QUEEN’S PLATE WEEK
7 days to go
14 on the list currently
HORSE LAST RACE/BEYER
*MILWAUKEE APPEAL filly – Woodbine Oaks 99
*TASTY TEMPTATION filly – 2ND woodbine oaks, 93
EYE OF THE LEOPARD – Plate Trial winner 85
SHUT IT DOWN 3rd allowance 86
MR FORICOS TWO U allowance winner 84
*RESERVOIR – allowance on turf – 82
RAPID RELEASE – 3rd Plate Trial 81
STARDUST ZIGGY 2nd maiden race 78
ACTIVE DUTY – 4th Trial 77
KEINO WEST – 5th Trial 77
COSTALIVIN – Unplaced Trial 74
FLIP FOR THE COIN – 3rd allowance 74 Beyer
EL BRUJO – Unplaced Trial 72
BUCEPHALUS – 75 6th trial
(*would have to be supplemented)
MILWAUKEE APPEAL appears to be a confirmed Plate starter. Terence Dulay photo.
With 3 possible supplements at $25K each, the purse for the Plate will be all that much bigger.
The presence of the 1-2 finishers from the Oaks are both expected to compete as of Sunday and some of the Plate horses, perhaps one of the fillies, will be paraded at the Queen’s Plate media barbeque today.
American riders coming in for the race include MIKE SMITH and RUSSEL BAZE and perhaps STEWART ELLIOTT once again. LUIS CONTRERAS, who rides at Woodbine for the Steve Asmussne barn, picked up a Plate mount COSTALIVIN for Jam Jar and trainer John Ross.
It appears as if EMMA-JAYNE WILSON has found herself back on EL BRUJO, after beign replaced this spring by Patrick Husbands. Husbands is headed to Tasty Temptation as long as that filly trains well heading to Sunday.
Who has all the momentum heading into the Plate?
Surely SCOTT FAIRLIE’S barn has been tearing it up since the Oaks win with Milwaukee Appeal – it won 2 of the first 4 races yesterday.
In jockey-dom, EMILE RAMSAMMY, EMMA-JAYNE WILSON and TYLER PIZARRO have been doing well too. The former is on Flip for the Coin and the latter is listed to ride BUCEPAHLUS.
SUNDAY WRAP
HE GOT US
First timer wins Victoria Stakes
Shades of the talented ALYDEED yesterday when OLEREDLGETCHA, the only first time starter in the field, won the $150,000 Victoria Stakes at 10 to 1, blowing away a couple of mildly interesting shippers and some locals to win easily in 57 2/5. His Beyer Figure was 87.
(photo by Norm Files)
Trainer Greg de Gannes said:
“He’s an Ultimate professional; he does everything right. It was a timing thing (running him in a stakes race first time out) – he didn’t arrive here that long ago, I thought he was high quality enough to take a shot.”
‘RED’ is from the first crop of the promising Grand Slam stallion LIMEHOUSE, who had already had a bunch of debut winning 2yo’s from his first few starters. The colt was originally a $70,000 yearling. He is owned by the R Own Stable.
It was the 2nd year in succession that De Gannes won the Victoria (last seaosn with the similalrly brilliant Southern Exchange).
Other stuff Sunday:
SASKAWEA was only making her 2nd start of the season as a 5yo mare but she blitzed the field in the ZADRACARTA, a restricted race for Ontario foaled gals at 6 furlongs on the grass. Owned and bred by Les Perreira’s BECLAWAT STABLE, and trained by Steve Attard, Saskawea was getting back on the turf – her favourite surface, and dropping out of the key Hendreie Handicap (G3). She is 6 for 19 in her career now with over $700,000 in earnings. She is by Stormy Atlantic out of Saintly Angel. The sizzling time of 1:07.84 resulted in a career best 96 Beyer Figure.
SASKAWEA was gritty on the pace in the Zadracarta Stakes to beat out Bent Attorney in 1:07.84. Norm Files photo.
WHO’S BIG DADDY, a full brother to top 2yo filly of last year CAWAJA BEACH might be as good as sis. He won his 2nd career start yesterday at 4 1/2 furlongs in 51.59 (just off the track record of 51.23) and got an 81 Beyer Figure. He was one of 2 winners for trainer Scott Fairlie on the card.
SIX PACK SAMMY won for Shyman Farms and trainer Marty Drexler. The recently $20K claim won for $37,500 with Patrick Husbands.
Joe Shiewtiz’s DANCING CHARM, a 3yo by Dance to Destiny, won her 3rd race and 2nd of this season in the 3rd race, an Ontario sired allowance at 1 1/16 miles.
SATIN SLIPPERS won the 4th race for Fairlie and the ThreeOut of Four Stable and Tyler Pizarro rode in the $11,500 claiming event.
Fairlie made news later int he day when he claiemd GIGI’S CHARM for George Farr from owner/redder Rousseau Racing. The 70 mare was full value for her 13th career win yesterday for $25,000 claiming. She has been claimed before and re-claimed by Rousseau.
SHE’S UNREAL
Boosting her earnings to $614,000, AUTHENICAT easily handled Ontario sired gals in the Ballade Stakes on Saturday in 1:10.22. The Beyer Figure was 73 over a very fast track.
Breeder Gail Wood’s Authentic Deed mare has now had offspring earn well over $1 million.
The 1 ½-length triumph was the Josie Carroll trainee’s first score since taking the Eternal Search Stakes by 3 ¼ lengths in 2008. Mia d’Cougar was second and Krz Exec was third.
Now a six-time winner from 17 starts, Authenicat, under regular rider Rob Landry, raced near mid-pack in the 10-horse field (Bent Attorney and
Jovial Jill were scratched), behind early fractions of :22.99 and :45.86, set by Only If Split.
Landry and Authenicat angled out on the turn for home, powering by their rivals in early stretch en route to the victory.
“You always know when you bring her over that she is going to show up and run,” said Carroll. “I thought it was a big field. I was a little bit worried about getting in some trouble. There was speed up front and Rob did a masterful job of being patient with her. She just did what she does.”
MORE SATURDAY
The track was very fast – the last race was a maiden allowance for Ontario sired guys that went faster than the stake. The winner, BOB’S RING, making his first start of the year and 2nd career start for trainer Laurie Silver and owner Big Win racing, won handily in 1:09.77 but he received just a 79 Beyer Figure.
Mel Lawson’s homebred SMOKEY FIRE is now 2 for 2 in his career as he won a grass sprint in 1:20.99 – a 90 Beyer Figure.The Smoke Glacken 4yo had won his debut with a 97 Beyer Figure.
Trainer Alex McPherson won a pair of races – with 18 to 1 shot COLORINO, owned by Dr. Ross McKague, in race 3 in 1:10. The 4yo is a Kentucky bred by Include. McPherson also won with COOM (Compadre), who finally won his maiden with a super, late rally between rivals until Matt Moore.
Trainer MIKE DOYLE sent out firster SHESADOZER to win her debut in a 2yo maiden allowance for Dura Racing and himself. The Perigee Moon 2yo was bred by Bill Graham in ONtario.
SCOREBOARD – WOODBINE TRAINERS
Fairlie tied for 1st
Mark E. Casse 85 16 17 8 $1,056,954
Scott H. Fairlie 83 16 12 13 $950,140
Nicholas Gonzalez 75 16 9 4 $765,671
Robert P. Tiller 96 14 16 10 $677,190
Sid C. Attard 63 14 6 11 $545,355
Steven M. Asmussen 64 13 13 9 $590,244
Malcolm Pierce 52 13 6 6 $905,668
Reade Baker 92 10 15 16 $677,910
Sam Di Pasquale 36 9 7 5 $261,025
Terry Jordan 26 9 2 8 $425,464
CANADIAN WINNER ELSEWHERE
GOLDEN GATE FIELDS $31,800, Opt. Clm. ($25,000), NW1X,
3yo/up, 6f (AWT), 1:11, ft.
CHESTNUT TOUCH (g, 5, Tactical Cat–Touch Your
Toes, by Le Fabuleux) Lifetime Record: 6-2-0-1,
$54,820. O-Michael House. B-Nick Andrews (ON).
T-Greg Gilchrist. *$130,000 yrl ’05 KEESEP; $40,000
RNA 2yo >06 KEEAPR. **1/2 to Shannon River (Let’s
Go Blue), SP, $326,931; Hot Pepper Hill (Regal Intention),
SW, $508,708; Touch Of Power (War Deputy),
SW, $194,607; and El Habanero (Whiskey Wisdom),
SP, $261,204.
(COURTESY Thoroughbred Daily News)
PAINT THOROUGHBRED 5TH IN DEBUT AT ASSINIBOIA
EDITED press release from Assiniboia Downs
We hace all seen a grey horse. In fact, most of us have bet on a couple. And some of us have even seen a white horse. However, racing fans at Assiniboia Downs on Friday night (SAW) a thoroughbred they’ve never seen at the local oval before. Ellusive Spell, trained by Emile Corbel, is the only Frame Overo painted thoroughbreds in all of Canada. (Frame Overo refers to the gene that gives the “paint” effect.)
The 3- year-old colt is officially listed as a dark bay but has large areas of white throughout. Only two lines of thoroughbreds carry the gene that causes the paintlike colouring. Owned by Jean McEwen, Ellusive Spell is a grandson of Kentucky Derby winner Sunny’s Halo and is only the second Frame Overo thoroughbred to race. The other was his father, Ellusive Quest. He rallied for 5th in his debut on Friday night.
ELLUSIVE SPELL, listed as a dark bay but is the first Paint thoroughbred to race in Canada according to Assiniboia Downs.
HASTINGS REPORT
– NOTIS HER GETS NOTICED IN PHOTO FINISH AS WINNER OF $50,000 CTHS STAKES
Vancouver, B.C. (June 13/09) – It took a lengthy and tense stewards inquiry to determine Notis Her the winner of the $50,000 CTHS Stakes for 3-year-old fillies Saturday afternoon at Hastings Racecourse.
The rider on heavily-favoured Ookster, Fernando Perez, claimed foul against Richard Hamel on Notis Her but the stewards ruled there was not enough interference to warrant a disqualification.
Notis Her (Stephanotis) broke sharply but yielded to a fast pace involving Ookster and B.C. Cat before gaining the lead on the second turn and holding off Ookster by a nose.
Notis Her, trained by Barb Heads, paid $13.30 winning in a final time of 1:46.57 over the 1 1/16 miles.
The boys division on Sunday was won by Jeffrey Sangara’s GOTTA FIND BUBBA (vYING vICTOR) who rallied from last at 7 to 2 to beat big favourite Tommy Danzigger.
