Frankie Dettori's Coming to The Spa!
Jul 15, 2014 21:42:44 GMT -5
Post by racinggal on Jul 15, 2014 21:42:44 GMT -5
Dettori heading off for Emotional Saratoga ride
BY JAMES BURN
The Racing Post
FRANKIE DETTORI could not tick winning the July Cup off his bucket list when Undrafted finished only fourth on Saturday, but the rider will realise one ambition this weekend when he makes his first visit to America's oldest racecourse Saratoga, which bursts into life for its 146th summer meeting on Friday.
Undrafted's trainer Wesley Ward will supply Dettori with eight or nine rides including on Emotional Kitten in the Diana Stakes, the first of 15 Grade 1s Saratoga will host in the coming six weeks with prize-money of $17.45 million (£10.1m) up for grabs in stakes races.
He will also partner unbeaten juvenile Bessie's Boy in the Grade 3 Sandford Stakes, a race won in 1972 by the mighty Secretariat, who stormed to Triple Crown glory the following year.
With Dettori's boss Sheikh Joaan Al Thani set for a quiet time on a low-key weekend of racing in Britain, the jockey was keen to take the opportunity to head to Saratoga, renowned as 'America's racetrack' and nothing short of an institution to the US racing community.
It is one of the few major venues Dettori has not ridden at in a career punctuated by victories in some of the world's greatest races.
Dettori, whose cv includes wins in the five British Classics, Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, Japan Cup, Dubai World Cup and even in the Slovakian Derby, said on Tuesday: "I've never ridden at Saratoga. It's one of the few things left on my bucket list and I've always wanted to go there.
"As it happens we probably just have one maiden running at Newbury at the weekend and speaking to my team, they're very happy for me to go.
"Wesley's got one in the Grade 1 and one in the Grade 3 and says they've got live chances. He wants to give me a winner and asked me to come over and I said yes.
"I'm going to ride at Doncaster on Thursday and fly out on Friday morning. I haven't got a ride in the other Grade 1 [American Oaks] on Sunday, but I've got some of my American agents helping me out for rides on Saturday, Sunday and Monday and I'm going to be coming back on Monday night.
"I'm very excited. I've never been there before and it's fantastic I've got this opportunity. Any challenge is a good challenge."
Asked whose advice he would be seeking about riding at Saratoga, Dettori, whose big-race triumphs in the States include the Breeders' Cup Classic and four Breeders' Cup Turfs, added: "I have the best in the world to advise me on that and that's [Hall of Fame rider] Angel Cordero.
"He's my hero and I spoke to him yesterday. He manages John Velazquez now, but will give me some tips and was the first on the phone yesterday."
Saratoga's meeting could also attract reigning two-time Horse of the Year Wise Dan, who underwent emergency colic surgery in May. He could bid to win the Grade 2 Fourstardave Handicap for the third successive year on August 9.
BY JAMES BURN
The Racing Post
FRANKIE DETTORI could not tick winning the July Cup off his bucket list when Undrafted finished only fourth on Saturday, but the rider will realise one ambition this weekend when he makes his first visit to America's oldest racecourse Saratoga, which bursts into life for its 146th summer meeting on Friday.
Undrafted's trainer Wesley Ward will supply Dettori with eight or nine rides including on Emotional Kitten in the Diana Stakes, the first of 15 Grade 1s Saratoga will host in the coming six weeks with prize-money of $17.45 million (£10.1m) up for grabs in stakes races.
He will also partner unbeaten juvenile Bessie's Boy in the Grade 3 Sandford Stakes, a race won in 1972 by the mighty Secretariat, who stormed to Triple Crown glory the following year.
With Dettori's boss Sheikh Joaan Al Thani set for a quiet time on a low-key weekend of racing in Britain, the jockey was keen to take the opportunity to head to Saratoga, renowned as 'America's racetrack' and nothing short of an institution to the US racing community.
It is one of the few major venues Dettori has not ridden at in a career punctuated by victories in some of the world's greatest races.
Dettori, whose cv includes wins in the five British Classics, Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, Japan Cup, Dubai World Cup and even in the Slovakian Derby, said on Tuesday: "I've never ridden at Saratoga. It's one of the few things left on my bucket list and I've always wanted to go there.
"As it happens we probably just have one maiden running at Newbury at the weekend and speaking to my team, they're very happy for me to go.
"Wesley's got one in the Grade 1 and one in the Grade 3 and says they've got live chances. He wants to give me a winner and asked me to come over and I said yes.
"I'm going to ride at Doncaster on Thursday and fly out on Friday morning. I haven't got a ride in the other Grade 1 [American Oaks] on Sunday, but I've got some of my American agents helping me out for rides on Saturday, Sunday and Monday and I'm going to be coming back on Monday night.
"I'm very excited. I've never been there before and it's fantastic I've got this opportunity. Any challenge is a good challenge."
Asked whose advice he would be seeking about riding at Saratoga, Dettori, whose big-race triumphs in the States include the Breeders' Cup Classic and four Breeders' Cup Turfs, added: "I have the best in the world to advise me on that and that's [Hall of Fame rider] Angel Cordero.
"He's my hero and I spoke to him yesterday. He manages John Velazquez now, but will give me some tips and was the first on the phone yesterday."
Saratoga's meeting could also attract reigning two-time Horse of the Year Wise Dan, who underwent emergency colic surgery in May. He could bid to win the Grade 2 Fourstardave Handicap for the third successive year on August 9.
