Ryan Moore Reclaims Longines World’s Best Jockey Title

After winning six different qualifying races on five different horses in four different countries, Ryan Moore has won the title of 2021 Longines World's Best Jockey. The European-based rider dominated the standings for most of the year en route to winning the competition for the third time. Moore also was named the Longines World's Best Jockey in 2014 and 2016.

In 2021, Moore won six of the world's Top 100 Group or Grade 1 races, with his qualifying victories coming in the LONGINES Hong Kong Vase (Mogul), Al Quoz Sprint Sponsored by Azizi Developments (Extravagant Kid), Prince of Wales's Stakes (Love), Diamond Jubilee Stakes (Dream of Dreams), Coral-Eclipse (St Mark's Basilica), and Irish Champion Stakes (St Mark's Basilica).

The scoring process rewards jockeys for finishing in the top three, giving Moore a total of 112 points on the year. William Buick was a close second with 104 points, while James McDonald ended the year in third with 96 points. No other jockey in the world scored above 68 points.

The awarding of the Longines World's Best Jockey title is based upon performances in the 100 highest-rated Group 1 and Grade 1 races as established for the year by the Longines World's Best Racehorse Rankings Committee. The scoring incorporates races from Dec. 1 of the previous year until Nov. 30 of the current year. Jockeys accrue 12 points for a win, 6 points for placing second, and 4 points for placing third.

Now a three-time winner of the competition, Moore was the inaugural recipient of the Longines World's Best Jockey Award, which was established in 2014. Only Frankie Dettori, a four-time winner, has won the title more often. Additionally, Hugh Bowman took the title in 2017. Moore will be honored in mid-January when the 2021 Longines World's Best Racehorse and Longines World's Best Horse Race winners are announced.

The full and final standings for the 2021 Longines World's Best Jockey competition can be found at www.ifhaonline.org.

The Longines World's Best Jockey Award was established eight years ago by Swiss watch brand Longines and the IFHA as a way to quantitatively recognise a jockey as the best among his or her global peers. It marked the first time a rider was honoured in such a way.

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Ortiz, Jr. Wins Fourth Straight Shoemaker Award

Edited Press Release 

Irad Ortiz Jr. won his fourth consecutive Bill Shoemaker Award, given to the most outstanding jockey at the Breeders' Cup World Championships at Del Mar.

The Shoemaker Award goes to the jockey who won the most races in the 14 World Championship races this weekend with the tiebreaker being a 10-3-1 point system for second- through fourth-place finishes.

Ortiz and William Buick both won three races, but Ortiz also had a runner-up finish and three fourth-place finishes while Buick finished fifth with his only other mount.

Ortiz won the first Championship race of the weekend on Twilight Gleaming (Ire) (National Defense ({GB}) in the GII Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint and then added Saturday victories in the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint with Golden Pal (Uncle Mo) and the GI Big Ass Fans Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile with 'TDN Rising Star' Life Is Good (Into Mischief).

Buick also had one victory Friday on Modern Games (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire} in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf and then two on Saturday with Space Blues (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) in the GI FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile presented by PDJF and Yibir (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) in the GI Longines Turf.

Two other riders posted multiple wins: Joel Rosario and Jose Ortiz.

Rosario took the richest race of the weekend, the $6 million GI Longines Breeders' Cup Classic with Knicks Go (Paynter) and Friday's GI NetJets Juvenile Fillies aboard 'Rising Star' Echo Zulu (Gun Runner).

The Shoemaker Award is named in honor of one of the greatest jockeys in the history of Thoroughbred racing. Bill Shoemaker, who captured the Kentucky Derby four times, won 8,833 races in a career that spanned more than 40 years. In 1987, at age 56, Shoemaker won the Breeders' Cup Classic aboard Ferdinand at Hollywood Park.

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Irad Ortiz Jr. Wins Fourth Consecutive Shoemaker Award For Outstanding Jockey At BC

Irad Ortiz Jr. won his fourth consecutive Bill Shoemaker Award, given to the most outstanding jockey at the Breeders' Cup World Championships at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, Calif.

The Shoemaker Award goes to the jockey who won the most races in the 14 World Championship races this weekend with the tiebreaker being a 10-3-1 point system for second- through fourth-place finishes.

Ortiz and William Buick both won three races, but Ortiz also had a runner-up finish and three fourth-place finishes while Buick finished fifth with his only other mount.

Ortiz won the first Championship race of the weekend on Twilight Gleaming (IRE) in the Grade 2 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf and then added Saturday victories in the G1 Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint with Golden Pal and the G1 Big Ass Fans Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile with Life Is Good.

Buick also had one victory Friday on Modern Games (IRE) in the G1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf and then two on Saturday with Space Blues (IRE) in the G1 FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile presented by PDJF and Yibir (GB) in the G1 Longines Turf.

Two other riders posted multiple wins: Joel Rosario and Jose Ortiz.

Rosario took the richest race of the weekend, the $6 million G1 Longines Breeders' Cup Classic with Knicks Go and Friday's G1 NetJets Juvenile Fillies with Echo Zulu.

Ortiz's victories came on Pizza Bianca in Friday's G1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf and Aloha West in the G1 Qatar Racing Breeders' Cup Sprint.

The Shoemaker Award is named in honor of one of the greatest jockeys in the history of Thoroughbred racing. Bill Shoemaker, who captured the Kentucky Derby four times, won 8,833 races in a career that spanned more than 40 years. In 1987, at age 56, Shoemaker won the Breeders' Cup Classic aboard Ferdinand at Hollywood Park.

Bill Shoemaker Award winners:

2003: Alex Solis

2004: John Velazquez

2005: Garrett Gomez

2006: Frankie Dettori

2007: Garrett Gomez

2008: Garrett Gomez

2009: Julien Leparoux

2010: Garrett Gomez

2011: John Velazquez

2012: Mike Smith

2013: Mike Smith

2014: John Velazquez

2015: Ryan Moore

2016: Mike Smith

2017: Javier Castellano

2018: Irad Ortiz Jr.

2019: Irad Ortiz Jr.

2020: Irad Ortiz Jr.

2021: Irad Ortiz Jr.

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‘Icing On The Cake’: Yibir Completes Appleby’s Del Mar Trifecta In Breeders’ Cup Turf

Trainer Charlie Appleby has experienced the entire rollercoaster of emotions that horse racing has to offer within the microcosm of a single weekend where the turf meets the surf. On Friday, one of his Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf entrants was scratched at the gate, while the other was mistakenly scratched, then reinstated to run for purse money only before winning convincingly. Again on Saturday in the Mile, one entrant was scratched at the gate while the other, Space Blues, galloped to victory.

The trainer's trifecta was completed on Saturday evening with a strong victory in the Breeders' Cup Turf by the quirky sophomore gelding Yibir.

“A fantastic weekend, though I'll be taking a couple of them home fresh,” Appleby said. “I don't know quite how to describe it, really… Today, obviously standing there again to see potentially what was unfolding in front of us, it took a little bit of stepping back and having to take a breath again. But I just knew the right horse was left in the gate in Space Blues, so he was always going to be the main player. And then that in the last, that was the icing on the cake, really. We felt this horse had a lot of talent, he was galloping really good with all our 3-year-old middle distance horses and he's gone and finished it off today.”

The Goldolphin homebred by Dubawi had just one horse beat around the far turn, so jockey William Buick had to be patient before unleashing his rally down the center of the course. That well-timed ride saw 8-1 chance Yibir run down Broome (9-1) to win by a half-length, completing 1 1/2 miles over Del Mar's firm turf course in 2:25.90, a new course record.

“It's been unbelievable,” Buick said. “An amazing weekend. I've been coming to Breeders' Cup for many years and many times things have not gone my way. I understand how hard it is to have winners here so I appreciate every bit of success. The luck has gone my way this year. I couldn't pull him up after the line as he finished that strong. He's a very special horse.”

Yibir was not particularly quick into stride when all 14 entrants broke from the starting gate, and labored at the back of the field in the early going. He seemed to settle in after the first half-mile, and Buick said he started to get confident in his chances from that point.

Up front, Tribhuvan and Acclimate pulled away from the rest of the pack by five lengths to set all the early fractions: :24.04, :48.38, 1:12.41. Closest to the frontrunning pair was Channel Maker, with Bolshoi Ballet and Walton Street also near the front. Meanwhile, defending Breeders' Cup Turf winner Tarnawa traveled just ahead of Yibir at the back of the field.

The field took closer order after a mile in 1:36.76, and Ryan Moore set about moving Broome up from the rear of the field. Buick tracked that move, and followed Moore's path to build up Yibir's momentum with a wide move around the far turn.

In the stretch run, Broome got away from the field by about two lengths, but Yibir switched to his right lead and mowed her down with a powerful late rally. At the line, Yibir was a half-length ahead of the Aidan O'Brien-trained mare, while 3-year-old filly Teona ran a bang-up race to finish third. Japan checked in fourth, while Channel Maker hung around to finish fifth.

The remaining order of finish was: Bolshoi Ballet, Sisfahan, Rockemperor, Walton Street, Gufo, Tarnawa, Astronaut, Tribhuvan, and Acclimate.

“It was the one race this weekend that I didn't know how to assess it,” Buick said of the Turf. “There was a lot of pace in the race but I didn't know what my horse, how he would be able to react. He's a bit of a complex character and you saw him at Belmont last time where he dropped himself out and I had that scenario in my head that he might be a bit rank, and anyway, he broke well, and he pulled hard.

“To be honest with you, I thought he was doing too much. But then once we turned into the back he dropped and he was in a good mile and a half steady rhythm and I was just hoping that he stayed there for the finish because he's got an amazingly strong finish, and halfway around the home turn I could see Broome had gone, but I was always confident of picking him up. He has an amazing turn of foot and I couldn't pull him up after the line. Amazing horse, and I think he did something that not many horses can do, so all credit to him and great weekend. Well done to Charlie and everyone at Godolphin, all the team at home, everyone. It's fantastic.”

Bred in Great Britain by Godolphin, Yibir is out of the winning German-bred Monsun mare Rumh. That mare, a $502,236 yearling purchase at the 2009 Tattersalls sale, is also the dam of multiple Group 1 winner and 2018 Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf runner-up Wild Illusion.

Yibir has had an up-and-down career for Appleby, though his final two runs ahead of the Breeders' Cup were both convincing victories, including the $1 million Jockye Club Derby Invitational at Belmont Park. Overall, the gelding has compiled a record of six wins from 12 starts with earnings of $2,895,580.

“It's just a tribute to the job that Charlie does with his horses with the team he's got behind him, and certainly what William does on the afternoon,” said Godolphin's Jimmy Bell. “So it's been, I'm sure, a big team effort and a lot of credit goes to Charlie and his team for being able to present him on a day like today.”

Quotes from other connections:

Trainer Aiden O'Brien (Broome (IRE), second and Japan, fourth) – “They've all run well, but just not quite good enough today. The winner has done it well and is very smart.”

Trainer Roger Varian (Teona (IRE), third) – “As she angled for home I thought we had a big chance. Watching the race again I don't think it's an ideal track for her. Hopefully she's fine after the race. She'll be aimed at all the big races next year and it's very exciting. If having runners at Breeders' Cup doesn't get your blood up nothing will!”

Trainer Bill Mott (Channel Maker, fifth) – “He ran a super race. Luis (Saez) rode him great. There were two very fast horses in there, so we just laid in behind them. He ran hard. He ran is heart out. We were fifth, but if they give you a good effort you can't complain.”

Jockey Luis Saez (Channel Maker, fifth) – “He did everything right and I did everything they asked for. I just got beat. When I got to the quarter pole, he responded really well and I had some horse and thought I can win this race. I kept trying but the winner just kept coming.”

Jockey Colin Keane (defending winner Tarnawa, 11th) – “She ran flat. I think France last time on very soft ground took plenty out of her. She seemed fine after the race.”

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