The top two finishers from the 2013 edition — Hogy (Offlee Wild) and Mister
Marti Gras (Belongs to Me) — are leading contenders in Saturday’s $100,000
Hanshin Cup (G3) at Arlington. Eight older horses will square off in the
one-mile event and Hogy enters in good form for trainer Scott Becker, with the
six-year-old gelding earning his fifth career victory over the Polytrack when
posting a 3 1/4-length tally against allowance/optional claiming foes on June
12. Mister Marti Gras, who missed by only a head when second in an Arlington
allowance/optional claimer two back, will wheel back off seven days rest and
switch surfaces for conditioner Chris Block following a fifth in the grassy
Stars and Stripes (G3). Other runners include Hammers Terror (Artie Schiller)
and Agent Di Nozzo (Ghostzapper)…
After completing the hat trick in 2014, Good Lord (Greatness) will look to
capture Ellis Park’s $50,000 Don Bernhardt for the fourth consecutive
year on Saturday. A nine-time stakes victor overall, the eight-year-old gelding
exits a third in the June 27 Kelly’s Landing at Churchill Downs. Miguel Mena
will be up and the Forest Kaelin trainee is listed at the 7-2 second choice on
the morning line among seven rivals. Five-time stakes winner Rise Up (Rockport
Harbor),a close third in the Texas Mile (G3) two back and exits a fourth as the
favorite most recently in the June 21 Dark Star at Canterbury, is the 3-1 early
favorite for Tom Amoss in the 6 1/2-furlong race. Bagg O’Day (Five Star Day) and
Pataky Kid (Rockport Harbor) are also entered…
Gulfstream Park has announced it will kick off its 2015-16 Championship
Meet December 5 with the 17th running of the $1.1 million Claiming Crown. It
will mark the fourth consecutive year the Claiming Crown has been contested at
Gulfstream Park. Last year’s Claiming Crown, which had total handle of more than
$10 million, featured eight races. This year’s Claiming Crown will feature a
ninth race — a five-furlong turf sprint for fillies and mares with a purse of
$110,000. Created in 1999 to honor the blue-collar horses that are the
foundation of the racing industry nationwide, the Claiming Crown historically
has drawn entries from all parts of North America and from many of the country’s
leading stables. “We’re looking forward to playing host to the Claiming Crown
once again and kicking off our Championship Meet with this great event,” said
Gulfstream General Manager and The Stronach Group’s Vice President of Racing P.J.
Campo. “Support for the Claiming Crown from horsemen around North America has
been incredible the past three years, and we’re already getting calls about this
year’s event. We’re also looking forward to working with our partners at TOBA
and the HBPA to put on another great show.” The remainder of Gulfstream’s
2015-16 Championship Meet stakes schedule will be released sometime in the next
four to eight weeks…
Old Friends — the Thoroughbred Retirement Farm in
Georgetown, Kentucky — will host a special Breeder’s Cup Celebration on Sunday,
November 1, from noon to 3 p.m. (ET). Tickets are $25 for the general
public, $15 for shareholders and Old Friends members, and can be reserved now by
contacting the farm at 502-863-1775. The day will include a BBQ buffet by
Furlong’s Catering, farm tours, live music and both live and silent auctions of
racing memorabilia, collectible stallion halters, photography and other artwork,
much of which will celebrate winners of past Breeders’ Cup races. Over the
years, Old Friends has retired more than 25 Breeders’ Cup winners or contenders,
among them Gulch (winner of 1988 BC Sprint), *Prized (winner of 1989 BC Turf),
*Black Tie Affair (winner of 1991 BC Classic), *Fraise (winner of 1992 BC Turf), Eldaafer (winner of 2010 BC Marathon), Amazombie (winner of 2011 BC Sprint),
*Sunshine Forever (second in 1988 BC Turf), Silver Charm (second in 1998 BC
Classic), Game On Dude (second in 2011 BC Classic) and Rail Trip (third in 2011
BC Dirt Mile) (*now deceased). “With the Breeders’ Cup here in Lexington at
Keeneland this year we hope fans will include us in their plans and come out for
the day to see these wonderful past Breeders’ Cup stars,” Old Friends founder
and President Michael Blowen said. “It’s a great way to celebrate the new
winners and also the history of the Championships.” For additional information
or to reserve a ticket, please call the farm at 502-863-1775.
The National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) has
released its Annual Report for 2014-2015. A PDF of the full document is
available online at
http://www.ntra.com/media/8971140/15-260-046_ntra_14-15_annual_report_7-8-15.pdf.
The 30-page report includes the organization’s audited financial statement and
information on the NTRA Safety and Integrity Alliance, federal legislative
advocacy, NTRA Communications, the Eclipse Awards and the NHC. Past Annual
Reports are archived online at
http://www.ntra.com/en/about-ntra/annual-reports…
Tickets are now available for Horse Farm Tours during the Breeders’ Cup Festival Week. These tours offer a rare
“behind
the scenes” look at Kentucky’s iconic stud operations and nurseries,
world-renowned veterinary clinics, and more. Attendees will hear the stories of
Breeders’ Cup champions, and meet the sires, dams, sisters and brothers of this
year’s Breeders’ Cup runners. Guests will tour two Thoroughbred locations in a
one-of-a-kind Breeders’ Cup-focused experience that will also include unique
gift bags, exclusive photo ops, and transportation from the central departure
location of The Red Mile. Various locations
and pairings are available October 25 in the afternoon and October 26-28 during the morning and afternoon.
Approximately 3,000 experiences are available. Tickets are $65 for adults and
$35 for kids under 12, with a portion of proceeds donated to charitable causes
that support the horses, land and people of Central Kentucky region.
Purchase tickets at http://breederscupfestival.com/horse-farm-tours-2…
Epsom Derby (Eng-G1) and Eclipse S. (Eng-G1) winner Golden Horn (Cape
Cross) has been green-lighted by owner Anthony Oppenheimer to run in the July
25 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth S. (Eng-G1), provided conditions are
suitable. “We’ve definitely decided to run next week as long as the ground
is not very soft or heavy,” Oppenheimer said. “Hopefully the weather will stay
as it has been — nice and fine.” Golden Horn will look to become just the
fourth horse to win the Derby, Eclipse and King George in the same season. “The
list of horses to have done what he is attempting is elite and it would be very
nice to create history,” Oppenheimer added. “Having sponsored the race for many
years through De Beers it would be extra special if he won it. He showed he was
versatile at Sandown (in the Eclipse), making all the running. It was a tough
way for him to do it but he came through again.” In other King George news,
jockey Olivier Peslier will replace the sidelined Ryan Moore aboard Telescope
(Galileo), who finished second in this last year but most recently beat just one
home in Royal Ascot’s Hardwicke S. (Eng-G2)…
The Eoghan O’Neill-trained Suits You (Youmzain), winner of the
Chesham S. at Royal Ascot June 20, has been sold to continue his career in Hong
Kong and will be trained by John Moore. Trained in France, Suits You was
taking his record to two-for-two in the Chesham, having also won a
Maisons-Laffitte maiden May 28. He was a €12,000
Osarus yearling purchase and campaign by O’Neill’s wife, Melissa, in partnership
with Adam Solomon. “I sold him with mixed feelings, really,” O’Neill explained.
“Royal Ascot winners are hard to come by and he gave us tremendous fun. However,
we had to take a business approach and we were made an offer we could not turn
down. He has left here unbeaten and it is a record we are proud of. It is also
satisfying to see the second and the fourth from the Chesham S. (Ballydoyle
[Galileo] and Palawan [Mount Nelson]) win over the weekend, so he clearly beat a
quality field that day. I hope that he is a champion for John Moore and his new
owners and I wish them all the very best with him.”…
Dual Derby-placed Storm the Stars (Sea the Stars) is targeting the
St Leger (Eng-G1) September 12 after placing in his third consecutive Group 1
when third in Tuesday’s Grand Prix de Paris (Fr-G1). The William Haggas
charge finished behind unbeaten Erupt (Dubawi) and the previously unbeaten
Ampere (Galileo) at Longchamp. “We were hoping he’d win, but he ran a very good
race and I think he’s been beaten by two very good horses,” said Bruce Raymond,
racing manager to owner Sheikh Juma Dalmook Al Maktoum. “I imagine William will
wait for the St Leger.”