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JOHNNY BEAR RECOVERING FROM SURGERY
John Brnjas’ Colebrook Stable star is 2-time Grade 1 winner, resting at Colebrook
Toronto Ont.September 15 , 2018.Woodbine Racetrack.Northern Dancer Stakes Johnny Bear Jockey Luis Contreras. Woodbine/michael burns photo
JOHNNY BEAR, the champion turf male in Canada in 2017 and winner of the last two Grade 1 Northern Dancer Stakes, is recovering from surgery to repair a fractured right front leg he suffered in Florida this winter. The son of English Channel from 2018 Outstanding Broodmare In Return was operated on in Ocala according to Thoroughbred Daily News.
Owned by John Brnjas of Colebrook Farms and Danny Dion’s Bear Stables, the popular chestnut gelding has won over $700,000 in his career of eight wins from 43 starts. He last race at Gulfstream in January when he was eased in the W L McKnight Handicap.
The Brnjas team has had a good spring since Woodbine opened with three wins on Sunday for a total of seven victories from 23 starts.
THE DERBY
Favoured Sir Dragonet has raced twice in his career
SIR DRAGONET – Epsom favourite – photo from Coolmore.com
This is a big week in England with the prestigious EPSOM DERBY (G1) to be run Saturday at 1 1/2 miles.
The draw for the 240th (!) running of the richest race in Britain was held Thursday morning (Toronto time) and favoured SIR DRAGONET drew post 13. The son of Camelot – Sparrow, Oasis dream has raced just twice in his career which began in April.
Seven of the 13 entrants, including Sir Dragonet, are trained by Aidan o’Brien who was won six Derbys.
Chester Vase winner Sir Dragonet heads Aidan O’Brien’s seven runners in a field of 13 declared for the Investec Derby at Epsom on Saturday.
The son of O’Brien’s Derby hero Camelot earned the right to be supplemented at a cost of £85,000 when overcoming greenness to land a striking eight-length success over stablemate Norway on his second start.
Sir Dragonet had only made his debut at Tipperary two weeks earlier.
O’Brien has also declared Anthony Van Dyck, Broome, Circus Maximus, Japan, Norway and Sovereign.
Of those, Circus Maximus took the Dee Stakes at Chester, Anthony Van Dyck landed the Lingfield Derby Trial and Broome won both the Ballysax and Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial…
1. Line Of Duty
2. Telecaster
3. Hiroshima
4. Sovereign
5. Circus Maximus
6. Madhmoon
7. Anthony van Dyck
8. Broome
9. Humanitarian
10. Norway
11. Japan
12. Bangkok
13. Sir Dragonet
REMEMBERING THE MINSTREL – one of 2 Canadian-Ontario bred winner of EPSOM DERBY
The son of Northern Dancer – Fleur was a $200,000 yearling purchase by Robert Sangster. The horse is in the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame.
Friday is the EPSOM OAKS for the 3-year-old fillies.
The field:
Friday, Epsom, Britain, post time: 4.30 p.m.
INVESTEC OAKS-G1, £525,000, 3yo, f, 12f 6T
SC PP HORSE SIRE JOCKEY TRAINER WT
1 3 Anapurna (GB) Frankel (GB) Dettori Gosden 126
2 11 Blue Gardenia (Ire) Mastercraftsman (Ire) J Spencer O’Meara 126
3 13 Delphinia (Ire) Galileo (Ire) Heffernan A O’Brien 126
4 10 Fleeting (Ire) Zoffany (Ire) Lordan A O’Brien 126
5 14 Frankellina (GB) Frankel (GB) J Doyle Haggas 126
6 4 Lavender’s Blue (Ire) Sea the Stars (Ire) de Sousa Perrett 126
7 1 Manuela de Vega (Ire) Lope de Vega (Ire) Bentley Beckett 126
8 5 Maqsad (Fr) Siyouni (Ire) Crowley Haggas 126
9 6 Mehdaayih (GB) Frankel (GB) Havlin Gosden 126
10 9 Peach Tree (Ire) Galileo (Ire) D O’Brien A O’Brien 126
11 12 Pink Dogwood (Ire) Camelot (GB) Moore A O’Brien 126
12 2 Sh Boom (GB) War Command Queally P Chapple-Hyam 126
13 7 Tarnawa (Ire) Shamardal Hayes Weld 126
14 8 Tauteke (GB) Sea the Stars (Ire) Atzeni Varian 126
SOMETHING FISHY – 250 TO 1 LONGSHOT STARTS FOR KOI COLLECTOR
RACING POST FEATURE – By David Milnes
UPDATED 6:29PM, MAY 29 2019
Koi carp collector Graham Smith-Bernal will be swimming with the big fish in Saturday’s Investec Derby when his 250-1 outsider Hiroshima takes the plunge in the season’s premier Classic.
The John Ryan-trained runner is rated just 87 after winning a Southwell maiden – ranking him 31lb below top-rated Anthony Van Dyck – and is 15-8 with Paddy Power to finish last at Epsom.
Ryan is not underestimating the task for Hiroshima, named after the Japanese city where his owner has enjoyed much success in the koi carp showing world, but believes he will perform better than market expectations.
“You wouldn’t believe how much koi carp change hands for, much more than racehorses,” Ryan said on Wednesday.
https://www.racingpost.com/news/smith-bernal-in-deep-waters-with-first-investec-derby-runner-hiroshima/383074
BANGKOK RUNS FOR DERBY FOR LATE OWNER
EMOTIONS will run high if Bangkok crosses the line in front in the Derby on Saturday.
The Andrew Balding-trained colt is a general 8-1 shot for the Epsom showpiece this weekend and he will carry the colours of the late Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha.
https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/horseracing/9177730/bangkok-chasing-emotional-derby-success-for-the-family-of-late-leicester-chairman-vichai-srivaddhanaprabha/
