thoroughbred | Horse Racing Free Tips

After Emotional Milestone Weekend, Kendrick Carmouche Voted Jockey Of The Week

Kendrick Carmouche marked two professional milestones the week of November 30 through December 6. He won his first Grade I race with True Timber in the Cigar Mile on Saturday and then ended the week by earning his first NYRA Jockey title at the Aqueduct Fall Meet. The achievements earned Carmouche the title of Jockey of the Week. The award, which is voted on by a panel of racing experts, is for jockeys who are members of the Jockeys' Guild, the organization which represents more than 950 active riders in the United States as well as retired and permanently disabled jockeys.

A field of six went to the post for the Cigar Mile. Under Carmouche, True Timber broke sharp from post 5 and tracked in third position behind the leader, Mr. Buff. Heading into the stretch, Carmouche set True Timber down and easily held off late bids from Snapper Sinclair and post time favorite Performer to hit the wire by 5-1/2 lengths in 1:36.49.

“I had perfect position leaving the gate and all the way around there,” said Carmouche. “Right before we got to the quarter pole, I pulled the trigger and I knew they were going to have to run me down from here.”

“It's my first Grade I. I owe it all to my fans, my wife and kids and how much they stuck with me and kept me pushing and fighting in this game,” said an emotional Carmouche. “This means so much to me. This is the biggest win of my career and I hope I have many more blessed ones.”

On Sunday, Carmouche, a mainstay on the NYRA circuit, registered his first-ever riding title for a New York Racing Association meet with 23 victories for the 18-day fall meet at Aqueduct. No stranger to earning riding titles, Carmouche won seven at Parx from 2008-2011 earning him induction into that track's Hall of Fame in 2015.

“I give thanks to everyone who put a good effort into supporting me and pushed me along to win this meet. I'm very appreciative.” Carmouche said. “I seized the opportunity at hand and I am very grateful for all the trainers and owners for letting me show other people that I can win races.”

Carmouche's weekly stats were 28-7-4-5 and $536,576 in purses won to lead all jockeys.

Carmouche out-polled fellow jockeys Sonny Leon who was second in number of wins for the week, Jose Lezcano who tied for number of wins with nine and won a stakes race at Aqueduct, Paco Lopez who tied for number of wins with nine and Luis Saez who won five Claiming Crown stakes at Gulfstream Park.

The post After Emotional Milestone Weekend, Kendrick Carmouche Voted Jockey Of The Week appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Ryan Moore: Hong Kong Cup Favorite Magical ‘Has Been Great For A Long Time’

Champion British jockey Ryan Moore believes Magical is primed to forge rare new territory for Aidan O'Brien in the HK$28 million (US$3.61 million) G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Cup (2000m, 1 1/4 miles) when the Irish globe-trotter vies for an eighth Grade 1 victory.

Magical currently shares top billing at Ballydoyle for the most wins at the highest level, occupying a cluttered mantle along with dual LONGINES Hong Kong Vase winner Highland Reel, Ascot Gold Cup champion Yeats, Minding, and Rock Of Gibraltar.

Moore, 37, is familiar with the jaw-dropping feats of O'Brien's equine giants and, with history beckoning at Sha Tin on Sunday, Dec. 13, is confident Magical can again live up to her name.

“She's been great for a long time and it's fantastic that she's here. She's won seven G1s,” he said. “The reality is they probably have her to beat, but again you always respect the horses that are in there.

“There's three smart Japanese horses in there that have all won G1s (Danon Premium, Win Bright and Normcore).

“And Furore is in good shape. It's a small field but there's not a bad one in there, I don't think.”

The Hong Kong Cup features no fewer than six individual G1 winners.

With the return of defending champion Win Bright for trainer Yoshihiro Hatakeyama and jockey Masami Matsuoka, Moore is using a ready form reference through recently retired Magic Wand, who finished second to Win Bright in the 2019 Hong Kong Cup.

“Magic Wand was a super mare but Magical would, you would think, beat her,” Moore said.

(Magical is) a slight step up on her. She would bring stronger form than Magic Wand would have done.”

Moore will also ride Mogul in the HK$20 million G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Vase (2400m, 1 1/2 miles), where O'Brien's charge will contend with six class rivals.

The striking colt has drawn plenty of admiring glances during trackwork at Sha Tin and Moore hopes the three-year-old can perform to his looks on Sunday.

“He's a beautiful horse, we've always held him high regard,” he said. “He took a while to come to hand this year but you'll see him out on the track – he's very well-made, a very strong colt.

“He was very impressive when he won the Grand Prix de Paris (2400m) (on) Arc Trials weekend and, at the Breeders Cup, he wasn't beaten far in what was a messy sort of a race (when a three-length fifth behind Tarnawa).

“Obviously there's only seven in there (the Vase), Exultant always runs his race but he (Mogul) would look to have a solid chance in that race.”

Moore will seek to add to his tally of five LONGINES Hong Kong International Races credits with Danon Smash, who finished eighth in last year's G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint (1200m, six furlongs), beaten only 2.5 lengths.

A dual G2 and four-time G3 winner, Danon Smash will bid to provide Japanese trainer Takayuki Yasuda his third victory in the race.

Yasuda savored consecutive triumphs with Danon Smash's sire Lord Kanaloa in 2012 and '13.

Pitted against Classique Legend and a slew of emerging Hong Kong speedsters, Moore is hoping Danon Smash can successfully contend after a leisurely gallop on turf at Sha Tin on Wednesday, Dec. 9.

“It was nothing strenuous but he's been here before and it was just getting a feel of him today,” Moore said. “He seems well. He's got plenty of form in the book and it's always hard to beat the Hong Kong horses in the Sprint.

“Obviously this year, Classique Legend looked exceptional in Australia. As always, it's a tough race and we probably have to step up a little bit but hopefully he can get a good run and perform well.”

Moore has prevailed on five occasions at the LONGINES Hong Kong International Races – twice in the Vase with globetrotting Highland Reel in 2015 and 2017, the Cup with Snow Fairy (2010) and Maurice (2016) and the Mile with Maurice (2015).

The post Ryan Moore: Hong Kong Cup Favorite Magical ‘Has Been Great For A Long Time’ appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Sisterson: True Timber ‘Not A One-Dimensional Sprinter,’ To Target Saudi Cup

British born Jack Sisterson, a rising star of the US training ranks, is strongly considering The Saudi Cup for his impressive Cigar Mile winner True Timber. After his 5 1/2 length victory in the Grade 1 at Aqueduct on Saturday, True Timber's handler was thrilled the 6-year-old was able to perform to such a high level.

“We were very proud of him and it was so rewarding for all the staff that put the hard work in 24/7,” said Sisterson. “He came to us from Kiaran McLaughlin in early springtime. We gave him a brief break and he was penclled in to run at Keeneland but we couldn't because of the pandemic.

“He ran in an open allowance race there in July and ran very well to be third. Any race at Keeneland is a tough one and we thought it would be a stepping stone. It shows how good a trainer Kiaran is that he came to us in such good form. His best race last year was the Cigar Mile, so it was a race we wanted to target.”

The son of Mineshaft is now heading for warmer climes.

“He's heading back home to Keeneland and then we'll be shipping him down to Florida towards the end of the week. We're going to be changing his training regime up a bit, from a sprinter to more of a miler,” said Sisterson.

“We'll then be looking at races like the Pegasus World Cup and The Saudi Cup. These are the races you dream of and it's important to capitalize when the moment's right. [The Cigar Mile] gives us the confidence to go for races like that. I don't think the trip will be an issue at all, he has the presence of a distance type of horse, not a one-dimensional sprinter.”

Originally from Durham in England, Sisterson has now been in America for 15 years.

“I came over on a soccer scholarship from the University of Louisville,” said the 35-year-old. “My family had a few horses in point-to-points back in the UK and I always wanted to be involved at some level.”

He couldn't have received a better education in US racing: “I've been incredibly fortunate to learn from the best and the support I've received has been amazing. I started off working for Todd Pletcher and then Doug O'Neill, so I've been around some incredible horses.”

A trip to Saudi Arabia wouldn't be a first for Sisterson either, as he travelled to Riyadh when working with O'Neill.

“I made it out to Saudi when we took Bailoutbobby over there for a Grade One in 2016. He had been bought by Prince Faisal and I had a great time, meeting lots of people. It would be fantastic to go over there again.”

The post Sisterson: True Timber ‘Not A One-Dimensional Sprinter,’ To Target Saudi Cup appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Kentucky Horse Racing Commission Approves More Regulations On Clenbuterol

The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission approved modified race dates for Turfway Park, a request from Churchill Downs to convert their noncontiguous track extension facility into a simulcast facility, and new withdrawal requirements for administration of clenbuterol in their bi-monthly meeting on Dec. 8, 2020.

Turfway Park was originally granted 39 days for their 2021 Winter Spring meet. They did not request to change the number of days already allowed for their meet, just the specific dates and times during which the meet would take place as well as ship in dates.

“Turfway Park has already been awarded 39 days of racing for January, February, and March of 2021,” KHRC deputy general counsel Chad Thompson said.”The shift of dates will fall within the same months as the dates that were recorded. In addition, the shift in dates will not conflict with those of another thoroughbred track.”

The reason for the shift is a delay in the construction schedule at Turfway, which is undergoing a complete renovation by owner Churchill Downs Inc.

There was a series of amendments made to pre-existing regulations on clenbuterol use. The first amendment was made to make a new section within a drug regulation rule to include clenbuterol and specify that it is prohibited unless certain conditions are met. The first condition is that a clenbuterol prescription must be made for a specific horse based upon a specific diagnosis. The second condition is that the vet is required to provide a copy of the horse's treatment sheet to the equine medical director for review within 24 hours of administration. The third condition is that the horse must be placed on the vet's list for 21 days post-administration and must pass a blood and urine test at the end of the 21 days to be removed from the list.

The second amendment on clenbuterol regulations was made to a regulation on the acceptable threshold of clenbuterol. This new amendment states that the acceptable threshold is the level of detection in urine serum and plasma. The last amendment made states that clenbuterol may be administered if the treatment is pursuant to a prescription and reported to the commission.

Although the amendments were ultimately approved, there were some points made in regards to how the amendments are affecting the Standardbred community since those horses race more frequently than Thoroughbreds do.

“This, I think, is a case of punishing harness racing for the sins of the Quarter Horse people and Thoroughbred people,” Said commissioner Alan Leavitt in response to the proposal of the clenbuterol amendments. “There have been, as far as I know, no instances reported of a Standardbred being overly treated with clenbuterol in order to get a steroidal effect.”

The commission unanimously approved the conversion of the Louisville Thoroughbred Society to become a simulcast facility.

The post Kentucky Horse Racing Commission Approves More Regulations On Clenbuterol appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post