Advertisement

UPI horse racing weekend preview

By Robert Kieckhefer, UPI Racing Writer
Holiday Star wins Thursday's Sycamore Stakes at Keeneland. (Keeneland photo)
Holiday Star wins Thursday's Sycamore Stakes at Keeneland. (Keeneland photo)

Weekend horse racing features the great English year-end meeting, Canada's big international grass races, the Caulfield Cup "down under" and a slew of U.S. festivals for state-bred horses.

All that is slightly overshadowed by this week's announcement that the snake-bit Breeders' Cup Mile has taken another blow with the withdrawal of two-time winner and two-time and reigning U.S. Horse of the Year Wise Dan.

Advertisement

At one time the Mile was expected to feature Wise Dan; England's crack miler, Kingman; South African star Variety Club and among others. But with the retirement of Kingman and injuries clouding the futures of Wise Dan and Variety Club, the air somewhat has gone out of the event.

On the bright side, British trainer Richard Hannon has confirmed that Toronado will bypass British Champions Day in favor of the Breeders' Cup Mile, where he now will be a top pick.

Advertisement

Wise Dan's owner, Morton Fink, said trainer Charlie LoPresti noticed some swelling in the 7-year-old gelding's right front ankle after his victory in the Shadwell Turf Mile last weekend and x-rays showed it to be a "half moon-shaped" fracture.

"As a result, we have decided to withdraw him from the Breeders' Cup to allow the fracture to heal," Fink said. "Charlie has had tough decisions to make and we are very grateful that he made them in the best interest of Wise Dan." He added attending veterinarian Dr. Larry Bramlage "recommends that we wait at least 30 days and assess his progress before we make any further decisions. He is 7 years old, with 30 starts in his career, so we'll let him show us what to do next."

Let's move along to what will be:

British Champions Day

Three Group 1 events and two Group 2s at Ascot comprise the climatic day of the British flat racing season.

The feature is the Group 1 QIPCO British Champion Stakes, where Cirrus Des Aigles is expected to square off with Frankel's brother, Noble Mission, going 1 1/4 miles on turf expected to be somewhat testing. Cirrus Des Aigles comes to this race after being disqualified from the win in the Group II Prix Dollar two weeks ago and seems on top of his game with three straight wins before that. Noble Mission has four wins and two seconds in his last six races with the victories including the Group 1 Prix de Saint-Cloud and the Group 1 Gold Cup at the Curragh. Those two are not alone in their chances with Sheikzayedroad, Al Kazeem and Pether's Moon set. Free Eagle, a 3-year-old High Chaparral colt, makes just his fourth start and second of the season but looks like a good one. This should be a stirring rendition of the event.

Advertisement

The Group 1 QE II Stakes at 1 mile will miss Toronado, not to mention Kingman. But with the likes of Night of Thunder, Integral and Custom Cut in the field of 11, the race is not lacking in appeal. Also in here is Kingsbarns, the Galileo colt who won both starts for the Coolmore folks in 2012 but has yet to enter the winner's enclosure since.

Ten are set to go in the Group 1 QIPCO Fillies and Mares Stakes and the 1 1/2-miles event looks pretty wide open.

Seventeen are left in for the Group 2 QIPCO British Champions Sprint, contested at 6 furlongs. Gordon Lord Byron and G Force are among the likely ones in this.

The Group 2 QIPCO Long Distance Cup goes 1 3/4 miles with Leading Light a leading contender off his second to Brown Panther in the Group 1 Irish St Leger. Her Majesty's colors-bearer, Estimate, also is among nine in the field.

Future Champions

Future Champions Day on Friday at Newmarket features three Group 1 races for the 2-year-olds. The 6-furlongs Middle Park Stakes is for entire colts and drew seven, including the undefeated Ivawood. The Fillies Mile also has seven entries, featuring the Godolphin-owned Lucida, who comes off a win in the Group 2 Rockfel Stakes over the course. And seven are in the Group 1 Dubai Dewhurst Stakes for colts and fillies at 7 furlongs.

Advertisement

Woodbine

The 10 starters for Sunday's $1 million (Canadian), Grade I Pattison Canadian International couldn't be much more diverse. They include Brown Panther, who won the Group 1 Irish St Leger in his last start, and The Pizza Man, who won the Grade I American St. Leger at Arlington Park two starts back. Suntracer won the Grade II Kentucky Turf Cup at Kentucky Downs in his last start. Also from across the Atlantic is Hillstar, trained by Sir Michael Stoute to a string of runner-up finishes in England in Group 2 events before finally getting home first in his most recent outing in a Group 3 event at Newbury. Big Blue Kitten is always dangerous but has had a couple tough beats in his last races. Reporting Star and Dynamic Sky will represent the locals. War Dancer and Pyrite Mountain could make their presence felt with a career-best effort.

Just The Judge is the favorite among eight for Sunday's $500,000 (Canadian), Grade I E.P. Taylor Stakes for fillies and mares at 1 1/4 miles on the grass. The Irish-bred daughter of Lawman, earlier raced in England and Ireland, finished third in the Grade I Beverly D. at Arlington in her first U.S. start. Deceptive Vision, a 4-year-old A.P. Indy filly won the Grade II Canadian Stakes over the course in her last outing and has four wins from seven starts overall.

Advertisement

Also on the card, a field of 10 is entered for the $300,000 (Canadian) Grade II Neartic Stakes at 6 furlongs on the grass and 10 also are set for the $150,000 (Canadian), Grade III Ontario Fashion Stakes for fillies and mares at the same distance.

Keeneland

An overflow field of 3-year-old fillies is entered for Friday's $150,000, Grade III Pin Oak Valley View. With no clear favorite in the 1 1/16-miles turf race, watch for Daring Dancer, A Little Bit Sassy, Size and Rosalind -- the latter trying to turn around a 2014 campaign that went from promising with a victory in the Grade I Ashland at Keeneland to problematic when she unseated Kieren Fallon at the start of the Group 1 Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Miss Behaviour is a lukewarm favorite in a full field in Saturday's $250,000, Grade II Lexus Raven Run Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at 7 furlongs on the new dirt course. She won the Grade III Charles Town Oaks in her last outing. Also in here are Sweet Whiskey and Thank You Marylou. The latter jumped up to win the Grade III Dogwood Stakes at Churchill Downs in her last outing.

Advertisement

On Thursday, Holiday Star rallied five-wide in the stretch run of the $100,000, Grade III Sycamore Stakes, winning by 1/2 length over the pacesetting favorite, Red Rifle. Villandry finished third. Holiday Star, a 4-year-old Harlan's Holiday gelding, ran 1 1/2 miles on soft turf in 2:33.83 with Rosie Napravnik in the irons. "This horse deserved to win," said trainer Graham Motion. "Hes been beaten two pretty short noses so I was thrilled to see him win. Rosie gave him a great ride."

Japan

Sunday's Group 1 Shuka Sho, the final leg of the Japanese filly Triple Crown, drew a field of 18. Harp Star, winner of the Oka Sho, bowed to Nuovo Record in the Japanese Oaks, setting up a potential rubber match. But Nuovo Record will not face that rival this time after Harp Star instead was sent to the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. However, Harp Star's trainer, Hiroyoshi Matsuda, will have four others in the Shuka Sho barriers hoping to make the series three winners from three races. Also in the big field is Red Reveur who defeated Harp Star last year in the Group 1 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies. She had her 3-year-old campaign jumbled by a trip to the Japanese Derby, where she was no factor.

Advertisement

Australia

Dandino, second to The Pizza Man in the American St. Leger at Arlington Park in his last start, will miss Saturday's Group 1 Caulfield Cup with a sore leg but that leaves a big and, as usual, contentious field for the 2,400-meters fixture. Among the fancied are the Japanese-based Bande; one-time Melbourn Cup favorite The Offer, who has fitness issues after three straight defeats; and Turnbull Stakes winner Lucia Valentina.

State-bred festivals

The festivals for the locals include such high-profile events as the Empire New York Showcase Day at Belmont Park with some $1.75 million in purses; the West Virginia Breeders' Classics XXVII at Charles Town, featuring the $500,000 West Virginia Breeders' Classic; the Maryland Million at Laurel Park; and the Oklahoma Classics at Remington Park.

Latest Headlines