Thoroughblog wants to congratulate owner and trainer RICK KENNEDY whose Ontario bred FIESTY ICON was named Horse of the Year at the Quarter Racing Owners of Ontario Inc’s Awards night on Saturday in Ajax.
Fiesty Icon won the Picov Derby among other races during the season and was a popular winner of the year’s biggest award. Kennedy was joined at the podium by wife Karen, jockey Carly Furlonger and former rider Keith Dimech. Tony Phillips, who rode the horse as a 2yo last year, also took part in the celebrations.
Kennedy does double duty as Quarter Horse and Thoroughbred trainer.
The 3-year-old FIESTY ICON, by Sugarman Perry, bred in ONtario, was the Horse of the Year in Quarter Horse Racing in Ontario – New Image Media photo
AMAZING AMI’S MESA – 93 Beyer Figure in theatrical Glorious Song
AMI’S MESA zips to glory – 2 for 2 for Ivan Dalos – 93 beyer Figure – NORM FILES PHOTO
The field for the Glorious Song Stakes on Saturday at Woodbine was highly touted as a loaded field of nice 2yo prospects and it was shaping up as an exciting battle into the stretch.
That is until AMI’S MESA got rolling.
Yet another top runner from the Ivan Dalos breeding operation, AMI’S MESA (Sky Mesa – Victorious Ami by Victory Gallop)was between horses and waiting for room late on the turn and when straightened out, showed remarkable acceleration to go on and win by 1 1/2 lengths.
The time of 1:23.43 was good for a 93 Beyer Speed Figure from Daily racing Form, one of the highest numbers of any 2yo in 2015 in North America:
TOPO 2YO BEYERS IN NORTH AMERICA 2015
Songbird (f) KEE 31 Oct 1 1/16M 99
Carina Mia (f) KEE 29 Oct 6 1/2F 97
Matt King Coal BEL 29 Oct 1M 96
Pretty N Cool (f) DMR 19 Jul 5F 95
Championofthenile SAR 04 Sep 6 1/2F 94
Greenpointcrusader BEL 03 Oct 1M 94
Ami’s Mesa (A) (f) WO 21 Nov 7F 93
Catapult BEL 18 Oct 1M 93
Gift Box BEL 03 Oct 1 1/16M 93
Matt King Coal BEL 03 Oct 1 1/16M 93
Ralis SAR 07 Sep 7F 93
Cathryn Sophia (f) PRX 30 Oct 6F 92
Mor Spirit SA 23 Oct 1M 92
Catch a Glimpse (f) WO 12 Sep 1M 91
Shakhimat (A) WO 08 Nov 1 1/8M 91
Conquest Babayaga (A) (f) WO 21 Nov 7F 90
Giant Run BEL 18 Oct 1M 90
Riker (A) WO 25 Jul 6F 90
Songbird (f) SA 26 Sep 1 1/16M 90
“Oh she’s so good”, exclaimed track announcer ROBERT GELLER as the dark bay filly flew on past for her 2nd win in as many strats under Luis Contreras.
Kentucky-bred Conquest Babyaga, by Uncle Mo, was 2nd and Ontario bred JENNIFER LYNETTE, owned by Conrad farms, was a good 3rd.
More on the week of racing tomorrow on Thoroughblog…
BEAR SELLS ALL MARES AT CTHS SALE – average up 60%
DANNY DION sold all of his mares and foals at Saturday’s Mixed sale at Woodbine, held by the Canadian Thoroughbred Horse Society , helping the sale to a large increase in overall average.
Last year’s sale grossed just over $215,000 and averaged $3,921 and it has been 5 years since yearlings averaged more than this year’s overall average of $6,289.
114 HORSES SOLD
$716,950 gross
AVERAGE $6,289
MEDIAN $2,500
TOPPING THE SALE was WILD STRIKE, a grey daughter of Smart Strike, half sister to stakes winner Decision Day, in foal to Bear’s Kid. Bought for $70,000 by John Gillis, who bought a litany of horses at the sale.
JEFF BEGG, of Windways Farm, bought CRISPY for $57,000, also a Bear consigned-horse through agent Richard Hogan. Crispy is a young Maria’s Mon mare in foal to Kentucky Bear.
There were many different buyers at the sale and only 15 horses went unsold. Plenty of locals bought mares for breeding, weanlings for re-sale. Some horses of racing age were sold and may appear in the entries again soon.
