With 16 racing days left at Woodbine for 2019 there is still some exciting racing to look forward to and year-end title races to watch.
The rich Coronation Futurity is next Saturday, Nov. 23 and could play a role in determine the champion 2-year-old colt in the country this season. The same afternoon there is an intriguing and attractive breeding stock sale for the CTHS beginning at Noon.
Also this coming weekend, the Kennedy Road Stakes (Grade 2) featuring PINK LLOYD and the prep winner, RICHIESINTHEHOUSE.
Last week’s notable races and Top Winning Beyer Speed Figures:
*Note – Sunday’s Beyer Figures not posted by Daily Racing Form as of Monday morning
92 PIVEN – $40,000 claiming race, Derek Chin colt raced 5 1/2 in 1:03.43
89 CALL ME WALLY – 7-year-old won for $20,000 claiming
88 CLAYTON – first time starter, Ontario bred by Bodemeister
80 DANCING QUIETLY – won for $7,500 claiming Saturday at 6 1/2 furlong 1:16.66
80 IN MEMORY OF FLOYD – maiden winner for owner Larry Cordes and trainer Josie Carroll; son of Istan
**The lone stakes race of the weekend was the South Ocean Stakes for 2-year-old fillies won by Gun Society (Society’s Chairman) and she posted a 72 Beyer Speed Figure.
** One of the biggest Beyer Figures of the week belonged to the 2-year-old debut winner CLAYTON, an Ontario bred by Bodemeister – Smarthalf by Smart Strike who crushed rivals by more than seven lengths in a 5 furlong dash on Sunday. The colt won in 57.35 for owner Donato Lanni, a transplanted Canadian from Kentucky and a bloodstock agent. Kevin Attard trains.
Bernard and Karen McCormack are the breeders of Clayton. They bought the colt’s dam Smarthalf carrying this colt, her first foal, for $32,000 in 2016 at the Keeneland November sale. They sold Clayton for $16,000 as a weanling to Zulu Racing. The colt was bought by Lanni, agent for $50,000 last year at Keeneland September.
The mare’s yearling by Goldencents sold as a weanling last year for $6,000 for the McCormacks and recently re-sold for $18,000 to Kazakov.
Smarthalf is an unraced mare who comes from the family of Grade 1 winner Halfbridled.
The JOCKEY RACE at Woodbine is heating up these days with the top 3 riders dominating the results and making it tough to handicappers to decide which horse to pick.
Rider Mounts Wins 2nd 3rd Earnings Win % ITM ITM %
1 Eurico Rosa Da Silva 645– 161— 130– 95– $6,576,302– 25%— 386 —60%
2 Rafael Manuel Hernandez 714— 138— 100– 88– $4,961,939– 19%– 326—– 46%
3 Kazushi Kimura 808— 137— 121 —110– $4,356,596 -17%— 368—- 46%
Eurico da Silva, soon to be retiring from riding, has a solid hold on another title but the race for second-place is interesting.
Rafael Hernandez and new-journeyman Kazushi Kimura are battling it out and just one win separates them.
Interesting to note that Da Silva has an in-the-money rate of a whopping 60%.
There could be excitement coming up in the world of trainers as Hall of Famer ROBERT TILLER is just four wins from a milestone of 2,000 victories.
Trainers – Woodbine 2019
1 Mark E. Casse 449 — 86– 83– 60– $4,796,014 –19%
2 Norman McKnight 310 — 79– 53 –34– $1,866,118 –25%
3 Martin Drexler 266 — 56 –52– 36 –$1,539,230 –21%
4 Kevin Attard 282 — 50- 48 –31 —$2,432,400– 18%
7 Wins separate the top two barns this year, the same top two barns from recent years. Mark Casse’s team under David Holmes and Kathryn Sullivan along with others still leads over Norm McKnight. Martin Drexler, having his best season as a trainer by wins is hold third over Kevin Attard. Kevin Attard is five wins from matching his career best Woodbine win total.
Leading Trainers by Win Percentage
minimum 20 starters
Norm McKnight – 25%
Lorne Richards – 21%
Martin Drexler – 21%
Don MacRae – 21%
Rachel Halden – 20%
Francine Villenueve – 19%
Mark Casse – 19%
Julia Carey – 19%
Ralph Biamonte – 19%
Leading Owners by Purses
1 Chiefswood Stables Limited 146– 31– 23– 25– $1,981,658
2 Bruno Schickedanz 245 –76– 37– 30– $1,579,138
3 Gary Barber 105– 19– 25– 20 –$1,571,236
4 Stronach Stables 130– 28– 13– 20– $1,211,072
5 Ivan Dalos 103– 22– 11 –6— $1,157,133
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