The Factor | Horse Racing Free Tips

Factor This Gives Cox, Geroux Second Win On The Day In Dinner Party

Gaining Ground Racing's Factor This continued his strong season in 2020 on Saturday with a front-running victory in the Grade 2 Dinner Party Stakes at Pimlico. It was the second win on the Preakness Stakes undercard for trainer Brad Cox and jockey Florent Geroux. The 5-year-old son of The Factor was off as the 4-5 favorite in the field of seven, and pulled away to win by three lengths in a final time time of 1:46.17 over the yielding turf course.

Breaking from the outside post, Factor This was able to get to the lead and the rail before the clubhouse turn. Geroux guided him through fractions of :24.28 and :48.74, maintaining a one-length advantage until mid-way up the backstretch.

Irish Strait moved up to pressure the leader, within a half-length at the five-eighths pole, while Somelikeithotbrown was trapped down on the rail through much of the early going. In the far turn, Irish Strait dropped back and Somelikeithotbrown was able to angle out to take aim on the leading Factor This.

Somelikeithotbrown got within a length of Factor This, but could not get by the determined frontrunner and yielded in the final sixteenth of a mile. At the finish, it was Factor This in front by about three lengths as Somelikeithotbrown settled for second. Hembree got up for third, while Doctor Mounty was fourth.

Bred in Kentucky by Maccabee Farm, Factor This is out of the Singspiel mare Capricious Miss. He was a $2,700 yearling at the Keeneland September sale, then brought a final bid of $11,000 at the OBS April sale the following spring. Factor This didn't win his first stakes race until his 4-year-old season, and earned a first graded victory early in 2020. This year, the horse has won five of his seven starts, all in stakes company.

Overall, Factor This has earned over $1.2 million with a career record of 12-4-4 from 32 starts.

The post Factor This Gives Cox, Geroux Second Win On The Day In Dinner Party appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Increases Across the Board at Hokkaido September Sale

The second to last Japanese yearling sale on the calendar is in the books, and the health of the Japanese bloodstock market compared to other global markets was on full display during the Hokkaido September Sale from Sept. 22-24. The three-day sale saw healthy increases across the board despite the lingering COVID-19 pandemic and the global economic downturn.

A day longer than last year’s sale, the 2020 renewal’s increase in gross was expected on numbers alone, but the increases to the clearance, average and median were a welcome relief to the Japanese breeding industry. Of the 601 lots offered, 451 (75%) sold, grossing ¥2,211,220,000 (US$20,605,566/£16,442,952/€18,011,762), a 38.39% increase. The average and median were ¥4,902,926 (US$46,254/£36,458/€39,937) and ¥3,850,000 (US$36,320/£28,629/€31,360), an increase of 11.38% and 11.4%, respectively. Interestingly, the lowest price of the sale, which usually remains uniform in sales each year, was ¥660,000 (US$6,226/£4,907/€5,376), a 103.7% increase from 2019. Overall, 31 yearlings sold for over ¥10,000,000 (US$94,339/£74,364/€81,459) this year, up from 25 last year.

The most expensive lot of the sale was lot 370, a colt by Vincennes (Jpn) selected by Dearest Club for ¥27,500,000 (US$259,433/£204,503/€224,014). He is a half-brother to G2 St Lite Kinen and G3 Radio Nikkei Sho victor Babbitt (Jpn) (Nakayama Festa {Jpn}) and was offered on the second day.

Hokko Tarumae (Jpn) led all stallions by gross with ¥73,480,000 (US$693,207/£546,438/€598,684) for 12 sold of 13 offered and an average of ¥6,123,333 (US$57,767/£45,536/€49,890), tops of all stallions with 10 or more sold. The Factor was a strong second, with all 12 of his yearlings marked as sold for a gross of ¥69,630,000 (US$656,886/£517,808/€567,316) and an average of ¥5,802,500 (US$54,740/£43,125/€47,276). Strong Return (Jpn) had the most lots going into the sale with 19, and 15 of his yearlings found new homes for an aggregate of ¥68,090,000 (US$642,358/£506,054/€554,445) and an average of ¥4,539,333 (US$42,823/£33,740/€36,963).

Eleven yearlings by Asia Express grossed ¥60,390,000 (US$569,716/£448,812/€491,662) and averaged ¥5,490,000 (US$51,792/£40,801/€44,696). Copano Rickey (Jpn) had 12 lots gross ¥59,730,000 (US$563,490/£443,907/€486,304) and average ¥4,977,500 (US$46,957/£36,992/€40,525). Isla Bonita (Jpn) grossed ¥56,100,000 (US$529,245/£417,025/€456,835) and averaged ¥5,610,000 (US$52,924/£49,136/€53,826) with 10 sold. Makfi (GB) had nine lots sell for a gross of ¥55,110,000 (US$519,905/£409,578/€448,805) and average of ¥6,123,333 (US$57,767/£45,508/€49,867).

Four popular young sires sold all of their yearlings that were cataloged. Four yearlings by Kizuna (Jpn) sold for a gross of ¥47,190,000 (US$445,188/£350,719/€384,331) and an average of ¥11,797,500 (US$111,297/£87,010/€95,349). Duramente (Jpn) had four lots sell that grossed ¥43,890,000 (US$414,056/£326,147/€357,441) and averaged ¥10,972,500 (US$103,514/£81,536/€89,360). Mikki Isle (Jpn)’s eight lots brought a combined ¥42,680,000 (US$402,641/£317,176/€347,574) and an average of ¥5,335,000 (US$503,310/£39,647/€43,446). Maurice (Jpn) was represented by a trio which sold for a total of ¥28,600,000 (US$269,811/£212,533/€232,901) and an average of ¥9,533,333 (US$89,937/£70,838/€77,643).

The final yearling sale of the 2020 sales calendar will be held on Oct. 19-20, the Hokkaido Autumn Sale. COVID-19 protocols that were upheld in previous sales will continue through the Autumn Sale.

US$1 = JP¥106.00

All values include tax.

The post Increases Across the Board at Hokkaido September Sale appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Factor This ‘A More Mature Horse,’ Takes On Field Of 10 Others In G2 Wise Dan

Gaining Ground Racing's three-time stakes winner Factor This will lead a field of 11 older horses that entered Saturday's 31st running of the $200,000 Wise Dan presented by Ford (Grade II) at Churchill Downs.

The 1 1/8-mile Wise Dan, run on the Matt Winn Turf Course, will share the spotlight Saturday with the $100,000 Audubon presented by TwinSpires.com, a 1 1/8 miles turf test for 3-year-olds. The Wise Dan was carded as Race 9, while the Audubon will go as Race 6. First post is 1 p.m. (all times Eastern).

Factor This, a previous $62,500 claim in 2018, has won five races with trainer Brad Cox, including back-to-back stakes victories in the $150,000 Fair Grounds (GIII) and $300,000 Muniz Memorial (GII). The 5-year-old son of The Factor has been working consistently over the turf course at Churchill Downs with his pilot Shaun Bridgmohan aboard.

“He just looks like a more mature horse this year,” said Bridgmohan, following his half-mile move in :47.60 on June 7. “He's filled out and really gained a lot of size. Even from the Fair Grounds this winter he looks bigger here at Churchill.”

Factor This will try for his 10th career victory from post position No. 3.

Chief among the other rivals to Factor This is Live Oak Plantation's 2019 Wise Dan hero March to the Arch. Trained by Mark Casse, March to the Arch began his 2020 campaign with a victory in the $150,000 Sunshine Millions Turf at Gulfstream Park and back-to-back third-place finishes in the $175,000 Tampa Bay (GIII) and $100,000 Appleton (GIII). March to the Arch traveled to California for his last start in the $300,000 Shoemaker Mile (GI) but finished a disappointing 10th. Florent Geroux will be in the irons for the Wise Dan from post 7.

The complete field for the Wise Dan from the rail out (with jockey and trainer): Just Howard (Rafael Bejarano, Graham Motion); English Bee (James Graham, Motion); Factor This (Bridgmohan, Cox); Eons (Adam Beschizza, Arnaud Delacour); Aquaphobia (Corey Lanerie, Mike Maker); Ritzy A.P. (Declan Cannon, Jack Sisterson); March to the Arch (Geroux, Casse); Emmaus (IRE) (Brian Hernandez, Connor Murphy); Casa Creed (Martin Garcia, Bill Mott); Hembree (Gerardo Corrales, Maker); and Parlor (Tyler Gaffalione, Maker).

The early National Weather Service forecast for Louisville calls for mostly sunny skies with highs in the low 90s.

For complimentary Brisnet past performances, visit www.churchilldowns.com/handicapping

The post Factor This ‘A More Mature Horse,’ Takes On Field Of 10 Others In G2 Wise Dan appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post