York: Astaire holds on to take Gimcrack
Astaire won his first group stakes in Saturday’s $306,127 Gimcrack Stakes for 2-year-olds at York, England, leading throughout the six-furlong turf race.
Steve AndersenAug 24, 2013
Astaire won his first group stakes in Saturday’s $306,127 Gimcrack Stakes for 2-year-olds at York, England, leading throughout the six-furlong turf race.
Jwala scored a huge upset in the $444,000 Nunthorpe Stakes on Friday at York in England, beating favored Shea Shea by a half-length in the Group 1 sprint race.
The Fugue won her first stakes of 2013 in Thursday’s $506,000 Yorkshire Oaks at York Racecourse in England, a win that could lead to a start in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in France in October.
Topping the Friday card at York is the Group 1 Nunthorpe Stakes, a five-furlong sprint that, through the Breeders’ Cup Win and You’re In program, offers a fees-paid berth in the BC Turf Sprint plus travel expenses to the race.
Declaration of War could be a candidate for the Breeders’ Cup Classic this fall after a 7-1 upset win in Wednesday's Juddmonte International at York.
The Fugue starts against fillies and mares for the first time since a third-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf last fall when she runs in Thursday’s $500,500 Yorkshire Oaks at York Racecourse in England.
Toronado, who might be the best 3-year-old in Europe, and Al Kazeem, who might be the best older middle-distance horse there this year, face off Wednesday at York in the Group 1 Juddmonte International Stakes.
Trainer Wesley Ward has done it again, capturing a major European stakes for 2-year-olds with a horse shipped from the United States, as No Nay Never won the Group 1 Prix Morny on Sunday at Deauville.
No Nay Never answered with a definitive “yes” the question of whether his sharp American debut could lead to success at Royal Ascot in England, and daring trainer Wesley Ward will be hoping for a resounding “oui” when No Nay Never runs Sunday in the Group 1 Prix Morny at Deauville in Paris.
A one-week turnaround between victory in the Maurice de Gheest and the Group 1 Prix Jacques Le Marois last summer produced only a fourth-place Marois finish for Moonlight Cloud, but trainer Freddy Head’s latest star mare pulled off the quick double this season, hanging on to win the Marois by a nose over English invader Olympic Glory.