Sun, 08/22/2010 - 12:29

Million winner Buick doubles up in Prix Morny at Deauville

Dream Ahead provided William Buick with a big transatlantic double at Deauville on Sunday as he scored a convincing victory in the Group 1, $448,000 Prix Morny. With the hurrahs still ringing in his ears after an exhilarating victory aboard Debussy in the Arlington Million just 15 hours earlier, Buick steered the victorious Diktat colt to a 13-1 triumph in Deauville’s premier juvenile event.

Fri, 08/20/2010 - 13:39

Libranno stands out in strong Prix Morny

Libranno, perhaps the best of Richard Hannon’s five juvenile group-race winners this year, heads a contentious Group 1 Prix Morny at Deauville on Sunday. A six-furlong sprint worth $448,000, the Morny includes five group-race winners at this still-early stage of the 2-year-old season, but Libranno is the only one of them to have succeeded twice at that level.

Fri, 08/20/2010 - 11:39

Sole Power takes Nunthorpe at 100-1

Sole Power, a 100-1 rank outsider, upset runner-up Starspangledbanner in the Group 1, $374,000 Nunthorpe Stakes at York on Friday as a second 100-1 shot, Piccadilly Filly, filled the third spot in the five-furlong dash.

Thu, 08/19/2010 - 11:35

Midday beats Sariska - but with an asterisk

Midday finally beat Sariska at York on Thursday when she cruised to a three-length victory in the $483,000 Yorkshire Oaks, largely because Sariska refused to race. The 85-40 favorite in the 1 1/2-mile Group 1 contest for fillies and mares, Sariska stood as still as a statue as the gates opened, a look of helpless frustration covering jockey Jamie Spencer’s face as her seven rivals sped on their way.

Wed, 08/18/2010 - 14:07

Starspangledbanner may be vulnerable in Nunthorpe

Rarely has a British sprint race come up as strong as the Group 1, $374,000 Nunthorpe Stakes at York on Friday. In Starspangledbanner and Equiano, the five-furlong dash will feature the two best sprinters in Europe, and in Borderlescott they will be facing the two-time defending Nunthorpe titleholder.

Tue, 08/17/2010 - 14:05

Midday takes another shot at Sariska at York

Sariska and Midday renew their one-sided rivalry at York on Thursday in the Group 1, $485,000 Yorkshire Oaks, in which they will be joined by English and Irish Oaks winner Snow Fairy.

Tue, 08/17/2010 - 11:42

Rip Van Winkle gets up in Juddmonte International

Rip Van Winkle woke up just in time to catch the Juddmonte pair of Twice Over and Byword in the shadow of the line to land a thrilling renewal of the $1 million Juddmonte International Stakes at York on Tuesday. In winning for the first time in nearly 11 months, the Aidan O’Brien-trained son of Galileo proved he could win beyond a mile as defeated two of the best 10-furlong horses in training.

Mon, 08/16/2010 - 13:47

Temple Meads heads Gimcrack Stakes at York

Temple Meads is the horse to beat in the Group 2, $219,000, Gimcrack Stakes at York on Wednesday, day two of the four-day Ebor Meeting. A modestly bred son of Avonbridge, Temple Meads won the 24-runner Weatherbys Super Sprint at Newbury a month ago off an 11-week layoff to go to 2 for 2 lifetime and should improve for that strong effort in this six-furlong juvenile contest.

Jimmy Fortune will ride Temple Meads, a colt trained by Ed McMahon who does most of his running late. Serious challenges could emerge from a pair of well-bred rivals coming off recent maiden victories.

Sun, 08/15/2010 - 13:28

Overdose wins 14th straight; Baden-Baden next

Overdose trounced eight outclassed rivals at Kincsem Park in Budapest on Sunday with an easy score in the Bestens-Pannonia Eletbiztosito Dij, a five-furlong Hungarian listed race worth $18,300. Now undefeated after 14 starts, the Budapest Bullet led throughout to win by 10 lengths over Spinning Crystal, the same horse he had beaten by eight lengths the last time he ran in Budapest in a similar race in April 2009.

Sun, 08/15/2010 - 11:21

Makfi takes advantage of soft ground to upset Goldikova

Makfi handed Goldikova a shocking defeat at Deauville on Sunday as he beat the two-time Breeders’ Cup Mile winner by 2 1/2 lengths in the Group 1, $769,000 Prix Jacques Le Marois.

Goldikova led approaching the three-sixteenths pole in the straight mile but couldn’t resist the late charge of Makfi. Paco Boy led briefly at the eighth-pole, but Goldikova got back up for second by a neck. The winning time was 1:39.40, compared to the 1:33.50 recorded by Goldikova when winning last year’s renewal by sixlengths on good ground.