Monthly Archives: April 2010

It is that time of year again, when voters will be given the task of selecting their favorites to be inducted into the National Museum of Racing’s Hall of Fame. Over the years voters have been given a list of selected nominees in four different categories, namely Trainers, Jockeys, Contemporary Male Horse and Contemporary Female Horse. This year, however, voters will have more freedom in regard to their votes, which will nonetheless be a very difficult task when looking at the list of nominees. The original list of nominees was cut down from 76 to ten, and now the decision lies in the hands of the voters.

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Even though a stud career for Boundless is looming, the talented filly once again proved that she is not yet ready to be retired. Delivering a spectacular performance at the 2010 Hawke’s Bay Cup on Saturday, 26 April 2010, Boundless will now have one more race before she finishes up for the season. Co-owner, Trevor McKee, commented that Boundless will now be looking towards the Travis Stakes, a Group 2 event. For jockey, Leith Innes, it was the correct decision to ride Boundless, his first victory of many for the day.

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Churchill Downs Racecourse is home to one of the most prestigious thoroughbred horse racing events on the racing calendar, namely the Kentucky Derby. This event forms part of the Triple Crown series and has been run at Churchill Downs since 1875, making it a vital part of the track’s history and culture. To document the heritage of the Kentucky Derby, and afford visitors the opportunity to go back in time, the Kentucky Derby Museum was inaugurated in 1985 and welcomes approximately two hundred thousand visitors each year.

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The Ellerslie Racecourse in Auckland, New Zealand, is home to prestigious horse racing events such as the New Zealand Derby, Railway Stakes and the Eclipse Stakes. Another great race is the Easter Handicap, which took place on Saturday, 17 April 2010. It was inaugurated in the year 1874, and is a race for thoroughbred horses that are three years old and older, and is run over a distance of 1 600 meters. With a purse of $200 000, the Easter Handicap attracts a number of talented horses and this weekend was no different.

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There are a few noteworthy National Hunt racing events throughout the season that stand out above other race meetings, and the Coral Scottish Grand National Festival is one of them. Taking place on the 16th and 17th of April 2010, it is a festival that attracts thousands of excited spectators and offers two days of breathtaking National Hunt events. But it is the main race, the Coral Scottish Grand National, which everyone waits for, being held on Saturday, 17 April 2010. Run over a distance of four miles, the race carries a purse of £200 000 and is an event that every jockey dreams of winning.

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On Saturday, 20 April 2010, the grand stands of Aintree Racecourse, located in the United Kingdom, filled up with spectators who came to view the running of the Grand National. The Grand National hunt race is as popular as it is controversial, and consists of thirty fences that are situated on a four mile track. Many horses are unable to complete this event due to it being extremely challenging, but on Saturday, jockey Tony McCoy and Don’t Push It added their names to the distinguished list of champions.

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The excitement and anticipation surrounding the running of the 2010 Apple Blossom Stakes is reaching fever pitch as racing fans prepare to watch the magnificent Zenyatta in racing action. Rachel Alexandra has been withdrawn from the event, but there is still a star studded line-up of competitors to look forward to. Oaklawn Park, located in Arkansas, will be hosting the Apple Blossom Handicap on Friday, 9 April 2010, and will celebrate the forty-fifth running of this event. It is a Grade 1 event, that carries a purse of $500 000, and is exclusively for mares and fillies that are four years old and older.

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The Aqueduct Racetrack, located in New York, has been host to the Wood Memorial Stakes since 1925. This Grade 1 horse racing event was again run on Saturday, 3 April 2010, luring a spectacular line-up of three year old contenders to participate. The Wood Memorial Stakes is seen as a preparation race for the Kentucky Derby, which forms part of the prestigious thoroughbred Triple Crown, and a number of the past Wood Memorial winners, have moved on to not only capture one leg of the Triple Crown, but win all three events.

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Approximately twenty minutes from Beijing lies the sixth largest city of China, namely Tianjin. With a massive urban land area and natural resources, such as the Yangtze River, Hai He River and Yellow River, the landscapes surrounding Tianjin are as picturesque as they are productive. Recently a new project has been unveiled that will boost the economy of Tianjin and bring a new era of horse racing to this region. Tianjin Horse City is said to be constructed just outside of the city, and one of the major benefactors to the project is the Meydan Group.

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