What’s been a given in Europe became a given throughout the world when Frankie Dettori captured the title of World’s Best Jockey for the third consecutive year in 2020. The award came from the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA). The award isn’t subjective. It’s based on a rider’s performances […]
Tag: Frankie Dettori
Despite Slump, O’Brien Casts a Magical Spell Over the Breeders’ Cup Turf
Irish trainer Aidan O’Brien enjoys a wonderfully magical training career, generally free of moguls or other bumps. But as he sends Magical and Mogul out in search of his seventh Breeders’ Cup Turf title, O’Brien does so along an uncharacteristically bumpy road on this side of the Atlantic. Whatever Irish […]
Stradivarius Searches Again for the Right Note in Long Distance Cup
The British Champions Long Distance Cup is where dominance ended for Stradivarius last year. And after his seventh-place finish in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, the British Champions Long Distance Cup is where Stradivarius seeks to regain it this year. And bettors think he will. The standout Irish stayer […]
Two-Time Horse of the Year Champion Enable Retires
Record-breaking mare Enable retired on Monday when her Juddmonte Farms connections announced she would begin her breeding career next year. The announcement came in a written statement from Juddmonte Farms early Monday. The statement announced that Enable’s first date next spring is with the stallion Kingman. “After consulting her trainer […]
Enable Running for History in King George VI and Queen Elizabeth
Horseplayers, your handicapping homework for Saturday’s King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes is minimal. No need to crunch volumes of numbers, because trainers for the Ascot race crunched them for you. They crunched them down to four horses for the Group 1, 1 ½-mile race at Ascot. Despite its […]
Epsom Derby Favorite English King Seeks to Make, Overcome History
This will test every ounce of Frankie Dettori’s considerable and well-chronicled riding skill. His mission is to win Saturday’s Epsom Derby aboard favored English King from Stall (Gate) No. 1. In English racing, that’s on the outside rail. At Epsom, it’s the Stall of Death. That stall hasn’t sent out […]
Crash Survivor Namesake Nando Parrado Pulls 150/1 Royal Upset at Ascot
The horse was named for a survivor of the infamous 1972 plane crash in the Andes, which made Nando Parrado such an international celebrity that Ethan Hawke played him in the movie. And the horse Nando Parrado became an instant celebrity Saturday, becoming the biggest longshot to win a race […]
Stradivarius, Jockey Dettori, Play a Beautiful Tune at Royal Ascot
If you’re ever fortunate enough to gain entrance to the Royal enclosure at Ascot, you’ll see a statue of jockey Frankie Dettori, who rides Stradivarius in Thursday’s Gold Cup at Royal Ascot. The monument commemorates his “Magnificent Seven” victory performance at Royal Ascot in 1996 when he took a multi-million-pound […]
Royal Ascot 2020: No Pomp, Plenty of Circumstance for Top Horses
There will be no Royal procession at Royal Ascot this year. The 220,000 finger sandwiches, 120,000 buttermilk scones, and 80,000 cups of tea consumed last year won’t be challenged this year. And the Royal Ascot purses took a royal trimming, sliced by 55% to £3.68 million from the planned £8.095 […]