Flanagan Racing’s Chancer McPatrick (McKinzie – Bernadreamy) trailed early after an eventful beginning at the start of Monday’s $300,000, Gr. I Hopeful Stakes at Saratoga, but circled horses on the turn and came seven wide into the lane. Sustaining his run down the stretch, he reached the lead inside the sixteenth pole and held off a late charge by fellow OBS graduate Ferocious (Flatter – Napier) to win by half a length.

    The 2-year-old colt by McKinzie, trained by Chad Brown, is unbeaten after two starts and has earned $220,000. At the 2024 OBS Spring Sale, he turned in an Under Tack quarter in :21 flat and was purchased for $725,000 out of the Caliente Thoroughbreds consignment by Kimmel & Sallusto, Agents.  

    Zedan Racing Stables’ Muth (Good Magic – Hoppa), on furlough since taking the Gr. I Arkansas Derby in March, returned to work on Sunday at Del Mar. Pressing the pace in the $156,000 Shared Belief Stakes, he took command a quarter mile out, eased away down the stretch and scored by two lengths. It’s the fourth stakes win for the 3-year-old son of Good Magic, trained by Bob Baffert, now 7-5-2-0 with $1,579,100 in earnings. 

    Arena Racing Company (“ARC”), Britain’s largest racing group, and 1/ST, North America’s preeminent Thoroughbred racing and pari-mutuel wagering company, today announce a new partnership to open new opportunities across some of their feature races.

    The winners of a selection of prestigious races at Doncaster Racecourse, home of the Betfred St. Leger Stakes, the World’s Oldest Classic, will be offered free entry to races across 1/ST’s portfolio of elite tracks in the United States, including for the inaugural California Crown race day at Santa Anita Park on 28 September, and on the prestigious Pegasus World Cup program held at Gulfstream Park on 25 January 2025.

    At the upcoming Betfred St Leger Festival, the winners of the Group 2 Betfred May Hill Stakes will receive free entry to the $500,000 Pegasus World Cup Filly and Mare Turf Invitational (GII), run over 1m 1/16f at Gulfstream Park in January 2025. Equally, the winner of the Carlsberg Danish Pilsner Flying Childers Stakes will receive free entry to the $750,000 California Crown Eddie D. Turf Sprint (GII), run over 6½ furlongs at Santa Anita Park at the end of September.

    For the first time, Season 12 of the All-Weather Championships will open Finals Day qualification to any horses to running three times over the season on an artificial surface in the USA, in addition to runs in the UK, Ireland or France.

    As such, the winner of the Carousel Club Handicap at Gulfstream Park on 25 January will receive free entry to the All-Weather Championships Mile Final at Newcastle Racecourse on Good Friday, with two other qualifying runs. Season 12 of the All-Weather Championships begins in October 2024 across the six all-weather racecourses in Britain culminating with £1,000,000 Finals Day at Newcastle on Good Friday, 18 April 2025.

    In addition to the free entry to each of these races, ARC and 1/ST will support the connections of any qualifying horse with a subsidy towards their travel.

    This agreement follows on from the recent announcement of a new strategic alliance between ARC, 1/ST, Tabcorp and Racecourse Media Group to create a network of rights holders that will distribute content across multiple international markets.

    Director of Media and International at ARC, Brendan Parnell, said: “We are delighted to announce this partnership with 1/ST to offer the winners of two of the most high-profile races during the Betfred St Leger Festival the opportunity to take up some exciting opportunities in the USA.

    “Likewise, in extending the qualification criteria for the All-Weather Championships, and the link with Gulfstream Park, we hope that we might look to add some further international interest in the £1,000,000 Good Friday fixture, alongside the long standing Irish and French participation.”

    Aidan Butler, President of 1/ST, said: “We’re thrilled to expand our existing partnership with ARC. Working with Doncaster and its revered St Leger Festival is truly a privilege, while we’re also looking forward to sending over a horse for the All-Weather Championships next Spring at Newcastle. Collectively, we’re playing our part to bring US and UK racing closer together across elite races on all surfaces.

    “By coupling timeless tradition to forward-thinking innovation, via newly-conceived concepts like the California Crown at Santa Anita Park on 28 September (California's richest day of racing outside the Breeders’ Cup), we will only build on this association and progressive program in the years ahead. At 1/ST, our goal is always the betterment of top-class international fields, a cornerstone project in growing and sustaining the sport we love on both sides of the pond.”

    HALLANDALE BEACH - Gulfstream Park’s Championship Meet, highlighted by the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) and $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1) Jan. 25 and the $1 million Curlin Florida Derby (G1) March 29, will launch its 2024-2025 season Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 28 and run through March 30, 2025.

   The Championship Meet, winter home of the top horses, horsemen and jockeys in the world, will play host to 66 stakes races – 30 graded – totaling $15.025 million. Opening weekend begins with 2-year-old turf stakes Thanksgiving Day and Friday, Nov. 29, and the $600,000 finals of the Florida Sire Stakes Saturday, Nov. 30.

    Pegasus World Cup Day will offer eight stakes races – seven graded plus two overnight handicaps - totaling $5.55 million. Along with the $3 million World Cup and $1 million World Cup Turf, the day will also feature the $500,000 Pegasus Filly & Mare Turf Invitational (G2), $200,000 Inside Information (G2) for fillies and mares, the $200,000 W.L. McKnight (G3) for 4-year-olds and up and $150,000 La Prevoyante (G3) for 4-year-olds and up fillies and mares, both at 1 ½ miles on the turf, and the $150,000 Fred Hooper (G3) for 4-year-olds and up at a mile on the main track.

    The $150,000 Gulfstream Park Turf Sprint, for 4-year-olds and up on the turf, is expected to draw a crowd as are two overnight handicaps run on Gulfstream’s Tapeta track – the $100,000 Carousel Club and $100,000 South Beach.

    In just eight years the Pegasus World Cup and Pegasus World Cup Turf have hosted Horses of the Year in Gun Runner, California Chrome, Knicks Go and Bricks and Mortar, as well as two-time Longines World’s Best Racehorse Arrogate. The race has also attracted runners from England, Ireland and Japan, as well as the world’s most noted celebrities and entertainers.

    The Curlin Florida Derby highlights 10 stakes totaling $2.5 million – five graded – including the $250,000 Gulfstream Park Oaks (G2) for 3-year-old fillies, two 1 ½ mile turf events in the $200,000 Pan American (G2) for older horses and $150,000 Orchid (G3) for fillies and mares, and the $150,000 Ghostzapper (G3) for 4-year-olds and up on the main track. The Florida Derby continues to be the leader in establishing classic winners. There have been 46 Florida Derby starters that have won a remarkable 59 Triple Crown events, including 25 Kentucky Derbys.

    Meanwhile, last winter’s Gulfstream Park Oaks produced Alabama (G1) winner Power Squeeze, Test (G1) winners Ways and Means, Black-Eyed Susan (G2) winner Gun Song, and Monmouth Oaks (G2) winner Scalable.

    Two big days with major preps for the spring classics lead up to the Curlin Florida Derby.

    On Feb. 1, the $250,000 Holy Bull (G3) is the featured event of a five stakes program that includes three other graded races - the $150,000 Forward Gal (G3) on the main track, $150,000 Kitten’s Joy (G3) and $150,000 Sweetest Chant (G3) on turf.

    The final preps for the Curlin Florida Derby and Gulfstream Park Oaks is March 1. The nine stakes program – eight graded - is led by the $400,000 Fountain of Youth (G2), won by Belmont (G1) and Haskell (G1) winner Dornoch last winter, and $200,000 Davona Dale (G2).

    Gulfstream’s renowned 3-year-old series begins Jan. 4 with the $150,000 Mucho Macho Man followed by the Holy Bull, Fountain of Youth and Florida Derby. The 3-year-old filly series begins Jan. 1 with the $100,000 Cash Run at a mile, followed by the Forward Gal, Davona Dale and Gulfstream Park Oaks on Derby Day.

    Gulfstream’s turf course will offer a plethora of opportunities for all horses during the Championship Meet. In December, 3-year-olds and up will have the $100,000 H. Allen Jerkens at two miles and the $200,000 Fort Lauderdale (G2) at 1 1/8 miles.

     From January through March, older turf horses and fillies and mares will each have eight turf stakes available at a mile or more. Five of the eight in both divisions will be graded. Turf sprinters will also have plenty of opportunities. Fillies and mares will contest the $125,000 Ladies Turf Sprint and $100,000 Captiva Island while 4-year-olds and up will contest the Gulfstream Turf Sprint and $100,000 Silks Run.