BACK AT HOME
Time for the Wales
HOME BASE jogging at Fort Erie
HOME BASE is back in the province where he was born, getting ready to contest the PRINCE OF WALES STAKES on Tuesday evening at Fort Erie. The son of Street Sense – Cast Call by A.P. Indy was bred by Christine and Jay Hayden and was bought for $190,000 at Keeneland september 2 years ago by Patricia’s Hope Inc.
He won his maiden at Keeneland as a huge longshot and then posted a 92 Beyer Figure when he won at Churchill Downs at 7 furlongs. A bad stumble at the start of the Grade 3 Matt Winn last time seemed to ruin his day and he was last.
Home Base was supplemented to the race for $12,500.
Home Base shipped in from Kentucky earlier this week and has been getting familiar with Fort Erie’s dirt track. “We put some pretty solid works in him before he came up, but we have had him out on the track to stretch his legs a little bit, and he handles it well,” said Dennis Fries, assistant trainer to Michael Tomlinson. “He does it very easily and he has a long stride. He has had a couple of unlucky races the two times we tried to run him in a longer race, but if he runs the way he did at Churchill and Keeneland earlier this year, he will be a tough horse.”
After conquering the Queen’s Plate with a 4 3/4 -length victory, wonder woman Wonder Gadot will be as low as odds can go in the 83rd running of the Prince of Wales Stakes. Gary Barber’s Medaglia D’Oro gal, 2nd in the Oaks before her big Plate win, is a graded stakes winner on the dirt.
It appears the iron filly has this small group over a barrel.
The event will be televised from 7-8 p.m. on TSN 1, 3, 4 and 5 as part of the Canadian Triple Crown broadcast, sponsored by the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation.
Two-time Prince of Wales Stakes winning jockey Constant Montpellier was the Draw Master for Friday’s post-position draw, which placed Wonder Gadot in post position one for the $400,000 stakes race. Along with Hall of Fame rider John Velazquez, Wonder Gadot is hoping to beat the boys again, as she takes on two of the horses she defeated earlier this summer in the Queen’s Plate.
The last filly to win the Prince of Wales Stakes was Dixie Strike in 2012. The last Queen’s Plate winner who went on to capture the Prince of Wales Stakes was Wando in 2003. Wando is also the most recent Canadian Triple Crown winner.
After finishing second in the Plate, Aheadbyacentury is looking for a second chance to beat the filly, with jockey Luis Contreras who is seeking his third consecutive Prince of Wales win. Contreras, along with trainer John A. Ross and owners Jack of Hearts Racing & J.R. Racing Stables Inc., are looking for a repeat Prince of Wales victory after taking home the win with Cool Catomine last year.
The stakes race also includes Cooler Mike with jockey Jesse Campbell in the irons. The duo placed third in the Queen’s Plate earlier this summer. Absolution and jockey Rafael Hernandez drew the second starting gate position, with 6-1 morning line odds.
The field is rounded out by the second of two supplemental entries, paying an additional $12,500 to enter the race. Eskiminzin, who won the Bold Ruckus Stakes on the turf at 6 furlongs last time, will start from the sixth post position with jockey Sheena Ryan. The Cold Harbor fellow will have the blinkers taken off for the Wales despite winning his latest.
THIS N THAT
One of the most exciting debut winners of the summer at Woodbine was Heste Sport and Natural Eight Stables’ NOT SO QUIET who was loud and proud in a huge win Wed. night at 5 furlongs. The Silent Name (Jpn) – Mona Moon by Perigee Moon gelding posted an 85 Beyer Figure for 57/55 for the distance. He won by 6 1/2 lengths. Billy Tharrenos trains the dark bay.
– Ontario bred MS BAD BEHAVIOR is the 9 to 2 morning line favourite in the Grade 2 San Clemente Stakes at Del Mar this evening. The Blame filly was bred by Ron Clarkson.
– Canadian bred HORSE OF THE YEAR UNCAPTURED sired his first stakes winner when CATHERINETHEGREAT won the Grade 3 Schuylerville at the Spa on opening day.
HBPA ONTARIO ELECTION CANDIDATES
Voting must be done by August 31.
http://www.hbpa.on.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Down-the-Stretch-Election-Issue-July.pdf
