Sales & Racing OktoberFESTival in Baden-Baden - Iffezheim from 15 to 17 October 2021
It will be two more hot autumn days at the racecourse in Baden-Baden-Iffezheim. For the season finale, the Sales & Racing OktoberFESTival offers top sport on two racing days. On Friday, Oct. 15, and Sunday, Oct. 17, two six-figure races for two-year-old horses (including one group race) and another group race are on the program. The total of 17 races are endowed with prize money of 458,000 euros. Embedded in the racing days is the autumn auction of the Baden-Badener Auktionsgesellschaft (BBAG) e.V. on Friday evening and Saturday.
Already the opening day has it all: The focus of the total of seven races with 98 horses is the Ferdinand Leisten Memorial Race. The 200,000-euro race commemorates the important breeder, owner and legendary auctioneer; it bears the subtitle BBAG Auction Race and is the third highest-paying gallop race of 2021 in Germany after the German Derby and the Prize of Diana. 100,000 euros will be paid to the owner of the winner. Eligible to start are two-year-old horses that were on offer at the BBAG a year ago.
Champion trainer Henk Grewe has two strong starters in the field of 13 with Mister Applebee under jockey Adrie de Vries and Steelhammer with jockey Michael Cadeddu. Peter Schiergen, Markus Klug and Sascha Smrczek are also sending two teams each into the race. After his third place a few days ago in the Prize of the Winter Favorites, expectations have also risen for See Hector with jockey Clement Lecoeuvre. The mare Perl will travel from France with Gregory Benoist. Here, especially the trifecta could be worthwhile, because 10,000 euros are guaranteed as a payout.
In the rest of the program, an Equalizer II race over 1,400 meters stands out. Iffezheim trainer Carmen Bocskai also thinks Itman has a chance.
The racecourse opens at 12.00, the first start is 13.15. The bettors also have the best prospects: 20,000 euros will be played out in the four-horse bet of the 7th race. This sum will be paid out in full to a bettor who taps the first four horses in the correct order; otherwise it will be divided among the winners.
Photo credit: www.marcruehl.com