Champs Elysees – what do you think? Would he have won the Northern Dancer if he had not been wiped out?. Is he the horse to beat on Saturday? Cindy Pierson Dulay photo.
CANADIAN INTERNATIONAL
8 into the gate
Headed by last year’s Canadian International winner MARSH SIDE,a field of 8 looks set for the Grade 1 event on Saturday.
Most of the runneres in this race are 5 or 6 years old and have enough form to still able to compete in this race.
The race will essentially be a re-run of the Northern Dancer with a few Euro’s tossed in – the best of those 3 is JUKEBOX JURY, a German Group 1 winner last time out.
The chestnut hard knocker BUCCELATTI (far right) is a Group 3 winner this year.
Allied Powers has won 2 of his 10 races, both at 12 furlongs – good news.
Bad news is, the 4yo Irish bred son of Invincible Spirit, has only had a couple of runner-up placings in Group 2 and Group 3 races. It appears as if this Michael Bell trainee wants some give in the ground.
Best Racing Post rating – 113
BUCCELLATI – He’s a 5yo bred in England by Soviet Star and he’s won 8 of 24 and $449K – a busy boy coming into this year.
In 2009, he’s had just 4 runs and he won a Group 3 in May.
One outing since June – he was 4th in the Grade 2 Prix Foy.
3 for 8 at the distanc, best RACING POST rating – 117
CHAMPS ELYSEES – At 6 he is still almost as good as he was in his prime last fall when he won the Northern Dancer Stakes and was 3rd to Marsh Side in the Canadian International.
Ran a 101 Beyer Figure in this year’s ‘Dancer even though he was sawed off in deep stretch by an errant Marsh Side.
Jukebox Jury – Big grey won a Group 1 and Group 2 in his last 2 races and he’s 5 for 11 in his career. An Irish bred 3yo by Montjeu – .
racing Post rating to top is 119.
Just as Well – Was awarded the Northern Dancer win when Marsh Side bore in and this 6yo horse has blossomed this year; 102 and 104 Beyer Figures in last 2 outings. Big workout since his latsest.
Marsh Side – Won this race last year and ran close to his top effort last time off a layoff in the Northern Dancer but he drifted in and wiped out runners; has to run as fast again.
Quijano – Old timer is 7 now but he ran virtually the same Beyer Figure in the Northern Dancer as he did in the 2007 Canadian International when 3rd to Cloudy’s Knight. He was 9th in last year’s Can. International after a hard run in the Dancer- here’s hoping he does not follow the same pattern this year.
Spice Route – What a year Roger Attfield has had and he has had to get this one back in shape after minor ailments put this one on the sidelines in July after he ran in a bog in the Nijinsky II. He’s very good when he’s off a layoff this 5yo chestnut guy.
E.P. TAYLOR LOOKS BETTER
SALVE GERMANIA, winning the Ballston Spa over RUTHERIENNE, will wear red and white and blue of new owner IEAH on Saturday. Vanessa Ng photo
The Taylor for the gals is a much more interesting race with some fancy fillies in town from overseas.
EASTERN ARIA – shipped in with Jukebox Jury, she’s never run in a Group event amd is 1 for 4 in her career.
LADY SHAKESPEARE – 4 for 4 at Woodbine this year, 91 Beyer in latest. Her mum won this race (when it was called the Nettie)
LAHALEEB – Irish bred won a Group 3 in April and missed winning the Irish 1000 Guineas by a neck in May on heavy going. Dull in last 3.
LOOK HERE – Won the English Oaks last year! No wins since then but 3rd to the star filly DAR RE MI in a Group 1 in June.
PRINCESS HAYA – rallied up the rail to win the Canadian at Woodbine last time over Forever Together.
RAINBOW VIEW – Just won the Group 1 Matron in Ireland, won the Fillies Mile last fall in here 4 for 4 campaign. 1 for 6 this year, likes 1 mile the best.
ROSES N WINE – Ontario bred just won a yearling sale stakes with a 101 Beyer Figure. Two placings in 4 grass starts.
SALVE GERMANIA – Just bought by IEAH and woni the Boiling Springs, a Grade 2, on soft Saratoga grass at 24 to 1. 100 Beyer Figure.
MUCH OBLIGED – tough loss at nice odds in the Canadian with a 97 Beyer.
BAKER IS TOUGH
Woodbine’s long weekend
Wow. Three graded stakes wins in 3 days including both big baby races at Woodbine this weekend.
Trainer READE BAKER and his team have cleaned up from Kentucky to Woodbine.
BIOFUEL won the Mazarine with an 83 Beyer Figure and is headed to the Breeders’ Cup (the winner of the Grade 1 Frizette, Devil May Care, ran an 89 iun her win on dirt).
BEAR TOUGH GUY has some filling in an ankle after gutting out the Grey win with a Beyer of a low 71.
The Monday Stakes were taken by LEGAL REVIEW (another stakes winner for Bold Executive), who won the Bull Page Stakes for Woodford Racing. Dr. Ron House was the breeder.
STUNNING STAG, owned by Janice Attard, won the restricted Mt. Sassafras Stakes for older horses at 7 furlongs.
THAT STINGS
The ONTARIO RACING COMMISSION has its work cut out for it these days.
From Jono Jones’ appeal for days for an accident a while back, to the appeal by MIKE DOYLE on the SANS SOUSI DQ (re: wrong whip) and JUSTIN STEIN’s bizarre 25 day suspenion that has been appealing (for yelling at someone) and now TERRY JORDAN’S positive test for the stakes winner HOLLYWOOD HIT.
That’s a lot of cases to hear and judge.
Meanwhile, while whip infractions are being handed out frequently – STEVE BAHEN lost his share of 2nd place money on the 2yo filly NOCOOKIESFORPAPA from a stakes last week for hitting her too many times in succession.
But a big one was missed on Sunday (see EQUIBASE CHART for 8th race and Woodbine notes in THE INSIDE POST, at www.drf.com).
BIGGER BREEZE, owned by Hopefiled Farm, was dueling D’WILD STORM in the stretch when the latter’s ride PATRICK HUSBANDS’ whip struck BIGGER BREEZE, ridden by Gerry Olguin, smack on the nose.
The horse should have been placed first with the winner taken down.
Perhaps this will go before the appeal board anyway. But it’s still tough to be a bettor these days.
