Lord Glitters Returns Friday At Meydan To Attempt Back-To-Back Singspiel Victories

There are plenty of Dubai World Cup pointers at Meydan Racecourse on Friday, when the track stages four Group races. The official feature is the Group 2 Singspiel Stakes over nine furlongs on turf, which sees popular grey Lord Glitters try to become the first horse to win back to back renewals.

“We're happy with his training and we thought he ran well enough the other night in his first run at Meydan this season,” said UK-based trainer David O'Meara. “He had a little break after Bahrain [G3 International Trophy, Nov. 19] and might have needed his first run back.”

It won't be easy for O'Meara's star as Charlie Appleby saddles Zakouski, who boasts an impressive track record, having won three of his four starts here. His only local defeat came at the hands of Lord Glitters in last year's Singspiel.

“He didn't see out the 1 1/4-mile trip when ninth in the Bahrain International Trophy last time,” said the UK Champion Trainer. “We think he'll be better down in trip in the Singspiel as he ran really well in the race last year.”

The strong field also includes Sir Busker, who makes his UAE debut for trainer William Knight, who experienced Carnival success back in 2007 when Illustrious Blue won at Nad Al Sheba. Third in the G1 Queen Anne at Royal Ascot in June, the 6-year-old represents Kennet Valley Thoroughbreds and will use this race as a prep for the G1 Emirates Airline Jebel Hatta on Super Saturday.

“We're excited to see Sir Busker line up in Friday's Singspiel Stakes,” said Sam Hoskins, Syndicate Manager for Kennet Valley.

“He travelled over well last weekend and has settled in nicely to life at Meydan. He has been working nicely at home in Newmarket and while he will improve a bit for the run (Super Saturday being the main aim), hopefully he will run a nice race here.”

There are two Group 3s on the card, including the UAE 2000 Guineas, which sees a rematch between the first three home in the Guineas Trial; Rawy, Quality Boone and Kiefer.

Rawy is owned by RRR Racing and trained by Salem Bin Ghadayer, who said: “He ran well in the Guineas Trial and came back from the race well; very sound.

“It's pretty much a similar field in the Guineas and the two extra furlongs will not be an issue for the horse. He's in good form and has handled his preparation very well. I believe that he is going to run a big race on Friday.”

The other Group 3 is the Al Shindagha Sprint over six furlongs, in which Doug Watson's Al Tariq will defend his title. He has a kilo penalty for his G3 Dubawi Stakes win last time out, in which Freedom Fighter and Canvassed were behind him.

Canvassed, winner of the G3 Mahab Al Shimaal over course and distance last March, will be ridden by Andrea Atzeni, who said: “he was a bit rusty last time and just got very tired. Doug Watson and the team have done a great job with him and Sam Hitchcott breezed him the other day and he did a nice piece of work, so hopefully he will have come on for that run.”

The Listed Curlin Stakes [Presented by Race of Ambition], run over the same 2000metres as the G1 Emirates Airline Dubai World Cup, will see Group 1 winner Salute The Soldier make his second start of the year. Trained by Fawzi Nass, the 7-year-old won G1 Maktoum Challenge R3 last season and was fifth in Round 1 last month.

“He's in good shape. He's had his first run now, over a mile, because we thought he would be gassy and fresh and needing the run,” said the Bahraini handler. “Hopefully that race has brought him on and he's ready to rock and roll this week in the Curlin Stakes.”

The formidable line-up includes Dubai Icon, an 8 1/2-length winner last time out when the re-opposing G2 UAE Derby winner Rebel's Romance was among his victims.

The card also stages a new race, the Listed Business Bay Challenge over seven furlongs on turf. It sees the return of three-time course winner D'Bai, who won the Group 2 Zabeel Mile here last season.

The evening's action gets underway with the Group 2 Mazrat Al Ruwayah, for Purebred Arabians, in which RB Money To Burn defends her title, but faces stiff opposition from Namrood, a near nine-length winner here 11 days ago.

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Corelli Passes Belichick In Stretch To Win Singspiel At Woodbine

Near the back of the pack for much of the 10-furlong Grade 3 Singspiel, Corelli and jockey Kazushi Kimura took advantage of a hole between horses on the final turn to pass a front-running Belichick mid-stretch and win the Singspiel by 1 3/4 lengths at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario.

Sixth in his last start in the Forbidden Apple at Saratoga, Corelli once again was at the back of the pack in the Singspiel, seventh for the first six furlongs with only Woodbridge behind him. Peace of Ekati held the lead for the first six furlongs, setting fractions of :25.90 for the first quarter, :50.55 for the first half, and 1:14.91 for the three-quarters of a mile. Belichick, who sat a length behind Peace of Ekati throughout the first three-quarters of a mile, moved to the lead on the final turn, his advantage a half-length going into the stretch.

Kimura took Corelli through an opening on the turn, building up momentum to challenge Belichick's lead with a furlong to go. The son of Point of Entry took over at that point, pulling away to win the Singspiel by a length and three-quarters. English Conqueror was second, Belichick holding on for third. Theregoesjojo, Primo Touch, Peace of Ekati, Eons, and Woodbridge rounded out the order of finish.

The final time for the mile and a quarter was 2:01.70. Find this race's chart here.

Corelli paid $9.80, $4.90, and $3.10. English Conqueror paid $9.20 and $4.80. Belichick paid $2.70 to show.

Bred in Kentucky by George Strawbridge, Jr., Corelli is a 6-year-old gelding by Point of Entry out of Vignette, by Diesis. Owned by Augustin Stable and trained by Jonathan Thomas, the victory in the G3 Singspiel improves Corelli to 2-0-1 in 2021, with a lifetime record of five wins in 18 starts for career winnings of $270,011.

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Woodbine Starts Queen’s Plate Weekend With Quartet Of Saturday Stakes

Woodbine's weekend stakes showcase launches Saturday afternoon with four stakes contests to lead into Sunday's Queen's Plate card.

A pair of Grade 3 $150,000 events, the Singspiel Stakes and Seaway Stakes, and two $125,000 stakes, the Catch A Glimpse and Soaring Free, makeup Saturday's stakes quartet.

After blazing to a course record in the $150,000 Buckland for 3-year-olds and older on the Colonial Downs' inner turf, Eons will make his Canadian debut in the 1 ¼-mile Grade 3 Singspiel, for 3-year-olds and up, to be contested over the E.P. Taylor Turf Course.

Trained by Arnaud Delacour for owner Mark Grier, the chestnut covered 1 1/8 miles in 1:48.14, heading Kentucky Ghost for the Buckland victory.

A 5-year-old son of Giant's Causeway, Eons returned $13.20 for the win.

“He ran a very, very good race,” said Delacour. “I was [expecting him to run well]. I was happy with the horse and happy with the ride because it was a patient ride. He always runs well. It was such a long time since he went to the winner's circle, but not by lack of good effort. He was running well against good horses.

“He's always on edge, but he is great. You can do what you want with him. He's really athletic, but he has a lot of energy, for sure.”

Eons launched his career with a pair of starts at Tampa Bay Downs in early 2019, before making four consecutive trips to the winner's circle, including a victory in the Grade 3 Kent Stakes at Delaware Park.

His win in the Buckland was his first since the Kent triumph. Overall, he sports a mark of 5-2-1 from 17 career starts.

“The key with him is always the same… I'm always hoping for a fast pace, where the other horses can come back a little bit,” said Delacour. “He needs a lot of stretch to get going and that's probably one of the reasons I would love to try him at Woodbine. The stretch is very long and horses have time to really get into a rhythm.”

Patrick Husbands, who won the 2016 Singspiel aboard Danish Dynafomer, will ride Eons on Saturday.

“We've been lucky with Patrick in the past. He's done well for us. I'm very happy with how we're going into the race.”

Bred in Kentucky by Camas Park Stud out of the multiple stakes-winning Hansel mare Golden Antigua, Eons is a full brother to graded/group stakes winners Giant Gizmo and Tableaux, and a half brother to the dam of multiple graded stakes champ Cheermeister.

Clancy Bloodstock purchased Eons for $300,000 from the Eaton Sales consignment to the 2017 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

His rivals in the Singspiel include Belichick, who won last years' Breeders' Stakes, third jewel in the OLG Triple Crown, and multiple graded stakes placed Corelli, a 6-year-old son of Point of Entry, who is 4-3-3 from 17 starts.

The Singspiel is named after the Irish-bred son of In the Wings, whose nine victories in 20 lifetime starts include the 1996 Canadian International Stakes.

Trainer Roger Attfield won five consecutive editions (2009-13) of the Singspiel, and eight runnings in all.

FIELD FOR THE GRADE 3 $150,000 SINGSPIEL (Race 8)

POST – HORSE – JOCKEY – TRAINER

1 – Eons – Patrick Husbands – Arnaud Delacour

2 – Theregoesjojo – Rafael Hernandez – Michael De Paulo

3 – Woodbridge – David Moran – Mike Keogh

4 – Peace of Ekati – Steven Bahen – Ashlee Brnjas

5 – English Conqueror – Antonio Gallardo – Darwin Banach

6 – Belichick – Luis Contreras – Josie Carroll

7 – Primo Touch – Justin Stein – Harold Ladouceur

8 – Corelli – Kazushi Kimura – Jonathan Thomas

[Story Continues Below]

Set for seven furlongs on the Woodbine Tapeta, the Grade 3 Seaway Stakes, for fillies & mares, 3-year-olds and up, has drawn seven starters, including Mark Casse trainee Our Secret Agent.

Owned by Gary Barber, the 4-year-old daughter of Secret Circle is as consistent as they come, assembling a record of 2-5-4 from 11 career starts.

Our Secret Agent is no stranger to Woodbine, having competed at the Toronto oval on seven occasions, compiling a 2-3-2 mark in the process.

The only thing missing from her résumé is a trip to the stakes winner's circle.

“What a nice filly,” praised Casse. “She comes to play every time.”

The dual Hall of Fame conditioner believes the Kentucky-bred (Paul Tackett Revocable Trust) will appreciate the seven-panel Seaway distance.

“I think seven furlongs will be perfect for her,” offered Casse.

Standing in her way is a solid group of rivals, including multiple graded stakes winner Amalfi Coast and graded stakes champ Boardroom.

FIELD FOR THE GRADE 3 $150,000 SEAWAY (Race 10)

POST – HORSE – JOCKEY – TRAINER

1 – Golden Vision – Omar Moreno – Tino Attard

2 – Hell N Wild – Antonio Gallardo – Lorne Richards

3 – Amalfi Coast – Justin Stein – Kevin Attard

4 – Fiduciary (GB) – Kazushi Kimura – Josie Carroll

5 – Toffen – Rafael Hernandez – Kevin Attard

6 – Our Secret Agent – Emma-Jayne Wilson – Mark Casse

7 – Boardroom – Luis Contreras – Josie Carroll

Mark Casse conditioned Catch A Glimpse, who was Canada's Horse of the Year, Outstanding Two-Year-Old Filly, and Outstanding Turf Female of 2015 after winning Woodbine's Grade 1 Natalma and the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Keeneland.

On Saturday, the dual Hall of Fame trainer will be will be looking for his first win in the stakes race named for his champion runner as he fields half of the eight entrants in the $125,000 tilt for 2-year-old fillies at 6 ½ furlongs on the grass.

Diabolic is perfect in two starts, having scored first time out over five furlongs of turf at Gulfstream Park and returned to action more than two months later with a smart score here at 5 ½ furlongs on the Tapeta in the My Dear Stakes.

“She's got to be considered one of the favourites, I would think,” said Casse. “I don't think the added ground will be a problem. She finished strongly, and galloped out well in her last start.”

Lois Len also has raced twice, scoring at five furlongs here first time out and then ending fourth as the favourite in the My Dear following a troubled beginning.

“I actually thought she ran very well, given her break,” said Casse, who trains Lois Len for D.J. Stable LLC, Aron Yagoda, and Quintessential Racing Florida LLC. “I'm not sure about the turf – I think she'll be fine, we breezed her over it – but we're looking for more ground more than anything. She wants to run farther.”

Mo Touring, a homebred owned by Gary Barber, was a front-running winner of her only start to date, a five-furlong maiden turf race at Gulfstream back on June 3.

“She was impressive,” said Casse, of the Ontario-bred.

Mrs. Barbara, a homebred who races for Spruce Stable, is winless in two starts but was a close second when making her local debut at 5 ½ furlongs on the main track.

Rounding out the field will be locals Curlin Candy and Silver Magnatize along with shippers Royal Engagement and Miz Jameson.

Curlin Candy, the first foal of Canadian Horse of the Year Caren, ran second to Diabolic when debuting in the My Dear. Caren won three turf stakes here in her 2016 championship campaign and finished third to Catch A Glimpse in the previous year's Natalma at one mile on the grass.

The Catch A Glimpse was run for the first time in 2018. Shippers have won the last two editions with Alda connecting for trainer Graham Motion in 2020 following Fair Maiden's score for conditioner Eoin Harty the previous season.

FIELD FOR THE $125,000 CATCH A GLIMPSE STAKES (Race 6)

POST – HORSE – JOCKEY – TRAINER

1 – Curlin Candy – Justin Stein – Mike De Paulo

2 – Diabolic (IRE) – Antonio Gallardo – Mark Casse

3 – Mrs. Barbara – Emma-Jayne Wilson – Mark Casse

4 – Royal Engagement – Kazushi Kimura – Timothy Hamm

5 – Mo Touring – Rafael Hernandez – Mark Casse

6 – Miz Jameson – Luis Contreras – Steve Asmussen

7 – Silver Magnatized – Gary Boulanger – Kevin Attard

8 – Lois Len – Patrick Husbands – Mark Casse

[Story Continues Below]

Trainer Mark Casse won last year's Soaring Free Stakes with Gretzky the Great, who went on to capture Woodbine's Grade 1 Summer Stakes en route to being voted Canada's champion male 2-year-old.

On Saturday, Casse will send out the duo of First Empire and Twenty Four Mamba as he seeks to follow that blueprint in the $125,000 Soaring Free, a 6 ½-furlong race for 2-year-olds on the E.P. Taylor Turf Course, which lured a field of six.

“Hopefully, if they run good, it will set us up for the Summer Stakes,” said the trainer.

First Empire, a Canadian-bred who races for Harlequin Ranches, faltered to finish fifth here when debuting on the Tapeta but rebounded with a front-running score at six furlongs on the main turf course.

“We were disappointed in his first start but he came back and ran well on the turf,” said Casse. “He should run well.”

Twenty Four Mamba failed to make much of an impact in his first two starts at Churchill Downs but struck from off the pace in his local bow and then ended the runner-up behind the very sharp shipper One Timer in the 5 1/2-furlong Victoria.

“He's a horse that I had a lot of hopes for early on, and he was disappointing at first,” said Casse. “But, I thought he broke his maiden impressively. And in his last start, that horse (One Timer) was just too fast. I thought he ran a good second.”

Casse believes that the Soaring Free distance, at least, will be in Twenty Four Mamba's favor.

“He wants more ground,” said Casse.” I have no idea whether he'll turf, but so far, what I've seen of the Classic Empires, they've run pretty good on it.”

Classic Empire, trained by Casse during a career which included a Breeders' Cup Juvenile and Eclipse Award-winning juvenile campaign plus a victory in the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby and a near-miss in the Preakness, is off to a promising beginning at stud.

Silent Empire, runner-up to First Empire when debuting for The Estate of Gustav Schickedanz and trainer Mike Keogh, will be looking to turn the tables in this rematch.

“I think he should have won first time out,” said Keogh. “It's not the rider's fault – he just got boxed in for the longest time. When he did come up the rail the other Casse entrant came in on him, and stopped him from getting out.”

Degree of Risk, coming off a smart maiden score on Arlington's synthetic surface, and Heaven Street, a last-out front-running winner over 7 ½ furlongs of turf at Indiana Downs for trainer Steve Asmussen, adding intrigue to the Soaring Free lineup.

Locally-based Concealed Carry, victorious in his debut here before ending third in the Victoria, completes the lineup.

Soaring Free, who lends this stakes his name, was Canada's Horse of the Year and Outstanding Turf Male in 2004 after capturing the Grade 1 Woodbine Mile. The Sam-Son Farm homebred finished a close second in the previous year's Woodbine Mile and was honoured as Canada's Outstanding Sprinter.

First post for Saturday's 11-race card is 1:10 p.m. Fans can watch and wager on all the action via HPIbet.com.

FIELD FOR THE $125,000 SOARING FREE STAKES (Race 3)

POST – HORSE – JOCKEY – TRAINER

1 – Twenty Four Mamba – Rafael Hernandez – Mark Casse

2 – Concealed Carry – Shaun Bridgmohan – Barbara Minshall

3 – Silent Farewell – David Moran – Mike Keogh

4 – Heaven Street – Luis Contreras – Steve Asmussen

5 – First Emperor – Patrick Husbands – Mark Casse

6 – Degree of Risk – Justin Stein – Eoin Harty

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Lost And Found Presented By LuibriSYN HA: The Stories Behind The Top Summer Stakes Races

Racing aficionados likely are aware of the meanings behind the names of long-running stakes while others might find them both perplexing and amusing. The Peter Pan Stakes — New York's traditional Belmont Stakes prep — comes to mind. Some may think of a peanut butter brand or the forever young character, but the race honors the 1907 Belmont Stakes winner and Hall of Famer of the same name.

The Preakness Stakes is widely known as the second leg of the Triple Crown and few connect the event with the durable star of the late 1800s who was named for a New Jersey township. In 1870, he won a stakes on opening day of Pimlico Race Course's inaugural meeting and was still campaigning when the track's signature event was rebranded three years later. The tradition of honoring the very best continues today, often after a marquee winner retires. Such is the case with Churchill Downs' Wise Dan Stakes, formerly known as the Firecracker for its spot on the calendar around the July 4 holiday.

This month's Lost and Found highlights some “lost” meanings of well-known stakes “found” on the summer schedule. The sampling is arranged in chronological order.

Matchmaker Stakes (July 17 at Monmouth Park) This fixture was conceived with an unusual incentive to attract the best fillies and mares. In addition to the financial reward, the prize for the top three finishers came with breeding options to premiere stallions. The original edition was held in 1967 at the now-idle Atlantic City Race Course. As sponsorships gained traction in the 1990s, Kentucky's leading stud operations began adding their brand to the title in addition to seasons to their stallions. Known as the WinStar Matchmaker since 2014, the 2021 renewal offered matings to Audible, Global Campaign and Tom's d'Etat.

Molly Pitcher Stakes (July 17 at Monmouth Park) Whether Molly Pitcher was a real person is a subject of debate, but the general consensus or legend is that she was a woman who carried water to troops at the Battle of Monmouth during the American Revolutionary War in 1778. The modern-day Molly Pitcher, first held in 1946, is undeniably a race that has attracted countless champion fillies and mares to the Jersey Shore track.

Jim Dandy (July 31 at Saratoga) The naming origin sometimes gets lost in translation for this test that is synonymous as the prep for the Travers Stakes, the Saratoga season's headliner. The race is a nod to the Thoroughbred who won the inaugural Travers in 1930 in a stunning upset over Triple Crown winner Gallant Fox. The surprise was one of the many that resulted in the track being dubbed “the graveyard of favorites” that has morphed into “the graveyard of champions.” Jim Dandy never came close to duplicating his best when it mattered the most. In his 141 starts, he produced just seven victories. By the stallion Jim Gaffney, Jim Dandy's label most likely reflected the definition for something of superior quality, a term that may have been inspired by a minstrel song of the mid 1800s.

[Story Continues Below]

Yellow Ribbon Handicap (August 7 at Del Mar) In racetracker slang, “get tied on” for this explanation of a pretty name with a pretty convoluted background. For starters, the summer edition is the rebranded Palomar Handicap while the first incarnation at Santa Anita is now the Rodeo Drive. The original was first held in 1977 during Santa Anita's autumn meeting when the Oak Tree Racing Association traditionally leased the facility. A popular song of the era was “Tie a Yellow Ribbon (Round the Old Oak Tree)” and somehow the wording grew into a good idea for a race. The varied symbolism and history of yellow ribbons includes awareness of the military although the hit song apparently is about a freed prisoner and his girlfriend.

Best Pal Stakes (August 7 at Del Mar) In short, the race for 2-year-olds recognizes the California-bred gelding but the story goes deeper. Best Pal was one of the most popular horses of his time thanks in part to his folksy name, West Coast roots and consistency during 47 races spread over seven seasons. His first of 12 graded wins came at Del Mar at age two in the Balboa Stakes which reflected area locations honoring the Spanish explorer. Best Pal retired in early 1996 and later that year the Balboa became the Best Pal. His 47-18-11-4 and $5,668,245 record includes Grade 1 victories in the Santa Anita, Charles H. Strub and Oaklawn Handicaps, Hollywood Gold Cup, and Hollywood Futurity and a runner-up effort in the 1991 Kentucky Derby.

A homebred of the revered Golden Eagle Farm of John and Betty Mabee, Best Pal returned to his birthplace but was less than thrilled with a life of too much leisure. He became a stable pony to accompany young horses to the track at Golden Eagle's training division. He died of an apparent heart attack at age ten and was buried on the property.

Beverly D. Stakes (August 14 at Arlington Park) The race for fillies and mares was designed in 1987 as the counterpart to the track's marquee Arlington Million that is run on the same day. The event honors the late wife of Richard Duchossois, whose name is forever linked with transforming Arlington Park into a spectacular setting for world-class racing. This year the Million will be contested as the Mister D. with a purse of $600,000. The Secretariat Stakes, the track's signature test for 3-year-olds, has been rechristened the Bruce D. to commemorate the couple's son who died in 2014.

Alabama Stakes (August 21 at Saratoga) Since 1872 some of the nation's finest fillies have been associated with Alabama which can be a head scratcher when glancing at headlines. The stakes refers to the home state of William Cottrell, a prominent owner-breeder of the era, who declined to have a race named for himself.

Singspiel Stakes (August 21 at Woodbine) First held in 2005, this race pays homage to the remarkably consistent international runner whose only two North American starts were at Woodbine. After winning the Canadian International at the Toronto track, the Irish-bred Singspiel was runner-up in the Breeders' Cup Turf to earn the 1996 Eclipse Award as champion grass horse. In his 20-race career, Singspiel was first or second on 17 occasions and banked just shy of $6 million. His triumphs include the 1997 Dubai World Cup. That triumph is commemorated with a race in his name that is contested early each year at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai. After a productive stud career in England, Singspiel was euthanized in 2010 following complications of laminitis. By definition, Singspiel is a German opera with spoken dialogue. He is a son of In the Wings (GB) which is a theatrical term for a player waiting to go on stage.

Riskaverse Stakes (August 26 at Saratoga) This lyrical label sounds racehorsey, but with a hyphen after “risk” the term relates to investors reluctant to take certain gambles. A newbie on the calendar with an inaugural running in 2009, the 3-year-old filly feature is named for the mare who earned more than $2 million before closing her five-season campaign in 2005. Her record includes consecutive victories in the G1 Flower Bowl Invitational Stakes at Belmont Park.

Ballerina Stakes (August 28 at Saratoga) First run in 1979, the label easily conjures up images of athletic and elegant dancers so one might not consider an equine version. However, the name is a nod to the standout filly of the 1950s who won New York's inaugural Maskette Handicap (now the Go for Wand).

Travers Stakes (August 28 at Saratoga) Arguably the most famous race of summer, the “The Midsummer Derby” is revered for highlighting returnees from the Triple Crown trail and the late bloomers getting into stride and for memorable victories and defeats. Dating back to 1864, the showcase honors Saratoga Race Course co-founder William R. Travers, who won the inaugural running with his horse Kentucky.

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