Monday, October 29, 2007

New York Horses Dominate Breeders’ Cup 24

NEW YORK HORSES DOMINATE BREEDERS’ CUP
Horses that made their final pre-Breeders’ Cup starts in New York dominated the two championship days at Monmouth Park.

On Saturday, seven of the eight Breeders’ Cup winners last raced in New York. Mile winner Kip Deville did not start in New York this year, but is based at Aqueduct with trainer Richard Dutrow Jr.

Curlin capped the big afternoon for New Yorkers with an enormous stretch run to pass pacesetter Hard Spun and defeat one of the deepest Classic fields assembled in years, most likely earning him a Horse of the Year title.

Racing twice in New York this year, Curlin just missed in the Belmont Stakes, losing to filly Rags to Riches by a head. The son of Smart Strike prevailed by a neck over Lawyer Ron in the Jockey Club Gold Cup, his last start before his Classic triumph.

Steve Asmussen, trainer of Curlin, elected to keep the colt in Saratoga after the meet ended because he had excelled in the ideal training conditions upstate.

The likeable English Channel, based at Belmont Park for most of his career, scored the biggest victory of his life in the John Deere Breeders’ Cup Turf. English Channel made back-to-back New York starts before his Breeders’ Cup romp, finishing second in Saratoga’s Sword Dancer and winning Belmont’s Joe Hirsch Turf Classic.

Ginger Punch definitely earned herself an Eclipse Award as champion older female after she bested Hystericalady in the $2 million Emirates Airline Breeders’ Cup Distaff. Ginger Punch, trained by Hall of Famer Bobby Frankel, was a New York horse through and through this year with victories in Belmont’s First Flight and Ruffian handicaps. Ginger Punch, who also won Saratoga’s Go for Wand, tuned up for the Breeders’ Cup with a third-place finish in Belmont’s September 30th Beldame.

Although the Rick Dutrow Jr.-trained Kip Deville never raced in New York this season, the NetJets Breeders’ Cup Mile winner spent most of it at Aqueduct. In fact, Kip Deville recorded his final pre-Breeders’ Cup work Wednesday morning over the Big A’s turf course.

Fifty-six days after he scored a monstrous victory in Saratoga’s Grade 1 Forego, the Bob Baffert-trained Midnight Lute clinched an Eclipse Award with his breathtaking run in the TVG Breeders’ Cup Sprint. Midnight Run did not start between his race at Saratoga and the Breeders’ Cup Sprint, although he did his recent training at Santa Anita.

Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin and jockey Alan Garcia have become a potent combination in the Big Apple, and on Saturday they scored a longshot victory with Lahudood in the Emirates Airline Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf. Lahudood prepped for her winning Breeders’ Cup run in Belmont Park’s Grade 1 Flower Bowl September 29th. Lahudood, based at Belmont Park, won the Flower Bowl at odds of 21-1.

Hall of Fame trainer Nick Zito has himself the early favorite for the 2008 Kentucky Derby after War Pass took The Bessemer Trust Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. War Pass, a lock to be named two-year-old champion this season after going a perfect four-for-four, debuted at Saratoga in late July. He was unbeaten in a pair of starts at Saratoga and tuned up for the Breeders’ Cup in Belmont’s history-rich Grade 1 Champagne, a race he won by 1 ½-lengths.

A few hours before he won the Breeders’ Cup Sprint, trainer Bob Baffert watched his Indian Blessing win the Grey Goose Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies in a wire-to-wire tour de force. Indian Blessing, the favorite, prepped for the Breeders’ Cup in Belmont Park’s Grade 1 Frizette October 6th. Five weeks earlier, Indian Blessing first debuted August 30th at Saratoga Race Course.

Friday’s three inaugural Breeders’ Cup races offered fans and horsemen a number of firsts, but when compared to Saturday’s races, the results were mostly the same.

The late-running Maryfield, a game winner of Saratoga’s Grade 1 Ballerina in August, got the Breeders’ Cup ball rolling with a flying finish in the new Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint.

Although Nownownow, winner of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf, made his final pre-Breeders’ Cup start at Keeneland, the colt spent the entire summer training in Saratoga Springs. In fact, Nownownow notched his first career stakes win in the Spa’s With Anticipation.

Lastly, the Belmont Park-based Corinthian turned in one of the most visually impressive performances of this Breeders’ Cup with his daylight win in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile. Corinthian, who last ran in Saratoga’s Woodward, proved himself as a top miler earlier in the year with his victory in Belmont’s Metropolitan Handicap.

Wednesday, October 24, 2007

All random samples for Breeders’ Cup horses come back negative

Jump to User Comments Contact: Jim Gluckson, 646-335-6835

The New Jersey Racing Commission has informed Breeders' Cup officials that all blood tests of Breeders' Cup horses conducted by the state were negative.

At the urging of Breeders’ Cup Ltd., the NJRC conducted a random sampling of all Breeders’ Cup World Championships Pre-entered horses on October 15, 2007. With the cooperation of Racing Commissions across the country and in Europe, blood were drawn and processed at the New Jersey Equine Testing Laboratory.

The NJRC approved on September 17 regulations to conduct, for the first time, out of competition testing for EPO (Epogen) and TCO2 testing in Thoroughbred racehorses competing at the four New Jersey racetracks.

These regulations were part of several measures enacted by the Commission at the request of Breeders’ Cup Ltd., for the World Championships, October 26 and 27 at Monmouth Park.

EPO, or Epogen, is a blood doping agent which enhances the red blood cells within racehorses, and has the potential to improve competitive performance. The EPO regulation will have a direct impact on testing produces for the upcoming Breeders¹ Cup World Championships at Monmouth Park. Random out of competition EPO testing for horses pre-entered in the Breeders¹ Cup World Championships will take place prior to the Breeders’ Cup. Regulators will be contacted in the various jurisdictions and countries to draw blood from the potential competitors.

In the event a sampled horse were determined to test positive after the confirmation testing for Epogen, DarbEPO or other blood doping agents, the Racing Commission Board of Stewards, may authorize a search of the premises occupied by the stable that is subject to the positive test; notify the State Veterinarian for the purpose of placing the positive horse on the Veterinarian¹s List pending a hearing by the Board of Judges (thereby rendering the horse ineligible to compete). The penalty for a first violation of this rule provides that the license of the trainer and other responsible person shall be suspended for 10 years and fined $50,000.

Breeders’ Cup Limited administers the Breeders’ Cup World Championships; Thoroughbred racing’s year-end Championships consisting of 11 races and $23 million in purses. The organization also administers the Breeders’ Cup Challenge qualifying series, and the Breeders’ Cup Stakes Program. Breeders’ Cup Ltd. is located in Lexington, Ky. Breeders’ Cup press releases appear on the Breeders’ Cup Web site, http://www.breederscup.com.


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Tuesday, October 23, 2007

Breeders’ Cup introduces interactive race simulations of the championships

Contact:
Jim Gluckson 646-335-6835
Michael Calderone 702-641-8279


Breeders' Cup Limited and Horse Racing Simulation LLC announced today the launch of an exciting new product that is both an interactive horse race handicapping tool as well as a fun and exciting innovative game. The product, titled “Breeders’ Cup Edition – Horse Race Fantasy,” has multiple interactive features including the ability to run simulations of all eleven Breeders' Cup World Championships races with the actual entered horses. As a simulation tool, it will help both the experienced and novice handicapper to translate the available sophisticated and complicated numeric past performance data into a full screen 3-D visual event - in simplistic terms, it brings those numbers to life. Users can alter the racing characteristics of horses to explore different race scenarios leading up to potential profitable wagering strategies. “Breeders’ Cup Horse Racing Fantasy” also provides a simulated betting platform and a jockey mode that allows fans to see first hand what it's like to ride a champion thoroughbred in the ultimate horse racing event.

"We're very pleased to launch this product first on breederscup.com," said Greg Avioli, CEO of Breeders' Cup Limited. "This free game should provide hours of exciting use for the casual and serious handicapper. The simulated races will help players in their handicapping process and the jockey mode will really be a fun element of play."

"Working with Breeders Cup Limited to provide new and innovative programs to open up the world of horse racing is very exciting to us," said Michael Calderone, President of Horse Racing Simulation. "The Breeders' Cup Limited understands the importance of not only satisfying their loyal horse racing fans but attracting and educating the casual fan, as well," stated Gary Darveaux, CEO of Horse Racing Simulation.

Breeders’ Cup Edition – Horse Race Fantasy is now accessible at http://www.horseracegame.com/breederscup.

Horse Racing Simulation LLC is an interactive media company whose focus is to increase general awareness of the horse racing industry by providing interactive technologies that motivate, educate, communicate and entertain. To learn more about Horse Racing Simulation, please visit http://www.horseracingisfun.com.

The Breeders' Cup World Championships will be held on October 26 and October 27 and racing will be conducted at Monmouth Park, New Jersey. Simulcast wagering will be offered at over 1,000 outlets in North America and over 10,000 outlets around the world. Television coverage will be provided by ESPN from 4pm-6pm on October 26 and from 12:00 noon until 7pm on October 27.

Breeders’ Cup Limited administers the Breeders’ Cup World Championships; Thoroughbred racing’s year-end Championships consisting of 11 races and $23 million in purses. The organization also administers the Breeders’ Cup Challenge qualifying series, and the Breeders’ Cup Stakes Program. Breeders’ Cup Ltd. is located in Lexington, Ky. Breeders’ Cup press releases appear on the Breeders’ Cup Web site, http://www.breederscup.com.


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