Sat, 08/01/2015 - 14:16

Legatissimo takes Nassau Stakes as favorite

Legatissimo won her second Group 1 race of the year by a convincing 2 1/4 lengths in Saturday’s $934,860 Nassau Stakes on the final day of the Goodwood meeting in England.

Ridden by Wayne Lordan for trainer David Wachman, Legatissimo, the 2-1 favorite, pulled clear in the final furlong to beat 10-1 Wedding Vow, trained by Aidan O’Brien. Arabian Queen, a 25-1 outsider, finished third in the field of nine. Star of Seville, the winner of the Group 1 French Oaks in June, could only finish seventh after setting the pace in the race at 1 1/4 miles on turf.

Fri, 07/31/2015 - 12:37

Amazing Maria, Ervedya clash in Prix Rothschild

The Royal Ascot winners Amazing Maria and Ervedya meet for the first time in Sunday’s $330,000 Prix Rothschild for fillies and mares at a mile on turf at Deauville Racecourse in France. The Group 1 Prix Rothschild is one of Europe’s leading races for female turf milers.

Wed, 07/29/2015 - 14:05

Solow earns berth in Breeders’ Cup Mile by winning Sussex

Solow won his eighth consecutive race and earned a fees-paid berth to the Breeders’ Cup Mile at Keeneland on Oct. 31 with a half-length win in Wednesday’s $1.56 million Sussex Stakes at Goodwood Racecourse in England.

Solow (2-5) raced as a stalker in the field of eight before taking the lead with a furlong to go. Ridden by Maxime Guyon, Solow was tested to the finish by Arod, a 6-1 shot who set the pace. Gabrial, a 50-1 outsider, finished third.

Mon, 07/27/2015 - 13:51

Solow heavy favorite in Sussex Mile

Andrew Watkins/Dubai Racing Club
Solow rolls to a 4 1/4-length win in the Dubai Turf in March, part of the seven-race winning streak he brings into the Sussex Mile.

Solow will be a short-priced favorite to extend his winning streak to eight races in Wednesday’s $1.56 million Sussex Stakes at Goodwood Racecourse in England after a weekend of rain caused Gleneagles to be kept out of the entries by trainer Aidan O’Brien.

When post positions were drawn on Monday, Gleneagles, the winner of three Group 1 races for 3-year-old milers this year, was not part of the field of eight. The turf course at Goodwood is expected to good to soft; Gleneagles is better on firmer turf.

Sun, 07/26/2015 - 16:40

Gutaifan extends winning streak in Prix Robert Papin

Gutaifan extended his winning streak to three races with a victory in Sunday’s $143,000 Prix Robert Papin at Maisons-Laffitte Racecourse, one of the first major stakes of the year for 2-year-olds in France.

The field of eight was dominated by shippers from England.

Gutaifan (6-1) was ridden by Frankie Dettori for English trainer Richard Hannon. The Irish-bred colt by Dark Angel fought for the lead from the start of the race at 5 1/2 furlongs and won by a head over Ajaya, trained in England by William Haggas.

Sat, 07/25/2015 - 12:17

Postponed by a nose in King George VI

There would not be another coronation for Golden Horn on Saturday, as the star 3-year-old was scratched from the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot because of soft ground, paving the way for Postponed to step forward and notch the most important victory of his career.

Sat, 07/18/2015 - 15:02

Covert Love gives Palmer first Group 1 win in Irish Oaks

Covert Love won the biggest race of her career and gave trainer Hugo Palmer the biggest win of his when capturing the Group 1 Irish Oaks by 1 3/4 lengths over Jack Naylor on Saturday at The Curragh.

Supplemented into the race by her owners, the Fomo Syndicate, at a cost of more than $43,000, Covert Love made the gamble pay off, coming away with a victory while racing for the first time in a group stakes of any sort. Fifth in her only race at 2, Covert Love had won three races in 2015 entering the Irish Oaks but figured to be tested for class Saturday.

Thu, 07/16/2015 - 18:30

Curvy takes on O'Brien quartet in Irish Oaks

Curvy has won all four of her starts at age 3, and on Saturday at The Curragh in Ireland, she will be among the favorites to win at the Group 1 level for the first time when she meets nine rivals in the Irish Oaks.

Four of her foes are trained by Aidan O’Brien, who has not dominated this race to the extent he has owned some of the other major events in Irish racing, though O’Brien did win just last year with Bracelet.

Tue, 07/14/2015 - 14:10

Erupt proves wise investment at Longchamp

Erupt was one of two horses supplemented for approximately $48,000 to Tuesday’s $666,840 Grand Prix de Paris for 3-year-old colts and fillies at Longchamp Racecourse. After Erupt extended his unbeaten streak to four races with a win in the Group 1 race, he was rated as a contender for a more lucrative race – the $5.5 million Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp on Oct. 4.

The Grand Prix de Paris is by far the most prestigious win of Erupt’s brief career. Owned by the Niarchos family, Erupt was ridden by Stephane Pasquier for trainer Francis-Henri Graffard.

Tue, 07/14/2015 - 11:28

Hong Kong sets betting record

Total betting on races in Hong Kong in fiscal year 2014-15 rose to a record for a second year in a row, according to figures distributed by the Hong Kong Jockey Club.

Total betting in the province was $14.03 billion during the fiscal year on 83 race cards, for an average of $169 million per day. Betting during the fiscal year was a 5.8 percent jump over betting during the previous fiscal year, according to the HKJC, the non-profit company that administers every aspect of betting and racing in Hong Kong.