BREEDERS

 129th BREEDERS’ STAKES

Tone and Avie seek lead  for top 3yo in Canada

With files from Woodbine

TONE BROKE and AVIE’S FLATTER headline a field of nine Canadian-bred 3-year-olds in Saturday’s $400,000 Breeders’ Stakes, third jewel of the Canadian Triple Crown, at Woodbine.

With ONE BAD BOY, the Queen’s Plate winner, back in California and only two Canadian starts, he is now eligible for a Sovereign award as Canada’s champion sophomore. The Breeders’ will be the third Canadian start for Tone Broke and Avie’s Flatter.

The 129th Breeders’ Stakes, to be contested at one and one-half miles over the E.P. Taylor Turf Course with a post time of 5:42 p.m. ET. The winner earns $240,000. All colts and geldings will carry 126 pounds.

There is no Triple Crown on the line this year, as One Bad Boy, winner of the 160th running of the Queen’s Plate, finished third to Tone Broke, the L and N Racing LLC silk bearer, in the Prince of Wales Stakes on July 23 at Fort Erie.

This marks the 16th consecutive year without a Triple Crown champion in Canada. Wando was the last to record the three-race sweep in 2003.

A dark bay son of Broken Vow, Tone Broke, unraced on turf, arrives at the Breeders’ off a sparkling effort in the 1 3/16-mile Prince of Wales for trainer Steve Asmussen. Under Ricardo Santana Jr., Tone Broke, third at the stretch call, surged pass Avie’s Flatter and One Bad Boy to notch a two-length score in the 84th edition of the race.

Asmussen, who will have Woodbine’s leading rider Rafael Hernandez in the irons for the Breeders’, was pleased with the manner in which the gelding performed over the Fort Erie main track.

“It was excellent to see him put it all together,” the Hall of Fame conditioner told the Woodbine communications office. “I think he’s shown talent in the past and for him to have such a significant breakthrough victory is exciting. We’ve been expecting it for about eight months, I think.”

Bred by Sean Fitzhenry, Tone Broke is 1-1-1 from three starts this season and 3-1-1 from 10 starts overall.

Tone Broke is well bred for grass as his dam Mendocino Beano was a winner and stakes placed on grass and her daughter STALLION HEIRESS is a grass stakes winner.

“It will be interesting for his turf debut,” the trainer said. “There’s no better course than Woodbine’s to try him on. He’s a big, tall horse, very athletic, and I think he’ll get over it very well.”

Avie’s Flatter, the Queen’s Plate Winterbook favorite trained by Josie Carroll, has posted two runner-up finishes in the first two jewels of the OLG Canadian Triple Crown series.

Bred and owned by Ivan Dalos, the son of Flatter, to be ridden by Eurico Rosa Da Silva, sports a 4-2-0 record from eight career races.

“I thought Avie’s Flatter ran a great race,” said Carroll of the Prince of Wales performance. “He stalked the winner all the way and he couldn’t get by him. I think he ran a great race and was second best.”

The colt netted a stakes natural hat trick starting in 2018 when he won the Cup and Saucer Stakes in October and the Coronation Futurity in November – both at Woodbine – followed by a victory in the Keeneland’s Transylvania Stakes (G3) this April.

Carroll, who recently became the first female trainer inducted into the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame, won the 2014 Breeders’ with Dalos’ Ami’s Holiday.

The Breeders’ is slated as Race 10 on Saturday’s 12-race card. Also on tap is the $100,000 Catch a Glimpse Stakes, for 2-year-old fillies, set for six-and-a-half furlongs on the E.P. Taylor Turf Course. First post time is 1:05 p.m.

Saturday, Woodbine, post time: 5:42 p.m. EDT
BREEDERS S., C$400,000, (S), 3yo, 1 1/2mT

PP HORSE SIRE OWNER TRAINER JOCKEY ML

1 Seguimi Victor’s Cry Anne & William Scott Stuart Husbands 20-1
2 Flashymeister Bodemeister Terra Racing Stable & Rocco Marcell Attard Garcia 20-1
3 Lucas n’ Lori Exhi Lori Cirillo & Kelly Waxman Attard Kimura 8-1
4 Rising Star K Ghostzapper Zilli Racing Stables DePaulo Campbell 10-1
5 Tone Broke K Broken Vow L & N Racing LLC Asmussen Hernandez 5-2
6 Pay for Peace Silent Name (Jpn) Team Penney Racing & Carem Stables Halden Bahen 20-1
7 Avie’s Flatter Flatter Ivan Dalos Carroll Da Silva 2-1
8 He’s a Macho Man Mucho Macho Man Di Scola Boys Stable Carroll Contreras 6-1

9 Encierro K Pioneerof the Nile George Ledson, Willow Pond Stable & Anderson Farms Day-Phillips Wilson 4-1
Breeders: 1-Phoenix Rising Farms, 2-Terra Farms LTD, 3-Silver Springs Stud LLC & Garry Parr, 4-William Graham, 5-Sean Fitzhenry, 6-Brian Lynch Racing Ltd., 7-Tall Oaks Farm, 8-Paul Buttigieg, 9-Anderson Farms Ont. Inc. & Marette Farrell.

2017 Canadian Derby Disqualified, again

Double Bear now declared 2017 Derby winner after years in court

This year in Thoroughbred horse racing had many bizarre moments with Maximum Security’s disqualification from his Kentucky Derby win leading the pack.

That is until the Alberta Queen’s Bench court case to decide the 88th Canadian Derby (2017) won by CHIEF KNOW IT ALL led to an announcement at this year’s Derby post draw that the Chief had been disqualified. DOUBLE BEAR is now the official winner.

This is not the first change in decision of the 2017 Derby. While Chief Know It All was declared the winner after an inquiry after the race, 10 months later the horse was disqualified by the Horse Racing Appeal Tribunal and both DOUBLE BEAR and TROOPER JOHN were deemed co-winners, since they dead heated for 2nd.

Now only Double Bear is declared the winner. Until more appeals and hearings are held.

Globalnews video of stretch run.

FINAL JEOPARDY: CANADIAN DERBY SATURDAY

The 90th CANADIAN DERBY has a solid field of 3-year-olds this Sunday Aug 18 with shippers from all over landing at Century Mile which is hosting the race for the first time.

The big name in the large field is FINAL JEOPARDY, recently second in the Dwyer Stakes (g3) at Belmont Park to the very good US colt Code of Honour. The son of Street Sense was recently purchased by Peter and James Redekop.

The former stablemate of MAXIMUM SECURITY (Gary and Mary West) is tackling 10 furlongs for the first time but is 8 to 5 on the morning line.

Woodbine jockey JUSTIN STEIN will be at Century Mile to ride former Todd Pletcher trainee RANGER UP, a maiden with high Beyer Figures and a $575,000 purchase. He is owned by Copper Water Thoroughbreds.

Here is a preview excerpt from thehorses.com by Curtis Stock:

Earlier this year Final Jeopardy was considered strong enough to be on the Derby Trail. Only that was the Kentucky Derby Trail. Now, Final Jeopardy is back on the Derby Trail. Only this time it’s Sunday’s $250,000 Canadian Derby Trail at Century Mile and then the $250,000 B.C. Derby in Vancouver.

In what is arguably the best Canadian Derby field ever assembled with a classy group of 12 entered, Final Jeopardy would still – despite all the talent on each side of him – appear to be the much the best. After all, Final Jeopardy, now owned by Peter and James Redekop of B.C., is a horse that ran second to Code of Honor in his last appearance in the Grade 3 Dwyer Stakes at Belmont, New York.

If you aren’t familiar with Code of Honor you should be. Code of Honor just happens to be one of the top three-year-olds in North America. He was placed second in the Kentucky Derby; he won the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth in Florida and he ran third in the Grade 1 Florida Derby. Furthermore, Code of Honor is one of the main threats in next week’s Travers Stakes.

Another Vancouver horse, Explode, who won the last local prep for the Canadian Derby, is the second favourite at 4-1. Miltontown, one of two horses that trainer Robertino Diodoro has sent to Alberta is next at 6-1 while Journey Man, who has won his last two starts at Arlington Park in Chicago, is the fourth choice at 8-1.

But the story line is still all Final Jeopardy, who as well as running second in the Dwyer in his last start, July 6, also finished fourth in the Peter Pan. He was also good enough to be entered in the Wood Memorial, one of the Kentucky Derby’s main prep races. Final Jeopardy ran sixth in the Wood but he had excuses getting squeezed at the start of the race.

How exactly does a horse like Final Jeopardy wind up in Edmonton? “We heard the horse was for sale,” said Anderson. “The previous owners, Gary and Mary West, have too many horses. They buy 50-60 babies a year at auction and they are almost only looking for Grade 1 and Grade 2 winners. “Our main veterinarian happened to be in the area; he looked at him and liked what he saw. Then trainer Phil Hall went down and looked at him and he liked what he saw too.” A sales price was not disclosed but sources indicate it was around $450,000.

Another reason why Final Jeopardy is in Edmonton is the $250,000 Derby purse which is up $50,000 from last year and $100,000 from two years ago. “I’m sure the purse had quite a bit to do with it,” said Hall. “And the Derby distance – a mile and a quarter – should help too. Jason Servis, who was Final Jeopardy’s previous trainer said a mile and a quarter wouldn’t be a problem.

While post positions don’t mean a lot in a mile and a quarter race on a one-mile track like Century Mile, Final Jeopardy drew post eight at Wednesday’s post draw.

From the rail out the posts are:

Call It a Wrap. Owned by the powerful Riversedge barn and conditioned by Alberta’s leading trainer, Tim Rycroft, Call It a Wrap finished second in his last three starts including the Manitoba Derby in his most recent appearance and then twice to Alberta’s top three-year-old Sharp Dressed Beau. A contender to finish in the top 5.
Parking Permit. Third to Sharp Dressed Beau in the Count Lathum two starts ago. A definite longshot.
Karizanga. Missed by a nose in his most recent start at Indiana Downs. Won a starters allowance at Churchill Downs. Should challenge for the show position.
Ranger Up. Still a maiden but finished second in straight maiden races at Monmouth Park, Kenneland and Gulfstream. In the middle mix and could surprise for a bigger piece.
Miltontown. Claimed for $50,000 at Churchill Downs expressively for this race. Same connections won last year’s Derby with Sky Promise. Trainer Diodoro said to throw the last race out as the horse got caught too far behind a speed-biased track and had traffic problems. Hard to ignore the Diodoro factor and gets the services of jockey Rico Walcott. Has been working extremely well including a half mile work in :47 seconds flat. In the top 4.
Explode. Has won five of his last six starts easily taking two open stakes at Hastings Park and then completing the hat trick at Century Miles when he just got up in the mud in a race where he was looking around down the stretch and appeared to jump the starting gate tractor tires. Main contender.
Journeyman. Never worse than third in six starts including back-to-back wins at Arlington. Third choice.
Final Jeopardy. Top choice for obvious reasons.
Equivocal. Scored a nice allowance win at Century Mile two starts ago but showed no run last time out. A longshot.
Senor Friday. The other Diodoro pupil. Won the Harry Jeffries in Winnipeg in his last start. Earlier this year won the Turf Paradise Derby by open lengths in Phoenix. Middle threat.
Flatout Winner. Had excuses in the mud in his last appearance when he was bumped hard leaving the starting gate losing several lengths at the break, made a good wide move down the backstretch before being taken back to the rail where he flattened out. Moved off the rail again he started to run again. The longshot play.
Sharp Dressed Beau. Won the Western Canada and Count Lathum stakes at Century Mile looking very impressive. Third in the mud to Explode last time out. Distance is the question and post doesn’t help. In the middle mix too.

CANADIAN PREMIER YEARLING SALE – AUGUST 29

Two weeks until the biggest day of the year for Ontario breeders, the annual CTHS Ontario yearling sale. Vicki Pappas provides us with a ‘sibling watch’ noting horses in action at Woodbine with relatives in the upcoming sale. Below are today’s notes:

RACE 2 CLM $10,000

#1 Jurojin       Hip. 58 full sis

RACE 5 MDN CLM $7,500

#5 Watch This       Hip 263 1/2 bro by Leonattus Anteaus

RACE 7 CLM $25,000 NW#

#3 Poquito Bandito     Hip 163 1/2 bro by Reload

#4 Vividari           Hip 68 1/2 bro by Souper Speedy

In memory of GLENCAIRN

2014 – gelding Candy Ride (Arg) – Roan Inish by Elusive Quality

In a climate that demands much more scrutiny when it comes to racehorses, their racing careers and post racing careers a lot has been done and will be done in the coming months and year across North America.

The message is clear and the majority of the industry is made up of great and talented horsepeople.

This is not one of those stories but I wanted to bring awareness to the plight that our industry faces.

An investigation continues in Delaware currently into the death of the Canadian/Ontario-bred GLENCAIRN, a handsome 5-year-old who did his best in his career. He was not a champion or a stakes winner but did post high Beyer Figures when he raced at Woodbine. It was logical that the gelding find some easier competition last season  and he worked hard for his various local interests.

But it is what happened this spring and summer to this fellow that has alarmed racing people in Delaware up to Ontario.

The Delaware Racing Commission’s Mr. John Wayne reported on Glencairn’s return to the races on Aug. 5 in a Safety Report and are continuing to look into the matter. An update will be provided to the below:

“In Monday’s (Aug 5) 6^th race the horse Glencairn trained by Anthony Pecoraro broke down less than a furlong after the start of the race into the clubhouse turn and was pulled up by jockey Julio Correa. The horse was vanned off to his own barn but after inspection by Mr. Pecoraro’s private veterinarian the horse was euthanized. The postmortem indicates a severe sesamoid fracture.

I met with Mr. Pecoraro later in the week and he indicated that the horse had been mostly training on a farm called Alpha Omega where he was jogging and swimming because he had ankle problems and they didn’t think the horse could handle the everyday training at the racetrack. It turns out the horse couldn’t handle racing either. Mr. Pecoraro assured me that the horse’s ankles were X-rayed several times for any sign of fractures and it didn’t show anything. I’m just not convinced that training a horse on a farm under someone else’s supervision and then shipping the horse in a few days before the race and running him is a proper way to operate. That horse was away from Mr. Pecoraro’s supervision a whole 2 weeks before it ran.”

From the farms to the vets to the racetrack personnel – everyone needs to work together to make sure horses like Glencairn do not fall through the cracks.

PPs courtesy Daily Racing Form