Four-year-old filly Terebellum nearly won the Group 1 Queen Anne Stakes last month facing a tougher older male, so she figures to be formidable Friday at Newmarket facing her own sex in the Group 1 Falmouth Stakes.
Terebellum is priced accordingly, offered as a general 11-8 favorite by British bookmakers as of Thursday in the Falmouth, contested over a straight mile.
Danon Pharaoh, a Japanese-bred colt by American Pharoah, had an ideal trip to win Wednesday’s $711,694 Japan Dirt Derby at Oi Racecourse in Tokyo, the final race in the Kentucky Derby qualifying series in that country.
Danon Pharaoh ($73 in American pools) easily beat the strongly favored Cafe Pharoah, the previously unbeaten Kentucky-bred colt who faded from contention in the final three furlongs and finished seventh, beaten more than 12 lengths.
Heavy weight assignments are a frequent occurrence for jockey Michael Walker when he rides the gelding Mr Monaco in synthetic-track races in Australia.
Mr Monaco, a 5-year-old Australian-bred, will start as the favorite in a handicap at 1 3/8 miles on the synthetic track at Pakenham Park outside of Melbourne on Friday. Mr Monaco carried top weight of 137.7 pounds when he won a handicap at 1 3/8 miles there June 1, and top weight of 143.3 pounds when second by less than a half-length in a handicap at that distance at the same venue June 19.
There is an excellent chance a trainer named Kris, or Chris, will win Thursday’s $139,200 Grafton Cup at Grafton Racecourse in Australia.
As of Tuesday, Kris Lees had expected favorite Sixties Groove and leading contender Frankly Awesome as his two hopes in the race at about 1 7/16 miles.
Chris Waller starts three horses, including Carzoff and The Lord Mayor, both capable of wins. Satono Rasen will be a longshot for Waller.
Mark McNamara
R1 – 7.1.9.8
R2 – 6.2.12.1
R3 – 7.3.1.2
R4 – 4.8.11.12
R5 – 8.1.11.9
R6 – 2.8.5.1
R7 – 4.3.11.1
R8 – 3.5.9.6
R9 – 8.3.2.1
Best Bet – R5 N8 Excellent Chariot
Longshot – R2 N6 Momentum Happy
Play – R5 – Q/QPL 1-8-9-11
When he win races, Snitz tends to do so in bunches in Australia.
Snitz won four consecutive starts from September 2017 to March 2018 and four straight races again from last November to May 9. In between those winning streaks, Snitz lost a dozen consecutive races.
A winner of 9 of 26 starts, Snitz was third in the June Stakes at 5 1/2 furlongs on June 6 at Royal Randwick, finishing three-quarters of a length behind favored Classique Legend at 6-1.
The loss ended the latest winning streak. The setback could be temporary.
Cafe Pharoah, an unbeaten Kentucky-bred colt, will have what is expected to be his final prep race for the Kentucky Derby in Wednesday’s $711,694 Japan Dirt Derby at Oi Racecourse in Tokyo.
Judging from his win in the Grade 3 Unicorn Stakes at a mile at Tokyo Racecourse on June 21, Cafe Pharoah will be a massive favorite in the Japan Dirt Derby, run at 1 1/4 miles.
:: KENTUCKY DERBY 2020: Derby Watch, point standings, prep schedule, news, and more
Fancy Blue won a four-horse blanket finish and gave 21-year-old trainer Donnacha O’Brien a quick victory in the Group 1 Prix de Diane.
O’Brien is the son of trainer Aidan O’Brien, whose epic career includes zero wins in the Prix de Diane, the French Oaks, but Donnacha, who retired from the saddle due to his size less than a year ago, won the French classic in his first try.
Ghaiyyath galloped them into the ground Sunday at Sandown, winning the Group 1 Eclipse Stakes by two lengths, and among “them” was the two-time Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winner Enable, who never looked a threat to Ghaiyyath while grinding out a second-place finish.
