BIG RACING, BIG DECISIONS
Tune in Thursday around 1 p.m. to listen to CHRB meeting
Don’t plan to stray from the TV or computer screen Saturday as it is one of the biggest and most important weekends in the sport.
Beginning Saturday morning with the DUBAI WORLD CUP card from Meydan, the day then fires up with the big FLORIDA DERBY card at Gulfstream (which will also have a mandatory payout of the Rainbow 6 as long as it is not won Thursday or Friday).
Meanwhile, it will be Day 2 of the return of Santa Anita racing following an important California Horse Racing Board meeting on Thursday. Santa Anita will have been closed for 3 weeks since a rash of breakdowns.
The CHRB meeting Thursday (which is reportedly available to listen to the audio for the public portion begins at 1:15 est, here – https://www.selectstreaming.com/live/chrb/audio.php) is expected to discuss the riding crop, race-day medication and most certainly the condition of the Santa Anita main track.
One of the world’s leading riders, Mike Smith spoke about the impending crop rules to The Guardian as he is in Dubai. Smith said “[Horses] are herd animals. There are very few in a race that actually want to be in front. That doesn’t mean that they don’t want to run, they would rather follow, some of them, but that doesn’t mean they’re not faster than the horse in front, you just need to help them get on by.”
In DUBAI, where Lasix is not allowed and there is no wagering, some top notch American horses have traveled a long way to try for some big money. Below is the schedule of races (you can watch and wager at HPI) and horses of note:
**To get a ton of info and see lots of photos, visit http://horse-races.net/
DUBAI SATURDAY Post Time Race Purse Race Name Notes
7:45 a.m. ET 1 $1 Million Dubai Kahayla Classic (Arabians)
8:15 a.m. ET 2 $1.5 Million Godolphin Mile – last year’s winner HEAVY METAL is now 9, he is in dull form; MUNTAZAH (Dubawi) is the big fave
8:50 a.m. ET 3 $1.5 Million Dubai Gold Cup (T) – 2 miles, Melbourne Cup winner CROSS COUNTER is the fave
9:30 a.m. ET 4 $2 Million Al Quoz Sprint (T) –2 time Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint winner STORMY LIBERAL faces BLUE POINT
10:05 a.m. ET 5 $2.5 Million UAE Derby – Canadian bred RAZEENA (maiden filly by Malibu Moon bred by David Anderson) and Canadian-bred VAN BEETHOVEN (Scat Daddy) bred by Ballycroy Training Centre are in tough against filly DIVINE IMAGE
10:40 a.m. ET 6 $2.5 Million Dubai Golden Shaheen – American sprint stars ROY H, IMPERIAL HINT, XY JET and PROMISES FULFILLED have posts 1 through 4
11:20 a.m. ET 7 $6 Million Dubai Turf (T) – the amazing mare ALMOND EYE, Japan Cup winner, is odds on
12:00 noon ET 8 $6 Million Dubai Sheema Classic (T) – Canadian International winner DESERT ENCOUNTER is razor sharp
12:40 p.m. ET 9 $12 Million Dubai World Cup – big field with last year’s winner THUNDER SNOW meeting Canadian owned SEEKING THE SOUL, US fellow GUNNEVERA and Ky Derby 3rd AUDIBLE in wide open race
SEEKING THE SOUL, owned by Canadian Charles Fipke, was 2nd in the Pegasus World Cup and is a contender in the Dubai World Cup – VANESSA NG PHOTO, courtesy horse-races.net
The FLORIDA DERBY (G1) is a big one for Kentucky Derby dreamers with HIDDEN SCROLL (Hard Spun), the sensational debut winner, looking to prove himself after fizzling in the Fount in of Youth. The 1-2 finishers of the Fountain of Youth, Code of Honor and Bourbon War are tough, perhaps also MAXIMUM SECURITY, the very fast and undefeated speedball for trainer Jason Servis.
The Florida Derby is race 14 and the last race of the card. It will be on NBC beginning at 6 p.m. and it is the last race of the Rainbow 6 which begins on race 9.
Thoroughblog will have selections for the big races on Saturday morning.
BIG MONEY
It took two bloodstock agents to bid and sign the ticket for Coolmore Stud’s MV Magnier (son of John Magnier) who took home a Curlin colt for $3.65 million from Wednesday’s Fasig Tipton Gulfstream Two-Year-Olds in Training sale. Donato Lanni and Jamie McCalmont were the agents listed on the sales ticket. Crupi’s New Castle Farm, agent was the consignor.
The long, bright bay colt, who had worked in :10 for one furlong at the gallop show, is from the Bernardini mare Achieving, the dam of Group 1 placed, Group 3 winner Arabian Hope and stakes winner Counterforce. The colt was bred by Hill ‘n’ Dale Equine Holdings and St Elias Stable in Kentucky.
Bob Baffert will train the colt.
The 5th edition of the sale saw 59 horses sell for revenues of $29,115,000. There was a 41 percent buy-back rate.
With five seven-figure juveniles topping the sale, the average sale price was $493,475, up 28 percent from $389,746 a year ago.
A $3,650,000 two-year-old colt by Curlin from the Bernardini mare Achieving highlighted the Fasig Tipton Gulfstream sale on Wedmesday – Fasig Tipton photo
Sale Topping Curlin colt streaks to a 10 second one-furlong workout before the 2019 Fasig-Tipton Selected 2 Year Olds in Training Sale at Gulfstream Park – Fasig Tipton photo
