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By Wandering Eyes · Posted
Prominent owner David Archer’s silks have been carried to victory in some of New Zealand’s most prestigious races, and in March, he is hoping he can tick off another – the $4 million NZB Kiwi (1500m). Archer has teamed up with NZB Kiwi Slot Holder The King’s Men to contest the southern hemisphere’s richest three-year-old race with his Group One-performed filly Belle Cheval (NZ) (Savabeel), and he is excited about the joint venture. “Cameron George (The King’s Men member) came to us initially,” Archer said. “We have had five others (Slot Holders) talk with us subsequently, but Cameron was always consistent, so we are very happy to be with him and the team.” Archer is particularly looking forward to sharing the experience with his partner, Diane, and children Simon and Natalie. “It’s a thrill, there is a bit of excitement about it,” he said. “My two kids that are in the ownership with Diane and I, live in Australia and these sort of things to them, even a country away, are massively exciting. I think they will be there for the Kiwi.” Trained by Te Akau Racing’s Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson, Belle Cheval has won one and placed in two of her three starts to date, including running third behind fellow NZB Kiwi contenders Well Written (AUS) (Written Tycoon) and Lollapalooza (NZ) (El Roca) in the $600,000 Group One Barneswood Farm 53rd New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m). She has subsequently been freshened and The King’s Men Slot Manager Andrew Forsman is pleased they have locked in their NZB Kiwi representative ahead of her next target in the $250,000 Group Three Cambridge Stud Almanzor Trophy (1200m) at Ellerslie on Saturday. “Obviously everyone wanted Well Written and when she was off the table you have got to look for a horse that you feel has scope to improve and train on,” Forsman said. “We went through what was around and what was finishing in behind Well Written and thought given her pedigree, she looked the right sort of horse. “We are hopeful and confident in her and I feel that she has been trained for it (NZB Kiwi). I like the fact that they have freshened her up and she will race over 1200m (on Saturday) and I think that is a nice stepping-stone to then go to the 1500m.” Belle Cheval hails from a rich pedigree, with several of Archer’s topline gallopers featuring close-up in her family. She is out of broodmare gem Keepa Cheval (NZ) (Keeper), who is a half-sister to Archer’s most successful horse – 10-time Group One winner Mufhasa (NZ) (Pentire) – and a half-sister to the dam of Group One performer Sacred Satono (NZ) (Satono Aladdin). While she only won one race on the track herself, Keepa Cheval has left her mark as a broodmare, being the dam of three-time Group One winner Bostonian (NZ) (Jimmy Choux), Group Three winner Cheval D’Or (NZ) (Almanzor) and Vitesse (NZ) (Makfi), the dam of Group One winner Kovalica (NZ) (Ocean Park). Belle Cheval has inherited the family’s talent and Archer said that was evident from an early age. “Thanks to Opie Bosson (jockey) and the Te Akau team, they have all been very hot on Belle Cheval from the early days,” he said. “We have taken our time with her, which was the big thing with her. She has always shown a lot of promise.” With the NZB Kiwi deal locked in, Archer is now looking forward to heading to Ellerslie to watch Belle Cheval compete this weekend, and if victorious, she becomes eligible for the $1 million in bonuses up for grabs in the NZB Kiwi. “It’s nice to see her back on the track,” he said. “Like all owners, we have got our fingers crossed that she is going to run well on Saturday. If she is lucky enough to win, she will get the bonus in the Kiwi, and we are on track. “They (trainers) said she is spot on. She looks magnificent and is in good condition.” With Bosson unable to make the 55kg allotted weight, Archer is utilising the services of visiting Australian hoop Craig Williams. “Opie always wanted to ride her from day one, but he can’t ride the filly’s weight and Mark (Walker) said they could get Craig Williams, and you don’t turn your back on him very often on a light weight,” Archer said. NZB Kiwi hot favourite Well Written ($2.20) will also head to Ellerslie on Saturday where she will contest the $1.5 million TAB Karaka Millions 3YO (1600m), and while Archer has plenty of respect for the Stephen Marsh-trained filly, he is hopeful his filly can show enough progression over the next six weeks to usurp her. “Well Written is clearly an out-and-out top horse and she is certainly the benchmark, we just hope our girl gets the breaks and gives it a shot,” he said. View the full article -
The look of the video is what Brodster mentioned very early in this thread . The reins are dangling everywhere on the ground after Holly tried to Hang on for 40m after being tipped out. That's is outrageously dangerous to start off with. Let alone the horse 'Having No Steering' thereafter and just going wherever it feels . With NO Driver the Horse is NOT going to steer around the track pylons is it? The Stewards report said it jumped one to nearly fall. Why blame this on another driver ? Suspensions ? really ? they're trying to win a race , and not concentrate on what a driverless horse is doing. You should of seen how many Incidents were in every Junior drivers race in the 80's in those 14 horse fields (usually of low class 'Not so well gaited' horses who were in a junior race for a reason) The reason being they weren't very good lol 😂. and those races were organized CHAOS as a result. Good for a laugh though. I used to just try and follow Tony Herlihy, the master who had a knack of winning and staying out of trouble. Nearly beat him once too😁. but he is just too good. I agree with NoworNever earlier too, Whom had said the race should of been called off instantly. By the Stewards. A dangerous situation developed right at the start , and most races are Stopped these days the moment a driver is lost from a sulky' early in the race. seems the best idea to avoid potential disaster. -
By Wandering Eyes · Posted
The nominees for the 2026 George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award include Tyler Baze, Alex Birzer, Julien Leparoux, Jareth Loveberry, and Tim Thornton. View the full article -
By Wandering Eyes · Posted
Santa Anita has nominated five of the nation's top riders, Tyler Baze, Alex Birzer, Julien Leparoux, Jareth Loveberry and Tim Thornton, for the 77th George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award at Santa Anita Park, the track announced Friday. Since 1950, The Woolf Award honors riders whose careers and personal character earn esteem for the individual and the sport of Thoroughbred horse racing. One of the most prestigious awards in sports, the Woolf Award is voted on by their peers nationwide and can only be won once. The 2025 Woolf Award was won by Kendrick Carmouche. The 2026 winner will be announced in March. The post Santa Anita Nominates Five Jockeys For George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article -
By Wandering Eyes · Posted
It seems like just yesterday the announcement was made that Gulfstream Park would host the inaugural Pegasus World Cup Invitational. However, a lot has happened over the course of the past 10 years. While the present-day Pegasus format doesn't look much like it did when it was first launched in 2017, the primary directive of getting the best older horses in the country to come to Southern Florida for the third week in January has remained constant. And the history of past winners certainly reflects that. Beginning with its first two winners, Arrogate and Gun Runner in 2017 and 2018, the 9-furlong test instantly established itself not only a stomping ground of champions but also a venue for forging the next generation of top sires. Starting from the very first edition, Arrogate, Champion 3-year-old Male of the 2016 season, won for a pair of Hall of Famers–Bob Baffert and Mike Smith. Baffert would win two more renewals with Mucho Gusto in 2020 and four years later with National Treasure, who also earned the Champion Older Dirt Male title in 2024. Gun Runner was already a Horse of the Year when he annexed the 2018 renewal of the race for Steve Asmussen and Florent Geroux. However, it was after his racing days were over that he truly began to shine, with a dozen Grade I winners and two champions–Sierra Leone (3yo Male) and Echo Zulu (2yo Filly)–already to his credit. Knicks Go, winner of the 2021 Pegasus for trainer Brad Cox and Joel Rosario, concluded the season with the Horse of the Year title, and finished second behind victorious Life Is Good when returning to Gulfstream for the 2022 renewal. Trained by Todd Pletcher, Life Is Good was ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr., who previously won with Mucho Gusto. Ortiz Jr. holds the distinction of the most Pegasus wins after collecting his third Pegasus in 2025 with the Saffie Joseph Jr.-trained White Abarrio. City of Light, who currently stands at Lane's End, concluded his sparkling career on the track, highlighted by a win in the GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile with a victory in the 2019 Pegasus, the first victory for Michael McCarthy and Javier Castellano. At stud, he's also achieved success, most notably with 2023 Champion 2-year-old Male Fierceness. Hall of Famer Bill Mott, who just garnered his fifth Eclipse Award as the leading trainer of the 2025 season, won Gufstream's marquee race in 2023 with the ill-fated Art Collector, piloted by Junior Alvarado. The duo teamed up to win last season's Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes with the 2025 Champion 3-year-old Colt and Horse of the Year, Sovereignty (Into Mischief). Juddmonte Hoping to Book-End Pegasus Wins with Disco Time It was a sparkling homebred grey son of Unbridled's Song that stole the show for Juddmonte in the inaugural Pegasus World Cup 10 years ago. For its anniversary edition, the operation brings forth another homebred, Disco Time (Not This Time), who may not possess the towering credentials of his predecessor, but certainly has the class. Sparingly raced, the colt marked his career debut at Churchill Downs in the fall of his juvenile season, winning by 3 3/4 lengths and made it two straight with another win at that venue, this time going a mile in optional claiming company, one month later. In his sophomore bow, he closed from well off the pace to take the Lecomte Stakes in the Fair Grounds slop last January but didn't reappear until romping in the St Louis Derby at Fairmount Park in September. Favored for the fifth-straight time in his career, the colt blasted home a 9 3/4-length winner over Crudo (Justify) in the one-mile Dwyer Stakes on Nov. 8. Trained by Brad Cox, the colt clearly has talent. But how much? “We'll know more Saturday,” Cox said, “but he's been very good…He always trained like a talented horse before he ever ran. He was able to start his career off a nice three-for-three.” Of the long gap between races last season, Cox explained, “We hit a little bump in the road last winter with him. He got some time off and came back a bigger, stronger version of himself. We think he has a really big future.” Disco Time, who will break from post 1, will be ridden for the first time by Flavien Prat, who earned his second Eclipse Award as outstanding jockey Thursday evening. “I'm OK with it, as long as he breaks well and gets good position and is comfortable,” Cox said of the colt's inside draw. “I don't think he necessarily needs to be on the lead. He can lay off it. That'll be up to Flavien and how he breaks.” Cox will also saddle WinStar Farm's, CHC Inc., Cold Press Racing and Qatar Racing's Tappan Street (Into Mischief), winner of the GI Curlin Florida Derby at Gulfstream last season. In that race, he quite notably defeated Sovereignty. Sidelined for much of his sophomore year because of a condylar fracture, the $1-million Fasig-Tipton Saratoga yearling purchase returned off a nine-month layoff to score in a one-mile optional claimer at Gulfstream last month. Preparing for the Pegasus World Cup at Payson Park Training Center, the bay most recently worked five furlongs in a bullet 1:01 3/5 (1/16) on Jan. 17. “His work on Saturday morning was one of the best works we've seen from him…period,” said Cox. Stacked Pegasus Turf Saturday's Pegasus races also features a pair of oversubscribed turf events–the nine-furlong GI Pegasus World Cup Turf and the 8 1/2-furlong GII Pegasus World Cup Filly and Mare Turf. A trio of Grade I winners highlight the Turf, including Program Trading (GB) (Lope de Vega {Ire}), a three-time winner at the highest level earlier in his career although winless in three starts in 2025. Runner-up in the Bernard Baruch and GI Turf Mile at Keeneland last season, the Klaravich Stable runner finished 10th in his 5-year-old finale in the GI Breeders' Cup Mile at Del Mar. Bagging his second Eclipse Award on Thursday, Flavien Prat returns on the 6-year-old. Last summer's GI Arlington Million winner Fort Washington (War Front) tries to improve on a fifth-place finish in this race last year, while GI Belmont Derby hero Test Score (Lookin At Lucky) will line up for Amerman Racing and Graham Motion. The 4-year-old most recently won the GII Twilight Derby before finishing a close-up third in the Nov. 29 GI Hollywood Derby. “He was really unlucky last time out. He had a brutal trip. I think you could definitely make the case to say he was the best horse,” trainer Graham Motion said. “I said to Mr. Amerman, if things went well, we would point him for this race, but if he needed more time we would give it to him. He seems to have handled everything very well. He's such a classy horse and if he was doing well, I wanted to take a shot in this race.” He continued, “After this I'll probably freshen him up for the spring, but he's here and I thought this was a good opportunity for him. He was always a classy horse. I think he really hasn't done much wrong, to be honest, but this is going to be a big step up against older horses for the first time.” Looking like the sole major source of bonafide speed in Saturday's Turf, Cabo Spirit (Pioneerof the Nile) enters the fray off a win in Santa Anita's GIII San Gabriel on Dec. 28. Several horses with Canadian connections are worth a look in filly and mare division earlier on the card, including King's Plate heroine Caitlinhergrtness (Omaha Beach), winner of the GIII Ontario Matron on the synthetic in September before finishing runner-up in the GII Dance Smartly and GIII Bessarabian later in the fall. Victorious in Turfway's My Charmer Stakes on Dec. 1, the Kevin Attard trainee receives the services of Hall of Famer Johnny Velazquez for her 5-year-old debut. “There was a possibility after the last race that would be the end,” Attard said. “We've elected to give this race a stab, and she's been in good form and I'm happy with the way she's settled in.” Caitlinghergrtness, a model of consistency in her last six starts, uncharacteristically finished fifth in last fall's 1 1/4-mile GI E.P. Taylor Stakes at Woodbine. “She's been very honest,” Attard said. “The E.P. Taylor–10 furlongs–is beyond what she wants. The one turn mile, she's not fond of [either]. Two turns is what she likes.” Mark Casse offers up a pair of runners with GI Natalma winner And One More Time (Omaha Beach) and Classic Q (Classic Empire), a last out third in Keeneland's GII Mrs Revere. Also representing team Canada, GII Canadian scorer Ready for Shirl (More Than Ready) tries to improve on a pair of thirds, including last time out behind Breath Away (GB) (Bated Breath {GB}) in the Dance Smartly. Likely to garner the lion's share at the windows, Alpha Delta's Whiskey Decision (Into Mischief) won Aqueduct's Athenia Stakes last September, however, the $1.5 million Keeneland November purchase hasn't lined since. Trained by Chad Brown, she will be piloted by Prat, who was aboard for her latest win. Saffie Joseph Jr. also saddles a pair with GI Matriarch second In Our Time (Not This Time) and SW Movin' On Up (Accelerate). Last summer's front-running GII Yellow Ribbon winner Heredia (GB) (Dark Angel {Ire}) was sixth while getting beat less than two lengths in the GI First Lady at Keeneland in October. She most recently finished fifth in the Matriarch. “This will definitely be her last race,” confirmed Graham Motion. “I kind of talked the team into running her here a little bit after her last start. I don't think she had any excuses in the Grade I last time, but I think on her best performance she can be competitive on Saturday.” The post Pegasus World Cup Celebrates 10-Year Anniversary appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article
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