Kentucky Derby preps, a potential new star in Britain, Epsom Derby entries, Hall of Fame ballot finalists – all this and more in our weekly digest of recent international racing news
Kentucky Derby favorite Barnes tries two turns
USA: Kentucky Derby favorite Barnes steps up in trip on Saturday [March 1] as he goes around two turns for the first time in the San Felipe Stakes, the final major prep for the Santa Anita Derby.
Unbeaten in two, the Bob Baffert-trained colt faces five rivals in the G2 event, among them Los Alamitos Futurity winner Journalism. The $300,000 contest features on the undercard of the Santa Anita Handicap card, where Pegasus runner-up Locked heads the field along with another cross-county visitor in Louisiana Stakes victor Hit Show. More here
Also on tap this weekend is the Fountain of Youth, the latest prep on the Florida route to the Derby and focal point of a stakes-laden card at Gulfstream Park. Burnham Square bids to follow up his Holy Bull win against highly rated River Thames, Swale Stakes winner Gate To Wire and Godolphin’s Sovereignty. More here
• Kentucky Jockey Club winner First Resort off Derby trail with stress fracture More here
Opera Ballo gatecrashes Guineas picture
GB: Opera Ballo is the name on everybody’s lips after a fluent victory at Kempton Park on Wednesday [Feb 26] that saw the Godolphin colt promoted to second favourite for the 2000 Guineas, the first British Classic of the season on May 3.
The son of Ghaiyyath, who made a winning debut at the same all-weather venue in January, scored impressively by four lengths from a decent field in a race billed as the “European Road to the Kentucky Derby” Conditions Stakes.
Opera Ballo would need to be added to America’s most celebrated race – but it has escaped nobody’s notice that trainer Charlie Appleby followed a similar path with last year’s Guineas winner Notable Speech, who won the same two races at Kempton – plus another one in April – before claiming the Newmarket Classic. he is a best-priced 10-1 behind market leader The Lion In Winter. More here
Ruling Court, a highly rated son of Justify, kicks off his Classic season for Godolphin in the Jumeirah 2000 Guineas on the Super Saturday card at Meydan this weekend. More here
Smarty Jones on Hall of Fame final ballot
USA: Smarty Jones, a hugely popular winner of both the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes in 2004, heads a list of eight horses, seven trainers and one jockey to make the Hall of Fame final ballot for this year’s induction.
Trained by John Servis for owners Roy and Patricia Chapman, Smarty Jones was named champion three-year-old after narrowly missing out on the Triple Crown. His only defeat in nine starts came when he was second to 36-1 upset winner Birdstone in the Belmont Stakes.
Also on the Hall of Fame ballot are racehorses Blind Luck, Game On Dude, Groupie Doll, Havre De Grace, Kona Gold, Lady El and, Rags To Riches; trainers Christophe Clement, Kiaran McLaughlin, Kenny McPeek, Graham Motion, Doug O’Neill, John Sadler and John Shirreffs; and jockey Jorge Chavez. More here
Epsom Derby entries: two US horses among 90 nominations
GB: Two US-trained horses featured among a total of 90 entries for the 246th running of the Betfred Derby at Epsom on June 7.
Aidan O’Brien, who has won the world’s senior Classic a record ten times, leads the way among trainers with no fewer than 23 of the 31 Irish-trained possibles, headed by ante-post favourite The Lion In Winter.
Whether either of two American-based entries are likely to show up must be open to question. Kenny McPeek-trained Maximum Promise was only third on Saturday [Feb 22] in the John Battaglia Memorial (Listed) at Turfway Park, while Test Score (Graham Motion) filled the same sport last time out in a Listed stakes at Guflstream earlier this month. More here
US wild card entry scheme extended to Royal Ascot
The ‘wild card’ entry scheme linking races at the Kentucky Derby meeting with major races in Britain has been extended.
Launched in 2024, the initiative offered a ‘Win and You’re In’ slot in the Betfred Derby and Oaks at Epsom for the winners of the American Turf and Edgewood Stakes at Churchill Downs. Now that entry and travel incentive scheme has been extended to the St James’s Palace Stakes and Coronation Stakes, both of them G1 races at Royal Ascot.
In addition, the Twin Spires Turf Sprint Stakes and the Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic provide wild card entry to G1 contests at Royal Ascot. Winners will initially be offered the place – but if they don’t take up the entry, then placed horses will be eligible. Reciprocal arrangements linked to the Arlington Million card at Colonial Downs are also in place. More here
Racing mourns Michael Moroney, who has died aged 66
Australia: Melbourne Cup-winning trainer Michael Moroney died peacefully in his sleep on Thursday morning [Feb 27] in Melbourne after a battle with cancer. He was 66.
A proud New Zealander, Moroney founded Ballymore Stables in his hometown Matamata in the early 1980s and his success led to the establishment of a stable in Australia in 1997.
He landed the Melbourne Cup in 2000 with Brew, with Second Coming claiming third for good measure. Other top horses trained by Moroney, who claimed 55 G1 wins altogether, was NZ Horse the Year Xcellent, plus multiple Aussie G1-winning sprint mares Tofane and Roch ’N’ Horse.
After becoming seriously ill last year, Moroney was joined by stable foreman Glen Thompson on the licence at his Flemongton base for the current season. More here
Shin Emperor set for UK campaign
Japan: Pioneering international trainer Yoshito Yahagi is eyeing major prizes in Britain this summer with Shin Emperor, who landed the $2m Neom Turf Cup on Saturday’s Saudi Cup card.
Japanese-trained horses dominated the lucrative card in Riyadh, where Yahagi completed a double as Forever Young landed the $20m feature after an epic race with world #1 racehorse Romantic Warrior.
Forever Young will run next in the Dubai World Cup on April 5, when Shin Emperor will also be in action on the turf. "We will go to the Dubai Sheema Classic next but as for the further plan, we have to discuss with the owner,” said Yahagi. “In my mind, I would like to go to Ascot and York.” More here
Elsewhere in racing …
USA: No more Thoroughbred racing at Ruidoso Downs More here
USA: HISA investigation into alleged Penn National conspiracy More here
USA: Unbeaten Good Cheer tops Kentucky Oaks entries More here
USA: NTRA encouraged by milestone on safety issues More here
GB: New campaign launched to promote HorsePWR initiative More here
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