Today’s news: the Horse Lover’s Masquerade Ball, tonight at Woodbine, held by LongRun Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation, DA SILVA to receive an award…Selene can mean Horse of the Year?
GOOD LUCK TO EVERYBODY!
EURICO ROSA DA SILVA will be honoured tonight at the LongRun Gala at Woodbine.
www.horse-races.net photo.
EURICO ROSA DA SILVA receives VOLTERRA AWARD tonight
Top Woodbine jockey EURICO ROSA DA SILVA will be honoured with the VOLTERRA AWARD tonight at the HORSE LOVERS MASQUERADE put on by LONGRUN THOROUGHBRED RETIREMENT FOUNDATION.
The Gala, sponsored by all sorts of horsepeople who have generously helped the horses with donations and gifts, begins at 7 this evening at Woodbine and is almost sold out. (it could already be soldout).
The VOLTERRA AWARD, named in honour of the horse and farm name of the late STEVE STAVRO (who was awarded the first Volterra Award) is in honour of a person who has been a tremendous contributor in any way to LongRun and the horses it retires and places.
DA SILVA, certainly the most popular jock at Woodbine, donates a percentage of his earnings every day to LongRun.
Congrats Eurico!
HORSE OF THE YEAR IN RANGE FOR MILWAUKEE APPEAL..OR HOOH WHY?
HOOH WHY, American owned and bred, could steal some Sovereign Awards should she win the Grade 3 Selene stakes at Woodbine tomorrow.
NORM FILES PHOTO.
With Donver Stable’s CARELESS JEWEL predictably not competing at Woodbine this weekend in the SELENE STAKES (Grade 3) for her 3rd start in Canada this year (needed to be eligible for a Sovereign Award), the HORSE OF THE YEAR title in Canada is totally up for grabs with 2 1/2 months left inthe local meeting.
Of course, the BREEDERS’ CUP races at Santa Anita still need to run – as well as the CANADIAN INTERNTIONAL but its looking more and more like MILWAUKEE APPEAL could be the Horse of the Year.
The 3yo filly, winner of the Woodbine Oaks and recently 3rd in th Grade 1 Alabama, is in the Selene and will be heavily favoured.
The filly has another new jockey – leading Woodbine rider Patrick Husbands is a lucky guy as he gets the call now.
AND WHAT ABOUT HER ARCH RIVAL?
Well, HOOH WHY might be the more logical choice for Horse of the Year. She’s a Grade 1 winner this season in Kentucky and the Selene will be her 3rd race locallY.
Plus, she beat MILWAUKEE APPEAL in the La Lorgnette Stakes this season.
Any others?
Well, Rahy’s Attorney and Marchfield are still in the hunt – even CHAMPS ELYSEES, if he were to win the Canadian International would be eligible.
Saturday, Woodbine
SELENE S.-GIII, C$250,000, 3yo, f, 1 1/16m (AWT)
PP HORSE SIRE JOCKEY TRAINER WT
1 Milwaukee Appeal Milwaukee Brew Husbands Fairlie 120
2 Carem Crescent Distorted Humor Da Silva Pierce 116
3 Hooh Why Cloud Hopping Ramsammy Hoffman 123
4 Closing Speed Cherokee Run Fraser Casse 123
5 Aurora Lights Pulpit McAleney Coatrieux 116
6 Saucey Evening More Than Ready Sutherland Motion 123
FASTEST HORSES OF THE YEAR – ACCORDING TO BEYER
VENTURA’S win in the WOODBINE MILE was the fastest race on the grass this year in North America!
This is according to the BEYER SPEED FIGURES printed in DAILY RACING FORM…
First off, how about an overall list for runners older than 2 atdistances over 1 mile…girls rule here too!
3 AND UP OVER ONE MILE
Rachel Alexandra (f) MTH 02 Aug 1 1/8M 116
Icon Project (f) SAR 30 Aug 1 1/4M 114
I Want Revenge AQU 07 Mar 1 1/16M 113
Jessica Is Back (f) CRC 25 Jul 1 1/16M 111
Quality Road GP 28 Mar 1 1/8M 111
Rachel Alexandra (f) BEL 27 Jun 1 1/8M 111
Rail Trip HOL 11 Jul 1 1/4M 111
Solar Flare (ARG) MTH 24 May 1 1/16M 111
Summer Bird SAR 29 Aug 1 1/4M 110
Jonesboro PRM 27 Jun 1 1/8M 109
Macho Again SAR 05 Sep 1 1/8M 109
Rachel Alexandra (f) SAR 05 Sep 1 1/8M 109
Dunkirk GP 28 Mar 1 1/8M 108
Rachel Alexandra (f) CD 01 May 1 1/8M 108
Rachel Alexandra (f) PIM 16 May 1 3/16M 108
TURF ALL DISTANCES
Ventura (f) WO 20 Sep 1M 108
Blue Sailor PHA 13 Jul 5F 106
Cowboy Cal CD 02 May 1 1/8M 106
Einstein (BRZ) CD 02 May 1 1/8M 106
Ferneley (IRE) GG 03 Apr 1M 106
Ferneley (IRE) WO 20 Sep 1M 106
Gio Ponti AP 08 Aug 1 1/4M 106
Gio Ponti BEL 06 Jun 1 1/4M 106
Justenuffhumor SAR 28 Aug 1 1/8M 106
Presious Passion MTH 04 Jul 1 3/8M 106
Rahy’s Attorney WO 27 Jun 1 1/8M 106
Cosmonaut BEL 02 May 1 1/16M 105
Cowboy Cal SAR 28 Aug 1 1/8M 105
Diamondrella (GB) (f) BEL 06 Jun 1M 105
Gio Ponti BEL 11 Jul 1 3/8M 105
Grand Couturier (GB) BEL 13 Sep 1 3/8M 105
Kip Deville GP 01 Feb 1 1/8M 105
Rahy’s Attorney WO 26 Jul 1 1/4M 105
4 FOR LUIS, 3 FOR ASMUSSEN
It was a big Thursday for the Americans at Woodbine – STEVE ASMUSSEN saddled 3 winners and his main rider LUIS CONTRERAS won 4 races.
Add the win with BETELO on Wednesday night and the Asmussen team has 4 wins in 2 days with jock Contreras wining 5.
Yesterday’s 3rd race was won by MIGHTY MONARCH and that 2yo was greeted inthe winner’s circle by his owner and trainer LAURIE SILVERA who has been ill for most of the 2009 racing season.
Good to see ‘Sir’ Laurie back at the track.
The 22 to 1 shot that won the last race yesterday was RECONNAISSANCE, wearing the famous blue and red silks of the late CHARLES ‘BUD’ BAKER.
Not only was this the first win for the Baker stable this season but the gelding, winning for $11,500 yesterday, is fittingly a grandson of of Baker’s great NORCLIFFE.
dANNY o’cALLAGHAN was the winning trainer.
On WEDNESDAY EVENING, owner and trainer MARGARET SPENCER wonher first race of the season with her homebred QUINZEE, a greay Whiskey Wisdom gelding who won big in the Ontario sired maiden allowance.
And GAIL LUNAN and ZELKO KRCMAR-BRED COWBOY’S DREAM (By the obscure West Virgina sire Cowboy Carson, a full brother to Lord Carson) won big in the finale for the first win for trainer Krcmar st Woodbine this year.
FOREMAN, TANEL IN THE ‘NEWS’
In the THOROUGBRED DAILY NEWS on Thursday, Canadian breeder ROGER TANEL was in the news with consignor SUE FOREMAN. JIM AND SUSAN HILL, also Canadians, bought their colt from the first crop of SURVIVALIST.
Hip Sex Sire Dam Price
3188 c Survivalist Launch the Rocket 70,000
B-R Tanel (ON)
Consigned by Susan Y Foreman
Purchased by Jim and Susan Hill
Roger Tanel went shopping at the 2005 Keeneland November sale
and purchased Launch the Rocket (Forest Wildcat), in foal to
Mutakddim, for only $17,000. Tanel sold the resultant for for C$100,000
($94,980) at the CTHS September sale in 2007, and yesterday’s transaction
made the purchase of the mare look just that much better
SLIGOVITZ, EL BRUJO try Cup races in Kentucky
Canadian-breds Sligovitz and El Brujo are taking part in some big races on all-weather Turfway Park this weekend.
A preview fromTurfway Park follows the field with the locals:
Saturday, Turfway Park
KENTUCKY CUP CLASSIC S.-GII, $200,000, 3yo/up,
1 1/8m (AWT)
PP HORSE SIRE JOCKEY TRAINER
1 Jazz in the Park Ecton Park Court Barnett
2 Hold Me Back Giant’s Causeway Leparoux Mott
3 Sligovitz Sligo Bay (Ire) Goncalves Attfield
4 Wicked Style Macho Uno Albarado Arnold
5 Your Round Distorted Humor Mena Hubley
6 Timeless Fashion Sky Classic Lopez Drury
7 Furthest Land Smart Strike Gomez Maker
8 Godolphin Gray Explicit Canchano Underwood
9 Dubious Miss E Dubai Borel McGee
Saturday, Turfway Park
KENTUCKY CUP SPRINT S.-GIII, $100,000, 3yo, 6f
(AWT)
PP HORSE SIRE JOCKEY TRAINER WT
1 El Brujo Candy Ride (Arg) Gomez Pierce 122
2 Lookn Mighty Fast Point Given Goncalves Amoss 118
3 Ju Jitsu Jax Tiger Ridge Mena Lake 122
4 Big Push Black Mambo Albarado Klesaris 118
5 Guam Typhoon Distorted Humor Borel Wilkes 120
6 Hamazing Destiny Salt Lake Thompson Lukas 118
7 Heart of a King Lion Heart Court Pino 122
8 Dynamite Bob Malabar Gold Tolentino Lopez 118
9 Turfiste Military Leparoux Holthus 120
10 Brass Bay Rainmaker Gonzalez Jr Ritchie 118
11 His Greatness Honour and Glory Rojas Salazar 118
Preparations near completion for Kentucky Cup Day
Contributed By Jordan Kellogg | Community Press | ShareThis
Submitted by Turfway Park
With fields set, works in the books, and shipping plans underway, horses now have but to wait the Kentucky Cup Day of Champions.
Kentucky Cup Classic (G2)
Woodbine shipper Sligovitz brings all-weather success to the Classic, having won four of eight starts on the surface and placing in the other four. “This will be a stiff spot for him,” said trainer Roger Attfield, “but he’s been training very well and he’s been intended for this race.” Attfield also noted the advantage of having Turfway’s hot rider Leandro Gonçalves aboard.
Trainer Tom Drury hopes that Timeless Fashion’s success over the Turfway track plays in his favor Saturday. The 5-year-old gelding broke his maiden at Turfway and won his first stakes at the track as well, taking the one-mile Dust Commander in February. He has three wins in six starts on Polytrack, all at Turfway, five wins total, and has never been out of the money in nine lifetime starts. The Classic will be his first graded-stakes attempt.
“Certainly with horses like Hold Me Back, Dubious Miss, and Wicked Style it’s not going to be a gimme,” Drury said. “But he likes the Polytrack and has always gotten over it well, so we thought if we’re going to swing for the fences, this is the place to do it. He certainly deserves the chance to compete at this level, and maybe things will go our way. We’re hoping for a little bit of a home-field advantage.”
Noting running styles in the field, Drury said, “He doesn’t have to be on the lead but he can be. If the doors open and nobody wants it, we can take it. If somebody does go, we can be right on their hip. There’s speed in the race but I don’t think any of them have to be on the lead. I think most of [the trainers] will tell the jockeys the same thing: ‘Let the doors open and see who does what.’”
Timeless Fashion comes in off a layoff, having last raced in and won the Independence Day Stakes at Mountaineer in July. He will ship to Turfway on race day.
Kentucky Cup Sprint (G3)
Guam Typhoon is the 3-1 morning line favorite in a well-matched edition of the Sprint despite having neither trained nor raced on an all-weather surface. “I’m pleased with the horse,” said trainer Ian Wilkes. “He’s doing well and this is a good spot for him. I’ll leave the running up to [jockey] Calvin [Borel].”
The 3-year-old Distorted Humor colt reeled off three wins at Churchill Downs last spring before shipping to Saratoga in August to finish third in the restricted Curlin Stakes and second in the Pleasant Colony, his most recent race. Wilkes does not expect the colt to proceed to the Breeders’ Cup, saying, “He’s not seasoned enough.”
El Brujo has four wins, four seconds, and a third from 11 career starts, all over Woodbine’s Polytrack. Trained by Malcolm Pierce and twice a restricted stakes winner, the Candy Ride gelding is second on the Sprint morning line at 4-1 and will break from the rail. “We would have preferred another post position,” said Pierce,” but he likes the Polytrack and I think he has more experience over the surface than anybody else in the field. He tries hard every time—always gives 110 percent.”
El Brujo gains an advantage in jockey Garrett Gomez as well, noted Pierce, who said, “He puts a horse in position to win every time.”
El Brujo will ship from Woodbine Thursday evening and arrive at Turfway on Friday.
LAVA MAN – RETURNED TO TRAIING AT AGE 8 AFTER YEAR OFF
“Tom (Magali farm manager Tom Hudson) said that once Lava Man was put back in training, he was so much happier than when he was just hanging out at the farm.” – trainer DOUG O’NEILL in the BLOOD HORSE.COM
By Tracy Gantz
Lava Man, the former claimer who earned more than $5 million, has returned to training at Doug O’Neill’s Hollywood Park barn. The 8-year-old gelding worked three furlongs in :36 flat Sept. 23 at Hollywood, his first official work.
O’Neill, who claimed Lava Man for owners STD Racing Stable and Jason Wood, said Lava Man came into his Hollywood barn shortly after the Del Mar meeting closed Sept. 9.
His work on the Hollywood Park Cushion Track was the fastest of 24 at the distance for the morning. “He worked unbelievable and cooled out fantastic,” O’Neill said.
http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/52670/lava-man-back-on-work-tab-for-doug-oneill
