PRESS RELEASE
Iffezheim season premiere with a spring meeting of top highlights
Baden-Baden-Iffezheim, April 15, 2025 (MH) - Three meetings with a total of ten race days and prize money of around 2.8 million euros (including breeders' premiums) - the 2025 racing season at the racecourse in Baden-Baden-Iffezheim under the direction of Baden Galopp once again promises a series of highlights. The season traditionally kicks off with the Spring Meeting with three days of racing from May 29 to June 1.
The Big Week once again comprises five dates from August 30 to September 7. The finale takes place with the Sales & Racing Festival and two race days on October 17 and 19. The racecourse at the gates of the spa town of Baden-Baden will once again fully live up to its reputation as a premium hippodrome in this country.
The Spring Meeting already features numerous top events on the green turf as well as the Spring Auction on Friday, May 30 from 11 am. Two-year-old horses will be presented at the Breeze-up on Thursday, May 29, from 9:30 am.
Three group and two list races
Within the scheduled 27 races (race prizes and breeders' premiums totaling approx. 620,000 euros), three group races and two Listed races will be in the spotlight. Of course, all turf fans can look forward to numerous gallop stars and hopefuls from Germany and abroad. In addition, there will be three-year-old horses who want to recommend themselves for the IDEE German Derby in Hamburg. The extended entry deadline for the top races took place today, Tuesday.
Big revenge in the Kronimus Badener Meile?
The top race on the opening day (Thursday, May 29/ Ascension Day) is the 47th Kronimus Badener Meile, which will once again be sponsored by the Iffezheim-based concrete block company Kronimus, one of the most important supporters of the races in Iffezheim and a loyal partner of Baden Galopp. 55,000 euros will be paid out as prize money in the first Iffezheim group race in 2024 over a distance of 1,600 meters. 14 horses have been entered. The search is on for the successor to last year's winner Arcandi.
Penalty, the stallion owned by the President of the Cologne Racing Association who became a top miler in 2024, is also in the line-up. His success in the Brunner-Oettingen-Rennen here at the Grosse Woche is still fondly remembered. His handler has the strongest contingent of horses with four candidates. There could be a repeat of the Kalkmann-Frühjahrs-Meile last Sunday in Düsseldorf, when Geography, trained by Peter Schiergen, left Best Lightning and Penalty behind in a thrilling final.
The Preis der Baden-Badener Hotellerie & Gastronomie (Listed race, €25,000, 2,200 m) for four-year-old and older mares stands out from the supporting program of the expected nine competitions. The first start is scheduled for 1.30 pm. Attractive guaranteed payouts are planned for all days in the four-horse bet and the V4 bet.
Does Iffezheim see the derby winner?
The second day of the spring meeting on Saturday, May 31, will be dominated by one of the most important preliminary tests for the IDEE German Derby on July 6 in Hamburg, the Japan Racing Association Derby Trial. Augustus advanced to last year's winner in a thrilling match. His handler Waldemar Hickst named four hopefuls this time.
22 three-year-old hopefuls have been entered for this race, including the winter favorite Lifetimes from Peter Schiergen's stable, who also has four horses in the line-up, and Think Giant, prepared in France by Christopher Ferland for Eckhard Sauren. Turfsyndikat Baden-Baden is also represented with Kolumban.
Saturday will be marked by another preparatory race, as the BBAG Badener Jugendpreis (€15,000, 1,000 m) will see two-year-old horses compete in Germany for the first time this year. A level I (20,000 euros, 2,000 m) is another fixed point within the planned eight races. The first start is scheduled for 1.30 pm.
Many prominent names in the final highlight
The crowning finale and highlight of the spring meeting is the Grand Prix of Tattersalls (Group II, 70,000 euros, 2,200 m) on the final Sunday, June 1, which is sponsored by the world-famous auction house.
19 horses were entered for this race; in 2024, the final day had to be canceled due to adverse weather conditions and was then rescheduled a week later in Cologne. The runner-up there, Lordano from Ittlingen Stud, is one of the horses named, as is Borna, the 2024 Derby runner-up, the current Grand Prix Aufgalopp winner Wintertraum and Stall Salzburg's Quest the Moon. He achieved the feat of winning the 34th WETTSTAR.de - Preis der Deutschen Einheit in Berlin-Hoppegarten at the ripe old age of eight. Sarah Steinberg's protégé is also well known in Iffezheim.
The English trainer Sir Mark Prescott has even named two mares, Tiffany (winner of the Baden-Badener Hotellerie & Gastronomie Prize and the T. von Zastrow Mare Prize at this track as well as runner-up in the Bavarian Grand Prix in Munich) and the Schlenderhan mare Tasmania. An exotic element is Cold Heart, the Brazilian Derby winner of 2023, who is now at home with Peter Schiergen in Cologne.
Top short-distance horses compete in the Casino Baden-Baden Silver Whip (Listed race, 25,000 euros, 1,200 m). Within the planned ten races, riders under the age of 30 will compete for points in a race for the Mehl-Mülhens Foundation's Young Talent Prize. There will also be highly endowed handicap races, including two level II races. The first start is scheduled for 11.15 am. Several races will be broadcast to the approximately 13,000 PMU betting shops in France.
Stephan Buchner, Managing Partner of Baden Galopp: "Overall, we have mixed feelings about the entry result. While we are very satisfied with the Grand Prix of Tattersalls, there could have been a few more horses in the other two group races. In terms of quality, however, the result leaves little to be desired. In any case, we are all very much looking forward to the spring meeting"
Tickets for all areas are available via the website www.badengalopp.de.
Dates of race events Baden Galopp 2025
Spring Meeting:
Thursday, May 29
Saturday, May 31
Sunday, June 01
Big week:
Saturday, August 30
Sunday, August 31
Wednesday, September 03
Saturday, September 06
Sunday, September 07
Sales & Racing Festival:
Friday, October 17
Sunday, October 19
