Racing continues Monday September 24, post time 12:55 p.m.
FINAL FIVE: Autumn Championship Races Coming Up
The final five racing dates for the 2018 Ajax Downs Quarter Horse meeting are upon us and three major stakes races are left to be run.
Monday, October 8, Thanksgiving Monday, will feature the Alex Picov Memorial Championship for older horses at 440 yards and the juveniles will contest the final of the Alex Picov Futurity the same day at 400 yards.
On Oct. 15 the 3-year-olds will light up the action in the Picov Derby.
There is plenty of super action around those dates as well. Tomorrow, Sept. 24, the 9th and featire race pits Ontario Sires Stakes Maturity winner NIGHT FISHIN, a 4-year-old filly who edged the gritty Fiesty Icon in that race (and he has come back to win) against Maturity favourite Ghost Pines, who is looking for redemption. The race has also lured stakes calibre males such as Hickerson, Ice Witch and Sugarmans Delight.
RAMIRO CASTILLO wins 2 stakes, 3 races, at Century Downs Sept. 22
BRINGONTHEWAVE, by Wave Carver and from a half sister to Ajax Downs winner Draggin Wagon, coasted to victory in Saturday’s Alberta Bred Derby – Photo courtesy Century Downs/Horse Racing Alberta
Ajax Downs jockey RAMIRO CASTILLO had a successful trip to Century Downs in Alberta on Saturday as he rode the winners of two major stakes events for Quarter Horses. Castillo guided the 2-year-old TIMBERSKNIGHTRYDER to victory in the $58,799 Alberta Bred Futurity final at 350 yards for owner Tony Laczo and trainer James Doolin. The Alberta bred son of First Timber is 3 for 4 in his career.
Following a win on Papas Colleen in an allowance race, Ramiro guided one of his favourite horses, the grey, spotted fellow BRINGONTHEWAVE in the Alberta Bred Derby, a $35,153 dash for sophomores at 400 yards.
Bringonthewave, the top 2-year-old male in Alberta a year ago, is by Wave Carver and is owned by Dale Zukowski and trainer by James Doolin.
Dale Zukowski, incidentally, just purchased his first Thoroughbred yearlings at last week’s CTHS Alberta sale.
Canadians Buy Yearlings at 3-day Heritage Place Yearling sale
The 3-day Heritage Place yearling sale wrapped up with good numbers as reported by www.stallionesearch Saturday evening.
Heritage Place reported 642 yearlings sold through the three-day sale for $11,730,900, up 13% over $10,384,400 total during the comparable sessions a year ago when seven more yearlings were marked sold. The average rose 14% from $16,001 to $18,272 and the median increased 11% from $11,000 to $12,250. The sale’s RNA rate was 11% on the 82 not sold. There were 54 outs from the 783 catalogued.
A few Canadians were in attendance including MICHELLE WOODLEY, who purchased CHALK CLIFFS for $11,000. This is a colt from the first crop of Separate Interest (Separatist) from the graded stakes placed mare Hat D Strawfly, a stakes producer.
MILENA KWIECIEN paid $13,000 for KISS MY KOOL HOCKS, a sorrel filly from the first crop of Kiss My Hocks, the champion 2yo in 2014. The dam of this filly will be recognizable to Canadians; First Kool Money was a champion multiple stakes winner for Belinda Taggert in 2007-2009 and she is a half sister to stakes winner One Kool Bud, dam of canadian champion One Kool Wave.
BRYN ROBERTSON paid $7,000 for B 65, a filly by Freighttrain B.
GERRY HORTON paid $7,000 for REACH FOR IT a filly by Feature Mr. Bojangles.
TITLES UP FOR GRABS – QROOI Point Leaders
Quarter Horse racing fans have been privileged to see so many amazing equines in 2018 and numerous talented horsepeople who are passionate about this industry.
The Quarter Racing Owners of Ontario Inc. awards points to members and horses for wins and placings in various events and these can differ from the leaders by wins or earnings on the official statistics compiled by Equibase (www.equibase.com).
HORSE LEADERS BY QROOI POINTS
COUNTRY BOY 123, owned and trained by Ruth Barbour, has cut a swath through the older horse ranks with 2 track records this season and 6 wins in 6 starts. The 5-year-old was the 2016 and 2017 Horse of the Year and is on his way to a 3rd title. His final Canadian start is scheduled to the the Picov Championship.
CARNEROS currently leads the 3yo male ranks with 25 points and 4 wins for Milena Kwiecien and trainer Jason Pascoe.
Scott Reid’s fine filly ELENORR is right up there on the points list and leads 3yo fillies while Fishin for a Corona leads older mares, Spy for the Senate, 2yo males and Stripper Dust (12 points) tops 2yo fillies.
Horse (Division) Points #RacesRun Earnings (Can) Earnings (US) #Wins/Placings
Country Boy 123 (aged male) 37 6 $62,365.00 $47,817.00 6
Fiesty Icon (aged male) 25 6 $36,347.00 $27,880.00 2 2
Carneros (3yo male) 25 5 $26,295.00 $20,220.00 4 1
Kona Corona (aged male) 22 5 $28,224.00 $21,685.00 4 1
Rouge River Cartel (aged male) 22 8 $25,424.00 $19,506.00 3 2
Elenorr (3yo filly) 22 4 $41,612.00 $32,006.00 2 1 1
One Famous Glass (aged male ) 21 5 $22,911.00 $17,582.00 1 2 2
Apollitical Toll (3yo filly) 21 5 $18,665.00 $13,506.00 2 3
Jk Doc Carter (3yo filly) 21 8 $13,136.00 $10,046.00 1 2 3
Junoimzoomin (3yo filly) 20 7 $21,520.00 $16,507.00 2 1
Wont Bac Down (3yo filly) 20 7 $21,510.00 $16,405.00 2 1 2
Bending Over (3yo male) 20 9 $18,990.00 $14,545.00 1 4 1
Ice Witch (aged male) 19 3 $27,162.00 $20,761.00 2
Perfect to Look At (aged male) 19 5 $22,912.00 $17,689.00 3 1
Countrys Comin Bac (aged male) 19 7 $34,060.00 $26,181.00
Silky Senator (3yo filly) 19 4 $15,792.00 $12,024.00 3 1
Aj Chick in 15 (3yo filly) 19 6 $16,270.00 $12,438.00
Smoakn Gun (3yo filly) 19 6 $20,740.00 $15,932.00 2 1 1
Firing Red Jess (3yo male) 18 6 $25,835.00 $19,748.00 2 2
Fishin for a Corona (aged mare) 18 5 $15,914.00 $12,242.00 1 2 1
Spy for the Senate (2yo male) 18 4 $13,640.00 $10,432.00 2 2
Leading Owners by Points
The Tavares train rolls on with Christine leading the owners again, currently with 226 points and 23 wins.
Relative newcomers Milena Kwiecien and James Bogar are having fine seasons as they build their stables.
Tavares, Christine 226 $231,535.00 116 23 20 20 20
Kwiecien, Milena 187 $169,087.00 75 19 18 13 11
Bogar, James 106 $110,602.00 63 16 7 13 13
Wincikaby, Richard/DK TrCen 101 $110,082. 49 13 9 10 6
Heste Sport Inc 90 $110,859.00 82 21 5 8 13
Picov Cattle co 90 $105,608.00 70 15 6 10 8
Big Dog Racing 77 $72,343.00 40 8 5 9 7
Crispi, Rick 67 $62,074.00 28 9 8 4 4
Broadstock, Marie 55 $54,628.00 38 9 3 6 7
Reid, Scott 52 $73,471.00 20 4 5 3 2
Wilson, John S 51 $42,239.00 27 7 5 5 3
Breeders
158 Tavares, Christine $177,990.00 74 16 12 12
103 McNichol, Gary and Marlene $123,579.00 63 8 10 10
95 Heste Sport inc $118,046.00 86 5 10 13
60 Paquin, Guylaine $87,297.00 36 7 5 6
56 Picov Cattle co $79,856.00 46 3 7 3
39 Naterer, Marko $55,570.00 14 3 5 2
37 Reid, Scott $60,306.00 10 3 2 2
36 Full Circle Racing $46,418.00 11 5 1 2
34 McNichol, Gary $61,694.00 12 4 3
29 Giles, Dan $39,538.00 6 4
29 McCormack, Amanda $33,940.00 15 3 2 3
28 Lehtinen, Joyce and/or Erik $43,330.00 21 3 4 4
23 Robertson, Carol and Jaime $28,479.00 12 1 3 2
22 Four Leaf Racing $52,342.00 13 3 1 3
Trainers point leaders
A great battle in the trainer’s race with Joe Tavares leading by points and earnings by Jason Pascoe has 27 wins, a career best for the young trainer from Pontypool and 2 more than Tavares.
Joe Tavares 295 $312,873.00 158 25 30 23
Jason Pascoe 246 $235,853.00 94 27 16 14
Reid, Scott 148 $184,812.00 68 14 10 8
Greg Watson 136 $168,599.00 55 15 8 4
Don Reid 125 $139,222.00 55 12 10 8
Barry Wood 106 $110,602.00 63 7 13 13
Bob Broadstock 92 $94,559.00 71 6 8 12
Carol McIntyre 77 $72,343.00 40 5 9 7
Bryn Robertson 74 $105,252.00 26 7 4 4
Tom Dunlap 72 $132,027.00 66 12 11 13
Darlene Ballis-Hunderu 68 $80,115.00 77 2 7 13
Rick Kennedy 53 $75,022.00 47 4 3 4
Michelle Woodley 48 $56,194.00 17 5 5 1
Chantelle Bourgeois 44 $46,698.00 38 1 3 7
Ralph Pearson 39 $53,819.00 16 2 5 3
Erik Lehtinen 29 $31,062.00 15 2 4 3
Jockeys
Cory Spataro, who won his 150th Quarter Horse last week (on Country Boy 123) has a long lead in the win totals this year but is just ahead of Chelsey Willick by points. You can’t count out any of these riders from making a big move in the last 5 cards.
Cory Spataro 264 $351,909.00 119 34 19 20
Chelsey Willick 260 $262,558.00 135 21 26 20
Brian Bell 256 $282,030.00 123 23 24 23
Cassandra Jeschke 210 $240,985.00 113 17 17 17
Ramiro Castillo 194 $225,667.00 139 13 23 21
Ed Walton 184 $191,799.00 92 21 10 13
Tony Phillips 181 $221,265.00 124 12 22 16
