POLISHED

**Thursday – catch CALIFORNIA CHROME in Dubai as he preps for the World Cup next month – he races at 12:55 today; Canadians are in action on big card at GUlfstream Saturday; Barbados Gold Cup entries draw, Excaper retired and more!

 

CHROME SET TO SHINE AT 12:55 P.M.
from LAURA KING, RACINGUK.COM

 

Chrome should win, and win well at Meydan

There is no doubt that California Chrome is the hit attraction on Meydan’s card this week.

His presence at morning trackwork has doubled the amount of press and general hangers-on in recent weeks and, as ever, his connections have been a pleasure to deal with.

There will be red faces, though, if the 2014 US Horse of the Year manages to get beaten in the ignominiously-titled Trans Gulf Electromechanical Trophy, otherwise known as the mile and a quarter handicap, on Thursday.

Curlin strolled home in a similar race when prepping for the World Cup in 2008, but there is reason to think that things might not be quite that easy for California Chrome.

Godolphin intend to make sure he has a race, and have placed apprentice Eddie Greatrex onboard Good Contact – second on his dirt debut – meaning that he receives over a stone from Victor Espinoza’s mount.
California Chrome should still win, and win well, but he might be tested and the weight is something that Espinoza, his Triple Crown-winning rider, is concerned about.

read more..http://www.racinguk.com/blogs/read/chrome-should-win-and-win-well-at-meydan

 

 
CATCH A GLIMPSE – HERECOMESTHEBRIDE; HEART TO HEART – CANADIAN TURF and more stuff this weekend

 

Gulfstream’s stakes=packed racing card on Fountain of Youth day includes the return of probable Canadian champion 2-year-old filly and strong Horse of the Year contender CATCH A GLIMPSE in the Herecomesthebride Stakes.

The daughter of City Zip, owned by Canadians Jeff and Annabel Begg, Mike Ambler and Greg Lang, along with Gary Barber, has the outside post in the 8 horse field. Canadian trained PULLED THE GOALIE is also in the field, coming off a win.

JEFF BEGG talked to Thoroughblog on Thursday morning – “She is training well and the weather looked good for this weekend. Cool and sunny. The shipping and paddock area is not ideal for her as she can be nervous, but this is where we decided to go. This race is the furthest she has run and she is giving weight to everyone else. I hope she runs her race and we will go from there.”

Mark Casse will not be at Gulfstream for the race as his father Norman Casse is in declining health.

 

Saturday, Gulfstream Park, post time: 2:25 p.m. EST
HERECOMESTHEBRIDE S.-GIII, $150,000, 3yo, f, 1 1/16mT

PP HORSE SIRE JOCKEY TRAINER WT

1 Pulled the Goalie K Parading Lanerie Vella 114
2 Hold Harmless Blame Velazquez McGaughey 114
3 Gone Away Lrdnmx (Brz) Leparoux Matz 114
4 Lira K Giant’s Causeway Castellano Pletcher 118
5 Wedding Dress Medaglia d’Oro Saez Albertrani 114
6 Andreya’s Reward K Warrior’s Reward Rios Wolfson 118
7 Vieja Luna Street Hero Lopez Fernandez 118
8 Catch a Glimpse K City Zip Geroux Casse 120

 

Terry Hamilton’s Heart to Heart will face eight rivals in the $150,000 Canadian Turf Stakes at Gulfstream Park on Saturday.

The Ontario-bred son of English Channel is coming off a pair of wire-to-wire wins, including the $200,000 Fort Lauderdale Stakes (G2) by a half-length from Luke’s Alley over this course on January 9. That effort was flattered when Luke’s Alley came back to triumph in the Gulfstream Park Turf Handicap (G1) on February 6. Trainer Brian Lynch had considered that premier target for his charge, but elected to go easy on the 5-year-old.

“We just decided to give him a little bit more time,” Lynch said. “He’s doing good, everything has gone smoothly with him.”

Heart to Heart has won five graded stakes in his career, all of them on the front end.

“It seems to be effective, we just let him do his thing,” Lynch added. “It’s tough for them to get past him. As far as his training, he’s doing as good as he’s ever done. We’ve been patient with him and he may improve. I haven’t had a chance to handicap the field to see if there’s any other speed in the race—that’s always a factor with him. If he runs free, he’s dangerous.”

Regular rider Julien Leparoux will be aboard Heart to Heart when they break from post 8 in the Canadian Turf.

BEN HUTZEL’S PASSION FOR ACTION is also in the field for trainer Mike DePaulo as is TOWER OF TEXAS, trained by Roger Attfield.

And in race 1 on the card, at 12 noon,  Bear Stables LLC’s NOHOLDINGBACK BEAR is scheduled to meet eight rivals in the $75,000 Texas Glitter in his turf debut Saturday following a pair of solid efforts behind undefeated Awesome Banner in the Hutcheson (G3) and Swale (G2). The five-furlong Texas Glitter is one of eight stakes on the Fountain of Youth program at Gulfstream Park.

Trained by Michael De Paulo, the 3-year-old son of Put It Back launched his four-race career with a 5 ¾-length romp over Woodbine’s Polytrack surface before finishing a close second in the Juvenile Sprint on the Breeders’ Cup undercard over Keeneland’s main track Oct. 31.

Noholdingback Bear chased Awesome Banner before setting for second in the Hutcheson before fading to fourth in the Swale after chasing the Jacks or Better Farm homebred.

 

OLG BIG WINNERS LOVE HORSES, AND RACING

 

JOHN HENRY, yes, that is his name, has “always loved horse racing” and with his $60 million in winnings from Lotto Max, hopes to go to the Kentucky Derby.
How about getting a horse that will take him to the Derby?
Henry is from Mississauga.

Another big winner who came forward on Wednesday, Joan Patterson, is from the Owen Sound area and intends to buy a new horse trailer and build paddocks with her $60,000 she won from another Lotto Max draw.

Patterson’s farm is close to Willow Ridge Farm, owned by Bonnie Rowntree.

http://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/2-winners-each-take-home-60m-lotto-max-jackpots-1.2790838

 

 

PATRICK HUSBANDS, RICO WALCOTT on powerful Ramsay pair in Barbados (next weekend)

 

 

(Photo – major Sandy Lane Gold Cup contender JUST A FASHION)

 

 

THE XXXV SANDY LANE BARBADOS GOLD CUP (GR. 1. – INT. – BAR)
3-YEAR-OLDS AND OVER (WFA)

 

 1 DORSETT(USA) 115 6 129 PEIRCE R $0.00

– previously owned by Terry Hamilton, raced in Woodbine Mile; by Artie Schiller – Dontgetinmyway by Macheivellian
2 WATCHYOUROWNBOBBER(USA) 130 4 125 MAKER M $0.00

Newly turned 4yo by Hard Spun – Boodles by Mr. Greeley
3 DAUNTING DAVID(USA) 113 5 129 DEANE SCM E $129,430.00

– 5yo by Aragorn – Moms Deputy by War Chant
4 WAR ENVOY(USA) 135 4 125 WARD W $0.00

– War Front – La Conseillante by Elusive Quality, 3rd dam is Winning Colors
5 MARCUS ANTONIUS(USA) 118 5 129 DEANE SCM E $65,820.00

– 5yo by Roman Ruler – Sky Mystic by Sky Mesa
6 DERBY KITTEN(USA) 113 8 129 CLARKE W $3,840.00

– Multiple stakes winner (won Woodbine’s Ontario Derby), been racing for claiming; by Kitten’s Joy – Blush, by Menifee
 7 JUST A FASHION(USA) 122 5 129 CHEESEMAN V $156,155.00

– by Old Fashioned – Heir to the Queen, by King of Kinds, has won 11 of 22 races
 8 INDIANO JONES(USA) (TND) 122 6 129 WARD A $94,290.00

– by A. P. Indy – Sharp Susan, by Touch Gold, former Woodbine starter
9 DASHING DAVID(IRE) 100 6 129 DEANE SCM E $33,799.00

– by Lemon Drop Kid – Hyarhini by  Fantastic Light
 10 SAYLER’S CREEK(USA) 123 6 129 MAKER M $134,850.00

–  6-year-old by Bernstein – Postulant by Pulpit, won last year’s Gold Cup

 

 

Kent Layne wrote a story in the Barbados Today paper (see link) on the field that was drawn for the Sandy Lande Gold Cup in Barbados on march 5. Canadian riders Patrick Husbands and Rico Walcott are on the 2 American shippers, WATCHYOUROWNBOBBER and SAYLER’S CREEK, both owned by Ken and Sarah Ramsay. The latter won the Gold Cup last year and the Ramsays are seeking their 3rd straight win in the 1 1/8 mile turf race.

Go to page 51 when you open up today’s paper…

http://epaper.barbadostoday.bb/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

EXCAPER TO STUD in Oklahoma

LIFETIME RECORD – 30  – 5 –  9 –  2 – $775,360 Top Beyer Figure 101

2015  – 8- 0- 0- 1- 32,718
2014  – 7 -2- 3- 0- 241,363
2013  – 4- 1- 1- 0- 86,539
2012  – 6- 1- 3- 0- 129,827
2011  – 5- 1- 2- 1- 284,913

One of Woodbine’s more popular horses, the grey speedster EXCAPER, has been retired and is off to Oklahoma to stand at stud.
Races by Richard and Nancy Kaster and trained by Ian Black, Excape won the Connaught Cup (G2) and, in one of his most exciting runs, was second in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1) in 2011 after leading very late under Emma-Jayne Wilson.

Excaper retires as the winner of five races and $775,360.

He was not the luckiest horse you would have seen race at Woodbine in the last few years (or at other tracks when he went on the road) and often needed a certain style and strategy to have his best finish. Still, the graded stakes winner placed in top events such as the Play The King Stakes (G2), King Edward Stakes (G2) and Kent Stakes (G3).

In all, he won or was placed in 12 stakes races.

Excaper has been retired to stand at Francisco Bravo’s River Oaks Farms, Oklahoma, as the property of Mike Grossman in a deal brokered by Chad Schumer.

The son of Exchange Rate  from the Bold Ruckus mare Ada Ruckus, will stand for a fee of $2,000.

(Photos below  – EXCAPER was a super turf miler and he had speed and grit. He was also a kind fellow and a Woodbine character)