TVG Blinkers Off: Keeneland & Belmont Grade 1 action

USA / Editor / 08 October 2011 / Leave a Comment

There are three Grade 1s at Belmont tonight

Matt Carothers and Simon Bray preview all the weekend's stakes action from Keeneland, Belmont Park and Hawthorne on this week's edition of Blinkers Off.

Keeneland holds three Grade 1s on Saturday night, namely the First Lady Stakes, the Dixiana Breeders' Futurity and the Shadwell Turf Mile.

Aidan O'Brien's Together lines up in the First Lady Stakes, along with former Brian Meehan inmate Theyskens' Theory, who had her first run for new American trainer.

The Shadwell Turf Mile sees a shootout between the American pair Gio Ponti and Sidney's Candy, but O'Brien's Zoffany also goes there with a chance and Ed Vaughan's Dance And Dance, under Jamie Spencer, can't be completely ruled out.

There are another trio of Grade 1s over at Belmont, with the Jamaica Handicap (which will feature Jeremy Noseda's recent Kempton winner Western Aristocrat) and the Frizette Stakes, followed by the Champagne Stakes, the last-named a Dirt race for 2-y-os.

Following two successful bets from three yesterday,Timeform's US team are hoping for the clean sweep in North America tonight......

Ahead of Friday's Opening Day meeting at Keeneland, featuring the Grade 1 Darley Alcibiades Stakes (due off 10:45 BST), Todd T. Schrupp explains why the Kentucky course is a great place to go racing......

Timeform's US team continued in winning form last night and bring you another three bets in North America this evening......

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Belmont Betting: Theyskens' Theory returns to the US

Trainer Talk / Brian Meehan / 17 September 2011 / Leave a Comment

Theyskens' Theory returns to the US on Saturday night

Brian Meehan's Theyskens' Theory, sixth in last year's Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, returns to the US on Saturday night for the Garden City Stakes at Belmont Park (due off 22:18 BST). Here's what he had to say about her...

22.18 1m1f Group 1

Theyskens' Theory: She deserves to win a Group 1 and she should relish the fast ground that has been forecast. She did well to win her listed race at Sandown last month and this has been the plan ever since. It is such a shame the ground went against her at Royal Ascot as she would have gone very close on a quicker surface. She looked magnificent before she left for America, she is a genuine Group 1 filly, and although this is obviously a hot race (she faces the 1-2-3 from last year's Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf), I would be very hopeful she would be involved in the finish.
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Brian Meehan provides the lowdown on his weekend runners, including one in the opener at Newbury that he's very excited about......

Michael Bell is tentative about his runners' chances on Saturday but could they surprise him?...

Michael Bell's globetrotting gelding Wigmore Hall goes in search of his first Grade 1 success in the Northern Dancer Turf Stakes at Woodbine on Sunday night (due off 21:34). Here's what Michael had to say about his chance.....

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Belmont Stakes 2011: O'Brien to Master another Classic

USA / Christina Olivares / 10 June 2011 / Leave a Comment

Master of Hounds again goes for a major US prize

"Master of Hounds is by a champion miler and his dam sire is the late great Sadler’s Wells. Watching his move in the Derby and the way he moves, gives every indication that he will indeed get the mile and a half."

TVG's Christina Olivares can't get away from Aidan O'Brien's Master of Hounds as she assesses the contenders for the third leg of America's Triple Crown

How is it that I just can't get away from a horse that is one for eight in this year's Belmont Stakes?

I strongly believe Master of Hounds will run a big race. I loved his performance in the Kentucky Derby. The comment line reads "worked thru traffic" which couldn't be truer. For a long time, Garrett Gomez had nowhere to go in the stretch but once he did get clear sailing, Master of Hounds attacked the ground and fought past horse after horse down the lane.

In fact, he dug in gamely to get past Santiva who had the jump on him to win the photo for fifth. Visually, aside from the winner, Master of Hounds is the one horse my eye is drawn to as I watch the Derby replay over and over.

His frequent flyer miles are a bit of a concern. He made his first trip stateside for the Breeders Cup Juvenile Turf and actually went off favored. He was steadied early in that race and ended up a lacklustre sixth after the trouble. It was back home to Ballydoyle after that. He then shipped to Dubai and his gutty performance in the UAE Derby off a five month layoff is proof that he has improved at three.

The fillies in Dubai this year were considered very strong and Master of Hounds' nose defeat to Khawlah was nothing to be ashamed of. Once again, back to Ballydoyle. He then had a two month layoff prior to the Kentucky Derby and then it was back to Ireland AGAIN. According to reports from the head travelling lad, the trip from Ireland to Belmont was 12 hours barn to barn. After a brief period in quarantine at nearby Aqueduct, Master of Hounds will van over to Belmont for a days worth of training over the track prior to raceday.

The distance shouldn't be a problem. He's by a champion miler and his dam sire is the late great Sadler's Wells. Watching his move in the Derby and the way he moves, gives every indication that he will indeed get the mile and a half. And the fact that Aidan O'Brien continues to ship this horse to America is a vote of confidence in his ability on dirt against our best sophomores. The Irish want to win another Classic and Master of Hounds very well could be the horse to do it for them.

As for the others, Animal Kingdom validated himself with another big performance in the Preakness. He didn't have to prove anything to me, but there were still critics out there, and I think he silenced them a few weeks ago. Let's just hope those races didn't take too much out of him. He didn't seem to have the brilliance in the Preakness that we saw in the Derby. Then again, any Derby win is going to sparkle.

Shackleford is also a serious racehorse but whereas the Preakness distance helped him a little, the Belmont distance will hurt him. I'm not convinced he can get the mile and a half but rest assured he will be sent from the outside gate and try to run them off their feet. And don't be concerned if he gets warm before the race. He always does that. A lot was made of his appearance before the Preakness, but truth be told he did the same thing before the Florida Derby and just held it together a little more than usual before the Kentucky Derby.

Nehro is a horse that always gives you a thrill but still can't quite get to the winners circle. Unfortunately I think Saturday will be another carbon copy of what we've seen from him in the past. Brilliant Speed will run big. Don't let him get away at a price. He was my pick in the Derby and I feel even more strongly about his abilities in the Belmont.

Recommended Bet
Back Master of Hounds @ [9.0] in the Belmont Stakes

Two backs and a lay for Friday from Timeform's US team......

Three for Thursday from Timeform's US Team......

Our blogger considers some of the elements that may point you to the winner in Saturday's last leg of The US Triple Crown......

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