**Horse-Canada’s new website is about ready to be unveiled – that will mean that there will be 1 or 2 moving days for the site so you may see it “under construction” for a bit. Thank you!
COMING UP THIS WEEK – The Ocala Racing day is tomorrow, here is a preview (there are no Canadian connected horses entered); the Ocala Mixed sale and this weekend, Tampa Bay Downs has a big day of racing including the $250,000 Sam F Davis, featuring Canadian-owned and trained colt BEAR’S PERSONALITY.
race day at Ocala preview:
http://www.ocala.com/article/20150125/ARTICLES/150129784
UPSTART started up 2015 with a big win, big Beyer Figure in a big race – the Holy Bull. A serious Kentucky Derby contender for trainer Rick Violette and owner Ralph Evans. Gulfstream Park photo
UPSTART CRUSHES HOLY BULL
Canadian bred Decision Day fades after wide trip
Canadian-bred DECISION DAY, winner of the Coronation Futurity last fall at Woodbine, had a rough trip early in the $400,000 Holy Bull Stakes on Saturday at Gulfstream, chased the leaders while wide down the backstretch but then faded to finish 8th beaten 33 lengths. The Donver Stables’ homebred colt was making his dirt debut for trainer Josie Carroll.
The race was fast – winner UPSTART (Flatter – Party Silks by Touch Gold) won by 5 1/2 lengths in 1:43.61, good for a super 105 BEYER SPEED FIGURE. The winner is owned by Ralph Evans and trained by Rick Violette, bred in New York by Mrs. Gerald Nielsen. He was a $130,000 yearling purchase. It was the first race of the year for Upstart who was 2nd in the Champagne and 3rd in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile last year.
ZA ZA ZA ZIA!
The Munnings filly ZIA, out of the older mare Faux Pas (Ire) by Sadler’s Wells, won a maiden allowance at Gulfstream on Sunday by a neck for Tucci Stables and trainer Nick Gonzalez. Bred by Bill Graham and Bill Werner, Zia was making her 7th career start and 2nd start since last September. She had been 2nd in her debut last May at Woodbine, 4th in the My Dear Stakes and was 4th in a 1 mile and 70 yard maiuden race before she was laid up.
She posted a 70 Beyer Figure for this win in 1:18.66 under Paco Lopez.
Zia is a half sister to 12 horses of racing age, 7 winners including stakes winner Sans Souci Island.
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MORE FROM THE WEEKEND:
KHOZAN, a $1 million 2-year-old in training last March in Florida, won his debut on Saturday at Gulfstream with a 102 Beyer Speed Figure: he raced 7 furlongs in 1:23.63 on a slow surface. The son of Distorted Humor is out of graded SW Delta Princess and is a half brother to champion Ryal Delta. The colt had post 14 but he was always within a length of the lead. Another debut runner by Distorted Humor, Wisecracker, was 2nd for Godolphin.
Khozan is owned by Al Shaqab racing and he was bred by Adena Springs in Kentucky.
GLENVILLE GARDENS, the Display Stakes winner, had his 2nd race at Gulfstream in an allowance race on Saturday but the son of Street Cry (Ire) was 7th beaten 12 lengths after stalking the speed from the rail most of the 1 mile. He was 10th in his seaSOn opener in a similar race. Glenville Gardens is owned by Eugene Melnyk and trained by Josie Carroll.
GOLDEN RIVET, a Kentucky bred owned by Stronach Stables and trained by Dan Vella, won for $20,000 claiming in race 1 at Gulfstream on Saturday. The 5-year-old gelding won his maiden at Woodbine for $50,000 on the Polytrack and he came in with a bullet 5 furlong workout. He was claimed from the race by trainer Mike Pino.
Woodbine trainers finished 1-2 in race 3 on the grass for maidens on Saturday at Gulfstream. Mark Casse sent out 5 to 1 shot BOLLENTE, owned by Jon Oxley, to win the 7 1/2 furlong turf dash by 3 /4 of a length over Jim and Alice Sapara and John Wayne’s TOTZKE, a son of Ready’s Image bred in Kentucky.
Bollente cost $550,000 at the April 2yo sale in Ocala last year and he is by More Than Ready out of a Deputy Minister mare. He was 10th and last in his career debut at Del Mar last July.
Canadian-bred JAGGER M was claimed at Oaklawn from Gabe Grossberg and trained Mark Casse. The son of Harlan’s Holiday was making his 5-year-old debut and was in for just $25,000 claiing, He finished 6th i the 1 1/16 mile race.
At Tampa Bay Downs, OVER THE CLIFF won an $8,000 claiming race for filies and mares at 6 1/2 furlongs. The Debmar Stables 4yo is trained by Steven Cathcart at Tampa and she was 35 to 1` following 2 losses for $62,50 and $8,000 by a combined 49 lengths.
At Santa Anita, Peter Redekop had a big day in the California Cup races on Saturday. His star 3yo ALERT BAY, by City Zip, won the Turf Classic by a neck as the favourite after a troubleD journey.
Earlier Redekop’s GO WEST MARIE won the Filly and Mare Turf Sprint at 5 to 1 and she is a California bred by Western Fame.
At CHARLES TOWN, the Wilko 4-year-old ON ANDY’S ADVICE won an allowance race in the mud at 1 1/16 miles. The gelding is out of Thumpers Flower, by General Royal and he has a lifetime record of 13-2-2-2, $45,156. Andy Stronach bred the gelding in Ontario and Wood River Ranches is the owner.
