The one thing about WOODBINE that is truly awesome is that there is always lots of stuff going on. Yesterday – the Road Hockey for Cancer Tournament was held at the track for the first time and it was a hopping, very cool event. Woodbine had 2 teams in the tournament (Tyler Gaskin was in net for one team (second from the right); The HBPA had an OWNER’S APPRECIATION event in the tent that was packed and on track there was a lot of equine action.
Darryl Sittler (BELOW) was a popular guy with all ages at the Road to Cure Cancer tournament. Woodbine photo
GRADED STAKES WRAP
BEHOLDER was in a simple gallop as she won the Zenyatta Stakes – Grade 1 at 1 1/16 miles at Santa Anita. It was 6th straight win, her 15th of 20 starts and she is sitting pretty for her Breeders’ Cup Classic run against the Pharoah
Also at Santa Anita, the 2yo’s NYQUIST and SONGBIRD remain unbeaten after wins in the Frontrunner and Chandelier respectively.
NYQUIST is Canadian owned, by Paul Reddam, and a son of UNCLE MO. He held off Swipe to win by a head and while the latter had some trouble and may have not had the best path, it was the 3rd straight time SWIPE has been 2nd. He is by Birdstone.
SONGBIRD later ran a second faster than Nyquist while leading all the way over a weak field in the Chandelier. She is by Medaglia D’Ooro and is 3 for 3. Her time was 1:43.79.
SMOOTH ROLLER, by Hard Spun, is the up and comer in the California older horse category and he went past a fading Bayern to win the Grade 1 Awesome Again in 1:48.08 for 9 furlongs.
Nice horse with lots of potential but not sure he will be ready for Beholder and the Pharoah just yet.
In New York – BIG BLUE KITTEN got a bit of a break and was the winner of the Turf Classic – Grade 1.
Second in last year’s Canadian International at Woodbine, this son of Kitten’s Joy rallied quickly around the turn behind a hot pace and got the jump on his rivals.
Trapped in the strtech was TWILIGHT ECLIPSE, who could have won the race but he got out too late.
BIG BLUE KITTEN ran 1 1/2 miles on turf in 2:23.30, astounding time – better than the course record of 2:24 2/5 set by Fantastic Light in the Breeders’ Cup years ago.
106 Beyer Figure for BBK.
ROCK FALL won the Vosburgh as expected but he had to wrk for it. The 4yo Speightstown colt was in a much rougher race in this, his 8th career start, but he put away Stallwalkin Dude into the stretch and held off a rallying Salutos Amigos. He has only been beaten once in his career and that was his debut at Gulfstream last April.
His 104 Beyer Figure from yesterday was a bit lower than what he has been doing but trainer Todd Pletcher said he did not train him overly hard, wanting to make sure the colt has something in the tank for the Breeders’ Cup Sprint.
WOODBINE SATURDAY – NOT BOURBON sires 1-2 finishers in La Prevoyante
But Charles Fipke fiLly beaten by Fipke-bred!
CONQUEST STRATE UP won a close photo in the La Prevoyante Stakes on Saturday at 1 mile on the grass.
A slow starter in both her previous scores, Conquest Strate Up was once again tardy from the gate under new rider Alan Garcia, but settled kindly along the hedge as Hot Cross Buns set splits of :23.95 and :47.82 while under pressure from Internal Bourbon and She’s Explosive.
Internal Bourbon, with Eurico Rosa da Silva up, edged to the lead at the top of the lane but the patient Garcia angled between rivals in upper stretch and rallied stoutly for a head score. Internal Bourbon, owned by Charles Fipke, held place by a 1/2-length over the late running Danish Princess. Conquest Strate Up covered the mile in 1:35.58 over a ‘Firm’ turf. She was bred by Fipke in Ontario.
Garcia wasn’t concerned about the slow start as his filly was travelling easily behind rivals.
“She did the same thing the last two races, leaving a bit slow,” said Garcia. “But, I was so comfortable being at the back, nice and quiet. I was only waiting for the turn home to let my filly run.”
It was the 14th stakes win of the meet for Garcia who is enjoying a tremendous first season at Woodbine.
More Saturday –
race 1- HURRICANE ELVIS is a really cool dude and he was in the barn of his 3rd different trainer this year when he won on Saturday. Nice claim by Ross Knight and trainer Harold Ladouceur as the gelding won for $11,500 for his 4th win in 6 races this year.
He is a 7yo Kentucky bred by Hurriance Run and Luis Contreras rode.
race 2- PAT DADDY was 5-2 and he rallied to win this maiden allowance at 6 1/2 furlongs on the grass as a very preedictable winner. The Scat Daddy colt is an Ontario bred from Richard Lister’s breeding operation and he is trained by Mike Doyle for C Scott Abbott.
David Moran rode.
PAT DADDY was picked on top in THOROUGHBLOG’S selections.
RACE 3- REEVES HILL charged between horses to win this $10,000 claiming race under Luis Contreras. The 8 -1 shot had not done much in his last couple of starts since claimed by Ryan Kerbel and trainer Denyse McClachrie but he woke up in this 7th race of the year. He is a Bernardini 5yo.
race 4- NOTALONEINHISHEAD added blinkers and dropped into maiden claiming claimed and it appeared as if he was going to be a pace presence from the inside and he was. The son of Old Forester led all the way after an early duel to win his maiden in his 4th career start. He is owned by Paradox Farm and Mardon Stable and trained by John LeBlanc Jr. Gary Boulanger rode.
race 5- A MAIDEN ALLOWANCE for 2yo fillies, Ontario sired was simply a strange race from behind the gate to the finish.
Well bred CONQUER THE COURSE was scratched at the gate but it was a very long time that other gals were standing in the gate and that led to some poor starts (Crumlin Spirit, Thailand).
Then, the race had a silly-slow pace of 25 1/5. 49 2/5 which made it easier for GENEROUS TOUCH to press the pace and then surge to the lead and win at 3-1 following 2 narrow losses to begin her career. She is a Philanthropist filly bred by Norseman Stable. Sid Attard trains and Contreras was getting his 3rd win. Nice race by Neshama to be 4th.
KEEN GIZMO won race 6 with ease and was virtually everyone’s pick to do so. Contreras with his 4th on this flashy 4yo by Giant Gizmo who is owned and bred by Ivan Dalos, trained by Josie Carroll.
He hung up a 91 Beyer Figure for the win.
race 7 – a wide open maiden allowance for 2yos (all were 1st time starters) and the ones who got al the buzz did not show up but a fast closing smaller miss sure did.
HOLY FLAME, trained by Stuart Simon for CHiefswood Stable, flew to her debut score at 17-1 under Jesse Campbell. She is a Pulpit gal out of a turf winning mare. Trainer Simon was 27% going in with debut winners from starters.
The 1:10.84 for 6 furlongs was good for a 76 Beyer Figure.
RACE 9 Two wins on the card for trainer John LeBlanc Jr. as TERESA’S PRIDE won this allowance race under Simon Husbands for her first win in her 8th race this year.
race 10 – DZALA won as predicted, taking this maiden allowance on the grass by a head over Deep Freeze, owned by Anne Kent. the winner is a Goldmart Farm homebred traiked by Sid Attard and ridden by Patrick Husbands. He is a son of North Light out Zoogdidi by Singspiel.
