The Japan-based Fame Game, the future-book favorite for the Grade 1 Melbourne Cup in Australia on Nov. 3, will have his first start since May in Saturday’s $2.17 million Caulfield Cup at about 1 1/2 miles on turf at Caulfield Racecourse in Australia.
The Group 1 Caulfield Cup, run as a handicap, drew a field of 24 but will have a safety limit of 20 starters. The race annually has a prominent role in the buildup to the Melbourne Cup, Australia’s most popular race.
Air Force Blue won his third straight Group 1 race with a dominant performance in the Dewhurst Stakes on Saturday at Newmarket in England.
His path to victory became easier when Emotionless, who looked on paper like Air Force Blue’s main rival, threw a dud, flattening out after bidding for the lead a quarter-mile out to finish last of seven. Air Force Blue and Emotionless made their move together, but where the latter faltered, the former ran on strongly, pulling away late to win by 4 1/2 lengths over the 20-1 shot Massaat.
Minding crushed nine rivals in the Group 1 Fillies’ Mile on Friday at Newmarket, stamping herself as a major contender for the 3-year-old filly classics next season in Europe.
The Aidan O’Brien-trained Galileo filly, who races for Coolmore, sat comfortably behind horses for the first six furlongs of the Fillies’ Mile, then quickly put the race to bed when steered out and asked for run by jockey Ryan Moore. She opened a big lead with a furlong left to race and crossed the finish 4 1/2 lengths in front of second-place Nathra while still under a hand ride.
The Dubai Racing Club on Thursday released the racing schedule for the 2016 Dubai World Cup Carnival at Meydan, which culminates March 26 with the Dubai World Cup card.
The World Cup Carnival season includes 11 race dates starting Thursday, Jan. 7. Meydan hosts a Thursday night card every week through March 3, with that night’s racing followed two days later by the Super Saturday card that includes preparatory races for all the major events on the $38.9 million Dubai World Cup card, headlined by the $10 million World Cup.
Air Force Blue already is a two-time Group 1 winner for trainer Aidan O’Brien, easily the best resume among seven 2-year-olds entered in the Group 1 Dewhurst Stakes on Saturday at Newmarket in England. So why isn’t he the ante-post favorite to win the Dewhurst?
Minding, who will be favored in Friday’s $760,000 Fillies’ Mile at Newmarket Racecourse in England, has kept pretty good company in recent starts.
Trained by Aidan O’Brien, Minding was second to stablemate Ballydoyle in the Group 2 Debutante Stakes at The Curragh on Aug. 22 and beat that rival in a minor upset in the Group 1 Moyglare Stud Stakes at The Curragh on Sept. 13.
Ballydoyle won the Group 1 Prix Marcel Boussac at Longchamp in Paris last Sunday.
A rematch in the Breeders’ Cup Turf between the first two finishers in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe is not something American racing fans have gotten to contemplate, but that is very much on the table this year when the Breeders’ Cup comes to Keeneland for the first time.
The 2-year-old Ultra and 3-year-old Make Believe gave leading French trainer Andre Fabre important wins in Group 1 stakes on the undercard of Sunday’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe program at Longchamp Racecourse in Paris.
Make Believe’s win in the $336,000 Prix de la Foret at seven furlongs may lead to a start in the Breeders’ Cup Mile at Keeneland on Oct. 31.
Treve could not get her historic third win in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, but trainer John Gosden got his first when Golden Horn scored a two-length victory over Flintshire on Sunday at Longchamp.
Frankie Dettori parked Golden Horn just off the flank of Treve’s pacemaker, Shahah, and stayed there until there was about a quarter-mile left in the Arc. Then he asked Golden Horn for run and the English Derby winner gave it to him, opening daylight on a star-studded field and never giving any of the closers a chance.
Esoterique won her second consecutive Group 1 race Saturday in the $377,000 Sun Chariot Stakes for female turf milers at Newmarket Racecourse in England, a victory that could lead to an appearance in the Breeders’ Cup Mile at Keeneland on Oct. 31.
Esoterique, the 11-8 favorite, won the Sun Chariot Stakes by a half-length over Integral, the 2014 winner. Esoterique was ridden by Pierre Charles Boudot, who dropped his whip in the final furlong but still guided his mount to the front in the final sixteenth to get by the pacesetting Integral.
