*Thoroughblog will handicap some of the big races for Saturday and post picks in the morning!
**Don’t forget the huge carryover that continues at WOODBINE for the standardbred races, up to $268,000 for this evening.
CALIFORNIA CHROME VS. SHARED BELIEF
L.A. Daily News feature (with great photo)
By Art Wilson, Correspondent
Better plan on being at Santa Anita Park on Saturday if you’re a fan of thoroughbred racing. This rematch between California Chrome and Shared Belief, who finished third and fourth respectively in last fall’s Breeders’ Cup Classic, is one for the history books.
Since the Eclipse Awards were established in 1971, there’s never been such a high-level meeting between two horses from the same crop of race horses when they turned 4. Sure, the Ferdinand-Alysheba Big ‘Cap in 1988 was much anticipated, but Ferdinand was a year older. Affirmed-Alydar? They never met at 4. Same with Sunday Silence and Easy Goer.
Nope, this is uncharted territory, folks. It’s Showdown Saturday when California Chrome, Kentucky Derby winner and Horse of the Year, squares off against 2-year-old champion Shared Belief in the Grade II San Antonio Stakes.
CANADIAN STUFF
Canadians have been busy at the claim box this winter. On Thursday, Frank Russo and trainer Tino Attard took ARNHEM for $6,250 from her third-place finisher in a one mile race for fillies and mares and Bill Tharrenos claimed MY COUSIN FAY from the same race (she was 9th).
Tharrenos also claimed BRODIES PICK from the last race, a maiden event for $12,500 and that gelding was second beaten a head as the odds-on favourite.
Since January 1 at Gulfstream, the tabulations by THOROUGHBLOG show 10 horses claimed by Woodbine-based owners/trainers for over $230,000.
Meanwhile, multiple Woodbine stakes winner BEAR’S GEM was last in an allowance/optional claiming race for $35,000 for John Atto and she was claimed by DARRS INC., trainer Brendan Walsh.
At Fair Grounds on Thursday, GO GO ROCKET won an allowance/optional claiming race for War Tide Stables and trainer Michelle Lovell. The winner is a 5-year-old horse by Tapit–Woods Bay, by Mr. Greeley with a record of 22-4-5-4 and $124,877. The horse was traded about at auction: $65,000 RNA wlng ’10 KEENOV; $100,000
RNA yrl ’11 KEEJAN; $200,000 2yo /12 OBSMAR. He was bred by Bill Graham in Ontario.
HASTINGS PARK OPENS FOR TRAINING
And new Broodmare Incentive program is keeping CTHS (BC) president Grant Watson “hopping”. Read more at the Derby newsletter by Glen Todd:
http://www.derbybarandgrill.com/railbird/
Robbie Henson and Corky Russell on a pair of Swift Thoroughbreds – Hastings park Training on Thursday – PHOTO BY LISA THOMPSON, courtesy DERBY NEWSLETTER/see link
CANADIAN STAKES WINNER MARCO BE GOOD is now..
Marco the Chef!
Grade 3 stakes winner MARCO BE GOOD, who turned 13 this year, is enjoying life with his new owner Lisa Molloy in Virginia, according to Mike Romeo, whose family bred the son of Bold ‘n Flashy. Marco be Good raced until May 2014 before he was purchased by the Romeo family and placed with Rerun Thoroughbred Retirement. The big chestnut earned over $570,000 in his career and now he appears to be moving on to a spot in MasterChef as he shows his hay-dunking technique:
Mike Romeo also provided us with an update on the family’s stakes placed mare WHY KATHERINE. The daughter of Whywhywhy – Include Katherine by Include has been retired and will be bred this spring. The tough 6-year-old was stakes placed 6 times and won 4 of 24 races and $281,000.
CANADIAN-BREDS NOMINATED TO AMERICAN TRIPLE CROWN SERIES
12 of 429
CONQUEST TYPHOON – Conquest Stable Mark Casse Josham Farms and Yvonne Schwabe
AMI’S FLATTER Ivan Dalos Josie Carroll Ivan Dalos
FIRST SPLASH Tom Durant Randy Morse Christine Hayden
DECISION DAY Donver Stables Josie Carroll Donver Stables
SAMUEL DECHAMPLAIN Eaton Hall Farm Mike Doyle Eaton Hall Farm
DANISH DYNAFORMER Charles Fipke Roger Attfield Charles Fipke
MORE THAN SHIRL Charles Fipke Roger Attfield Charles Fipke
JAVA’S BOURBON Charles Fipke Roger Attfield Charles Fipke
BILLY’S STAR Charles Fipke Rger Attfield Charles Fipke
BREAKING LUCKY Gunpower Farm Reade Baker Christine Hayden
DANZIG MOON John Oxley Mark Casse Bill Graham
MIDNIGHT TRACE West Point Thoroughbreds Graham Motion James and Janeane Everatt and Arika Everatt-Meeuse and Tim Meeuse
