Wandering Eyes

Some of racing’s biggest names upstaged the Hong Kong contingent as international superstars Almond Eye, Cross Counter and Blue Point delivered at the Dubai World Cup meeting on Saturday night.The Sha Tin-based gallopers were honest but they couldn’t match it with those at the top of their game.Gold Mount was the best performer, running on strongly to finish fourth to Melbourne Cup champion Cross Counter in the Group Two Dubai Gold Cup (3,200m).“He was beaten by three very good horses on his… View the full article

Thunder Snow (Ire) (Helmet {Aus}–Eastern Joy {GB}, by Dubai Destination) became the first horse to win multiple G1 Dubai World Cups when getting up by a shade of a nostril to nip Gronkowski (Lonhro {Aus}) at Meydan on Saturday night. While the inspired runner-up shadowed the pacesetting North America (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) through the early stages, Thunder Snow sat in their slipstream. Gronkowski looked to be getting away midway down the stretch but Thunder Snow, who also won the G2 UAE Derby here two years ago, slowly ate away the advantage under Christophe Soumillon. The two runners appeared to hit the wire in unison and it took the judge to separate them, with Gunnevera (Dialed In) checking in third. Lifetime Record: 23-8-7-3. O/B-Godolphin. T-Saeed bin Suroor. View the full article

Old Persian (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}–Indian Petal {GB}, by Singspiel {Ire}) further solidified his middle-distance class with a victory in Saturday’s G1 Dubai Sheema Classic–the third win on the card for trainer Charlie Appleby. The 4-year-old was tucked in behind runners throughout and connections had a few anxious moments as he searched for running room in the stretch, but once he got it he kicked clear from the 2017 G1 Japan Cup winner Cheval Grand (Jpn) (Heart’s Cry {Jpn})–whose half-sister Vivlos had been second in the Dubai Turf 40 minutes earlier–and that one’s compatriot Suave Richard (Jpn) (Heart’s Cry {Jpn}) to win by 1 1/2 lengths. Lifetime Record: 13-8-1-1. O/B-Godolphin. T-Charlie Appleby. View the full article

Almond Eye cemented her status as an international superstar March 30 with a clear victory in the $6 million Dubai Turf Sponsored by DP World (G1) at Meydan. View the full article

Japanese fillies’ Triple Crown and G1 Japan Cup winner Almond Eye (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}–Fusaichi Pandora {Jpn}, by Sunday Silence) was perhaps the most anticipated horse of the night in Dubai, and she lived up to expectations with a one-length victory over compatriot Vivlos (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), winner of this race two years ago. Traveling midpack and on the outside, Almond Eye began to work her way forward under Christophe Lemaire coming off the turn. It was apparent the filly was full of fuel at the top of the lane, with Lemaire sitting cool, and while he had to give her a few reminders to keep clear of the classy Vivlos late on, she hit the wire in a hand ride. Lord Glitters (Fr) (Whipper) got up for third. Lifetime Record: 8-7-1-0. O-Silk Racing Co. Ltd. B-Northern Racing (JPN). T-Sakae Kunieda. View the full article

Resilient X Y Jet blitzed his rivals March 30 in the $2.5 million Dubai Golden Shaheen Sponsored by Gulf News (G1), finding long-awaited victory at last at Meydan. View the full article

X Y Jet (Kantharos–Soldiersingsblues, by Lost Soldier) had been second in the G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen in his prior two visits to Dubai in 2016 and 2018, and it was all smooth sailing for the grey gelding on Saturday, and he posted a 1 1/2 length victory over the stubborn Matera Sky (Speightstown), with his compatriot Imperial Hint (Imperialism) checking in third after being knocked around after the start. X Y Jet was fastest from the gate and never looked back, proving an able stand in for his owner’s Roy H (More Than Ready), who was scratched from the race on Thursday. Lifetime Record: 25-12-7-2. O-Rockingham Ranch and Gelfenstein Farm. B-Didier Plasencia (FL). T-Jorge Navarro. View the full article

Comments from the connections of Coal Front after his victory in the Godolphin Mile including jockey Jose Ortiz and co-owners Robert LaPenta and Sol Kumin. Courtesy Dubai Racing Club View the full article

Plus Que Parfait took quite the journey March 30 to win the $2.5 million UAE Derby Sponsored by Saeed & Mohammad Al Naboodah Group (G2) at Meydan. View the full article

Cross Counter edged out stablemate Ispolini to give Charlie Appleby a 1-2 finish March 30, earning the trainer a first success in the Dubai Gold Cup Sponsored By Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum City-District One (G2) success at Meydan. View the full article

Trainer Brendan Walsh got off the mark with his first starter on the Dubai World Cup card when Plus Que Parfait (Point of Entry–Belvedera, by Awesome Again) took the G2 UAE Derby by a half-length, setting himself up as a contender for the GI Kentucky Derby. The chestnut sat a rail trip midpack, switched out at the top of the lane for running room and charged back down the inside. Trainer Peter Miller, who had finished two-three in the previous race in the G1 Al Quoz Sprint and has had a handful of prior placings at this meeting, was again second with Gray Magician (Graydar), who put in a very admirable wide run. It was the second win on the night for jockey Jose Ortiz. Favoured Divine Image (Scat Daddy) broke tardily and after regrouping to race just off the pace, was spent at the top of the stretch and finished down the pack. Lifetime Record: 7-2-1-2. O-Imperial Racing, LLC. B-Calloway Stables, LLC (KY). T-Brendan P Walsh. View the full article

Coal Front has won three straight races, all group or graded stakes, and picked up the most lucrative win of his career in the $1.5 million Godolphin Mile. View the full article

Godolphin's Blue Point rewarded the confidence of his connections March 30 with a polished performance in the Al Quoz Sprint Sponsored by Azizi Developments (G1) at Meydan. View the full article

Blue Point (Ire) (Shamardal–Scarlett Rose {GB}, by Royal Applause {GB}) handed Godolphin the first Group 1 on World Cup night 30 minutes after stablemate Cross Counter had won the G2 Dubai Gold Cup when justifying favouritism in the G1 Al Quoz Sprint. Racing keenly while off the pace, Blue Point turned back the game mare Belvoir Bay (GB) (Equiano {Fr}) to win by a length, with the dual Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint victor Stormy Liberal (Stormy Atlantic) back in third. Lifetime Record: 18-9-3-3. O-Godolphin. B-Oak Lodge Bloodstock. T-Charlie Appleby View the full article

In his first start since winning the G1 Melbourne Cup in November, Godolphin’s Cross Counter (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}–Waitress, by Kingmambo) was the 1 1/4-length victor of the G2 Dubai Gold Cup on Saturday over Charlie Appleby stablemate Ispolini (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}). Racing a few lengths off the pace and under cover throughout much of the two mile contest, Cross Counter was produced by William Buick at the top of the lane with plenty in the tank and had to fend off Ispolini, who enjoyed a ground-saving trip, but he prevailed handily by 1 1/4 lengths. Lifetime Record: 9-6-2-0. O/B-Godolphin. T-Charlie Appleby. View the full article

Coal Front has won three straight races, all group or graded stakes and picked up the most lucrative win of his career in the $1.5 million Godolphin Mile. View the full article

Coal Front (Stay Thirsty–Miner’s Secret, by Mineshaft), the last-out winner of the G3 Razorback H. at Oaklawn Park, notched a victory for the U.S. in the opening Thoroughbred race of the Dubai World Cup card at Meydan when getting up in the dying strides to clinch the G2 Godolphin Mile under Jose Ortiz. Defending Godolphin Miler winner Heavy Metal (GB) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}) set the pace and looked to have gotten away at the top of the lane, but the lightly raced progressive 5-year-old Coal Front gradually wore away that lead and got up within the final furlong. Lifetime Record: 9-7-0-0. O-LaPenta, Robert V. and Head of Plains Partners LLC. B-Michael Edward Connelly (KY). T-Todd Pletcher. View the full article

The Group One Osaka Hai (2,000m) has traditionally been a favourites race and that could augur well for 2017 Longines Hong Kong Vase runner Kiseki, who looks poised to be sitting right around the top of market when the gates crash back at Hanshin Racecourse on Sunday.The Katsuhiko Sumii-trained Kiseki is locked in a battle with Masahiro Otake’s Blast Onepiece for favouritism of a race that has been taken out by the punters’ elect in the last two years and 11 of the past 20 years.While the five… View the full article

Young jockey Alfred Chan Ka-hei admits to feeling nervous ahead of his first day at the races in Hong Kong but he says he would not change it for the world.The 24-year-old apprentice will take six rides into Sunday’s Sha Tin meeting, with the 10-pound claimer in hot demand.Chan will ride for four different trainers, including two rides each for his master Frankie Lor Fu-chuen and Caspar Fownes.Chan – once a promising sailor – only took up riding after seeing an advertisement for the Jockey Club… View the full article

Each Saturday NTRA and BloodHorse will provide a one-stop guide to the day's top stakes races in North America and beyond. Races are listed in chronological order (all times Eastern). View the full article

Jockey Keith Yeung Ming-lun has fought back to fitness from a debilitating back injury which kept him out of the saddle for more than a month.The 30-year-old was forced to withdraw mid-meeting last month after feeling “shocking pain” in his back, giving up the winning ride on Clear Choice at the same time.“My spine, the L4 and L5 [vertebrae], there are some jellies in between each section and that just got broken down, it was putting pressure on my nerves,” he said. “It was a build up of things… View the full article

It was a largely uneventful, lazy weekday afternoon of racing Friday at Santa Anita, exactly what the track and the sport needed. It was the first day of racing at Santa Anita since Mar. 3 after the Arcadia, CA oval was forced to close down as officials, regulators and racing surface experts worked to find answers to what had caused 22 horses to die at the racetrack since it opened its current meet Dec. 26. To date, there have been theories concerning the rash of breakdowns, but no firm answers. Nonetheless, with track experts saying there was nothing wrong with the racing surface and with the California Horse Racing Board giving its blessing for the track to re-open, the horses returned in the afternoon Friday for an eight-race card. There were no fatalities or reports of serious injuries suffered by any of the horses who raced. That was no doubt a great relief to The Stronach Group, which owns the racetrack, and everyone in the Southern California racing community. Another fatality could have caused irreparable harm for the track that has been in the crosshairs of animal rights activists and politicians, some of whom were questioning whether or not racing in the state should be banned. That level of anxiety won’t go away quickly, but to get through one day without any problems was no doubt a relief. “People asked me after the card if I was excited,” said The Stronach Group’s COO Tim Ritvo. “For me, there was not an ounce of excitement. It was much more relief.” It was clear this was no ordinary day at the track the moment Santa Anita opened up for morning training. Ritvo said there were 10 TV trucks parked near Clocker’s Corner to record the morning activity and, he said, “waiting for something to happen.” Several of the TV crews remained throughout the day. There was also a small group of protestors that positioned themselves outside the track. Ritvo estimated they numbered about 25. “They didn’t stay long and they didn’t cause any problems,” he said. In an effort to reduce the use of medications and, hopefully, make racing safer, Santa Anita had announced a series of new rules, which included a ban of the whip. However, racing Friday was conducted under the exact same rules as when the track last ran. The whipping ban, though unanimously approved by the members of the CHRB, cannot go into effect until the rule winds its way through several steps necessary before it an become an actual regulation. That could take as long as nine months. Santa Anita’s new house rules, most of which involved reductions in the use of medications, were not in effect because entries for the card were taken before the changes were approved by the CHRB. The new rules, which include a provision where trainers can use only half the dose of Lasix that they were formerly allowed to use, go into effect next week. The same rules will also be in effect at Santa Anita’s sister California track, Golden Gate Fields. Santa Anita made announcements throughout the program that reminded bettors that the old whipping rules were still in effect. California riders are allowed to strike the horse three times in succession but must pause before another strike in order to give the horse a chance to respond. Perhaps the only bad news for The Stronach Group on the day was that the handle was off significantly. When Santa Anita last ran on a Friday, Mar. 1, a nine-race card yielded $9,658,537 in handle. Only $6,476,119 was bet on Friday’s eight-race card. Yet, that was far from the most important development on a day when Santa Anita came back to life and did so without any incidents. “Yes, we were back to work, but we were also part of a new normal,” Ritvo said. “There are historical changes coming and all of us here have a chance to be part of racing history. “I was scared. I was concerned. I had a lot of sleepless nights and there were many times I worried that this racetrack would never open again.” That didn’t happen. There are 10 more races on tap for Saturday. View the full article

On a bright, sunny day that fueled optimism for better days ahead, racing resumed March 29 at Santa Anita Park for the first time since March 3 with an eight-race card. View the full article

Santa Monica unleashed a five wide rally into the homestretch and just got up to prevail in the $100,000 Orchid Stakes (G3T), the last of three $100,000 stakes at Gulfstream Park. View the full article

Saifudin and Iskandar suspended View the full article