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Steve Cauthen, BC Winner Pebbles To Be Inducted Into British Hall of Fame

American jockey Steve Cauthen and the outstanding turf mare Pebbles (GB) (Sharpen Up {GB}) will be inducted into the QIPCO British Champions Series Hall of Fame, the official Hall of Fame for Flat racing in Britain. The newest inductees will be recognized on QIPCO British Champions Day at Ascot on Oct. 21, with Cauthen making a rare trip over from the US.

Cauthen becomes just the fifth rider to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, while Pebbles becomes the first of her gender to be inducted alongside the likes of Frankel (GB) and his legendary late sire Galileo (Ire). Cauthen and Pebbles teamed to win the 1985 Eclipse S. at Sandown.

Now 63, Cauthen is the only jockey in history to have ridden the winners of both the Derby and Kentucky Derby and is the youngest to have ever won the US Triple Crown aboard Affirmed in 1978. He is the only jockey to appear on the cover of TIME magazine, which he did alongside the late boxer Muhammad Ali. Cauthen was Britain's champion jockey on three occasions and rode the winners of 10 English Classics, all but one for trainer Sir Henry Cecil, including Derby winners Slip Anchor and Reference Point.

“I'm grateful to have had so many brilliant opportunities on both sides of the pond and to still be recognised for my achievements is really quite special to me.

“Having been inducted into America's Hall of Fame some years back, it's an honour to now celebrate my induction into Great Britain's Hall of Fame, and I'm looking forward to marking this moment with family and friends on QIPCO British Champions Day at Ascot later this month.”

Trained by Clive Brittain, Pebbles overcame quirkiness and a variety of setbacks and became the first British-conditioned winner of a Breeders' Cup race when successful in the 1985 Turf at Aqueduct. She had previous won the G1 1000 Guineas and the G1 Champion S. at Newmarket prior to her American conquest.

Said Brittain, “I still think about her today and can see her fresh in my mind, particularly with her boyfriend, Come On The Blues. Theirs was a great love story and he accompanied her wherever she went–even travelling out to America with her for the Breeders' Cup Turf. That day was the only time that I've been racing and felt nervous, but I just did the same as we'd have done at home and it all worked out.”

Speaking on behalf of Godolphin, the racing operation owned by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed, Pebbles's owner, managing director Hugh Anderson added, “Pebbles was a uniquely talented and very tough racehorse with an outstanding race record. She truly was one of the best racehorses of the 1980s and a flagbearer for His Highness Sheikh Mohammed's racing operation at the time. She is a very deserving inductee to the Hall of Fame and His Highness is delighted to see her achievements recognised in this way.”

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Canter for a Cause Returning to Pimlico Oct. 29

Canter for a Cause, back for the third straight year after the 2020 cancellation, will return to Pimlico Race Course Sunday, Oct. 29. Sponsored by the Maryland Jockey Club, the organization allows the public the chance to walk, trot, canter or gallop their favorite horse or pony over the same oval which has hosted esteemed runners like Seabiscuit, Secretariat, War Admiral and recent Triple Crown champions American Pharoah and Justify. More than 270 riders participated last fall, one of the most successful events.

Registration is $65 per trip, with proceeds going to benefit the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance, and will go as scheduled from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., rain or shine. All horses must have proof of a negative Coggins test within 12 months. All riders must sign a waiver and wear approved helmets while riders under the age of 14 must be accompanied by an adult. No colts, stallions or ridglings are allowed.

“Canter for a Cause is a great opportunity for riders to experience riding over one of the most historic racetracks in the country, while helping raise money for a great cause,” said MJC vice president of racing development Georganne Hale. “It's fun for the whole family.”

Registration closes Monday, Oct. 23 at 5 p.m or whenever 300 entries are taken. Please visit the Pimlico webpage to register and pay.

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Cantey to be Honored with Leadership Award

Pioneering horse racing television commentator Charlsie Cantey will be honored with the Jane Goldstein Exemplary Leadership Award at the second annual Horse Racing Women's Summit, Sept. 27-29, at Santa Anita Park.

A native of North Carolina, Cantey started her career with race horses in New York after graduating from George Washington University in 1968. She worked with trainers Elliot Burch, Frank Whiteley, Jr., David Whiteley, and Sidney Watters, as well as Joe Cantey after their 1969 marriage.

She was persuaded by Frank Wright and Dave Johnson, co-hosts of the WOR-TV (New York) weekly racing show, to join them in 1975. Two years later, she made her network debut on CBS for the Travers S., alongside Wright and Jack Whitaker. During nine years with CBS, she originated interviews from horseback.

When ABC was contracted for Triple Crown coverage in 1986, Cantey was part of the talent team that included Jim McKay, Al Michaels, Whitaker, and Johnson. In 2001, the contract went to NBC, where she worked with Tom Hammond and others for the Triple Crown, as well as the Breeders' Cup World Championships.

“I am honored, and beyond humbled, to receive the Jane Goldstein Leadership Award,” Cantey said. “To be recognized by Jane and the Horse Racing Women's Summit is a stunning surprise, and I am so grateful to be remembered by this important collective force committed to advancing all facets of our mutual lifelong passion, Thoroughbred racing.

The award is named for ground-breaking turf publicist Jane Goldstein, who was recognized for the inaugural presentation last year.

Tickets to HRWS 2023 are still available and can be purchased online. Visit www.womeninracingsummit.com for more information.

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‘It’s Very Special’: West Saratoga Kicks Off ‘Road To Kentucky Derby’ With Iroquois Win

Harry L. Veruchi's West Saratoga is the early points leader on the 2024 'Road to the Kentucky Derby' after the Exaggerator colt won Saturday's 42nd running of the $300,000 Iroquois (G3) for 2-year-olds by 1¾ lengths over 6-5 favorite Risk It at Churchill Downs.

Liberal Arts was another neck back in third, and Seize the Grey was another neck back in fourth.

Sent to post at odds of 12-1, West Saratoga ran one mile in 1:37.28 under jockey Rafael Bejarano to give Keeneland-based trainer Larry Demeritte, who collected his first graded stakes win since Memorial Maniac won the 2010 Stars and Stripes Turf (G3) at Arlington Park.

West Saratoga banked the $180,315 first prize and 10 points on the 'Road to the Kentucky Derb' point system that will determine the field for next year's 150th Kentucky Derby (G1) on May 4, 2024 at Churchill Downs. The Iroquois is the first of 37 select races of the series and the top five finishing positions earned points on a sliding scale of 10-5-3-2-1, respectively.

“It's very special to get started on the Road to the Kentucky Derby,” Veruchi said. “We ran a couple times here in the spring and so we knew he'd like the track. After he broke his maiden last time at a mile we were confident he'd like stretching out in distance as he got more experienced. He's a very nice horse.”

Breaking from post position No. 2 in field of eight 2-year-olds, West Saratoga raced down the backstretch in the clear in fourth as Virginia invader Patriot Spirit set torrid fractions of :22.37, :44.63 and 1:10.14 under Jesus Castanon with Market Street in second and Risk It in third.

The strides of Patriot Spirit began to shorten at the top of the stretch and he maintained his lead until the final eighth mile until a grinding West Saratoga charged down the stretch with a four-wide move to grab the lead and inch clear of Risk It for the win.

“I just let him get comfortable after seeing a lot of speed in the race on paper and then the outside horse (Patriot Spirit) went really fast early,” Bejarano said. “I thought I'd just let my horse settle and start to get going around the turn. I could tell at the three-eighths pole I had a lot of horse beneath me and I was seeing the horses in front of me still going fast. I figured they would come back to me a little bit. I got a great trip into the stretch, and had a lot of horse still beneath me.”

West Saratoga paid $26.96 for the win.

Seize the Grey at odds of 9-2 was fourth and was followed by Edified, Patriot Spirit, Union Roll and Market Street. Gettysburg Address was scratched.

“It took him a little while to get settled off a fast pace,” trainer Steve Asmussen said of favorite Risk It.

This was the sixth career start for West Saratoga, who broke his maiden at Ellis Park in his fifth start on Aug 5. His career earnings now total $276,815 from a record of 2-3-0 in six starts.

“We've been just trying to let him progress naturally,” Demeritte said. “He went a mile last time and we were confident today going the same distance. We'll decide in the next day or so what's next. I'm based in Lexington and run at Keeneland a lot so that could be a good option (in the Grade I Breeders' Futurity).”

An $11,000 purchase from consignor Hidden Brook at the 2022 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, the gray or roan West Saratoga was bred in Kentucky by Two Hearts Farm II LLC and is out of the Uncle Mo mare Mo Wicked.

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