Will this be the stretch run? Dixie Strike (outside) and Northern Passion in a workout in Florida this winter. Image by Dana Wimpfheimer.
WOODBINE OAKS
The big events get going on Sunday at Woodbine with a powerful pack of WOODBINE OAKS – PLATE TRIAL STAKES set to thrill and amaze us.
There are a lot of well bred and expensive gals in this year’s WOODBINE OAKS line-up. The pedigree reflect some of the top breeding lines in Canada from Sam-Son Farms, Windhaven, Eugene Melnyk, Arosa Farms and the late Mel Lawson.
NORTHERN PASSION has a lot of questions of answer, mainly regarding her ability at the distance of 1 1/8 miles, but if any gal has the breeding to add the OAKS to her resume, it is this daughter of American sire FIRST SAMURAI from the Golden Gear mare A TOUCH OF GLORY.
A Touch of Glory is a winning, stakes placed half sister to Oaks winner GINGER GOLD, a champion who raced for Lawson’s Jim Dandy Stable. Lawson’s horses have essentially been dispersed, Ginger Gold sold last fall in Keeneland for $55,000.
Ginger Gold is a grey, A Touch of Glory is a dark bay but NORTHERN PASSION is a chestnut, perhaps getting that colouring from First Samurai’s sire, Giant’s Causeway.
She is half a length away from being unbeaten at Woodbine, winning the 1 mile Natalma Stakes (GIII) and this year’s Fury Stakes. She has tried 2 turn races 3 times, at Tampa, Gulfstream and Churchill, and been unplaced each time. However, excuse could be made for all 3 of these outings and her Fury win was very impressive.
“I’ve said it on numerous occasions to numerous people that my feeling has always been that Dixie Strike is better than Northern Passion,” Casse said to Woodbine media. “But I have to tell you that when Northern Passion breezed the other day (May 21), it was one of the most impressive breezes that I have ever seen (five furlongs in a bullet 59 seconds, the fastest of 39 works at the distance). We got her the last half in 46 (seconds) flat. Luis was on her. He was excited. He said he was going to win the Oaks.”
Contreras, of course, won the Oaks last year on Inglorious, the half sister to Dixie Strike. So the Casse pair are both strongly bred for Oaks glory.
PROBABLE FIELD – with purchase price, breeding etc.
1 – AWESOME FIRE – $10,000 private purchase
ch.f.3 by Strong Contender(Maria’s Mon) – Awesome Lass(Awesome Again) $10,000
Urban Fire Corp. Nicholas Gonzalez
*4th in Fury Stakes, likes longer distances
2 – BANTEE – $140,000 Kentucky yearling
b.f. Dixieland Band – Steph’s tee by Lil E Tee
Jim and Susan HIll Reade Baker
*Won maiden last time but was disqualified
3 – BLACK BIRD ROCK – homebred
dk b/.f.3 by Flower Alley(Distorted Humor) – Black Rock Road(Bertrando)
Melnyk Racing Stable Inc. Mark E. Casse
*Won maiden at 1 1/16 miles with very tough trip
4 – DIXIE STRIKE – $45,000 Canadian yearling
b.f.3 by Dixie Union(Dixieland Band) – Noble Strike(Smart Strike)
John C. Oxley Mark E. Casse
*Won Selene with 89 Beyer, explosive move
5 – HORSESHOE HILL – homebred
b.f.3 by Street Sense(Street Cry (IRE)) – Leaveminthedust(Danzig)
Windhaven Michael J. Doyle
*Won maiden last time at 1 1/16 miles
6 – IRISH MISSION – $375,000 Kentucky yearling
ch.f.3 by Giant’s Causeway(Storm Cat) – Misty Mission(Miswaki)
Robert S. Evans Mark R. Frostad
*won maiden at Keeneland, 1 3/16 miles, 73 Beyer
7 – NORTHERN PASSION – $220,000 Florida 2yo
ch.f.3 by First Samurai(Giant’s Causeway) – A Touch of Glory(Golden Gear)
John C. Oxley Mark E. Casse
*Won Fury., 83 Beyer
8 – ROSE AND SHINE – homebred
dk b/.f.3 by Mr. Sekiguchi(Storm Cat) – Yellowenglishrose(Colonial Affair)
James Sabiston Ralph J. Biamonte
*won Princess ElIzabeth last year
PLATE TRIAL, final Plate prep
raw list of probables, Strait of Dover could go right into Plate, small field expected
BEEKER STREET
dk b/.c.3 by Belong to Me(Danzig) – Carah Five(You and I)
Donver Stable Josie Carroll
BIG CREEK
dk b/.c.3 by Indian Charlie(In Excess (IRE)) – Major Idea(Cherokee Run)
Green Hills Farm Inc. Todd A. Pletcher
CLASSIC BRYCE
dk b/.c.3 by Grand Slam(Gone West) – Classic Stamp(Regal Classic)
William Sorokolit Darwin D. Banach
DRAGO’S BEST
dk b/.c.3 by Seeking the Best (IRE)(Seeking the Gold) – Saint Parker(Saint Ballado)
Hill ‘n’ Dale Equine Holdings Inc. & Josie Carroll Josie Carroll
MAKING AMENDS
b.c.3 by Repent(Louis Quatorze) – Primary Motive(Prime Timber)
Quintessential Racing Florida LLC, Horse’nAround Racing Stable & R. Lederman Mark E. Casse
PEYTON
dk b/.g.3 by Tale of the Cat(Storm Cat) – Emanating(Cox’s Ridge)
Windhaven Michael J. Doyle
STRAIT OF DOVER
dk b/.c.3 by English Channel(Smart Strike) – Bahrain Star(Danzig)
Canyon Farms Daniel J. Vella
WOODBINE – AFTER 29 DAYS..
LEADING TRAINERS
1 Mark E. Casse 88 19 20 12 $1,351,950 22% 51 58%
2 Reade Baker 65 15 14 7 $827,446 23% 36 55%
3 Robert P. Tiller 75 14 12 16 $664,432 19% 42 56%
4 Scott H. Fairlie 44 11 8 5 $260,455 25% 24 55%
5 Josie Carroll 40 8 3 5 $411,360 20% 16 40%
5 Sid C. Attard 47 8 6 4 $353,263 17% 18 38%
5 Nicholas Gonzalez 46 8 8 8 $310,849 17% 24 52%
8 Michael J. Doyle 48 7 6 5 $298,070 15% 18 38%
8 Paul Attard 24 7 2 0 $187,556 29% 9 38%
10 Paul M. Buttigieg 31 6 8 3 $341,766 19% 17 55%
10 Ricky Griffith 31 6 5 5 $240,829 19% 16 52%
10 Jim Ensom 6 6 0 0 $119,268 100% 6 100%
LEADING JOCKEYS
1 Patrick Husbands 161 35 29 20 $1,900,909 22% 84 52%
2 Luis Contreras 171 29 27 21 $1,411,069 17% 77 45%
2 Emma-Jayne Wilson 163 29 28 27 $1,313,604 18% 84 52%
4 Justin Stein 176 27 25 26 $1,320,721 15% 78 44%
5 Eurico Rosa Da Silva 140 24 25 17 $1,277,667 17% 66 47%
6 Tyler Pizarro 106 13 15 13 $643,946 12% 41 39%
6 Steven Ronald Bahen 96 13 12 16 $542,329 14% 41 43%
8 Gerry Olguin 110 12 12 10 $508,238 11% 34 31%
9 Omar Moreno 76 10 5 9 $326,127 13% 24 32%
10 David Moran 116 8 7 11 $340,031 7% 26 22%
11 Jesse M. Campbell 84 7 8 9 $598,951 8% 24 29%
11 David Clark 51 7 5 4 $314,991 14% 16 31%
11 Todd Kabel 87 7 7 5 $285,411 8% 19 22%
LEADING OWNERS
1 John C. Oxley 20 6 7 2 $503,595 30% 15 75%
2 Melnyk Racing Stables, Inc. 15 6 1 2 $469,876 40% 9 60%
3 Bear Stables, Ltd. 47 9 8 5 $389,731 19% 22 47%
4 Paul M. Buttigieg 23 5 7 2 $287,078 22% 14 61%
5 Sam-Son Farms 16 5 2 0 $257,201 31% 7 44%
6 Cappuccitti, Audre and Gordon 26 2 1 2 $241,849 8% 5 19%
7 Stronach Stables 13 4 2 1 $227,221 31% 7 54%
8 Chiefswood Stable 15 5 3 1 $216,249 33% 9 60%
9 Debmar Stables 22 5 2 4 $202,687 23% 11 50%
10 William A. Sorokolit, Sr. 21 2 2 2 $202,486 10% 6 29%
11 Harlequin Ranches 11 4 2 1 $168,759 36% 7 64%
12 Donver Stable 12 3 0 1 $167,782 25% 4 33%
THE ATLANTIC, STORY WITH PENNY CHENERY on I’LL HAVE ANOTHER…
caused much discussion around the industry yesterday..
BY ANDREW COHEN…Andrew Cohen is a contributing editor at The Atlantic and legal analyst for 60 Minutes. He is also chief analyst and legal editor for CBS Radio News and has won a Murrow Award as one of the nation’s leading legal analysts and commentators.
FIRST LEG
Penny Chenery may or may not be the most important woman in the history of American horse racing but she surely is the most symbolic. The world largely knows her as the brave and graceful owner of the late Secretariat, the fastest, most sublime racehorse most of us will ever see. The racing industry gratefully recognizes her as a valuable link between itself and its mainstream dreams. And generations of young people, who weren’t even around to see Big Red run in 1973, find in her famous story inspiration for their own happy futures around horses.
Now 90, Chenery is watching this spring’s Triple Crown procession as closely as she always does, as she always has, since even before her fast colt Riva Ridge won both the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont in 1972. That was the spring before Secretariat became immortal, which means that over a two-year period the same owner, a heroine then and now, won five of the six classic races. There may be another Triple Crown winner in two weeks. If not it will come soon enough. But there will likely never again be a run like Chenery’s 40 years ago.
http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2012/05/secretariats-owner-on-the-
triple-crown-and-racing-integrity/257714/
O’NEILL ADDRESSES MS. CHENERY..
NEW YORK (AP) — Doug O’Neill says he’s dismayed that Secretariat’s former owner criticized the connections of Triple Crown candidate I’ll Have Another for employing him as the horse’s trainer.
He thinks Penny Chenery would change her mind if she were to see him work.
“It’s disappointing because of how much respect I have for Mrs. Chenery,” O’Neill said Tuesday. “I would love to have her hang out with me for a week and would stress to her, ‘Don’t believe everything that is written.'”
Read more: http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/sports/article/I-ll-Have-Another-s-
trainer-responds-to-criticism-3592723.php#ixzz1wLvcF8G8
AND RAY PAULICK CALLS OUT O’NEILL
something that a lot of us can’t do, despite freedom of speech and all..
http://www.paulickreport.com/news/ray-s-paddock/dear-doug-seize-the-moment/
BELMONT PROBABLES
Alpha Kiaran McLaughlin 1.67 Ramon Dominguez
Atigun Ken McPeek 2.33 undecided
Dullahan Dale Romans 4.20 Javier Castellano
Five Sixteen Dominick Schettino 2.33 undecided
Guyana Star Dweej Doodnauth Shivmangal 3.00 undecided
I’ll Have Another Doug O’Neill 2.11 Mario Gutierrez
Optimizer D. Wayne Lukas 3.24 Corey Nakatani
Paynter Bob Baffert 2.50 Mike Smith
Rousing Sermon Jerry Hollendorfer 2.60 * undecided
Street Life Chad Brown 3.00 Jose Lezcano
Union Rags Michael Matz 2.14 * John Velazquez
Unstoppable U Ken McPeek 3.00 Junior Alvarado
DRF FAN PAGE – I’LL HAVE ANOTHER, PP’S courtesy of DRF.
http://www.drf.com/events/ill-have-another-runs-for-triple-crown
DRESS CODE IN PADDOCK AT WOODBINE
In an effort to ensure that trainers and stable personnel are in appropriate attire on race day, officials with the Woodbine Entertainment Group have enacted a dress code policy for members of its thoroughbred community.
The WEG attire notice, which appears below, indicates that, effective 2012, trainers and stable personnel who are in Woodbine Racetrack’s thoroughbred paddock on race day must adhere to a ‘neat and uniform appearance’ that the track has clearly outlined.
The notice states that trainers and accompanying personnel should be neatly dressed, and that no cutoff shorts, cutoff shirts, tank tops or flip flops will be permitted.
It appears as though the dress code has only been implemented for live thoroughbred racing at Woodbine at this point.
RACE DAY PADDOCK ATTIRE AT WOODBINE
As at any racetrack, the trainers and stable personnel are an important and highly visible component of our on-track product. Your neat and uniform appearance is important as it often forms the first impression for our on-track crowd as well as millions of television viewers throughout North America.
Effective for 2012 the following guidelines will be integral to communicating our mutual pride in the high quality product that is racing at Woodbine.
All trainers and accompanying stable personnel should be neatly dressed when taking horses to the paddock.
No cutoff shorts, cutoff shirts, tank tops or flip flops will be permitted.
Walking dress shorts will be permitted during the summer months.
Shorts of any form will not be permitted on Queen’s Plate Day.
Proper hats, religious headgear or baseball caps are the only acceptable form of head gear to be worn.
Any non compliance may result in a fine.
WEG appreciates your participation in delivering a high quality, visually appealing race-day product.
IT’S TIME FOR THE DERBY, er, the DARBY!!
Camelot? Bonfire? Who is your fave?
FROM RACING POST!
Timeform Flat editor David Johnson answers our Investec Derby questions.
What did Timeform make of Camelot’s performance in winning the QIPCO 2000 Guineas?
David Johnson: What impressed us was the fact he was able to fulfil his potential over a mile – that was our question mark going into Newmarket. He looked really good winning the Racing Post Trophy but it was a question of whether he’d be effective at the trip at three. It’s very different doing it off the sort of gallop he did at Doncaster and then doing it against battle-hardened milers in the 2000 Guineas.
We always felt he had the prospects of making up into a top class three-year-old but whether he’d get away with it in the Guineas we were slightly doubtful. The fact he’s passed that test means it is all systems go for the Derby.
He has a weight-adjusted Timeform rating of 137p. Would that be good enough to win an average Derby?
DJ: Not quite. The average Derby-winning rating over the last five years has been 143 so he has a little way to go, in fact the weakest race was last year’s renewal which still required an adjusted figure of 139 for Pour Moi to win it. Camelot definitely has to build on what he has achieved so far but you’d think he’d be capable of that stepping up in trip.
What did you make of Bonfire’s performance in the Dante?
read the rest here:
http://www.sportinglife.com/racing/news/story_get.cgi?STORY_NAME=
racing/12/05/29/manual_140922.html&BID=465
TVG offers a graphic for newbies to the great game of betting on racehorses!
FORT ERIE STANDINGS
TOP TRAINERS
1 Ravendra B. Raghunath 25 6 3 3 $47,580 24% 12 48%
2 Shawn Rideout 19 5 4 2 $53,245 26% 11 58%
2 Gary Chudobiak 25 5 7 1 $50,235 20% 13 52%
4 John Simms 11 4 1 2 $30,529 36% 7 64%
5 Ross Armata 6 3 1 1 $24,509 50% 5 83%
5 Nathan Squires 6 3 0 0 $23,205 50% 3 50%
TOP JOCKEYS
1 Kirk Johnson 51 9 5 13 $103,509 18% 27 53%
2 Juan Crawford 41 7 7 4 $77,002 17% 18 44%
2 Terry Husbands 39 7 8 7 $73,996 18% 22 56%
4 Neil S. Husbands 29 6 4 4 $50,824 21% 14 48%
5 Martin Ramos Ramirez 31 5 5 3 $50,860 16% 13 42%
5 Eldridge K. Lindsay 22 5 4 4 $49,694 23% 13 59%
