Tag: Saudi Crown

Saudi Cup Runners Arrive In Riyadh From Japan, U.S.

The plane carrying the Japanese contingent to Riyadh for next Saturday's Saudi Cup meeting touched down at King Khalid International Airport, and each of the nation's four entrants for the $20-million G1 Saudi Cup appear to have taken the flight in good order.

Looking to make it back-to-back successes in the world's richest horse race following the stunning all-the-way victory by Panthalassa (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) last February are Japan's champion dirt horse Lemon Pop (Lemon Drop Kid); reigning G1 Dubai World Cup winner Ushba Tesoro (Jpn) (Orfevre {Jpn}); Derma Sotogake (Jpn) (Mind Your Biscuits), last year's G2 UAE Derby hero and runner-up to White Abarrio (Race Day) in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic; and the MGSW/MG1SP Meisho Hario (Jpn) (Pyro).

Lightly raced for a 6-year-old, with just 14 starts under his belt, Lemon Pop won last year's G1 February S. and ventured overseas for the first time for the G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen. An outpaced 10th behind Sibelius (Not This Time), the chestnut successfully stepped up in trip and wired the G1 Champions Cup in his first try over nine furlongs last December. Connections have opted for the path of greater resistance for his seasonal debut a week from Saturday.

“There's going to be plenty of competition there and that nine furlongs will test him now because we're not absolutely sure that's his best distance,” Godolphin Japan President Harry Sweeney told the TDN's Emma Berry in a recent interview. “But anyway, the option really is either to stay at home in Japan and run in the February S….or to go abroad and run in the Saudi Cup. So that's what we're doing.”

 

 

 

A field of 16 will be drawn Friday for Sunday's February S., a 'Win and You're In' challenge race that offers a berth in the field for the 2024 Breeders' Cup Classic at Del Mar. But while the February does not lack for quantity, the racing calendar dictates that the country's stars are elsewhere.

“In truth, [the Saudi Cup] hurts the February S. a little bit, which is only one of two Grade 1 races in the JRA calendar on dirt,” Sweeney opined. So you have horses like Lemon Pop, Ushba Tesoro, Derma Sotogake all going to Saudi. Whereas in a different era they would all run in the February S.”

The Japanese have been major players in the brief history of the Saudi Cup races, and their other main chances include defending champion Bathrat Leon (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}) in the G2 1351 Turf Sprint; Forever Young (Jpn) (Real Steel {Jpn}) in the G3 Saudi Derby; and Remake (Jpn) (Lani), who will try to improve on his third-place effort in the G3 Riyadh Dirt Sprint.

The American representatives also touched down in Riyadh late Wednesday evening, including the Saudi Cup-bound White Abarrio, National Treasure (Quality Road) and Saudi Crown (Always Dreaming).

 

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Michael Iavarone Joins TDN Writers’ Room Podcast

When the IEAH stable partnership closed down in 2013, it seemed like the sport had seen the last of its founder, Michael Iavarone. But after four years on the sidelines Iavarone returned as the solo owner of a small group of horses in 2017. Since, he has built his stable into a top outfit, as evidenced by the fact that he will have a starter in the GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational in O'Connor (Chi) (Boboman) and in the GI Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational in Master Piece (Chi) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}).

What brought Iavarone back to the sport, what are his goals and what on earth is the story with the crazy outfits he wears when he shows up at the track? Those were some of the questions we had for Iavarone when he appeared on this week's TDN Writers' Room podcast presented by Keeneland. Iavarone was this week's Green Group Guest of the week.

“So when I left in 2013, obviously I ran a syndicate at the time and we were unwinding the syndicate but I always wanted to essentially come back,” Iavarone said. “I just didn't know when, but I wanted to come back, just not as a syndicate. I wanted to come back with only my own money and have a couple partners. Very much low key, more for the entertainment than a business side of it. So I had to wait for the right time. I went back into the securities industry for an extended period of time. In 2017, I talked it over with my wife and we felt the time was good for a reentry point. So that's when we dipped the toe in, per se.”

Michael Iavarone Joins the TDN Writers' Room from Thoroughbred Daily News on Vimeo.

He said he never enjoyed having the responsibilities that go hand in hand with running a big syndicate. One of his worst memories was having to tell the partners that I Want Revenge (Stephen Got Even) was being scratched the morning of the 2009 GI Kentucky Derby.

“I can tell you that having a conversation with 125 or 150 people that day was so incredibly difficult that at no moment did I get a chance to even accept or even understand myself what just happened,” he said. “It felt like the worst thing in the world for them. And it was one of the worst things in the world for me to have to tell them why we're being scratched. And from that moment forward, it kind of sucked the life out of me because nobody cared or asked me the question, why did the horse scratch? Is the horse okay? It was more of a question of what does that mean to us financially? What does it mean to my investment? What does it mean to my money? And I would say to them, I can't control that. I'm not going to put a racehorse on the racetrack that has the opportunity or even the remote possibility of breaking down. Nobody really cared about that.”

And his outfits? In his IEAH days Iavarone looked and dressed like a Wall Streeter, wearing expensive and conservative suits. Now, he shows up in outfits that look like he stole them from Elvis Presley or maybe Michael Jackson. There are the jump suits, the bling, the deep tan and the ever present sunglasses.

“When I met my wife, she was very much into fashion,” Iavarone said. “So I first tried on something that I thought was kind of outrageous and ridiculous. I was against wearing it out, but I did anyway. I got some compliments. Some people looked at me like I was crazy, but I started to grow more comfortable with it. I felt like I could express myself in an older age. When I was younger I felt like I needed to be molded. I'm comfortable in my skin and I feel like it's fun. I know some people don't like it. Some people, they love it. The good news is I don't have to answer anybody anymore. That's the best part of not being part of a syndicate. So I can kind of do it my way. I feel like the way I dress now and go to the racetrack, it's all about fun.”

In the stallion spotlight segments, the podcast featured Coolmore's Epicenter (Not This Time), who stands for a fee of $40,000. The focus was also on Always Dreaming (Bodemeister), who stands at WinStar for $5,000. His best son, Saudi Crown (Always Dreaming) was this week's Fastest Horse of the Week. He ran a 105 Beyer in his victory in the GIII Louisiana S. at Fair Grounds and is on his way to the Saudi Cup.

Elsewhere on the podcast, which is also sponsored by WinStar Farm, the Pennsylvania Horse Breeders Association,1/ST Racing, the KTA & KTOB, West Point Thoroughbreds, and XBTV.com, the team of Randy Moss, Bill Finley and Zoe Cadman looked at a trio of 3-year-olds who were impressive winners last weekend. All three agreed that GIII Lecomte S. winner Track Phantom (Quality Road) and maiden winners Hall of Fame (Gun Runner) and Maymun (Frosted) are horses to watch on the road to the GI Kentucky Derby. There were also discussions of the news that Bob Baffert and Amr Zedan had dropped their last lawsuits challenging the decision to disqualify Medina Spirit (Protonico) from the 2021 Kentucky Derby and the developments out of Saudi Arabia where The Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia announced that it is, finally, moving closer to disqualifying Maximum Security (New Year's Day) from his win in the 2020 Saudi Cup.

To watch the Writers' Room podcast video, click here. To listen to an audio version, click here.

The post Michael Iavarone Joins TDN Writers’ Room Podcast appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Saudi Crown Punches Ticket to Saudi Cup in Louisiana

FMQ Stables' Saudi Crown (Always Dreaming) bossed his five overmatched rivals from the front to take out Saturday's GIII Louisiana S. at the Fair Grounds, a perfect lead-up into the $20-million G1 Saudi Cup at King Abdulaziz Racecourse in Riyadh in five weeks' time .

Appearing for the first time since weakening to 10th behind the Saudi Cup-bound White Abarrio (Race Day) in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic 11 weeks back, the odds-on pop won the break from gate three and set the pace into the first turn as Tenacious S. winner Five Star General (Distorted Humor) applied token pressure from the outside. The well-backed Smile Happy (Runhappy) and Red Route One (Gun Runner) raced as a team, with defending champion Happy American (Runhappy) and Confidence Game (Candy Ride {Arg}) the back markers.

Saudi Crown galloped well within himself and under an easy Florent Geroux hold through a half-mile in a very manageable :47.93 and the French reinsman upped the tempo on the 2023 GI Pennsylvania Derby winner leaving the three-eighths marker. Firmly in front as they hit the long Fair Grounds stretch, Saudi Crown was shaken up a bit at the furlong grounds, but was taken in hand for the final 70 yards, strutting in a convincing winner. Red Route One rallied inside to beat Happy American out of second.

Winner of his first two starts over sprint trips, Saudi Crown was just touched off by Fort Bragg (Tapit) in the GIII Dwyer S. going Belmont's one-turn mile July 1 and took a similarly tough beat when just caught by Forte (Violence) trying a two-turn route for the first time in the July 29 GII Jim Dandy S. Never truly threatened in the slop at Parx Sept. 23, Saudi Crown was part of a strong early tempo in the Classic and faded from about halfway to finish better than 12 lengths off White Abarrio.

And now it is off to the Middle East, where Team Cox will be looking for Saudi Crown to atone for subpar big-race efforts from Knicks Go in 2021 and 2022 Louisiana S. winner Mandaloun.

Pedigree Notes:

One of three black-type winners for his Kentucky Derby-winning sire and the lone graded scorer, Saudi Crown is out of a daughter of Grade III turf winner New Economy who was sold to China Horse Club for $500,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale. But, after failing to make the races and having produced only a minor winner from her first two foals, New Narration was sold on to Harry Landry for $17,000 in foal to Yoshida (Jpn) at Keeneland November in 2021.

Saudi Crown's run of success last season ensured that New Narration would be a hot commodity at the Fasig-Tipton November Sale last fall, and so it proved, as she was knocked down to Summer Wind Equine for $850,000 while in foal to Nashville.

LOUISIANA S. PRESENTED BY RELYNE GI BY HAGYARD-GIII, $169,750, Fair Grounds, 1-20, 4yo/up, 1 1/16m, 1:43.20, ft.
1–SAUDI CROWN, 124, c, 4, by Always Dreaming
                1st Dam: New Narration, by Tapit
                2nd Dam: New Normal, by Forestry
                3rd Dam: New Economy, by Red Ransom
($45,000 Ylg '21 KEEJAN; $240,000 2yo '22 OBSAPR). O-FMQ
Stables; B-Chc Inc. (KY); T-Brad H. Cox; J-Florent Geroux.
$105,000. Lifetime Record: GISW, 7-4-2-0, $982,085. Werk
Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Red Route One, 118, c, 4, Gun Runner–Red House, by Tapit.
O/B-Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC (KY); T-Steven M. Asmussen.
$35,000.
3–Happy American, 118, g, 6, Runhappy–Queen of America, by
Quiet American. ($385,000 Ylg '19 KEESEP). O-Lothenbach
Stables, Inc. (Jack Lothenbach); B-Claiborne Farm (KY); T-Neil L.
Pessin. $17,500.
Margins: 5 3/4, HF, 1 1/4. Odds: 0.70, 4.30, 23.50.
Also Ran: Five Star General, Confidence Game, Smile Happy. Scratched: Kupuna.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

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‘Rising Star’ Nash Faces Track Phantom In Lecomte Rematch Headlining Saturday Graded Races

Like one of those old split-flap mechanical signs at train stations, everyone knows that in the new year the 'Run for the Roses' leaderboard will fluctuate. Week-to-week, the top points begin to compound–from 20 to the winner Saturday and going as high as 100 to the winner come April.

The trail to Derby 150 begins a much steeper ascent on Saturday at Fair Grounds in New Orleans as the GIII Lecomte S. offers 3-year-old colts 20-10-6-4-2 that can be applied to Bank of Churchill.

This year's edition pits a field of eight against one another with the central question being: what happened to Nash (Medaglia d'Oro) in the December running of the Gun Runner S.?

The heavy favorite was unable to build on his Nov. 12 'TDN Rising Star' performance under the Twin Spires at second asking when he powered to the lead, torched a field of maidens by 10 1/4 lengths and posted a 97 Beyer for trainer Brad Cox.

The race shape in the Gun Runner was nothing of the sort for the Godolphin homebred, as he was forced to watch Track Phantom (Quality Road) take control towards the end of the backstretch and never relinquish the lead.

Track Phantom (center) with Nash (along the rail) | Hodges Photography/Amanda Hodges Weir

“It was great to see him [Track Phantom] win the race against a talented field, but especially with going as fast as they did early and showing enough quality to still respond,” said the winner's trainer Steve Asmussen. “I love how he's doing, very happy with him and how he's trained since the Gun Runner. I feel good about the draw and excited to run him again. Past success from there so we'll see what we can do.”

Of course, the pair will have others to contend with in this spot and chief among them is Lat Long (Liam's Map). The dark bay trained by Ken McPeek was never out of the money in all five of his juvenile starts against maiden special weight company starting at Churchill back in September. Facing the likes of GSW Dornoch (Good Magic) and Track Phantom himself, Lat Long broke through at Oaklawn Dec. 17 against his stablemate and next-out winner Common Defense (Karakontie {Jpn}).

“[Lat Long] has been a horse who is still trying to figure it out a bit,” McPeek said. “He's not all there yet. But we're going to try him at a higher level and see how he handles tougher company.”

Also after points is Can Group (Good Samaritan), who was last seen running fourth in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf at Santa Anita for trainer Mark Casse. Joining him will be two more Cox runners in Ethan Energy (Uncle Mo), who broke his maiden by 5 1/4 lengths at second asking over this surface Dec. 23, and Awesome Road (Quality Road). Bred by Claiborne Farm, the latter was a $600,000 Keeneland September purchase by Albaugh Family Stables and Donegal Racing.

 

Saudi Crown Kick Starts His 4-Year-Old Campaign

Preceding the Lecomte is the GIII Louisiana S. for 4-year-olds and up going 1 1/16th on the main track. This race marks the return of Saudi Crown (Always Dreaming). Now a 4-year-old, the gray debuted a winner by 4 3/4 lengths at Keeneland last April, then won against allowance company at Churchill Downs a month later.

Saudi Crown | Sarah Andrew

Finishing over the summer as the runner-up by a nose in the GIII Dwyer S. at Belmont Park and in the GII Jim Dandy S. at Saratoga, the Brad Cox trainee set the pace en route to the winner's circle in the GI Pennsylvania Derby at Parx in September. A popular pick in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic, the colt finished a well-beaten 10th to close out his year.

“I'm not treating it like he has to be on the lead,” Cox said. “He's a smart horse. He's capable of sitting off. When he broke his maiden, he sat off horses. I really don't think he has to be on the lead. It probably will be a situation where he will have to take a breath at some point, you can't just run all-out throughout.”

After Cox watched Saudi Crown drill five furlongs behind Nash Jan. 13 (1:00.20, 3/51), the trainer said, “It didn't quite set up as well as we expected. There were other horses out there and we got caught up with a little more company than we wanted. I was very, very happy with the breeze. He was a little wide through the lane and around the turn. Plenty fit. He had a good work the week before last. We just wanted him to cruise along the other day and he did. I think he's set up for a big spot.”

Opposing him in New Orleans are a number of seasoned challengers looking to set the tone for their own campaigns. Smile Happy (Runhappy) has not been seen since he ran fifth in the GI Stephen Foster S. at Ellis Park in July. The 'TDN Rising Star' has a resume which includes a pair of Grade II wins in the Kentucky Jockey Club S. as a juvenile and in last year's Alysheba S.–both at Churchill Downs.

Making the gate is deep closer GSW Red Route One (Gun Runner), defending winner and GISP Happy American (Runhappy) and GII Rebel S. hero Confidence Game (Candy Ride {Arg}).

 

Midnight Memories Faces Desert Dawn Once Again

Swinging out to Santa Anita Park on Saturday afternoon, the GIII La Canada S. has MGSW Midnight Memories (Mastery) taking on MGISP Desert Dawn (Cupid). The last time these two met as 4-year-old fillies in the GIII Bayakoa S. at Los Alamitos Dec. 15, it was Midnight Memories who got the best of her rival by a length. Favored at 6-5 on the morning line, the Bob Baffert trainee will also have to contend with, among others, GISP Musical Mischief (Into Mischief) and Coffee in Bed (Curlin).

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