Looking ahead to some great racing at Woodbine still to come – pivotal races like the CORONATION FUTURITY, KENNEDY ROAD STAKES..and how about all the stallion movements in Canada? Exciting prospects like SOUPER SPEEDY:
The impeccably bred SOUPER SPEEDY won the Jaipur Stakes and was graded stakes placed. He also won big 1st time out. This son of Indian Charlie out of DAILJIN is new to Ontario for 2015 – $3,000 at Mapleville Farms! Cindy Pierson Dulay photo
Read more stallion news below other news…
THE BIRD LANDS!
from JapanRacing.jp
Two of the three foreign-based horses en route to the Nov. 30 Japan Cup (G1, 2,400 meters) at Tokyo Racecourse touched down safely in Japan earlier this week. Arriving were the 4-year-old colt Up With the Birds, Canada’s Horse of the Year for 2013 trained by Malcolm Pierce and Irish Derby champion Trading Leather, also a 4-year-old colt and based at the stable of Irish trainer Jim Bolger.
Up With the Birds was the first to arrive. Leaving from Canada and traveling via the U.S., the bay colt landed shortly before 9:30 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 16 and was transported to the quarantine facilities at the JRA Horseracing School in Shiroi, Chiba Prefecture, where he arrived shortly before midnight the same day.
Assistant trainer Mark Ramsammy said, the colt “didn’t show any signs of fatigue from the trip and is in good shape.” Ramsammy said he would “be in regular touch with the trainer to receive instructions regarding training.”
The next day, Ramsammy said, “He seems to be over the long trip. Today, since he’s just had a long trip, we’ll only handwalk him a bit.” Ramsammy said plans were to prepare Up With the Birds for the race in the same manner as he would be prepared back home. The colt was weighed Monday and tipped the scales at 482 kg.
Early on Monday shortly before 7, the second of the foreign raiders, Trading Leather, arrived safely from Ireland via the Netherlands and was transported to the quarantine facilities, where he arrived at 9:30 a.m. Assistant trainer Gerard Flynn commented, “The trip took some 23 hours but the horse is in good shape.” Flynn’s instructions from Bolger, he said, were “ ‘Go and win the race!’ ” He said, “We’ll be seeing how the horse is doing and deciding his training after that.”
The Canada-bred Up With the Birds is by Stormy Atlantic out of the Seeking the Gold mare Song of the Lark. He has garnered seven wins from his 14 starts in Canada and the U.S. His wins have come predominately at distances between 1,700 meters and 1,800 meters, but he has proven successful over the Japan Cup distance, as indicated by his win of the Breeders Stakes at Woodbine in August 2013. Other wins include the G1 Jamaica Handicap in the U.S. in 2013 and this year’s eye-catching win of the July 19 G2 Nijinsky Stakes at Woodbine, where Up With the Birds defeated a field of six that included G1 Breeders’ Cup Mile runner-up Za Approval. Since then he was given two races, the G1 Arlington Million, in which he ran fourth of seven over 2,000 meters, and the Knickerbocker Stakes, a G3 at Belmont on Oct. 11, where he ran second of six over 1,800 meters.
The bay Trading Leather is a son of the undefeated Teofilo, who was 2-Year-Old European Champion in 2006, and is out of the Sinndar mare Night Visit. Trading Leather’s regular jockey is Kevin Manning, who has in fact been paired with him for all his 15 races. The colt has run consistently in the money, having notched four firsts, five seconds and four thirds. The colt was originally raced in the colors of the trainer’s wife, then sold before the start of this year’s season to Godolphin. He has, however, remained in training with Bolger.
Trading Leather has failed to notch a win since capturing the Irish Derby in June 2013, but the bar has been high, with him taking on six G1 events and one G2. From his four races this year he has tallied a second and two thirds. In early July he took on the G1 Eclipse Stakes over 2,000 meters at Sandown as prep for the 2,400-meter King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes on July 26 at Ascot. He finished second of nine in the prep but was fifth amid eight runners in the main event 11 lengths behind winner Taghrooda. In 2013, Trading Leather had run second in a King George field of eight.
He is coming off a run at Leopardstown in the 2,000-meter G1 Irish Champion Stakes on Sept. 13. He finished third in the field of seven.
HILLABY on top – 91 Beyer in Bessarabian (G3)
Stonestreet Buys Hillaby for $500,000 at F-T – Fasig Tipton photo
More Sunday – MORNING HAS BROKEN won the first race of the day, an $8,000 claiming race for fillies and mares, non-winners of 3. Bill Sorokolit owns and bred this Kentucky bred 6yo by Brokwn Vow and Darwin Banach trains.
First of 3 winners for Luis Contreras on the day.
Race 2- a maiden allowance for 2yos was delayed for several minutes as Bring On the Bull and Java’s Bourbon were scratched at the gate with the latter getting loose and running around the track property.
BEAR AT LAST won the race when it was off, at last, and he posted a 66 Beyer Figure in this 5th start of his career. He is by 1st crop sire MARCHFIELD and he is trained by Reade Baker. Contreras was up.
Race 3 – THE COLUMBIAN GIRL made a lovely pre-race appearance and while she had a weird race, dueling on the lead, fading on the turn and then coming back on to win, she was well bet in this 2nd career start for John Oxley. The Borrego 3yo was a $120,000 2yo in training and her debut was in August and she was last of 5. First of 3 wins for Patrick Husbands
Race 4- LINE OF BEST FIT posted a 75 Beyer Figure as she won this $32,000 claiming race in gate to wire fashion. The Trajectory 4yo is owned and was bred by Frank DiGiulio and Robert Tiller trains. Matt Moore rode the 4yo and it was her 2nd win in 4 races this year.
Race 5- a maiden allowance race for Ontario sired 3yo and up and EL CEEBEO finally broke through for his win. No doubt Rick Pettifer, the owner and breeder, and Martha and Nick Gonzalez toasted this win by the 3yo son of Milwaukee Brew out of My Vintage Port. He was making his 8th start and had a great ride by Jesse Campbell.
Race 6 – Maiden 2yo fillies for $20,000 claiming and MUSICAL CHARM, an Ontario bred by Langfuhr out of Forest Flute, bred by Gus Schickedanz, won nicely at the 7 furlong distance for Barry Arnason of Winnipeg and Marty Drexler, who also trains. The filly was a $17,000 yearling purchase at Keeneland and she was 1st timer Lasix and making her 2nd career start. Gary Boulanger was the winning rider. In that race SCHOOL CLOSING, a first time starter by Indyo Shiner, broke down in early stretch and was vanned off.
Race 7 – BEAR’S BIG BOY moved at the last minute and won for the first time in his 11th race this tear for Tucci Stable and trainer Jamie Attard. The Congaree 4yo, bred by Bear Stables, is 3 for 18 in his career and he was ridden by Patrick Husbands. He posted am 85 Beyer Figure in this win.
The late double was won by a couple of hot horses – SAVE THE PARK, owned and bred by Brereton Jones, won the 9th race, an allowance/optional claiming event ($62,500) for her 3rd straight win. Jim McAleney rode and Reade Baker trains.
Ian Black trains COLINS NIGHTINGALE, who won her 2nd straight race under Emma-Jayne Wilson in an $8,000 claimer to end the card. She is a homebred for Ten Easy Pieces and she is 6 for 27 in her career with over $100,000 in earnings.
WOODBINE LEADING RIDERS – BY WINS – the battle continues!
2 Luis Contreras 843 155 137 120 $7,503,201 18% 412 49%
1 Patrick Husbands 609 154 110 94 $8,995,199 25% 358 59%
3 Eurico Rosa Da Silva 651 131 96 95 $6,404,749 20% 322 49%
5 Jesse M. Campbell 606 92 84 86 $4,324,519 15% 262 43%
4 Justin Stein 606 90 91 77 $4,762,317 15% 258 43%
6 Emma-Jayne Wilson 652 77 100 96 $4,147,982 12% 273 42%
LEADING TRAINERS by Wins
1 Mark E. Casse 445 87 77 69 $6,812,442 20% 233 52%
3 Nicholas Gonzalez 259 48 35 37 $2,105,273 19% 120 46%
2 Robert P. Tiller 238 42 39 30 $2,264,966 18% 111 47%
6 Brian A. Lynch 170 33 19 25 $1,767,139 19% 77 45%
7 Reade Baker 222 33 36 28 $1,736,705 15% 97 44%
9 Ralph J. Biamonte 135 33 19 12 $1,280,076 24% 64 47%
LEADING TRAINERS BY TOP THREE % , Minimum 10 Starters
1 Allen Desruisseaux 18 2 6 5 $82,667 11% 13 72%
2 Thomas O’Keefe 22 5 6 3 $177,128 23% 14 64%
3 W. Phillip Gracey 39 7 9 8 $368,482 18% 24 62%
4 Donald C. MacRae 53 12 9 10 $325,815 23% 31 58%
5 Malcolm Pierce 105 30 13 18 $2,083,875 29% 61 58%
LEADING OWNERS by Earnings
1 John C. Oxley 143 29 26 16 $2,185,910 20% 71 50%
2 Sam-Son Farm 72 20 9 14 $1,652,338 28% 43 60%
3 Gary Barber 35 9 4 5 $1,362,562 26% 18 51%
4 Frank D. Di Giulio, Jr. 101 22 19 12 $1,179,702 22% 53 52%
5 Conquest Stables, LLC 33 12 8 4 $1,088,587 36% 24 73%
6 Tucci Stables 92 18 13 15 $1,080,432 20% 46 50%
7 Bear Stables, Ltd. 123 19 23 12 $951,850 15% 54 44%
8 Ivan Dalos 68 10 8 9 $906,022 15% 27 40%
9 Chiefswood Stable 102 16 17 14 $831,181 16% 47 46%
10 Melnyk Racing Stables, Inc. 23 11 4 4 $790,542 48% 19 83%
TORONTO STAR FEATURE – HORSE THERAPY GAINS TRACTION
Halton Police, Woodbine, LongRun get together for excellent project
Bonnie Hellam and Symphony of Fire have each fought many battles in their lives.
Shuttled around through many different foster homes as a child, Hellam, who is in her 30s, struggles every day with mental health issues and lives in supportive housing in the Halton region.
Symphony of Fire is an impeccably-bred thoroughbred horse who had limited ability on the track but raced 79 times over eight years in low-level events before he could not compete any more.
http://www.thestar.com/sports/2014/11/17/horse_therapy_gains_traction_as_growing_trend.html
HEART TO HEART – CHALLENGING for change at Sovereign Award
TERRY HAMILTON’S colt HEART TO HEART, bred by Red Hawk Farm in Ontario – photo courtesy jockeyfever@ Tumblr
Terry Hamilton’s Heart to Heart is expected to make another start in 2014, pointing to the Dec. 26 Mathis Brothers Mile (GII) at Santa Anita, a one-mile turf event for 3-year-olds formally known as the Sir Beaufort Stakes.
“He came out great,” Lynch said. “He seemed like a very happy horse this morning. The stakes race on Santa Anita’s opening day is where we’re looking at going with him next. It’s the last of the 3-year-old stakes and is basically an ideal distance for him – a two-turn mile on the turf – and I think he will really like that turf course out there.”
Lynch hinted on two possible goals for Heart to Heart as a 4-year-old in 2014: one possibly being the Maker’s 46 Mile (GI) at Keeneland and the other being the Woodford Reserve Turf Classic (GI) run on Kentucky Derby Day beneath the Twin Spires.
“We’ll give him a little break after that,” Lynch said. “If he continues to improve, we’ll look to run him again as a 4-year-old at Keeneland and then we hope to have him back there at Churchill on Kentucky Derby Day.”
The Commonwealth Turf marked the fifth win in 12 starts for Heart to Heart, who has banked $329,807.
DOUBLE HONOR AND IMPERIALISM join Esquirol Farms
Stallions Double Honor and Imperialism will relocate to stand the 2015 season at Esquirol Farms in Ryley, Alberta.
Both stallions previously stood at Get Away Farm in Florida, and each will command a $2,500 fee at Esquirol Farms.
Double Honor, a 19-year-old son of Gone West out of Holiday Snow, by Storm Bird, is the sire of 351 winners, including 21 stakes winners, from 479 starters that have amassed progeny earnings of more than $22.1 million through Nov. 16. His top offspring include graded stakes winner Jet Propulsion and multiple graded stakes winners Railroad and All Night Labor as well as Lovely Isle, a stakes winner who was grade I-placed.
Imperialism, a three-time grade II winner and third-place finisher in the 2004 Kentucky Derby (gr. I), is a 13-year-old son of Langfuhr out of Bodhavista, by Pass the Tab. With five crops racing, his best runners include multiple stakes winners Imperial Czar, a $368,733-earner; and Mr. Baker. He has progeny earnings of more than $4.4 million.
Read more on BloodHorse.com: http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/88779/double-honor-imperialism-relocated-to-canada#ixzz3JQWXBymk
