Kia Joorabchian

King Of Steel (Wootton Bassett {GB}) heads the 13 still standing for Saturday's Royal Bahrain Irish Champion S. at Leopardstown on a weekend where the colt's owners Amo Racing could bid for a Group 1 double with Bucanero Fuerte (GB) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) on course for the Goffs Vincent O'Brien National S on Sunday.  Trained by Roger Varian, King Of Steel heads the betting for the Irish Champions Stakes, the showpiece event of the rebranded Irish Champions Festival, and connections of the colt are predicting a bold display.  "It's a...

Derby runner-up King Of Steel (Wootton Bassett {GB}), last seen when third in the G1 King George VI And Queen Elizabeth S. last month, will skip the Aug. 23 G1 Juddmonte International S. and instead target the G1 Royal Bahrain Irish Champion S. on Sept. 9. "We didn't confirm him today for York," said Tom Pennington, racing manager for owners, Amo Racing. "I know when you look at the prize-money and think it could be quite a small field, you might get a bit carried away, but we are going...

Alex Elliott and Ben McElroy, acting as agents for Kia Joorabchian's Amo Racing, accounted for the first seven-figure offering Monday at Fasig-Tipton Saratoga, going to $1.1 million to acquire hip 77 from the consignment of Gainesway, agent for Barbara Banke's Stonestreet Bred & Raised. The March-foaled bay is a son of I'm a Looker (Henny Hughes), winner during her racing days of the GIII Winning Colors S. en route to bankrolling better than $316,000. Stonestreet acquired the March foal's dam for $475,000 at the 2017 Keeneland November Sale and sold...

Group 2 winner Persian Dreamer (Calyx {GB}), who bears the silks of Kia Joorabchian's Amo Racing, has been handed the G1 Cheveley Park S. as a likely autumn target, according to trainer Dominic Ffrench Davis. "She's great and we're very happy with her and we're now looking forward to having a crack at a Group 1 with her," the trainer said. "She appreciates a bit of cut in the ground and when she does get it, her returns from her races are much better." After breaking her maiden on debut...

Craven winner Indestructible (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) will bid to bounce back from a disappointing effort in the 2,000 Guineas when lining out for the G1 St. James's Palace S. at Royal Ascot later this month.  The Karl Burke-trained colt could only manage 10th behind Chaldean (GB) (Frankel {GB}) in the Guineas, where the testing ground is reported to have been against Amo Racing's runner.  Spokesman for the operation, Tom Pennington said, "He's come out of the Guineas very well. The ground probably didn't play to his strengths at Newmarket. We've...

The GII Gulfstream Park Oaks brought a new contestant into the GI Kentucky Oaks picture in victress Affirmative Lady. The connections of the blossoming daughter of Arrogate are newcomers not only to the Oaks trail, but to racing in the U.S. After launching its American stable two years ago, AMO Racing celebrated its first graded stakes win in the States with Affirmative Lady's score on Saturday. Founded by football agent and businessman Kia Joorabchian, AMO Racing has proven to be a force on the other side of the Atlantic in...

   In this new series, the TDN takes a look at the success of European-based sires in North America, on a semi-weekly basis. This week's column (Feb. 18-Feb. 25) is highlighted by the victory of Godolphin homebred Lake Lucerne (Dubawi {Ire}) in the Albert M. Stall Memorial S. at Fair Grounds on Feb. 18. A worldwide influence for class, Dubawi celebrated his 250th stakes winner with Lake Lucerne's two-length victory for Brendan Walsh and Tyler Gaffalione in a 1 1/16-mile turf stakes in New Orleans eight days previously. The 6-year-old...

Group 1-winning rider Kevin Stott has been named the 2023 retained jockey for Amo Racing, Ltd. beginning on Mar. 1. The 29-year-old, who currently leads the All-Weather Jockeys' Championship, rode a career-high 116 winners in 2022. He was aboard Hello Youmzain (Fr) (Kodiac {GB}) when winning the 2020 G1 Platinum Jubilee. "We're delighted to have secured Kevin as our number one rider for the 2023 season," said Amo Racing's Kia Joorabchian. "He is super-talented, and we consider him as one of the top tier elite Flat jockeys. "I am positive...

Michael O'Callaghan is eyeing big-race riches in Dubai with half-brothers I Am Superman (Ire) (Footstepsinthesand {GB}) and Fastnet Crown (Ire) (Hallowed Crown {Aus}) before making the move to a new purpose-built yard near the Curragh ahead of the turf season proper.  However, the leading Irish trainer has said that he remains in the dark over his position with Amo Racing despite sending out Crypto Force (GB) (Time Test {GB}) to secure G2 Beresford S. glory for Kia Joorabchian's major ownership vehicle at the Curragh last season.  Crypto Force joined the...

Group 2 winner Persian Force (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}--Vida Amorosa {Ire}, by Lope De Vega {Ire}), placed three times at the highest level, has been retired to stand at stud in 2023, Amo Racing's Tom Pennington confirmed to the TDN on Sunday morning. A stud farm and fee for the precocious juvenile will be announced in the very near future. "Persian's done an incredible job, to be honest," Amo Racing's Kia Joorabchian told Nick Luck during Luck On Sunday. "He's done everything that Mehmas has done. Arguably, according to Richard Hannon,...

Group 2 winner Persian Force (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}) is pointing to the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint, Amo Racing's Kia Joorabchian announced on Sunday. A winner of the G2 July S. at Newmarket in July, the colt has been placed in three successive Group 1 races since--second in both the Phoenix S. at the Curragh on Aug. 6, and the Prix Morny at Deauville on Aug. 21--and third in the Middle Park S. at Newmarket on Sept. 24. "He'll go to the Breeders' Cup and then we'll make a...

Amo Racing's appeal against the victory of The Ridler (GB) (Brazen Beau {Aus}) in the G2 Norfolk S. at Royal Ascot has been dismissed, despite the fact that Paul Hanagan's ride aboard the winner was described by the disciplinary panel as being "poor, reprehensible and self-evidently culpable". The Ridler, trained by Richard Fahey, caused interference to Crispy Cat (GB) (Ardad {Ire}) and Brave Nation (Ire) (Sioux Nation), who finished third and fourth in that order for owners Amo Racing and Brian Goodyear, respectively. Amo Racing's Walbank (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) ran...