Kentucky Derby contender Wild On Ice fatally injured in training
Kentucky Derby contender Wild On Ice, shown working at Churchill Downs April 21, suffered a fatal injury during exercise Thursday. Coady Photography, courtesy of Churchill Downs
April 28 (UPI) -- Wild On Ice suffered a fatal injury Thursday at Churchill Downs while training for the Kentucky Derby, layering sadness onto the normal backstretch tensions and nerves with the Run for the Roses just more than a week away.
The misfortune opened a spot in the Derby starting gate for Santa Anita Derby third-place finisher Skinner.
Much of the top weekend horse racing action is on the international schedule as Hong Kong prepares for one of its biggest weekends of the year with three Group 1 events on Sunday's FWD Champions Day program.
Top-level action continues in Japan with the Grade 1 Tenno Sho (Spring) featuring the race's titleholder, Titleholder, in defense of his title.
And the first of the British Classics approaches with the question looming: Will the potential of having at least one horse in the Guineas pique the interest of King Charles and the Queen Consort? The race is on the very day of their coronation.
Speaking of coronations, in the News and Notes department, see which horses and humans have been elected to the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.
The Triple Crown
Sunland Derby winner Wild On Ice was pulled up after his Thursday workout with an injury to his left hind leg. The colt was transported to an equine surgical facility in Lexington, Ky., where the injury was deemed too severe to repair and the colt was euthanized.
"Sure we are heartbroken," said the colt's owner and breeder, Frank Sumpter Sr., according to Bloodhorse. "But if this had to happen, it is better for it to happen this week instead of the middle of next week when no other horse could get in [the Derby]."
The resulting shakeup of the field exposed one of the quirks of the "Road to the Kentucky Derby" points system used to qualify horses for the 20 stalls in the starting gate.
Skinner gets into the Run for the Roses with 45 points, 30 earned with his third-place finish in the Santa Anita Derby and 15 in the San Felipe Stakes.
The runner-up in the Santa Anita Derby, Japan's Mandarin Hero, who just missed by a nose in that race after experiencing traffic issues, did not have any previous points and only moved up to No. 23 on the list. He would need three more defections to make the field.
Kate Hunter, representing Japanese interests for the Triple Crown, said Wednesday that Mandarin Hero is on the grounds at Churchill Downs and his connections hold onto the faint hope he might have a chance to run. If not, he will be considered for the Preakness.
Those ahead of him for the Derby are Florida Derby third Cyclone Mischief and Jeff Ruby Steaks runner-up Major Dude. Should the stars align to get Mandarin Hero into the race, he would be the third Japanese-trained colt in the field after Derma Sotogake and Continuar.
It won't have any bearing on the Kentucky Derby, but Saturday's $100,000 California Derby on the Golden Gate Fields all-weather is another of those races that could be eyed for clues about the Preakness.
El Camino Real Derby winner Chase the Chaos and Passarando, a winner at both Santa Anita and Golden Gate, look most likely.
The Oaks
Saturday's $75,000 California Oaks on the Golden Gate Fields all-weather looks like a real program-stabber with five fillies lining up and little to differentiate them.
Filly & Mare Turf
War Like Goddess looms as a fearsome odds-on favorite in a field of six set to go 1 1/2 miles in Friday's $300,000 Grade III Bewitch Stakes at Keeneland.
The 6-year-old English Channel mare won this last year and makes her return after finishing third while taking on males in the Breeders' Cup Turf over the same course last November.
Seven 3-year-old fillies are in for Saturday's $100,000 Memories of Silver Stakes going 1 mile on the Aqueduct turf. Chad Brown saddles the favorite, Royalty Interest, a French-bred daughter of Le Havre who won nicely at first asking in March at Tampa Bay Downs.
Three "main track only" entrants include the undefeated Downtown Mischief so pay attention to the changes.
Ancient Peace and Paris Secret head the morning line for Saturday's $100,000 Grade III Providencia Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Santa Anita. Ancient Peace, by War Front, seeks her third straight win. Paris Secret, a daughter of Zoffany, exits a fourth in the China Doll Stakes.
Duvet Day enters Sunday's $100,000 Santa Barbara Stakes at Santa Anita off a third-place finish in the Grade III Santa Ana Stakes last month and meets a couple of rivals with similar credentials. Queen Ofthe Temple and Scarabea both have contested recent graded stakes. The others, not so much.
Turf Mile
Dicey Mo Chara heads north for Saturday's $250,000 Grade III San Francisco Mile at Golden Gate Fields after finishing second in the Grade II Charles Whittingham at Santa Anita on April 8. He was third in the All-American Sakes on the Golden Gate all-weather course a year ago.
Balnikhov has played a supporting role in trainer Phil D'Amato's impressive turf dominance at Santa Anita and tries the Bay Area greensward for the first time. Rio King has won three in a row over the local all-weather.
Quattroelle and Macadamia enter Sunday's $100,000 Grade III Wilshire Stakes for fillies and mares at Santa Anita off a first- and second-place finish in the Grade II Buena Vista.
Closing Remarks won the Grade III Royal Heroine in her last with Very Scary third. Rhea Moon has won three straight, including the Grade I American Oaks four months ago in her most recent start.
Canoodling won this race a year ago. On the flip side, Thunder Run makes just her second career start. Who do ya like?
Distaff
Adare Manor, a consistent Uncle Mo 4-year-old, is the 2-1 morning-line favorite in Saturday's $200,000 Grade II Santa Maria Stakes at Santa Anita. She was second in both the Santa Anita Oaks and Black-Eyed Susan last year and won her most recent start back home in California. Big Switch also has support while rejoining stakes competition.
Sprint / Dirt Mile
Mo Strike, Ryvit and Arman head a field of eight set for a 6-furlong trip in Saturday's $150,000 Bachelor Stakes for 3-year-olds at Oaklawn Park.
Mo Strike won the Grade III Sanford at last year's Saratoga meeting and finished fourth in the Grade I Hopeful. The Uncle Mo colt, trained by Brad Cox, hasn't raced since but has been working steadily at Keeneland and Turfway Park.
Sunday's $125,000 (Canadian) Woodstock Stakes for 3-year-olds on the Woodbine all-weather has a field of six. Four are Ontario-breds and theoretically eligible for the King's Plate (nee Queen's Plate). But they'd have to improve significantly to figure in that competition and stretch out pretty quickly, too.
Filly & Mare Sprint / Dirt Mile
Saturday's $175,000 Roxelana Stakes at Churchill Downs drew a field of six, featuring Frank's Rockette, a winner of three of her last four starts and in the money in 23 of 26 career outings. Coppelia and Pretty Birdie look like the only potential threats.
Saturday's $150,000 Dig a Diamond Stakes at Oaklawn Park is 1 mile with a field of seven. Lovely Ride gets the oddsmaker's nod after finishing second against tougher and going a sixteenth of a mile longer in the Grade III Bayakoa and sixth in the Grade II Azeri.
Last year's Grade III Iowa Oaks winner, Butterbean, also is in this field.
Saturday's $125,000 (Canadian) Star Shoot Stakes has a well-matched field of eight 3-year-old fillies going 6 furlongs on the Woodbine all-weather track.
Around the world, around the clock
Hong Kong
The first big international turf meeting of the year fires up Sunday at Sha Tin Racecourse with three Group 1 events on the FWD Champions Day card and a spot of credible competition for Hong Kong's finest runners.
Romantic Warrior carries the top local hopes in the FWD QE II Cup at 2,000 meters but faces perhaps the strongest international raiders of the day in Dubai Honor from England and Danon the Kid from Japan.
Romantic Warrior won this race last year and followed with a victory in December's Group 1 Longines Hong Kong Cup, also at 2,000 meters.
Danon the Kid was second to Romantic Warrior a year ago and exits a third in the Grade 1 Osaka Hai in his last start. Dubai Honor represents England but comes to Hong Kong fresh from a pair of Group 1 victories in Australia. He was fourth in the Hong Kong Cup in 2021.
Golden Sixty and California Spangle tangle again in the FWD Champions Mile. The foreigners here are Aegon and My Oberon, who seem to have their work cut out for them.
The field also includes BMW Hong Kong Derby upset winner Voyage Bubble. Golden Sixty has won the race the past two years, both times en route to Hong Kong Horse of the Year honors, and is the top-rated horse on the grounds.
California Spangle and another of Sunday's opponents, Waikuku, are among the rarities who have defeated Golden Sixty.
Aegon comes from New Zealand with some back class but did not fare well in his recent swing through Australia. My Oberon, representing Australia, exits a second in the Group 1 Doncaster Mile at Randwick.
The Chairman's Sprint Prize at 1,200 meters finds Lucky Sweynesse and Wellington going head-to-head again with England's Flaming Rib and Japan's Aguri in town to test those and four other locals.
Wellington won the last two editions of this race but has finished behind Lucky Sweynesse in his last three starts, two of them Group 1 affairs.
The latter has won 11 of 15 starts in Hong Kong, including six this season and might have one more but for terrible traffic issues in the stretch in December's Group 1 Longines Hong Kong Sprint.
Flaming Rib is a progressive 4-year-old who nonetheless will have to step up to figure in the outcome of this race. His only significant win was in a local Group 3 event in Qatar in January. Aguri fits the same template, but did try Grade 1 company in his last, finishing seventh in the Takamatsunomiyia Kinen on March 26.
Japan
Sunday's Grade 1 Tenno Sho (Spring) features last year's winner, Titleholder, along with three who finished behind him that day and the first three finishers from last year's Grade 1 Kikuka Sho or Japanese St. Leger. That might sound like formidable competition, but a little closer look makes it look a little less so.
Titleholder himself seems well recovered from a trip to France, where he finished 11th in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. He was a good second in the Grade 2 Nikkei Sho in his 2023 debut going 2,500 meters on heavy turf.
The three who trailed him a year ago were well back with the winning margin of 3 lengths to runner-up Deep Bond. Of the 2022 St. Leger runners, Boldog Hoss and Justin Palace have impressed in their subsequent efforts.
The race also marks the Grade 1 return of Kyoto Racecourse after a 2 1/2-year renovation.
England
Their Majesties will be preoccupied with ceremonies at Westminster Abbey on May 6 but it would be instructive to find out how long it takes after their coronation to ask about the result of that afternoon's Group 1 Qipco 2000 Guineas.
The senior Royals are still in with a chance for the first of the Classics as Slipofthepen, a Night of Thunder colt bred by the late Queen Elizabeth II, has been left in the race.
Although he's 2-for-2, he'd be a long shot as both wins came at 1 mile on the Kempton Park all-weather. Still, the sport is eager for any sign the new residents of Buckingham Palace will continue the late monarch's avid support for racing.
Trainers John and Thady Gosden have not committed Slipofthepen to the Guineas but he's training as if he will run.
The King and Queen Consort also have Circle of Fire, an Almanzor colt bred by the late Queen, in Friday's Group 3 bet365 Classic Trial at Sandown. Stay tuned.
News and Notes
Arrogate, California Chrome and Songbird have been elected to the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in their first year of eligibility.
They will be joined in the enshrinement by jockey Corey Nakatani. Jockey Fernando Toro was voted into the Hall by the Historical Review Committee and John W. Hanes II, Leonard W. Jerome and Stella F. Thayer were cited as Pillars of the Turf selections.
Arrogate's brilliant career for Juddmonte Farms and trainer Bob Baffert included a stunning, track-record victory in the 2016 Travers Stakes, a gritty victory over California Chrome in that year's Breeders' Cup Classic and a historic romp in the 2017 Dubai World Cup despite badly missing the start.
California Chrome won the first two jewels of the Triple Crown and took the 2016 Dubai World Cup while winning 16 of 27 starts for trainer Art Sherman. Songbird won 13 of 15 starts and was named divisional Eclipse Award champion in both her 2-year-old and 3-year-old seasons.
Nakatani, who retired after the 2018 season, won 3,909 races with purse earnings of $234,554,534 in a career that started in 1988. His 341 graded stakes victories included 10 Breeders' Cup races and he ranks fourteenth among all riders in career earnings.
Well done, all. Arrogate's Dubai victory and Songbird's agonizing loss by a nose to Beholder in the 2016 Breeders' Cup Distaff are two of the highlights of the past few decades.
