INFLEXIBILITY HEADED TO WOODBINE FOR Preakness Winner’s connections
The Chad Brown – trained Ontario bred filly INFLEXIBILITY, owned by Klaravich Stables and William Lawrence is headed to Woodbine soon to contest the June 11 Woodbine Oaks.
Chad Brown told Thoroughblog today that the 3-year-old daughter of Scat Daddy – Halo’s verse by Unbridled’s Song is prepping for the Oaks at Saratoga – she had a workout there on Sunday in 50.98 for 4 furlongs.
Bred by Anderson Farms, Inflexibility won her maiden in her 2nd career start, a 1 1/16 mile turf race in 1:41.17 at Belmont Park under Joel Rosario. Her Beyer Figure was 75.
She is the 3rd runner for the mare, a winner. The female family has produced the champion ASHADO.
Brown and the Klaravich and Lawrence team won the Preakness on Saturday with Cloud Computing.
HOLY HELENA, by the great Ghostzapper, is a Strnach Stables homebred who won her maiden at Belmont with a whopping 86 Beyer Figure, easily the tops of any Oaks contender.
Trained by Jimmy Jerkens, should Holy Helena make the trip to Woodbine, she would be the top contender.
STALLION HEIRESS (Exchange Rate) is also expected to arrive for trainer Mike Stidham. The Exchange Rate speedball won her first 3 races on the grass before finishing 10th in the Edgewood at Churchill Downs. She has been working steadily at Fair Hill in Maryland.
ENSTONE, 2nd in the Grade 3 Selene, is the leading contender of the locals. She is by Tiznow.
MYTHICAL MISSION, from the Sam-Son farms, is a major contender as is ELLAN VANNIN, owned by Jon Lee.
Thoroughblog’s Top 10 Woodbine Oaks
1 – HOLY HELENA
2 -MYTHICAL MISSION
3 -ENSTONE
4 -INFEXIBILITY
5 – ELLAN VANNIN
6 – STALLION HEIRESS
7 – FINANCIAL RECOVERY
8 – CINDERVELLA
9 – MISSY CHRISSY
10 – SPRING TEMPEST
INFLEXIBILITY won her maiden at Belmont with a 75 Beyer Speed Figure. The Woodbine Oaks is next.
KEEN GIZMO is the newest stakes winner bred by Ivan Dalos, who has won Sovereign awards with Amis Gizmo and Galloping Ami (2016) and has risen to the top of the owner/breeder charts in Canada. Woodbine photo
HE’S KEEN
Luis Contreras bent over from the saddle and gave Keen Gizmo a long, big hug.
It was several seconds, this guy and play time, and was on the TV in-house for all fans to see.
And it was before the Steady Growth Stakes.
KEEN GIZMO felt pretty good, no doubt, as he powered away to his first stakes win for his buddy Contreras and owner/breeder Ivan Dalos and trainer Josie Carroll.
Keen Gizmo, bred and owned by Ivan Dalos (Tall Oaks Farms), made his third Steady Growth Stakes appearance his most memorable one, winning impressively in Holiday Monday’s $125,000 feature, at Woodbine.
The six-year-old multiple stakes placed gelding, bred in Ontario, finished second in the 1 1/16-mile main track stake in 2015 and seventh last year.
On Monday, he broke through with a flawless effort that yielded his first added-money score.
Eurico Rosa da Silva put defending champ Where’s the Widget in front from the get-go, as Nipigon kept pace to the outside, while Keen Gizmo, under Luis Contreras, tracked from third. The lead duo took the field through an opening quarter-mile in :24.53 and were still in front after a half-mile clocked in :48.43.
With his rivals turning up the pressure through the turn for home, Where’s the Widget began to fade, as Keen Gizmo struck front, going on to a 1 ¼-length victory in the 16th running of the Steady Growth, stopping the clock in a final time of 1:42.73.
It was fifth career win for the chestnut, who now has 16 top-three finishes from 24 starts, including eight runner-up performances.
Contreras was relieved to see the quirky son of Giant Gizmo put together a giant effort in the Steady Growth.
“This horse always tries,” said the veteran rider. “But he’s one of the most difficult horses to ride. I just wanted to stay close to the pace. He likes to switch his leads a lot, so he loses his momentum sometimes.”
Today, it wasn’t an issue.
“We’ve had a lot of confidence in this horse over the years,” said winning trainer Josie Carroll. “He’s his own worst enemy. He’s not a very focused horse and he’s always doing something silly where we miss races. Finally, he’s put it all together and done his job.”
Is he getting better with age?
“He was today,” quipped Carroll.
Dalos was equally enthused with the mistake-free showing.
“He definitely has a lot of idiosyncrasies,” offered Dalos. “You just have to keep your fingers crossed that you get a good ride and nothing goes wrong for him.”
More from Holiday Monday –
QUEEN’S PLATE UPDATE – EXPEDITION has traveled his way up to a maiden win and into the Queen’s Plate picture with his victory in the last race on Monday. The WinStar Farm, China Horse Club and SF Racing Group gelding, a $275,000 purchase, rallied to win his first 2 turn race on tapeta following sprints, turf, and sloppy track races in Florida.
Now trained by Mark Casse, this son of Pioneerof the Nile – Flashy Got Even by Stepehen Got Even was ridden by Gary Boulanger and incredibly, the pair paid 15 to 1. The time was 1:45.22
Expedition was bred by Dom Romeo’s Terra Racing.
Larry Cappuccitti and his team won with their first starter of the meeting when CASE IN POINT won the first race for maidens, $8,000 claiming. Bred by the Capuccitti family, this Victor’s Cry 4yo was ridden to victory by Gary Boulanger.
COURTLY MANNER is a 2-time winner at the meeting now as he won an allowance/optional claiming race following his maiden win. The son of Court Vision is owned and was bred by Bruce Lunsford in Ontario and is trained by Barb Minshall. Rafael Hernandez rode the 3to.
THUNDER POINT won race 3, a $20,000 claiming race at 1 1/16 miles for Nick Sampgna and trainer Dominc Polsinelli. Luis Contreas rode the chestnut who was making his first start of the year.
Race 4 was a wild maiden race on the grass, a split of a maiden/optional claiming event at 7 furlongs on the turf.
Favoured HAILEYS PRIZE is a a keen gal who can’t get lucky. Already with 6 second place finishes in her 7 races, this gal was eager early from the inside but then allowed 2 others to go the lead. By that time, things got crowded, she clipped heels and stumbled.
Hailey mad an incredible recovery to behind behind a wall of horses turning for home and tried to rally between, was bumped around hard and she reached out to grab the lead only to be pipped on the money by Niigon’s Bay, owned by Chieffswood Stable. Rachel Halden trains the winner and Patrick Husbands, celebrating his birthday, was on board.
Race 5- a $6,250 claiming race was also won by Husbands as BRILLIANT CHARLIE led all the way to win for the 2nd straight time for the high percentage Denyse McClachrie barn. Ryan Kerbel ownws the winner, a son of Einstein.
On the grass for race 6 and new claim SAN NICOLA THUNDER, a multiple stakes winner, galloped to an easy win for new owner/trainer Jim Ensom. The bug dark bay 7 year old was 2nd in his season opener for $40,00 when he was claimed.
Inerestingly, the long time owner of this gelding, and breeder, Joe Pirone, woul win race 9, the maiden turf race which was split, with I LOOK INCREDIBLE, a close relative of ‘Thunder’.
Jennifer Shafer is the winning trainer of I Look Incredible an it was the 4th winner of the day for jockey Luis Contreras.
Race 7 -Un Stables’ TORIAEZU NAMA won this $40,000 claiming/allowance race at 6 1/2 furlongs over Bearsatlanticmist, who had a number of claims in for her. The winner was coming out of a fast race against colts who she was a solid contender at 6 to 1. She had a bit of a miscue as she veered out sharply and knocked Winning Smile off stride before she went on to victory. There was an inquiry but the results stood.
WOODBINE STATS
LEADING JOCKEYS
Eurico Rosa Da Silva…………………………. 116 30 25 13 $1,368,121
Rafael Manuel Hernandez………………….. 124 22 16 17 $848,919
Patrick Husbands…………………………….. 83 21 13 11 $941,194
Jesse M. Campbell……………………………. 97 18 13 10 $755,954
Luis Contreras………………………………. 92 16 13 18 $841,247
Gary Boulanger………………………………. 73 15 12 10 $736,482
LEADING TRAINERS
Mark E. Casse……………………………….. 66 19 14 3 $1,051,447
Norman McKnight……………………………… 30 9 4 4 $221,633
Nicholas Gonzalez……………………………. 33 7 7 3 $349,379
Alexander P. Patykewich……………………. 13 7 1 1 $195,326
Denyse McClachrie……………………………. 22 6 2 2 $117,691
LEADING OWNERS
Sam-Son Farm………………………………….. 12 3 1 2 $227,178
Alexander P. Patykewich……………………. 13 7 1 1 $195,326
Chiefswood Stable…………………………….. 9 2 1 2 $156,680
Entourage Stable………………………………. 2 2 0 0 $147,000
Gary Barber………………………………………. 6 3 1 0 $141,900
