FLOWERS

QUEEN’S PLATE CONTENDERS START IN WANDO STAKES

Woodbine begins 3 days of racing today and the weekend stakes races feature 3-year-olds with the Woodstock Stakes on Saturday and the Wando Stakes on Sunday.

The Woodstock, at 6 furlongs, is a race for sprinters although the filly TIZ BREATHTAKING is getting her season started against the boys in the event. She is a Woodbine Oaks contender for the late Bill Graham and trainer Mike Doyle.

The WANDO STAKES is an overnight stakes races and is not all that much of a Queen’s Plate contender indicator although in 2013 Midnight Aria finished 3rd in the race and went on to win the Plate.

Just two of the entrants in Sunday’s Wando, race 7 on a very light 8-race card, are Canadian-breds who could took a step to the Plate. FEDERAL LAW and SKYWIRE are both trained by Mark Casse and both were in stakes race at Turfway Park recently and well beaten.

Federal Law, a gelding by Scat Daddy owned by Qatar Racing and bred by Jim Dandy Stable, was just half a length from Avie’s Flatter, currently the heavy Queen’s Plate favourite, in the Coronation Futurity last year. Based on that effort alone, he must be considered a Plate contender.

His outing in the Rushaway Stakes at Turfway was messy early on and came over an all weather track in the rain. He was under a hard hold early when appearing to be a bit rank, was jostled and steadied and by the three-quarter mark, he was out of gas.

Meanwhile, SKYWIRE, a son of Afleet Alex owned by Lou Tucci and Gary Barber and bred by Bill Graham, won his debut at Woodbine last December and then an allowance race at Gulfstream in February. He was also bumped around on the first turn during his last race, the Jeff Ruby Steaks, at Turfway and raced off the pace and inside before dropping back to finish eighth. Eurico da Silva will ride this flashy colt on Sunday.

KENTUCKY DERBY PROBABLES ALPHABETICALLY

Many Kentucky Derby horses will have their final, maintenance workouts this weekend at Churchill Downs. Tune in to www.kentuckyderby.com between 7 and 8 every morning for the live show. You can also watch the show later on the website.

Friday morning, MARK CASSE was interviewed and said WAR OF WILL will work Saturday morning. Today, it is windy and rainy at Churchill Downs.

SPOT ON

Does your horse have these spots?

Photos of Kentucky Derby contender and UAE Derby winner PLUS QUE PARFAIT have been popping up all over  not just because he is headed to the world’s most famous race.

The son of Point of Entry from an Awesome Again mare is a chestnut with plenty of black spots on his coat. These spots are commonly known as ‘Bend-Or’ spots, named for the stallion who won the 1880 Epsom Derby and was a chestnut with black (and some white spots).

Bend Or appears in the pedigree of Plus Que Parfait (and so many other horses today) through Nearco. You have to go back 12 generations in Plus Que Parfait’s pedigree to find the great Bend Or.

Thoroughbred Heritage has lots of info about Bend Or:

He had white flecks in his coat and black spots on his neck, shoulder, and quarters, like his dam’s sire Thormanby, including one distinctive spot on his fore fetlock. Today, those spots are referred to as “Bend Or spots,” and have been seen in many of his progeny, up to the present. Their appearance in Bend Or’s pedigree can be traced at least as far back as Pantaloon (1824); Bend Or’s half-sister’s great-grandson, The Tetrarch, displayed them in abundance in his grey coat. Alternatively, these markings could trace to the white and dark-spotted chestnut stallion Comus, who appears twice in the fifth generation of Doncaster’s dam, Marigold.

FOLLOW THE MUSICAL JOCKEY

Las Vegas Review-Journal takes a look at how riders choose mounts

Following the jockeys through the game of musical saddles is an interesting if dizzying way of looking at the Kentucky Derby, which is just over a week away.

There are a couple reasons for that, but the main one is that all the top riders show up in Louisville on the first Saturday in May, so it’s not possible to focus on just a couple jocks, as you can sometimes do at an individual track.

Bearing that in mind, let’s run through the many twists and turns that the riders and their agents have gone through to make it onto the starting gate with what they hope is a live mount in the Run for the Roses.

KENTUCKY DERBY PROBABLES ALPHABETICALLY

List is alphabetical and complete with recent Beyer Figures

Horse Points Owner Trainer Gr. Stakes Earnings last 3 Beyer Speed Figures (most recent is first) Jockey if known

By My Standards – 100 Allied Racing Stable LLC (Chester Thomas) Bret Calhoun $600,000 – 97,86, 73 Gabriel Saez
Code of Honor – 74 William S. Farish Shug McGaughey III $432,070 – 91,95, 77 John Velazquez
Country House – 30 Mrs. J.V. Shields, E.J.M. McFadden Jr. & LNJ Foxwoods Bill Mott $120,000 – 87, 86, 80
Cutting Humor – 50 Starlight Racing (Jack Wolf) Todd Pletcher $462,467 – 95, 76, 85
Game Winner – 45 Gary L. & Mary E. West Bob Baffert $1,610,000 – 96, 93, 97
Gray Magician – 41 Wachtel Stable (Adam Wachtel), Eclipse Thoroughbrd & Gary Barber Peter Miller $526,000 – n/a,80, 73
Haikal – 50 Shadwell Stable (Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid al Maktoum) Kiaran McLaughlin $247,500 – 95,84, 85
Improbable – 25 WinStar Farm LLC (Kenny Troutt), China Horse Club) & Starlight Racing (Jack Wolf et al) -Bob Baffert $389,520 – 95, 96, 93
Long Range Toddy – 53.5 Willis Horton Racing LLC Steve Asmussen $830,000 – 95, 87, 83
Master Fencer (JPN) Katsumi & Yasuyo Yoshizawa Koichi Tsunoda $234,392 Japan
Maximum Security – 100 Gary L. & Mary E. West Jason Servis $582,800 – 101, 102, 83
Omaha Beach – 37.5 Fox Hill Farm (Rick Porter) Richard Mandella $450,000 – 96, 90, 83 Mike Smith
Plus Que Parfait – 104 Imperial Racing LLC (Michael Foley) Brendan Walsh $1,540,400 – n/a, 58, 83
Roadster – 100 Speedway Stable LLC (Peter Fluor & K.C. Weiner) Bob Baffert $636,000 – 98, 93, 89 Florent Geroux
Spinoff – 40 Wertheimer et Frere (Alain & Gerard Wertheimer) Todd Pletcher $224,000 – 96, 84, 75
Tacitus – 50 Juddmonte Farms Inc. (Prince Khalid Abdullah) Bill Mott $210,000 – 93,75, 77
Tax – R. A. Hill Stable (Randy Hill), Reeves Thoroughb, Hugh Lynch & Corms Racing Stable (Lucas – Stritsman) Danny Gargan $307,500 – 95, 96, 93
Vekoma – 110 R. A. Hill Stable (Randy Hill) & Gatsas Stables (Mike Gatsas) George Weaver $747,600 – 94, 90, 97
War of Will – 60 Gary Barber Mark Casse $450,840 – 78, 90, 94
Win Win Win – 50 Live Oak Plantation (Charlotte C. Weber) Mike Trombetta $316,000 – 88,89, 99

HASTINGS PARK READIES FOR OPENER

Four Stake Races; Live Kentucky Derby Coverage

Opening Day of the 2019 thoroughbred season at Hastings Racecourse on Saturday, May 4 will be taking on its own festive Kentucky Derby flavour with four $50,000 stake races, a fleet of food trucks, entertainment, giveaways and live simulcast coverage of the 145th running of the world-renowned Run for the Roses direct from Churchill Downs.

“It promises to be an awesome start to our 51-day schedule,” said Darren MacDonald, Regional Director, BC Racing. “We’re celebrating the 130th anniversary of thoroughbred racing in British Columbia this year and plan to kick things off in style during opening weekend.”

The May 4 afternoon card begins at 1:50 p.m. featuring the $50,000 Swift Thoroughbred Inaugural, Brighouse Belles, Ross McLeod and Jim Coleman Province.

Coverage of the Kentucky Derby will be shown at 3:50 p.m. on the infield jumbo screen and television monitors throughout the Hastings Racecourse grounds.

Sunday’s May 5 racing card beginning at 1:50 p.m. will be followed by a ‘first’ at Hastings: a live Cinco De Mayo Day ECCW wrestling card on the main mezzanine beginning shortly after 6 p.m. with tickets available onsite.

Racing Secretary Nichelle Milner reports over 500 horses are on the Hastings grounds and expects more to be shipping in as opening weekend approaches.

Veteran rider Amadeo Perez will be back to defend his 2018 Leading Jockey title. The 35-year-old finished last season with 57 wins, topping the $1 million mark in earnings. His first of six stakes victories came on opening day last year aboard Blue Law ($37.70) in the Swift Thoroughbreds Inaugural.

The 2019 Live Racing & Events Calendar along with the 2019 Stakes Schedule are available at www.hastingsracecourse.com.

SPORTS AND HORSES

If you are a sports fan and are watching the Stanley Cup playoffs or took an interest in the NFL Draft on Thursday, you might have noticed a lot of references to a love of horses.

DEVIN WHITE, 5th overall pick at the NFL Draft and a linebacker headed to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, is a horse lover with 7 of his own including DAISY MAE. These are riding horses and White’s “Children”.

After being drafted by Tampa Bay on Thursday, White talked to the famous Deion Sanders about sending his horses to Tampa.

The COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS swept the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round of the NHL Playoffs and coach JOHN TORTORELLA has been featured a few times with Ron MacLean of CBC. Tortorella is well known for his family foundations and his dog and horse rescue.

TED BURNETT’S JOSHAM FARMS SELLS $525,000 ONTARIO-BRED

An Ontario bred colt by CURLIN from graded stakes placed Mekong Delta by Stormy Atlantic brought a bid of $525,000 from US owner Frank Fletcher on Day 2 of the April 2-year-old sale at the Ocala Breeders’ Sales  Company on Wednesday.

The colt was bred by Ted Burnett’s Josham Farms and had not been offered at a yearling sale. Niall Brennan sales was the consignor.

This is the second foal of racing age for Mekong Delta, a full sister to champion Leonnatus Anteas. Her first, Unilateral, was a $400,000 auction purchase by Mark Casse and he has recorded many workouts in the last year.

The sale continues today.

Just  a couple of Woodbine owners on the buyer’s list –

180 10.2 F Cairo Prince Jahwhol KY Starting Point Thoroughbreds, Agent Paul Mouttet 25,000

536 21.1 C Violence Red Dot KY Wavertree Stables, Inc. (Ciaran Dunne), Agent Paul Mouttet 20,000

714 10.1 C Into Mischief Sweet Factory KY Dark Star Thoroughbreds (Stori Atchison), Agent Reade Baker, Agent for Paul Braverman 140,000

822 10.0 F Malibu Moon Wampum Girl KY Wavertree Stables, Inc. (Ciaran Dunne), Agent XX Paul Mouttet 40,000

ONTARIO-BREDS IN THE SALE

Hip Price Buyer   Workout time  Birthdate   Breeding    Consignor

63  NOT SOLD ($75,000)   10.2 4/20/2017 C Will Take Charge Golden Mean ON Kings Equine, Agent IV 2
88   $180,000 Brendan Walsh, agent   10.2 5/22/2017 F Distorted Humor Hangingbyamoment ON Randy Miles, Agent V 18
122  NOT SOLD $57,000    10.3 5/12/2017 C Overanalyze High Tee ON Grassroots Training & Sales LLC J
171  OUT   22.3 3/7/2017 C Union Rags I Thirtyfive ON Southern Chase Farm, Inc. (Greg & Karen Dodd), Agent 7
296  $60,000 FRANK MUSTARI   21.3 4/3/2017 C Tapiture Macho Woman ON Q Bar J Thoroughbreds LLC 14

332  $525,000 Frank Fletcher   10.2 3/12/2017 C Curlin Mekong Delta ON Niall Brennan Stables, Agent XIV 8
431 NOT SOLD $75,000    10.2 1/18/2017 C Atreides On Rainbow Bridge ON Golden Rock Thoroughbreds, Agent
549   out 1/31/2017 C Union Rags Ribbon Cutter ON Wavertree Stables, Inc. (Ciaran Dunne), Agent XXII 5

657 $190,000 TEAM CASSE, AGENT  10.0   3/8/2017 C Strong Mandate Souci Girl ON Whitman Sales LLC, Agent VII 16
710 NOT SOLD ($145,000) 10.0   2/27/2017 F Congrats Surtsey ON Niall Brennan Stables, Agent XVII 8
802 NOT SOLD ($24,000) 10.2   3/23/2017 F Lea Van Lear Rose ON Desert Thoroughbreds LLC 16

901  out    4/20/2017 F American Tap Tapiture American Castle ON Ocala Stud, Agent 4
914 21.2      5/4/2017 F Wicked Strong Another Flashback ON Potrero Stables 20
979 out      4/26/2017 C Honor Code Beth’s Bling ON Eddie Woods, Agent XLVII 11
1002 10.1   4/2/2017 F Paynter Breech Inlet ON Randy Miles, Agent XV 18
1012 10.0   4/24/2017 F Summer Front Button Girl ON G. A. Thoroughbred Sales, Agent 20
1038 10.3   3/6/2017 F Mineshaft Cat’s Garden ON Potrero Stables 20
1072 10.1   3/16/2017 C Congrats Clare’s Bernardine ON Thoroughbred Champions Training Center LLC E
1097 out    3/18/2017 C Competitive Edge Cool Slew ON Brick City Thoroughbreds 19
1135 out     4/18/2017 C Street Sense Dattt Echo ON Kings Equine, Agent V 2
1167 10.1    2/27/2017 F Mizzen Mast Donna Getyourgun ON Grassroots Training & Sales LLC J
1214 9.4     5/9/2017 C Flatter Ever Elusive ON Woodford Thoroughbreds, Age

IRWIN DRIEDGER RETURNS AS PRESIDENT OF JOCKEY’S BENEFIT ASSOCIATION OF CANADA

Champion jockey IRWIN DRIEDGER, who has been a director of track surfaces at Woodbine for more than 14 years, has returned to a previous post as president of the Jockey’s Benefit Association of Canada. Robert King Jr. recently retired from that position.

Driedger was president of the JBAC from 1990 to 2005 before he took the job at Woodbine Entertainment as director of track surfaces and fleet in 2005. He has seen the arrival of synthetic dirt surfaces at Woodbine and has been integral in putting in the new grass course which will open in the next few weeks.

“I think the JBAC is a better fit for me at this time of my life,” said Driedger. “I rode races and it goes hand-to-hand. I like the riders we have in Canada, a lot of the riders out west are great people.”

Senior Manager of Track Surfaces, Sean Gault, who has also put in many, many hours maintaining the tracks, which is not a 9 to 5 job by any means, continues his work at Woodbine.

IZVESTIA the filly

Wait, what? Yep, in England at Archie Watson’s yard the 3-year-old filly IZVESTIA was in action recently at Toulouse France. A winner last year as a juvenile, the daughter of Battle of Marengo is owned by Saxon Thoroughbreds. Of course Izvestia was one of Canada’s great racehorses in modern history, winning the 1990 Triple Crown.