MARITIMER (outside) snubbed in DUBAI M Burns photo
SUNDAY’S POST: 18 horses hit the Polytrack at Woodbine on Friday morning, the first day the surface opened for training. The 167 day season begins on April 6 – GOOD FRIDAY.
How about the Ontario weather?? Warm warm warm, up to 24 DEGREES CELCIUS this week and simply, well, warm! 20 yesterday, wow
It’s been a good winter for some Canadian-based horsepeople, racing-wise…
GUS SCHICKEDANZ/MIKE KEOGH TAKE 2 AIKEN TRIALS
Mobil Unit sets track record
Ontario owner/breeder Gus Schickedanz won 2 Aiken Trial races yesterday in South Carolina with offspring of LANGFUHR and MOBIL.
WOODY G, who had raced just once in his career, won a race as a maiden under jockey Salvatore Torres and MOBIL UNIT won the City of Aiken Trophy at 4 1/2 furlongs and set a Trial record.
Mike Keogh trains both winners.
The farm had a beginner race earlier on the card named WELL PLAYED who opened up a 7 length lead in a 4 1/2 furlong dash but the rider fell off. The jockey was listed as Jessica Schultz.
Read more about MOBIL UNIT and his new co-owner DON HOWARD:
Aiken Standard report
by BEN BAUGH
A patient ride, a powerful turn of foot entering the top of the stretch and an all out drive to the wire saw Gustav Schickedanz and Don Howard’s Mobil Unit get up in the final jump to nail pacesetter Friscan by a desperate head to win the City of Aiken Trophy at the 70th edition of the Aiken Trials Saturday at the Aiken Training Track.
“He’s been really good down here, and we put this race into him just to get a tightener before we go to Woodbine,” said Mike Keogh, Mobil Unit’s trainer.
Bill and Scarlett Simpson’s Dunbarton Stable LLC’s Friscan set the sizzling early fractions and appeared to be headed to the winner’s circle, when multiple stakes placed Mobil Unit uncoiled a powerful turn of foot. Mobil Unit tied the track record for 41âÑ2-furlongs that is shared by Rocketeering and Scootles. The winner was ridden to victory by Sal Torres.
“It’s a thrill,” said Don Howard, an Augusta resident. “This (as co-owner of Mobil Unit) was sort of my first entry into the sport. I’m still a neophyte. I have a great trainer and great partner in Gus Schickedanz. There’s none better. I can’t think of anybody I’d rather be involved with than Gus and Mike Keogh.”
Read more: Mobil Unit rallies for City of Aiken Trophy | Aiken Standard
Under Creative Commons License: Attribution
Winners (Horse, owner, trainer, jockey)
First Trial: Korat, Darley, Tim Jones, Media Murphy
Second Trial: Unnamed, Dr. and Mrs. Thomas Bowman, Cary Freeman, Mikki Fincher
Third Trial: Thane, Darley, Tim Jones, Media Murphy
Fourth Trial: Man of the World, Carolyn Vogel, West Carter, Steve Trainum
Fifth Trial: Woody G, Gus Schickendanz, Mike Keogh, Salvatore Torres
Sixth Trial: Mobil Unit, Gus Schickendanz, Mike Keogh, Salvatore Torres
http://chronicle.augusta.com/news/aiken/2012-03-17/trials-bring-community-out-fun?v=1332025674
EMMA-JAYNE STEERS 31 TO 1 WINNER AT GULF:
Rallying inside in the late stages of a 1 mile grass race, ARCH SUPPORT outfooted her rivals under Canadian jock Emma-Jayne Wilson to win an allowance races yesterday at GUlfstream. Chart from Thoroughbred Daily News:
9th-GPX, $51,725, Opt. Clm. ($62,500), NW2$X, 4yo/up, f/m, 1mT, 1:35 1/5, fm.
ARCH SUPPORT (f, 4, Arch–Two Ninety Jones {SW, $347,438}, by Sir Harry Lewis) Lifetime Record: GSP,
14-3-2-0, $151,878. O-Lee Pokoik. B-Matecumbe Stable (KY). T-Gary C Contessa. *$75,000 yrl ’09
KEESEP.
CIRCLE HIM AS KENTUCKY DERBY CONTENDER
Secret Circle continues to surprise
Secret Circle (shown winning the Southwest last time out), keeps rolling
Steve Queen photo
He may have bounced in his Beyer Figures from 102 down to his 92 yesterday, but SECRET CIRCLE won the Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn Park yesterday and so far, has done little wrong on his way to the Kentucky Derby.
The son of Eddington was the 3rd winner in a row for Bob Baffert in the Grade 2 race.
SECRET CIRCLE sure is unusual since he won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Sprint last fall and was considered a speed freak. He had a nice trip yesterday and while he may have moved too soon and appeared to be getting tired at the end of the 1 1/16 miles, he still won it.
D. Wayne Lukas may be back in the Kentucky Derby as OPTIMIZER flew on for 2nd. He’s an English Channel colt from an Odgen Mills Phipps family of BLITEY (Fantastic Find, etc)
PEDIGREE BUFFS have to be intrigued by SECRET CIRCLE. His dam, Ragtime Hope, has had only one other foal, EDDINGTON LIMIT, who won his debut at Woodbine last year at 5 1/2 furlongs for Trainer Terry Jordan. The colt is now racing for $16,000 claiming and won his latest last fall at Woodbine at 6 furlongs. He is a dark bay who is a true speedball.
from Associated Press:
Secret Circle battled for a three-quarter-length victory Saturday, turning back a challenge from Optimizer in the $500,000 Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn Park and giving Bob Baffert his third consecutive victory in the Grade II race.
Secret Circle finished the 11/16 miles at the Hot Springs, Ark., track in 1:44.5, though co-owner Karl Watson said it remains to be seen where the horse will run again. The Rebel is a prep for the $1 million Grade 1 Arkansas Derby on April 14.
Watson said he felt confident after Baffert sent him a text message earlier in the week saying Secret Circle was “breathing fire.”
“He’s not one to overpromise,” Watson said of Baffert, who didn’t make the trip to Arkansas for the race.
Secret Circle, who won the $150,000 Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn last month, fended off D. Wayne Lukas-trained Optimizer and Scatman, who was the second finisher in the Southwest.
Secret Circle, with Rafael Bejarano aboard, paid $4. Optimizer, ridden by Jon Court, was second and Scatman third.
Secret Circle carried 122 pounds, giving up between 3 pounds and 7 pounds to the field.
AMAZING GRACE
Horse of the Year Havre de Grace romps in comeback
“I would like to win as many big Grade I races as possible. We’ll pick our spots, we’ll watch what the racing secretaries are going to do to her. I feel comfortable she can run against the boys anytime we need to. I’d just like to get her through the year healthy more than anything and running the way she did today we’ll win plenty of races. And best of all would be to be back here next year as a 6-year-old.”
-owner of Havre de Grace, Rick Porter
NEW ORLEANS – Reigning Horse of the Year Havre de Grace treated Fair Grounds guests to a shamrock-flavored shower of power Saturday, giving those on hand and racing fans all over the world a St. Patrick’s Day to remember with a facile 4 1/2-length victory as she made her 2012 debut in the third running of the $150,000 New Orleans Ladies.
Allowed to settle comfortably well off the pace in the run down the backstretch, the brilliant bay mare moved up to challenge the leaders approaching the stretch, took command before the furlong grounds and drew off with intermittent urging while touring the distance in 1:42.79 – posting the fastest 1 1/16-mile time at Fair Grounds since 2007.
“I had a pretty good trip,” said defending Eclipse Award-winning jockey Ramon Dominguez as he rushed to catch a plane back to South Florida. “I tapped her a few times to keep her mind on her business but after that she was just on cruise control.”
http://www.sportsnola.com/sports/horse-racing/582551-havre-de-grace-rules-new-orleans-ladies.html
NO JOY IN HOT SPRINGS
JOYFUL VICTORY, one of the top Canadian-breds of 2011, was third in the Azeri Stakes at Oaklawn yesterday beaten 4 lengths. The grey by Tapit had won her season debut but squandered an early lead yesterday when one of the favourites. The winner was outsider Tiz Miz Sue.
BAY TO BAY STARTS UP
Canadian owned gal recently named Florida turf female of the year 2011
Sunday, Gulfstream Park, post time: 5:35 p.m. EDT
HONEY FOX S.-GII, $150,000, 4yo/up, f/m, 1mT
PP HORSE SIRE JOCKEY TRAINER ML
1 SCRATCHED Persuading K Broken Vow Scr Scr Scr
2 Bay to Bay K Sligo Bay (Ire) Contreras Lynch 6-1
3 Romacaca Running Stag Rocco Jr. Canani 4-1
4 Last Full Measure K Empire Maker Court Oliver 20-1
5 Cumulonimble K Stormy Atlantic Lezcano Catalano 12-1
6 Louvakhova Maria’s Mon Trujillo Wolfson 12-1
7 Tapitsfly Tapit Leparoux Romans 6-1
8 Future Generation (Ire) H’rrcne Run (Ire) Maragh Clement 3-1
9 La Reine Lionne K Lroidsanimx (Brz) Velazquez Brown 5-1
10 Entrustment Forestry Solis Wolfson 8-1
11 New Normal K Forestry Lopez Frostad 20-1
Also Eligible
12 Lacie Slew K Mineshaft Rocco Jr. Walder 12-1
13 Much Rejoicing K Distorted Humor Lezcano Toner 15-1
RE-CAP (if you missed the ‘Blog last week):
MARCH 2YO SALE
FRANK FLETCHER RACING (from Arkansas) bought 2 Canadian breds at the March 2 sale including a Tapit colt for $240,000. The colt was an RNA as a weanling for $65,000 at Keeneland Movember 2 years ago and then privately bought him after he was an RNA $100,000 ‘short yearling’ at Keeneland January. Bred by Bill Graham’s Windhaven, the grey colt was sold by Mighty White Stallion: (story from TDN)
ALFREDO RONSO sold only one horse at OBS March, but made it count yesterday with a $200,000 colt by Tapit–Woods Bay (Mr. Greeley). Frank Fletcher Racing Operations, who
landed the sale topper, purchased the Ontario-bred colt, who was produced by a daughter of Canadian champion juvenile filly Fantasy Lake (Salt Lake). Mighty White Stallion offered the horse as hip 215. “We bought him as a short yearling at Keeneland January [after he had RNA=d for $10,000],@ said Ronso. AHe is a good-minded colt. We didn=t press him too hard, and he was very green, but he still worked very good at the breeze show [in :10 2/5].@ Ronso is a native of Venezuela, where for the past two decades his family
has bred and sold horses under the La Mulera Corp. banner.
EVERATT -BRED SELLS FOR DUBINSKY
HIP 116 f City Zip Sago 240,000
Breeders – James A & Janeane Everatt, & J Arika Everatt – Meeuse (ON)
Consigned by Wavertree Stables Inc (Ciaran Dunne), Agent VI
Purchased by Lane’s End Bloodstock
Western Canadian-based Donver Stable headed East for last fall’s Canadian Society yearling sale in Toronto and included among purchases was this bay, who brought Cdn$35,340. The Ontario-bred made some noise south of the border Tuesday, bringing an impressive increase over that original investment.
CANADIAN BRED 2YOS IN THE SALE
NO. BUYER under tack time NAME SEX SIRE DAM
OUT 6 …………………….DKB/BR C…. Ghostzapper…………..Just Breezing
6 MIKE DOYLE, AGENT, $60,0002 :10 3/5 True Attraction……….CH F…….. Yes It’s True…………New Attraction
OUT 101 …………………….DKB/BR F…. Lion Heart……………Regal Blues
116 LANE’S END $240,000 :10 …………………….B F……… City Zip……………..Sago
141 LET’S GO STABLE $210,000 :21 …………………….B C……… Sharp Humor…………..Sobhy’s Gal
168 FRANK FLETCHER RACING $170,000 :10 3/5 Tangliora…………….DKB/BR F…. Medaglia d’Oro………..Tango Prospect
183 NOT SOLD .:10 3/5……………………CH C…….. Holy Bull…………….Tudor Queen
186 MARK CASSE, AGENT $130,000 :21 3/5 …………………….B F……… Spring At Last………..Unbridled Run
194 $75,000 COLTS NECK :10 1/5 …………………….B F……… Songandaprayer………..Villacora
209$75,000 V. CERIN :11.0 …………………….DKB/BR C…. Sun King……………..Willow Woodman
215 FRANK FLETCHER RACING $215,000 :10 2/5…………………….GR/RO C….. Tapit………………..Woods Bay
237 NOT SOLD :10 4/5 Haggatts……………..DKB/BR F…. Harlington……………Appleby Gardens
265 OUT : 10 2/5…………………….CH F…….. Silver Train………….Caseys Irish Pride
301 $32,000 GZS STABLE .:22 3/5 ……………………DKB/BR C…. Fusaichi Pegasus………Duda
348 PATRICE MILLER $130,000 . :10.00 ……………………DKB/BR F…. Successful Appeal……..House of Soviet’s
Canadian buyers
56 10 F. MR. GREELEY /MORNING CRY – Brian Lynch $20,000
10 C. YES IT’S TRUE /SCATTER THE CROWD John Ross for Jam Jar $50,000
126 10 C. A.P. INDY /SHARP SUSAN – MARK CASSE, AGENT $425,000
273 10 C. BERNSTEIN /CHEMISE HARVEY SWARTZ $30,000
DUBAI UPDATE – TWO TRAINERS IN A BATTLE FOR DUBAI WINS WITH 2 WEEKS TO ‘CUP’
from SARAH TREGONING, The National
