MUCHO MACHO MAN gets his 2014 season underway at 5 o’clock today at Gulfstream he’s 2 to 5 to win the SUNSHINE MILLIONS CLASSIC. Then a few hours later, he could be named HORSE OF THE YEAR at the Eclipse Awards. His Breeders’ Cup Classic win was voted Moment of the Year through an NTRA poll yesterday.
MUCHO MACHO MAN and GARY STEVENS – a big day today, a big night tonight. CINDY PIERSON DULAY PHOTO
ARTIE BEGINS 3YO CAMPAIGN
with Queen’s Plate a major target?
We Miss Artie Back To Turf In $100,000 Kitten’s Joy
WEE MISS ARTIE, by Artie Schiller, bred in Ontario by Richard Lister, is a Queen’s Plate favourite for 2014 and he starts his season tomorrow at Gulfstream. STEVE QUEEN PHOTO
01/17/2014
HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Two months after running seventh in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1), We Miss Artie kicks off his 3-year-old campaign in Sunday’s $100,000 Kitten’s Joy at Gulfstream Park.
Winner of the Breeders’ Futurity (G1) over the Polytrack at Keeneland last fall, We Miss Artie drew post four in a field of 10 sophomores set to go 1 1/16 miles on the turf.
Trainer Todd Pletcher considered all options in looking for a spot to bring back We Miss Artie, a son of Grade 1 turf winner Artie Schiller who broke his maiden on the grass at Saratoga Race Course last August.
“He’s trained well on the dirt, but basically he’s run well on all three surfaces,” Pletcher said. “We just felt like the turf was a logical place to bring him back. We won’t rule out trying him on the dirt again at some point.”
Owned by Ken and Sarah Ramsey, We Miss Artie finished sixth of seven after being caught wide on both turns in his stakes debut, the With Anticipation (G2) at Saratoga on Aug. 29. He rallied to win the Breeders’ Futurity by 2 ¾ lengths in his next start, earning a trip to Santa Anita for the Breeders’ Cup.
In the Juvenile, he bobbled at the break before settling in along the rail while awaiting room near the half-mile pole. Steered wide in the stretch by jockey Javier Castellano, We Miss Artie made a bid before tiring to seventh though beaten only four lengths.
“I actually thought he ran pretty well in the Juvenile,” Pletcher said. “It’s a tough race. He loomed up in the middle of the turn like he had a shot and he just leveled off a little bit, but it was a good effort.”
We Miss Artie has breezed four times since the Juvenile, given a break from a Dec. 1 breeze to his bullet half-mile work in 47.30 seconds at Palm Meadows on Jan. 7, the fastest of 76 horses. Most recently, he went a half in 49 on Jan. 13.
“The horse has been training really well,” Pletcher said. “We tried to freshen him up a little bit and he seemed to respond to it. His last few breezes have been quite good.”
Pletcher has also been pleased with the way We Miss Artie, the program favorite, has developed from his juvenile season, as well as his versatility.
“Physically, he’s doing well,” he said. “He’s gained some weight, he’s filled out and he’s making that physical transition you like to see one make from two to three. It’s great. You can point for races on the turf and not have to worry if they come off. At the same time, you know he’s good on the turf and his best race so far was on the synthetic, so we have a ton of options.”
OBS RACING DAY TUESDAY!
AND YOU CAN BET ON ONE OF THE RACES!!
Canadian owned and trained NORQUAY is a contender in the non-wagering OBS 3yo championship at 1 1/16 miles. The Kentucky bred Fairbanks filly, a troubled 2nd in her second career race, the Glorious Song Stakes at Woodbine. Joe Rocco rides for trainer Reade baker, who co-owns with Ricj Mah and Roger Fortier. The filly drew the rail in a large field and she should have a good chance to win if she avoids too much traffic.
Also in that race is BUMP BUMP, a Kentucky bred maiden who was 2nd beaten a neck at Tampa Bay Downs on the grass last time and is a promising runner for Darcy Scudero and Canadian trainer Mike Wright. Gary Boulanger rides. And Sherry McLean’s CHARLOTTE’S QUEST, trained by Sandra Dominguez makes her 2nd career race and ships in from Nelson Jones training centre for the same race.
In the day’s first thoroughbred race, Ed Seltzer and Cabarnet Racing’s SHANAGARRY, trained by Justin Nixon, has the rail post in the 6 furlong 3yo filly sprint. She is 6 to 1 under Melanie Pinto and is a homebred by Greatness.
PP’S HERE: http://www.obssales.com/obs-championship-stakes/
PREVIEW
from Ocala.com
By Carlos E. Medina
The first ever pari-mutuel stakes race in Ocala is scheduled for Tuesday during the 2014 OBS Day of Champions.
LAURA CARSON – Small Fry’ rides to first win in New York
from THE PROVINCE NEWSPAPER
By Tom Wolski, The Province January 17, 2014 1:14 AM
The fantasy of any youngster hoping to become a jockey is to one day ride a winner at New York’s Aqueduct Racetrack and have a mount in the Kentucky Derby.
For Vancouver-born Laura Carson, this was a goal she was determined at least to give her best shot. Five years ago, Carson went to work for local trainer Cindy Krasner at Hastings Racecourse. “At the barn,” says Krasner, “she really was a go-getter who loved horses and enjoyed working hard. Laura was so likable, we called her Small Fry.”
In 2012, she realized she would have to try riding in the U.S. to fulfil her dream. For Carson, it was difficult to get a break. Then, on June 11, 2013, at Parx Racetrack in Bensalem, Penn., she won the first race of her career. She finished the season with nine wins and over $320,000 US in purse earnings.
As winter approached, Carson’s Parx had to cancel many of its racing dates, forcing her to try Aqueduct Racetrack.
http://www.theprovince.com/sports/Small+rides+first+York/9398624/story.html
CANADIANS ELSEWHERE
RICHARD LISTER and JIM SMITH hooked up for a win with the filly WINTER LADY (hunch bet) who was 13 to 1 at Laurel Parl yesterday in a starter allowance at 7 furlongs. The Fusaichi Pegasus filly, a New York bred, was making her first start since Dec 11 at Woodbine.
At Gulfstream, Canadians Jim and Susan Hill celebrated a win with PLENTY ELUSIVE, trained by Woodbine-based Brian Lynch…chart from THOROUGHBRED DAILY NEWS…
1st-GPX, $43,500, Alw, Opt. Clm. ($25,000), NW1X,
4yo/up, 6 1/2f, 1:17 1/5, ft.
PLENTY ELUSIVE (g, 4, Elusive Quality–Plenty of Light {GISW, $510,420}, by Colony Light) had not found the
winner=s circle since breaking his maiden four starts back. He closed out his sophomore season with an
allowance seventh over the Woodbine synthetic Nov. 23 and was a well-beaten second at this track
Dec. 22. The 6-1 shot comfortably rated at the back of the pack through the opening stages. Still out of
contention at the top of the lane, the bay split foes to improve his position, dove to the rail late and nabbed
Red Hot Randy (Peace Rules) by a head on the wire.
Sales history: $210,000 yrl ’11 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: 10-2-2-0, $80,507.
O-Jim & Susan Hill. B-Casner Racing LP (KY). T-Brian A Lynch.
HOLD ON TO YOUR HATS – LOTS OF RACING (AND SPORTS) TODAY!
FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS (go SEAHAWKS), ECLIPSE AWARDS (watch on www.drf.com, go WISE DAN), HOCKEY ‘DAY IN CANADA, (go Leafes!), whew, plus all the racing action. Don’t blink!
HRTV and the PAULICK REPORT offer up this little crib sheet for the races today..
DIXIE LOOKING TO STRIKE TODAY
Trainer Mark Casse has a division at Oaklawn for the first time this year and he could celebrate a big holiday weekend with Dixie Strike and Coastline, both of whom carry the blue and gold silks of owner John Oxley.
(Canadian-bred) Dixie Strike, who competed against the boys in all three legs of the 2012 Canadian Triple Crown with a third in the Queen’s Plate and a victory in the Prince of Wales Stakes, will run in the Pippin Stakes Saturday and Street Sense Stakes winner Coastline will contest the $150,000 Smarty Jones Stakes for 3-year-olds on Monday.
“Dixie Strike is doing really well, but Don’t Tell Sophia is going to be awfully tough,” Casse said. “Our filly has trained well on the dirt at Palm Meadows and when we breezed her at Oaklawn and she did really well. We think she likes the dirt even though she’s only run twice on it. She won the Prince of Wales on it and the horse she beat, Ultimate Destiny, ended up being a very good horse.”
The 5yo daughter of Dixie Union out of the Smart Strike mare Noble Strike worked over the Oaklawn strip on Jan. 12 when she traveled 5f in 1.03.80 for the 11th fastest work of 103 horses at the distance. The move sets her ups as a strong challenger to Don’t Tell Sophia as the Phil Sims-trainee tries to defend her title in the Pippin.
“I would expect a big effort from her,” said Casse of Dixie Strike, who was third in the Grade 1 Cotillion Stakes behind Eclipse Award winners My Miss Aurelia and Questing as a sophomore.
The Smarty Jones, which is named for the colt who captured all three legs of Oaklawn’s renowned series for sophomores- the Grade 3 Southwest Stakes, the Grade 2 Rebel Stakes and the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby- on the way to victories in the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes in 2004, is the first true test for 3-year-olds at the meet.
The one-mile affair also serves as a prep for the Southwest to be contested at 1 1/16 miles on Feb. 17 and Casse hopes that Coastline will get better racing luck than he did last time out when he stumbled out of the gate in the Grade 3 Delta Jackpot at Delta Downs on Nov. 23.
“He lost all chances that day but if you go to his previous race (the Street Sense at Churchill Downs on Oct. 27), it was a great race. The second, third and fourth finishers came back to win their next starts and he beat them pretty convincingly,” Casse said. “We gave him just a little bit of a break and then we sent him to Palm Meadows and he breezed a couple of time there. He’s been at Oaklawn now for about 10 days and he worked really well the other day under Eurico (Rosa Da Silva).
Regular ride Shaun Bridgmohan will be back in the irons on Monday.
BARBADOS GOLD CUP – MARCH 8
first nomination list, feb 7 next payment
The following horses have been nominated at the 1st subscription stage for the XXXIII SANDY LANE BARBADOS GOLD CUP (GR.1. – INT. – BAR) scheduled to be held on Saturday 8th March, 2014.
ARISTODEMUS (Sir David Seale)
AREUTALKINTOME (Messrs. Attie & Saffie Joseph)
BIGMAN IN TOWN (Mr. Baskaran Bassawah) (Trinidad)
DASHING DAVID (Sir David Seale)
DISCREETWON (Messrs. Dan & Martin Raizman)
GIOVEDI (Bill & Hayley Blevins)
INDIAN OFFICER (MR. SHAUN Miell & Mrs. Joanne Parravicino)
KENDAL MOON (Sir Charles Williams)
KNIGHT RIDER (Mrs. Gay Smith)
JAKESAM (Mr. & Mrs. Robert Bourque)
SHARED ADVENTURE (H & M)
