WILL WONG was at the start of the GREY HANDICAP at Woodbine on Sunday and caught eventual winner GREY PHANTOM (1) heading to the front
DIXIE SHINES, BAKER BOY TAKES GREY
SOLIDIFY with Emma-Jayne Wilson down and riding, powers away to victory in the Grey Stakes for 2-year-olds to remain unbeaten. The colt could make his next start in the Dec. 8 Display Stakes WOODBINE/MICHAEL BURNS PHOTO
And Phantom scares up Grey Handicap win
There were plenty of nice story lines from a marathon weekend of racing at Woodbine. The track held 12 races each day as it enters the final 30 days of the season.
DIXIE MOON‘s aggressive battle to victor in the Carotene Stakes, was a great sigh of relief for owners/breeders Sean and Dorothy Fitzhenry and trainer Catherine Day Phillips. The Curlin gal won the Woodbine Oaks but has been a bit erratic since then. She wore ‘cheaters’, small blinkers, and was always in the battle with rival Avie’s Mineshaft on her way to a half-length victory in 1:48.31 for nine furlongs. She posted an 85 Beyer Figure.
The filly was coming off a last place finish in the Damsel Stakes at one mile on the grass (trainer Day Phillips had said the filly was in heat) but was 3rd in the Wonder Where Stakes before that race. She has been 1st or 2nd in four of her seven races this year and last in the other three.
On Sunday, there were a lot of happy people after the win by the 2-year-old colt SOLIDIFY who won the Grade 3 Grey Stakes at 1 1/16 miles.
Jockey Emma-Jane Wilson, who got a very late start to 2018 and trainer Reade Baker, who has had a lean year, celebrated the big win which surely will make up for much of their seasons.
Solidify is owned by Americans Paul Braverman and Timothy Punch who flew in for the race. The colt is a full brother to the owners’ PEPPERED, who was 2nd in the race last year. Solidify, by Tapizar, is 2 for 2 in his career and he raced the distance in 1:43.90 for a 70 Beyer Figure according to Daily Racing Form.
The GREY HANDICAP was the next race on Grey Stakes day and a sea of light and dark grey horses racing one mile on the grass surged down the stretch and it was a pretty cool sight.
The top 2 finishers from last year, Arthur’s Pass, who won it, and the 2017 runner-up Grey Phantom, were right there again and this time it was the latter who grabbed the win. Augie Onesi is the winning owner and Jim Ensom is the winning trainer. Kazushi Kimura, the track’s leading apprentice, is the winning rider.
For the Ensom stable the win marked its first victory after some 27 starters.
The AGCO stewards have been consistent with their reminders to riders that horses need to be ridden out to the wire (rather than standing up on them before the finish while bettors are hoping for superfecta and trifecta bets).
Also, the stewards on Saturday at Woodbine issued a $200 fine to Woodbine’s leading rider, Eurico da Silva, for failure to claim foul.
The race in question, race 6 on Saturday, was a maiden race for 2-year-old fillies in which runner-up Peut Etre caused interference on many horses in the stretch including Marner, a 5 to 1 contender under Da Silva. Marner was checked hard and wound up ninth. Da Silva said he did not claim foul because he finished far back (and his horse would only have been moved up one place). However, it is imperative that riders realize that racing is about betting. NO betting, no racing. There were other claims of foul on Peut Etre and the filly was disqualified but the pattern of jockeys not claiming foul for whatever reason (such as friends) has been noted for several months and a crack down is on the way.
GETTING READY FOR BREEDERS’ CUP – NOV 2 AND 3
Pre-entries are taken today and then announced Wednesday at 11:30 a.m.
The 35th Breeders’ Cup World Championships, consisting of 14 races (13 Grade Is) with purses and awards totaling more than $30 million, will be held for a record-tying ninth time at Churchill Downs on Friday, Nov. 2 and Saturday, Nov. 3. The live stream will be hosted by Caton Bredar and Churchill Downs’ Joe Kristufek.
Breeders’ Cup Pre-Entry is the first stage of a two-stage entry payment process for all owners intending to start a horse in a Breeders’ Cup World Championships race. The first payment is due by 12 p.m. ET on Monday. The second payment is due on Monday, Oct. 29 when entries are taken for all 14 Breeders’ Cup races, and post positions will be drawn later that day.
The Official Breeders’ Cup mobile app can be downloaded via the links below:
WONDER GADOT, the Queen’s Plate and Prince of Wales winner and Canada’s likely Horse of the year and Champion 3-year-old Filly appears to be on target to race in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff to end a fabulous, but very long season.
The Ontario bred by Medaglia D’Oro had a fast workout on Friday:
Gary Barber’s Longines Distaff (GI) contender Wonder Gadot, who worked five furlongs in 1:00 on the outside of stablemate Awesome Slew.
“It was a strong work,” trainer Mark Casse’s assistant Nick Tomlinson said. “Both horses breezed well together and (Wonder Gadot) galloped out strong. It was what we wanted to see two weeks prior to the race.”
Wonder Gadot, an Ontario-bred daughter of Medaglia d’Oro was most recently third in the Sept. 22 Cotillion (GI) at Parx behind Distaff competitors Midnight Bisou and Monomoy Girl.
CHANNEL MAKER, also owned by Barber in partnership with Wachtel Stable, is another Canadian bred on his way to the Cup (Turf) and on Sunday he worked an easy 1/2 in co. 49.29 pulled away from mate on gallop out in 103.20 up 117.44, according to Daily Racing Form.
GREAT ESCAPE
Escape Clause – Assiniboia Downs photo
Track record for Escape Clause in 8th straight win
with files from drf.com
The sensational Escape Clause set a track record for seven furlongs while winning the $50,000 CTHS Sales Stakes for 3- and 4-year-old fillies at Century Downs on Sunday.
Escape Clause posted a final time of 1:22.19, eclipsing the mark of 1:22.36 set on Sept. 8 at the track which is in only its second meet.
Escape Clause easily won by nine lengths over Raider. She paid $2.70.
With Prayven Badrie aboard, Escape Clause was in tight early when Sail On By, who set the pace, moved from the five hole to the rail soon after the start. Badrie had Escape Clause well in hand while sitting just off Sail On By through a quarter-mile in 22.69 seconds. She moved to the lead at the half-mile mark, held a 4 1/2-length advantage at the eighth-pole, and was under wraps the final sixteenth.
Raider rallied to finish second over Sail On By, who was disqualified for cutting off Anstrum during the early stages of the race. Anstrum was moved from fourth to third.
It was the eighth straight stakes win for the 4-year-old Manitoba-bred daughter of Going Commando. The $30,000 winner’s share of the purse brought her career earnings to $373,378 and improved her record to an impressive 17-3-2 from 24 starts.
Before the race owner-trainer Don Schnell said if Escape Clause ran well he would probably take her to Southern California to give her a shot on the bigger circuit.
ESCAPE CLAUSE is 8 for 10 this year with Beyer Figures similar to those of Gamble’s Ghost, Ontario’s top older mare, and now must be considered a possible for the Sovereign Award.
IN EUROPE: Cracksman & Roaring Lion with Amazing Group 1 Wins
Photo from Ascot Website – ROARING LION and jockey Oisin Murphy
Cracksman took off like a bird in flight in the late stages of the Champion Stakes at Ascot and Roaring Lion overcame a grass condition he didn’t like to win the Queen Elizabeth II on a big Saturday at Ascot.
Roaring Lion could still race in the Breeders’ Cup. Pre-entries are made for the Breeders’ Cup today.
RICK VIOLETTE
RICK VIOLETTE with his 2018 star Diversify who will be skipping the Breeders’ Cup – NYRA photo
Trainer and former assistant to Emile Allain
1953-2018
Longtime New York Racing Association (NYRA) horseman and former president of the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association (NYTHA) Richard Violette, Jr. passed away in Florida following a lengthy illness. He was 65.
Violette was born January 30, 1953 in Worchester, Massachusetts and showed hunters and jumpers as a teenager. After his graduation from Lowell University, Violette turned his attention to the racetrack and, at age 24, began training thoroughbreds full-time. He saddled his first starter on June 25, 1977 at Suffolk Downs in East Boston, Massachusetts. His first win came less than two months later with Catch the Action on August 18 at Rockingham in New Hampshire.
Following his training start, Violette worked as an assistant to Emile Allain at Woodbine Racetrack in Ontario, Canada, before moving to New York as David Whiteley’s assistant trainer. He resumed his own stable in 1983.
LAST CHANCE TO GET TICKETS TO LONGRUN’S GHOSTLY GALA THIS FRIDAY!
IT PAYS TO FOLLOW THOROUGHBLOG SELECTIONS
Thoroughblog was the only public handicapper to pick SOLIDIFY ($10.30) to win the Grey Stakes and in the last 4 races, the late Pick 4, which paid $1,500 for 20 cents was mapped out in the ‘Blog selections:
9th Race – Woodbine – Sunday, October 21st, 2018
STARTER HANDICAP. 1 Mile Turf. Purse $50,000. FOR THREE-YEAR OLDS AND UPWARD REGISTERED GRAY/ROAN HORSES WHICH HAVE STARTED FOR A CLAIMING PRICE OF $20,000 OR LESS IN 2017-18. FREE nominations close Wednesday, October 3rd. Weights to be assigned Wednesday, October 10th. Starters to be named through the entry box by the usual time of closing. Field will be limited to 14 starters. High weights preferred. (05:08PM) (11)
Wager Types: Rolling Double / Exacta / 0.20 Trifecta / 0.20 Superfecta 0 0.20 Pick 3 (Races 9-10-11) / 0.20 Pick 4 (Races 9-10-11-12)
4 Arthur’s Pass (ON) 4/1 Emma-Jayne Wilson 120 7 G L Donald C. MacRae
2 Spanish Express (ON) 12/1 Slade Callaghan 121 4 G L Frank Huarte
7 Macho Dancer (KY) 5/2 Eurico Rosa Da Silva 124 4 G L Martin Hinckson
1 Gray Phantom (ON) 9/2 Kazushi Kimura 119 6 G L Jim Ensom
3 Epilogue (ON) 20/1 David Moran 115 3 G L Carlos Grant
5 Deesse Nike (ON) 12/1 Jeffrey Ian Alderson 118 4 F L Julie Belhumeur
6 Hines (KY) 12/1 Gary Boulanger 118 7 G L Jim Ensom
8 Daylight Breeze (ON) 10/1 Rafael Manuel Hernandez 119 6 G L Alexander F. McPherson
9 Crown Prince (KY) 20/1 Ademar Santos 115 6 G L Steven Chircop
10 Spanish River (ON) 20/1 Chantal Sutherland 115 7 G L Frank Huarte
11 Kapellmeister (KY) 6/1 Luis Contreras 122 5 G L W. V. Armata
10th Race – Woodbine – Sunday, October 21st, 2018
MAIDEN OPTIONAL CLAIMING. 6 1/2 Furlongs Synthetic. Purse $34,000. FOR MAIDENS, THREE YEARS OLD AND UPWARD ONTARIO SIRED MAIDENS OR THREE YEAR OLDS AND UPWARD MAIDEN CLAIMING PRICE $40,000. Three Year Olds, 120 lbs.; Older, 123 lbs. Claiming Price $40,000. (05:40PM) (9)
Wager Types: Rolling Double / Exacta / 0.20 Trifecta / 0.20 Superfecta 0.20 Pick 3 (Races 10-11-12)
8 In View (ON) 3/1 Eurico Rosa Da Silva 120 3 G L Robert P. Tiller
5 Town Cruise (ON) 10/1 Alan Garcia 120 3 G Brandon Evan Greer
6 Frobisher Bay (KY) 5/2 Kazushi Kimura 115 3 G Jim Ensom
9 Courting a Kiss (ON) 4/1 Jerome Lermyte 120 3 G L Michael P. De Paulo
1 King of the Court (KY) 8/1 Emma-Jayne Wilson 120 3 C L Gordon C. Colbourne
2 Dino Three O Nine (KY) 6/1 Gary Boulanger 120 3 G L Steven Owens
3 Red Sahara (ON) 10/1 Chantal Sutherland 120 3 C L Sid C. Attard
4 Mambointheforest (ON) 20/1 Rafael Manuel Hernandez 120 3 G Ronald H. Sadler
7 Vaughan (ON) 15/1 David Moran 123 4 C L John Mattine
11th Race – Woodbine – Sunday, October 21st, 2018
ALLOWANCE. 7 Furlongs Synthetic. Purse $61,000. FOR FILLIES AND MARES THREE YEARS OLD AND UPWARD WHICH HAVE NEVER WON A RACE OTHER THAN MAIDEN, CLAIMING, OR RESTRICTED ALLOWANCE OR WHICH HAVE NEVER WON TWO RACES. Three Year Olds, 120 lbs.; Older, 123 lbs. Non-winners Of A Race Other Than Claiming Since September 21 Allowed 2 lbs. (06:12PM) (10)
Wager Types: Rolling Double / Exacta / 0.20 Trifecta / 0.20 Superfecta
4 Killag Katie (KY) 3/1 Eurico Rosa Da Silva 118 3 F L Catherine Day Phillips
1 Beautiful Street (KY) 8/1 Jerome Lermyte 118 3 F L Sid C. Attard
2 Alnilah (ON) 5/2 Kirk Johnson 121 4 F L Danny M. O’Callaghan
6 Love to Learn (KY) 6/1 Emma-Jayne Wilson 118 3 F L Sid C. Attard
3 Stop Who’s That (KY) 15/1 David Moran 121 4 F L Michael J. Doyle
5 World Riot (NY) 12/1 Patrick Husbands 118 3 F Nicholas Nosowenko
7 Springdetti (FL) 4/1 Rafael Manuel Hernandez 121 4 F L Norman McKnight
8 Moka Latte (ON) 20/1 Gary Boulanger 118 3 F L John P. LeBlanc, Jr.
9 I’ll Take the Cake (KY) 20/1 Ademar Santos 121 4 F L Steven Chircop
10 Boogie With Me (FL) 20/1 Alan Garcia 118 3 F L Steven Chircop
12th Race – Woodbine – Sunday, October 21st, 2018
MAIDEN CLAIMING. 1 1/16 Miles Synthetic. Purse $20,800. FOR MAIDENS, THREE YEARS OLD AND UPWARD. Three Year Olds, 120 lbs.; Older, 123 lbs. Claiming Price $16,000, if for $15,000, allowed 2 lbs. (06:44PM) (12)
Wager Types: Exacta / 0.20 Trifecta / 0.20 Superfecta / 0.20 Jackpot Hi5
1 Big Blind (ON) 10/1 Chantal Sutherland 120 3 G Ashlee Brnjas
2 Street Review (KY) 10/1 Skye Chernetz 123 4 G L Justin J. Nixon
12 Giant Pulpit (ON) 4/1 Sunny Singh 123 4 G L Tony Michael Gattellaro
3 Stop the Parade (KY) 8/1 Gary Boulanger 123 4 G L b Joseph F. Walls
5 Cinnamon Bear (ON) 20/1 Jeffrey Ian Alderson 121 4 G L Sam Di Pasquale
4 Tall Boy Brew (ON) 15/1 Slade Callaghan 118 3 G L Greg D. Cox
6 Maisie (KY) 3/1 Kazushi Kimura 110 3 F L Michael J. Doyle
7 Cherokee Knight (ON) 20/1 Christopher Husbands 121 5 G L Blair A. Miller
8 Mighty d’Artagnan (AB) 30/1 Omar Moreno 118 3 G L b Margaret Denney
9 I’m a Home Brew (ON) 12/1 David Moran 120 3 G L Jamie Attard
10 Grand Oasis (ON) 5/1 Emma-Jayne Wilson 120 3 G L o Catherine Day Phillips
11 Wonnestrut (ON) 6/1 Luis Contreras 121 5 G Jason Marrocco
