Let the Queen’s Plate chatter begin.
While the majority of Canadian-bred 2-year-olds, soon to be 3, are taking a holiday in Ontario or Florida, there are some who are just getting their careers underway in the U.S.
One of those, SYCAMORE RUN, made his debut at Fair Grounds on Saturday Dec. 21 and it certainly was a sharp performance. The Ontario bred by Street Sense – Dattt Echo by Stormy Atlantic had to contend with a sloppy track but he broke well from post six in the six furlong dash and led all the way to win by 3 1/2 lengths in 1:10.98 at 4 to 1.
Owned by Scott and Evan Dilworth, Sycamore Run is trained by Joe Sharp. The colt was bought for $175,000 at the 2018 Keeneland September Yearling Sale and was bred by David Anderson’s Anderson Farms.
Interestingly, the Dilworths raced another Anderson bred by Street Sense in Canada, TOWER OF TEXAS, graded stakes winner of over $900,000. Dattt Echo, a stakes placed sprinter on the turf, was bought in foal to Pioneerof the Nile by Anderson for $225,000 at the 2015 Keeneland November Sale. The mare has a 2018 filly by Frosted and is in foal to Collected.
*Also at Fair Grounds on Saturday, Ivan Dalos’ AVIE’S MINESHAFT finished third in the Blushing K.D. Stakes at 1 1/16 miles in the slop (originally scheduled for the grass). The daughter of Mineshaft won the 2018 Wonder Where Stakes on the turf and she is trained by Josie Carroll.
*Woodbine Mile (Grade 1) hero EL TORMENTA is in light training at Sam-Son Farms in Ocala, Florida. The Ontario-bred by Stormy Atlantic, the probable Champion Turf Male of 2019 when the Sovereign Awards are handed out in April, was recently in a photo from Sam-Son Farm with the retired ALDOUS SNOW.
Aldous Snow, an earner of over $700,000 and a graded stakes winner, tried steeplechase racing in 2019 but is now the farm’s pony.
EL TORMENTA (left) at Sam-Son Farms in Ocala with friend ALDOUS SNOW – Thank you Sam-Son Farms for the use of the image
*Josie Carroll’s main rider, LUIS CONTRERAS is at Sunland Park this week and Dec. 28 (next Saturday) he rides Edward Freeman’s HARDCORE TROUBADOUR in the KLAQ Stakes, a race this gelding won last year for Freeman. Freeman is a former Woodbine trainer.
BOXING DAY, DEC 26 in Trinidad & Tobago is the big day of racing at Arima Race Club highlighted by the Group 1 Gold Cup.
Alberta-bred THISONESFORRON, by Gilded Time – Muddy Miss, by Ares Vallis, is a contender again as an 9-year-old. The Champion Turf horse won this race two years ago and is a 14 time winner in his career. He has earned over $230,000 US).
His stablemate NUCLEAR POWER won this race last year and is the likely favourite. Read more here.
Program for Dec 26 Arima Race Club
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