Tag: Ron Anderson

Rosario Picks Up Saudi Cup Mount

Joel Rosario has picked up the ride on RRR Racing's Isolate (Mark Valeski) for Saturday's $20-million G1 Saudi Cup at King Abdulaziz Racecourse, his agent Ron Anderson confirmed in a text message Monday.

The 6-year-old Isolate made the first 12 starts of his career in the U.S. for Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, winning two from his first five for trainer Kathy Ritvo before joining the barn of Tom Amoss. The Florida-bred posted four victories from seven outings for that barn, winning the Work All Week S. at Hawthorne and the Tale of the Cat S. at Saratoga ahead of a runner-up effort in the Louisville Thoroughbred Society S. in 2022.

Subsequently acquired by Sheikh Rashid bin Humaid Al Nuaimi's RRR Racing and turned over to trainer Doug Watson in Dubai, Isolate was runner-up in a pair of group sprint races at Meydan, then stretched out in distance to post an impressive win in the G2 Godolphin Mile with Tyler Gaffalione in the irons. He has made just one appearance since, a handy success in the G2 Al Maktoum Mile at Meydan Dec. 22.

Isolate did not originally draw into the Saudi Cup, but gained a run when Aidan O'Brien elected to re-route the gifted multiple Group 1-winning turf horse Luxembourg (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) to the G2 Neom Turf Cup.

Rosario will also take the ride aboard Pantofel Stable, Wachtel Stable and Gary Barber's Bold Journey (Hard Spun) in the G3 Riyadh Dirt Sprint, Anderson also reported. Winner of the GIII Fall Highweight H. and Gravesend S. in his two most recent appearances, Bold Journey carried Rosario to a first-level New York-bred allowance victory at the Big A in 2022. Bold Journey is trained by Bill Mott.

Rosario rode no fewer than six stakes winners over the weekend, including Beatbox (Pioneerof the Nile) in the GIII Fair Grounds S. He was runner-up in the GII Risen Star S. atop Track Phantom (Quality Road).

The post Rosario Picks Up Saudi Cup Mount appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Rosario Off His Spa Mounts Wednesday; Camacho Set To Return Friday at Monmouth

Per agent Ron Anderson, Joel Rosario is off his mounts Wednesday at Saratoga as he still has soreness in his mouth after requiring stitches Saturday when Maple Leaf Mel (Cross Traffic) tragically broke down in the GI Test S., NYRA's Keith McCalmont said in a tweet Wednesday. Rosario will aim for a return to riding on Thursday, Anderson added.

After being sidelined more than five weeks due to an injury suffered in a spill on July 2 at Monmouth Park, jockey Samy Camacho will resume riding on Friday, the track said in a release Wednesday.

Camacho will ease into his return with three mounts on the eight-race card. The jockey, who remains tied for second (with Jairo Rendon) in the Oceanport standings, suffered a right shoulder injury in the mishap.

Samy Camacho | Monmouth Park Web

“I'm ready to come back,” said Camacho. “I feel good. I'm ready to go again. I'm not 100 percent, but I am close to being completely healed.”

Camacho said he intends to ride through the end of the Monmouth Park meet on Sept. 11 before heading to Florida to ride for the winter.

“His first day back we didn't want to overdo it,” said Mike Moran, Camacho's agent. “But he says he is feeling great and I'm looking forward to seeing him ride again.”

The post Rosario Off His Spa Mounts Wednesday; Camacho Set To Return Friday at Monmouth appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Dettori To Winter, Possibly More, at Santa Anita

Superstar European rider Frankie Dettori has announced that he will ride at the Santa Anita meet, starting with opening day, Dec. 26. Dettori made the announcement on the Nick Luck Daily podcast.

“I think I will possibly spend the winter in California at Santa Anita where I started many years ago as a young boy,” Dettori said. “I did four lovely winters there in the late eighties. I've been doing my winters in Dubai the last few years, but I'm getting a lot of requests from trainers to come over. So I thought `why not?' I want to give it a go. It's a place that I am a big fan of and am very fond of Santa Anita. I am looking forward to the challenge. This is the plan for the winter.”

Dettori had ridden frequently in the U.S., but usually comes in just for major races. He said he has no such plans for Santa Anita and said that he is committed to riding there regularly.
“If you're going to do it, you have to do it properly,” he said. “That's why I am starting on opening day.”

Dettori said he was planning to return to Europe when the flat season gets underway, but said he could extend his stay in the U.S. if he picks up a contender for the GI Kentucky Derby.

“Who knows, I might find a nice 3-year-old that heads to Churchill Downs for the first Saturday in May,” he told Luck. “I am keeping all my options open. I am going there with a clean slate and am looking forward to the challenge. I don't want to look too far ahead. My main concern is to get there for Boxing Day and start from there. You never know what will happen. I might land on a nice 3-year-old and things can take a different path. At the moment, my focus is to do well and take it from there.”

Dettori has had one Derby mount, finishing sixth aboard China Visit (Red Ransom) in 2000.

Dettori has hired veteran agent Ron Anderson, who also books mounts for Joel Rosario and John Velazquez.

“Ron Anderson is a top class agent and also a good friend for so many years,” Dettori said. “I had a chat with him and he will take me under his umbrella of jockeys and help me out. He's a good person to have on your side.”

Dettori had been riding in Dubai during the winters. He told Luck that riding at Santa Anita will be a new challenge for him, something he relishes at this stage in his career.

“Dubai been easy for us,” he said. “It's only down the road. But at this stage at in my career, I've done a lot in Dubai. I need a fresh challenge and this opportunity came up. With people telling me they want me over there, why not? Better late than never. Let's give it a go.”

Dettori has had 70 mounts over his career at Santa Anita with four winners.

 

 

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Agent Ron Anderson: Knicks Go ‘Seems To Run Around The Turn As Fast As He Does Around The Straight’

Bet on this: there are at least two sure things when the 2021 Eclipse Award winners are announced at the 51st annual dinner Feb. 10 at Santa Anita: Joel Rosario will be named top jockey and Knicks Go will be named Horse of the Year.

Take it from Ron Anderson, agent for Rosario, the regular rider of Knicks Go, who is set to make his 2022 debut in the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational at Gulfstream Park a week from tomorrow on Jan. 29.

“I don't know how they could deny Joel,” said Anderson, who has been his agent since 2012 and who also represents Hall of Fame veteran John Velazquez.

“Joel led the country in graded stakes wins and purse earnings, and he would have broken the records if he hadn't missed time due to injuries, but he had an outstanding year and it's justified that he wins.”

Rosario was aboard Knicks Go in his last four races, winning wire-to-wire as is his wont, including the Breeders' Cup Classic at Del Mar last Nov. 6.

“He was riding at Keeneland last Fall,” Anderson recalled, explaining how Joel got the mount, “and Brad (trainer Brad Cox) needed a rider for Knicks Go in an allowance race. Joel rode him and the horse ran freaky.

“It just so happened the Breeders' Cup was at Keeneland in 2020 and we rode him back and won the (Dirt) Mile. There's no big story to it. I just was riding at Keeneland on the right day, and ended up on Knicks Go who's an awfully unique horse.

“You can't run with him, or you're going to come out feet first, and if you let him go, he's probably one of the very, very best horses around the turns that I've ever seen.

“He seems to run around the turn as fast as he does around the straight. He would have been a crazy bull ring horse back in the day when we had bull rings. When he gets to the three-eighths pole he just takes off, and he runs the turns so well that many can't catch him. If they try and catch up, they spend their energy trying to get within range and then he just takes off again.

“From 1984 to 2021, I've won 38 Breeders' Cup races as an agent, my point being I've been around a lot of really good horses, a lot of good three-year-olds and won 15 Triple Crown races but Knicks Go is maybe as unique a horse as I've ever seen.

“He's going to make the lead, so it will be interesting to see what happens (against Life Is Good in the Pegasus), because basically it's going to be a match race.”

In his most recent race, likely Pegasus starter Life Is Good won the Big Ass Fans Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile wire-to-wire by 5 ¾ lengths on Nov. 6.

“There will be others in the race but it comes down to Life Is Good and Knicks Go,” Anderson said. “Good luck to Life Is Good, but he's not going to be in front of my horse; there's just no way.

“He's not only fast, but more important, he's quick on his feet. It doesn't take him but three or four strides to be gone. When they leave the gate, he's going to be in front, and they're going to have to try and get him at some point.

“It's happened far more than once. He leaves there in front, he's a length or two further in front at the first turn, then it seems they try and catch up going into the turn, and just about that time he takes off again.

“He's a very unique animal and he's been very good to us.”

The post Agent Ron Anderson: Knicks Go ‘Seems To Run Around The Turn As Fast As He Does Around The Straight’ appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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