Maybe earned an automatic fees-paid berth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf by winning the Group 1 Moyglare Stud Stakes, a Breeders’ Cup Challenge Win and You’re In race, on Sunday at the Curragh in Ireland.
BREEDERS’ CUP CHALLENGE: Racing schedule, replays, and past winners >>
Pour Moi, the winner of the English Derby in June, was retired on Saturday after suffering a fetlock injury while exercising earlier in the week, according to a statement from Coolmore Stud in Ireland.
Trained by Andre Fabre, Pour Moi was based with Fabre’s stable in Chantilly, France, when he was injured. He had not started since the English Derby and was considered the favorite for the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp in October.
“Pour Moi suffered a severe over reach to his near fore fetlock during exercise at Chantilly,” Coolmore said in a statement.
Defending champion Poet’s Voice will be a strong favorite to win his first stakes of 2011 in Saturday’s Group 2 Celebration Mile at Goodwood, England, a race that could have implications for the Breeders’ Cup Mile at Churchill Downs in November.
Poet’s Voice has not started since finishing last of 14 in the Dubai World Cup in March, but solidified his status as the favorite for the Celebration Mile after Strong Suit and Zoffany were withdrawn on Thursday. Poet’s Voice was listed as a 6-4 chance as of Thursday, and will have six rivals.
The 4-year-old filly Announce led a Juddmonte Farms one-two sweep in the Prix Jean Romanet, and Dabirsim won the Prix Morny to earn a quote in future-book betting for the English 2000 Guineas of 2012 in Group 1 races at Deauville, France, on Sunday.
Announce, trained in France by Andre Fabre, finished about a head in front of stablemate Timepiece in the Prix Jean Romanet, a 1 1/4-mile race for fillies and mares. Ridden by Maxime Guyon, Announce was fourth in the field of five until the final quarter-mile.
Sunday’s Group 1 Prix Jean Romanet at Deauville, France, lost its expected favorite on Friday when Snow Fairy was declared ineligible because of French racing rules pertaining to horses withdrawn from recent races.
In a shock to British trainer Ed Dunlop, Snow Fairy, the winner of four Group 1 races in 2010, was removed from the race because she had been scratched from the Yorkshire Oaks on Thursday because of concern over the condition of the turf.
Margot Did, one of two fillies in a field of 17, pulled a 20-1 upset in Friday’s Group 1 Nunthorpe Stakes at York, England, giving jockey Hayley Turner a career-best second win at the highest level this summer.
Turner won the Group 1 July Cup at Newmarket on Dream Ahead last month. At the time, Turner became the first female rider to win a Group 1 in England since Alex Hammond won the Nunthorpe Stakes in a dead heat in 1997.
Blue Bunting won her third Group 1 race of 2011 on Thursday at York, defeating Vita Nova by three-quarters of a length in the Yorkshire Oaks.
Blue Bunting’s task was made easier by the withdrawal of early favorite Snow Fairy from the race. Snow Fairy’s trainer, Ed Dunlop, was said to be unhappy with the soft course condition at York, and instead plans to start Snow Fairy on Sunday in the Prix Jean Romanet at Deauville in France.
On Friday, Hoof It, a winner of 3 of 4 starts this year, makes his group stakes debut in the Group 1 Nunthorpe Stakes over a straightaway five furlongs at York.
VIDEO: Nunthorpe Stakes preview and live stream from York
Trained by Michael Easterby, Hoof It won a minor handicap at York in May and was seventh in the Wokingham Stakes at Royal Ascot in June. He won two races a week apart last month – the Sky Bet Dash at York on July 23 and the 27-runner Stewards’ Cup at Goodwood on July 30.
Twice Over pulled a mild upset in Wednesday’s Juddmonte International Stakes at York Racecourse in England, winning his first Group 1 race since October and giving jockey Ian Mongan the biggest win of his career.
Sent off at 11-2 in a field of five, Twice Over caught stablemate Midday, the 5-year-old mare, in the final furlong of the race over about 1 1/4 miles to win by three-quarters of a length.
