Sunday, October 18, 2015

Tough Sunday

TOUGH SUNDAY LIVES UP TO HIS NAME!



Photo: Nick Alexander


Photo: Gary Tasich

Photo: Nick Alexander

This one will steal your heart...  for some reason, this horse reminds me of Your Host, who Abigail Anderson has written about on her blog in March 2011. My hope is that Tough Sunday is as successful as the tough Your Host who had many obstacles to overcome, both on and off the track. Who knows if Tough Sunday will ever make any history in the breeding shed, as did Your Host, who sired one of the greatest geldings of all time, five-time Horse of the Year, Kelso. One thing for sure, though, he has done enough already to prove that miracles can happen and he has certainly defied the odds.

Tough Sunday - Pedigree
His pedigree is considered to be "modest", although his broodmare sire, General Meeting x Seattle Slew was a leading California sire for several years, and they don't come much tougher than Alydar who is on the top and bottom of his pedigree in the 3rd and 4th generation. Also on the bottom, in the 5th generation is none other than old Halo himself, the original "Big Toughie," Sunday Silence's papa. Halo sired two KY Derby winners, including Sunday Silence.

Toughie is so lovable... you would have to have a heart of stone to not love and appreciate just being able to survive the tough beginning he had. He was so lucky to have an owner that was sensitive enough to look for signals that the foal wanted to live. It tugs at my heart strings every time I read about his owner wrestling with decisions daily as to what to do with him, when Nick walks up to his stall and sees the little fellow's eyes following him. It was at that moment Nick made a commitment to see it through and give him every chance.

Tough Sunday has his own Facebook page with almost 3,000 followers. It's no wonder, with his full story as told by his owner/breeder, Nicholas Alexander, it's really hard to believe this colt not only survived, but has continued to surprise and amaze by winning a couple of races, and finishing in the money in 6 of his 8 starts. 


Although Toughie's story has been told in several horse racing publications, including the Daily News, BloodHorse, and Fox Sports (see links below), his owner and benefactor, Nick Alexander, has posted Toughie's story at his Facebook page, and is told in his own words:


"This colt had a tough beginning. He was very big and got stuck during delivery, and in struggling to get out his (umbilical) cord was severed and by the time we pulled him out, he had been without oxygen for some time.

"We rushed him and his mom (Sunday Dress, by General Meeting) to Alamo Pintado Clinic just a few minutes from our ranch in Santa Ynez. The news was bad: He was blind, deaf, had no nursing instinct, and a heart murmur.

"Dr. Erin Burn and her staff worked around the clock to stabilize him, but he developed pneumonia. He could stand up but couldn't lie back down. He looked like a pin cushion with so many tubes, IVs, etc.

"Because he didn't know how to nurse, his mom abandoned him. About the fifth day, he wasn't improving and I was told to make a decision whether or not to keep at it. The next morning I went to the clinic, and as I walked up to his stall, his eyes followed me.

"That was enough progress for me, but he still was in an ICU almost a month before he was strong enough to bring home. We pail-fed him and eventually got his mom to accept him, although he never did learn to nurse.

"A month or so later, we turned him out with other foals and mares."

"The colt made steady progress toward his breakthrough victory. He was third in his career debut Oct. 29 [last fall] at Santa Anita, and then second Dec. 18 at Los Alamitos Race Course, both at six furlongs, before finding the winner's circle when stretching out a furlong further.

"With Tyler Baze aboard, Tough Sunday dueled for the early lead before settling into a stalking trip in the maiden special weight race. He bid for command again off the turn and led in early stretch by two lengths before drawing off unchallenged as the 7-10 favorite in the seven-horse field. The time was 1:21.90 on a fast track.

Second setback: "In January Tough Sunday sustained a cracked cannon bone in his leg while racing at Santa Anita in the California Cup that required several months of rest and rehab.. he finally returned to racing on July 10th at Los Alamitos and came in 2nd in his comeback race.

"If there were an Eclipse Award for courage, Tough Sunday would be a prime candidate."

He's Back!  In his comeback race in July, Toughie ran an impressive second and finished well ahead of the rest of the field.

In August, he ran in a couple more allowance races, coming in a fourth in which he got caught wide, and then he ran a third at Del Mar.

Then, on October 4, it was almost too much to hope for. The "horse that could" made it back to the winner's circle at Santa Anita, his recovery from his second setback apparently complete. For most of the race, attending the pace up close to the leaders, he duked it out to the wire, prevailing by a neck. Toughie's not afraid of a fight!  Replay

Whatever he does from now until he retires, whether he ever wins another race or not, he has been successful beyond anything anyone could ever have imagined. He's won or finished in the money in 6 of his 8 starts so far, and he seems to try every time.

Tough Sunday's Facebook page reported that he's being considered for a race at Santa Anita on October 25th, or possibly at Del Mar on November 14th, both allowance races at 1 1/16 miles. Nick reported that he had a strong 5 furlong workout on Saturday, October 17, and a decision will be made in the next few days on which race he will be entered. GO TOUGHIE!

Tough Sunday Facebook page

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NEWS COVERAGE - A few of the many articles about this remarkable horse
BloodHorse: Courageous Cal-bred colt wins at Santa Anita
Fox Sports: Born deaf and blind, horse makes it to the winner's circle 
Daily Racing Form: Deaf Colt, Tough Sunday, proves to be a survivor

RECORD
Santa Anita, 10/4/2015, R7, AOC, 1st, Chart   Replay
Del Mar, 8/28/2015, R4, AOC, 3rd, Chart   Replay
Del Mar, 8/2/2015, R3, AOC, 4th, Chart   Replay
Los Alamitos, 7/10/15, R7, AOC, 2nd, Chart  Replay
Santa Anita, 1/24/15, R6, Cal Cup Derby, 7th, Chart   Replay
Santa Anita, 12/28/14, R2, MSW, 1st, Chart  Replay
Los Alamitos, 12/18/14, R6, MSW, 2nd, Chart  Replay
Santa Anita, 10/29/14, R8, MSW, 3rd, Chart   Replay

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Photo: Nick Alexander

Friday, October 16, 2015

Oct. 17-18, 2015 - BRITISH CHAMPIONS DAY

Let's Go To The Races - October 17-18, 2015
This is a non-commercial blog

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Jack Hobbs forced to overcome disappointing Champion Stakes draw
Gleneagles and Solow possible QEII clash at Ascot
O'Brien: Any rain at all, and Gleneagles out

The British Champions Series is a series of 35 top British flat races, which culminates in a day-long festival of championship races, known as British Champions Day. It was inaugurated in the 2011 season to draw together some of Britain's key flat races into a meaningful championship, with the hope of generating coverage and stimulating interest among the more casual sports fan.
Oct. 12, 2015

Official Champions Day site

Champions Day, Noble Mission and the American Dream
NOBLE MISSION, full brother to super horse, Frankel, and his career-defining finale on British Champions Day a year ago, is reviewed, along with his first year at stud in the U.S. (By the way, there is another full brother to Frankel/Noble Mission out there, Proconsul, foaled 2013.)

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JIM MCKAY MARYLAND MILLION DAY


      Jim McKay’s vision for a sires stakes program for Maryland, like the Breeders’ Cup, has proven to be an unqualified success. Also known as Maryland’s Day at the Races, this special race day is an annual reminder of all that is good in Maryland’s Thoroughbred industry.

     This year’s landmark event has given us a special opportunity to take a walk down memory lane. The bumps in the road and milestones, both met and conquered, have contributed to the uniqueness of this extraordinary day of racing.
 
     These recollections begin with the concept in 1984, the formation of a productive partnership and wander through the years, noting many of the novel ideas pioneered by Maryland Million Limited that are now considered traditions. Jim McKay Maryland Million Day is a tribute to the many people who came together and worked so hard to bring a dream to reality.
 
    The event, now truly a Maryland tradition, was conceived, produced, established and now celebrated here. This year is the time to enjoy the memories as we look forward to the future. Read more at source

ENGLISH INVASION FOR FAR HILLS’ $300,000 GRAND NATIONAL
Two England-based horses with impressive recent records will challenge reigning Eclipse Award champion Demonstrative and four runners from Irv Naylor’s formidable stable in Saturday’s $300,000 Grand National (Gr. 1), the featured race of the 95th annual Far Hills Races in New Jersey.
The 2 5/8-mile Grand National, America’s richest steeplechase race, headlines a seven-race program that features full fields and $600,000 in purses, the highest ever for a National Steeplechase Association race meet.

Leading the British invasion is William Salthouse’s and Mark McKay’s Eshtiaal, a Kentucky-bred who scored three consecutive victories by open lengths in Irish handicaps last spring. Trainer Gordon Elliott placed the five-year-old Dynaformer horse in long-distance turf races over the summer, and Eshtiaal won the John Smith Stayers Stakes at York in July. Barry Geraghty, a top jockey and brother of U.S.-based Ross Geraghty, will ride.

Making a return trip to New Jersey and the Grand National is Atlantic Equine’s HUNT BALL, who scored three straight victories in English allowance hurdles over the summer. In 2013, Hunt Ball shipped into Far Hills and finished ninth in the Grand National. Regular jockey Andrew Tinkler will be in the saddle for trainer Nicky Henderson.

Carrying the American hopes will be Jacqueline Ohrstrom’s Demonstrative, last year’s Grand National winner and American champion. The stalwart Elusive Quality gelding will have something to prove after two lackluster efforts at Saratoga.
Read more at source

Nicky Henderson proud of Hunt Ball (Far Hills Grand National)
 
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For U.S., race replays posted after the completion of a race at the CARD (about a 20-minute time delays)

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FEATURED RACES

Time Ordered Races / Entries - printable file
Race Index

SATURDAY

DOWN UNDER
Go here to check on the Caulfield Cup in Australia Race 9 - wee hours of the morning in U.S.
Melbourne is 15 hours ahead of New York time, so the Caulfield Cup should have a post time of 2:40 a.m. ET.
Caulfield Cup: Hokko Brave in perfect order for first task on the way to Melbourne Cup

Mongolian Khan takes Caulfield Cup
Considered one of the more important races leading up to the Melbourne Cup on the first Tuesday in November, with its $3 Million Aus purse, the international status of the $3m Caulfield feature has grown in recent years with overseas raiders winning two of the past three Cups.

Admire Rakti charged home to win the 2,400m Caulfield classic last year, giving Japan its first victory in the race. The horse went on to start favourite in the Melbourne Cup but finished last after suffering heart failure and had to be put down after the race.

In 2012, French galloper Dunaden backed up his 2011 victory in the Melbourne Cup when jockey Craig Williams overcame a wide barrier to score an impressive win at Caulfield. Read more at source


RESULTS:  MONGOLIAN KHAN TAKES CAULFIELD CUP FOR NEW ZEALAND
Mongolian Khan’s win stamps him as one of Australia’s best modern day stayers. Last season as a three-year-old colt the son of Holy Roman Emperor became the first horse since the great Bonecrusher in 1986 to win the New Zealand and Australian Derbies. "He’s a very good stayer,” Baker said. "We wanted to make this a staying test and he just kept kicking. "He’s got a beautiful relaxed temperament and I think he loves being a racehorse.”

Upcoming: Cox Plate Oct. 24, then Melbourne Cup Nov. 3.
Cox Plate Preview                    Melbourne Cup Preview

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CHAMPIONS DAY
International - Great Britain - British Champions Day
Times in U.S. are in the morning - British time is in ( )
7:45 ET  (12:45)Champions Long Distance Cup G2 $468k  3+ 16f T R1 CARD
8:20 ET  (1:20)  Champions Sprint Stakes G1 $936k    3+  6f T R2 CARD
8:55 ET  (1:55)  Champions Fillies & Mares S G1  $858k 3+ f/m 12f T R3 CARD
9:30 ET  (2:30)  Queen Elizabeth II Stakes SG1 $1,560k 3+ 8f T R4  CARD
10:05 ET (3:05) Champion Stakes G1 $2,028k3+ 10f T R5  CARD


Results/Write-ups
Race 1 Long Distance flying start for Dettori and Gosden
John Gosden praised his jockey's "brilliant ride":  "He was too far back and Frankie knew that, so he did something about it and it was a race-winning move" was Gosden's review of his stablejockey's brilliant ride.  Dettori himself was keen to pass the credit onto the five-year-old he was sat astride. He said: "He was very brave for me and he took every gap. He's got a very low mileage and is unbeaten this season so he's on the up. He's a big unit that's for sure."  More at RacingUK

Race 2: Muhaarar blasts rivals away in Sprint
He turned an apparently competitive race, for which he was the 5-2 favourite, into a procession.
"I'm so delighted for everyone and it's a great effort by Charlie and the whole team," said Hanagan. "He's got such a fantastic temperament. I always thought he wanted a bit of cut in the ground and the race was never in doubt."

Race 3: Simple Verse wears down Journey to win at the wire
No need for stewards this time, Simple Verse wears down Journey to win at the wire. This is the filly that won the St Leger, only to lose it in the Stewards' room, and then regain it on appeal. She really showed her class here...she had to work for it, and she refused to give up.
More at RacingUK

Race 4: Solow routs the field as Gleneagles flops in QEII
O'Brien says if he had it to do over, he would not run. Reasoning was if he is going to go to Breeders Cup, Gleneagles needed the race, so they took a chance. Does this mean Gleneagles is coming to the Breeders Cup?  More at RacingUK

Race 5: Fascinating Rock takes Champions Stakes in style
Found, the filly, was runner up and ran a very good race.
Found, who sat last under Ryan Moore, had to follow Fascinating Rock through before switching to the inside rail and the 9-2 shot could do no better than fill the same runner's-up spot she has also occupied on four of her previous six starts.  Jack Hobbs was sent off the even-money favourite but unlike stablemate Golden Horn in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe he was unable to overcome his wide draw, finishing third.  More at RacingUK


NORTH AMERICA SATURDAY   
2:01 ET  FUTURITY S G2, Bel, $200,000, 2yo, 6f  R3  CARD
2:03 ET  Maryland Million Sprint (r) Lrl, $100,000, 3+, 6f, R4  CARD
3:00 ET  Grand National Hurdle G1, Far Hills, $300,000, 4+, 2 3/4mT R4  CARD
5:19 ET  ATHENIA S G3, Bel, $200,000, 3+, f&m, 1 1/16mT  R9  CARD
5:30 ET  RAVEN RUN S G2, Kee, $250,000, 3yo, f, 7f R9  CARD
5:37 ET  Maryland Million Classic (r), Lrl, $150,000, 3+, 1 1/8m  R10  CARD
5:40 ET  HAWTHORNE  DERBY G3, Haw, $150,000, 3yo, 1 1/8mT  R8  CARD
7:30 ET  AUTUMN MISS S G3, SA, $100,000, 3yo, f, 1mT  R8  CARD

More on today's races
Click here for all race entries for the Grand National

SUNDAY
International - Japan
2:40 a.m. ET  Shuka Sho G1  JRA Oct 18 $1.6 Million a 3yo f 10f T R11  CARD

North America
2:34 ET  Matron S, G2, Bel, $200,000, 2yo, f, 6f   R4  CARD
2:42 ET  Nearctic S G2  WO  $300,000 3&up  6f T  R4  CARD
3:49 ET  Ontario Fashion S G3 WO  $150,000 3&up f/m  6f AW R6  CARD
4:57 ET  E.P. Taylor S  G1  WO  $500,000 g 3&up f/m  10f T  R8  CARD
5:42 ET  Canadian Internat'l G1 WO  $1,000,000 g 3&up  12f T R9  CARD

BREEDERS CUP NEWS
First of two part story about Beholder, by Vance Hanson.
Steve Haskin: 'Happy' days for Maria Borell

NEWS
Espinoza to join Zayats and Bafferts for charity event


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Friday, October 2, 2015

A Hero in any Genre

ONE FOR THE AGES
 

 
   


Wiggle It Jiggleit is no johnny-come-lately, he has been blowing up the harness circuit for pacers all year long. Wiggle It Jiggleit, the No. 1-ranked horse in harness racing’s weekly poll, has won 18 of 20 races this year and pushed his seasonal earnings to $1.76 million with his victory in the Little Brown Jug.

CLASSIC JUG WIN FOR WIGGLE IT JIGGLE IT
It's Little Brown Jug day
It’s rare to see any racehorse re-engage and come back on the way Wiggle It Jiggleit did in the stretch, especially off the fractions and an extended first-up trip, but the world record holder showed why he is a horse for the ages.

George Teague, a decorated horseman in his own right, was interviewed in the winner’s circle afterward, where he admitted that he thought his world record holder was beaten.

"Well, my thoughts,” said George, “I was a little bit confused when he left the gate. I was like, ‘this isn't working out as planned.’ And then he looked and he popped over at the eighths pole, that didn't work out as planned, and at the head of the stretch I dropped my head and said, 'this son of a gun is going to lose today.' And he proved me wrong."

George had said leading up to the Jug that Wiggle It Jiggleit was the best horse he has ever seen race, and the gelding’s astonishing effort in the second heat stamped that statement as true. "He's a little different than a lot of horses,” he said, “and that explains what he did today."

The Jug victory was the first for Montrell and was an instant classic for the sport.
Wiggle It Jiggleit wins stretch duel to capture Jug

Toronto Sun: Wiggle It Jiggleit wins Little Brown Jug
DRF: Wiggle It Jiggleit refused to lose
A look at Wiggle It Jiggleit pedigree

The Little Brown Jug is the second leg of the Triple Crown of Harness Racing for Pacers.
Ever since 1946 the administrators of the Little Brown Jug have glazed the winners of the horse race on a jug. In 2005, they ran out of room on the first jug and had to make another one. This time, instead of making it out of clay, they made it out of plastic so it would be lighter. The Little Brown Jug is played during the Delaware county fair.

7-19-15 - Wiggle It Jiggle It wins Meadowlands Pace for Team Teague on stakes-filled card
The gelding posted his 14th win in 15 starts this year, losing only the North America Cup to Wakizashi Hanover by less than a length.

Bill Finley, posted July 12, 2015: Another big win for Wiggle It Jiggleit

7-11-15: If there was even a hint of doubt as to the best 3-year-old colt pacer in the country, Saturday’s Meadowlands Pace eliminations wiped clean those thoughts. Wiggle It Jiggleit unveiled a new wrinkle racing from off the pace and swooped by the field to join In The Arsenal as the $50,000 elimination winners.  Meadowlands: Wiggle It Jiggleit impresses again

Wiggle It Jiggles to new world record - 5-11-2015
At the time of the writing of this story about his world record, Wiggle It had earned less than $100,000. His recent win in the Little Brown Jug pushed his earnings to $1.76 Million.

History
It began in 1937 when the Delaware County Agricultural Society's members, at their annual meeting, voted to move the County Fair, held since its inception at Powell, to Delaware on a tract of land at the northern edge of the city. Two years later a half-mile track was built and provided the stage for harness racing. R.K. McNamara, a local contractor, designed and built the lightning fast track. Enter attorney Joe Neville, whose family had been identified with the standardbred sport for many years, and his friend, Henry C. "Hank" Thomson, sports editor of The Delaware Gazette. Neville, who had campaigned horses on the Grand Circuit and was familiar with its officers and stewards, was successful in obtaining Grand Circuit dates for the new Delaware track. Neville, concerned over the years by the emphasis placed on the trotter, turned his efforts toward showcasing the pacers, particularly the 3-year-olds. The Little Brown Jug Society was formed to stage the Grand Circuit meeting. Neville headed the organization with Thomson as secretary-treasurer. Then came the birth of the Little Brown Jug, named through a newspaper contest, with its previews in 1944 and 1945. The initial Jug in 1946, with a purse of $35,358, was won by Ensign Hanover with Delaware's Wayne "Curly" Smart driving. Smart, a most successful trainer-driver on the Grand Circuit, was later to become an integral part of the Jug's operation as the track superintendent. Over the years the track monopolized the half-mile record section with world standard performances, mainly through Smart's skill in maintaining the fastest racing strip of its size in the country.

Important annual races include the Hambletonian for 3-year-old trotters, the Little Brown Jug for 3-year-old pacers, and the Breeders Crown series of twelve races covering each of the traditional categories of age, gait and gender. The Hambletonian is part of the Triple Crown of Harness Racing for Trotters and the Little Brown Jug is part of the Triple Crown of Harness Racing for Pacers.

Important Canadian races include the Gold Cup and Saucer at Charlottetown Driving Park, North America Cup (for pacers), the Canadian Pacing Derby, and the Maple Leaf Trot.

The harness racing industry conducts an annual Grand Circuit, which includes many of the most prestigious races for both pacers and trotters. Founded in 1871 and first conducted in 1873 at four tracks, the Grand Circuit now visits 17 tracks as of the upcoming 2012 season.

The most notable harness tracks in North America are the Meadowlands Racetrack in New Jersey, The Red Mile in Kentucky and Woodbine Racetrack and Mohawk Raceway, both in Ontario. Since 1947, the "United States Harness Writers" Association annually votes for the "Harness Horse of the Year." Since inception, a pacer has received the honor 31 times and a trotter 26 times.

World's premium pacing event
The Little Brown Jug is a harness race for three-year-old pacing standardbreds hosted by the Delaware County Agricultural Society since 1946 at the County Fairgrounds in Delaware, Ohio. The race takes place every year on the third Thursday after Labor Day. Along with the Hambletonian, a race for trotters, it is one of the two most coveted races for standardbred horses. Little Brown Jug, a pacer, who won nine consecutive races and became a USTA Hall of Fame Immortal in 1975 had the world's premium pacing event is named in his honour.

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Oct 2-4, 2015 - TREVE!

Let's Go To The Races - October 2-4, 2015
This is a non-commercial blog

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Time Ordered Races / Entries - printable file

UPI's Robert Kieckhefer does a great job of summarizing all of the weekend racing action around the world. He is a must-read, especially weekends like this one with 10 U.S. Grade 1 races, plus several big Group 1 races in France and Japan. Hard to know where to begin when trying to make sense of all of this abundance of racing riches. Several of the races on tap in the U.S. are Breeders Cup paid-expense entries.

UPI Robert Kieckhefer's Weekend Racing Wrap - Results


Horse Racing on TV (USA)
     SATURDAY - NBC 5:00 p.m. ET - Jockey Club Gold Cup, Shadwell Turf Mile
     SUNDAY - NBC 5:00 p.m. ET - Juddmonte Spinster

Other sources to watch live racing: TVG/HRTV, TwinSpires, Channel 4 Racing, RacingUK. On the radio, Horseracing Radio - listen live

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WASN'T MEANT TO BE, BUT, A WORTHY CHAMPION



The Guardian: Golden Horn, Frankie Dettori win Arc
BloodHorse: Golden Horn impressive in Arc -could come to BC


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SUPER, SUPER SATURDAY
IN U.S. RACING

EIGHT GRADE 1 RACES ON SATURDAY, WITH TWO MORE ON FRIDAY & SUNDAY IN U.S.! 

SUNDAY WILL BE DOMINATED BY THE FRENCH MARE TREVE'S UNPRECEDENTED BID TO MAKE IT THREE IN A ROW IN THE ARC!

ARC DAY WILL INCLUDE 5 GROUP 1 RACES

 

 
FLY, FLY AWAY TREVE!

 
 




SPECIAL TREVE FEATURE - click here

"IT'S NOT A RACE, IT'S A MONUMENT"!
94th Running - The Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe was first run on Sunday 3 October 1920. (It was not run in 1939-40). The present sponsor of the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe is the Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club (QREC). The sponsorship agreement was signed in Doha in 2008, and as a result the prize fund was doubled from €2 million to €4 million. Now, the prize for the Arc is worth €5 000 000 ($5.6 Million USD) which makes it the richest flat race on turf. Arc Weekend now includes seven races classed at Group 1 level, and four with Group 2 status. It also features the Arabian World Cup, the world's richest race for purebred Arabian horses with €1 000 000 prize-money (approx. $1.2M USD).

In 2011, Danedream broke the course record with a 2:24.49 time.

News on the Arc - Racing Post
ARC MEETING
Golden Horn in Arc challenge
Jarnet focused on Arc with Treve - Includes Arc Trials videos

On a weekend when there are nearly as many Grade 1 races in the U.S. as will be found during Breeders Cup, all eyes in the U.S. and around the world will be focused for a few minutes on a race in a country where most who will be watching don't even speak the language. The super star will be TREVE as she attempts something most never get a chance to try for.

TREVOLUTION! Jamie Lynch,TimeForm puts some perspective on the Arc and Treve's march toward history  As Treve stands on the brink of history in Sunday’s Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, Jamie Lynch looks at the wider issue of the march of the mares in modern-day racing.

Everything points to Treve landing Arc treble
Treve carrying the weight of history
Steve Haskin:  Steve Haskin: Tremendous Treve goes for Treble
Can anything thwart Treve three-peat

2015 Prix Vermeille - Replay
2014 Arc - Replay - Overcome several issues including foot and back problems
2013 Arc - Replay - As a 3 year old, in only her 4th career start
2013 Arc - Video special


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Horse Racing on TV (USA):
  SATURDAY - NBC 5:00 p.m. ET- Jockey Club Gold Cup, Shadwell Turf Mile
  SUNDAY - NBC 5:00 p.m. ET - Juddmonte Spinster

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Return to the CARD below for the replay after the race is completed, usually a 20-minute delay.

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FEATURED RACES

Time Ordered Races / Entries - printable file
Race Index
UPI Robert Kieckhefer's Weekend Preview of Racing
UPI Robert Kieckhefer's Weekend Racing Wrap - Results

FRIDAY

4:57 ET  Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix G3 BC  Kee   $250,000  3+  6f   R8  CARD
5:30 ET  DARLEY ALCIBIADES S G1 BC  Kee   $400,000  2yo f  8.5f  R9  CARD

RESULTS
Runhappy takes Phoenix - write-up/replay
Gomo romps in Alcibiades - write-up / replay

More on today's races
Matt Bernier and Dan Illman with DRF cover the Friday Grade 1 Alcibiades (video)
Run Happy tops Phoenix field on Friday

SATURDAY

International - France
10:15 a.m. ET  PRIX DOLLAR G2 Longchamp 3+  9f  R4  CARD

Cirrus des Aigles tries for a fourth Prix Dollar on Saturday at Longchamp. The 9 year old French-bred gelding has become a fan favorite world-wide, with winnings totaling almost $10 Million USD.  A world traveler, he has raced in France, the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Japan and the United Arab Emirates. After racing successfully at three and four years of age he improved to become one of the world's leading racehorses as a five-year-old in 2011. His record speaks for itself: 62 Starts, 22 Wins, 20 Places, 6 Shows.
The horses he has beaten over his 8-year racing career read like a Who's Who in racing: So You Think, Treve, St. Nicholas Abbey, Flintshire, among others. He has ranked in different years among the top two or three horses in the world. While he may be toward the end of his very successful career, the old boy showed he still can match strides with the best, winning his 7th Group 1 race in the Prix Ganay in May 2015, beating Al Kazeem going wire-to-wire, winning by almost 2 lengths. Since then, however, he has not fared as well, and it will remain to be seen if Cirrus still is able to pull a rabbit out of the hat and come up with a winning strategy for the G2 Prix Dollar.

CIRRUS DES AIGLES may have blotted his copybook in the Irish Champion Stakes, but he has won the Prix Dollar three times in the past and it would have been four if he hadn't been demoted 12 months ago when Fractional was the chief beneficiary. He is backed to rediscover his zest back at a track on which he has graced the winner's enclosure no less than 13 times. Air Pilot had an unfortunate experience in Germany after winning at the Curragh but has been given plenty of time to get over that, and French Navy returns from an even longer break having last been seen winning the Earl Of Sefton in April.
 
Jockey: Christophe Soumillon
Trainer: Mme C Barbe
Owner: Jean Claude Alain Dupouy
Breeder: M. Yvon Lelimouzin & M. Benoit Deschamps

Forecast: 2/1 Cirrus Des Aigles, 2/1 French Navy, 4/1 Fractional, 5/1 Free Port Lux, 6/1 Elliptique, 7/1 Air Pilot, 9/1 Zipzip, 12/1 Al Waab

North America
1:15 ET  Meadow Star S  GP   $150,000  3yo f R  8.5f   R2  CARD
2:33 ET  KELSO H G2  Bel   $400,000  3+  8f   R5  CARD
3:08 ET  FLOWER BOWL G1 BC  Bel   $500,000  3+ f/m  10f T  R6  CARD
3:25 ET  Woodford G3  Kee $150,000  3+  5.5f T  R5  CARD
3:43 ET  FRIZETTE S G1 BC Bel   $400,000  2yo f  8f  R7  CARD
4:00 ET  MY DEAR GIRL S GP   $500,000 yo f R  8.5f  R7  CARD
4:00 ET  TCA S G2 BC  Kee   $250,000  3+ f/m  6f    R6  CARD
4:18 ET  CHAMPAGNE S G1 BC  Bel   $500,000  2yo  8f  R8  CARD
4:35 ET  FIRST LADY S G1  Kee   $400,000  3+ f/m  8f T  R7  CARD
4:53 ET  HILL PRINCE S G3 Bel   $500,000  3yo  9f T  R8  CARD
5:07 ET  Foolish Pleasure S  GP   $150,000  3yo R  8.5f   R9  CARD
5:10 ET  BREEDERS' FUT. G1 BC  Kee   $500,000  2yo  8.5f  R8  CARD
5:28 ET  JOCKEY CLUB GOLD CUP G1 BC  Bel   $1,000,000  3+  10f   R10  CARD
5:45 ET  SHADWELL T MILE G1 BC  Kee   $1,000,000  3+  8f T R9  CARD
6:15 ET  IN REALITY S GP   $500,000  2yo R  8.5f   R11  CARD
6:30 ET  Eddie D S G3  SA   $100,000  3+  abt 6.5f T   R6  CARD
7:30 ET  SANTA ANITA SPRINT C'SHIP G1 BC  SA   $300,000  3+  6f    R8  CARD

More on today's races
G1 FRIZETTE: Seven are entered for Saturday's $400,000, Grade I Frizette at Belmont. The 1-mile Breeders' Cup "Win and You're In" drew a surprisingly soft, if promising field without a single graded stakes winner. In fact, of the seven, only two have beaten winners so far in their career. In that environment, British invader Nemoralia looks interesting. The Kentucky-bred More Than Ready filly has won on both turf and all-weather in England and tries dirt for the first time. She's All Ready is 2-for-2, including a restricted stakes at Saratoga.

SUNDAY

International - France

Arc replay
Prix Opera - Result
Marcel Boussac - Result

RESULTS - All Sunday races at Longchamp - scroll down

CARD FOR ALL LONGCHAMP RACES - click here
9:10 a.m. PRIX DE L'OPERA, G1, Long, $470,000, 3+ f, 1 1/4 miT  R3
                         Full Result
9:55 a.m. ET  ARC DE TRIOMPHE G1 Long, $5,800,000 3+, 1 1/2 miT R4
                        Full Result
10:40 a.m. ET  Prix de l'Abbaye, G1, Long, $300,000, 2+, 4fT R5
                        Full Result
11:50 a.m. ET  PRIX DE LA FORET, G1, Long $337,000 3+, 7fT R6
                       
12:20 p.m. ET  PRIX DU CADRAN, G1, Long,  2 1/2 miT R7

North America
5:00 ET  LA Woman S G3  SA   $100,000  3+ f/m  6.5f    R3  CARD
5:10 ET  DIXIANA BOURBON S G3 BC  Kee   $250,000  2yo  8.5f T  R8  CARD
5:45 ET  JUDDMONTE SPINSTER S G1 BC  Kee   $500,000  3+ f/m  9f   R9  CARD
7:30 ET  California Distaff  SA   $100,000  3+ f/m S  abt 6.5f T  R8  CARD

Background on John Gosden, trainer for Golden Horn
Other horses trained by Gosden:
Significant horses
Golden Horn, Kingman, Taghrooda, Ravens Pass, Nathaniel, Benny the Dip, Lahan, Elusive Kate, Shantou, Great Heavens, Fallen For You, Izzi Top, The Fugue, Lucarno, Flemensfirth, Arctic Cosmos, Masked Marvel, Maqaasid, Duncan, Dar Re Mi, Donativum, Pounced, Nannina, Rainbow View, Oasis Dream, Virtual, Observatory, Zenda, Ryafan, Crystal Music, Playful Act, Muhtarram, Mashaallah, Royal Heroine, Debussy, Royal Oath, Zoffany, Bates Motel

 
*********************
NEWS
10-5-15: UPI Robert Kieckhefer's Weekend Racing Wrap - Results
UPI Weekend Racing Round-up - 9-28-15
Update on return of Empire Maker to U.S.
Things we learned on the first Super Saturday
Jon White's updated 100 Top racehorses of 20-21st Century
Empire Maker returning home to Kentucky
Longchamp's futuristic new grandstand

TV/Broadcast schedule for Racing in U.S.
DRF Steve Andersen covers racing at Longcham and BC fees paid races

BREEDERS' CUP
Breeders Cup - Race by race analysis of probable starters
BloodHorse Breeders Cup
Official Breeders Cup web site
American Pharoah, Beholder on track for Classic showdown - Video
Triple Crown champ, American Pharoah, feeling good
American Pharoah, Beholder practice at Santa Anita
American Pharoah workout - 10-3-15 Santa Anita

GENERAL
www.BloodHorse.com
www.DRF.com/
Little Brown Jug - One for the Ages