BIG DAY FOR CANADIAN-BRED DIXIE STRIKE….read on
Where’s big brother? Here is a one-week old filly by Philanthropist out of Highland Moon, by Highland Ruckus. The filly, owned by Mike Colterjohn, is a half sister to top 2yo of last year, MARITIMER.
courtesy Sherry McLean
The MARCH 2012 issue of CANADIAN THOROUGHBRED has been sent to press (packed with Handicapping, training and human interest features!) and hopefully you have seen the FEBRUARY ISSUE, also loaded with tons of coast to coast racing features.
It’s SUPER BOWL SUNDAY so horse racing takes a backseat but if you tune in to Gulfstream for the pre-game show, you will get handicapping tips from Woodbine’s own Renee Kierans.
(Giants will win, okay?)
Keep those photos coming, send along your news and opinions, not long before the shipping to Woodbine begins!!
DIXIE IS WHISTLIN!
Canadian-bred lives up to Casse’s tout and wins Florida Oaks – 76 Beyer
“Talent-wise I think this filly (Dixie Strike) really has a chance to have an exceptional career,” – Mark Casse, three days before yesterday’s Florida Oaks
courtesy Tampa Bay Downs/Tom Cooley
The sizy and very lovely DIXIE STRIKE, making her first start of the year, came with a furious rally from off a slow pace to win the 1 1/16 mile FLORIDA OAKS at Tampa Bay Downs yesterday on the grass and zoomed up to near the head of the class of top 3yo’s for Canada in 2012. The regally bred gal, by Dixie Union – Noble Strike, by Smart Strike is a half sister to last year’s Queen’s Plate winner Inglorious and certainly looks like she could be a force on the way to that big race.
But first things first – she won a nice race yesterday as part of a 4 to 5 entry and survived a claim of foul to do it too.
Both Dixie and ‘Passion, the latter who seemed to be the pick of Woodbine’s leading rider Luis Contreras, were wide and well off a very slow pace in the grassy Oaks. But the pair really had strong rallies and while both were very wide off the turn, they finished fast under a flurry of whipping.
Dixie Strike was up by a nose in 1:43.30.
“I was a little concerned,” Casse said. “I kept saying to Mr. Oxley down the backside ‘They’re running too slow, they’re running too slow.’ I think for her to finish the way she did and win just shows how good she truly is. I know what she was thinking – I like to win. And she’s a winner.
“I had no idea if Dixie Strike could run on turf because she never had raced on it (all her races were on the Woodbine synthetic), but her breeding said she’d be fine,” Casse added. “They are both Canadian-breds, so they both have a big future in Canada. I think Dixie Strike could be a Kentucky Oaks filly. We’re going to have to map out a plan to get there.
“They won’t see each other for a while, unless it’s on a van.”
Oxley purchased both fillies, Dixie Strike as a yearling for $43,456 Canadian funds and Northern Passion as a 2-year-old in Ocala for $220,000. Now, it appears the sky is the limit for both.
“I had my fingers crossed because I think Dixie Strike is such a gorgeous filly and so well-bred,” Oxley said. “She ran up to her potential today. Our other filly, I think she had a little traffic trouble when she was moving into the far turn and I thought she might win. But we’ll take the win.”
Lezcano was visibly impressed by Dixie Strike’s closing flourish. “Man, that was some finish,” said the former Tampa Bay Downs leading jockey. “We were relaxed and in good position heading to the turn, so it was a matter of moving before some others came up on us. When we put in our run we got enough room to finish clean. All I had to do was keep her away from the others.
The filly has 3 wins and 2 seconds in her 5 races. She ended 2011 with a win in the Ontario Lassie Stakes with a 74 Beyer Figure on Polytrack. The Florida Oaks was her grass debut.
Dixie Strike cost less than her older half sister – she was sold for $50,000 compared to $90,000 for Inglorious. Hill ‘n’ Dale Sales Agency sold the filly as agent for Arosa Farms.
Casse and Oxley watched PROSPECTIVE rally nicely for 2nd in the Sam Davis later in the day. The Malibu Moon colt earned a 79 Beyer Figure.
New baby! The first foal at Hill ‘n’ Dale in Aurora is by Harlington (first foals race this year) out of Compassionate. Ericka Rusnak photo
4 CANADIAN-BREDS ON TRIPLE CROWN NOMINATION LIST
Maritimer not one of them!
It’s a bit curious (funny?) that all the hub-bub about Maritimer that has gone one this year, from his previous owner Howard Walton talking Kentucky Derby, and then all the silliness that went along with the colt’s sale, that he was not even nominated to the Triple crown after all that. Can that be? Anyway, apparently the colt is headed to Dubai and maybe the Queen’s Plate is the only major race on his dance card.
CANADIAN NAVY, LOGAN STREET, MR WILLIAM and SAN CRISTO are the four Canadian-bred 3-year-olds nominated to the Triple Crown, according to the list released yesterday.
Canadian Navy is a pulpit gelding owned by Earle Mack and trained by Josie Carroll and he was 2nd in one race as a 2yo.
Logan Street is by Shakespeare and is owned and bred by Bill Schettine. He was 12th in one grass race this year.
Mr William is an unraced Shakespeare colt also owned by Schettine.
San Cristo is an unraced El Prado colt owned and bred by Stronach Stables. Chad Brown trains.
MARK CASSE has 7 nominated, all American-breds.
UNBRIDLED’S SONG and TIZNOW has 12 nominees each to top all sires.
http://www.horse-races.net/library/tc12-noms.htm
CANADIAN OWNER/JOCK TAKE ‘LEWIS AT SANTA ANITA
96 Beyer for I’ll Have Another
PAUL REDDAM’S pretty chestnut colt I’LL HAVE ANOTHER (Flower Alley – Archs Gal Edith, by Arch) scored a 43 to 1 up set in the Robert lewis Stakes at Santa Anita yesterday and is on the Kentucky Derby trail. Reddam, a Canadian now in the U.S., bought the colt for $35,000 at a 2yo auction (Dennis O’Neill picked him out). The colt was originally an $11,000 Keeneland september yearling.
Not only is he Canadian owned, but this strong colt was ridden by Hastings Park’s MARIO GUTTIEREZ, a Sovereign Award finalist in 2006 and a leading rider in Canada for several years. The Mexican-born jockey, who actually was addressed earlier in the Santa Anita meeting with his heavy whipping ride on Dashing Daisy, gave this colt a super ride and won the biggest race of his career. The young rider was brought to Canada through trainer Terry Jordan, who spotted him riding in Mexico while on vacation.
And if that is not OH CANADA enough for you, I’LL HAVE ANOTHER has Canadian breeding. His 2nd dam, FORCE FIVE GAL is an Ontario bred who was trained by Jim Day. She is a daughter of LAST CAUSE, a mare owned by Chiefswood Stables.
ALPHA IS THE BETA HORSE
Godolphin’s ALPHA won the Withers at Aqueduct yesterday and posted a 90 Beyer Figure. The son of Bernardini is a major Kentucky Derby hopeful and his 3rd dam is Canadian champ KAMAR, the dam of Queen’s Plate winner Key to the Moon.
Gorgeous ALPHA after the Withers – EQUISPORT PHOTO
LAUREL’S 7TH RACE
Feb 1, 2012
Woodbine fans have been around this block before – a horse with a curious ride and everyone left wondering what happened. Laurel Park stewards told THOROUGHBLOG that we will be informed when a decision/statement is made on this curious race. (An even money favourite was essentially barely asked to run).
Fellow blogger THAT’S AMORE STABLE details the incident and you can watch the video over at Paulick Report.
http://www.thatsamorestable.net/blog/?p=467&cpage=1#comment-3834
STAR PLUS SAGA
from Paulick Report
From the file of racing commissions leaving up scratching our heads again (check out the editorial coming up in the March issue of Canadian Thoroughbred), an old horse who was not spposed to be running is allowed to run. Below is a letter to a concerned horseperson from the West Virginia Racing Commission on why this horse is running:
courtesy Paulick Report…
Jon Amores, executive director of the West Virginia Racing Commission:
“Dear Ms. Scudero,
“I have been in receipt of your emails and am very much aware of your concerns; however, after reviewing the matter with our counsel I have been advised that if you want to stop the current owners of the horse, you must bring a lawsuit against them or if indeed there is a forgery, you need to report it to the appropriate prosecuting attorney. Our Board of Stewards is not the appropriate venue to deal with contractual and criminal issues. If a judgment of some sort is obtained against the current owners of the horse, we will be happy to enforce the judgment in a manner consistent with our procedures and authority.”
Paulick Report said – In other words, the West Virginia racing commission is saying “it’s not our job” to protect the horses.
CANADIANS ELSEWHERE
BRASS KNUCKLES, an ONtario bred by Badge of Silver – Power Gem, by Mutakkdim, won for $4,500 claiming at Charles Town yesterday for the red-hot connections of Stephanie Beattie and Don Brown Jr. The 4yo gelding was bred by Ron Clarkson.
Trainer BRIAN LYNCH owns and trains TEN K CAT, a Tale of the Cat filly who won for $25,000 claiming at GUlfstream on Thursday with Elvis Trujillo on board.
MISSION GAP, an ONtario bred by Speithstown – Chase Gap won for $4,000 claiming at Penn National yesterday for Ken Evans.
SCOTT FAIRLIE 14 3 3 2 $ 69,590
MARK CASSE 35 5 4 6 $ 229,365 44/3,41
JOSIE CARROLL 18 2 3 1 $ 74,03
MALCOLM PIERCE 8 0 1 1 $ 18,798
CRAIG SMITH 10 2 1 2 $ 25,633
JOHN SIMMS 22 0 2 2 $ 9,854
JIM SMITH 3 1 0 0 $ 12,450
GRAEME HILL LOOMS GOLD CUP CONTENDER
Barbados Advocate | Charlie Heath | 1/29/2012
THE Bill and Hayley Blevin-owned four-year-old chestnut colt, Graeme Hill, upset them all in the feature Coolmore “Home of Champions” Stakes & Trophy, for 3-year-olds and over, rated 140 and below, going 1800 metres, yesterday at the Garrison Savannah, the third day of the Barbados Turf Club’s first racing season.
The Jonathan Simpson-trained colt was kept off the early pace set by Captain Sully, Little Man Arran, and Kingdora.
With five furlongs to go, Kyle Carter on Graeme Hill could see the whole field in front of him.
At the three-furlong marker, Little Man Arran and Giovedi, stable companions of Graeme Hill, moved to the lead.
With two furlongs to go, Graeme Hill was breathing down their necks, and as they straightened up he picked up the running to go on to an easy victory. Reshawn Latchman on Giovedi finished second, giving owners Bill and Hayley Blevin, and trainer Jonathan Simpson, a one-two finish.
TORONTONIANS PREFER CASINO AT WOODBINE
Anita Li Staff Reporter
Half of Torontonians don’t want a casino in the city, a new poll suggests
Fifty per cent of respondents oppose construction of a new casino, while 35 per cent are in favour, according to Forum Research, a Canadian survey firm. Fifteen per cent said they had no opinion on the issue.
“Even though the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation may want to build a casino in the Toronto area, there’s going to be some opposition to that,” said Lorne Bozinoff, the firm’s president.
Still, he added, “People are fairly split about this thing.”
The survey also revealed that Torontonians would prefer to see a casino built at the Exhibition Place in downtown Toronto, or at Woodbine Racetrack in the city’s west end.
