PRETTY IN PINK..isn’t she?
LEXIE FLEXES HER MUSCLES IN OAKS, on to Queen’s Plate
It was a day where Ontario sired horses and the biggest race of the year for Canadian-born fillies went to a gal who originally cost just $5,500.
LEXIE LOU, recently purchased privately by Gary Barber, chairman and CEO of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer fora sum in the range of what is believed to be $400,000, got back $300,000 of that with her crushing win in the Woodbine Oaks on Sunday.
The handy bay filly was dressed for the occasion too, sporting her owner’s shocking pink silks and the pink saddletowel for number 8 on a day where pink was worn for breast cancer awareness.
It was also fitting that Patrick Husbands rode as it was his 3rd winner on a day when he was presented with the Avelino Gomez Award for his significant contributions to Canadian racing.
Trained by Mark Casse, Lexie Lou raced without her blinkers in what proved to be a key move for a gal who was a top 2yo last year for John Ross, who picked her out as a yearling and won $300,000 with her. A blinker-less Lexie rated nicely behind a hot pace set by stablemate Wild Catomine, drew even with that gal heading to the far turn and then powered away, stopping the clock in 1:49.77, a very fast time for 9 furlongs.
“When Mark bought this horse, she had run with blinkers,” said Patrick Husbands. ” So when I worked her, I said she doesn’t need blinkers. So last time she never relaxed (racing with blinkers on). Today, no blinkers. We worked her twice since the last race without blinkers, no problem. In the post parade, she was relaxed. ”
Lexie Lou was 3 to 1. Wild Catomine, by Milwaukee Brew and thus also an Ontario sired gal. LLANARMON was third and favoured PALADIN BAY was fourth. HOT AND SPICY, invading from New York for William Clifton, stumbled badly at the start and looked as if she was not comfortable at any point in the race.
The winning Beyer Figure was 92, one of the best of any Canadian-bred 3-year-old in 2014 and that is why Mark Casse told Thoroughblog Sunday evening that the filly is likely headed to the Plate. Wild Catomine will race in the Bison City Stakes, the second jewel of the Triple Tiara.
LEXIE LOU was bred by Paradox Farm, which was a partnership between the late Dr. Michael Colterjohn, Moira Gunn and Sherry McLean. It was Colterjohn and Dermot Carty who got together to bring the Adena Stallions to Ontario: Sligo Bay, Milwaukee Brew, etc. The dam of Lexie Lou is Onexcessivenite, bred by Mike Pegram. The daughter of In Excess is out of Favored One, who is by Queen’s Plate winner Son of Bratic. The family is from the west coast of the United States (Son of Briartic was a top sire in Washington State), Oneecessivenite was foaled in California and she won over $140,000 on the track. The mare was offered at the CTHS Mixed sale 2 years ago in foal to Spaniard and she was bought back by Paradox for $750.
GARY BARBER, horse racing lover, film maker
SLIGO BAY (IRE) won 4 of 17 races including the Grade 1 Hollywood Turf Cup, 12 furlongs on turf. He won his maiden as a 2yo at the Curragh. He is by Sadler’s Wells – Angelic Song and his dam is a full sister to Glorious Song, Devil’s Bag, etc. He stands for $5,00 at Adena Springs Canada.
Dr. Michael Duncan Colterjohn
RACE RECORD for Oneexcessivenite: At 2, unplaced; at 3, four wins, twice 2nd; at 4, unplaced in 1 start.
Totals: 4 wins, twice 2nd. Earned $143,695.
PRODUCE RECORD for Oneexcessivenite:
2005 – Unnamed, f. by Sunday Break (JPN).
2006 – Cornelius, c. by Read the Footnotes. Unraced. Died 2008.
2007 – Relocate, f. by Read the Footnotes. Unraced. Dam of 2 foals, 1 to race, 1 winner–
– Relocate the Sky (2011 f. by Sky Conqueror). Winner at 2, placed at 3, 2014, $37,693(USA)
($40,300(CAN)). (SPR=83)
– Relocate the Bank (2012 f. by Vibank). Unraced.
2008 – Muriwai, f. by Trajectory. Unraced.
2009 – Ochun, f. by Where’s the Ring. Unraced.
2010 – Foal died (bred to Silent Name (JPN)).
2011 – LEXIE LOU, f. by Sligo Bay (IRE). 4 wins at 2 and 3, 2014, $609,438(USA) ($649,250(CAN)), 1st
Woodbine Oaks Presented by Budweiser -R (WO, $300,000(CAN)), Muskoka S. -R (WO,
$120,000(CAN)), South Ocean S. -R (WO, $75,000(CAN)), 2nd Princess Elizabeth S. -R
(WO, $50,000(CAN)), Victorian Queen S. -R (WO, $25,000(CAN)), 3rd Fury S. -R (WO,
$15,000(CAN)), Ontario Lassie S. -R (WO, $16,500(CAN)).
2012 – J M R Fendi, f. by Old Forester. Unraced.
2013 – Andy One Excess, f. by Spaniard.
ARTIE PARTY in the PLATE TRIAL
WE MISS ARTIE (left) is geared down near wire at Woodbine. He won the Plate Trial after a rail trip behind a slow pace. How will be feel about 1 1/4 miles against a hot chick like Lexie Lou? WEG/M Burns photo
A trip down to the walking ring to see WE MISS ARTIE, not long off the van from Saratoga, was well worth it. This sleek, dark bay son of Artie Schiller from Athena’s Guft by Fusaichi Pegasus was greeted by breeder Richard Lister and Cara Bloodstock’s Bernard McCormack and Karen McCormack. Only Ginny DiPasquale was in town (along with Javier Castellano) for the colt but it should be a different story come July 6 – Queen’s Plate day.
Stalking a very low pace set by maiden Majestic Sunset, WE MISS ARTIE rode the rail to the top of the stretch, angled out and powered to the lead while under a hand ride It was obvious that not only does the colt only do what he has to do to win, but his rider also did not want to go to the bottom of the well.
His Beyer Figure was 82 for his 1 1/8 miles in 1:50.78. Ken and Sarah Ramsay own the colt. The Ramsays have won hundreds of stakes races worldwide and this year invaded Barbados and won the Barbados Gold Cup. Canada would be yet another country conquered should Artie get the job done in 3 weeks.
Todd Pletcher won the 1998 Plate with Archers Bay and has sent many horses here for the race in recent years, including Ramsay-bred Queen’splatekitten who was 5th in the 2011 Plate after winning the Marine Stakes.
REPLAY of WOODBINE OAKS
replays of the Oaks and Plate Trial were not on YouTube, WEG channel here is a link to the Oaks race:
http://www.tsn.ca/VideoHub/?collection=72&show=382118
WE MISS ARTIE’S SPIRAL STAKES WIN
SO.. HERE IS THE LIST OF QUEEN’S PLATE POSSIBILITIES – 14 in field from Thoroughblog research\
We Miss Artie – Pletcher
Majestic Sunset – Casse
Lexie Lou – Casse
Matador – Casse
East Side – Casse
Asserting Bear – Baker
Ami’s Holiday – Carroll
Freitag – Frostad
Niigon’s Express – Attard
Lions Bay – J Attard
Latin Piper – R Halden
Coltimus Prime – Nixon
One Destiny – Fehr
Tower of Texas – Attfield
