Churchill Downs favorite Sierra Leone, the Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby plus Breeders’ Cup heroes Auguste Rodin and White Abarrio feature in our weekly digest of recent international racing news
Sierra Leone heads Kentucky Derby betting
USA: Coolmore-owned Sierra Leone is the new favorite for the Kentucky Derby after a late-running victory in the G2 Risen Star Stakes at Fair Grounds on Saturday [Feb 17].
Trained by Chad Brown, the son of Gun Runner (blinkers on) rolled late into a moderate pace to beat Track Phantom by a half-length in the sloppy-track contest.
Brown commented: “Given the track conditions and slow pace and that he hasn’t run since the Remsen, I thought he showed a lot to run down a pretty good horse who was in form and fit and didn’t have to ship.”
Sierra Leone is now available at around the 6-1 mark on fixed-odds ante-post markets offered by European bookmakers on America’s greatest race. He also closed as leading individual horse on Pool 4 of the Kentucky Derby ‘future wager’ pari-mutuel pool, also at 6-1. ‘All other three-year-olds’ remains favorite at 5-1.
Sierra Leone is set for his final prep in the Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland on April 6. More here
Ramjet set for Kentucky via Japan Road
Japan: Ramjet (Shozo Sasaki/Kosei Miura) shot to the head of the ‘Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby’ standings with a stylish three-length victory last weekend in the Hyacinth Stakes, a Listed race over a mile on dirt at Tokyo racecourse.
Connections said the colt is now likely to contest the UAE Derby on the Dubai World Cup at Meydan on March 30 before continuing to Churchill Downs. More here
Forever Young, Japan’s leading Kentucky contender, runs on Saturday [Feb 24] in the Saudi Derby on the Saudi Cup undercard in Riyadh. More here
Auguste Rodin targets Dubai Sheema Classic
Ireland: Dual Derby winner Auguste Rodin, last seen winning the Breeders’ Cup Turf, will kick off his four-year-old campaign in the Dubai Sheema Classic on the World Cup card at Meydan on March 30.
A possible start on dirt later in the season is also on the table for the son of Deep Impact after the colt worked on the all-weather track at Dundalk last week.
“He went a mile and a quarter with three other horses and went very well,” said trainer Aidan O’Brien. “He came back then and started preparing for Dubai, that’s the plan.
“We’ll have a look at racing him on the dirt after that – it’s very possible with these types of horses that you can push the boundaries a bit and explore a little bit and see what happens.”
Auguste Rodin stands at world #6 on Thoroughbred Racing Commentary’s Global Rankings. More here
Saudi Cup: In-the-zone White Abarrio drawn on rail
Saudi Arabia: Trainer Rick Dutrow has issued an upbeat bulletin about White Abarrio’s chances as the Breeders’ Cup Classic winner bids to add the Saudi Cup to his laurels at King Abdulaziz racecourse in riyadh on Saturday [Feb 24].
The five-year-old has been drawn on the rail in gate one in a cosmopolitan 14-runner field for the world’s richest race. “He had the two-hole last time, this can’t be a problem,” said Dutrow.
“We’ve got the best rider, one of the best horses,” he added. “He really takes my breath away every time I see him. All the work has been done with him and he’s in a zone that I wish every horse that ever lived was in that kind of zone.” More here
Hidetaka Otonashi, trainer of BC Classic runner-up Derma Sotogake, brushed off suggestions that a minor eye injury sustained during travel to Saudi might affect his chances. More here
Stars out to confirm Top Ten status in HK and Australia
Expect a shake-up in the Top Ten on the TRC Global Rankings this weekend with big names in action on the international scene.
Any number of leading performers line up on the Saudi Cup card – Pegasus winner National Treasure is the highest-rated at world #10, from White Abarrio at #15 and Lemon Pop at #16. Hong Kong star Romantic Warrior (world #8) bids for his sixth G1 win in the Citi HK Gold Cup card at Sha Tin on Sunday [Feb 25]. More here
There are three G1s on tap at Caulfield on Saturday [Feb 24], where the Blue Diamond Stakes – Melbourne’s leading two-year-old race – is the feature contest. On the same card, world #9 Mr Brightside faces seven rivals as he bids for his sixth G1 win in the Futurity Stakes. More here
Echo Zulu dies after stall accident
USA: Echo Zulu, America’s champion two-year-old filly in 2021 when she won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies, has been put down after a stall accident on Sunday [Feb 18].
According to reports, the five-year-old injured herself when trying to get up after being cast in her box at Chino Valley Equine Hospital, where she had been recovering after a serious sesamoid fracture that kept her out of last year’s Breeders’ Cup. Trained by Steve Asmussen, Echo Zulu won nine of her 11 career starts for more than $2.6m in prize-money. More here
Elsewhere in racing …
Dubai: World Cup night preps at Meydan More here
Dubai: Saffie Osborne is first female to ride a winner at Meydan More here
USA: Career win 2,000 for Ken McPeek More here
USA: Breeders’ Cup 2024 tickets on sale April 22 More here
USA: Fixed-odds wagering launches in Colorado More here
GB: Lord North tops Winter Derby More here
GB: Grand National weights revealed More here
Japan: 37-1 longshot Peptide Nile lands February Stakes More here
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