DERBY DRAMA

 

BEACHED – DERBY FAVOURITE OMAHA BEACH SCRATCHED
Entrapped Epiglottis detected; Bodexpress, from an Can.bred mare, draws in

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*Late Thursday morning news had the status of HAIKAL up in the air as the colt has a foot abscess*

The horse racing world was thrown into a tizzy on Wednesday afternoon when OMAHA BEACH was withdrawn from the 145th Kentucky Derby. The bay colt was the morning line favourite for the 1 1/4 mile classic and the choice of jockey Mike Smith.

“After training this morning we noticed him cough a few times,” Mandella said. “It caused us to scope him and we found an entrapped epiglottis. We can’t fix it this week so we’ll have to have a procedure done in a few days and probably be out of training for three weeks. We’ll have to figure out a whole new game plan.”

The epiglottis is a triangular-shaped cartilage that lies at the base of the airway just in front of the arytenoid cartilages which cover the airway during swallowing. When an abnormality occurs in this area it can hinder the performance of horses.

Mandella is scheduled to meet with the media Thursday at 8 a.m. outside of Barn 28 to further discuss the development.

With the scratch of Omaha Beach, Bodexpress will draw into the field and break from post position 20. All horses outside of Omaha Beach (post positions 13-20) will move over one position in the starting gate.

BODEXPRESS is a maiden but was 2nd in the Florida Derby to Maximum Security at 70 to 1. He posted a 96 Beyer Speed Figure according to Daily Racing Form.

Canadian racing fans will know Bodexpress’ female family. His granddam LADY AUCHAMORE is the dam of millionaire STORMY LORD, who raced with so much success for Kinghaven Farms and trainer Ian Black.

Bodexpress’ dam, PIED A TERRE, by City Zip, was working right along in 2013 at Woodbine with good clockings but she never started. She was sold as a broodmare prospect to Martha Mulholland for $30,000. Mulholland then offered the mare twice at auction and bought her back (once for $95,000 carrying Bodexpress) before selling her in 20127 to KOID for $17,000.

Bodexpress was offered as a yearling and a 2yo in training and was bought back for $45,000 and $37,000, respectively.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Post Horse Sire owner Trainer last 3 Beyer Figures (from most recent) Jockey odds

1 War of Will (War Front) – Gary Barber Mark Casse – 78, 90, 94 Tyler Gafflione 15-1

2 Tax (Arch) – R. A. Hill Stable, Reeves Thoroughb, Hugh Lynch & Corms Racing (Lucas – Stritsman) Danny Gargan – 95, 96, 93 J Alvarado 20-1

3 By My Standards (Goldencents)– Allied Racing Stable LLC (Chester Thomas) Bret Calhoun – 97,86, 73 Gabriel Saez 15-1

4 Gray Magician (Graydar)– Wachtel Stable (Adam Wachtel), Eclipse Thoroughbrd & Gary Barber Peter Miller – n/a,80, 73 50-1 D Van Dyke

5 Improbable (City Zip)– WinStar Farm LLC (Kenny Troutt), China Horse Club) & Starlight Racing (Jack Wolf et al) -Bob Baffert – 95, 96, 93 Irad Ortiz 5-1

6 Vekoma (Candy Ride-Arg) – R. A. Hill Stable (Randy Hill) & Gatsas Stables (Mike Gatsas) George Weaver – 94, 90, 97 J Castellano 15-1

7 Maximum Security (New Year’s Day) – Gary L. & Mary E. West Jason Servis – 101, 102, 83 Luis Saez  8-1

8 Tacitus (Tapit)– Juddmonte Farms Inc. (Prince Khalid Abdullah) Bill Mott – 93,75, 77 J Ortiz 8-1

9 Plus Que Parfait (Point of Entry) – Imperial Racing LLC (Michael Foley) Brendan Walsh – UAE Derby win, 58, 83 R Santana 30-1

10 Cutting Humor (First Samurai)– Starlight Racing (Jack Wolf) Todd Pletcher – 95, 76, 85 Corey Lanerie 30-1

11 Haikal (Daaher)– Shadwell Stable (Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid al Maktoum) Kiaran McLaughlin – R Maragh 95,84, 85 30-1

12 Omaha Beach (War Front) – Fox Hill Farm (Rick Porter) Richard Mandella – 96, 90, 83 Mike Smith 4-1

13 Code of Honor (Noble Mission) – William S. Farish Shug McGaughey III – 91,95, 77 John Velazquez 12-1

14 Win Win Win (Hat Trick-Jpn)– Live Oak Plantation (Charlotte C. Weber) Mike Trombetta – 88,89, 99 J Pimentel 12-1

15 Master Fencer (JPN) (Just the Way) Katsumi & Yasuyo Yoshizawa Koichi Tsunoda Japan J Leparoux 50-1

16 Game Winner (Candy Ride-Arg) – Gary L. & Mary E. West Bob Baffert – 96, 93, 97 J Rosario 9-2

17 Roadster (Quality Road)– Speedway Stable LLC (Peter Fluor & K.C. Weiner) Bob Baffert – 98, 93, 89 Florent Geroux 5-1

18 Long Range Toddy (Take Charge Indy) – Willis Horton Racing LLC Steve Asmussen – 95, 87, 83 Jon Court 30-1

19 Spinoff (Hard Spun)– Wertheimer et Frere (Alain & Gerard Wertheimer) Todd Pletcher – 96, 84, 75  M Franco30-1

20 Country House (Lookin at Lucky) – Mrs. J.V. Shields, E.J.M. McFadden Jr. & LNJ Foxwoods Bill Mott – F Prat 87, 86, 80 30-1

21 Bodeexpress (Bodemeister) Top Racing, Global Racing, GDS Racing G Delgado  Chris Landeros  96, 91,, 74  30-1

 

KENTUCKY DERBY PARTY AT WOODBINE

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This Saturday Woodbine Entertainment is hosting the third annual Derby Day Party at its Toronto racetrack in celebration of the 145th running of the Kentucky Derby.

Beginning at 12 noon, this year’s event will be held in the Post Parade Dining Room, providing party-goers with a unique vantage point to take in Woodbine’s live racing action throughout the day.

The fashionable experience will feature Kentucky-inspired cocktails and gourmet food stations, the return of the fabulous Derby Day Best Dressed Contest with a $500 grand prize and live music from The Lonely Hearts, a high energy quartet with a vast repertoire of music to keep the party going all day long.

Woodbine’s internationally-trained culinary team will serve up a new Southern-style menu created for this year’s Derby Day Party including 24-Hour Smoked Prime Beef Brisket, Rolled Chesapeake Oyster and Crab, Roasted Nectarine Benedictine Tea Sandwiches, Salted Caramel Cheesecake and Bourbon Pecan Balls.

Less than 50 tickets remain! General admission tickets for Woodbine’s Derby Day Party are $75. VIP tickets, which will include access to exclusive seating and open bar privileges, are sold-out. Tickets can be purchased at Ticketmaster.ca.

 

JACQUES CARTIER, NOW A GRADE 3, LURES HUGE FIELD

Champion Pink Lloyd one of 12

with files from Woodbine Media

Multiple stakes champion and 2017 Canadian Horse of the Year Pink Lloyd makes his seasonal debut in Saturday’s star-stacked Grade 3, $125,000 Jacques Cartier Stakes, at Woodbine.

The race was upped in purse and elevated to a Grade 3 this season and that has certainly helped the field expand.

Trained by Hall of Fame conditioner Robert Tiller and owned by Entourage Stable, Pink Lloyd, a 16-time winner from 21 starts, looks to record his third straight score in the six-furlong Jacques Cartier and he figures to be favoured.

Regular rider Eurico Rosa da Silva, who won six races in six starts on April 28 at the Toronto oval, will once again pilot the seven-year-old gelded son of Old Forester.

“He’s a trier,” said the jockey who had a record 237 Woodbine wins in 2018, besting the previous mark of 221 set by Mickey Walls in 1991. “He’s just a beautiful horse and he’s doing very well right now.”

Last season, the Ontario-bred chestnut and Brazilian-born da Silva teamed to win four races (Rafael Hernandez was aboard for another victory, the Jacques Cartier) from eight starts, including a triumph in the Grade 3 Vigil Stakes on July 29 at Woodbine.

Recently, the duo hauled in some more hardware, this time at the 2018 Sovereign Awards. Pink Lloyd was named Champion Male Sprinter and da Silva was crowned Outstanding Jockey for the sixth time.

“What makes him so great? His stride is so long and he does it all so very easily,” offered da Silva. “When I was on him the first time, I thought to myself, ‘This is a nice horse.’ After a little while of connecting with him, maybe the third time, I knew it was something different. You just knew he was special.”

It’s one of many reasons why Pink Lloyd has developed a legion of loyal fans.

“I think it’s because he such an elegant horse. You look at him… he’s very elegant, even in the way he walks. Fans like a horse that fights and that’s what he does every time.”

As for what he shares in common with Pink Lloyd, da Silva, a lifetime winner of 2,111 races, offered up a couple of thoughts.

“Well, we’re both very competitive and we both like to win.”

Last year in the Jacques Cartier, Pink Lloyd set the track record for six furlongs on the Tapeta, stopping the teletimer at 1:08.05.

The Jacques Cartier is slated as Race 8 on Saturday’s 10-race card. First post time is 1 p.m. Fans can watch and wager on all the action via HPIbet.com.

 

FIELD FOR THE $125,000 JACQUES CARTIER

POST – HORSE – JOCKEY – TRAINER

1 – Curlin’s Honor – Gary Boulanger – Mark Casse

2 – Eskiminzin – Jerome Lermyte – Carlos Grant

3 – Call Me Wally – Emma-Jayne Wilson – Paul Buttigieg

4 – Yorkton – Jesse Campbell – Stuart Simon

5 – Wyatt’s Town – Jeffrey Alderson – Norm McKnight

6 – Pink Lloyd – Eurico Rosa da Silva – Robert Tiller

7 – Glacier – Kizushi Kimura – Norm McKnight

8 – Conquest Panthera – Patrick Husbands – Mark Casse

9 – Circle of Friends – Alan Garcia – Robert Tiller

10 – Decorated Soldier – Rafael Hernandez – Norm McKnight

11 – Extravagant Kid – Luis Contreras – Brendan Walsh

12 – Ikerrin Road – Davy Moran – Vito Armata