Bob Baffert back on Kentucky Derby trail, training cancelled amid LA wildfires, Chad Brown and Flavien Prat top end-of-year lists, Do Deuce named Japanese Horse of the Year – all this and more in our weekly digest of recent international racing news
Kentucky Derby: Barnes storms to head of market for Baffert
USA: No sooner is Bob Baffert’s Churchill Downs ban lifted, than the six-time Kentucky Derby-winning trainer has another ante-post favorite for the first Saturday in May.
Barnes, named for Baffert’s assistant Jimmy Barnes, is a best-priced 10-1 market leader for the Kentucky Derby with British bookmakers after a dominant performance in the G2 San Vicente over seven furlongs at Santa Anita on Saturday [Jan 4]. “Body-wise he has a lot of American Pharoah in him,” Baffert said. “He’s a very good horse. We’re going to nominate everywhere and take a look.”
Bought by owner Amr Zedan for $3.2 million at the 2022 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga yearling sale, the son of champion sire Into MIschief scored by 5½ lengths under Juan Hernandez.
Baffert, who also has Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner Citizen Bull in his barn, enjoyed a four-win day at Santa Anita, where he also saddled another promising three-year-old in seven-length maiden winner Rodriguez. More here
Kentucky Derby betting (William Hill): 7 Barnes, 14 Citizen Bull, 16 East Avenue, Rated By Merit, 20 Rodriguez, 25 bar.
Training cancelled at Santa Anita owing to wildfires
USA: Training at Santa Anita is currently suspended as a result of the horrendous wildfires engulfing the Greater Los Angeles area.
Although track officials said there was “no direct threat” to the racecourse, they were urged to cancel this weekend’s programme as California governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency.
Santa Anita issued a statement on Wednesday [Jan 8], saying: “The track continues to remain outside the voluntary evacuation zone. The winds are blowing from east to west, embers and smoke are being pushed into the mountains and away from Santa Anita Park.
“The fire’s progress is being consistently monitored and any change will be updated accordingly.” More here
Eclipse Awards shortlists announced
USA: Shortlists have been announced ahead of the 2024 Eclipse Awards ceremony on January 23, sponsored by Resolute Racing. More here
A list of three possibles is released in all categories apart from Horse of the Year, where star filly Thorpedo Anna is the obvious favorite for top honors. After recovering from surgery to remove a small splinter of bone in her jaw, she was back jogging this week at Gulfstream Park. The Dubai World Cup remains an option for her dirst start of 2025. More here
Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Sierra Leone – joined by Dornoch and Fierceness on the Eclipse list for champion three-year-old male – is also back on the work tab at Payson Park. The Saudi Cup remains the target. More here
• Media Eclipse Awards announced More here
Chad Brown and Flavien Prat top money lists
USA: North America’s end-of-year lists are in, with Chad Brown topping the trainers’ earnings table for the sixth time. According to Equibase figures, Brown’s total purse earnings were $30,866,710 in 2024. He trained 211 winners from 925 starts in 2024. More here
Steve Asmussen, second on the earnings list with $29.3m, topped the numerical standings with 407 victories – the 15th time he has led the way. Jamie Ness stood second with 364 wins.
Flavien Prat (right) headed the jockeys’ prize-money list with a total of $37,274,176. While accruing 230 wins from 1,040 rides, he also established records for stakes wins (82) and graded stakes wins (56). Five-time Eclipse Award winner Irad Ortiz came out on top for races won with 327 wins (from 1,549 mounts), with his brother Jose Ortiz second-best with 276.
The Godolphin operation (104 wins) established a single-season prize-money record as an owner with a total of $20,234,455. More here
Do Deuce is Japanese Horse of the Year
Japan: Japan Cup winner Do Deuce has been named the Japan Racing Association’s Horse of the Year for 2024, receiving 236 votes from the available 256.
A five-year-old last season, the son of Heart’s Cry was trained by Yasuo Tomomichi, for whom he beat the great Equinox in the Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) two years ago. Do Deuce has been retired to Shadai Stallion Station at an initial fee of ¥10m ($64,000/£50,000).
Among other JRA awards, the champion trainer title went to pioneering international trainer Yoshito Yahagi with 61 wins, while Christophe Lemaire secured his seventh jockeys’ title with 176 victories. Champion two-year-old colt is the unbeaten Hopeful Stakes winner Croix Du Nord, while Derby winner Danon Decile landed the three-year-old colt gong. There was a special award for Forever Young. More here
One Stripe earns Breeders’ Cup spot via King’s Plate
South Africa: The annual Breeders’ Cup ‘Win and You’re In’ Challenge casts its net far and wide at this time of year. Last month Intense For Me earned a guaranteed spot in the BC Turf with victory in the Gran Premio Carlos Pellegrini at San Isidro in Buenos Aires, while on Saturday [Jan 4] there were two more BC qualifiers at G1 level at Kenilworth in Cape Town.
Three-year-old One Stripe (Vaughan Marshall/Gavin Lerena) beat older horses to win the 164th running of the prestigious King’s Plate to secure an automatic slot in the BC Mile, while Double Grand Slam (Justin Snaith/Richard Fourie) took the Paddock Stakes, which is linked to the BC Filly & Mare Turf. More here
Elsewhere in racing …
USA: Trainer Carlos Lopez suspended for three years for Ohio positive More here
USA: Turfway Park announce richest prize in track history at $777,000 More here
Australia: Man charged with arson as Caulfield blaze causes extensive damage More here
Australia: A$2.8 million colt headlines Magic Millions More here
New Zealand: G1-winning trainer Donna Logan homecoming after seven years in Singapore More here
New Zealand: NZTR announce partnership with 1/ST Racing More here
Hong Kong: Ka Ying Rising on course for Centenary Sprint Cup More here
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