Sheikh Mohammed al Maktoum on Tuesday stated his dissatisfaction with the level of purse money in Britain and issued a warning to the British racing industry. The statement by Sheikh Mohammed, head of the Maktoum family's Godolphin racing operation, was read by Michael Osborne, a steward for the Emirates Racing Association, at the annual Gimcrack dinner in York, England. Sheikh Mohammed was not at the dinner.
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DRF Past Performances
Breeders' Cup Mile winner Domedriver has been withdrawn from Sunday's Hong Kong Mile because of an abscess in his right hind foot and will be replaced by Jeune King Prawn. It was not immediately clear whether Domedriver would race next year or be retired to stud, although the injury appeared to be minor. . . . Fasig-Tipton's two-day December mixed sale in Timonium, Md., ended Monday with sharp declines. Officials blamed lower-quality mares for the decreases.
Al Skywalker will represent the United States at Cheltenham next Saturday in the $117,000, Grade 2 Bula Hurdle. Being at Cheltenham on the second weekend in December has become something of an American tradition in recent years, but the race we usually send a runner to is the Sport of Kings Hurdle.
NEW YORK - Al Skywalker, the winner of two Grade 3 races over jumps this year, will travel to Cheltenham, England, to run in the Dec. 14 Bula Hurdle, an important early-season prep for Cheltenham's Champion Hurdle in March.
The Grade 2 Bula, a 2 1/8-mile race, is worth $117,000. Trained by Jennifer Majette, Al Skywalker, a 9-year-old gelding, is owned by Majette and New Zealander Michael Watt, the owner of leading European stayer Vinnie Roe. Al Skywalker will fly from Toronto to arrive at Cheltenham on Saturday. His regular partner Tom Foley is scheduled to ride.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Decarchy, who finished fourth with a troubled trip in Saturday's Citation Handicap at Hollywood Park, will come back on two weeks' rest and be sent overseas to participate in the Hong Kong Mile on Dec. 15, trainer Bobby Frankel said.
"He might as well go," Frankel said. "He didn't get a chance to run much the other day."
Decarchy joins the Darrell Vienna-trained Nuclear Debate as American-based horses running in the Mile.
Sarafan was denied victory in the $3.89 million Japan Cup on Sunday after a rough battle with Italian invader Falbrav, who gave Frankie Dettori his second big race triumph of the weekend at Nakayama.
Falbrav finished a nose in front of Sarafan, but Sarafan's trainer, Neil Drysdale, and jockey, Corey Nakatani, were not finished fighting yet. A claim of foul was lodged against the winner, who was leaning in on Sarafan near the line. Earlier, Sarafan had drifted out a bit, brushing with Falbrav inside the sixteenth pole.
Sarafan was denied victory in the $3.89 million Japan Cup on Sunday after a rough battle with Italian invader Falbrav, who gave Frankie Dettori his second big race triumph of the weekend at Nakayama.
Falbrav finished a nose in front of Sarafan, but trainer Neil Drysdale and jockey Corey Nakatani were not finished fighting yet. A claim of foul was lodged against the winner, who was leaning in on Sarafan near the line. Earlier, Sarafan had drifted out a bit, brushing with Falbrav inside the sixteenth pole.
Frankie Dettori rode an inspired race on Eagle Cafi ($19.80-1) to capture the Grade 1, $2.05 million Japan Cup Dirt at Nakayama racecourse in Tokyo on Saturday. Reba's Gold and Abreeze, the two United States shippers, finished ninth and 12th, respectively.
Eagle Cafi, trained in Japan by Futoshi Kojima, delivered a late run up the rail under Dettori to beat
124-1 outsider Regent Bluff by one length. The 6-5 favorite Admire Don finished third, making for a 1-2-3 Japanese finish.
NEW YORK - It is one of the vagaries of the disparate systems used to determine championships that Breeders' Cup Classic winner Volponi stands a better chance of being crowned the best dirt horse in the world via the European system than he does in the United States.
At the same time, the way that the European-based International Classification arrives at its conclusions could deprive Rock of Gibraltar of anything better than the title of best 3-year-old miler.