MRWILLWONG.COM may be hobnobbing with George Cloony and all the stars at TIFF but he’s an avid racing fan. Here is his image of GAMBLE’S GHOST, an exciting debut winner who will take some support in the Natalma Stakes today
SUMMER STAKES/ – NATALMA – Win and You’re IN races for 2yos on the grass
If you are playing the races today, anything goes in the 2 major events on today’s Woodbine card. These graded events could be run on a turf that may be a bit squishy and that makes the races more perplexing than they already are on paper.
The 7th is the Grade 2 Natalma with unbeaten CAREN from the rail making her grass debut. Thoroughblog picks are on another post – KNOW CLOUDS got the nod based on an impressive debut win on synthetic dirt, her long stride and rich turf pedigree.
Paddy Point is one of the known scratches.
The Summer, also a Grade 2, is also loaded. The well regarded beginner Conquest Enforcer may be scratched. Nice winners HAMMERS VISION, THE ZIP ZIP MAN and SKY MARSHALL are all players in a tough race to peg.
REPORTING STAR – An Interesting Story
REPORTING STAR – IMAGE BY MICHAEL BURNS
Okay, I admit it. I get attached to some horses I write about. Here’s my story on one of them.
Three years ago, Reporting Star won his career debut in a one-mile maiden event by 7 1/2 lengths on soft turf at Calder racetrack in Florida. To say he has had an interesting journey to the Woodbine Mile would not be an exaggeration. And his story got all the more stranger this week.
The 5-year-old Florida bred by Circular Quay must be considered a major contender in the Woodbine Mile – Grade 1, a Win and You’re In race and a prestigious event on its own. He is owned by British Columbians Chad and Christa Joe, who bought the gelding in 2013 to compete in the BC Derby. He made Woodbine his home last May and Luis Contreras is currently his main rider.
Before he joined the Joe’s Copper Water Thoroughbred Company, Reporting Star raced for his breeder Gilbert Campbell, finishing second and third in many stakes events. He was 2nd in the Grade 3 Pegasus Stakes begind the fleet Verrazano on one occasion.
Once he headed to Canada in the summer of 2013, he was placed in both the Canadian Derby at Northlands Park and the BC Derby at Hastings before he was sent east to trainer Pat Parente for the 2014 campaign.
He reeled off 3 straight wins on Polytrack and grass and improved rapidly for Parente, loving the return to the turf. The gelding was 2nd and 3rd in the Sky Classic – Grade 2 and Grade 1 Northern Dancer at 10 and 12 furlongs respectively before a sixth place finish in the Canadian International.
He was named the Florida-bred Champion Turf Horse for 2014.
Reporting Star wintered in Florida, placing in 2 stakes races before he was given January to July off to prepare for his fall campaign.
After a 3rd place finish in a Polytrack allowance race, Reporting Star fought off Tower of Texas to win the Play the King at 15-1.
Parente had remembered the gelding’s one sprint race of his career, a 3rd place finish in allowance race last May and wanted to give the Play the King a try. The gelding rewarded the Richmond Hill resident with that exciting win and earned a trip to the million-dollar Woodbine Mile.
That’s where the feisty gelding’s story takes a weird twist.
Parente, who saddled his first winner in 2004 and now has some 113 wins in a good career as a horse trainer, had one of his horses, a filly named Rekha Diamond, test positive in sept. 2104, for Levamisole (Class II) which was being used by Dr. Dan Colangelo for a mucous build up in the filly. It is a procedure that Dr. Colangelo said he has employed many years. (Details of the ruling are in the link below).
This past August, Parente attended a hearing at the Ontario Racing Commission offices and was handed a one-year suspension. He requested a stay and that was denied.
So, while the situation continues to make its way through the ORC courts, reporting Star and some 25 other stablemates are being overseen by Pat Parente’s hard working staff as well as trainer Jim Ensom.
For Ensom, who has only ever had one or two horses, owned by himself, helping his friend is of the utmost importance, even if it is quite a different situation for the trainer of 20 years.
“The horse looks like a million-dollars,’ said Ensom, whose family owns and operates the popular Teen Ranch in Caledon, ON. “He had a great workout, he drew an outside post. He’s an amazing horse.”
Ensom is well known for his high percentage win rate (34 wins in 175 starts since 2002) with his small stable of one or two mid-level claiming horses. A former hockey player, Ensom loves to dabble in horse ownership but will only ever have a couple of horses.
This weekend, however, the 39-year-old will be front and centre for one of the biggest races of the Woodbine season.
“Everyone has very supportive, Pat’s owners are great. I know this race means a lot to Pat and we’re hoping for the best.”
WOODBINE MILE NOTES
Steady, light rain could mean good to yielding grass on Sunday
MARK CASSE talks about KAIGUN and ZA APPROVAL:
“Obviously, it’s an entirely different ballgame this year versus last year. Last year, [Kaigun] was at the top of his game and he’d been running consistently,” said Casse. “This year he’s coming off a long layoff. He’s getting better and better. My concern with him a little bit is that I don’t know if he has the speed he used to have. There’s an outside chance, but I have also been contemplating running him in the Northern Dancer (at one and one-half miles on Sunday as well, a prep for the Pattison Canadian International on October 18).
“If you look (at his pp’s), the last time I ran him long, which was a mile and three-eighths in the United Nations (July 6, 2014 at Monmouth Park), he got beat only a length and a half by the Eclipse Award winner (Main Sequence).
“Our thought and our goal is to get him back going longer (than a mile). I just haven’t decided whether I want it to come yet. I’m going to wait until the very last minute (to make a decision).
“He had a few little minor issues (after a fourth-place finish in the Grade 2 one mile Arcadia in January at Santa Anita). We gave him some time. Got him home. The problem was he loves to eat. He ate a little too much. When we brought him back and sent him to Woodbine, they said he looked like ‘a butterball turkey.’
Since the Arcadia, Kaigun finished third in both an allowance sprint (a stakes prep) and the seven furlong Play The King at Woodbine on August 23. Should he be entered, Patrick Husbands, who won the 2001 Mile aboard Numerous Times, will ride.
Regarding Live Oak Plantation’s veteran Za Approval, the weather is paramount.
“I would say Za Approval likes the turf very hard. Right now, there’s a lot of question marks,” continued Casse. “I would say that I would run Za Approval in the Mile if everything was perfect. It sure doesn’t look like that’s going to be the case (given the possibility of rain later in the week).”
The seven-year-old grey gelded son of Ghostzapper, who Casse took over training this year, has been remarkably consistent in his 31 career starts, although winning just eight of them. However, his two worst performances on grass came at Belmont Park over good (in his debut) and yielding turf courses.
He’s also run some bang-up races, finishing second to champion Wise Dan in both the 2013 Woodbine Mile and Breeders’ Cup Mile, and second to Obviously in the Grade 1 Shoemaker earlier that year, when the turf courses were very firm.
POOL PLAYS! – On Ricoh Woodbine Mile day, the early Pick 4 (races 4-7) wager will now be guaranteed at $300,000 and the late Pick 4 (races 9-12) wager will be guaranteed for $500,000. A combined total of $800,000 in guaranteed Pick 4 pools.
WOODBINE DIARIES – FROM AMERICA’S BEST RACING
PENELOPE MILLER
Reporting from Woodbine this weekend, Miller took some fun and candid photos from the backstretch on Friday. You can follow her blog on the link below.
Thoroughblog is sharing one of her great images – TOWER OF TEXAS having a lot of fun in the barn (thank you Penelope and ABR for this great coverage!)
Tower of Texas – funny boy. Penelope Miller photo
http://www.americasbestracing.net/en/the-latest/blogs/2015/9/11/woodbine-diaries-fabulous-friday/
WOODBINE FRIDAY
Hey, it is a bit early to be talking QUEEN’S PLATE 2016 but SCHOLAR ATHLETE has all the tools should he be in the picture next July. The bay son of Einstein (standing at Adena Springs North), owned by West Point Thoroughbreds, won his maiden at 1 mile and 70 yards in race 1 at Woodbine on Friday with a 75 Beyer Figure. He is trained by Graham Motion and was an $85,000 2yo in training purchase. Alan Garcia rode.
The day’s top Beyer Figure went to maiden winner CONQUEST QUICKDRAW – 82 – who won race 6 for Conquest Stables and Mark Casse. The 3yo grey colt was making his first start since 2014 and only his 2nd career start. He is by Quality Road and was a $390,000 purchase. Patrick Husbands rode.
BRITISH COLUMBIA HORSES OF RACING AGE/YEARLING SALE
The average price was up 19%, ($17,17), the median up 56% ($14,000) and topping the sale was a white-faced bay colt by Hansen – Victory With Class, sold by Jamie Demetrick and purchased by Glen Todd.
for more, go here:
http://www.derbybarandgrill.com/railbird/page/3
BC DERBY
Top Canadian 3-year-old ACADEMIC looks to top the boys again, this time in Sunday’s BC Derby – Grade 3- worth $250,000.
DRF – BY RANDY GOULDING
VANCOUVER, British Columbia – Academic will try to become the first filly to win the British Columbia Derby since 1956, when Ali Miss earned $3,125 for her win in the 1 1/8-mile race. Academic will receive considerably more – $137,500 – if she wins the 70th running of the Grade 3, $250,000 race that drew nine horses. Post time for the B.C. Derby is 4:42 p.m. Pacific. At 121 pounds, Academic will receive five pounds from the field.
READ MORE – http://www.drf.com/news/premium/academic-looks-make-history-bc-derby
GRADE 1 WINNING MILLIONAIRE SILVER MAX RETIRED TO ADENA SPRINGS NORTH
Seven-time Graded Stakes Winner Silver Max, a winner of 12 of 27 lifetime starts, has been retired from racing.
Silver Max was bred in Kentucky by Steve Snowden with Seth and Will Lauffer, and campaigned by Mark Bacon and Dana Wells. He was trained throughout his career by Dale Romans. At 3, Silver Max won seven of his ten starts, 5 stakes, including the G2 American Turf Handicap at Churchill and the G2 Virginia Derby. At 4, the bay son of Badge of Silver added three more graded stakes to his résumé, including his most memorable win, the G1 Shadwell Turf Mile at Keeneland over eventual Horse of the Year Wise Dan. Silver Max accounted for the G2 Firecracker Stakes in his 5 year old debut at Churchill Downs, the last of his dozen wins.
“He was an exceptionally gifted racehorse with natural speed,” said trainer Dale Romans. “I don’t recall many horses winning over 8 different racetracks and leading at every call in each of his 12 lifetime victories. As far as stallion credentials, he was a top miler, setting a new course record against stakes company at that distance, yet he was able to carry his speed 10 furlongs. Winning stakes on dirt, turf and synthetic underscores his athleticism. The owners and I are very pleased that he’ll be entering stud at Adena Springs North next year—we know he’ll get every opportunity to succeed there.” Romans concluded.
In all, Silver Max won 10 stakes, 7 graded, and bankrolled $1,954,738. A stud fee will be announced later this year.
