HAPPY BREEDERS’ DAY
It’s an old race, its been a lot of places
(SMART SKY, RELATED TO BIG RED MIKE, goes for Breeders’ today for C. Scott Abbott, Dave Landry photo)
There are 13 entered in the 119th Breeders’ Stakes today and the horses will compete under grey skies and in very sticky conditions.
We have seen very few long turf races this season but today’s 1 1/2 miler should be a very intriguing betting race.
The fave could be either STORMY LORD or COGNASHENE, the latter is one of 3 for Sam-Son Farm in the race. The match up kind of reminds one of the older days in the 80s and 90s when Kinghaven Farms (owner of Stormy Lord) and Sam-Son did battle every weekend in stakes races.
But don’t be fooled. The former may not be able to win at the distance and the latter just won his maiden and may not be good enough. There are maidens and 1-time winners in the race that are worth considering.
How about SPIRIT FLYING as a big longshot? The Mac Benson barn seems to be coming alive now and this long distance specialist, while a maiden, could be a surprise package.
Don’t forget to watch WOODBINE RACING LIVE simulcast show at 12 for some good features on the Breeders’.
Also you can follower Woodbine folks tweeting all day long about the races etc. – just check out Woodbine or your favourite TV commentator on Twitter!
Sunday, Woodbine, post time: 5:10 p.m. EDT
BREEDERS’ S., $500,000, (S), 3yo, 1 1/2mT
PP HORSE SIRE JOCKEY TRAINER ML
1 Smart Sky Sky Mesa Sutherland Doyle 15-1
2 Miami Deco Limehouse Dos Ramos Lynch 30-1
3 D’s Wando Wando Jones Black 20-1
4 Abogado Where’s the Ring Stein Delmas 50-1
5 Stormy Lord Stormy Atlantic McAleney Black 2-1
6 Empire Rising Empire Maker Wilson Frostad 15-1
7 Born to Act Theatrical (Ire) Landry Frostad 5-1
8 Spirit Flying Ghostzapper Contreras Benson 30-1
9 Alphabet Kid Alphabet Soup Fraser Attfield 30-1
10 Dynamic Royal Chapel Royal Ramsammy Carroll 12-1
11 Vicar Street Vicar Husbands Day 30-1
12 Silent Wisper Wando Moreno Keogh 8-1
13 Cognashene Dynaformer Da Silva Pierce 5-2
BREEDERS’ COVERAGE IN TORONTO STAR
Stormy Lord favourite for Breeders’ Stakes
Stormy Lord, the early favourite for Sunday’s $500,000 Breeders’ Stakes at Woodbine, has an appropriate name considering the 3-year-old was almost uncontrollable as a young horse. Pick up a TORONTO STAR to rest the rest!
BREEDERS’ COVERAGE IN BUFFALO NEWS…
TORONTO — If you don’t win the first jewel of Canada’s Triple Crown, try the third.
That’s the attitude of trainers of three horses — Smart Sky, D’s Wando and Vicar Street — who finished far back in the Queen’s Plate but are resurfacing as long shots in today’s $500,000 Breeders’ Stakes at Woodbine.
After Smart Sky finished seventh, 10 1/4 lengths behind Big Red Mike in the July 4 Plate, trainer Mike Doyle said he “kind of backed off and freshened him up” for an attack at the Breeders’.
The bay colt is 15-1 on the morning line under regular rider Chantal
http://www.buffalonews.com/incoming/article101830.ece
ATTORNEY IS BACK…WONDERLAND WINS IN CANADA
RAHY’S ATTORNEY won his first race since last fall when he fought hard to win the restrcited WITH APPROVAL STAKES yesterday for Canadian foled older guys. The turf millionaire has been doing okay in his 6 losses since his Bunty Lawless win, heck he had a 103 Beyer Figure in the King Eddy 2 starts back, but his latest 5th beaten 10 length drubbing and 77 Beyer in Nijisnky Stakes had everyone scratching their heads.
Anyway, Joe and Ellem MacLellans 6yo Crown Attorney guy proved he is still up for an occasional battle and while he had to work hard to beat former claimer WOODBOURNE, he did score by a long neck under Rob Landry.
What a race by WOODBOURNE, claimed by the Very Dry group and Robert Tiller for $50,000 2 starts ago from Eugene Melnyk and trainer Mark Casse. This son of Danzig raced way out into the turf course fo rmuch of the race and then looked like he had Rahy’s Attorney measured until very late. The 6yo has won 8 of his 9 races and is simply a gem of consistency.
The white-faced WONDERLANDBYNIGHT drove up the rail with a good burst and won the Ontario Debutante Stakes earlier in the card. The shipper from Chicago had been trained by her breeder Mike Reavis in Illinois but she now races for Mark Dedomenico. She had won her maiden in her last race after being placed first in a maiden race before that, but after her most recent win – follow that?
Anyway, she was coming off a slow win over Illinois breds and had not hraced in almost 2 months but she looked pretty good winning yesterday over a modest field. The top 2yo filly ROXY GAP was not scheduled to race in the event but the field still came up weak.
The winner is by Sky Mesa out of a Gulch mare.
The final time for 6 ½ furlongs over the Polytrack was 1:17.40.
Certainly the funniest part of the post race interview by E. T. Baird was his comment about the local riders and their tendency to stay clear of the rail:
“Watching the races here, it looks like most of your riders want to stay off the fence,” said the Chicago-based Baird. “It might possibly be dead, but (going inside) was the only option I had, and I figured I could come through there and maybe ease her out – don’t be right on top of them down the lane.”
More Saturday
Nice training job by Kevin Attard to have ARCHON ready to win first race, the colt’s first run since November. He is a Knob HIll Stable runner, beautifully bred, by Smart Strike – Light Show, thus the family of dudes like $460K earner THREE IN THE BAG. The colt was bred by Kinghaven Farms and he was a whopping 22 to 1, despite being 2 to 1 for his debut last fall.
The 2yo colt REPORT CARD TIME graduated with honours in the 3rd race, a maiden allowance on the grass; he had rallied hard in his debut outing and was beaten a neck (for $40K claiming). Yesterday he led all the way and fought back after being passedin the stretch. He is an Ontario bred for CEC Farm and trainer Ralph Biamonte and is by Kafwain out of Ascot Gold by Mutakkdim – he was bred by Beclawat Stable and cost #23,000 (US) at auction.
TELLING WINS SWORD DANCER FOR 2ND STRAIGHT YEAR
WOODBINE IS NEXT FOR 6YO HORSE
The A.P, Indy stallion TELLING, now 6 for 23, won the Sword Dancer yesterday under Garret Gomez for the Lieblong family and is headed to Woodbine for his next race – likely the NORTHERN DANCER STAKES on Sept 19.
Meanwhile, MARLANG, a Grade 3 winner and a previous winner of the BREEDERS’ STAKES faded to last place in the Sword Dancer in his first outing since he won the Grade 3 Sunset Stakes at Hollywood Park. The Canadian-bred set a good pace in the race yesterday but stopped badly.
http://www.timesunion.com/sports/article/Gomez-pays-back-Hobby-family-616401.php
