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UPI
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- UPI
Big upsets in Europe, Saratoga opening mark weekend horse racing
1 of 3 | Excellent Truth (inside) edges She Feels Pretty in Saturday's Grade I Diana at Saratoga. Photo by Janet Garaguso/Coglianese Photography, courtesy of NYRA July 14 (UPI) -- Shockers in the big races in France and England highlighted weekend horse racing while the Saratoga summer season got off to a smooth start on that side of the Atlantic. The weekend was a tour de force for Godolphin, largely at the expense of primary rival Coolmore. Across the globe, the Hong Kong season is winding up with honors already bestowed upon the champions. No need to wait ... here's the scoop. Around the world, around the clock England Godolphin, trainer Charlie Appleby and jockey William Buick were relatively quiet at Royal Ascot but came with a full-throated roar at Newmarket's July meeting. There were 21 races over three days and Sheik Mohammed's crew won seven of them. Several of the victories came in close calls over the Coolmore, Aidan O'Brien, Ryan Moore team. Buick also rode two more winners for other concerns. It was a different story, though, in Saturday's signature Group 1 July Cup, sponsored by Al Basti Equiworld, Dubai. The 6-furlong sprint turned into a plunger's dream, as 66-1 long shot No Half Measures, always close, surged to the front nearing the 100-meter marker and held off 12-1 chance Big Mojo by a neck. Run to Freedom ran to third at 40-1. Godolphin had the two favorites in Notable Speech and Symbol of Honor. They reported fifth and eighth. Moore's choice from an O'Brien duo was Whistlejacket, who missed the break and beat just two of his 13 rivals. "Half a furlong out I couldn't believe where I was," said winning rider Neil Callan, formerly based in Hong Kong. "When I picked her up going into the dip, I thought we could be top three. But when I twirled my whip and gave her a flick, I thought we could win." It was a rare disappointment and Godolphin salvaged the day as Saba Desert overcame an awkward start to claim the Group 2 bet365 Superlative Stakes for 2-year-olds by 1 1/4 lengths over the favorite, Italy, representing Coolmore, O'Brien and Moore. Saba Desert, a homebred Dubawi colt, improved to 2-for-2. Sheik Mo's "boys in blue" fared better in Friday's feature as Cinderella's Dream prevailed by 1/2 length in the Group 1 Tattersall's Falmouth Stakes over January -- another beaten Coolmore favorite. Cinderella's Dream, a 4-year-old Shamardal filly, was across the pond a year ago, winning the Grade I Belmont Oaks Invitational, and then went on to win the Grade II Saratoga Oaks and finish second in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf. January, a 3-year-old Kingman filly, was third in the Group 1 Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot. "We'll work back from the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare but how we get there I don't know," Appleby told Racing Post. "I was annoyed when she was beaten in that race last year, as I think it was one that got away from us. I'd like to get my revenge." Venetian Sun was undefeated entering Friday's Group 2 Duchess of Cambridge Stakes for 2-year-old fillies and exited the same way -- but not without some dramatics in the last of the 6 furlongs. The Starman filly looked headed for an easy victory until Royal Fixation fell short with a late rush, settling for second, a neck back. Venetian Sun's two previous wins included the Group 3 Albany at Royal Ascot. Distant Storm, another potential Godolphin star, put another frustrating, short-head beat on a Coolmore youngster, Constitution River, in a Friday maiden heat at Newmarket. Distant Storm, by Night of Thunder, was a €1.9 million breeze-up purchase for Godolphin and Appleby indicated he will be handled conservatively with an eye toward his 3-year-old opportunities. France Leffard was up in the final jumps to win Sunday's Group 1 Cygames Grand Prix de Paris for 3-year-olds at Longchamp, providing an emotional boost for trainer Jean-Claude Rouget, who has been battling cancer, and adding another lash to the weekend's torture for the Coolmore team as their odds-on favorite, Trinity College, just failed to hold on. Leffard, a Le Havre colt, disappointed in the Group 1 Prix du Jockey Club or French Derby, finishing next-last of eighteen. Rouget said the colt had sufficient excuse for that and he was proved right. Trinity College was last seen romping home first by 3 1/2 lengths in the Group 3 Hampton Court Stakes at Royal Ascot. Hong Kong The 2024-25 season closes out with Wednesday night's meeting at Happy Valley, but the premierships are decided and the hardware was bestowed at a gala Friday night. Ka Ying Rising hit a trifecta all his own as Horse of the Year, champion sprinter and champion 4-year-old. Little wonder as he was undefeated in eight starts during the campaign. He also lowered the Sha Tin Racecourse record for 1,200 meters twice, first erasing Sacred Kingdom's mark by reporting in 1:07.43, and then topping that two months later with a 1:07.20. Romantic Warrior was named champion middle-distance horse for the fourth straight season, Voyage Bubble was crowned both champion miler and champion stayer, John Size won his 13th training title and Zac Purton was runaway winner of the jockey premiership. Meanwhile, back in North America Filly & Mare Turf Excellent Truth and She Feels Pretty hooked up in a head-to-head stretch duel through the final furlong of Saturday's $500,000 Grade I Dunkin Diana Stakes at Saratoga, with the former putting a short head in front in the final jumps to claim victory. Excellent Truth, a 5-year-old, Irish-bred mare by Cotai Glory, ran 1 1/8 miles on yielding sod in 1:47.34. Flavien Prat rode for trainer Chad Brown and owner Resolute Racing. The win ended a string of three second-place finishes for Excellent Truth, all Grade I or Group 1 events dating to last July's Group 1 Prix Rothschild at Deauville, won by Mqse De Sevigne. "She has had two tough trips," winning trainer Chad Brown said of Excellent Truth. "I think you could argue with a cleaner trip, she could be 3-for-3 in the country. ... Down the lane, there was no excuse for either horse. We ran right down the stretch together and she showed a lot of heart." Turf It wasn't hard to pick Far Bridge out of the past performances before Saturday's $200,000 Grade II Bowling Green at Saratoga, and it wasn't hard to find the 5-year-old son of English Channel at the finish, either. That was him, 3 lengths out front of his closest rival with jockey Joel Rosario letting him coast home. Trainer Miguel Clement said he will seek a repeat win in the Grade I Sword Dancer later in the Spa meeting. Turf Sprint Italian Soiree won Friday's $175,000 Grade III Coronation Cup for 3-year-old fillies at Saratoga, Roja took Saturday's $102,000 Blue Sparkler Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Monmouth Park and Governor Sam prevailed in Sunday's $175,000 Grade III Quick Call Stakes at Saratoga. Juvenile / Juvenile Fillies The 2-year-olds were on the Woodbine all-weather course Saturday for a matched set of 5 1/2-furlong heats. Casson, a Caravaggio colt, took the $125,000 (Canadian) Victoria Stakes by 2 1/2 lengths over the favorite, Jupiter. Border Czar won the $125,000 (Canadian) My Dear Stakes for 2-year-old fillies.
UPI
5 days ago
- Sport
- UPI
Opening weekend at Saratoga, July at Newmarket mark summer racing
1 of 2 | She Feels Pretty, shown winning the 2024 Grade I American Oaks at Santa Anita, is the favorite in Saturday's Grade I Diana Stakes at Saratoga. Benoit Photography, courtesy of Santa Anita July 11 (UPI) -- On an otherwise slow weekend of horse racing around the globe, the July Festival at Newmarket in England rides to the rescue with Group 1 action and some promising 2-year-old heats. Back in the colonies, Saratoga holds up its end with three more days of action, largely on the turf, starring the Grade I Diana Stakes for fillies and mares. It's opening weekend of the iconic summer meeting -- the Fourth of July Festival was just a bonus. And in one more week ... Del Mar. Starting at the heart of the Thoroughbred world, 55 miles north of London ... England Friday's Group 1 Tattersalls Falmouth Stakes, a 1-mile charge down the Newmarket straight for fillies and mares, delivers the kind of mid-summer matchup that punters dream of during the long winter and early spring. Wathnan Racing's Crimson Advocate and Godolphin's Cinderella's Dream, the 1-2 in Group 2 Duke of Cambridge Stakes at Royal Ascot, go at it again. They're at equal weights this time after Cinderella's Dream gave the advantage to her rival in a 1 3/4-length decision. Running Lion, who made the early going at Ascot, is back for the Falmouth and Aidan O'Brien has three entries, notably January and Bedtime Story. January was a good third in the Group 1 Coronation Stakes at the Royal meeting and actually is the antepost favorite with some bookmakers. The Newmarket meeting also has some promising 2-year-olds on display. It was long-shot time in the meeting's second race, as Zavateri, at 18-1, rolled home first by 1 length over 8-1 chance Do Or Do Not in Thursday's Group 2 Kingdom of Bahrain July Stakes for 2-year-olds. The favorite, Maximized, reported fifth for Godolphin, Appleby and jockey William Buick, while Coolmore's Brussels was fourth with Ryan Moore up for Aidan O'Brien. Zavateri, a Without Parole colt trained by Eve Johnson Houghton and ridden by Charles Bishop, was having his second go after winning the career opener at Salisbury. Friday's Group 2 Duchess of Cambridge for 2-year-old fillies has Venetian Sun as a solid odds-on favorite. The Karl Burke trainee is 2-for-2 including a win in the Albany Stakes at the Royal meeting. Saturday's Group 2 bet365 Superlative for 2-year-olds at 7 furlongs has Coolmore's Wootton Bassett colt Italy as odds-on favorite, with Godolphin's Dubawi colt Saba Desert next in line. Both won adequately in their only previous start. But tread carefully, noting the outcome of Thursday's juvenile heat. Also at Newmarket: Odds-on favorite Ghostwriter was withdrawn from Thursday's Princess of Wales's Stakes after a scary saddling enclosure incident. With only four remaining, it was left it to El Cordobes to take the lion's share, with William Buick notching his 2,000th British victory while posting three wins on the day at his home track. El Cordobes, a 4-year-old Frankel gelding, took back to last, circled the other three in the final furlong and won by 2 lengths from Wimbledon Hawkeye. Arabian Crown was third and Palladium, the post-time favorite, led into the stretch before tiring to finish well last. Racing Post's David Milnes, at the scene, said Ghostwriter, an Invincible Spirit 4-year-old "was just about to be saddled by [trainer] Clive Cox when the horse suddenly went up and over in a complete 180." Ghostwriter walked away from the mishap, but Cox said he was sore and under observation. Scandinavia landed Thursday's Group 3 Bahrain Trophy with 3-year-olds at 13 furlongs for the Coolmore-O'Brien-Moore triumvirate. The Justify colt, out of the Galileo mare Fabulous, got his second career win by a fabulous 8 1/2 lengths. Shaded a bit by Newmarket, Ascot offers the Group 2 Cornish Orchards Summer Mile as highlight of its Saturday program. It's a nice opportunity for any of the seven entries. France Sunday's Group 1 Cygames Grand Prix de Paris at Longchamp is 2,400 meters for 3-year-old colts and geldings. O'Brien has Trinity College, winner of the Group 3 Hampton Court Stakes at Royal Ascot, as one of three entries. Juddmonte is represented by New Ground, fourth in last month's Epsom Derby. Back across the Atlantic Filly & Mare Turf She Feels Pretty also feels like the best horse running this weekend on this side of the pond. The 4-year-old Karakontie filly enters Saturday's $500,000 Grade I Dunkin Diana at Saratoga riding a four-race winning streak with three of those wins coming in Grade I races. The rival that her trainer, Cherie DeVaux, might be eyeing is Excellent Truth, who has finished second in both U.S. starts for trainer Chad Brown. She finished second in the Group 1 Prix Rothschild at Deauville last July and won at the Group 3 level there a year before that. Turf It's easy enough to find Far Bridge in Saturday's $200,000 Grade II Bowling Green at Saratoga. The 5-year-old son of English Channel finished third in the Grade I Manhattan last month, but before that captured the Grade III Pan American at Gulfstream Park and the Grade I Man o'War at Aqueduct. Seven rivals will try to keep him from his fourth Grade I win. Turf Sprint Make Haste and Cloe top the morning line in a main field of seven for Friday's $175,000 Grade III Coronation Cup for 3-year-old fillies at Saratoga. There are three "main track only" entries. Make Haste won her last start at Gulfstream Park. Cloe comes off a second in the Soaring Softly Stakes at the Spa on June 8. Governor Sam is the 6-5 morning-line pick in Sunday's $175,000 Grade III Quick Call for 3-year-olds at Saratoga. He was third in last year's Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf, but has yet to find the winner's circle in two 2025 starts. Monmouth Park has a program-stabber in Saturday's $100,000 Blue Sparkler for 3-year-old fillies. Juvenile / Juvenile Fillies The action heads north of the border for Saturday's $125,000 (Canadian) Victoria and $125,000 (Canadian) My Dear for fillies on the Woodbine all-weather. Also ... Saratoga The Spa kicked off the summer meeting Thursday with the $135,000 De La Rose Stakes at 1 mile on the turf for fillies and mares winless in graded stakes in 2024 or 2025. That condition proved so popular the event was split into two divisions. Deep Satin came from a stalking spot to win the first division by a neck over In Our Time, getting trainer Cherie DeVaux off to a nice start for the meeting. Three races later, Miguel Clement saddled Ozara to capture the second division by 1/2 length from Spinning Colors with the favorite, Movin On Up, a late-running third. Presque Isle Downs Our Lady, the odds-on favorite, rallied from last to first when jockey Patrick Husbands found her room in Monday's $75,000 Malvern Rose Stakes for Pennsylvania-bred 3-year-old fillies. The Bolt d'Oro filly finished 6 1/2 furlongs on the all-weather course in 1:17.66 with Queen's Wreath 1/2 length back in second.
