Todd Fincher knows about the desert. His training stable took root during the late 1990s in the high desert of New Mexico, where Fincher began racking up wins at Sunland Park, Albuquerque, and Ruidoso Downs. There’s desert, too, in the best horse Fincher ever has trained, Senor Buscador. The 6-year-old horse is by Mineshaft and out of Rose’s Desert, by Desert God. He’s the last horse bred in partnership by the late Joe Peacock and his son, Joe Peacock Jr.
Skip to main content
Create Your DRF Account
New to DRF?
Everything you could possibly
need in one place
need in one place
Register
Don't have an account?
Register Here
DRF Past Performances
Forever Young made many mistakes yet still won the $1.5 million Saudi Derby by a head over Book’em Danno on Saturday at King Abdulaziz Racecourse.
Based in Japan, Forever Young brought a 3-for-3 record to Saudi Arabia and now heads to Dubai for the UAE Derby next month perfect in four starts. The colt, trained by Yoshito Yahagi, is nominated to the American Triple Crown and connections hope to make the Kentucky Derby. He can earn a spot in that race March 30 in the UAE Derby, which should be easier for Forever Young than the Saudi Derby.
In the 2023 Riyadh Dirt Sprint at King Abdulaziz Racecourse, the Steve Asmussen-trained Gunite ran a winning race but could only finish second to the Bill Mott-trained Elite Power, the best dirt sprinter in the world. On Saturday, it’s Asmussen who has the horse to beat, Skelly, while Mott makes a repeat bid with Bold Journey, a solid sprinter but nothing like Elite Power.
Neither American horse has yet proven to be top class, though Skelly could be on his way, and the $1.5 million contest did not draw a daunting field.
A year ago, the fourth renewal of the world’s richest horse race, the Saudi Cup, was, frankly, blah. The unspectacular Japanese horse Panthalassa went wire to wire holding off a past-his-prime Country Grammer. Panthalassa five weeks later finished 10th in the Dubai World Cup, where Country Grammer was seventh.
This year? The race, as much as possible, lives up to its $20 million purse, with an excellent field of 14 set to go postward Saturday night at King Abdulaziz Racecourse.
Thu, 02/22/2024 - 10:01
A year ago, Mr Brightside finished second in the Group 1 Futurity Stakes at Caulfield Racecourse in Melbourne, Australia, before zipping through impressive wins against big fields in the $3.32 million All-Star Mile and Group 1 Doncaster Mile in his next two starts.
Mr Brightside is on the same career path this season, and will start as a massive favorite in the seven-furlong $491,700 Futurity Stakes at Caulfield on Friday evening.
Wed, 02/21/2024 - 11:02
By Leo Schlink
The DBS x Manulife Million Challenge has ended in a tie for the second time in three seasons after Danny Shum’s Copartner Ambition and David Hayes’ Tomodachi Kokoroe shared series honours at Happy Valley on Wednesday (21 February).
Decided on a format of 15 points for a win, six for second, four for third and three for third in Class 3 races and above from September until tonight, ultimate success in the series hinged on Copartner Ambition’s performance in the Class 3 Sing Woo Handicap (1200m).
By Leo Schlink
Zac Purton will bid for a fourth G1 Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup (2000m) win when the six-time Hong Kong champion jockey reunites with Voyage Bubble in the HK$13 million feature at Sha Tin on Sunday (25 February).
Previously successful in the race aboard Military Attack (2013), Time Warp (2018) and Exultant (2019), Purton takes his first ride on 2023 BMW Hong Kong Derby (2000m) winner Voyage Bubble since 2022, when the future G1 Stewards’ Cup (1600m) victor finished second in a Class 3 race behind Buzzinga over 1200m.
By Leo Schlink
Danny Shum will bid for a fourth victory in the DBS x Manulife Million Challenge at Happy Valley on Wednesday night (21 February) when six horses could potentially claim the series.
While Shum leads the series with Chill Chibi (49 points) from Pierre Ng’s Humble Star (46) - who are not running tomorrow night - five other horses remain in contention to clinch the series: Shum’s Copartner Ambition (45), Douglas Whyte’s Majestic Knight (42), Benno Yung’s Son Pak Fu (39) and Tourbillon Prince (37) and David Hayes’ Tomodachi Kokoroe (36).
Tom Wood:
R1: 9-1-11-4
R2: 2-4-3-7
R3: 4-2-8-5
R4: 3-8-6-2
R5: 5-4-6-1
R6: 2-3-5-1
R7: 1-4-12-10
R8: 5-3-1-6
R9: 5-1-10-3
BEST: R4 N3 SON PAK FU (WIN)
VALUE: R1 N9 JOYFUL LIFE (EW)
PLAY: R8 QQP 1,3,5
Nick Child:
R1 | 11-12-1-2
R2 | 2-4-3-7 (WIN 2)
R3 | 4-3-8-11
R4 | 3-2-4-8 (F/C 3-2)
R5 | 5-4-6-2
R6 | 2-1-7-6
R7 | 1-12-9-4
R8 | 1-3-6-5
R9 | 5-9-2-10
