China Horse Club Has First U.S. Winner

The China Horse Club enjoyed its first win on U.S. soil Friday afternoon at Santa Anita when the Leonard Powell-trained Beat of the Drum (Ire) (Duke of Marmalade {Ire}) kicked home to a 3 1/4-length victory in the seventh race, a grassy, nine-panel optional claimer for fillies and mares. Originally campaigned in Britain by trainer Richard Hannon for the Coolmore partners, the now 5-year-old raced twice in Mainland China, and took the National Breeder's Cup at the inaugural China Equine Cultural Festival in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia in 2013, for trainer Gerard Hourigan. This was the fourth U.S. start for Beat of the Drum, who is believed to be the first horse to race in Mainland China and subsequently win Stateside. “[Friday], a Chinese-owned, former Chinese-based racehorse won at Santa Anita in the United States and the implications of this result cannot be lost,” said Teo Ah Khing, Chairman of the China Horse Club. “In time, this win may prove to be the catalyst for much greater involvement from the Chinese in international racing. Importantly, this win also shows that the best horses in China can travel and be successful. We hope Beat of the Drum will encourage other Chinese owners to come to countries like the United States to compete because it is through competition that the domestic industry in China will strengthen and that an appreciation for the standard of racing in mainland China will grow.”