1 of 2 | Frankie Dettori celebrates on Porta Fortuna after winning his 80th Royal Ascot victory, Photo by Megan Ridgwell, courtesy of Ascot Racecourse
June 26 (UPI) -- Another Royal Ascot went into the books, to be remembered as a success for Frankie Dettori's finale and King Charles and Queen Camilla's debut as owners, while a world away, the world's top-rated horse was all out to justify that ranking in Sunday's feature in Japan.
Back in the States, Two Phil's showed his runner-up finish in the Kentucky Derby was no fluke, and there were some stirrings in the other divisions, as well.
But first, Royal Ascot.
Royal Ascot
It was the last Royal meeting for jockey Frankie Dettori before retirement, and he went out in a blaze of glory, winning the Gold Cup and notching his 80th and 81st wins of his career.
It was the first for the new king and queen as owners of the royal stables and they got their first winner. Alastair Warwick, Ascot's chief executive, called it "a brilliant week."
"There have been some amazing stories and it was fantastic to see Frankie sign off his Royal Ascot story with a successful week, including winning a ninth Gold Cup," Warwick said.
"Of course, one of many highlights was Desert Hero becoming a first Royal Ascot winner for their majesties the king and queen. It was a truly special moment and a hugely important success for the sport.
We conclude our earlier reportage with the final two days:
Saturday
The final Group 1 of the Royal meeting, the 6-furlongs Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes, brought together some of the world's most notable sprinters, all of whom wound up playing second fiddle to the relatively unheralded Khaadem.
The 7-year-old Dark Angel gelding was coming out of an unsuccessful campaign in Dubai and last seen finishing third in a listed event at Salisbury. He was taken down to the gate early Saturday, and then unseated jockey Jamie Spencer before the start.
Once the gates opened, though, Khaadem delivered, at odds of 80-1.
Advancing from the rear through the final two furlongs, he hit the front inside 100 yards and outfought Sacred to win by a neck.
The favorite, Highfield Princess, returning on four day's rest after finishing second in the Group 1 King's Stand Stakes, was third. Australian star Artorius finished fourth and Hong Kong's sprint champion Wellington got home 10th.
Winning trainer Charlie Hills said: "Khaadem does have his quirks, but most sprinters do. It's just amazing that we've got to where we have now at his age. I have always had massive faith in this horse. That's why I've kept him for so long."
The day's co-feature saw the popular Pyledriver prevail in the Group 2 Hardwicke with West Wind Blows and Changingoftheguard second and third.
However, jockey P J McDonald was unable to prevent Pyledriver from veering into the path of those two rivals in the late going, prompting a long stewards' review. The result was allowed to stand, much to the delight of the crowd.
Pyledriver, a 6-year-old son of Harbour Watch, has run with credit around the globe but was unraced for 336 days since winning the Group 1 King George last year. Trainer William Muir attributed the late antics to the layoff and a relative lack of fitness.
"I know how much this horse will improve," Muir said. "Yes, he rolled around, but he was on fumes."
Age of Kings, with Wayne Lordon up for trainer Aidan O'Brien, upset the Group 3 Jersey Stakes for 3-year-olds, defeating Zoology by 1 length with the favorite, Covey, under Dettori, ninth.
Friday
Shaquille missed the start badly in Friday's co-featured Group 1 Commonwealth Cup, but then overcame that to catch hot favorite Little Big Bear inside the final furlong and win by 1 1/4 lengths. Swingalong, always prominent, was third at the end of the straight mile.
Shaquille, a Charm Spirit colt with Oisin Murphy aboard, made it five straight wins while stepping well up in class. Little Big Bear, Coolmore's star 3-year-old sprinter, won last year's Windsor Castle Stakes at the royal meeting.
"As the stalls opened, Shaquille went up into the air, and he took his time coming back down to the ground," said Murphy, who had his first winner of the meeting. "It's very hard to do that in a 1,200-meter race and win. I thought the race was almost over."
Tahiyra landed her third Group 1 win from five career starts in taking Wednesday's Coronation Stakes for 3-year-old fillies as the odds-on favorite.
The Aga Khan homebred, by Siyouni, responded perfectly to a confident ride by Chris Hayes, rallying outside rivals through the final furlong from last to first, winning by 1 length from Remarquee.
Sounds of Heaven was third and pacesetting Meditate faded to finish fourth.
"I was a little bit concerned in the early part of the race," winning trainer Dermot Weld said. "But Chris did the right thing to take her back. Plan B came into action, which was to take your time. It's a long straight at Ascot and she has brilliant speed, and that's what he did."
Tahiyra's other Group 1 wins came in last year's Moyglare Stud Stakes and the Irish 1,000 Guineas in May at the Curragh. She was second, beaten only by Mawj, in the English Guineas.
Porta Fortuna's victory in Friday's opener, the Group 3 Albany Stakes for 2-year-old fillies, was notable primarily as Dettori's 80th Royal Ascot win.
The Caravaggio filly, trained by Donnacha O'Brien, emerged from the center of the field as the two running groups merged in the late going and won by 1 length from Coolmore's Matrika. Soprano was third. Porta Fortuna improved to 3-for-3.
"Eighty winners at Royal Ascot -- unbelievable!" Dettori said after the traditional flying dismount. "I've fulfilled my dream. Ascot has always been special to me, I love it so much, and to reach 80 winners is incredible."
Eighty for Dettori and No. 1 for O'Brien, son of Irish master trainer Aidan O'Brien, who saddled Matrika.
"It means a lot to train a first Royal Ascot winner," said the younger O'Brien, implying he expects others to follow on. He also indicated Porta Fortuna's American ownership team will have the filly at Santa Anita in November for the Breeders' Cup.
The Group 2 King Edward VI Stakes for 3-year-olds went the way of Epsom Derby runner-up King of Steel, by 3 1/2 lengths, with Ryan Moore and the Coolmore hope, Continuous, settling for another second-place result.
King of Steel, an American-bred colt by Wootton Bassett, rallied from last of six under Kevin Stott to gain his second win alongside the Derby close call.
Dettori got his 81st win in the Sandringham Stakes, guiding another John and Thady Gosden charge, Coppice, to his fourth win without loss.
Hollie Doyle rode the winner, Rhythm N Hooves, in the Palace of Holyroodhouse Stakes, defeating 25 rivals at the end of 5 furlongs. Moore piloted Okita Soushi to victory for trainer Joseph Patrick O'Brien in the Duke of Edinburgh Stakes at 1 1/2 miles.
Japan
Royal Ascot had the king, the queen and Frankie, but Japanese fans had Equinox on Sunday in the Grade 1 Takarazuka Kinen at Hanshin Racecourse. And they reckoned that a fair enough trade.
Equinox, the world's top horse per the Longines World's Best Racehorse rankings, racked up his fourth straight win, all at the top level. But he had to work to do it after getting away behind most of his rivals.
Turning into the stretch run, jockey Christophe Lemaire had to swing the 4-year-old son of Kitisan Black widest of all to get him going.
Once he did, his turn of foot looked plenty good enough -- until Through Seven Seas emerged between rivals, at odds of 55-1, and made things close before Equinox won by a neck.
"Though we were unable get a good position toward the front due to the fast pace at the beginning, the horse was relaxed in the rear and I wasn't worried at all," Lemaire said.
"As the inner track condition was not so good, we made bid from the outside early and turned wide to the straight where he stretched really well.
"Hanshin's inner course is tricky and [the] Takarazuka Kinen is a difficult race to win, even for champion horses, so I'm very happy that I was able to win the race with the No. 1 horse in the World's Best Racehorse Rankings. I realized again how strong he is. I hope to win more big races with him in autumn."
The Takarazuka Kinen was the final Grade 1 race of the Japanese spring and early summer. Top-level competition returns in the fall.
Meanwhile, back in North America
The 3-year-olds
Saturday's $500,000 Grade III Ohio Derby didn't settle anything in the division, but it for sure made it clear Two Phil's is a real player.
Even after his runner-up finish in the Kentucky Derby, some still didn't give much respect to the Hard Spun colt, who campaigned earlier at Turfway Park and trains at Hawthorne Race Course.
In Thistledown's annual showpiece, he tracked the early pace, moved easily to the lead at the quarter pole and was gone. With Gerardo Corrales in the irons, he won by 5 3/4 lengths in 1:49.60.
The runner-up, Bishops Bay was another 7 lengths in front of Hayes Strike -- both respectable horses in their own right.
"I think it's a very competitive [crop of 3-year-olds]," Bloodhorse's Molly Rollins quoted trainer Larry Rivelli as saying.. "I think we are starting to hopefully separate ourselves a little bit.
"The thing about our horse is that he shows up every time. I'm yet to see him throw in a clunker. And I think he's just getting better."
Rivelli indicated the Grade I Haskell Stakes on July 22 at Monmouth Park is the next target, potentially followed by the Grade I Travers at Saratoga on Aug. 26. The Travers is shaping up as the race that will settle things in the division.
Distaff
Le Da Vida took charge in the stretch run in Saturday's $250,000 Lady Jacqueline Stakes for fillies and mares at Thistledown, drawing off to score by 3 1/4 lengths from Interstatedaydream.
Le Da Vida, a 6-year-old, Chilean-bred mare, ran 1 1/8 miles on the fast track in 1:50.02. Vincent Cheminaud had the mount for trainer Ignacio Correas IV. It was her third U.S. win after a good career in South America.
Turf
King Cause circled four-wide into the stretch run in Saturday's $300,000 Texas Turf Classic at Lone Star Park, got the lead and held off Kokomo easily to win by 1 1/4 lengths. Dean Martini was third.
King Cause, an 8-year-old Creative Cause gelding, ran 1 1/8 miles on firm going in 1:47.73 with Rene Diaz riding for trainer Mike Maker, who has campaigned the gelding from coast to coast in graded stakes, but was trying Texas for the first time.
Filly & Mare Turf
Liguria and Tax Implications rallied from last and next-last of eight to finish first and second for trainer Chad Brown in Saturday's $150,000 Wild Applause Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Belmont Park.
Liguria, the winner, a War Front filly, finished 1 mile on firm going in 1:35.01 with Irad Ortiz Jr. up. She now is 3-for-5 with victories from Del Mar to Belmont.
Glenall stalked the pace in Saturday's $150,000 Wasted Tears Stakes at Lone Star Park, got by pacesetting Tipsy Gal when asked by jockey David Cabrera and went on to win by 2 1/4 lengths. The 4-year-old, Irish-bred filly ran 1 1/16 miles in 1:41.19.
Turf Sprint
On Saturday at Lone Star Park, Cogburn came from the back of the six-horse field to win the $150,000 Grand Prairie Turf Sprint by a head over Big Chopper and Unbridled Mary rallied from last of eight to take the $150,000 Chicken Fried Stakes for fillies and mares by 1 1/4 lengths from Tiz Magic.
Train to Artemus proved the best of the closers in Saturday's $100,000 Goldwood Stakes for fillies and mares at Monmouth Park, getting away in the final sixteenth to a 1 3/4-length victory. Can't Buy Love was the best of the rest.
Train to Artemus, a 5-year-old Tapizar mare trained by Kelly Breen, ran 5 1/2 furlongs on firm turf in 1:03.44 for jockey Paco Lopez.
Filly & Mare Sprint
Society was all alone at the end of Saturday's $225,000 Grade III Chicago Stakes at Ellis Park.
The 4-year-old Gun Runner filly, with Tyler Gaffalione up for trainer Steve Asmussen, got away from the field early, kept finding more and rolled home first by 10 3/4 lengths, ridden out.
Drifaros was best of the rest with the odds-on favorite, Matareya, third. Society ran 7 furlongs on a fast track in course-record time of 1:20.54.