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Kazushi Kimura to Spend Winter in Saudi Arabia

Grade I-winning jockey Kazushi Kimura, who was named the 2019 Eclipse Award Outstanding Apprentice Jockey, will spend the winter of 2020/21 riding primarily for Prince Sultan bin Mishal bin Abdulaziz in Saudi Arabia, he confirmed to the TDN on Sunday.

“Yes,” Kimura told the TDN regarding his Saudi Arabian posting. “I’m gonna ride in Saudi Arabia until the middle of March, then I will be back to Woodbine before the opening day.”

Kimura, who was also Canada’s Outstanding Apprentice Jockey in 2018, celebrated four graded winners in 2020 led by Gretzky the Great (Nyquist) in the GI Summer S. His other graded victories include Lady Grace (Kantharos) and Artie’s Princess (We Miss Artie) at Grade II level and Field Pass (Lemon Drop Kid) in the GIII Ontario Derby. From 2,152 total mounts, the Japanese-born reinsman has booted home 337 winners (16%) with an in-the-money percentage of 44%. His mounts’ earnings stand at $11,163,055 in North America.

Through Jan. 3, Kimura has already had two rides at King Abdulaziz Racecourse in Riyadh. Kimura rode the unplaced G K Chesterton (Ire) (Poet’s Voice {GB}) for Nawa Faihaan Almundeel on New Year’s Day. His first run for his patron Prince Sultan bin Mishal was a 13th aboard Shuman (KSA) (Commissioner) in a local maiden on Jan. 2. However, it is surely only a matter of time before the young jockey returns to the winner’s circle.

“Yes, I’ve been getting good experience [in Saudi Arabia] so far,” the 21-year-old added.

The post Kazushi Kimura to Spend Winter in Saudi Arabia appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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After Hard-Luck Trip In Breeders’ Cup, Imprimis Gearing Up For 2021 Campaign

Breeze Easy LLC's two-time graded-stakes winner Imprimis, exiting a hard-luck trip in the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (Grade 1), returned to the work tab with a three-furlong move over Gulfstream Park's inner turf course Sunday.

Imprimis covered the distance in 36.06 seconds for trainer Joe Orseno. The 5-year-old gelding was within striking distance in the stretch of the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint only to check sharply after being moved inside by jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. and lost all chance, finishing 13th.

“It was just a tune-up. We're going to scope him and we're going to look at him and see if we need to evaluate anything, so that's why I wanted to get this into him,” Orseno said. “I was real happy with him. I got 36 [seconds], the clockers just sent me 36-and-1 and out in 48, so it was excellent.”

A stakes winner in each of his three seasons of racing, starting with the 2018 Jim McKay Turf Sprint at Pimlico Race Course, Imprimis won the Shakertown (G2) in 2019 and the Turf Sprint (G2) Sept. 12 at Kentucky Downs as his prep for the Breeders' Cup.

Imprimis is undefeated in four starts at Gulfstream, including the 2019 Silks Run, his last time over the track. Orseno is looking at the $75,000 Janus on New Year's Day and the $100,000 Gulfstream Park Turf Sprint Feb. 13, both for 4-year-olds up sprinting five furlongs on the grass.

“We're talking about it. February, for sure, and then his races will be spaced out two months apart,” Orseno said. “We were thinking about Saudi Arabia for about a minute and a half and then decided we didn't want to do that to him at the risk of knocking him out for the rest of the year.

“He doesn't need to do that. If I keep him on that every two months, his next race will be Keeneland and then Belmont and then Saratoga and it's spread out pretty good,” he added. “At least we have a plan. Let's hope he cooperates.”

The post After Hard-Luck Trip In Breeders’ Cup, Imprimis Gearing Up For 2021 Campaign appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Grade 2 Winner Bird Song Sold To Stand In Saudi Arabia

Multiple stakes winner Bird Song (Unbridled's Song – Bird Town) has been purchased to continue his stud career in Saudi Arabia in a deal brokered by Chad Schumer of Schumer Bloodstock.

The 7-year-old son of Unbridled's Song previously stood at Gainesway Farm in Kentucky. His oldest crop are yearlings of 2020.

Trained by Ian Wilkes on behalf of famed breeder Marylou Whitney, Bird Song won five races, including the Grade 2 Alysheba Stakes at Churchill Downs. That gate-to-wire victory over Honorable Duty, Noble Bird, and American Freedom capped an excellent 4-year-old campaign that also saw him win the G3 Fred W. Hooper Stakes at Gulfstream Park and run placed in the G3 Hal's Hope and Ben Ali Stakes.

Bird Song boasts a pedigree out of the top drawer as a son of Marylou Whitney's champion Kentucky Oaks heroine Bird Town. In turn, that daughter of Cape Town is a half-sister to Belmont Stakes winner Birdstone, subsequently a classic-producing sire.

The post Grade 2 Winner Bird Song Sold To Stand In Saudi Arabia appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Bird Song Sold to Saudi Arabia

Multiple graded stakes winner Bird Song (Unbridled’s Song–Bird Town, by Cape Town) has been purchased to continue his stud career in Saudi Arabia in a deal brokered by Chad Schumer of Schumer Bloodstock. The 7-year-old previously stood at Gainesway Farm, with his oldest crop being yearlings of this year.

Trained by Ian Wilkes on behalf of Marylou Whitney, Bird Song won the GII Alysheba S. and GIII Fred W. Hooper S. as a 4-year-old in 2017 and finished his career with over $500,000 in earnings. His dam, who captured the GI Kentucky Oaks in 2013, is a half to 2004 GI Belmont S. and GI Travers S. hero Birdstone (Grindstone), who also stood at Gainesway until being pensioned to Old Friends last year.

The post Bird Song Sold to Saudi Arabia appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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