Winter is back at least for a couple of days, too bad it arrived on the weekend when the Woodbine backstretch opened…blowing, frigid wind, lots of snow, the good stuff! Meanwhile, BLACK CAVIAR is hotter than ever, winning last night in a common gallop, yes, I stayed up to watch. Hot action at Gulfstream today, it’s been dreadful weather down there too, wet and soggy. Enjoy the news and pictures, the race-day selections and everything else THOROUGHBLOG has to offer!
BLACK CAVIAR WINS AGAIN!
MAY RACE NEXT SATURDAY AGAIN!
Lightning pace sets up hometown record tilt
Andrew Eddy
BLACK CAVIAR’S love of the Flemington straight track is likely to provide racegoers with a February to remember forever as the unbeaten world champion is likely to line up in next Saturday’s group 1 Lightning Stakes on her way to clinching a world record by the end of the month.
The super mare’s trainer Peter Moody said after Black Caviar comfortably notched her 18th consecutive win before a crowd of 20,427 in yesterday’s Orr Stakes at Caulfield that if she emerged well from her first attempt at the 1400-metre trip, he was likely to pay up for her to contest the Lightning over the 1000m course at Flemington.
”You’d never do it with another horse and you probably wouldn’t even do it with this horse if she was coming back to 1000m at Moonee Valley or here at Caulfield, but she just loves the straight course. It’s where she has been at her most brilliant,” Moody said.
SO WHO WINS THE DONN HANDICAP TODAY?
Super field, very tough to handicap
chart courtesy Thoroughbred Daily News!
Saturday, Gulfstream Park, post time: 4:45 p.m. EST
DONN H.-GI, $500,000, 4yo/up, 1 1/8m
PP HORSE OWNER BREEDER TRAINER/JOCKEY ML
1 Where’s Sterling K Frank C Calabrese Cynthia Knight-KY N Canani 12-1
(h, 5, Northern Afleet–Twinkler, by Benny the Dip) Lezcano
2 Mission Impazible K Twin Creeks Racing Stables LLC Summer Wind Farm-KY Pletcher 6-1
(h, 5, Unbridled’sSong–La Paz, by Hold Your Peach) Castellano
3 Ruler On Ice K Lori & George Hall Liberation Farm & Brandywine Farm-KY Breen 6-1
(g, 4, RomanRuler–Champagne Glow, by Saratoga Six) Napravnik
4 Redeemed Jay Em Ess Stable Morgan’s Ford Farm-VA Dutrow Jr 12-1
(c, 4, Include–Early Mass, by Pleasant Tap) Prado
5 Soaring Empire K Ol Memorial Stable & C E Glasscock Emory A Hamilton-KY Gambolati 10-1
(h, 5, Empire Maker–Flying Passage, by A.P. Indy) Leparoux
6 Al Khali K Brous Stable & Wachtel Stable Emory A Hamilton-KY Mott 20-1
(r, 6, Medaglia d’Oro–Maya, by Capote) Garcia
7 Flat Out Preston Stable LLC Nikolaus Bock-FL Dickey 5-1
(h, 6, Flatter–Cresta Lil, by Cresta Rider) Solis
8 Trickmeister K Pegasus Holding Group & IEAH Stables Brereton C Jones /Timothy C Thornton-KY Dutrow Jr 6-1
(h, 5, Proud Citizen–Afternoon Trick, by Afternoon Deelites) Dominguez
9 Shacklefor K Michael Lauffer & W D Cubbedge Michael Lauffer & W D Cubbedge-KY Romans 7-2
(c, 4, Forestry–Oatsee, by Unbridled) Castanon
10 Hymn Book Stuart S Janney Stuart S Janney III LLC-KY McGaughey 8-1
(g, 6, Arch–Vespers, by Known Fact) Velazquez
11 Sangaree Godolphin Racing LLC Stonerside Stable-KY McLaughlin 10-1
(h, 7, Awesome Again–Mari’s Sheba, by Mari’s Book) Maragh
THOROUGHBLOG has pored over today’s set of races at Gulfstream – remember, it has been raining a lot there for many days and thus, prepare for ‘off’ grass for some of the events today.
The feature is the DONN HANDICAP – Grade 1, always a cool event and this year’s field is packed with a Preakness winner (Shackleford), a Belmont winner (Ruler On Ice) and unbeaten horse, (TrickmeISter) and last year’s older horse star (Flat Out).
The pace should be honest but there are several in the race that are deep closing types who may have trouble getting up at Gulfstream.
While Ruler On Ice and Shackleford have not won a race since their big scores, and Flat Out bombed in a grass race off the layoff (not sure why he was on the turf), how about we look for a bit of a price:
SANGAREE is very dicey at 1 1/8 MILES so his rider will need to time the move carefully. But this older horse, who is lightly raced, appears to be sitting on a peak run.
Have to like MISSION IMPAZIBLE for the powerful Todd Pletcher barn too.
Right off the CUTENESS SCALE! Here is a little gal born on Feb. 4 for Bernard and Karen McCormack’s Mapleshade Farm. She was foaled with Lori Pinch in Hampton, Ontario. She is by Harlan’s Holiday out of My Pal Lana by Kris S. Her mummy is going to visit Gio Ponti soon. photo courtesy Bernard McCormack
CANADIANS ELSEWHERE
OILTON won an allowance/optional claiming race at Laurel on Thursday. The race was a NW2X,at one mile and the winner is a 5yo gelding by Mobil–Valid’s Best Lady, by Valid Appeal. His lifetime record is now 28-4-6-4, $130,700.
O-Richard P Butts Jr. B-Bernard & Karen McCormack (ON). T-Patrick J Magill. *C$25,000 yrl ’08 CANSEP
Congrats to the McCormacks for breeding a useful fellow like OILTON!
Other winners: Battle Harbour, g, 4, Stormy Atlantic–Its a Ruby, by Rubiano. Won a 1 1/16 mile maiden race at Charles Town on Thursday. He was bred by Garland Williamson in Ontario and is a 3/4 to Like A Gem (Tactical Cat, and dam of Hard Not to Like) etc.
SAGATIBA, an Ontario bred by Niigon – Ordwillow by Ordway won a $5,000 claiming race at Charles Town yesterday for owner Kevin Buttigieg.
Richard Morden trains.
Interestingly, COLEBROOK FARMS made a rare claim when it took TIN PAN ALLEY CAT for $12, 500 yesterday at Charles Town. But it’s a warm and cozy claim – the Brnjas family had the Alley Cet for most of his career until he was claimed away a few starts ago for this price. Nice to see then take this steady guy back! The 6yo gelding won the race at 2 to 1 and he is by Roaring Fever.
TINO ATTARD, who won his first race of 2012 recently, dished out $25,000 to claim SPRINGCOURT at Gulfstream yesterday. The gelding won the race for Eugene Melnyk and trainer Todd Pletcher.
**ARE YOU SERIOUS, a stakes winner at Woodbine years ago and holder of a 105 Beyer Figure, lost for $4,000 claiming yesterday at Penn National. He is a 10yo gelding who has won more than $500,000.
DEADLY HYPERBARIC CHAMBER EXPLOSION
Sparks from kick caused blast
http://www.wftv.com/news/news/fatal-hyperbaric-chamber-explosion-reported-marion/nHZLx/
