Triple Crown winner Espinoza leads star jockeys in Saturday’s Grade 1 race
31 March 2017, Los Angeles, California, USA ~ Saturday, 1 April, the Grade I $100,000 HH Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Darley Award Stakes will be run at the beautiful Santa Anita race course celebrating the return of Purebred Arabian racing to the big scene with some of America’s top jockeys in the contest.
Thanks to HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival, this Grade 1 race will be held as part of the US Darley Awards and the HH Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Darley Arabian Awards (International) held under the umbrella of the Festival in Hollywood, California.
Led by favorite Paddys Day, the entries include many top Purebred Arabian race horses in the starting line-up, and the Arabian equine stars will be ridden by top jockeys in the racing industry.
Victor Espinoza, who became the first Triple Crown-winning jockey in 37 years when he guided Bob Baffert’s American Pharoah to victory in the 2015 Belmont Stakes, will ride favorite Paddys Day while Travis Wales will try to duplicate his 2016 win by Thess Is Awesome in this running.
Santa Anita regulars Chantal Sutherland will be on Ivory Shores, Edwin Maldonado will ride Easter Man, Rosie Higgins will be on Twice Rich, Chad Lindsay on Miss Paradise, Gallyn Mitchell on Raineing Sand and Brayan Pena will ride Lil Dude AA, while Mario Chavez will head out on Big Girls Are Better by Champion racer So Big Is Better, guaranteeing excitement for this $100,000 race, run here for the second time since its debut in 2016.
Last year Travis Wales on Thess Is Awesome shocked Paddy’s Day under Kelsi Purcell to win the first-ever HH Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Darley Awards Stakes and they are back again to defend that win.
In addition to top flight Arabian-bred racing the HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival and Santa Anita Park will collectively donate $150,000 to the Permanently Disabled Jockeys’ Fund (PDJF), up from $100,000 a year ago. Hall of Fame jockey and recent Dubai World Cup winner on Arrogate, Mike Smith will accept accept the check on behalf of the PDJF in a Winner’s Circle ceremony.
“Santa Anita Park is delighted to once again partner with the HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival in making this donation to such a worthy cause,” said Keith Brackpool, Chairman, Santa Anita Park.
“This event is a welcome addition to our racing presentation and it helps to expose our sport to a diverse international audience. On behalf of The Stronach Group and everyone at Santa Anita Park, we would especially like to thank HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister of the UAE and Minister of Presidential Affairs and Ms. Lara Sawaya, Executive Director of the Festival for their support of jockeys worldwide,”
Ms. Lara Sawaya, Executive Director of the HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival, Chairperson of the International Federation of Horse Racing Academies (IFHRA), Chairperson of Ladies & Apprentice Racing Committees in the International Federation of Arabian Horse Racing Authorities (IFAHR) said, “Last year it was a historic debut for the Festival at the Santa Anita race course. But with the star cast as far as jockeys are concerned who have confirmed to ride the Purebred Arabian horses on Saturday, this is a perfect advertisement for the progress Arabian racing has made in the recent past.”
Horses, jockeys and trainers in the Grade I, $100,000 HH Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Darley Award Stakes
1 EASTER MAN (Jockey-E A Maldonado) Trainer- Tim Eaton
2 IVORY SHORES (C Sutherland) Scott Powell
3 TWICE RICH (R Higgins) Helen Shelley
4 LIL DUDE AA (B Pena) Mark K Powell
5 PADDYS DAY (V Espinoza) Scott Powell
6 BIG GIRLS ARE BETTER (M Chavez) Mark K Powell
7 QUICK AND RICH (K Swan) Lynn A Ashby
8 SAND VICTOR (C Herrera) Tim Eaton
9 MISS PARADISE (C Lindsay) Mark K Powell
10 RAINEING SAND (G V Mitchell) Hellen Shelley
11 THESS IS AWESOME (T Wales) Lynn A Ashby
12 DREAM PEARL (P Flores) Tim Eaton
The HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival is sustained by the Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority and coordinated by Abu Dhabi Sports Council, with National Feed and Flour Production and Marketing Co. LLC as associate sponsors, The National Archives as the official partner and Emirates airline as the official carriers, in cooperation with Emirates Racing Authority, IFAHR, Emirates Arabian Horse Society, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, General Authority of Youth and Sports Welfare and sponsored by Al Aweer Stables, Ayadii LLC, Global United Veterinary Services LLC, Wathba Stallions, Abu Dhabi Falconers Club, Emirates Falconers Club, Mohamed Bin Zayed Falconry and Desert Physiognomy School, Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC), Al Awani General Enterprises, Kabale, Omeir Travels, Dr Nader Saab Switzerland, Laboratories Fadia Karam Cosmetics, YAS Channel, Racing Post, Paris Turf, Al Wathba Centre, the UAE’s General Women’s Union, The Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood, the HH Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Sports Academy, Abu Dhabi International Hunting and Equestrian Exhibition 2017, Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club, Eastern Mangroves Suites-Abu Dhabi by Jannah, Anantara Eastern Mangroves Spa and Resort.
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