We all had out Tepin moments when she visited Woodbine – now we can cheer her on today at Keeneland in the First Lady!
One of our hometown heroes. TOWER OF TEXAS, who was 2nd in the Woodbine Mile in the race of his life, will try to avoid bouncing to the moon in the Grade 1 Shadwell Mile today, also at Keeneland.
Photo credit – DAWN KAY
SUPER SATURDAY TODAY AND A SUPER WEEK COMING UP AT WOODBINE
It’s Thanksgiving weekend and it is a time to be grateful for what we have and who we appreciate.
And then it is time for horse racing, a lot of it, from coast to coast as we map out our horses we are going to peg for the Breeders’ Cup races.
At Woodbine, 3 racing days plus Wed. night make for a busy holiday and the 2-year-olds are on the stages in two graded events and one Ontario sired dash.
We lead into our last huge weekend of the year too, with the Canadian International next Sunday supported by the E.P. Taylor, Nearctic and Ontario Fashion.
Interestingly, the projected fields for the International and Taylor are made up mostly of invaders with just a single Canadian horse in each event.
Long range, the rain comes later in the week but it says by Sunday, cool and sunny.
EARLY LOOK AT THE PATTISON CANADIAN INTERNATIONAL (9)
Horse / Owner / Trainer / Jockey
Da Big Hoss / Skychai Racing / Michael Maker / Florent Geroux
Danish Dynaformer / Charles Fipke / Roger Attfield / TBD
Dartmouth / The Queen / Sir Michael Stoute / William Buick
Erupt / Flaxman Holdings, Ltd / Francis-Henri Graffard / Stephane Pasquier
Idaho / Mr. Michael B. Tabor, Mr. Derrick Smith & Mr. John Magnier / Aidan P. O’Brien / Ryan Moore
Protectionist / Australian Bloodstock / Andreas Woehler / Eduardo Pedroza
The Pizza Man / Midwest Thoroughbreds Inc. / Roger Brueggemann / Flavien Prat
Wake Forest / Sheep Pond Partners LLC, M, Dubb & Bethlehem Stables / Chad Brown / Javier Castellano
World Approval / Live Oak Plantation / Mark Casse / Julien Leparoux
MANDATORY JACKPOT HI-5 SLATED FOR PCI DAY
Woodbine Entertainment Group (WEG) today announced that a mandatory payout for the Thoroughbred Jackpot Hi-5 is slated for Sunday, October 16, Pattison Canadian International day.
The final opportunity to wager on the Jackpot Hi-5 before the mandatory payout date will be Sunday, October 9.
The carryover will continue to build through that date, provided there is not a single winner. The wager will then be suspended for the Holiday Monday, October 10; Wednesday, October 12; Friday, October 14; and Saturday, October 15 cards of racing, allowing customers to prepare for the mandatory payout prize.
The Jackpot Hi 5, which currently boasts a carryover of $365,996.78 requires horseplayers to select the first five finishers in exact order on the last race of the programme. The Jackpot proviso means that the entire pool pays out only when there is one winning ticket sold that correctly selects the first five finishers in exact order.
For fans and horseplayers wanting further information on WEG’s Jackpot Hi 5, including details, strategy and carryover info visit www.WoodbineEntertainment.com/JackpotHi5.
EARLY LOOK AT THE G1 $500,000 E.P. TAYLOR STAKES (14)
Horse / Owner / Trainer / Jockey
Aim to Please / Joerg Vasicek / Francois Dourmen / Gerald Mosse
Al’s Gal / Kenneth L. and Sarah K. Ramsey / Michael Maker / Florent Geroux
Banzari / Robert Flay / H.F. Devin / TBD
Best In The World / Mr. Michael Tabor, Mr. Derrick Smith & Mrs. John Magnier / Aidan O’Brien / Ryan Moore
Diploma / The Queen / Sir Michael Stoute / William Buick
Guapaza / Don Alberto Stable / Chad Brown / Javier Castellano
Nezwaah / Sheikh Ahmed al Maktoum / Roger Varian / Andrea Atzeni
Parvaneh / Darius Racing / Waldemar Hickst / TBD
Rainha Da Bateria / Lael Stables / Chad Brown / Julien Leparoux
Strut the Course / John Unger / Barb Minshall / Rafael Hernandez
Suffused / Juddmonte Farms / Bill Mott / TBD
Swiss Range / Juddmonte Farms / John Gosden / Lanfranco Dettori
Tuttipaesi / Valor Ladies LLC / Bill Mott / TBD
Uchenna / Gary Barber / Mark Casse / TBD
The NEARCTIC has lost a lot of starters to the new Belmont Sprint today in new York but STACKED DECK and EXPECTED RULER, perhaps SUMMATION TIME (2nd last year in the race) are on the short lost of entrants.
WOODBINE NOTES
RAFAEL HERNANDEZ is either 1 or 2 winners away from 2,000 wins – Equibase has him at 1,998.
He just arrived at Woodbine in July and has more than 60 wins at the meeting. One of his vintage rides was on VEGAS STRIP on Wed. night – horse racing fans and horsepeople should watch this race…
Yes, the Zayat Stables gelding was dropping in class but from the rail post, Hernandez let him find his stride and, sensing there was not speed in the race (24 seconds for the first 2 furlongs at furlongs!), the rider let the bay horse gallop along, quiet hands, and allowing all the wild movement and flailing behind him from before they even got the turn.
Check out Hernandez in the stretch run to the wire…
VEGAS STRIP was one of 2 winners on the card for trainer Reade Baker, who also won with 21 to 1 shot SLEEK IDEA who won a $10,00 claiming race under Tony Maragh in race 4 for Oxney Stone Farm (Jeff Norman).
Congratulations to Analisa Delmas who won her first race of the meeting when GLIB MARILYN rallied to win her maiden in race 5. The grey 3yo filly by the Delmas’ family stallion Smooth Bid was ridden by Patrick Husbands.
The top Beyer Speed Figure from Wed. night and Friday, according to Daily Racing Form, was the 88 posted by Eminent Force on Friday when he led all the way to win a $25,000 claiming race at 1 1/16 miles for owners George Shcramm and John Russell.
The promising 2yo Ontario bred filly FINANCIAL RECOVERY led all the way to win a maiden allowance at 1 1/16 miles on the turf with the rails well out. The Street Cry (Ire) gal, owned by Narola LLC and Anderson Farms posted a 70 Beyer Figure for her first race for trainer Catherine Day Phillips. The filly was also 1st time Lasix and she was ridden by Hernandez.
How about STRAWBERRY SCARLET? This 7-year-old grey mare won on Friday in her first try at 1 1/16 miles in years (only 3rd try at the distance in her life) and she was so brave and game in the stretch run it was a treat to watch.
This was her 10th career win from her 53rd race.
Oh, and STRAWBERRY SCARLET is the last and only Windfields Farm-bred horse to be racing. (Photo below of ‘Scarlet’ from 2014 by Norm Files)
NUDGE NUDGE – WINX WINS AGAIN!
12 straight for super mare
RACING POST – Report: Australia, Saturday
Caulfield: Ladbrokes Caulfield Stakes (Group 1) 1m2f, turf, 3yo+
WINX (Chris Waller/Hugh Bowman) had frightened away the opposition for this Group 1, facing only two rivals, and they proved no match for the mare as she made it 12 wins in a row.
The Cox Plate and a showdown with among others Godolphin’s Hartnell will provide a stiffer test, but Winx could do little more than win easily against the overmatched pair and Waller is looking forward to the rest of the Spring Carnival.
