Soccer

Japanese champion and successful sire Heart's Cry (Jpn) (Sunday Silence–Irish Dance {Jpn}, by Tony Bin {Ire}) has been pensioned from stallion duty, according to multiple reports. The Shadai Farm-bred bay is 20 and stood for a private fee this year. A winner of a 2000-metre maiden at first asking as a 3-year-old, the Kojiro Hashiguchi trainee had won a pair of listed stakes from 10 outings by the end of 2004 and he was also second in the then-listed Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) and third in two more black-type races that term. As a 4-year-old, the Shadai Race Horse runner was named the Japanese Champion Older Horse on the back of his victory in the Arima Kinen (now a Group 1 race) from six starts, where he defeated Deep Impact (Jpn) (Sunday Silence). He was also second in the G1 Japan Cup, G1 Takarazuka Kinen and G2 Sankei Osaka Hai in 2005. Kept in training at five, the Apr. 15 foal captured the G1 Nakheel Dubai Sheema Classic at Nad Al Sheba in Dubai in March of 2006 and he was third in the G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Diamond S. at Ascot that July. Retired after an unplaced run in the G1 Japan Cup back in Japan, Heart's Cry's race record was 19-5-4-3 with earnings of $8,054,175. The bay stood his entire career at Shadai Stallion Station, siring 51 black-type winners–10 at Group 1 level from 1475 foals to date. Tops among his 35 group winners was Japanese Horse of the Year, multiple champion, four-time Group 1 winner and G1 Cox Plate victress Lys Gracieux (Jpn), while Just A Way (Jpn) saluted three times at the highest level in both Japan 92) and Dubai (1). Other Group 1 winners by Heart's Cry include Suave Richard (Jpn), Yoshida (Jpn)-who won on both dirt and turf Stateside, Nuovo Record (Jpn), Cheval Grand (Jpn), One and Only (Jpn), Salios (Jpn), Time Flyer (Jpn) and the late G1 Caulfield Cup hero Admire Rakti (Jpn). As a broodmare sire, Heart's Cry's daughters have already produced six stakes winners, five at the group level and a pair of Group 1 winners. Encouragingly, both G1 Blue Diamond S. hero Tagaloa (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) and G1 Satsuki Sho victor Efforia (Jpn) (Epiphaneia {Jpn}) are both by fellow Shadai residents. His other four black-type winners are all by Lord Kanaloa. The best foal out of the MSW Irish Dance, Heart's Cry has 20 yearlings and three weanlings entered in the 2021 JRHA Select Sale on July 12-13. His extended family features the G1 February S. winner Nonkono Yume (Jpn) (Twining) and the U.S. Champion Sprinter My Juliet (Gallant Romeo), herself the dam of MGISW Stella Madrid (Alydar) and GISW Tis Juliet (Alydar) among her extensive brood of stakes winners. The post Champion Heart’s Cry Pensioned appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

AIM Services, Inc., one of upstate New York's largest providers of support to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, will hold its eighth annual Croquet on the Green Tournament and Garden Party Aug. 3 at Gavin Park in Wilton, New York. Croquet on the Green Tournament and Garden Party, an outdoor party and amateur croquet tournament with teams of two, is open to all ages, abilities, and skill. Returning this year, is the event's Honorary Chairman, retired Hall of Fame jockey, Ramon Dominguez. “Among the people who receive services from AIM are those with traumatic brain injuries (TBIs),” said Dominguez. “As a jockey who had to retire early due to a head injury, I know that AIM gives people with TBIs a chance at living their most independent life possible.” Nearly 54 million people annually experience a traumatic brain injury. The annual Croquet on the Green event is officially sanctioned through the United States Croquet Association (USCA) and knowledgeable Croquet players will be on hand to guide the game. Croquet on the Green and Garden Party will feature complimentary beer and wine tastings from Specialty Wines & More, an individual picnic style boxed lunch from Deliciously Different Catering, on-site cigar rolling from Habana Premium Cigar Shoppe, beer, soda, and water from Saratoga Eagle, ice cream from Ben &Jerry's, live music, kids activities, special raffles throughout the event and opportunities to meeting members of AIM's community. The event will be held rain or shine, and reserved seating under the tent will be available, as well as picnic style seating. All attendees will receive a signature picnic blanket to take home. The post Dominguez Returns As Honorary Chair of AIM Services’ Croquet on the Green appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

According to the records of the Association of Racing Commissioners International (ARCI), a conclusive positive for Medina Spirit after the split-sample would bring the 30th violation from a Baffert barn, stretched across 44 years. The list includes one from 1977, eight from the 1980s, six from the 1990s, six from the 2000s, four from the 2010s and four from the 2020s. Many, and all in 2020-21, entail drugs that are kosher but must clear from a horse’s system before a certain window ahead of race days and their thundering exertions. Most resulted in small fines and brief suspension, though that one from 1977, for morphine, landed Baffert a one-year ban. ____________  

the colt's disqualification and a fine and suspension for Baffert from the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission, marked the fifth time a Baffert-trained horse tested positive for prohibited medications since May 2, 2020. _______________ 5 positives in 21 years not for performance enhancing drugs but for similar reasons to the last one - legitimate therapeutic medications allowed on all occasions except raceday. In 21 years Baffert has raced thousands of horses.

Coinage romped in his second start against state-bred company at Belmont Park, Bid Once won on debut at Woodbine, and Eda won by DQ at Santa Anita Park. View the full article