WOODBINE MILE FIELD
One mile, Turf course, Purse $1 million
Post time Sunday 5:45 p.m. (TV: TSN2)
Field (Trainer/Jockey) Morning-line odds
1. Obviously (Phil D’Amato/Joe Talamo) 3-1 – has not raced this year, loves quick California turf courses
2. Grand Arch (Brian Lynch/Luis Saez) 6-1 – just won the biggest race of his life
3. Platinum Glory (Mike DePaulo/Jesse Campbell) 30-1 – taking a big shot
4. Za Approval (Mark Casse/David Moran) 20-1 – wonderful old guy is steps below his 2013 form
5. Turncoat (Laurie Silvera/Omar Moreno) 30-1 – just recently found out he loves grass
6. Tower of Texas (Roger Attfield/Eurico Rosa da Silva) 12-1 – improving for shrewd trainer Attfield
7. Mondialiste (David O’Meara/Fergal Lynch) 9-2 – Lasix, Euro colt is razor sharp
8. Mr. Owen (Francois Rohaut/Umberto Rispoli) 8-1 – Qatar won this race last year
9. Kaigun (Mark Casse/Patrick Husbands) 20-1 – Very close to winning in ’14, waiting for that form
10. Lea (Bill Mott/Joel Rosario) 5-2 – turf, then dirt, now turf again
11. Reporting Star (Jim Ensom/Luis Contreras) 15-1 upset winner of Play the King, a fighter
The stars walk the red carpets in downtown Toronto and the EP Taylor turf course at Woodbine.
Four WIN AND YOU’RE IN RACES on Saturday Sunday will give tickets to the winners for the Breeders’ Cup at Keeneland (Oct 30/31). The Natalma and Summer, both Grade 2 events, are on Saturday for the 2yos and the Canadian and Woodbine Mile are on Sunday. Toss in the Bold Venture and Northern Dancer on Sunday and we have as many stars as a week at TIFF.
Thoroughblog will have picks up as usual for the weekend but we also add in some news and notes:
MONDIALISTE at Woodbine. MICHAEL BURNS/WEG PHOTO
MONDIALISTE and MR OWEN invading from Europe
This is the best time of time at Woodbine to get a glimpse of some beautifully turned out and solid racehorses from Europe. Two have arrived from overseas for the Woodbine Mile and surely they will take plenty of support as their rivals have a lot of questions to answers.
MONDIALISTE (“Globaliste” ) will race with Lasix and is the first starter in North America for David O’Meara.
The colt will be ridden by Fergal Lynch, a winner of almost 50 races this season and a jockey who missed 8 years in the saddle:
http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/horse-racing/28685099
MR OWEN is also intriguing, being from Qatar Racing, which took the Mile last year with Trade Storm. He wants firm ground but perhaps our ‘good’ ground (some rain is expected today and Saturday) will be firm enough.
Check out the good information at TwinSpires.com by Kellie Reilley
…Mondialiste was originally campaigned by his breeders, Wertheimer et Frere, and trained by Freddie Head. Although third in the 2013 Prix Jean Prat (G1) while still a maiden, the blueblood didn’t progress from there and was sold at last summer’s Arqana July for $259,464.
His new owners transferred him to David O’Meara, who is emerging as a wonder worker with once-promising types fallen on hard times. The best advertisement of his skill this season is Amazing Maria, currently riding a three-race winning streak comprising the Duke of Cambridge (G2), Falmouth (G1) and Prix Rothschild (G1).
Mondialiste hasn’t reached that level of turnaround just yet, but he too is in the form of his life for his new trainer. Reappearing in the March 28 Lincoln, a heritage handicap that traditionally marks the beginning of the British Flat racing season, he came within a neck of springing a 25-1 upset. Mondialiste then stepped up in class for the Earl of Sefton (G3), finishing third, and filled that same spot in the Paradise at Ascot. After a midfield result (14th of 30) under 135 pounds in another big handicap, the Royal Hunt Cup at Royal Ascot (where he raced on the “wrong,” i.e. unfavorable, side), he’s been a different animal.
Back up to listed stakes company in the July 26 Pomfret Castle, Mondialiste slammed them by 10 front-running lengths. He took his next class test in stride in the August 22 Strensall (G3) at York, mowing down the useful Mutakayyef and leaving Godolphin’s progressive Basem back in third, with the Group 3 veteran Top Notch Tonto fourth. ..
The sophomore Mr. Owen has a maternal connection to Woodbine: his dam, Mrs. Lindsay, also invaded from France and plundered the 2007 E.P. Taylor (G1) in a course-record 2:00.68 for 1 1/4 miles. Like his dam, who had captured the Prix Vermeille (G1) in her prior start, Mr. Owen is trained by Francois Rohaut.
Unraced as a juvenile, Mr. Owen won twice early this year before trying the French 2000 Guineas (G1), finishing a creditable third. Runner-up New Bay has since flattered the form by taking both the French Derby and Prix Guillaume d’Ornano (G2).
That French Guineas effort caught the eye of Qatar Racing Ltd., and Mr. Owen was purchased privately. In his debut in the new silks, he threw in the worst race of his life when tiring to sixth in the July 12 Prix Jean Prat. But that race had an unusual dynamic — a surprisingly cut-throat early pace — that Mr. Owen paid the price for chasing. Rohaut also commented that the ground had been overwatered as well. Note that fourth-placer Kodi Bear has since bounced back to dismiss older foes handily in both the Sovereign (G3) and the Celebration Mile (G2).
Mr. Owen was under consideration for the Secretariat (G1) before connections opted to lower his sights for the August 4 Prix de Tourgeville at Deauville. He responded by rolling from near the back of the pack to earn his first stakes victory.
– See more at: http://www.twinspires.com/blog/2015/9/6/mondialiste-mr-owen-line-woodbine-mile#sthash.Jj2ciYkD.dpuf
MONDIALISTE REPLAY:
MR OWEN REPLAY (burgundy/reddish silks from far back)
So the Europeans come with their own interesting stories of racing and their human friends.
The same goes for the other 9 entrants. REPORTING STAR is a feisty bad boy who will be wild to watch in the paddock as he normally is. The gelding was so well conditioned by Pat Parente to win the Play the King over Tower of Texas but now his trainer has to sit out a suspension from last year. Jim Ensom has been engaged to saddle the Parente runners.
You can’t discount this rough and ready gelding.
OBVIOUSLY and LEA are the best horses in the race as far as North American talent and form goes. But one has not raced in a year and how will he handle the long stretch run? The other could be off form and just looking for something new.
GET A GRIP – be kind and respectful to your horses
At one time a Kentucky Derby prospect, GET A GRIP was brought over to North America by Team Valor’s Barry Irwin. in the winter of 2010. The Derby plan did not materialize and Get a Grip soon landed in claiming races. He changed hands a couple of times: in 2012 he was claimed for $30,000 by Tino Attard. The gelding then transferred to Kevin Attard and his son Joshua, who have raced the 8-year-old for 3 years.
Recently, Get a Grip was claimed from a race at Woodbine by Irwin and his Team Valor for $8,000 (under trainer Reade Baker). “We claimed him so that he could be retired from racing and be re-trained for a second career,” said Irwin. ” I plan to send him to the Changing Leads rehab center in Alabama because they have done a good job with some other horses we have sent them.”
Thoroughblog and our ace photographer friend Dawn Kay visited the popular gelding last weekend and wished him a wonderful second life.
Congratulations Mr. Irwin.
WEGCARES – up and rolling, vote now!
The Woodbine Entertainment Group has announced the 2015 edition of ‘WEGCares,’ a celebration and recognition of the numerous Woodbine-supported community organizations and causes that contribute to the life, health, vibrancy and vitality of neighbourhoods.
Launching at the Woodbine Mile Post Position Draw on September 10, WEGCares will showcase special announcements, events and an online charity challenge. The 11-day campaign will culminate on September 20 with the annual Woodbine Turf Races, the popular fundraising event where WEG employees and their families, along with business partners, and community organizations, participate in a series of races, contested on the world-famous E.P. Taylor Turf Course, to raise money for United Way Toronto & York Region.
The goal of WEGCares is to amplify and spotlight the spirit that drives Woodbine Entertainment Group’s ‘Strong Community Partner’ program, a multi-faceted initiative that invests in organizations and programs whose mandate is in building healthy and prosperous communities, educating, engaging and empowering children and youth, protecting the welfare of racehorses, while preserving, promoting and celebrating diverse cultures and heritages, among others.
“We are extremely proud of our longstanding relationship with the people and organizations who work tirelessly and unselfishly to improve the quality of life within our communities,” said Jim Lawson, CEO, Woodbine Entertainment Group. “WEGCares embodies our commitment and support of the fantastic work being done by our coveted partners. We hope all fans and supporters join us throughout the 10 days to celebrate these wonderful causes and charities.”
As part of WEGCares celebrations, Woodbine will once again offer the popular ‘Charity Challenge’ event online at wegcares.ca. Through WEGCares Week, 17 of WEG’s cherished charitable and community partners will be profiled and spotlighted on the site. Racing fans and customers, along with charitable supporters, will have the opportunity to vote for their favourite cause. The charity that gets the most votes by September 18 will be awarded a $7,500 donation by Woodbine Entertainment Group. The cause that garners the second-most votes will receive $2,500.
A list of WEG’s campaign partners and charities appears below.
• Pathways to Education Rexdale (pathwaystoeducation.ca)
• Albion Neighbourhood Services (albionneighbourhoodservices.ca)
• Community MicroSkills Development Centre (microskills.ca)
• Ernestine’s Women’s Shelter (ernestines.ca)
• Rethink Breast Cancer (rethinkbreastcancer.com)
• Arts for Children & Youth (afcy.ca)
• Youth Without Shelter (yws.on.ca)
• Horizons for Youth (horizonsforyouth.org)
• Trust15 (trust15.com)
• Arts Etobicoke (artsetobicoke.com)
• Community Association for Riding for the Disabled (CARD) (card.ca)
• LongRun Thoroughbred Retirement Society (longrunretirement.com)
• Ontario Standardbred Adoption Society (osas.ca)
• Racetrack Chaplaincy of Canada (racetrackchaplaincyofcanada.com)
• Standardbred Race Track Chaplaincy of Canada (srtchaplaincyofcanada.com)
• Halton Women’s Place (haltonwomensplace.com)
• Conservation Halton Foundation (conservationhalton.ca)
SATURDAY AT LEOPARDSTOWN…
IRISH CHAMPION STAKES
POST TIME MOVED EARLIER due to weather
Saturday, Leopardstown, Ireland, post time: 5.45 p.m.
QIPCO IRISH CHAMPION S.-G1, €1,100,000, 3yo/up, 10fT
SC PP HORSE SIRE JOCKEY TRAINER WT
1 8 Cirrus des Aigles (Fr) Even Top (Ire) Soumillon Brnde-Brbe 133
2 5 Free Eagle (Ire) Hgh Chaparral (Ire) Smullen Weld 133
3 4 The Grey Gatsby (Ire) Mastercrftsmn (Ire) Spencer K Ryan 133
4 6 Gleneagles (Ire) Galileo (Ire) J O’Brien A O’Brien 126
5 1 Golden Horn (GB) Cape Cross (Ire) Dettori Gosden 126
6 7 Highland Reel (Ire) Galileo (Ire) McNamara A O’Brien 126
7 3 Found (Ire) Galileo (Ire) Heffernan A O’Brien 123
8 2 Pleascach (Ire) Teofilo (Ire) Manning Bolger 123
