today’s news…CHAMPS ELYSEES goes out like…, well,a champ…no Breeders’ Cups for Woodbine winners but there are some nice 2yo’s out there! and is the Breeders’ Cup going to come back to Woodbine?
Champs Elysees (far left) mows them down in the International.
Cindy Pierson Dulay photo
HE’S THE CHAMP – AND IS HE CANADA’S HORSE OF THE YEAR?
The lack of a standout runner in canada this year is going to have a big effect on the Sovereign Award voting – which will be done after the entire year for the first time this season (with the awards held in Janauary).
CHAMPS ELYSEES’s career-ending, career-best BEYER FIGURE win in the Canadian International on Saturday may have wrapped up HOrse of the Year if no one does anythig wild in the last couple of months.
Yes, he only won one race, but he was here with trainer BRIAN LYNCH most of the year and he won a $2 million event.
Certainly he is the champion turf male in Canada.
CANADIAN INTERNATIONAL day was a glorious one – bright sunshine, chilly but calm winds.
The Polytrack was not overly fast and the turf seemd to be a but less than firm as well but in pristine condition.
The WIN AND YOU’RE IN RACES were shown on ESPN2 but none of the winners are goingto the Breeders’ Cup.
CHAMPS ELYSEES, who had a great trip and simply made it clear that he likely would have won the Northern Dancer Stakes had Marsh Side not wiped everyone out.
He is now retired to stud.
FIELD COMMISSION, the Ontario bred winner ofthe Nearctic, is not eligible to the Cup and trainer Dan Vella made it sound like crossing over the dirt strip on the grass at Santa Anita was not high on his list – not to mention the cost of supplementing and shipping.
LAHALEEB is also not eligible. She dropped the bomb in the TAYLOR when the big names didn’t really show up.
That’s who? LAHALEEB won the E.P. TAYLOR and it was the biggest win for jockey William Buick who drove home the filly in front of Rainbow View (green cap).
Cindy Pierson Dulay photo
FIELD COMMISSION, bred in Ontario by Minshall Farms, won the NEARCTIC for owner/trainer Dan Vella, who owns part with Ed Seltzer.
Terence Dulay photo
SMOKEY FIRE blazed to a 97 Beyer Figure win in an allowance race…stakes races next?
Norm Files photo.
BEYER FIGURES FROM SOME WOODBINE WINNERS
CHAMPS ELYSEES 106
LAHALEEB 103
FIELD COMMISSION 101
HOLLINGER 85
other notables:
SMOKEY FIRE 97
HOTEP 73
Here we go again – HOTEP is a full brother to this year’s Queen’s Plate winner Eye of the Leopard. Hotep (means ‘at peace in Egyptian) won his debut on Saturday in a 1 1/16 mile race. Norm Files photo.
BREEDERS’ CUP AT WOODBINE AGAIN?
Eyebrows went up in unison on the weekend as the buzz formed about Breeders’ Cup reps travelling the track on Saturday and commenting that indeed, the World Championships could come back to Toronto.
How can anyone forget that glorious day in 1996 (October) when Cigar aNd co. came to town?
Of course, the buzz also included many horsepeople, fans, bettors etc. wondering how many times the Breeders’ Cup is going to consider running its championship races on a SYNTHETIC surface?
The concept of holding the most important racing day on a surface other than dirt is not favored by many butthose who have Poly horses sure like it.
The Toronto Star had a story on the Cup coming to town:
http://www.thestar.com/sports/horseracing/article/711938–young-is-woodbine-ready-for-a-breeders-cup-challenge
DUCKS AND WHISTLES
Not just a top trainer, READE BAKER’S WHITE CALL DUCK (Donald) won best in show this weekend in Napanee. On to the Royal Winter Fair!
AGONY OF DEFEAT
Janis Maine caught EURICO ROSA DA SILVA after a race where thnbgs just didn’t go as well as hoped…
