Moonlight Spirit goes for gold in G3 Silver Cup at York Racecourse

Moonlight Spirit drops down in class and trip for the G3 Silver Cup over a mile and three-quarters at York Racecourse, UK, on Saturday. The Dubawi colt makes his second appearance of 2020 for Charlie Appleby having faded to finish last in the G1 Gold Cup over two and a half miles at Royal Ascot on Thursday, 18 June.

Moonlight Spirit (William Buick) ended his three-year-old season with two excellent efforts over a mile and seven furlongs at Longchamp, France, easily winning the G3 Prix de Lutece before taking second in the G2 Prix Chaudenay.

Appleby said: “Moonlight Spirit didn’t get the trip in the Gold Cup and the drop back in distance should suit him much better. He ended last season with two very good runs out in France and a return to that level of form will make him a major contender.”

On the same card, consistent Cape Cross colt Great Example (Saeed Bin Suroor/Cieren Fallon) makes his first appearance for nearly 10 months in the John Smith’s Cup, a heritage handicap over an extended mile and a quarter.

The four-year-old was twice successful over 10 furlongs last season and was runner-up in valuable handicaps over the same distance on his final two starts of 2019, including when going down by half a length at Newbury in September.

Suroor said: “Great Example has been working well at home and this looks the right race for him. He is ready to run and I am hoping for another good performance.”

Antoinette back on dirt for G1:  Godolphin Stable will be in action in US also as stakes-winning filly Antoinette looks to build on three promising runs so far this season when she tackles G1 company for the first time in the Coaching Club American Oaks at Saratoga on Saturday.

The Bill Mott-trained three-year-old returns to dirt for the nine-furlong feature after coming home third on turf in the G3 Wonder Again Stakes over a mile at Belmont Park on Saturday, June 20.

Antoinette started her campaign with two further third places over an extended mile on dirt, going down by just under four lengths in both the Gardenia Stakes at Oaklawn Park in May and the G2 Fair Grounds Oaks in March.

John Velazquez rides the daughter of Hard Spun, who was a decisive winner of the Tepin Stakes over a mile on dirt at Aqueduct on her final juvenile outing in December.

Lightly-raced filly Cerro Bayo bids for G2 Black Type in the Kilboy Estate Stakes over nine furlongs at the Curragh, Ireland, on Sunday.

The four-year-old daughter of Dansili, who is ridden by Kevin Manning, made a winning debut for Jim Bolger over an extended 10 furlongs at Roscommon in August and has made two further appearances this season.

After coming home sixth in the mile G3 Park Express Stakes at Naas in March, Cerro Bayo was eased after being hampered to finish last in the Listed Noblesse Stakes over a mile and a half at Leopardstown in June.

Jim Bolger said: “Cerro Bayo is very well and I am expecting a good effort from a very genuine filly. She was hampered last time when in contention for a share of the spoils.”

Baffert to fight drub ban: US racing legend Bob Baffert has been suspended for 15 days by racing officials in Arkansas after two of his horses failed drug tests after running at Oaklawn Park on May 2.

The ban — the minimum penalty that the racing board could hand a trainer found guilty of the infraction — will be honoured in all jurisdictions, so Baffert would not be able to run in California or other states Aug.1-15.

Baffert was not present when Charlatan won the Arkansas Derby and Gamine won an allowance race at Oaklawn.

Both tested positive for lidocaine, a pain reliever that is legal in certain amounts.

Gamine had 185 picograms in her system and Charlatan had 46 pg. The legal amount is 20 picograms.

Baffert, who guided both American Pharoah and Justify to Triple Crown glory, said that an employee who was with the horses in Arkansas had inadvertently introduced lidocaine to the animals after applying a pain relief patch to his own back and transferring some medication when handling the horses.

Charlatan has since suffered an injury that has ruled him out of the Kentucky Derby, which has been rescheduled for Sept.5 because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Filly Gamine has since won the Acorn Stakes at Belmont Park and could race against colts in the Kentucky Derby.