DERBY WEEK

BREAKING NEWS – KENTUCKY OAKS POST DRAW

1) Out For A Spin 1st Ashland (G1) – Hard Spun – D. Stewart

2) Chocolate Kisses 6th Ashland (G1) – Candy Ride – M. Casse/T. Gaffalione
3) Lady Apple 1st Fantasy (G3) – Curlin – S. Asmussen/R. Santana Jr.

4) Bellafina 1st Santa Anita Oaks (G1) – Quality Road – S. Callaghan/F. Prat

5) Flor de la Mar) 2nd Santa Anita Oaks (G1) – Tiznow – B. Baffert/J. Rosario

6) Positive Spirit 2nd Gazelle (G2) – Pioneerof the Nile – R. Brisset/J. Ortiz

7) Jaywalk 3rd Ashland (G1) – Cross Traffic – John Servis/J. Castellano

8) Motion Emotion 2nd Fantasy (G2) – Take Charge Indy – T. Van Berg/M. Smith

9) Liora 2nd Fair Grounds Oaks (G2) – Candy Ride – W. Catalano/C. Hill

10) Champagne Anyone 1st Gulfstream Park Oaks (G2) – Street Sense – I. Wilkes/C. Landeros

11) Jeltrin 1st Davona Dale (G2) – Tapizar – Alexis Delgado/L Saez

12) Street Band [ 1st Fair Grounds Oaks (G2) – Istan –L. Jones/ S. Doyle

13) Serengeti Empress [ 7th Fair Grounds Oaks (G2) – Alternation – T. Amoss/J. Graham

14) Restless Rider ) 2nd Ashland – Distorted Humor – K. McPeek/B. Hernandez Jr.

CENTURY MILE: MONUMENTAL DAY FOR ALBERTA RACING

Horse racing returned to Edmonton on Sunday April 28 in a big way.

The first one-mile racetrack built west of Woodbine, CENTURY MILE, opened with a crowd of an estimated 5,000 braving cold temperatures to welcome back the horses.

BORN IN A BREEZE is now the answer to a trivia question as the Ontario bred horse, owned by Dale Stark , Lewis Mailer and Tom Rycroft and trained by Rycroft, won the first race ever run at the new track. A 7-year-old stakes winner by Leonnatus Anteas, Born in a Breeze raced wide around the turn of the 5 1/2 furlong dash and grabbed the lead from pacesetter Irish Gold to win by 3/4 of a length in 1:04.10. Rigo Sarmiento guided the winner who grabbed $15,000 for the victory in the day’s featured event.

Sarmiento won 3 races on the card.

Wagering was just over $195,000 which was down from $258,000 on opening day at Northlands Park last May 5 but Northlands offered one additional race plus it was Kentucky Derby day.

As can be expected, opening day at a new track can have its issues. The filly BIFFY broke down in race 5, fell and jockey Prayven Badrie hit the ground hard. Biffy, a 3-year-old by Majesticperfection was making her 4th career start and had been racing at Turf Paradise.

The camera work for filming the races was not polished as many races were hard to watch as the camera moved a lot and away from the actual race. Also, the wrong numbers on the feed were posted a couple of times for the win and second place.

Read more from Curtis Stock.

WOODBINE WRAP: EURICO’S PICK 6

Woodbine’s top jock rides 6 races of 8, wins all of them

It took just 5 racing days for EURICO ROSA DA SILVA to take control of the jockey standings at Woodbine once again.

Okay, it’s very early in the 133-day meeting but on Sunday April 28, Da Silva rode 6 of the 8 races and won all of them.

Six wins (all in succession too) is one short of the record of 7 in a day recorded by Richard Grubb.

Oh, and Da Silva was on a hot first time starter in race 8 but Sure Would Forest got antsy, dumped Da Silva and ran off before being scratched.

Here were his winners on Sunday:

Race 2 – Ciuri for owners Entourage Stable and trainer Robert Tiller – first time starter by Souper Speedy, half sister to millionaire Something Extra.
Race 3 – Subzero Plus for owner Ron Clarkson and trainer Martin Drexler
Race 4 – Hedeman for owners Wallace Standardbreds and Renée Kierans who also trains; son of Old Forester bought for just $3,000 at CTHS Ontario sale 2017
Race 5 – Explorationist for owners John Oxley and Gainesway Stable and trainer Mark Casse – son of Pioneerofthe Nile was an $825,000 2yo purchase, won his maiden here with an 84 Beyer Figure
Race 6 – Hot Cash for owner Stronach Stables and trainer Mike Doyle
Race 7 – Skywire for owners Gary Barber and Lou Tucci and trainer Mark Casse (see below)

The most significant win for Da Silva on Sunday was on SKYWIRE, the flashy bay colt of Lou Tucci and Gary Barber who won the Wando Stakes and jumps into the the fray of Queen’s Plate contenders.

The son of Afleet Alex – Meandering Stream by Gone West , trained by Mark Casse stalked fellow Mark Casse trainee Federal Law through early fractions of :24.19, :47.85 and 1:11.01 in the two-turn main track feature. Da Silva then made his bid with the favourite on the final turn and took over command down the stretch with second choice Global Access chasing 2-1/2 lengths behind off the rail in rein to Patrick Husbands. Federal Law settled for third with Gary Boulanger aboard.

Skywire turned in an impressive clocking of 1:42.37 over the 1 1/16-mile distance and posted a smart 88 Beyer Speed Figure according to Daily Racing Form.

“He was just by himself there [in the stretch]. I’m pretty sure if another horse came, he would have another gear,” said Da Silva, who won the last four consecutive meet titles, including last season when he won a meet record 237 races.

“I know he got a little green at the end, but he’s learning and this horse has a lot to show.”

Bred in Ontario by the late William D. Graham Skywire won his first career start at Woodbine late last year and his sophomore debut at Gulfstream Park in mid-February, but came into the Wando off an eighth-place finish in last month’s Grade 3 Jeff Ruby Steaks at Turfway Park.

“I think he just got a lousy trip [in the Jeff Ruby]. I don’t know if we would have beaten the winner, but he got a bit of a bad trip, kept running into traffic,” explained Tucci. “I think we could have picked up a cheque there, but he did the job today.

“It feels good, it feels real good [to have another Queen’s Plate prospect],” said Tucci, who previously won the opening leg of the Canadian Triple Crown with Midnight Aria in 2013. “We’ll see how the horse comes out of this one before we make any calls, but we hope we go that route.”

SKYWIRE STATS:   This colt was sold as a ‘short’ yearling in Jan. 2017 by Bill Graham and he was bought for $47,000 by De Meric Sales. Just over a year later, De Meric attempted to pinhook the colt at the Fasig Tipton Maryland 2yo sale but he sold for $45,000 to Hidden Brook, agent.

Lou Tucci, one half of the Tucci Stables that won the Plate in 2013 with Midnight Aria, had Skywire in training with Sid Attard in 2018 and the colt won his debut in December. once Barber bought into the colt, Casse took over the training.

Bill Graham bought Meandering Stream for $260,000 in foal to Giant’s Causeway in 2007. Skywire is her 4th foal to race and all are winners.

Meandering Stream did not race and she was bred by Sam-Son farms. Her dam Classic, a stakes producer, is a daughter of blue hen broodmare NO CLASS.

More Woodbine wrap: 

Check out Friday’s wrap on Saturday’s Thoroughblog post called ‘Century’ and the top Beyer Figures from Woodbine from the first 3 days are also listed.

The  theme of the first 5 days has been a little something for everyone. It has been an incredible run for owners and trainers who have small stables. And while many were unhappy with condition book races, new race-day medication ban regulations several of those have already pocketed some nice purse money.

• 44 races have been run in 5 days. 
• Over the weekend, 31 different trainers won races 
• 41 of those 44 winners were owned by individual owners/partnerships with multiple winners including Mickey Demers, Stronach Stables and Bruno Schickedanz.

These are fabulous statistics for horsepeople at the outset of a long season. A number of these winning trainers are also Fort Erie conditioners and that is great news for them.

SATURDAY WRAP: Ontario sired and bred SOUPER SUCCESS, a son of last year’s leading 1st crop sire Souper Speedy, charged between rivals to win the $100,000 Woodstock Stakes at 6 furlongs over a pair of invading Mark Casse 3yos. Well prepared by trainer Mike DePaulo for Alberta’s MICKEY DEMERS, Souper Success was one of the last horses in the 2017 CTHS Oontario yearling sale and was picked up for $15,000 by DePaulo for Demers. From the mare My Sweet Tooch, the winner was bred by John Carey.

Lots of favourites won on Saturday but not in race 1 as longshot QUIETLY QUICK led all the way to win an allowance/optional claiming race for fillies for Twin Bullets Stable and trainer Blair Miller. This gal had not races since November at Finger Lakes when she won her maiden in her 7th career race. Emma-Jayne Wilson nets her first win of the meeting

IN VIEW started a parade of choices when he won race 2 for Frank DiGiulio Jr and trainer Robert Tiller, winning his maiden at 5 1/2 furlongs in his season debut. He was bred by Hill ‘n’ Dales Farms and he was claimed by Joey Gee Thoroughbreds for $25,000.

Race 3 – TOBRUK was well prepared by trainer Norm Tomlinson for owners Dale and Anthony Powell as he won this $5,000 claiming race in his season debut. The 6yo has 6 career wins in 26 starts.

Race 4 – BLUEBLOOD, a stakes winner dropping to $40,00 claiming from his return from a long layoff, was a lovely winner for jockey Patrick Husbands who was riding in his first race since a bad accident last year.

BIDDY EARLY won race 5 on the lead in her career debut for Breeda and John Hayes. This is a 4yo homebred by Giant Gizmo and her victory in this maiden claiming, $25,00, was impressive.

Race 6 – another first timer, this time BONNIE LEE, a 3yo filly by Prospective, held off Pink Scribbles to win for La Huerta Inc of Jim and Graeme Bruce. Don MacRae trains.

Race 7 – FIRE FOR EFFECT raced just once at Oaklawn in the winter for Norm McKnight and then came off the layoff to gallop in this allowamce/optional claiming race for $60,000 claiming. Newtop Stables owned the Smart Strike gelding who was a $40K claim last fall.

Race 9 – HEYDON’S CASE was odds-on and was the 2nd winner of the day for Norm Mcknight. This guy is owned by Rainbow Stables and is a Court Vision guy who took this $75,00 claiming race handily.

Race 10 – Fast win by KITCHEN FIRE in this $10,000 claiming race for trainer Nick Caruso and owner Bruno Schickedanz. It was his 5th career win and he was shipping in from Tampa Bay Downs.

TOP BEYER FIGURES WOODBINE SAT./SUN

88 SKYWIRE

86 FIRE FOR EFFECT

84 EXPLORATIONIST

83 KITCHEN FIRE

81 BLUEBLOOD

80 SOUPER SUCCESS

KENTUCKY DERBY POST DRAW IS TUESDAY; OAKS DRAW MONDAY

Just a few more days until the most famous race in the world, the KENTUCKY DERBY and unlike a year ago when JUSTIFY was looking like a standout, this year’s field of 20 is a fascinating mix of horses who have all been impressive in their races and in the last week training at Churchill Downs and other locations.

Monday morning (this morning) was light work on the track for possible favourite OMAHA BEACH (War Front) who had a stunning workout on Sunday for trainer Richard Mandella. More good stuff came from one of the ‘buzz’ horses, BY MY STANDARDS (Goldencents) who simply has looked incredible in his last 2 workouts for trainer Bret Calhoun.

Others who have impressed Thoroughblog in the last week include TACITUS (Tapit) who is a big, smooth striding fellow, IMPROBABLE (City Zip), a fiesty and speedy guy and one of 3 in the race for Bob Baffert. CODE OF HONOR has also done very well in his work this last week for trainer Shug McGaughey.

Thoroughblog will update the Oaks draw and Derby draw in posts tomorrow.