QUINCY WELCH will receive the AVELINO GOMEZ award on the 25th anniversary of the rider’s passing during the Oaks…the Oaks and Plate Trial are awesome betting races and even thunder and rain won’t dampen this party!
Welcome to ROBERT GELLER who took over the mike from Dan Loiselle yesterday at Woodbine. Geller smoothly ushered all 10 races from start to finish and it looks like we are going to have lots of fun listening to him for years to come
IS CONQUEST CURLINATE much the best for today’s Plate Trial Stakes? Or will it be Danzig Moon or… Toronto ON,Woodbine Racetrack.Queen’s Plate contender Conquest Curlinate,WEG/michael burns photo
OMENS? MARK CASSE and STEVE OWENS have big Saturdays
So John Oxley and Mark Casse and Shaun Bridgmohan got together and won the Grade 1 Stephen Foster late last night at Churchill Downs with Noble Bird and all three have contenders in the Woodbine Oaks, Plate Trial or both today at Woodbine.
Earlier in the day, Steve Owens and and his wife and daughter’s Empress Stable celebrated a win in the Bold Ruckus Stakes with Seffeara and that gang will cheer on Owens’ homebred London Tower in the Oaks today.
At Woodbine (courtesy Woodbine media) –
Seffeara stalked a hot early pace en route to capturing Saturday’s $125,000 off-the-turf Bold Ruckus Stakes, at Woodbine.
Owned and bred by Empress Stables, nom de course for the outfit headed by trainer Steve Owens, his wife Beverly and their young daughter, Emma, Seffeara tempered his trademark early speed under a patient ride by Gary Boulanger, before sweeping home a 3 1/4-length winner in the six furlong sprint for Ontario-sired sophomores.
Masquerade Party, with Patrick Husbands up, marked the opening quarter in :22.10 under pressure from Jacks Escarpment and Wall Street Wolf. Super Colerosa, sixth at the quarter, rushed up to take the lead through a half-mile in :44.73 as Boulanger and Seffeara saved ground along the rail in third position.
Boulanger angled Seffeara off the rail approaching the stretch run and surged to the lead inside a furlong to go under a hand ride. Goodoldhockeygame rallied from well off the pace to complete the exactor, 2 ¼-lengths in front of Super Colerosa. Seffeara covered six furlongs in 1:09.13.
He posted a career best 89 Beyer Figure.
A claim of foul by Tyler Pizarro (Wall Street Wolf) against Goodoldhockeygame for interference near the quarter pole was disallowed by the stewards.
“It looked like there was a lot of speed (in the race.) Steve and I talked about it and decided to just ride him smart, with some kind of confidence,” said Boulanger. “If nobody goes and we break good then we’ll go, but I’m not going to gun him to get there. He broke okay and Patrick (Husbands, Masquerade Party) sent and I saw three or four of them go, so now I’m just holding on to his head trying to make him stay there and sit there.
“He was in the bridle pretty strong through the turn and when Eurico’s (da Silva, Jacks Escarpment) horse faded I worked outside of Contreras (Super Colerosa) and he was just much the best today.”
Boulanger guided Seffeara through his first five career starts, including a track record-setting maiden score and a win in the Clarendon Stakes. Emma-Jayne Wilson and then Luis Contreras piloted Seffeara through his first two sophomore starts before the Old Forester bay was reunited with Boulanger for the Bold Ruckus.
“I had nothing but horse. Him and I seem to click for whatever reason. I worked him last year a bunch and rode him a bunch,” said Boulanger. “We’ve sat in behind horses in the morning and he would always do it (go past horses). It’s just that he’s such a good gate horse, he’s always up close and got involved early. Today he broke good, but he didn’t grab on to me so I just left him alone and tracked from there and it was pretty simple.”
Seffeara banked $75,000 in victory while improving his record to 4-1-1 from 8 career starts.
He paid $14.90, $5.10 and $3.60, combining with Goodoldhockeygame ($2.90, $2.30) for a $47.10 (1-5) exactor. A 1-5-6 triactor (Super Colerosa, $3.10 to show) was worth $166.20, while a $1 Superfecta [1-5-6-2 (Masquerade Party)] came back $370.85. Undercover Cat was scratched.
More Woodbine Saturday
race 1- WALKERS TERRACE won for $10,00 claiming under Jesse Campbell for Hoof Hearted Stable and Robert Tiller. The 5yo gelding was making his 3rd start of the year and he was claimed from this race by trainer Nick Mileni.
race 2- 1 1/4 mile allowance/optional claiming race came off the grass and that was just fine with PATRIOTICANDPROUD who led all the way under Patrick Husbands to grab his first (official) win in a couple of seasons. This is a true warrior as he was at Woodbine last year when he was disqualified from an alloance win, then he went to Del Mar, Santa Anita, Keeneland and Churchill. He placed in two grade 2 stakes races this winter but had railed off lately. The class drop was welcomed. His time of 2:02.80 was and 86 Beyer Figure.
Mark Casse trains for Gary Barber and Eclipse Thoroughbreds.
race 3- Chiefswood Stable, which has Leading Edge in the Oaks, has another nice 3yo fillyin PIPERS JOURNEY who is 2 for 2 now after a win in an allowance race on Saturday. The Niigon filly is out of the wonderful producing mare Lone Piper by Dehere. he was ridden by Alan Garcia and is trained by Paul Attard. She earned a 73 Beyer Figure.
race 4- ULTIMATE BLUE dropped from an allowance race to $9,500 claiming and rallied to win under Luis Conrerras for Equinox Stable and trainer Marty Drexler. The Giant Gizmo gelding is a homebred for Eqionox and he was winning for the 2nd time in his 9th race. He was one of 3 claims from this race – his new owner is Blue Thunder Racing/Daryl Ezra.
race 5 – RADIANT STAR battled Lady St Clements through the stretch of this 1 1/16 mile maiden allowance and edged clear to win at 25 to 1 under Steve Bahen. Wining owner AMC Racing and Alan Mainprize (also breeder) had entered the gal for turf but it came off. She was making her 2nd start of the year and the daughter of Strut the Stage was the first winner this year for trainer Alec Fehr.
race 6– DEMAWATCHMI won at 10 to 1 for lessee Candice Warwick and trainer Steve Cathcart. Bryce Alderson rode this son of Sligo Bay who was making his 3rd start of the season.
race 7- TAHNEE broke like a rocket from the gate and led all the way to win this 6 furlong allowance in 1:09.66, an 80 Beyer Figure.
This Where’s the Ring mare, owned by CS Dowson Stable and trained by Mark Fournier was a $40,00 claiming in 2012, she raced just 2 times in 2013 and missed all of 2014. She has 2 wins in 3 races this year and over $75,000 in earnings. Eurico Rosa da Silva rode.
race 9 The TRILLIUM Stakes was won for the 2nd year in a row by CHECKERED PAST from Sam-Son Farms who got past Unspurned in the late stages to win with an 85 Beyer Figure. The Smart Strike mare was 6th and last in the Hendrie in her local 2015 opener, well behind Unspurned but she suddenly came to life when stretching out in distance. Malcom Pierce trains.
race 10 STORMING PLACE, owned by Mike Stone, won her maiden for $25,000 in her 3rd start of the season. The Union Place filly was last beaten 22 lengths in a key race last time bit bounced back in a big way for trainer John LeBlanc. Tyler Pizarro rode.
Wagering on the day was a hefty $3.8 million.
