At Saratoga, the Steve Asmussen-trained Kantharos (Lion Heart - Contessa Halo, by Southern Halo) is the leader amongst the colts by virtue of his unbeaten skein of three wins (from as many starts), topped by his victory in the Saratoga Special (Gr.2). Amongst the fillies, Position Limit (Bellamy Road – Payable On Demand, by Out Of Place) from the talent-packed Todd Pletcher yard, merits similar consideration as she has won both her starts, a maiden and the Adirondack Stakes (Gr.2). Between the pair, all five of those wins have come by wide margins.
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Across the nation, Avid (More Than Ready-Meadow Silk) is one for the notebook. She recorded a wire-to-wire win on her debut in a Del Mar maiden earlier this month for veteran Richard Mandella. Her prowess comes as no surprise considering she topped the Ocala Breeders Sales 2-year-old In Training Sale last March at $525,000. The next few weeks should be particularly interesting on this front.
What are the odds that two three-year-old fillies named Mywifenosevrything and Thewifedoesntknow would end up running in the same race? Announcer Larry Collmus was faced with the predicament of sorting them out in a claiming event at Monmouth Park recently. The results were amusing - watch the replay at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BpSmprqptSk – particularly the finish….
Most punters are familiar with the decade-old phenomenon of "exchange betting". Popular in England, where Betfair started its existence, the system is now knocking on the doors of the USA, where the administration of the sport is fragmented with each state formulating its own laws. A bill is now before California voters attempting to legalize exchange betting in that state. Hard hit by the economic downturn, the "Golden State" has seen horse racing attendance drop by 25% between 2004 and 2009, and supporters of the legislation hope that revenues from exchange betting will shore up the finances. It is believed that legislators in New Jersey are also considering whether to permit it in that state.
Meanwhile, the recession is going to have long term repercussions on the sport. Each August, the Jockey Club uses the Reports of Mares Bred received from breeders to compute its projections of the following year's foal crop. The recently published estimate suggests that the 2011 North American Thoroughbred foal crop will be no more than 27,000. This represents a decline of 10% from the 2009 crop of about 30,000 foals. Inevitably there will be short fields in some races to be run in 2014 or thereabouts. After peaking at close to 50,000 foals, the annual crop next year is going to fall to levels last seen in 1973, when 26,811 registered foals were recorded.
Dubai Racing Carnival
The most recent Indian assault on the Dubai Racing Carnival ended on a disastrous note, with the unfortunate loss of Oasis Star (by Senure) and Antonios (by Glory Of Dancer). The other pair that accompanied them, Autonomy and Yana (both by Razeen), did not "trouble the scorer". The country's breeders will have to return to the drawing board to develop a master plan to produce tougher and more talented runners if India is ever to become a force on the world stage.
That this can be done is exemplified by South Africa. Although every country's turf is to some degree driven with dissension, the South Africans have united in splendid manner when it comes to showcasing their wares on the world stage. Whatever was required to open up the country and to improve the calibre of the stock and to prepare it for stiff competition was done in unison, with results for all to see. Names like London News, Horse Chestnut, Victory Moon, etc., come to mind as runners that have flown the South African flag abroad.
Already leading South African trainers, led by champion Mike De Kock, are in the process of assembling their teams for the 2011 Dubai Carnival. Top of the class in De Kock's squad is Horse of the Year in 2009-2010, Irish Flame (by Dynasty), and he is likely to be accompanied by just over a dozen high-class performers on the journey from Cape Town to Dubai, via Newmarket. The likes of Gr.1 J & B Metropolitan winner River Jetez (by Jet Master), champion 3-year-old filly Here To Win (by Roi Normand) and champion juvenile filly, the Australian-bred Mahbooba (by Galileo) are expected to be in the consignment.
Meanwhile, top sprinter, J J The Jet Plane (by Jet Master) will head further East, to Hong Kong, under the care of trainer Lucky Houdalakis, where he is set to tackle the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Sprint in mid-December.
Libya
Although racing and breeding are in trouble in some countries, a new name on the map of the international turf is Libya. The North African nation apparently has a number of what would be called "bush tracks" while Tripoli can boast of the Abusita track where the sport is conducted under the auspices of the Libyan Equestrian and Horse Riding Federation. Naturally, Arab horses are more popular.
Recently Thoroughbred breeding activity has taken an upward turn. The Alshaab Stud in Anzar, owned and operated by Dr. Amad Eshaab and Radwan Eshaab, has imported the superbly-bred stallion Brut Force (Giant’s Causeway-Champagne, by Zabeel) from Australia, where he commenced his stud innings a couple of years ago. The bay 7-year-old will join Muraqeeb (by Mr. Prospector) and Raaqi – who as a son of Nashwan from Mehthaaf – is a full-brother to Mukteshwar Stud's Eljohar.
