HAPPY THANKSGIVING! It’s Monday and racing is on everywhere (also in the US as it is Columbus Day).
**AJAX DOWNS hosts its biggest afternoon of racing of the year today (12:55 p.m.) with the $84,500 ALEX PICOV MEMORIAL CHAMPIONSHIP featuring COUNTRY BOY 123, 2-time Horse of the Year who is undefeated this year. Also, the $99,000 Alex Picov Futurity for 2-year-olds will present us with stars of the future and on -track, the first 100 kids will receive a pumpkin for decorating and prizes also include COUNTRY BOY 123 memoribilia!
ENABLE – SECOND PRIX DE L’ARC DE TRIOMPHE WIN!
Breeders’ Cup Turf next
A remarkable edition of the Arc on Sunday at Longchamp and Juddmonte’s filly ENABLE, last year’s Arc winner, hangs on over another amazing filly SEA OF CLASS, who had to come from far back and through traffic under James Doyle.
Take a watch, Sea of Class is a chestnut filly with yellow silks, #19, while Enable stalks in 4th most of the race:
“This was probably my most nervous [in any Arc],” Dettori said afterwards. “I found myself in a fantastic spot, the first part of the race she was OK and, as we got to the false straight, the life in the old girl came back. I knew then we were in business. I waited as long as I could and, when I said ‘come on, let’s go’, the trademark turn of foot was there. The last 50 yards she was tired but she’d had 11 months off and only one prep race. She wasn’t the Enable of last year but she’s got the job done.” – Frankie Dettori
Read more from The Guardian:
FLATTERING – Dalos and Carroll have another good one
AVIE’S FLATTER, by Flatter, is the latest major winner bred by Ivan Dalos (right). Michael Burns/Woodbine photo
Avie’s Flatter had experienced problems at the start in his first two appearances but was the consummate professional on Sunday at Woodbine Racetrack as he cruised to a 5 1/4 length score in the 82nd running of the Cup and Saucer Stakes.
The $225,000 Cup and Saucer, a race for Canadian-bred two-year-olds which was run over 1 1/16 miles on a turf course officially rated “yielding,” had attracted a field of 10 but Just For Larry was a late scratch.
There was only one horse when it mattered, however, as Avie’s Flatter took charge on the far turn and easily turned back a couple of challengers under regular rider Eurico Rosa da Silva.
“I was very, very surprised he showed a lot of speed today,” said Da Silva, who was winning his meet-leading 22nd stakes and second of the weekend. “He was very, very confident, this horse. When he broke there, I tried to take him back a little bit – like at least six seconds – but you know what, he told me, ‘Eurico, let me do this!’ You know, I pleased him, I let him go to the lead and he relaxed. From there, it was over.
“He’s a very nice horse. He’s handled that turf course like it was a hard track. He’s unbelievable how he runs.”
Hesathriller was first to show through an opening quarter in :24.92 but Avie’s Flatter was right on the flank and led through the half in :48.90, three-quarters in 1:14 and the mile in 1:38.33 before stopping the clock in 1:45.20 as the 9-5 favourite.
The only two fillies in the lineup, Bold Script and Kitten’s Girl, both took runs at the leader but fell short.
Bold Script, the 5-1 third choice, finished gamely for second money, three-quarters of a length before a closing Moon Swings.
Kitten’s Girl, the 2-1 second choice, flattened out late to end a neck behind Moon Swings but was a half-length before fifth-place Tricky Magician, who also had taken his shot at the favourite.
Ojiisan, Groundhog Day, Flying Curlin and Hesathriller rounded out the order of finish.
Josie Carroll, who conditions Avie’s Flatter for owner/breeder Ivan Dalos, admitted that she did not anticipate the Flatter colt being so prominent early.
“I was very surprised to see him go to the lead, but then he got up there and he was so relaxed,” said Carroll. “His ears were pricked and I thought, obviously, Eurico knows what he’s got under him and hopefully there’s a enough horse to go on with.
“He seemed to handle the soft turf. You know, he had a tough trip in the race before and I think he got a lot of conditioning out of that, which made me a little more confident.”
HASTINGS PARK IN BC HAS FINAL BIG CARD OF RACING
Monday, Hastings Racecourse, post time: 7:50 p.m. EDT
BC PREMIER’S H.-GIII, C$100,000, 3yo/up, 1 3/8m
PP HORSE SIRE OWNER TRAINER JOCKEY WT
1 Moonman Malibu Moon LeSage, Mark, LeSage, Patti and Mac Dougall, Lorne Heads Walcott 124
2 Calgary Caper El Corredor Peacock, K., Hall, Philip and Giesbrecht, Lance Hall Civaci 124
3 Highway Boss K Street Boss North American Thoroughbred Horse Company, Inc. Todd Perez 124
4 Lucky Ending Finality Bennett, Russell J. and Lois Heads Araujo 124
5 Crazy Prophet Rosberg Shamrock Racing Stable, Ltd. Snow Gryder 124
6 Absolutely Stylish K Uncle Mo Peter Redekop B. C., Ltd. Hall Gonzalez 124
7 Square Dancer Circular Quay Hastings Racing Club Henson Hamel 124
8 Brave Nation Pioneerof the Nile Gordon Christoff Snow Morales 119
9 Day Raider K New Year’s Day Canyon Farms MacPherson Reyes 119
10 Silent Eagle Silent Name (Jpn) Collins, Kristina, Collins, Matthew and Collins, Andrew Collins Seecharan 124
Monday, Hastings Racecourse, post time: 6:50 p.m. EDT
BALLERINA S.-GIII, C$100,000, 3yo/up, f/m, 1 1/8m
PP HORSE SIRE OWNER TRAINER JOCKEY WT
1 Notis the Jewell Stephanotis Fielding, Mark, Fielding, Larry, Moryson, Cherie & Derose, Chris Fielding Hamel 123
2 Victress K Include Gilker, Victoria and Robert Gilker Perez 123
3 Top Quality K Quality Road David A. Mowat Wright Gryder 123
4 Sailingforthesun Sungold Foundation Stables Anderson Araujo 123
5 Yukon Belle Drosselmeyer R. N. H. Stable Heads Gonzalez 123
6 Reginella Ministers Wild Cat Luigi Di Pietro Wright Walcott 123
7 Touching Promise Touch Gold Bennett, Russell J. and Lois Heads Reyes 123
