The weekly TRC industry digest - a round-up of the international racing news from the past week.
No-Lasix rule extended to Breeders’ Cup qualifiers
North America: The Breeders’ Cup has announced that this year’s ‘Win and You’re In’ Challenge races will be run without Lasix, and that Graded stakes points for the purpose of selection into a BC race will only be awarded in Lasix-free Graded races.
The announcement coincides with the signing of December’s Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA), which has provided a critical framework for the industry going forward and will be the general industry standard as of July 1, 2022.
Last year’s Breeders’ Cup World Championships at Keeneland saw a successful year of 2-year-olds running Lasix-free on Future Stars Friday.
“Even before HISA was signed into law, running the World Championships Lasix-free was a goal of Breeders’ Cup,” said Drew Fleming, president and CEO of Breeders’ Cup Limited.
“Extending this standard to all races associated with the Breeders’ Cup World Championships will hopefully set an example for other racetracks and stakeholders to embrace forthcoming safety and integrity measures, including the elimination of raceday medication, as a new, safer era for our storied sport approaches.”
Irish champion Keane’s new link with Weld
Europe: Irish champion jockey Colin Keane has agreed to ride for Dermot Weld this season when he is not required by Ger Lyons, who has retained the 26-year old’s services. Lyons provided Keane with his first Classic wins on Siskin and Even So.
Weld and Keane teamed up to win the Breeders’ Cup Turf at Keeneland last November with Tarnawa when the Aga Khan’s retained rider, Christophe Soumillon, tested positive for Covid-19 before the event. The renowned trainer had a “feeling that Colin would suit the mare”, as opposed to other available jockeys at the time, such as John Velazquez and Oisin Murphy.
“I had long admired Colin as a jockey ever since he dethroned Pat Smullen as champion in 2017,” said Weld. “I backed my judgement, and the rest is history. Later I approached Colin about riding more for me in 2021 when available and he was very keen to say yes.”
Under the new arrangement, Keane will also ride work for Weld “to get to know the horses” but the master of Rosewell House stressed that Oisin Orr will “very much be involved”.
Velazquez added to Saudi jockey challenge
Middle East: John Velazquez is the 12th and final international jockey to be confirmed for the International Jockeys Challenge (IJC), which takes place on the opening day of the Saudi Cup meeting next Friday (February 19).
“I’m excited to take part in the IJC. It’s a fun concept,” said the world #21. The challenge, which features seven male and seven female riders, was won last year by Germany-based Swiss jockey Sybille Vogt, who is the only one of the 2020 contestants who will be returning next week.
Among the men will be the legendary Jorge Ricardo, who has ridden over 13,000 winners in his incredible career – more than any other rider in history.
The 12 internationals
The women
Sibylle Vogt, age 25 (home country Switzerland) world rank 288
Hollie Doyle, 24 (UK) 110
Jessica Marcialis, 30 (Italy) 343
Maria Lujan Asconiga, 27 (Argentina) –
Nanako Fujita, 23 (JPN) –
Nieves Garcia, 43 (Spain) –
Malin Holmberg, 30 (SWE) –
The men
William Buick, 32 (UK) 5
John Velazquez, 49 (Puerto Rico) 21
Shane Foley, 32 (Ireland) 54
Cristian Demuro, 28 (Italy) 68
Jorge Ricardo, 59 (Brazil) 201
Two Saudi Arabia-based riders, yet to be named, will join the other five male riders for the event.
Meanwhile, it was also confirmed that 49-year-old Velazquez, who landed a first Breeders’ Cup Classic in November with Authentic, the horse who gave him a third Kentucky Derby, will partner Bill Mott’s Tacitus in the $20 million Saudi Cup a day later.
Tacitus will carry the silks of the late Prince Khalid Abdullah’s Juddmonte Farms. He finished fifth in the inaugural race last year.
“Tacitus ran a good race last year and hopefully we can get a better position in the first part of the race,” said Velazquez. “He is perhaps better over slightly further, but he does have the speed to be fairly close to the frontrunners.
“It would be incredible. To get your hands on a $20 million race – we all dream of that. Hopefully Tacitus can do it.”
For more information on The Saudi Cup including Entries, Past Performances and Where to Watch: www.thesaudicup.com.sa
Now Jamie Kah is inside the world top 50
Oceania: Talking of female jockeys, the world’s highest-rated, 24-year-old Australian Jamie Kah, has reached a new milestone this week. A Caulfield Group-race treble on Saturday (two G3s, one G2) means she is the first woman to break into the global top 50 for more than six years. The only other female to achieve that distinction in the life of the TRC standings has been America’s Rosie Napravnik, who retired in 2014.
The 13 women in the world top 300
Flavien Prat switches to Van Dyke’s agent
North America: World #7 jockey Flavien Prat has split from agent Derek Lawson, who had represented since the Frenchman based himself Stateside at the end of 2014. He has hired Brad Pegram, effective of February 26.
Prat told Daily Racing Form “I felt like it was time to make a change”.
A further consequence of Southern California's leading jockey’s switch to Pegram is that Drayden Van Dyke will have to also find himself a new agent. California rules restrict an agent from having more than two riders.
Van Dyke – who currently sits #35 in the Global Jockey Rankings - told DRF that he has “been swamped with calls already” but would “take a few days to consider options”, which could include relocating to another circuit.
Fast Anna is put down
North America: Three Chimneys Farm has announced that Fast Anna, a G1-placed runner and sire of four stakes winners, was euthanised on Monday due to complications from laminitis.
Tom Hamm, director of nominations and sales at the Lexington operation, said it was with much sadness that the decision was taken after the protracted month-long battle with the infection.
Out of champion Dreaming Of Anna, the son of Medaglia D’Oro hailed from the family of champion and top sire Kitten’s Joy, Precious Kitten, Lewis Michael and Justenuffhumor.
Weather forces Oaklawn to delay big weekend
North America: Oaklawn is cancelling this weekend’s extended Presidents’ Day because, according to general manager Wayne Smith, the “weather forecast does not look promising”, so “out of consideration for the safety of the horses, our horsemen and fans, we wanted to make this call as soon as possible”.
As a result, Oaklawn is rescheduling the three G3s - $250,000 Bayakoa Stakes, $600,000 Razorback Handicap and $750,000 Southwest Stakes – to February 20. The $150,000 Downthedustyroad Stakes will now be run on February 21.
Entries for the Saturday, February 20, card will be taken on Sunday (February 14). Oaklawn will run 11 races next Saturday and ten next Sunday. For more information, visit www.Oaklawn.com.
Elsewhere in racing …
Europe: UK-based French jockey Maxime Tissier has been prevented from reapplying for his jockeys' licence for nine months after admitting to placing 15 bets in a Newmarket betting shop in 2019. More here
Middle East: An official report confirms that G1 winner Matterhorn lost his life in an incident on the Dubai Carnival card at Meydan. More here.
Europe: Mickaelle Michel, currently the 13th highest-ranked female jockey in the world, has had her plan to take up a two-month stint riding on the lucrative Japanese Racing Association circuit thwarted because of pandemic restrictions. More here
North America: Beloveda and Saguaro Row top a successful renewal of Fasig-Tipton’s Kentucky Winter Mixed Sale. More here
Europe: Former Newmarket trainer Robert Armstlong, the brother in-law of Lester Piggott, has died after a short illness at the age of 77. More here