#Queen Elizabeth II Cup

A 5-year-old mare who was a Group 1 winnerlast spring in Hong Kong may be the best hope for a Japan-based horse to breakthrough for the first time ever in the Breeders' Cup. Loves Only You, who has amassed $5453602 inpurse earnings with a record of 14: 6-2-3, is expected to lead seven horsesbeing shipped from Japan to the Nov. 5 and 6 championships…

Six runners from the fans' top choices, including Titleholder, Efforia and Equinox, plus Queen Elizabeth II Cup (G1) winner Geraldina are expected to also be the most popular betting options Sunday in the Grade 1, $6.5 million Arima Kinen, the 67th annual Grand Prix of Japan. Staged at Nakayama, the 1 9/16-mile race boasts Japan's top purse, which…

Mr. Misunderstood wins Saturday's Commonwealth Turf at Churchill Downs, headed for bigger things in the year to come. Photo courtesy of Churchill Downs A spate of major weekend races around the world fueled hopes for the coming season, even as this year's championships are still being debated. In Australia, Redzel silenced any lingering doubts…

Having cut his teeth in Singapore for 17 years, the 45 year old South African-born Le Grange is perfectly placed to be a viable international option for owners with a wide variety of horses at their disposal. After starting out as a stud farm assistant here, Ricardo was licenced as an assistant trainer in 1993. He worked for Joey Soma before…

Flip a coin when deciding which was more surprising Saturday at Del Mar - Japanese trainer Yoshito Yahagi winning two Breeders' Cup races or his 5-year-old mare, Marche Lorraine, scoring a shocking 49-1 upset in the $2 million Distaff. The Distaff, traditionally one of the most formful of the Breeders' Cup races, was hardly that on this day as…

Loves Only You and Marche Lorraine changed the storyline on a glorious Saturday afternoon in Southern California. Jockey Yuga Kawada, one of the premier riders on the Japan Racing Association circuit (currently No. 2 in wins and overall earnings in 2021, trailing only Christophe Lemaire in both categories) guided 5-year-old Loves Only You, the…

There are a few names familiar to American racegoers that are heading to Hong Kong for the international raceday next month. Most are from Ireland. The foreign challenge for the four rich turf races includes a quartet from Aidan O'Brien's Ballydoyle team, all of whom have run in the United States. Heading O'Brien's team is the shock 2020 Breeders'…

The Hong Kong international races are just three weeks away. Horses from around the world are getting ready for four of the richest international turf races around, with exciting contests assured. Though foreign horses have frequently been successful at the Hong Kong International meet, especially in the 1 1/2-mile Hong Kong Vase (G1) and the 1…

Nov. 14 (UPI) -- Kentucky-based horses ably defended their home turf in the weekend Claiming Crown series at Churchill Downs, while 2-year-olds, some still eyeing a shot at next year's big races, were at work at tracks from coast to coast. Del Mar swung back into operation, and Woodbine and Churchill Downs had rich stakes offerings. On the…

For Geraldina's trainer Takashi Saito, it was his seventh career G1 victory. Four-year-old Geraldina, who was assigned the 18th post on the far outside, moved toward the front of the pack late in the race and galloped to the wire from the middle of the turf track. (Watch the race here.) The winning jockey's older brother, 43-year-old Mirco Demuro,…

There aren't many racedays around the world that match Hong Kong International Day. Perhaps only Dubai World Cup Day, Royal Ascot, Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe Day, and the Breeders' Cup are as strong a magnet for international horses as the four Group 1 races up for grabs here. Hong Kong racing has also become much stronger over the years. Horses…

Nov. 11 (UPI) -- Last weekend, some of the world's best horses were on display in the Breeders' Cup at Keeneland in Lexington, Ky. This weekend, the blue-collar horses get their time in the sun in the Claiming Crown races 75 miles to the west at Churchill Downs. We'll also see if the Twin Spires folks have been able to coax grass to grow, as two of…

A is for A Shin Hikari, current Hong Kong Cup track record holder with a winning time of 2.00.60. B is for betting pools. The Hong Kong Jockey Club runs the region's racing and football pools, alongside the Mark Six Lottery. In 2017-18 horseracing contributed HK$122.8 billion (£12.3bn) in turnover. Unclaimed winnings of HK$60m (£6m) were returned…

Jessica Harrington and Shane Foley with Magical Lagoon after winning the Irish Oaks Jessica Harrington will bid to enhance what is already one of the most colourful CVs in world racing when she breaks new ground with her first runner in Japan on Sunday. Harrington has won multiple Irish Classics, Royal Ascot prizes and the Cheltenham Gold Cup and…

Messier wins Sunday's Bob Hope Stakes at Del Mar for trainer Bob Baffert. Benoit photo, courtesy of Del Mar Turf Club Nov. 15, 2021 Trainer Bob Baffert saddled the winners of both 2-year-old races at Del Mar, Bell's the One was a popular winner at Churchill Downs, while Mandate scored a big upset at Aqueduct in highlights of weekend horse…

The Breeders' Cup is a glorious two days of. Fourteen championship races, top horses from around the globe, mostly full fields and a chance for a profitable day with just a few exotic wagering scores. The 2021 edition will be run Friday and Saturday at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club. The "Future Stars Friday'' card will feature five races restricted to…