Sat, 06/04/2016 - 12:46

Postponed extends winning streak in Coronation Cup

Postponed won his sixth straight race Saturday at Epsom Downs, adding the Group 1 Coronation Cup to top-level victories in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes last summer and the Sheema Classic in March and padding an increasingly gaudy résumé.

Fri, 06/03/2016 - 16:19

International roundup: Minding delivers as favorite in English Oaks

Minding overcame trouble in the early stretch to win Friday’s $684,475 English Oaks at Epsom Racecourse, becoming the first filly in 14 years to sweep the English 1000 Guineas and Oaks.

A win seemed unlikely for Minding with a quarter-mile remaining in the Group 1 Oaks at 1 1/2 miles on turf.

Minding, the 10-11 favorite, raced in traffic and was briefly last. Jockey Ryan Moore guided Minding through fillies to take the lead with a furlong remaining. Minding held her advantage late to win by 1 1/2 lengths over Architecture, a 12-1 shot.

Thu, 06/02/2016 - 15:26

Epsom Derby wide open without a standout

Nikki Sherman

Wings of Desire won the Dante Stakes at York for trainer John Gosden and jockey Frankie Dettori. So did Golden Horn in 2015 before his ringing triumph in the Epsom Derby. But after that, the pair diverges.

Wed, 06/01/2016 - 10:23

Minding heavily favored in English Oaks

Minding can become the first filly in 14 years to sweep the English 1000 Guineas and English Oaks when she starts as a heavy favorite in the Group 1 Oaks at Epsom Racecourse south of London on Friday.

The $684,475 Oaks, run at 1 1/2 miles on turf, is part of a busy spring campaign for Minding, who is trained in Ireland by Aidan O’Brien. Minding won the English 1000 Guineas at Newmarket on May 1 and was second by a head in the Irish 2000 Guineas at The Curragh on May 22.

Sun, 05/29/2016 - 17:30

Makahiki turns tables on Satona Diamond in Japanese Derby

Makahiki avenged a loss in the Japanese 2000 Guineas in April with a nose victory over Satona Diamond in Sunday’s $3.9 million Japanese Derby at Tokyo Racecourse.

Makahiki (3-1) rallied six wide in the stretch and was fully extended to hold off Satona Diamond, a 7-2 shot who was third in the Japanese 2000 Guineas. Dee Majesty, the winner of the 2000 Guineas, finished third as the 5-2 favorite.

Dee Majesty was beaten a half-length, missing a chance to become the 24th horse in history to win the Japanese 2000 Guineas and Japanese Derby.

Fri, 05/27/2016 - 16:03

Japan: Dee Majesty goes for Guineas-Japanese Derby sweep

Dee Majesty, the winner of the Japanese 2000 Guineas on April 17, will be favored to win his fourth consecutive race in Sunday’s $3.9 million Japanese Derby at Tokyo Racecourse.

Dee Majesty, a colt by Deep Impact, beat maidens in his third and final start of 2015 and is unbeaten in two starts this year – the Grade 3 Kyodo News Service Hai at Tokyo in February and the Grade 1 Japanese 2000 Guineas at Nakayama in April.

Tue, 05/24/2016 - 15:53

A Shin Hikari romps in Prix d'Ispahan

A Shin Hikari, a Group 1 winner in Hong Kong last December, assumed the role of favorite for the $1.09 million Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot on June 15 with an emphatic win in Tuesday’s $280,000 Prix d’Ispahan at Chantilly Racecourse in France.

Ridden by Yutaka Take, who rode Lani to a fifth-place finish in the Preakness at Pimlico last Saturday, A Shin Hikari won the Group 1 Prix d’Ispahan by 10 lengths over Dariyan, winner of the Group 1 Prix Ganay at Saint-Cloud on May 1.

Sun, 05/22/2016 - 17:42

Chantilly: New Bay, Mondialiste head talented lineup for Prix d’Ispahan

Nine group or graded stakes winners, including New Bay, the winner of the Group 1 French Derby in 2015 and Mondialiste, the winner of the Grade 1 Woodbine Mile last September, comprise the field for Tuesday’s $280,000 Prix d’Ispahan at Chantilly Racecourse in France.

The Group 1 Prix d’Ispahan is run at 1 1/8 miles on turf and is the second Group 1 race of the year for older horses in France. Dariyan and Silverware, who are part of the Prix d’Ispahan field, were first and second in the Group 1 Prix Ganay at Saint-Cloud on May 1.

Sun, 05/22/2016 - 14:42

Jet Setting scores 9-1 upset in Irish 1000 Guineas

Jet Setting, a filly purchased for approximately $17,400 last fall, won Sunday’s $336,300 Irish 1000 Guineas over 4-11 favorite Minding at The Curragh. The win gave trainer Adrian Keatley his first Group 1 win in his third year of training.

Ridden by Shane Foley, Jet Setting (9-1) finished a head in front of Minding, who struck her head on the starting gate before the start, trainer Aidan O’Brien said. Jet Setting was always near the front in the one-mile turf race and held off a sustained threat from Minding, the winner of the English 1000 Guineas at Newmarket on May 1.

Sat, 05/21/2016 - 15:33

Awtaad relishes soft ground in Irish 2000 Guineas

Awtaad rolled down the outside of a soggy Curragh course and won the Group 1 Irish 2000 Guineas by 2 1/2 lengths on Saturday.

English 2000 Guineas winner Galileo Gold finished second after being trapped inside for part of the final quarter-mile, but Awtaad always seemed to be traveling better after the tempo quickened and was a worthy winner for jockey Chris Hayes, trainer Kevin Prendergast, and owner Hamdan al Maktoum. Blue de Vega was third, well clear of fourth-place Bravery, the first home but easily the longest price among four Aidan O’Brien-trained entrants.