The latest from the Kentucky Derby, the Hall of Fame Class of 2024 and top French jockey’s retirement feature in our weekly digest of recent international racing news
Kentucky Derby: Dettori to ride Society Man
USA: Frankie Dettori is set to achieve one of his primary ambitions as he extends his career in the US by securing a ride in t
he Kentucky Derby.
Dettori has been lined up by trainer Danny Gargan to partner Wood Memorial runner-up Society Man. His only previous Derby ride was sixth-placed China Visit 24 years ago.
Ben Curtis, former all-weather champ in Britain, has been confirmed as the rider of Louisiana Derby runner-up Honor Marie, while former Eclipse Award-winning jockey Jose Ortiz rides Florida Derby second Catalytic. Deterministic and Common Defense will not run, but Grand Mo The First has now gained a berth. More here
A judge in the Kentucky Court of Appeals on Wednesday [April 24] denied owner Amr Zedan’s emergency motion to get Muth into the Derby field. More here
Justify, Gun Runner and Joel Rosario join Hall of Fame
USA: Inductees to the Hall of Fame for 2024 are headed by Justify, Gun Runner and top jockey Joel Rosario (right) – all of them making the cut in their first year of eligibility for the annual ballot.
Justify became the most recent Triple Crown winner in 2018, while Gun Runner was Horse of the Year in 2017, when he added the Breeders’ Cup Classic to a glittering resumé. Rosario, 39, has ridden more 3,600 winners in the US, among them 15 Breeders’ Cup successes; he won an Eclipse Award in 2021.
A total of nine new Hall of Fame members will be inducted at a ceremony in Saratoga Springs on August 2. Jockey Abe Hawkins and horses Aristides and Lecomte have been selected by the Pre-1900 Historic Review Committee; and Harry F. Guggenheim, Clement L. Hirsch, and Joe Hirsch were chosen by the Pillars of the Turf Committee. More here
Goldikova’s jockey Olivier Peslier retires aged 51
France: Four-time Arc-winning jockey Olivier Peslier, whose name will forever be associated with Breeders’ Cup heroine
Goldikova, is to retire after two rides on the Thursday [April 25] card at La Teste in France.
Peslier, 51, partnered Goldikova in every one of her 27 starts in a five-year career, including 14 G1 successes – a record for a European-trained horse – including a Breeders’ Cup Mile hat-trick (2008-2010).
A four-time French champion with more than 3,700 victories worldwide, Peslier is a renowned figure on the international stage with a multitude of big-race wins including the Epsom Derby (High-Rise 1998) and Japan Cup (twice). His Arc winners were Helissio. Peintre Celebre, Sagamix and Solemia. More here
Dallas Star and Hidden Law join Epsom Derby possibles
GB: Shock 50-1 Ballysax Stakes winner Dallas Star has been added to the Betfred Derby at the second entry stage for the 245th edition of the Epsom Classic on June 1.
Also added to the field at Wednesday’s £12,000 entry stage was Godolphin’s wide-margin Newbury maiden winner, one of four possibles for world #1 trainer Charlie Appleby.
Headed by ante-post favourite City Of Troy, who reappears in next weekend’s 2,000 Guineas, a total of 69 horses remain eligible for Britain’s premier Classic. More here
Andrew Balding-trained Bellum Justum won the designated Blue Riband Trial at Epsom on Tuesday [April 23]. More here
Rain worry as Golden Sixty defends world #1 spot
Hong Kong:World #1 racehorse Golden Sixty defends his position as world leader on Sunday [April 28] when he returns from a 140-day layoff to bid for a fourth consecutive win in the FWD Champions Mile.
The biggest prize-money earner in the history of the sport worldwide will be having only the second start of the season in the HK$22m ($2.81m/£2.25m) contest after a setback. He breaks from gate seven in an 11-runner field but persistent showers are a concern for trainer Francis Lui as Golden Sixty suffered a rare defeat on his only previous run in yielding conditions. “The barrier draw isn’t a worry, only the weather will be,” he said.
Golden Sixty has won 26 of his 30 career starts, including ten G1 races, and is a three-time HK Horse of the Year. More here
Nashville Derby headlines Kentucky Downs schedule at $2.5m
USA: The purse boosts at Kentucky Downs just keep on coming. This year’s seven-day meet starting on August 29 at the boutique turf venue is set to feature six races worth at least $2m – headed by the revamped Nashville Derby at $2.5m for three-year-olds on Aug 31.
Previously known as the Dueling Grounds Derby and worth $1m in 2023, the Nashville Derby immediately becomes the second-richest grass race in the US behind the Breeders’ Cup Turf. Including Kentucky-bred money, Kentucky Downs will carry prize-money totalling a whopping $35m. More here
Elsewhere in racing …
USA: Breeders’ Cup tickets on sale More here
USA: NTRA launches new safety campaign More here
France: IFHA veterinary advisor Roland Devolz dies at 83 More here
Japan: Christophe Lemaire eyeing mid-May return after Dubai injury More here
Australia: Golden Slipper winner Shinzo joins Coolmore roster More here
New Zealand: 2,000 Guineas winner Chaldean to shuttle to Cambridge Stud More here
Canada: Hall of Fame Class of 2024 announced More here
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