Horse racing men, women and fans rejoice, it will be a fun 3 weeks!
I’ll Have Another is the real deal, clocks a 109 Beyer Speed Figure
In an incredible show of determination and ability, I’LL HAVE ANOTHER is one win away from greatness. Cindy Pierson Dulay
AND ANOTHER!!
Racing world roars as I’ll Have Another gets up to win Preakness – 109 Beyer
It was a finish that had not just 120,000 people trackside on their feet, but thousands worldwide.
Horse racing and all its members and fans, rose as I’ll Have Another got ever so closer to the brilliant speedster BODEMEISTER through the stretch run at Pimlico racecourse, ‘Old Hilltop’, the site of wins by the greats like Secretariat and Citation.
Owned by a man who once traipsed around the now-unsettled Windsor Raceway in the outskirts of Canada, ridden by a jock who learned his lessons from Vancouver horsepeople (and yes, the footage from Hastings Park yesterday was wild stuff as the fans cheered their boy on) and trained by a guy, who has had his battles with reputation but maybe, just maybe is being forgiven a little?
I’ll Have Another is just one win, hey, it’s a biggee, away from being the first horse in 34 years to win the American Triple Crown, the glorious crown, won only by Affirmed, Seattle Slew, ‘Big Red, Citation, Gallant Fox, Omaha, Assault, Sir Barton, Whirlaway, Count Fleet and War Admiral.
These are legends of the sport that many who write about racing and watch racing today only have ever heard a bit about, probably have not even read about them. They are the legends of a sport that was so much different than it is today.
The Triple Crown is a coveted prize, just 11 winners in 138 years. A prize essentially brought together thanks to a Canadian owned fellow, a chestnut colt named Sir Barton, who upset the 1919 Derby, swept the series and then ran one of his most famous races in Windsor, Ontario.
The ties are too hard to resist.
It was J.K.L. Ross who bought and raced Sir Barton and gets some credit for the invention of the American Triple Crown.
“…it as the fierce competitive spirit of a distinguished Canadian sportsman, who was most anxious for his horses to run in the 1919 Derby, that was in some respects the catalyst which brought east and West together.” – Marvin Drager, “The Most Glorious Crown
So, while I’ll Have Another is not whole-heartedly Canadian (he has a Canadian born physio therapist, a Canadian-born 2nd granddam and lots of Northern Dancer blood, we will think of him a bit as our own. And cheer with the rest of the world not only for this colt to bring down destiny in three weeks time but lift the great sport that we love, the age-old sport of ‘my horse is faster than yours’ back to the heights of yesteryear.
MARIO’S FAIRY TALE CONTINUES,
and a real ‘shot int he arm’ for Vancover racing
by Ed Willes – The Province
Shortly after the race that changed Mario Gutierrez’s life, Part 1, Glen Todd told the jock Hollywood would come calling for him.
And he wasn’t talking about Hollywood Park.
But even Todd, who had a frontrow seat for the amazing journey of the young rider, was having trouble processing the second act of the most remarkable horse racing story of this year, last year or any year going back to Secretariat.
Saturday in Baltimore, Gutierrez, the jock who was making $125 a week as an apprentice in Mexico City six years ago and who was stuck out at Hastings Racecourse as recently as last year, rode I’ll Have Another to victory at the Preakness. The win, which came two weeks after its equally improbable win in the Kentucky Derby, gives the Windsor-based horse a chance to become the first Triple Crown winner since Affirmed in 1978.
Read more:
http://www.theprovince.com/sports/Fairy+tale+continues+Gutierrez/6651737
JOCKEY MIKE SMITH ‘DUMBFOUNDED’
Bodemeister gets caught, will not contest Belmont
By Jeff Barker and Don Markus, The Baltimore Sun
9:25 p.m. EDT, May 19, 2012
Mike Smith appeared dazed in the moments after his horse, Bodemeister, was again beaten by Kentucky Derby winner I’ll Have Another — this time by a neck in Saturday’s Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course. The veteran jockey wore the frozen smile of a man hardly able to fathom what had just transpired.
“I swear I don’t know how he ran me down, man,” Smith said after trainer Bob Baffert approached in the fading sunlight.
http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/horse-racing/preakness/bs-sp-preakness-bodemeister
-bob-baffert-0520-20120519,0,5562523.story
VIDEO 0 HIP 3,660 AT KEENELAND SEPTEMBER 2010
$11,000, I’ll Have Another
ROXY KEEPS ROLLIN
96 Beyer Figure for top local filly
Eugene Melnyk’s ROXY GAP won the Grade 2 HENDRIE STAKES with a whopping 96 Beyer Figure for 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:16.46. Patrick Husbands simply had to sit on the Indian Charle gal and let her reel in the speed in the race. The event lost 3 starters including champion Atlantic Hurricane.
More from Saturday…
Skye Chernetz, by Norm Files
SKY CHERNETZ won her first race as a jockey when she guided Dominion Bloodstock’s SHEZA ROUNDER to win the first race at Woodbine on Saturday. The young rider from western Canada has ridden a few horses for trainer Dave Cotey, who has given the apprentice a chance. The winner was taking her maiden for $20,000 claiming and stretching out to 1 1/16 miles for her 2nd race of the season.
Chernetz was on her 10th mount of the meeting and so far, has only ridden at Woodbine.
The Sid Attard barn has suddenly come to life now that the runners have some starts under their belts. D’WILD BEACH set a slow pace and won the 2nd race for $40K claiming. The barn had some bad news later int he day, however, as
MAJESTIC RED, a half sister to champion Maritimer, returned from a 1 1/2 year layoff only to fall badly after a grass maiden race. The condition of the filly is not known.
Race 3 – The Fieldstone Farms of Ron Delmas ran 1-2 in a maiden $12,500 claiming race. EVAC, a homebred by Purge, won in his 2nd race of the season under Emma Wilson, who had a good day.
Race 4- The aforementioned first grass race of the year was also the 2nd fastest race of the day by far, according to Beyer Figures. Most of the races on thecard were run in modest time but the winner of this event, HOLY ACADEMY (a 4yo by Royal Academy) ran an 86 in the maiden score. It was the David Sorokolit filly’s first race since July. Darwin Banach trains and Eurico Da Silva rode.
Race 5 – Brian Corbett’s tough 5yo mare CUTIE GIRL rode the rail to win for $12,500 claiming in her season debut. The mare was 2 for 30 going into the race. Slade callaghan rode.
Race 6 – This was a very messy race and the Contreras brothers almost had an accident in the stretch. STILL OWING from the Roger Attfield barn, had a terrible break from the gate and then second fave SIESI was wiped out by an errant YOSHI MORI in early stretch. The latter, making her first strart since October 2010, was on the pace all the way and won the grass, a brilliant training job by Mike Wright Sr., but she was disqualified. The Old Forester gal was adding Lasix and blinkers and J. Contreras.
Meanwhile Luis Contreras was on Siesi.
The winner, through DQ, was a Sid Attard trainee, TOTAL BLISS, a Where’s the Ring filly for owner/breeder Martin Cherry.
Race 7 – Colebrook Farms is having a nice spring and its Niigon homebred PERSEPECTIVE won as predicted, by only barely, over Pin Oak’s nice Shot. Croey Fraser was getting his first riding win of the season.
race 9 – Anderson Farms won its 2nd race in as many days when OSLER BLUFF won a 3 horse battle late in the 2nd split of the maiden allowance on the grass. The race was lamost 2 seconds slower than the earlier split. The winner is an ONtario bred by Tiznow trained by Mark Frostad and ridden by Emma Wilson.
Race 10 – the last race, for $12,500 went to deep closer MAMMA’S KNIGHT, who won wrapped up by Tyler Pizarro for his first win in a couple of seasons. The gelding had a rapid pace to run at. The winner was the first of the season for trainer Sam DiPasquale.
Betting on the Woodbine card was $3.7 million.
Today’s feature is the restricted Lady Angela Stakes with GRACE PHIL likely going off as a very heavy favourite.
