NORM FILES has been capturing the essence of winter racing at Woodbine. Here is a recent foggy Wed. night event.
TIGER SHOWS HIS TAIL
Well, his head anyway
BEAR TOUGH TIGER had to work hard but the Florida bred edged past his stubborn stablemate BEAR NO JOKE to win the Grade 3 Kennedy Road Stakes on Sunday, capping a $3 million+ day of wagering at Woodbine.
Big fields and good racing are exciting right now and the longshots that win are simply wild.
The BEAR STABLES and trainer Reade Baker celebrated the Kennedy Road score with an up and coming Roar of the Tiger dude who was 3rd in the Grade 1 Nearctic in his last start. The 4yo gelding is now 7 for 12 in his career and headed to Vera Simpson’s Curraghmore Farm for some R and R before h heads to Florida.
His winning Beyer Figure was a career best 97.
ESSENCE HIT MAN, returning from a short layoff for the stable of the late Audre Cappuccitti, was fried in a manic pace duel with Something Extra. The gelding still may win the champion sprinter title since he won 3 stakes.
Bear Tough Tiger edges Bear No Joke in the Kennedy Road – Grade 2
Jockey Emma-Jayne Wilson, who rode Bear No Joke, celebrates the Bear-exactor with Janis Maine, wife of trainer Reade Baker.
BEYER SPEED FIGURE FOR UNCAPTURED QUESTIONED
Debate continues on why the Beyer Figure for the Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club was so low. It has been changed to a 76 from a 75, but certainly is not very high for the 2yos at this time of year. UNCAPTURED, our Canadian-bred star, was the winner and he’s headed to Palm Meadows for a short rest before his Derby journey.
The 76 earned by SEANEEN GIRL, sold by Rolph Davis and Robert Tiller at Woodbine to her current interests for a nice sum, in the Golden Rod, matches what she would run.
Andy Beyer has no explanation, Mike Watchmaker, both of DRF, does not either.
And how was the Remsen so fast? (99).
Trainers Mark Casse and Ken McPeek both thought that the track could have changed during the day. Casse noted that Overanalyze, the Remsen winner, was coming out of UNCAPTURED’S Iroquois win.
Andy Beyer on the KJC:
The fact is the maiden [Bradester] ran faster than the stakes at the same distance [1 1/16 miles]. It’s right in front of you, so what do you do with that? Somehow, for some reason, all the colts ran lousy on this particular day. What that means for future races, I don’t know. I have no other answers.”
http://www.drf.com/news/churchill-downs-notes-beyer-figure-comes-back-low-uncaptured-kentucky-jockey-club-stakes
or Mike Watchmaker on the Remsen and KJC:
One of the interesting things about this KJC mystery is that it has deflected attention from how fast the Remsen, run earlier Saturday at Aqueduct, came up. In fact, a skeptic would say that the Remsen came up as suspiciously fast as the KJC did slow.
http://www.drf.com/blogs/slow-kjc-fast-remsen
Cool race from last weekend when RISING DOUGH, owned by The Stablemates, won a frantic finish in an Ontario sired allowance.
Norm Files photos
PERRONS ARE SKY HIGH
Call them lucky, call them shrewd, call them successful horsepeople.
James Perron and family are enjoying a nice run by their 2yo filly SKY HIGH GAL, a recent winner at Churchill, not long after selling their rich mare CATEGORY SEVEN for a pile of money at the Keeneland Nov. sale.
On Wednesday night, the family’s RUBY’S MINE won a 2yo claiming race with ease and will now go to Florida for some R and R. Their family pink silks are often in the winner’s circle as their horses are well managed and well placed.
As for Sky High Gal, the offeres continue to roll in for this filly off her latest win..here is Sky High Gal’s result chart from Thoroughbred Daily News:
4th-CDX, $47,189, Alw, NW1X, 2yo, f, 1 1/16mT,
1:43 1/5, fm.
SKY HIGH GAL (f, 2, Leroidesanimaux {Brz}–Shahrazad Sky, by Sky Classic) was a comfortable second-out
winner over seven furlongs of good Woodbine turf Oct. 21, and was given a 7-2 chance in search of a first
win of the meet for her conditioner. The bay tracked Neith (Dynaformer) from the pocket, tipped out in upper
stretch and kicked home to hand the pacesetter a three length defeat despite some greenness. Sales history:
$11,000 yrl ’11 FTKOCT; $30,000 2yo >12 OBSJUN. Lifetime Record: 3-2-1-0, $71,783.
O-James Perron Racing Stable. B-Liberation Farm & Brandywine Farm (KY). T-Brian A Lynch.
SHAMBHALA – $381.10 plus HST
This is a story about a grey filly who has had a lot going on in just the first 3 years of her life.
Her daddy, Grand Slam, is popular and successful sire. Her mum, Wedding Day Blues is well bred and has produced a Grade 2 stakes winner and many other winners.
This filly, however, cost just $5,000 at a yearling sale so there were signs she was not going to be the star she may have been bred to be. There are some conformation flaws, she is over at the knees, but she is a good bodied gal.
She raced once at Woodbine and at Fort Erie but was well beaten in each outing while racing for Quintessential Racing Stable. She reportedly changed hands after her 2nd race but did not make a start and recently, was in a pen at the OLEX livestock auction in Kitchener, Ont.
Through the magic of social media, a group of horse owners, breeders were alerted that the filly could be on her way to Olex and many banded together to seek her out.
She was found at Olex and bought for $381.10. She is now in the care of one of these fine people and set to be adopted out as a riding horse.
There are many stories like this out there. Please, be careful who you sell your horse to. There are many people out there who will have no trouble sending them to slaughter to avoid some extra effort to find their horses a nice home.
Congrats to all those people who gathered together and bought Shambhala.
WATCH I’LL HAVE ANOTHER CHARGE AT YOU IN THE JAPAN SNOW…
COMING UP THIS WEEK IN THE SOUTH…
Friday, Calder Race Course, post time: 3:05 p.m.EST
LA PREVOYANTE H.-GIII, $100,000, 3yo/up, f/m, 1 1/2mT
PP HORSE SIRE JOCKEY TRAINER WT
1 My Pal Chrisy Alex’s Pal Panici Lutchman 115
2 Ciao Bella Giant’s Causeway Velazquez Pletcher 113
3 Closing Range K After Market Trujillo Oliver 114
4 Clarinet Giant’s Causeway Bravo Carroll 117
5 Centring A.P. Indy Saez Albertrani 114
6 Peekablue Sue Spanish Steps Panici Kaplan 111
7 Thislilsoulofmine Perfect Soul (Ire) Lopez Attfield 115
8 Havant (GB) Halling Lezcano Clement 117
Friday, Calder Race Course, post time: 4:23 p.m.EST
TROPICAL TURF H.-GIII, $100,000, 3yo/up, 1 1/8mT
PP HORSE SIRE JOCKEY TRAINER WT
1 Philly Ace Smart Strike Saez Clement 117
2 Good Better Best Best of the Bests (Ire) Lopez Attfield 115
3 Dannhauser K Johannesburg Russell O’Connell 117
4 Hoofit (NZ) Mossman (Aus) Rocco Jr Motion 116
5 Alley Oop Oop Monsieur Cat Jara Gold 114
6 Scorcher Kitten’s Joy Castillo Azpurua 110
7 Sleepless Knight K War Chant Trujillo Breen 116
8 Hollinger Black Minnaloushe Lezcano Attfield 118
9 Empire Builder Kitten’s Joy Rios Duco 114
10 Mr. Irons K Mr. Greeley Boyce Abbott III 114
11 Citrus Kid K Lemon Drop Kid Desormeaux Terranova II 116
