OF SEAGRAM, HELEN AND A LOT OF HISTORY
The 120th Breeders’ Stakes is a famous race in Canadian thoroughbred history, mostly if it is poised to cap a Triple crown sweep for a champion racehorse.
JOSEPH SEAGRAM’S HELEN LEIGH was the first winner of the Breeders’ and Seagram was honoured yesterday with the Seagram Cup, also an old, old race.
When there is no chance of a Triple crown winner, such as this year, it’s usually a good betting race, always fun to watch (it starts right in front of the crowd on the grass andyou can never get tired of that!) and the winner is a heroe for a day.
Past winners such as Lodge HIll, Perfect Shower, Miami Deco are modest runners but their Breeders’ wins were exciting, the last pair were huge odds.
So with QUEEEN’SPLATEKITTEN scratching from the race today, favoritism will probably land on Prince of Wales winner PENDER HARBOUR, who has blossomed fine and fast for trainer Mike DePaulo.
The gelding is the talk of the media since he is ridden by the darling of the track, LUIS CONTRERAS, going for his own persoanl Triple Crown.
The TORONTO STAR’s front page of the sports section features the rider and his quest to be just the 2nd human to win any Triple crown series with different horses.
Who is the only human to do this??
Hint:
1 / Delawana / David Moran / Mike Keogh / 12-1
2 / Stunning Split / Jim McAleney / Malcolm Pierce / 15-1
3 / Queen’splatekitten – SCRATCHED
4 / Crown’s Path / Jesse Campbell / Greg de Gannes / 20-1
5 / Control / Omar Moreno / Mark Casse / 15-1
6 / Seawatch / Slade Callaghan / Josie Carroll / 10-1
7 / Molinaro Remarks / Steve Bahen / Vito Armata / 30-1
8 / Blackstone Bay / Patrick Husbands / Mark Casse / 20-1
9 / Pender Harbour / Luis Contreras / Mike DePaulo / 7-2
10 / Diego Bay / Richard Dos Ramos / Roger Attfield / 20-1
11 / Celtic Conviction / Emile Ramsammy / Mike Doyle / 6-1
12 / Runaway Whiz / Corey Fraser / Mark Frostad / 30-1
13 / Born to Boogie / Justin Stein / Catherine Day Phillips / 15-1
14 / Hippolytus / Tyler Pizarro / Mark Casse / 8-1
There is not a bad pick, really, in this race so becreative, you’re looking for a horse long in stamina and speed and some classic grass breeding.
Celtic Conviction, one of several live longshots in today’s Breeders’
M. Burns photo
I went out on a limb and selected the maiden STUNNING SPLIT, who really should have won his maiden by now for Sam-Son Farms. The half brother to turf stars Quiet Jungle and Forest Uproar had a big run 2 starts ago when a close 2nd to now double-stakes winner Clement Rock and he appears to be sitting on a win. Trainer Malcolm Pierce has had a rough meeting with just 4 wins but wouldn’t this make things brighter?
Looking at the field, there is Delawana, who just won his maiden at 82 to 1 with 1st time blinkers, and he led all the way that day. Crown’s Path just won his maiden with a nice rally at 9 furlongs for Joe stritzl, who bred the Trajectory colt. He’s an interesting one since he is improving.
CONTROL is one of 3 for trainer Mark Casse and he is a homevred for Will Farish Jr. SEAWATCH is making his grass debut for Donver Stables (yes, of Inglorious fame) and he is a popular pick based on his 6th in the Plate.
MOLINARO REMARKS is a front runner for Molinaro Stable and DIEGO BAY is a maiden for Stronach Stables. Toss in BLACKSTONE BAY, for WinStar, HIPPOLYTUS (2nd in the Plate) and stakes winner CELTIC CONVICTION and budding turf star BORN TO BOOGIE and it’s a wide open event. RUNAWAY WHIZ is also in there and he is an Old Forester making his grass debut!
Terence Dula/horse-races.net photo
YESTERDAY AT WOODBINE
JAMES STREET paired up his best Beyer Figuers with a 92 and it was good enough to hold on and win the Grade 3 Seagram Cup for Eugene Melnyk. The Kentucky bred by El Prado was making his first start for new trainer Josie Carroll, who was actually training for Melnyk years ago before Mark Casse took over. Carroll took over James Street from….Casse.
Anyway, it was a good race and the older horse category is wide open as Don Davallo won the Dominion Day. STUNNING STAG ran the best race yesterday as he rallied from well back off the slow pace and just missed.
Congratulations to trainer Jhhn LeBlanc Jr who won his first race of the year when LUCKY N BOLD took the first race for $12,500 claiming
in race 5 – QUALITY LASS posted an 81 Beyer Figure to go close to the top of the 2yo filly ranks following a smashing maiden score yesterday. Fourth in the Shady Well Stakes first time out, this gal learned fast and won by 7 yesterday for WEST POINT THOROUGHBREDS. The filly is by young sire Exclusive Quality and she was bred by Sienna Farms in Ontario.
She was a $40,000 Florida yearling purchase and then an $82,000 2yo purchse this past March.
GYPSY RING took an allowance/optional claimer on the grass in a mild upset over stakes winner JUNGLE WAVE. The latter appeared to be on his way to his first win in a couple of seasons but he was definitely caught napping late as the Gypsy pipped him. The winner is a homebred for Paul Buttigieg.
LITTLE RED CHRIS has been a hard luck guy all season but he put it all together under Jesse Campbell and won an allowance race – race 7 – for Dom Roemo’s Terra Farm and trainer Kevin Attard.
And 10-year-old SALTY LANGFUHN picked up his 15th career win in race 9 on the drop to just $20,000 claiming for Maggi Moss. The old timer, who had a horrible trip last time when he had an unfair strat, has won more than $625,000.
D’WILD RIDE PASSES $600,000
Ontario bred D’WILD RIDE won the WEST VIRGINIA SECRETARY OF STATE H., $85,000, at Mountaineer last night to boost her career earnings to over $600,000. Bred by Sophian Stables the 6yo mare is owne by Silly Goose Racing Stable and trained by Joe Orseno. It was the mare’s 12th win in 38 races. The daughter of D’wildcat–Summer Storm,by Peace for Peace was an $80,000 yrl ’06 KEESEP and then a 4170,000 2yo in 2007.
BROCK WINS AT PRESQUE ISLE
Result from Thoroughbred daily news…
Cudney Stables’ homebred GENERAL BROCK left Woodbine and won an allowance race last night at Presque Isle for trainer Liz Charalambous.
6th-PID, $38,950, NW19MX, 3yo/up, 6f (AWT),
1:11 4/5, ft. GENERAL BROCK (g, 5, Monashee Mountain–Deli Cat,
by Bold Ruckus) Lifetime Record: 20-4-6-2, $233,869.
O/B-Cudney Stables (KY). T-Elizabeth R Charalambous.
