Palace Malice (by Curlin) was slowing down but no one caught him in the Belmont. Cindy Pierson Dulay photo
How was that for action yesterday? PALACE MALICE won the Belmont over Oxbow and Orb is a fun race to watch (wild pace splits).
Today? Even Better – meet JOEL ROSARIO at Woodbine, watch the PLATE TRIAL and the OAKS and bet your bucks on winners – the TORONTO STAR picked 6 winners on top yesterday on a day when selectors for other publications had a tough day.
Get on board with the TORONTO STAR and THOROUGBLOG!
Cot Campbell, the king of Dogwood syndicate and jockey Mike Smith. Cindy Pierson Dulay photo
WOODBINE OAKS
It is a good field and a difficult race to sort out. The 58th running has SPRING IN THE AIR, for the suddenly hot Mark Casse stable, plus 2 good ones from Sam-Son and Chiefswood.
The winner may go on to the July 7 Queen’s Plate. Good luck to the gals today.
in the PLATE TRIAL, race 6, PYRITE MOUNTAIN is going to be heavily bet and the colt to beat. He has 38 owners and is trained by Mark Frostad. A win makes him a favourite for the Plate with Sam-Son’s UP WITH THE BIRDS,, who waits in the wings.
BELMONT BETTING
You can’t compare yesterday’s race to last year’s – let’s face it, there was 85,000 people there last year all in town to see I’LL HAVE ANOTHER, but then he was scratched.
Going by 2011, betting was 9% in total, 9% off track and 6% on-track.
Total
2013 2012 2011
$88,652,023 $96,485,985 $81,299,517
Stick with Thoroughblog and you could have had PALACE MALICE in your bets. Loved that colt in the Kentucky Derby but too bad they felt the need to put blinkers on him that day and he ran off.
No blinkers yesterday, tracksed hot pace, held on for the win. $29.
OXBOW is a machine to hold on for 2nd and ORB may be tired, but he’s a solid horse.
At WOODBINE:
Michael Burns image of Langstaff
LANGSTAFF is a star in the making to be sure. If you did not know that already. This leggy, dark bay is 3 for 3 and won the Bold Ruckus Stakes yesterday with an 84 Beyer and a late surge that was something to see.
It looked as if CLICK, the favouruite, was homefree but Langstaff does not know what it means to lose.
Rolph Davis’s son of Saffir was a $62,000 purchase and worth every penny it seems. It was an expensive buy for Davis and his trainer Tiller, the latter who rarely goes that high in the bidding process. This is a gorgeous colt, however. And 4 to 1 was a nice price.
He was bred by Keith and Rachel McClelland and Spring Farm in Ontario and is from the mare Chick, by Sky Classic.
More Saturday – SISTERLY LOVE finally got her act to together and screamed to a big win in the Trillium Stakes at 1 1/16 miles. She posted a 93 Beyer as she just missed the track record, running in 1:43.
Gary Barber bought the filly privately and she was waking up in a big way.
INGLORIOUS, the Plate winner from 2 years ago, did not look great on post parade, sweaty and simply not looking like her self of old. She was last and seemingly coming to the end of her great racing career.
BAY KING was an exciting winner at 1 1/4 miles in a maiden allowance for Ospery Stables and trainer Ian Black. The son of Sligo Bay was a yearling buy-back and he won his 5th career race under Emma-Jayne Wilson with a brillaint rally. He earned a 70 Beyer and may be pointed to the Breeders’ Stakes (he is not Plate eligible).
Two-year-old fillies started the Pick 4 and it was a favoured entry of Sam Dipasquale that did well. RIDE THE WORLD, A HALF SISTER TO 2 debut winners won under TODD KABEL, who is riding like the Kabel of old these days.
Congrats to PHIL AND SUE GRACEY who won the 9th race with SLY ASPIOS, who was well prepared to win his return from the layoff in a 1 1/16 mile maiden race for $25K claiming.
