trainer Michael Maker. The betting favorite returned $4.60. Arrieta secured the mount when jockey Florent Geroux, sixth nationally in purse earnings, received a positive test for COVID-19 and was unable to travel to Shakopee.
Handle for the nine race program was $2,162,165, the largest total through 19 days of the race meet.
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U.S.’s First 2-Year-Old Winner Quinoa Tifah Returns In Thursday’s Schuylerville
Arindel Farm's Quinoa Tifah, the winner of the first race for 2-year-olds in the U.S. this year at Gulfstream Park, is set to make her much-anticipated return in Thursday's Schuylerville (G3) on Saratoga's opening-day program.
The Arindel homebred will be joined in the six-furlong sprint for 2-year-old fillies by two other recent Gulfstream winners, J Stables LLC and Reeves Thoroughbred Racing's Queen Arella and Briannjenn Racing LLC's Hara.
Juan Alvarado-trained Quinoa Tifah chased the heavily favored Lime before scoring over the Wesley Ward trainee by three-quarters of a length in a $65,000 maiden special weight race April 16 at Gulfstream. The Florida-bred daughter of Gemologist, who is not eligible for the upcoming Florida Sire Stakes series, ran 4 ½-furlongs in 52 seconds. Manny Franco has the call.
Queen Arella overcame a very troubled start in a May 29 maiden special weight race at Gulfstream to win her debut going away by four lengths. The Roderick Rodriguez-trained filly provided freshman sire Speightster with his first winner, running five furlongs in 59.54 seconds. Joel Rosario has the mount aboard the New York-bred filly.
Hara, who set a pressured pace before settling for second behind by Queen Arella in her debut, came back to score an impressive front-running eight-length victory at Gulfstream June 19. Tyler Gaffalione, a multi-meet champion at Gulfstream fresh off winning titles at Keeneland and Churchill Downs, has the call.
John Oxley's Beautiful Memories, a handy 10-length winner at Churchill in her recent debut for trainer Mark Casse, has been installed as the 6-5 morning-line favorite.
One race later on the Saratoga card, Global Thoroughbred and Top Racing LLC's Caracaro, an impressive maiden winner during Gulfstream's Championship Meet, is scheduled to make his long-awaited return to action in the Peter Pan (G3).
Trained by Gustavo Delgado, the son of Uncle Mo has been idle since scoring an eye-catching six-length victory at a mile Jan. 11. Hall of Famer Javier Castellano has the call on Caracaro, who set a pressured pace in his Dec. 8 debut at Gulfstream before finishing second to a next-out winner. Mathis Stable LLC's Candy Tycoon, who broke his maiden at Gulfstream before finishing second in the Fountain of Youth (G2), is along among the eight 3-year-olds entered in the 1 1/8-mile race.
Saffie Joseph Jr., the Gulfstream Spring/Summer Meet's leading trainer, has sent multiple graded-stakes winner Tonalist's Shape to Saratoga for Saturday's Coaching Club American Oaks (G1). Owned by Slam Dunk Racing, Doug Branham and Legacy Ranch Inc., the daughter of Tonalist, is currently ninth in qualifying points for the Sept. 2 Kentucky Oaks (G1) at Churchill Downs. Tonalist's Shape, an impressive allowance winner at Gulfstream in her most recent start, won the Forward Gal (G3) and the Davona Dale (G2) during the Championship Meet.
Joseph is also scheduled to send out Ny Traffic for Saturday's $1 million Haskell (G1) at Monmouth Park. The 3-year-old son of Cross Traffic, who is owned by John Fanelli, Cash is King LLC, LC Racing and Paul Braverman, won an allowance at Gulfstream in his first start for Joseph before finishing third in the Risen Star (G2) and second in both the Louisiana Derby (G2) at Fair Grounds and the Matt Winn (G3) at Churchill Downs. Ny Traffic is currently eighth in qualifying points for the Sept. 3 Kentucky Derby (G1) at Churchill.
Grupo 7C Racing Stable's Jesus' Team, a runner-up to Sole Volante in a stakes-quality allowance at Gulfstream last time out, was also entered in the Haskell by trainer Jose D'Angelo.
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