Horse Racing News

One of the most historic horse racing facilities in the United States of America is the Saratoga Racecourse. It opened its doors on 3 August 1863, and was also mentioned by James Bond author, Ian Fleming, in his novel Diamonds Are Forever. Its fame and popularity has lasted for decades, and is home to Grade 1 racing events such as the Alabama Stakes, Travers Stakes, Woodward Stakes and the Whitney Handicap. Even with all its flair and history, the Saratoga Racecourse still finds itself under threat, and those who have great affection for the sport of horse racing and the course are fighting for its survival.

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When visiting the Santa Anita Paddock Gardens visitors will find two breathtaking sculptures. One is of George Woolf, and the other is of his most treasured ride, Seabiscuit. This well known jockey was inaugurated into the Hall of Fame of Horse Racing, and after his death the George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award was created in his memory. This award, inaugurated in 1950, honors the achievements and contributions made by present day jockeys. It is seen as a prestigious award to receive and was won this year by jockey Calvin Borel.

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The Sunshine Millions Classic was inaugurated in 1981, and is hosted by at Santa Anita Park Racecourse. It is an event for four-year-old horses and older, and carries a purse of $1 million. Only horses which are bred in California and Florida are permitted to participate. This year a brilliant seven-year-old showed his worth and walked away with the champion title in the Sunshine Millions Classic. Bold Chieftain comfortably added $500 000 in purse money to his career earnings and re-affirmed his racing talent and abilities.

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The San Rafael Stakes is a Grade 3 event for three year old racehorses, and covers a distance of one mile. Many horsemen flock to this event, held at the Santa Anita Racecourse, as it is a preparation race for those campaigning for the prestigious Triple Crown series. This wonderful event has been won by a number of great athletes in previous years, such as Tobasco Cat, El Gato Malo and The Pamplemousse. At this year’s meeting, Conveyance added his name to the distinguished list.

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The Beverly Wilshire Hotel, located in Beverly Hills, California, will be the venue for the prestigious Eclipse Awards Ceremony on 18 January 2010. It will be the 39th celebration of horse racing hosted by the Eclipse Foundation, and will again bring recognition to those who have contributed to the industry in the last year. Creating a great sensation however, are two equally deserving nominations, namely Zenyatta and Rachel Alexandra. Everyone in the horse racing community will be holding their breath to find out who will reign superior at the awards.

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On 17 November 2009, the nineteenth Cartier Racing Awards ceremony took place at the Claridge Hotel, Mayfair. This prestigious event awards those in the horse racing industry for outstanding performances, and for contributions made to the sport. The awards, to recognize achievements, are allocated through a points system, where racing journalists and readers, have the opportunity to vote for the horses and community members they believe, deserve to be distinguished from the rest. It was a night of celebration and honor, as the winners of the 2009 Cartier Racing Awards were read.

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Held in Britain, every November, the Paddy Power Gold Cup is a National Hunt Chase event, for four year old horses and older. This Grade 3 meeting is hosted by Cheltenham, the Old Course, and features fifteen fences throughout the race. It was inaugurated in 1960 and has become a popular horse racing event. This year, the Irish walked away with the title, as racing sensation Tranquil Sea crossed the finish line in first place, and surprised the entire horse racing community.

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It was a memorable Breeder’s Cup for Santa Anita Racecourse and there was much to celebrate. Not only did every competitor return home safely, with not one injury, but Zenyatta had the opportunity to test her skills against her male counterparts, and walk away victorious. There was a lot of debate and speculation in regard to which race Zenyatta would ultimately run, but on Saturday, 7 November 2009, she stood in the starting gates of the 2009 Breeder’s Cup Classic, ready to run the last race of her flawless career, and do so in style.

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Inaugurated in 1861, the Melbourne Cup is a prestigious horse racing meeting that has become the major event in Australia’s racing calendar. Run over a distance of 3 200 meters, the Melbourne Cup is held annually at the Flemington Racecourse and is hosted by the Victory Racing Club. The best equine athletes, three years old and over, from across the country, meet in Melbourne to participate in this event. This year the Melbourne Cup was held on 3 November 2009, and the crowd was in for a surprise.

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The legendary Breeders’ Cup is an event that is hosted annually at the Oak Tree at Santa Anita, and received 166 pre-entries to the event. Held on the 6th and 7th of November 2009, the Breeders’ Cup is known to be a prestigious event that features fourteen races and carries a total purse amount of $25.5 million. Thirty seven international horses have also been pre-entered, of which fifteen are from the Godolphin Racing yard. But most noteworthy, is the two pre-entries for Zenyatta and that of Summer Bird.

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