What are you looking forward to today in horse racing? VERRAZANO in the Wood Memorial? Flashback in the SA Derby? Or Canadian horses in the Ashland? hang on, it’s going to fun!
Below – VERRAZANO and his big ears, can he remain unbeaten? Image by Amber Chalfin
BIRD FLIES FOR 2ND IN TRANSYLVANIA
87 Beyer for leading Queen’s Plate contender
UP WITH THE BIRDS is soaring right now for Sam-Son Farms. The bay Stormy Atlantic colt came up a neck short as he ran out of turf course in the Grade 3 Transylvania Stakes yesterday at Keeneland.
He earned an 87 Beyer, a lifetime best. This stretch running colt is fun to watch, loves the Woodbine Polytrack, and, as long as he is still around in July, he should be a major player in the Queen’s Plate.
Below – Keeneland photo of UP WITH THE BIRDS just missing to Gary Barber’s JACK MILTON (War Front)
NOMINATIONS FOR FIRST 2 WOODBINE STAKES
Star Shoot and Woodstock
Below – Lovely LEINAN is back in town and ready for the Star Shoot on April 20, opening day at Woodbine
The Star Shoot, named for the sire of the great SIR BARTON, has 15 nominees and there could be a heavy favourite in the name of LEINAN. The Jim and Alice Sapara owned filly, a stakes winner last year, was 3rd in the OBS Sprint for fillies on March 11 and has already posted a nice workout at Woodbine, April 3 5 furlongs in 1:00 4/5.
Other nominees include FINDING MORE, a stakes class filly from New Orleans who would also attract attention (she won her maiden at Woodbine) and stakes placed BOLD BIRDIE.
The Woodstock, an open race for 3yo’s, could be the 2013 debut for Nancy Guest’s HONORABLE GUEST (Old Forester), who was recently scratched from the Rushaway Stakes at Turfway Park.
The 12 nominees for the Woodstock (maned for an old Ontario track) also include Pat Parente’s promising BLACK HORNET (Pioneering, Ontario bred) who was 3rd to Kentucky Derby hopeful Vyjack in a stake in New York in December; FIVE IRON, training in Florida with Brian Lynch and a pair of Robert Tiller trained, Frank DiGiulio owned guys, POWER PHIL and KITTEN CANDY.
TODAY’S PICKS FOR THE PICK BIG RACES
(and stay tuned for a new feature to the internet world, “In the Winner’s Circle”, a handicapping podcast. An intro episode will be posted here early this afternoon with picks and insight into some big races today)
ASHLAND Stakes at KEENELAND – SPRING IN THE AIR (Canadian-bred by Spring At Last), KITTEN’S DUMPLINGS (longshot play), TUTTIPAESI (Irish-bred turf to Polytrack)
SANTA ANITA DERBY- FLASHBACK
WOOD MEMORIAL – NORMANDY INVASION, VERRAZANO, ELNAAWI
There is a $500,000 guaranteed Pick 4 at Aqueduct, get the picks on a new upcoming podcast “The the Winner’s Circle with Renee Kierans and yours truly, available here early this afternoon.
PAUL MORAN on ESPN.COM
WOOD A BIG STOP ON DERBY TRAIL…
http://espn.go.com/horse-racing/story/_/id/9134829/wood-big-stop-derby-trail
