Tag: Racing

By Maddy Playle

A top sprint rarely takes place without Highfield Princess and, in missing this year's Breeders' Cup at Santa Anita, her trainer, John Quinn, hopes she can give Great Britain a first win in the Longines Hong Kong Sprint (G1) next Sunday at Sha Tin Racecourse.

It is a race local horses have dominated by winning all but six of the 23 runnings since 1999, and in that time the likes of Borderlescott, Sole Power, Society Rock, and Bated Breath have tried and failed for Great Britain. The most recent British runner, Sir Dancealot, finished last in 2018.

However, Highfield Princess, a 6-year-old French-bred Night of Thunder mare, has become one of the most versatile sprinters Great Britain has seen for many years, winning several Group 1s from five furlongs to 6 1/2 furlongs.

A golden spell last autumn saw her win top-level events in three different countries–the Prix de Maurice de Gheest in France, Nunthorpe Stakes in England and Flying Five in Ireland–in just 36 days. She ended her 2022 campaign with a respectable fourth in the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1) at Keeneland, and Quinn believes choosing not to travel to the United States this year will pay off on his first visit to the Longines Hong Kong International Races next Sunday.

“It was a difficult decision, but we purposely skipped (the Breeders' Cup) in the hope we could give her the best chance to get to Hong Kong in top form,” Quinn said of his star, who arrived at Sha Tin on Saturday evening.

“She had a hard race last time, but she had a very easy week afterwards and she's a big mare, so she doesn't need too much time to recover between races.

“We were always thinking this year was going to be a lighter campaign. Her first run was in May and she turned up at every big gig all year and ran brilliantly.”

Those performances included a second and third in the two Group 1 sprints, the King's Stand and Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes just four days apart in June at Royal Ascot, while her first win of the season came in the  King George Qatar Stakes (G2) at Glorious Goodwood in August.

The same month, she came within a length of becoming a consecutive winner of the Nunthorpe, and while an awkward start compromised to her chance in the Flying Five at the Curragh in September, she still persevered to finish fifth.

The resilient mare put that effort behind her with a brave success in the Prix de l'Abbaye (G1) three weeks later, which came on good to soft ground, but Quinn believes the conditions at Sha Tin will play more to her strengths.

“If you look in the form book, you'll have to say her best form is on fast ground,” he said. “She ran two wonderful races at Royal Ascot four days apart on quick going, and the ground when she won the Prix Maurice de Gheest was much quicker than the official description.

“I've been looking at racing from Sha Tin and it looks a beautifully manicured track.”

The trainer is also confident Highfield Princess can adapt to however the race will be run, with Thursday's official draw set to inform plans for jockey Jason Hart.

“During the race we'll let her go forward and find her feet,” Quinn said. “She's shown she doesn't have to make the running, she's very amenable and she can be ridden anywhere. That's a great thing in a racehorse because if you're one-dimensional the opposition knows how to beat you.”

While retaining belief in his mare, Quinn is respectful of the local opposition and their stranglehold on the race.

“I saw Lucky Sweynesse win the Jockey Club Sprint and despite being tardy away he won nicely enough,” he said. “There might be more to come from him. Wellington ran well and so did Victor The Winner.

“They're very good horses, but she's an unbelievable mare. Everything's got to go right, but I'm not afraid and she's not out of place. Horses like her don't come along very often and she's been phenomenal.”

The post ‘Unbelievable Mare’: Highfield Princess To Seek First Hong Kong Sprint Win For Great Britain appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Godolphin's February Stakes (G1) winner and race favorite Lemon Pop led the field wire to wire in the $1,978,626 Champions Cup (G1) Sunday at Chukyo Racecourse and became just the fourth horse to win both of Japan's top-level dirt events in the same year, following Gold Dream in 2017, Transcend in 2011, and Wing Arrow in 2000.

Quick out of the gate from the widest post in the field of 15, Lemon Pop accelerated strongly under Ryusei Sakai to assume command. The 5-year-old Kentucky-bred son of Lemon Drop Kid maintained his lead and continued to run persistently after entering the lane, holding off the strong challenges from behind to win by 1 1/4 lengths.

Lemon Pop completed the 1,800 meters (about 1 1/8 miles) in 1:50.6 on track rated as standard.

“He was quick out of the gate and wanted to go, so I chose to race him in the front,” Sakai said. “Though it was his first 1,800-meter race and the outermost stall was not to his advantage, I think he handled it well with his remarkable ability. He was really strong. That's all I can say. I'm really looking forward to his future races.”

Wilson Tesoro, sent off at 92-1 odds, traveled second from the rear on the rails after a poor break and angled out to enter the lane. While unable to find a clear path at the early stretch, the Kitasan Black colt switched further out around 350 meters out and launched the fastest late drive to overtake all his rivals but the winner to finish second. Dura Erede, off at 31-1 tracked 1 1/2 lengths behind the leader in second, closed the gap at the final corner but failed to catch the winner and while overtaken by the fast-closing runner-up just before the wire, secured third by a neck after dueling with 2021 Champions Cup victor T O Keynes.

The Champions Cup was formerly run under the name Japan Cup Dirt (G1) until 2013 and began as the dirt version of the Japan Cup (G1) in 2000. Seventeen of the past 22 winners of the Champions Cup have won the season's  Japan Racing Association's Award for Best Dirt Horse.

Lemon Pop, trained by Hiroyasu Tanaka, came into the Champions Cup as the winner of the NAR's Mile Championship Nambu Hai on dirt Oct.9.

Bred by Mr. and Mrs. S. Oliver Tait, Lemon Pop is out of Unreachable, by Giant's Causeway. He was a $70,000 weanling purchase by Harry Sweeney's Paca Paca Farm at the 2018 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale, where Blandford Bloodstock consigned him. Sweeney is president of Godolphin in Japan.

“Christmas has come early for us in Japan!” Sweeney said. “And indeed if Santa Claus doesn't turn up in three weeks' time, we won't be too upset.”

The $20-million Saudi Cup (G1) going 1,800 meters Feb. 24 at King Abdulaziz Racecourse is on the radar for Lemon Pop, Sweeney said.

The post WATCH: KY-Bred Lemon Pop Wires Champions Cup In Japan, Caps JRA’s Elite-Level Dirt Double appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Augustin Stable's Ellis Park Turf Stakes winner Mouffy is set to make her debut at Turfway Park, where she'll face nine fillies and mares in next Saturday's 35th running of the $125,000 My Charmer Stakes.

Run at 1 1/16 miles, the My Charmer Stakes will go as Race 7 on the nine-race program with a post time of 8:55 p.m. (ET). First post is 5:55 p.m.

In collaboration with Claiborne Farm, the My Charmer Stakes is the second of a three-race 'Make Your Mare' series, which will award fillies and mares credits toward a future stallion paring upon their retirement. The Top 3 finishers will receive $10,000, $5,000 and $2,500 in credits, applicable until the end of the 2025 breeding season. Claiborne Credits are exclusive to the top 3 and can be transferred with the horse in case of an ownership change.

The ultra-consistent Mouffy recorded her lone stakes victory two starts ago when she defeated eight rivals in the Ellis Park Turf Stakes. Six weeks later trainer Jonathan Thomas shipped the daughter of Uncle Mo to Canada where she was made the 2-1 favorite in the Ontario Matron Stakes (G3) at Woodbine but finished fourth, beaten just a length, to Millie Girl. Jockey Tyler Conner will ride the four-time winner from post No. 8.

Another accomplished filly that entered the My Charmer is Scott Mawaka's Grade 3-placed Catiche. Trained by Mike Stidham, Catiche ran one of her best efforts on her 10-race resume at Turfway Park when she finished in a dead heat for second in the 2022 Bourbonette Oaks behind longshot winner Candy Raid. Jockey Gerardo Corrales will pilot Catiche in the My Charmer out of post 3.

The first race in the Make Your Mare series was the Holiday Inaugural, won by favorite Marissa's Lady, a multiple stakes-winning daughter of Violence. B G Warrior was second, and Bling was third.

Following is the complete field for the My Charmer in order of post position (with jockey, trainer):

1. Amazon Queen (Declan Cannon, Arnaud Delacour)

2. Malloy (Orlando Mojica, Wayne Catalano)

3. Catiche (Corrales, Stidham)

4. Community Adjusted (Abel Cedillo, Arnaud Delacour)

5. Tap Dancing Lady (Joe Ramos, Hugo Andrade)

6. Thisnameisokay (Joe Rocco Jr., Steve Cooper)

7. Lexa (Luan Machado, Whit Beckman)

8. Mouffy (Conner, Thomas)

9. Traffic Song (Colby Hernandez, Sarah Hamilton)

10. Bali Belle (Gavin Ashton, Rusty Arnold)

For more information about the Turfway Park Holiday Meet, visit www.turfway.com. For more information about Claiborne Farm, visit https://claibornefarm.com.

The post Turfway/Claiborne Farm Collaboration ‘Make Your Mare’ Series Continues With My Charmer appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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With his arsenal of six entries whittled down to five after races were taken off the turf for Saturday's Claiming Crown card, trainer Joe Sharp scored the natural double winning the $150,000 Emerald with Runway Magic and the $200,000 Jewel with Money Supply.

“When you claim one, you always hope they develop into the kind of horse that can be competitive on this day,” Sharp said. “It is special to win back-to-back races on Claiming Crown day, especially for my team. We all work hard every day. This is a lot of fun and it's great to be able to share it with them. Keep him healthy and we will target the same race next year.”

Jordan Wycoff's Money Supply settled in seventh of nine older males early on and rallied to split foes late winning the Claiming Crown Jewel by 1¾ lengths over Luigi's Spirit. Run at 1 1/8 miles over a sloppy (sealed) track, he stopped the clock at 1:52.05 under jockey Jareth Loveberry.

“After he won the starter for us at Churchill (Sept. 27) Jordan (owner Wycoff) reminded me that he was eligible for the Claiming Crown,” Sharp said of Money Supply, a 4-year-old Practical Joke colt. “And at that point we started to target it. His off track form hadn't been the best in the past, so we were a little nervous. We went back and watched his replays, found some excuses and decided to give it a go.”

Claimed from Chad Brown in August at Saratoga for $35,000, Money Supply rattled off two wins and one place-finish in Sharp's care. Prior to his victory in the Jewel, Money Supply had never won on an off track in five attempts, but with Saturday's tally, he now boasts an overall 14-5-2-2 lifetime record along with a $366,532 bankroll.

Mike Diliberto's 5-2 morning line was a bullseye as the bettors agreed and the Sharp-trainee paid $7.60.

In the race prior, Baron Racing Stables' Runway Magic made his first run out of Sharp's barn a winning one in the Claiming Crown Emerald.

With blinkers back on, Runway Magic employed the opposite tactics of Money Supply, pressing the front-running Tatanka through the opening call off the 1 1/16 miles affair before taking over at the quarter pole and grinding down the sloppy (sealed) homestretch to win by 1½ lengths over the 12-1 longshot Duke of Carthania.

Scheduled to be run on the turf, heavy rains demanded the Emerald be moved to the main track. Fair Grounds newcomer Jaime Torres guided Runway Magic across the finish line in 1:44.71.

“I just made a move because Joe Sharp told me he doesn't have a good kick,” Torres said. “He is just one-paced so I made a move early and thought let's see what happens at the end. He kept going.”

Torres now has two wins for Sharp at the 2023-2024 Fair Grounds meet, which is the rider's first year in the colony.

“We brought Jaime down here to ride first call,” Sharp said. “I usually have one guy that rides for us. He's a good kid, good rider, and I know a lot of the guys up in New York think a lot of him.”

Claimed from Tom Amoss at Delta Downs on Oct. 28 for $20,000, the 5-year-old Runhappy gelding had previously made just one grass run.

“We entered hoping it would come off,” Sharp said. “It all worked out today. Glad to see these fields hold up after coming off the turf. They did a great job having this track ready today after the rain we got. When I came out this morning, I thought there was no way we were going to be able to make these races. Hats off to track management. I have a lot of respect for what they did today.”

Paying $12.60for the win, Runway Magic improved his career record to 18-4-3-3 and took home $90,000 for his connections to make it $310,342 in lifetime earnings.

Having won the 2022 Glass Slipper with Invaluable, Sharp now has three Claiming Crown victories on his resume.

The post Claiming Crown Double: Sharp-Trained Money Supply, Runway Magic Sparkle In Jewel, Emerald appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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