Looking Backward and Forward To The Brocklesby

For many years it was a tradition that the British Flat racing season would start on the Carholme at Lincoln towards the end of March and then finish at Manchester (and at Lingfield, which raced on the same afternoon) in November. Lincoln and Manchester have both now been lost in the mists of time, each having closed its doors in the 1960s. Happily, the season's first big race (the Lincolnshire H., as it became known in 1860, having previously been known as the Lincoln Spring H.) and its last big race (the Manchester November H.) have both survived the closure of their original homes, and they now keep the flame of history alive each spring and each autumn on the Town Moor at Doncaster as that great racecourse hosts the first and the last meetings of the turf season each year.

Happily for those who respect the sport's heritage, the Lincoln H. was not the only time-honoured race rescued from the wreckage of Lincoln racecourse and transferred to Doncaster. Additionally, we have the Brocklesby S., which retains its historic distinction as the first 2-year-old race of the new turf season. On Saturday both races will form part of the meeting that kickstarts the British turf season of 2022.

First run in 1849 over a mile and a half, the Brocklesby was reinvented as a five-furlong 2-year-old race in 1875 and has remained as such ever since. The only major change came when, along with the Lincoln, it was relocated to Doncaster after the closure of Lincoln racecourse in 1964.

In recent decades, we have become accustomed to Britain's early juvenile races being won mostly by horses who ultimately turn out not to be of a particularly high class. It is not obvious why this should be, as for many years these races were often won by horses who turned out to be much better than merely precocious juveniles. Furthermore, in other countries it is still not uncommon to find some of the very best horses out early in the spring of their first season. One notable recent example was Dawn Approach (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}) whose trainer/breeder Jim Bolger sent him out to win Ireland's first juvenile race of 2012 before putting together a terrific career whose highlights also included victories in the G2 Coventry S., G1 National S. and G1 Dewhurst S. at two and the G1 2000 Guineas and G1 St. James's Palace S. as a 3-year-old in 2013.

Had Dawn Approach made a winning debut in March 2012 at Doncaster rather than The Curragh, he would obviously have ranked as the most distinguished Brocklesby winner of the modern era. He would not, though, have counted as its greatest winner of all time. That honour is held (and is almost certain to be held forever) by Donovan (GB) (Galopin {GB}) who, trained at Heath House in Newmarket by George Dawson for his breeder the 6th Duke of Portland, raised the curtain on a great career by making a winning debut in the Brocklesby in 1888. It is often suggested that getting a horse out early in his 2-year-old season, when the horse is clearly still far from mature, might reduce his chances of putting together a full career. Donovan is a classic reminder that that need not be the case.

The Brocklesby was the first of Donovan's 13 races at two, 11 of which he won, displaying such excellence that he ended the campaign as ante-post favourite for the following year's Derby. His 10 subsequent 2-year-old victories came in the Portland Plate at Leicester (run the following week and at the time a very prestigious race worth £6,000) the New (now Norfolk) S. at Ascot, two races at Stockbridge's summer meeting, the July S. at Newmarket's July Meeting, the Ham S. at Goodwood, and then at various Newmarket meetings the Buckenham S., the Hopeful S., the Middle Park Plate and the Dewhurst S.

In 1889 Donovan was unlucky not to win the Triple Crown, thanks to an unfortunate defeat on his resumption in the 2000 Guineas, when his jockey Fred Barrett, believing the race to be in the bag, dropped his hands a few strides from the post and consequently was caught by Tom Cannon on Enthusiast. Two weeks later Donovan was an easy winner of the Newmarket S. (with Enthusiast unplaced) and then he found it similarly straightforward to justify odds-on favouritism in the Derby. At Ascot he won Prince of Wales's S. and at Doncaster he strolled home in the St. Leger. He brought his season to close with two more easy wins later in the autumn, in the Lancashire Plate at Manchester and the Royal S. at Newmarket. Donovan finally retired to Worksop Manor Stud in 1891 with record prize-money earnings of £55,154, a figure which was eclipsed by Isinglass (GB) (Isonomy {GB}) in 1895. Donovan remained at Worksop Manor until suffering a fatal injury in a paddock accident in 1905. His name can still be found in the pedigrees of many notable horses, including Deep Impact (Jpn) in whose 10th generation he appears.

If Donovan's numerous victories confirm that an early debut need not prevent a great career, what can one say about another legend of the turf who was also out early as a 2-year-old, Red Rum? Traditionally, the first fixtures of the new season were Lincoln and then, later in the same week, Liverpool (which is now known as Aintree). The feature race at each meeting formed a leg of the 'Spring Double'. The Lincolnshire H. was obviously the first leg; as Liverpool was a mixed meeting (and remained that way into the 1970s, when it became National Hunt only) its leg of the Spring Double was its principal National Hunt contest, the Grand National, run on the Friday. Even without the extra hazards provided by the 30 huge fences in the Grand National, the competitiveness of these two huge-field handicaps (the Grand National had 66 runners in 1929, while in 1948 the Lincolnshire H. set what will presumably always be the record for the biggest field in a Flat race in Great Britain, 58) made the Spring Double a fiendishly difficult puzzle for punters to solve.

Red Rum, of course, is most famous for his three victories in the Grand National, in 1973, '74 and '77, as well as for his second places in the race in 1975 and '76.  However, his first appearance at Liverpool came on Apr. 7, 1967, his trainer Tim Molony choosing to run him in a 2-year-old race there rather than in the Brocklesby at Lincoln. Aged 23 months and four days, he dead-heated for that race, the Thursby Plate, just three days shy of 10 years before his final and greatest triumph at the course.

It would be unrealistic to expect to see a Donovan (or a Red Rum) winning as a 2-year-old in the opening days of the 2022 turf season, but even so it is still not uncommon to see the Brocklesby won by a special horse. The race's best winner of the 1970s was Deep Diver (Ire) (Gulf Pearl {GB}) who went on to become a champion sprinter as 3-year-old in 1972 by virtue of winning the Nunthorpe S. and the Prix de l'Abbaye. Its star of the 1980s was Provideo (Ire) (Godswalk) who began his juvenile season in 1984 by winning the Brocklesby and eventually ended it with a record of 16 wins from 24 starts, earning Horse of the Year honours in the process. The winners of the 1990s were headed by the 1994 victor Mind Games (GB) who won a further six races including the G3 Norfolk S. at Royal Ascot, the G3 Palace House S. at Newmarket and the G2 Temple S. at Sandown (twice). He also finished second, beaten half a length, to Pivotal (GB) In the G2 King's Stand S. at Royal Ascot as a 4-year-old in 1996.

Two Brocklesby winners of the first decade of the current century stand out. In 2009 Hearts Of Fire (GB) (Firebreak {GB}), trained by former champion jockey Pat Eddery, began his juvenile campaign by winning at Doncaster and, months later, ended it with a sparkling international hat-trick consisting of victories in the Prix Francois Boutin at Deauville, the G3 Zukunfts-Rennen at Baden Baden and the G1 Gran Criterium at San Siro. The 2006 Brocklesby winner Spoof Master (Ire) never performed at that level but he did earn a little place in history even so. That year's race was run at Redcar as Doncaster was closed while its new grandstand was being built. By contesting the Brocklesby at Redcar, Spoof Master became the first runner for his sire Invincible Spirit (Ire); by winning it, he became the first winner for that great stallion. His exertions that day certainly didn't do Spoof Master any harm as he ultimately ran 65 times (winning 11) and raced in eight consecutive seasons.

The best Brocklesby winner of the past decade has been the 2016 winner The Last Lion (Ire) (Choisir {Aus}) who ended up running 10 times as a juvenile, his excellent campaign culminating in victory in the autumn in the G1 Middle Park S. at Newmarket.  Last year's winner Chipotle (GB) (Havana Gold {Ire}) wasn't far behind that level of form, his three subsequent wins of 2021 including two black-type events, the Windsor Castle S. at Royal Ascot and the William Hill Two-Year-Old Trophy at Redcar.

Who will win this year's Brocklesby? A future Royal Ascot winner? Very possibly. Irrespective, though, of whatever he or she does go on subsequently to achieve, the Brocklesby winner will have begun a racing career in the best possible way, following in the footsteps of some terrific horses of the past, keeping a great racing tradition alive, giving hope and promise for the future, and ushering in an exciting new season of thrilling racing. At this time of year it all (bar our history and heritage) lies ahead of us.

The post Looking Backward and Forward To The Brocklesby appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Turf Racing From Gulfstream, Santa Anita Highlights Friday’s Stronach 5

Turf races from Santa Anita Park and Gulfstream Park lead a competitive Stronach 5 Friday afternoon with a low 12-percent takeout.

The Stronach 5, which continues to offer a strong return on investment, will start at 4:16 ET and will also include races from Laurel Park and Golden Gate Fields.

Laurel's ninth race, a $10,000 claimer for 4-year-olds and up at 1 1/16 mile, starts the popular wager, and it drew a wide-open field of 10 with four horses running for new barns off claims. Dr. Ferber breaks from the rail after being claimed last time out by Kieron Magee, who is 28-percent off a claim. Pay The Kid goes out first time for Rodolfo Sanchez-Salomon, 50 percent first off the claim, and Souper Emperor returns to the barn of Mike Trombetta, 12 percent off the claim.

The Stronach 5 moves next to California and Santa Anita's third race, a mile event for filly and mare maiden claimers. Awesome Pamela comes into the race off a second-place finish last time out against similar company at the distance. A neck behind Awesome Pamela last time out was Medusa's Gaze, who breaks from the rail and has placed in six of nine starts at the distance, and a length back was Glory of Chrome, who closed well despite a wide trip. Cayton Kid goes out first time off the claim for Gary Stute.

Gulfstream's ninth race, a mile turf event for fillies and mares with a $35,000 tag, will serve as the third leg of the sequence. Una Luna gets Paco Lopez in the saddle and will make her first start for trainer Steve Klesaris since finishing off the board in the Claiming Crown Tiara. My Sweet Wife enters off a second-place finish last out against similar company. Chose to Be Happy, first or second in seven of 10 turf starts, goes out for the first time in five months for Eddie Plesa Jr.

The fourth leg of the sequence, Golden Gate's third race, is a starter allowance at six furlongs for fillies and mares. Holy Zags will break from the rail and will make his first start for a new barn and trainer Jonathan Wong off an eighth-month layoff. Wong also saddles She Said Yes, fifth last time out. Daniela Bella broke her maiden last out against maiden special weight company and enters with a record of 6-1-4-0.

Santa Anita's fourth race, a starter optional claimer at six furlongs on the turf, concludes the Stronach 5. Cherubic Factor and Algeria are the only starters in the seven-horse field with a win on the turf. Doug O'Neill will saddle two horses for the first time in Explosive and Cotopaxi, who was claimed for $50,000 last time out.

Friday's races and sequence

Leg 1 –Laurel Race 9: (10 entries, 1 1/16 mile) 4:16 ET, 1:16 PT
Leg 2 –Santa Anita Race 3: (8 entries, 1 mile) 4:33 ET, 1:33 PT
Leg 3 – Gulfstream Race 9: (12 entries, 1-mile turf) 4:42 ET, 1:42 PT
Leg 4 – Golden Gate Race 3: (8 entries, 6 furlongs) 4:49 ET, 1:49 PT
Leg 5 –Santa Anita Race 4: (7 entries, 6 furlongs turf) 5:04 ET, 5:04 PT

Fans can watch and wager on the action at 1/ST.COM/BET as well as stream all the action in English and Spanish at LaurelPark.com, SantaAnita.com, GulfstreamPark.com, and GoldenGateFields.com.

The minimum wager on the multi-race, multi-track Stronach 5 is $1. If there are no tickets with five winners, the entire pool will be carried over to the next Friday.

If a change in racing surface is made after the wagering closes, each selection on any ticket will be considered a winning selection. If a betting interest is scratched, that selection will be substituted with the favorite in the win pool when wagering closes.

The Maryland Jockey Club serves as host of the Stronach 5.

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Santa Anita Cancels Thursday Card Due To Rain; Friday’s Stakes Pushed To The Weekend

With substantial rain forecast for Southern California later this week, Santa Anita Park has proactively cancelled racing for Thursday, Dec. 30.

Live racing will return Friday, Dec. 31, but the three turf stakes races slated for that day have been moved to the weekend when the weather should be much improved.

The Grade 3 Robert J. Frankel now will be run on Saturday, Jan. 1, with the two 2-year-old turf stakes (Eddie Logan & Blue Norther) to be held on Sunday, Jan. 2.

With six races shifted from turf to dirt, resulting in 10 program scratches, business prospects for Santa Anita's 85th Winter/Spring Meet opener were a bit subdued on Sunday, but business was indeed brisk. With $2.3 million wagered on-track, total pari-mutuel handle was $19.4 million, making it the third-best Opening Day handle ever.

“We really want to thank the fans for supporting us and the horsemen for going with the changes and participating,” said Santa Anita Senior Vice President and General Manager, Nate Newby. “Although it didn't rain yesterday, we had over 4 ½ inches of rain in the five days leading into Sunday, so the decision was made to come off the turf.

“I want to acknowledge the great job Dennis Moore and his team did yesterday in having the main track in tremendous shape. We had great racing and some great performances, just a fabulous day.”

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Santa Anita Announces Turf Starter Series For Fillies & Mare; Eight Races Beginning Jan. 17

Santa Anita Park has announced that beginning Jan. 17, it will offer a lucrative series of eight starter allowance races for fillies and mares on turf. The Santa Anita Turf Starter Series will be comprised of four sprints and four routes at distances of five furlongs on up to a marathon turf event at a mile and one half.

Patterned after last season's successful Tin Man Starter Allowance Series, fillies and mares which have started for a claiming tag of $25,000 or less beginning in 2020 through entry time, are eligible. In addition to regular purse money, points will be awarded on a graduated scale to the first four finishers in each race, with 10 to the winner, six for second, three for third and one point to the fourth place runner.

At the end of the eight-race series, separate monetary awards will be given to owners of horses in both the sprint and route components of the series. Owners with the most points in each division will be awarded $5,000, with second place earning $3,000 and the third place finishers will each receive $2,000.

Those opting to run in sprints will compete at graduated distances of five furlongs, 5 ½ furlongs, six furlongs and 6 ½ furlongs.

Route races will start at one mile, then go to a mile and one eighth, a mile and one quarter and culminate at 1 ½ miles.

With leg one on Jan. 17 being contested at one mile, leg two, the beginning of the sprint series, will be run on Jan. 28 at five furlongs. Dates and distances for all subsequent races will be announced later.

“What we've done is package both a sprint series and route series as one,” said Santa Anita Director of Racing and Racing Secretary Chris Merz. “Although we anticipate that those horses running in sprints will aim for the four short races and that our routers will try to do the same going long, horsemen may opt to mix and match in terms of distances at some point and they're welcome to do so.

“The Tin Man Starter Series, which we'll again be offering this winter and spring, was well received last season and we're hopeful this new series for fillies and mares will also generate a good deal of interest. It gives owners and trainers more options and obviously, it's a way to stay on the turf and run for good purse money against comparable horses without risking them for a claiming tag.”

Santa Anita's Winter/Spring opening day is Sunday, Dec. 26. For additional information regarding the Santa Anita Turf Starter Series for fillies and mares, please contact the Santa Anita Racing Office at (626) 574-6352.

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