Sun, 10/01/2017 - 15:08

Moore scores Group 3 stakes double with Dashing Fellow, Beauty Generation

Hong Kong Jockey Club
Beauty Generation upsets the Celebration Cup at 17-1 at Sha Tin Racecourse on Sunday.

The longshots Dashing Fellow and Beauty Generation gave trainer John Moore a sweep of the two Group 3 races at Sha Tin Racecourse in Hong Kong on Sunday.

Dashing Fellow (24-1) won the National Day Cup at five furlongs on turf, while Beauty Generation (17-1) won the Celebration Cup at seven furlongs on turf. Both races were worth $384,216.

Dashing Fellow, who was ridden by Vincent Ho, closed from sixth in a field of 10 to win the National Day Cup by a neck over 9-1 Not Listenin’tome, also trained by Moore. D B Pins, the 8-5 favorite, finished third, beaten 1 1/4 lengths.

Sun, 10/01/2017 - 14:24

Rhododendron, Hydrangea give O'Brien exacta sweep in Prix de l’Opera

Rhododendron and Hydrangea gave trainer Aidan O’Brien a sweep of the exacta in Sunday’s Group 1 Prix de l’Opera for fillies and mares at Chantilly, France.

O’Brien said afterward that both 3-year-old fillies are candidates for the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf at Del Mar on Nov. 4. Rhododendron earned a fees-paid berth for the BC Filly and Mare Turf through the Breeders’ Cup Win and You’re In program with the victory.

Sun, 10/01/2017 - 12:34

Enable impressive in taking Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe

It is one thing for a horse to have a truly top-class finishing burst in 1 1/2–mile turf races. It’s another to also possess the athleticism and tactical pace to get into perfect position to use that burst. And it is yet another thing again to have a jockey perfectly suited to deploying this array of weapons.

Enable was the horse with the tools, and Frankie Dettori was just the jockey to use them, as the pair swept to an impressive and satisfying victory Sunday at Chantilly in the Group 1, $5.9 million Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.

Sun, 10/01/2017 - 10:42

O'Brien's Magical falters, but his Happily triumphs in two Group 1's

Trainer Aidan O’Brien’s 2-year-old filly in the female-restricted Prix Marcel Boussac, Magical, faltered and finished fourth, but his filly in the open Prix Jean Luc-Lagardere, Happily, beat five males at Chantilly.

Happily became the first filly to win the Group 1 Lagardere since 1986 while becoming O’Brien’s 21st Group 1 winner of 2017. That leaves the master of Ballydoyle just four wins short of Bobby Frankel’s record 25 Group or Grade 1 wins in a calendar year.

Sat, 09/30/2017 - 14:45

Roaring Lion earns spot in BC Juvenile Turf with Royal Lodge win

Roaring Lion’s narrow win Saturday at Newmarket in the Group 2 Royal Lodge Stakes for 2-year-olds made him undefeated in three starts, earned him a fees-paid automatic berth into the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf, and got him on the scoreboard in the new European Road to the Kentucky Derby.

Sat, 09/30/2017 - 12:45

Vazirabad wins Prix du Cadran as heavy favorite

Vazirabad won his 11th group stakes and third Group 1 in Saturday’s $353,670 Prix du Cadran for marathoners at Chantilly, France.

The assignment was made easier with the withdrawal of Big Orange, the winner of the Group 1 Ascot Gold Cup in June, because of soft turf.

Ridden by Christophe Soumillon, Vazirabad (1-5) won the Prix du Cadran at 2 9/16 miles by a half-length over 8-1 Mille et Mille. The race drew only six starters. Vazirabad, a 5-year-old gelding by Manduro, races for the Aga Khan and trainer Alain de Royer-Dupre.

Fri, 09/29/2017 - 17:19

Red Falx stands out in Sprinters Stakes at Japan's Hanshin

Red Falx will be favored to win the Grade 1 Sprinters Stakes for the second consecutive year at Hanshin Racecourse in Japan on Sunday.

Red Falx is among 16 in the $1,702,887 race at six furlongs on turf. The winner receives a fees-paid berth to the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint at five furlongs at Del Mar on Nov. 4.

Fri, 09/29/2017 - 16:09

Juliet Capulet by a head in Rockfel Stakes

This could be a good weekend for English trainer John Gosden. It certainly has started that way.

On Friday at Newmarket Racecourse, Juliet Capulet (9-1) edged 2-1 favorite Nyaleti by a head in the Group 2, $146,000 Rockfel Stakes over seven furlongs. On Sunday at Chantilly Racecourse in France, the Gosden-trained Enable is favored in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, Europe’s top race.

Fri, 09/29/2017 - 13:26

Enable solid as a rock for Arc

Go ahead, poke and prod, but don’t be surprised if you’re unable to find holes in Enable.

The chance to play against an even-money favorite in an 18-horse Group 1 race absolutely should motivate bettors to probe Enable for soft spots. They’re not easy to find, and Enable stands an excellent chance of giving trainer John Gosden his second Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe and owner Khalid Abdullah his fifth.

Thu, 09/28/2017 - 13:46

Newmarket stakes might be launch pad to Breeders' Cup 2-year-old races

Two-year-olds take the spotlight on a Saturday card at Newmarket that includes a pair of Group 1 races as well as a Breeders’ Cup Challenge Win and You’re In race for the BC Juvenile Turf.