– Yeats went to post at 8-13 odds and looked every bit the well-bet favorite in today’s Ascot Gold Cup, romping home to take consecutive runnings of the 2 1/2 mile race. The win was the third of the meet for trainer Aidan O’Brien, who’s already considering bringing Yeats back for a third shot at the Gold Cup next year. “This race is the ultimate staying race and a third crack at it would be on the agenda. It would be great to be back again” (Sporting Life).
– Today was Ladies’ Day at Ascot: Topshop topped Dior in the fashion stakes (Guardian), and there are rumors of a palace leak after cream, “untouched as an 8-1 shot all week,” suddenly emerged as the prohibitive favorite for the Queen’s hat color (Times), leaving bookmaker Paddy Power with a £15,000 bill when the Queen arrived at Ascot in a cream-and-chocolate number (BBC).
– Superfecta is agitating for a Ladies’ Day stateside, perhaps on Breeders’ Cup Friday. It’s a fine idea, and would be a nice way to showcase the newly added races to the BC program.
Posted by JC in International on 06/21/2007 @ 8:00 pm / Follow @railbird on Twitter
Trainer Jimmy Jerkens sent the Met Mile winner out for a stamina building seven furlong work this morning, which he did in 1:25.74 over Belmont’s main track, getting the last eighth in :11.74 (DRF). Corinthian is being prepped for the June 30 Suburban, where he and at least three others are expected to take on Invasor, reigning horse of the year and defending Suburban winner.
Posted by JC in Races/Results on 06/21/2007 @ 7:55 pm / Follow @railbird on Twitter
Horseplayers hit the pick six at Belmont, Churchill, and Hollywood, which were all offering sizable carryover pots on Wednesday, but favorites dominated the sequence at each track. At Hollywood, the longest price was $9.40 on Charisma Matters in the sixth, and the payout $5,193. Belmont players were saved from an even smaller return when 3-1 Our Top Cat was disqualified and placed second, behind 19-1 Karakorum Thunder, in the day’s finale. Disqualifications are always controversial, and this one was no exception, but Left at the Gate makes a pretty good case that it was justified. Belmont paid $14,026. Churchill players did the best, with a payout of $41,722, largely thanks to longshot Unforgotten in the sixth, who paid $38 to win.
Posted by JC in Betting on 06/21/2007 @ 8:45 am / Follow @railbird on Twitter
