Whistle jacket
Memorial Day in America
The focus here is on Santa Anita where the program includes three graded stakes.
The first of these is the Gamely on turf over 1800m for f&m with 9 to run. Favourite here is No Show Sammy Jo on 7/2 for Motion-Prat. She's got an Exceed and Excel Dam so we have to give her a bit of Aussie support. Be Your Best is on 4/1 for Saffie Joseph who has Irad Ortiz riding and Liguria looks interesting – on 9/2 for McCarthy-Rispoli and Liguria isn't all that far from Rispoli's home in Italy.
The Holywood Gold Cup is Gr 2 over 2000m with seven runners and a market led by the well-credentialed Skippylongstocking for Joseph- I Ortiz and not surprisingly he's on evens. Extensive for McCarthy-Prat is on 3/1 and Tarantino 4/1 for Eurton- J J Hernandez.
The Shoemaker Mile is another turf stakes at Gr 1 level with 9 starters. McCarthy-Rispoli have Formidable Man here on 3/1, King of Gosford 7/2 for d'Amato-Prat and Goliad 4/1 for Mandella-Smith.
Sad news coming from New York of the death of trainer Christophe Clement. Born in France from a racing family he worked for several top trainers before moving to New York where he proved that he could produce dirt track winners as well as turf track stars. He was only 59 and had one of those rare cancers that has few symptoms and hard to detect. His son Miguel was in the process of transitioning to take over the training duties have been a very able assistant to his father and we wish him well in the future at the same time as we sympathise with his family and the stable personnel.
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