saudi cup | Horse Racing Free Tips

Sleepy Eyes Todd Returns From Dubai, Heads To Fonner Park For Saturday’s Bosselman Stakes

Sleepy Eyes Todd is back in Grand Island, Nebraska for the 46th running of the $75,000 Bosselman Pump-Pantry/Gus Fonner Stakes on Saturday, April 24 at Fonner Park.

Sleepy Eyes Todd, who drew the ninth post position Thursday morning, is one of a full field of 10 horses entered in the 1 1/16th mile race.
The defending champion cruised to a 6 1/2 length win in last year's Bosselman. That was just the beginning of a big run for Sleepy Eyes Todd. He went on from there to win stake races at Charles Town, Keeneland and Gulfstream before taking his act overseas.

Sleepy Eyes Todd, a 5-year-old Kentucky-bred son of Paddy O'Prado and Pledge Mom, finished fifth in the $20 million Saudi Cup Feb. 20 at King Abdulaziz Racecourse and then was 10th in the $12 million Dubai World Cup on March 27.

“It's always special when the defending champion returns, but it's next to unthinkable that the same horse, Sleepy Eyes Todd, returns having run against arguably some of the best horses in the world in his last three races,” Fonner Park CEO Chris Kotulak said.

Since winning the Bosselman, Sleepy Eyes Todd has gone on to earn over $1.5 million. He now has eight wins in 18 career starts and has earned a total of $1,889,825 for trainer Miguel Silva and owner Thumbs Up Racing.

Kotulak said Having Sleepy Eyes Todd back at Fonner will draw even more attention to Fonner Park.

“This is quite a treat for our fans to come see, but our off-track mutuel handle has quadrupled since all of the world watched Fonner Park last year,” Kotulak said. “But you can bet that thousands of eyes across the nation will be watching and wagering on Sleepy Eyes Todd again this Saturday.”

Sleepy Eyes Todd, who will be ridden by six-time Fonner Park champion jockey Jake Olesiak, has been installed as a 1-1 morning-line favorite, but he will be challenged by nine others who also have their eyes on winning the Bosselman. That field includes shippers Box Seat (5-1), Downtowner (5-1) Mo Mosa (5-1) and Minecraft Maniac (10-1)

Shades of Victory, the winner of the Dowd Mile at Fonner Park on April 10, is 15-1. Poderoso Equis, who was second in the Dowd, is 25-1.

Trainer Marissa Black has her duo of Blue Harbor and Mr. Tickle entered for the second straight year. Blue Harbor, second in the Bosselman last year is 12-1 and Mr. Tickle, third a year ago, is 25-1. Most Amusing, trained by Nebraska Hall of Fame trainer David C. Anderson, is also 25-1.

The giant Saturday also features a mandatory payout in the Dinsdale Auto Late Pick 5 Jackpot wager. There is a carryover into the Friday, April 23rd racing of over $110,000. First post Saturday is 1:30 p.m. CT. The Late Pick 5 Jackpot involves the final five races on the card.

The post Sleepy Eyes Todd Returns From Dubai, Heads To Fonner Park For Saturday’s Bosselman Stakes appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Dubai World Cup: Frankie Dettori Partners Saudi Arabian Entry Great Scot

If Frankie Dettori steers Great Scot to victory in the $12m Dubai World Cup sponsored by Emirates Airline on Saturday, he will not only achieve an individual milestone in equaling Jerry Bailey's win record but will also score a historic first triumph in the race for Saudi Arabia.

A total of 24 Saudi Arabian runners have lined up for the race since its inception in 1996 but the closest to victory was the Jerry Barton trained Sei Mi, who got within four-and-a-quarter lengths of Street Cry in 2002.

Now Great Scot, an impressive third in last month's Saudi Cup, bids to address this deficit with Dettori gunning for a fourth Dubai World Cup win. The 2019 English and German Guineas runner was a Group 3 winner in the UK when under the care of Tom Dascombe.

“He ran a great race in The Saudi Cup last month, it's a good ride to get,” said Dettori, whose three Dubai World Cup victories came courtesy of Dubai Milennium (2000) Moon Ballad (2003) and Electrocutionist (2006). “The surface and trip will suit him and he's done nothing wrong in his prep for this race.”

The horse's owner, HRH Prince Faisal Bin Khaled, himself a horseman, was hopeful of a good result for Saudi Arabia.

“I'm particularly excited about this horse, he has really taken to the track and conditions in Riyadh and his form here has been so consistent,” he said. “I'm delighted he got to show how good he is against the internationals and the USA dirt horses.

“We are honored to receive the invite to the Dubai World Cup and to represent Saudi Arabia on the world stage and, you never know, perhaps bring home a first win for the country.

“Hopefully there will be many more opportunities for Saudi owners, trainers and jockeys to showcase their talents on the global stage in years to come.”

Trainer Abdullah Mishriff, who travelled to Meydan Racecourse, was upbeat about the gelding's chances: “He is a light horse, easy to get fit, quite straightforward. He is very sensitive and he likes his routine, likes his own groom with him all the time but he's settled in very well here.

“He has a smart mind and if you treat him well, he gives you absolutely 100%. We see this in his work and in his races. He was injured after breaking from the stalls in the Saudi Cup last year when he was struck into by another horse.

“It goes to show how tough he is that he even finished the race to be honest. He went on to win three races in a row after that and showed he is the proper horse that we have always thought him to be.”

Indeed, the son of Requinto has some solid form. He was a Group 3 winner in the UK, winning his maiden first time out and went on to win a novice and a Listed race as a juvenile. His 2-year-old career culminated with a great run in a strong renewal of the Vertem Futurity Trophy (Former Racing Post Trophy), finishing only one-and-a-quarter lengths behind Magna Grecia – who went on to win the English 2000 Guineas – and Phoenix Of Spain, the Irish Guineas winner.

Great Scot continued to keep the best of company into his 3-year-old career, finishing second to the classy Mohaather in the Group 3 Greenham Stakes, a trial for the 2000 Guineas.

Also behind Great Scot in this race was Urban Icon, now under the same ownership and stable of HRH Prince Faisal Bin Khaled in Riyadh and heading the field in the Godolphin Mile on Saturday.

After decent runs in two European Classics, Great Scot was bought privately by Ted Voute on behalf of Prince Faisal.

“He ticked all the boxes for what we were looking for,” said Voute. “He was a high-class individual and had the profile for Saudi. He could handle cut in the ground, which is always a good sign that the dirt track in Riyadh would suit.”

The post Dubai World Cup: Frankie Dettori Partners Saudi Arabian Entry Great Scot appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

David Egan ‘Very Excited’ To Reunite With Saudi Cup Winner Mishriff For Dubai Sheema Classic

Fresh from enjoying the biggest success in his still very young career, 2021 Saudi Cup-winning jockey David Egan is now hoping to add the Group 1 $5m Longines Dubai Sheema Classic to his growing record when he reunites with the John Gosden-trained Mishriff on Saturday.

Some racing fans were surprised that the 4-year-old son of Make Believe would line up at the start of the 2400m (1 1/2 miles) showdown, which is run on turf, rather than in the Dubai World Cup itself, but Egan explained: “The dirt in Dubai is not the same as the dirt in Saudi and I think the mile and a half will give him a pre-test run for the upcoming season.

“Whether they are aiming him at the top mile and a half races or whether they are thinking about dropping back for the remainder of the season. I think that he will stay and the Sheema Classic should be an exciting race.”

The 2021 season looks very promising for the 21-year-old jockey, who despite being the retained rider to Prince A A Faisal since 2020 was not on board Mishriff when he lifted the Prix du Jockey Club, also known as the French Derby, at Chantilly last year. Neither was he in Deauville when he won the Prix Guillaume d'Ornano, nor when he ran disappointingly in the Champion Stakes at Ascot.

“I won a Listed race with him at Newmarket and after that he was going for the French Derby, but by the time we knew he was going to France, I couldn't quarantine anymore,” the jockey who spent most of the winter in Bahrain explained. “The following time, I got a four-day suspension, and I couldn't move one of the days so I could definitely not ride him when Frankie rode him in Deauville. And the time after that, in the Champion Stakes, the Prince and Mr. Gosden decided that they wanted Frankie to ride him. He got beat and ran a bit disappointingly and then Prince Faisal requested me not long after that to ride him in the Saudi Cup.”

It couldn't have been easy to see other jockeys win on a horse that means the world to him but despite his young age, Egan is quite philosophical when he adds: “Whatever I was to do wouldn't change the fact that I wasn't going to be riding him. It was obviously fate that I wasn't meant to ride him on the other occasions. I'm not superstitious, but I believe the fact that I didn't ride him in the other races could have been a factor that I did ride him in the Saudi Cup and that we won the race. Maybe, if I had ridden him before and he got beat and ran bad, things might have gone differently for Mishriff and he might not have won the Saudi Cup. Things happen for a reason.”

Mishriff is not the only ride he will have on Dubai World Cup night, as he is also booked to ride the Ed Dunlop-trained Red Verdon in the Dubai Gold Cup Sponsored by Al Tayer Motors, the Simon Crisford-trained Court House in the Dubai Turf Sponsored by DP World, as well as Jane Chapple-Hyam's Ambassadorial in the Godolphin Mile Sponsored by Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum City – District One.

“I'm very excited,” he concluded. “And if I win the Sheema Classic, I won't be complaining about the 10 days I will have to spend in quarantine in a hotel in England, will I?”

The post David Egan ‘Very Excited’ To Reunite With Saudi Cup Winner Mishriff For Dubai Sheema Classic appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Dubai World Cup: ‘Underdog’ Sleepy Eyes Todd ‘Tries His Eyeballs Out Every Time’

Thumbs Up Racing's Sleepy Eyes Todd continues to grow his fanbase heading into the toughest test of his career, the 10-furlong, $12 million Dubai World Cup (G1) on March 27. While his propensity to pose for the morning racing media and genuine nature around the barn have earned him points with onlookers and horsemen, alike, it is his grit and consistency that flock favor to those only aware of his performance record. All of the above will likely come into play if the roan warrior is to be successful on the big day.

“He's a gentleman,” said trainer Miguel Angel Silva. “He feels really good to be around. Even though he's a stallion, he acts like a good friend. He's just gentle with everyone and he doesn't like to do anything bad or stupid to the groom or gallop-people. He's a cool guy and he likes the (media) cameras.”

A five-time stakes winner who has shown marked versatility in trip and track, the photogenic son of Paddy O'Prado is not considered a favorite in the market for the Dubai World Cup, but is respected by many as one they know will have a say in the outcome. He exits a strong-closing fifth in the $20 million Saudi Cup in Riyadh, suffering traffic issues, and has won graded stakes at nine furlongs and seven furlongs.

“We didn't get the trip we wanted in Saudi,” Silva explained. “It's just racing luck and hopefully he can have better luck this time and maybe we can get the win. This time, like last time, I would like to see him five or six lengths behind the speed, but you never know what's going to happen during the race. That was the plan last time and all of a sudden we were dead-last and had to come running.”

The eight-time winner from 17 starts will be reunited with jockey Alexis Moreno, who was aboard in the Saudi Cup. While he has yet to prove himself at the G1 level, he has been successful against G1 horses with the proverbial world watching.

On the Breeders' Cup World Championships undercard at Keeneland in November, he defeated a talented Lafayette Stakes (Listed) field, including next-out Cigar Mile (G1) winner True Timber and Burj Nahaar (G3) victor Midnight Sands. In December's Mr. Prospector (G3), he turned back G1 winners Diamond Oops and Mind Control, as well as multiple G2 winner Firenze Fire. Those efforts have been par for the course for a runner who has consistently and successfully taken his show on tour, including winning last year's Charles Town Classic (G2) over nine furlongs. He will have to stretch another furlong in Dubai, attempting 1 1/4 miles for the first time.

“I would love to see him finish the way he did on Breeders' Cup day,” Silva said. “He tries his eyeballs out every time. He's a hard-working horse who's always the underdog and we just love him. He's had issues in the races, but always managed to come back and perform well.

“He's training amazing right now and he really likes this track. The transition from Saudi to here has been great and we've had no issues so far. It's a little more similar to a U.S. track and he loves to train and gets over the track. The works have been a little bit longer with him (to build stamina), but I don't see any problem with the distance. He has been, in the last couple races, one of the only horses who is finishing in the race. In Saudi, he was the only horse really closing in on the frontrunners. If anything, the distance will be good for him.”

The ride Sleepy Eyes Todd has taken the Mexico City native on has undoubtedly been a memorable one. A second-generation horseman who has worked his way from hotwalker to head trainer, Silva is not quick to take any part of this experience for granted.

“It is an amazing experience to have him and I've been trying to take it all in,” Silva said. “Hopefully we will get more horses who have this kind of quality of racing in them after this, but we'll see. We are trying to enjoy it and are going step by step with the horse heading into the race.

“I have climbed the ladder and found my own path. It has been like a family business to work with horses, from my grandfather to my dad and to me and my brothers—we all belong to these beautiful animals.”

The post Dubai World Cup: ‘Underdog’ Sleepy Eyes Todd ‘Tries His Eyeballs Out Every Time’ appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post