MIKE BURNS caught CHECK YOUR SOUL winning the Wando – will he win the Plate Trial??
OAKS AND TRIAL FOR THE PLATE – IT’S A DATE!
It should be a glorious day of racing today at Woodbine and the biggest race for Canadian 3yo fillies is the WOODBINE OAKS, first run in 1956.
The 1 1/8 mile test has an intriguing group set to go forward with favoured INGLORIOUS being far from a sure thing off her steady but unexciting form this season.
Mind you, with Luis Contreras riding, what’s the difference? He seems to be able to make some if his mounts just fly.
But THOROUGHBLOG has this to say about the outcome of today’s race…
Sunday, Woodbine, post time: 5:16 p.m.
WOODBINE OAKS, $500,000, (S), 3yo, f, 1 1/8m
PP HORSE SIRE JOCKEY TRAINER ML
1 Charismatically K Cozzene Clark Di Pasquale 20-1
Would certainly be the claim of the 2000’s if this gal connects but her form is not close to the others and even a red-hot barn like Sammy D won’t get this one home in front.
2 Abrianna K Lemon Drop Kid Castellano Attfield 8-1
Inexprience is her main danger, she appears to have all the raw tools and lots of room for improvememnt. Castellano and the Stronach team won this race together 3 years ago with GINGER BREW…
3 Inglorious Hennessy Contreras Carroll 5-2
The race favourite (and early Queen’s Plate fave, back in March anyway, got back on the winning track in the La Lorgnette with some crafty manoeuvring by jockey Contreras. But she has not been flashy, just steady, and she is not so much better than these that she is one to key in bets.
4 Grand Style Giant’s Causeway Da Silva Doyle 8-1
Won the Princess Elizabeth last year but has raced just once this year and she was 5th in a Grade 1, not a great Grade 1 mind you, byt a 77 Beyer puts her in the hunt. Toss in the 2nd dam DANCE sMARTLY, A TOP JOCK, EURICO, AND GOOD KARMA AT THE mIKE dOYLE BARN AND WHO KNOWS, SHE COULD BE A SURPRISE FACTOR.
5 Bear It’s Time Philanthropist Wilson Baker 4-1
Is it time for the BEAR to win a big Canadian race? Hmmm. This gal has the best Beyer Figure with that lofty 84. She is an Ontario sired gal – the only one in the field – and she has never raced around 2 turns. Her mum won a route race and so did one of her foals…but she will have to be nursed along easily against a tough group. She can be there.
6 Silver Ami Silver Train Pizarro Carroll 15-1
Won her first race of the year for owner/breeder Ivan Dalos but it was a slow race over 4 rivals. Did you know that CONTRERAS rode 5 of these in the last race??
7 Roxy Gap Indian Charlie Husbands Casse 3-1
Love this Roxy filly but boy, she does not get much repsect as one who has never lost at Woodbine and only lost once in her career. What’s up with that? Is it the distance? Well Indian Charlie has a son named UNCLE MO, the mare has a son named PINDERS GAP (3 route wins), she should handle it, yes? She’s the pick.
8 Spooky Kitten Kitten’s Joy Prado Casse 12-1
Not a bad first try around 2 turns in the La Lorgnette and she was wide. Has tons of breeding for the distance and a nice Beyer Figure from a maiden win – for $20K claiming! Eeks, but she looks intriguing for exotics.
9 Marketing Mix K Medaglia d’Oro Lezcano Proctor 6-1
The wise guy pick as she ran well with the whip in her latest behind Roxy. Bred to love the distance and from a rich pedigree, she is going to be down folks.
The picks for the race range from MARKETING MIX and INGLORIOUS, to ROXY..
PLATE TRIAL
Kicks off 2nd Pick 4 races 8-11
BEAR’S CHILL – everyone wants to see what he will do at 9 furlongs. Even his trainer Reade Baker. “I don’t know what he will do, but I would not put anyone on him other than Emile Ramsammy,”. The sizy, gorgeous colt is bred to love the distance but he is ahandful and a half – he has huge Beyer Figures and should crush the field. But will he still be floating along in the stretch run?
There are other possible pace types like SENSATIONAL SLAM, SANDY GULLY so that will make things interesting. CHECK YOUR SOUL is a popular pick from the Charles Fipke – Roger Attfield team.
JAKE’S TAKE – Hey Jake is doing well with his picks, he still offers a nice posiitve ROI…today he likes SAY NO MORE in race 2, on or off the turf. Ruff!!
TORONTO STAR STORY….
There is a lot more to this story than just the surface stuff written here – many rdiers are coming in and making a home at Woodbine because it’s cozy and the money is good. But where do all our mainstay riders go??
CANADIAN-BRED MARE ROYAL STATUTE….AND POUR MOI…
POUR MOI won that exciting renewal of the EPSOM DERBY (‘darby’) yesterday and right back in the headlines is NORTHERN DANCER, who would have been 50 this year.
The Dancer’s daughter ROYAL STATUTE, bred by E.P. Taylor. is the 3rd dam of POUR MOI, the Montjeu colt who came from far back in last to win the 1 1/2 mile Classic by half a head despite his 19-year-old jockey standing up straight just before the finish.
ROYAL STATUTE was a super mare – she produced BAEDERWOOD, KONAFA, AKUREYRI, AWAASIF, among others. Her 1984 foal, a filly by CONQUISTADOR CIELO named VictoRess, was American bred and she did not race.
Victoress has produced 7 nondesript foals, well, let’s say 6, since her daughter GWYNN (Darshaan), is now the dam of a Derby winner.
GWYNN did not race but has produced a Group 3 winner by Sadler’s Wells.
from Thoroughbred Daily News..
1–POUR MOI (IRE), 126, c, 3, by Montjeu (Ire)
1st Dam: Gwynn (Ire), by Darshaan (GB)
2nd Dam: Victoress, by Conquistador Cielo
3rd Dam: Royal Statute, by Northern Dancer
O-Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith;
B-Lynch-Bages Ltd; T-Andre Fabre; J-Mickael
Barzalona; ,709,625. Lifetime Record: GSW-Fr,
5-3-0-1, ,798,893.
BAY TO BAY TO THE FINISH LINE!
A heavy rain storm Saturday morning flattened all turf racing at Woodbine except the very rich, very prestigious
Nassau Stakes, a Grade 2 event at one mile for fillies and mares. The turf wascertainly on the yielding side and
that seemed to hinder the chances of some notables in the event.
The winner was Rob Smithen’s lovely bay filly BAY TO BAY, a 4yo by Ontario stallion SLIGO BAY and from the With
Approval mare BALA. The 4yo had been plagued by a bit of a start and stop career since she won the Grade 3 Natalma
as a 2yo in 2009 (just one win since then) and with few races to run in on her home court, she had travelled to 5
other tracks.
But back on home turf made for all the difference for this gal – and a little Luis Contreras does not hurt – and she
stormed past the field to win in 1:36 2/4 over heavily favoured Never Retreat.
Bay to Bay was 6 to 1 and she is trained by Brian Lynch. The filly is 4 for 11 in her career now.
“We love it here and not having to ship is a great thing,” said owner Smithen. “It was wonderful. But I have to
really give all the credit to Brian Lynch. He did a phenomenal job. You couldn’t ask for a horse to be in better
condition than she was.
“This was a serious field. These were real Grade 2 horses and she beat them kind of nicely. It was a great thrill,
I hope there’s more to come, but even if there’s not, I’m a lucky guy.”
More from Saturday
Speed anyone?
Woodbine’s Polytrack was lively and somewhat speed condusive, at least in the sprints. Velvet Moss was a big winner
on the day since she came from 4 lengths back to win her race…
MADAM INSPECTOR won the first race for $40K off the claim by Scott Fairlie and the San Fernando Racing Stables. The
5yo mare is 8 for 17 in her career now and 2 for 2 in 2011.
First time starter HOME AT SIX won his debut for $32K claiming for Curtis Duggan and Kathy Beal. The Came Home 3yo,
the first foal of an A.P. Indy mare was prepared by Julia Carey who has done well with debuting maiden claiming
horses in the past.
Gail Cox had SOMETHING EXTRA ready to peak in his 3rd race off the layoff, winning an allowance race with blinkers
back on and cutting back from the Wando Stakes at 1 1/16 miles to 7 furlongs.
This is a classic turn-back move. Something Extra, by Indian Charlie, led all the way at 3 to 1 under JIm McAleney.
Apprentice Ryan Pacheo scored for the 6th time at the meet with BOSSMAN BLUE’S in the maiden $16K fourth race. The
grey colt by Value Plus was making his 3rd career start for owner/trainer Mike McDonald.
Rain washed the 5th race, a maiden allowance to 1 1/16 miles of Polytrack and BIANCO TARTUFO crushed the field by 8
3/4 lengths. her first run around 2 turns. The Unbridled’s Song 4yo is a Live Oak Plantation filly who cost $400,000
and she is out of multiple stakes winner Stop Traffic.
Talk about your fast baby horses. HOPE FOR A WIN’s legs were moving so fast they were a blur when she came out of
the gate for the 6th race, an Ontario sired 2yo race. She went the first 2 furlongs in 21 2/5, the 44 4/5 and
coasted hom by a little for than 3 lengths, stopping the clock in 51 2/5.
The Old Forester gal is out of Hope’s Hope, bred by Hope Stock Farm and a $20K yearling by James Redekop. Very fast
filly.
Tough luck for the useful filly MEGAVELLA in race 7 and she won her season debut, a $20K claiming event for older
mares but she bore in so badly off the turn for home that she was disqualified . The win went to Sam Lima’s
wonderful mare INTTHEWILDERNESS, who was scoring for the 12th time in her 47th race. She is a 7yo and it was one of
3 wins for Contreras on the day.
Stronach Stables’ Canadian-bred filly VELVET MOSS, who has raced just 6 times in her career, won her season opener
for trainer Reade Baker in the 9th, an off the turfn allowance/optional claiming event. She is a Shamardal filly who
is now 3 for 7 and she beat another Baker trainee right one th emoney in the race – Fantastic Cousin.
Trainer Alex Bankuti won his first race of the year as TICKET TIME led all the way to win the ONtario sired
allowance race. She is 2 for 20 in her career now and the daughter of Ciano Cat had been racing, and losing, a lot for $20K claiming.
MORE FROM LAST WEEK
OKIYAMA (Old Forester) led all the way to win his season debut for a whole pile of owners and trainer JOhn Mattine and put to rest the naysayers who thought offspring of the sire could not win at 2 turns. The gelding earned just a 67 Beyer Figure and he is a Queen’s Plate eligible.
Another Plate elgible from last week, HEAD HONCHO, earned a 68 Beyer Figure in his allowance win.
Congrats to COREY FRASER, who won his first race of the season aboard HANK’S HILL on Friday fro trainer Mark Casse.
RAHY’S ATTORNEY needed every ounce of power to hold off SIMMARD to win the Singspiel prep at 1 3/8 miles on the grass. It was the champion’s 14th win of his career.
And long time trainer MORT HARDY won his first race of the season with his 28th starter when his IMPERIAL’S BEST won his maiden for $12,500 arounf 2 turns in the last race on Friday. David Garcia rode the son of Best of the Bests.
